Cover of library copy of St Benedict's Mission: Farm School Kenel, South Dakota by Eagle Butte, SD historian Casmir LeBeau
An earlier posting about a relatively rare book brought to mind the locally produced, brief history of the mission and boarding school at Kenel, South Dakota. As far as I know, it is the only dedicated history of the old Kenel Agricultural Boarding School. Like many local histories, it contains an eclectic collection of information and photographs. Despite its brevity, it is a valuable source of information. It is a useful reference on the subject.
Similar to Standing Rock, a comprehensive reference source on the Kenel boarding schools does not exist. The information needs to be gleaned from a broad array of sources. The plethora of books published on the boarding school experience and religious missions contain bits and pieces, but the best collection are the primary source documents themselves.
The Marquette University Archives in Milwaukee Wisconsin contain the records of Conception Abbey of Conception, Missouri. The records at Marqutte pertain to the Catholic mission activities on Standing Rock, Crow Creek and Fort Berthold, although the bulk pertain to Standing Rock. A note on the scope of the collection can be read here. Timelines and locations for Standing Rock Reservation Churches and Schools within the collection can be found here
Much of the material is contained within three microfilm rolls that the library has obtained from Marquette. A listing of the contents of the microfilm can be found here, While a listing that includes the archival records in the collection both microfilmed and not can be found here.