George Soule came to America on the Mayflower in 1620 a servant to Edward Winslow’s family. Descendant Lafayette Soule (1823-1918) wed Amelia Barr (1836-1916) in McLean County in 1856. The couple reared their family in McLean County, and some of the children lived their adult lives here as well.

The collection includes genealogical information for Lafayette and Amelia Barr Soule and their children, as well as miscellaneous pictures of historical figures and events. Birth announcements and death tributes are also present. Four books from the mid-1800s are included along with a book of Mahatma Gandhi’s thoughts on education from 1958.