The Hartzler Collection

The Jesse D. Hartzler Collection is owned by the Good Library and housed in the rare book room of the Mennonite Historical Library on the campus of Goshen College. The collection contains 3,106 musical books with a strong emphasis on American nineteenth century hymnody. The books are broadly classified into 20 categories. A list of the categories and a description of their contents follows. Most of the titles appear in the Goshen College Library’s online catalog.

1. On Hymns and Hymn Writers
   This section contains 625 books about hymns and written from 1709 until 1976.
2. Sabbath School Tune Books
   This section contains 231 Sunday school songbooks. Most are oblong and were published between 1838 to 1897. There is a substantial collection of songbooks by William Bradbury. Other popular authors or compilers include Asa Hull, John Kurzenknabe, Robert Lowry, William Odgen, Tullius OÕKane, Theodore Perkins, Phillip Phillips, George Root, and Horace Waters.
3. Hymnals: Denominational and Standard
   This section contains 175 denominational hymnals published between 1800 to 1966. Although a number of denominations are represented, Methodist and Baptist hymnals tend to dominate.
4. Hymn Books with Words Only
   This section contains 166 psalters and hymnals without tunes. Most of the books were published between 1714 and 1892; however there are a few early twentieth century books as well. In addition to a number of Methodist hymnbooks, there are numerous copies of Asahel NettletonÕs Village Hymns for Social Worship, Sebastian StreeterÕs New Hymn Book, and Isaac WattsÕ Psalms of David.
5. Spirituals (Words Only)
   This section contains 42 books published between 1800 and 1879. Some of the books are by Peter Myers, Henry Smith, and John Totten.
6. Spirituals with Tunes
   This section contains 51 books published between 1786 and 1890 with a couple of twentieth century books. In this section the books range from J. W. Dadmun’s Melodeon to Joseph HillmanÕs Revivalist to Asa HullÕs Sacred Harp to Joshua LeavittÕs Christian Lyre to a 1786 print of Isaac WattsÕ Psalms of David.
7. Class Books
   This section contains 443 mostly oblong songbooks mostly used in schools. Chronologically, the books range from Artemas Johnson’s Empire Collection published in 1800 to Judge Jackson’s Colored Sacred Harp published in 1934. Various authors include Benjamin Baker, William Bradbury, Luther Emerson, Thomas Hastings, Daniel Hodges, Artemas Johnson, Jacob King, George Kingsley, Charles Leslie, Leonard Marshall, Horatio Palmer, Henry Perkins, William Perkins, Ransom Randall, George Root, Solomon Straub, and Virgil Taylor.
8. Lowell Mason
   This section contains 90 books by Lowell Mason published between 1818 and 1872.
9. I.B. Woodbury Books
   This section contains 32 books by I. B. Woodbury published between 1848 to 1859.
10. Sermons on Church Music: Seventeenth and Eighteenth Century
    This section contains 9 books with sermons. Three are from the seventeenth century, two from the eighteenth century, and three from the nineteenth century, as well as others.
11. Sacred Quartette and Choir Books and Church in Large Volumes
    This section contains 42 large books published from 1800 to 1966. This section includes books such as Samuel HolyokeÕs Columbian Repository from 1800 and Henry WilsonÕs Quartettes of 1861.
12. Pamphlet Material
13. Reports of Church-Wide Mennonite Music Conference
14. Shaped Noted and Other Unconventional Forms of Notes to Aid Untrained Persons to Read Syllables
    This section contains 78 books variable forms of notation from cipher notes to shaped notes. These books range from Andrew Law’s Select Harmony of 1779 to other notable books by William Little, John Wyeth, Jesse Aiken, Amos Hayden, Samuel Wakefield, William Walker, Thomas Weber, Benjamin White, and John Winebrenner.
15. Eighteenth Century and Others
    This section contains 55 books. Although the heading suggests that most books are from the eighteenth century, the majority of books in this section are from the early nineteenth century. This section contains works mostly by previously
    mentioned authors.
16. Psalm Books
17. Secular Music, Etc.
18. Negro Melodies
19. Gospel Song Books
20. Miscellaneous