Biography:

Henry Carl Misterfeldt, Jr. (1850–1926) was born in Prussia (Germany) and emigrated to the United States with his father, Henry Carl Misterfeldt, Sr., in 1869. Unable to find work in Chicago, they came to Mississippi in February 1870 and worked on a farm in Rankin County.

Edgar Lafayette Misterfeldt, son of Henry Carl Misterfeldt, Jr., was born at Florence, Mississippi, on October 5, 1876. He attended Richland Academy, Steen's Creek High School, and the University of Mississippi. In 1899, he entered the lumber business and was three times elected to the state legislature from Rankin County. Misterfeldt was killed in October 1949.

Scope and Content:

The journal of Henry Carl Misterfeldt dates from January 1, 1874, to May 3, 1926, and contains an autobiographical sketch at the beginning. The journal of Edgar Lafayette Misterfeldt covers the period from January 1, 1912, to October 13, 1949. The journals record day-to-day events, weather conditions, and family information.