Private Collections Finding Aids

See also: Legacy Finding Aids in the North Carolina Digital Collections - Legacy finding aids are finding aids that have not been updated recently. Formerly available through the black finding aid notebooks in the State Archives Search Room, in some cases the legacy finding aids only provide minimal information or include provisional box lists; for this reason they are provided "as is" for the use of the public.

Tab/Accordion Items

A

  • Adams and Swift Family Papers, 1856-1928 
    George Mott Swift (ca. 1823-1883), a merchant in Yanceyville, Caswell County, was married in 1856 to Isabella Crane Lowndnes (d.1934). Their daughter, Lizzie Lowndes, married Spencer Bell Adams (1861-1943) in 1884. Adams had studied at the Dick and Dillard Law School at Greensboro, where he received his license to practice law in 1882 before establishing his practice in Yanceyville. There he held several positions, including that of elected clerk of the Superior Court of Caswell County. By 1899 Adams and his family were living in Greensboro, where he practiced law, and served as chairman of the state Republican Party, 1905-1910. Their six children included Joseph Allen Adams (1893-1939), also an attorney, who enlisted for military service 27 June 1917, then trained and served until 1919 at various U.S. Army camps and forts throughout the Southeast. The younger Adams was in demand during the 1920s as a speaker at area patriotic and veterans' events. Papers include letters, telegrams, military certificates and forms, clippings, and speeches to patriotic and veterans groups, etc., clippings, and a small quantity of correspondence and estate, land, and legal papers involving the Swift, and related families of Yanceyville, Caswell County; Greensboro, Guilford County. The earliest documents concern parcels of land that Joseph M. Swift purchased from heirs of Elijah Graves and from Virginia (Graves) McDonald, for property in Yanceyville of her mother, the late Ann (Lea) Graves, 1856-1883. (1 box, .33 cubic feet)
  • Albright-Dixon Papers, 1812-1933 
    William Albright (1791-1856) lived in Chatham County and was a landowner, slave-owner, merchant and state senator. Thomas Dixon (d. 1899) owned the Dixon Manufacturing Company in Snow Camp, North Carolina. He married William Albright's daughter Eleanor and they had three daughters. Papers include correspondence, various receipts and invoices, newspaper clippings and other items concerning the temperance and prohibition movements, advertisements for Snow Camp Woolen Mills, and miscellaneous papers.
  • Aycock, Charles Brantley, Collection, 1880-1959 
    Charles Brantley Aycock, known as the educational governor of North Carolina, was, born in 1859 in Wayne County. After graduating from the University of North Carolina in three years, he began to practice law in Goldsboro in 1881. In 1900 he was elected governor on a platform of white supremacy and the promise of an improved educational system in North Carolina. After his term as governor, he resumed his law practice in Goldsboro and later in Raleigh. He returned to political life in 1911 by announcing his candidacy for the United States Senate, but he died suddenly on April 4, 1912, while making a speech in Birmingham, Alabama. Although the Charles Aycock Collection contains a few Aycock Papers, Clarence Poe accumulated the great majority of the material. Poe was married to Aycock's daughter Alice and was instrumental in establishing various memorials to the former governor. Poe's papers in connection with these projects form most of the collection. The Aycock papers in the collection include correspondence, speeches, letter press books, transcripts of a trial, and miscellaneous notes made by Aycock.

B

  • Bacot, R. H., Letters, 1864 - 1865 
    Richard H. Bacot served as an officer of C.S.S. Charleston and C.S.S. Neuse during the Civil War. His letters describe military operations in and around Kinston, N.C., during 1864 and early 1865.
  • Bain, John C., Papers, 1862 - 1930 
    The papers of John C. Bain (Aug. 14, 1862 - Sept. 11, 1930), farmer and rural mail carrier, are not of particular importance as they relate to his own cotton crops and truck garden produce. However, his involvement in the cooperative movement among farmers that gave rise to the Farmers' State Alliance and the Cotton Growers' Cooperative Association produced papers of historical interest, in part because Bain was active at every level of the alliance movement. The personal papers fall naturally into three categories: Bain's personal papers; Bain's papers concerning the Farmers' Alliance (state, county, and sub--alliance); and Bain's papers concerning the Cumberland County Cotton Growers' Association.
  • Ballance, Thomas, Family Account Books, 1846-1851
    The Middletown and Far Creek general stores [variant spellings: Middleton and Fair Creek] operated in Hyde County from 1846 to 1851. The proprietors were members of the Thomas Ballance family. This collection consists of two double-entry ledgers, which itemize transactions by customers’ names, and four day books, which itemize transactions by date. Recorded merchandise includes food staples, cookware, clothing, hardware, and buggy equipment. Attached to this finding aid are two tables of customers’ names for the Middletown and Far Creek stores, often called Middleton and Fair Creek. (6 volumes )
  • Ballentine, L. Y., Papers, 1941 - 1964, 1966 
    Lynton Yates "Stag" Ballentine was born on a farm in Wake County on April 6, 1899. After graduating from Wake Forest College, Ballentine returned home to help operate the family dairy. He was active in the North Carolina Democratic Party, serving in the North Carolina State Senate, as lieutenant governor, and Commissioner of Agriculture, a position he held until his death in 1964. The bulk of this collection consists of Ballentine's private papers (1949-1964), although the collection deals indirectly with Ballentine's duties as Commissioner of Agriculture and could be classified as semi-official in some cases. Includes correspondence (political, social and agricultural in nature); newspaper clippings; materials related to integration at Wake Forest College (1960-1963), an expansion program for Meredith College (1959), and organizations that Ballentine was active in; also includes a scrapbook (1949-1953).
  • Barbee Family Papers, 1785-1924 
    The Barbee family’s roots in Chatham County date back to the eighteenth century. Christopher Barbee, son of John and Ann Miller Barbee of Middlesex County Virginia, came to Orange County, North Carolina sometime in the late eighteenth century along with his wife Margaret and three of his brothers. His son also named Christopher, married to Dicey Hopson, owned land in Chatham County as early as 1785. Christopher died young leaving behind another son named Christopher. The collection primarily focuses on the family of this Christopher Barbee, particularly his son William A. Barbee. These are the papers of the Barbee family of Chatham County. The greater part of the collection contains papers related to William A. Barbee, son of Christopher and Jeaney Shephard, and his immediate family members from the late 1700s to early 1900s. The earliest documents, beginning in 1785, are land records from Chatham County. Land, estate, and court records continue into the nineteenth century and make up a large part of the collection. Other early records include correspondence starting in 1859 and continue through the Civil War and beyond. A portion of the letters, written from the battlefield, are from William A. to his wife and from a son who is a member of the 6th Regiment North Carolina Infantry. The collection also includes writings, as well as correspondence, papers, and photographs from the youngest son of William A. Barbee who served in World War I.(4.0 boxes)
  • Barbour, Ruth Peeling, Papers, 1680 - 2002 
    Ruth Peeling Barbour (1924- ), newspaper editor and author, was the editor of The Beaufort News(Beaufort, N. C.) and continued in that capacity after the paper merged with another newspaper to form theCarteret County News-Times. She commenced writing a weekly column in 1952, and continued doing so for a quarter of a century after her retirement as editor in 1975. Mrs. Barbour's papers include general and special correspondence and clippings relating to the newspaper and to local and regional matters; correspondence, research notes, and drafts relating to her historical novel, Cruise of the Snap Dragon and a projected sequel to it; copies of six of her historical dramas, and a few representative articles written by her.
  • Barnes and Bardin Account Books, 1839-1844
    These four volumes represent transactions of a store located in Black Creek. The business is known as Barnes and Bardin. Business transactions began on December 4, 1839 and may have been recorded by J. M. Rice initially. In later volumes, Benjamin H. Bardin identified himself as the seventeen-year-old clerk. Volume 1 is labeled "Day Book" on the spine but is used as a ledger as are the other three volumes, which are labeled "Ledger". Volumes 3 and 4 have alphabetical indexes to customers and pages. Note: Attached to this finding aid is a table of names of customers of the Barnes and Bardin store. This is a sampling of names found in the four ledgers in the collection. Particular care has been given to list female customers, since women were not enumerated by name in the 1840 Census. Each name entry in the table includes a listing of the volume number, date, and page number(s) on which transactions were listed.
  • Bell-Pearsall Papers, 1795 - 1936
    Virginia C. Pearsall (1840-1884) of Mount Olive, N.C., was the wife of L. G. Pearsall (1843-1883). Robert R. Bell was the administrator of Virginia Pearsall's estate. In this collection, 115 items concern the estate of Virginia C. Pearsall and 37 items relate to the Bell family of Sampson County, North Carolina.
  • Bensen Aircraft Corporation Papers, 1966 - 1973 
    In 1953 Russian immigrant Igor B. Bensen realized his dream of establishing his own aircraft company. At the invitation of North Carolina state officials, Bensen formed the Bensen Aircraft Corporation near the Raleigh-Durham Airport with the goals of developing safe, light-weight, rotary-wing aircraft for both construction and use by private individuals. By April of 1954, Bensen had completed the first gyro-glider and was making towed flights with this prototype. The gyro-copter, a powered version of the glider, was first flown on December 6, 1955. This collection includes promotional material relating to the gyro-copter, a manual for building and operating the gyro-glider, and 6 double oversize technical drawings for Model B-8 of the Bensen Gyro-glider
  • Bizzell Copybook, 1831 - 1861
    Samuel Bizzell (1798-1871), a native of Johnston County, was a farmer, as had been his father before him. This manuscript exercise book, which Bizzell called his "cyphering book," appears to have been made between 1812 and 1814 when Bizzell was a teenager. It contains rules and examples for commercial arithmetic.
  • Boon, James Papers, 1829-1853, n.d.
    James Boon (1808-?), a free African American of Franklin County, N.C., was apprenticed to William Jones, a carpenter, June 16, 1827, and was freed from this apprenticeship in September, 1829. He thereafter worked as a carpenter in Louisburg, Littleton, Wilmington, and Raleigh. The papers include both professional and personal correspondence as well as accounts, bills, receipts, and other documents. (192 items)
  • Briggs, Thomas H. and Sons Inc. Hardware Company Account Books, 1865-1932 The Briggs and Dodd Hardware Store [later Thomas H. Briggs and Sons Hardware Company, Inc.] was located in Raleigh in Wake County from 1865 to 2015. The original proprietors were Thomas H. Briggs, Sr. (1821-1886) and James Dodd (1815-1896). At least six generations of the Briggs family worked in the store during its 150 years in operation. The collection consists of thirty-eight bound account books and one box of papers. In addition to selling hardware and building supplies, the store sold food staples, housewares and sewing necessities. Most of the account books date from 1865 to 1901.
  • Brown, Henry N., Blotter, January - September 1872 
    Henry Nichols Brown (1831-1908) had a general mercantile business in Hillsborough during the post Civil War years. This single volume (blotter book) is all that survives as a record of the business. Transactions reflect the groceries, oil, ready made clothing, piece goods, notions, powder, shot, shoes, coffin trimmings, and so forth that made up his stock in trade.
  • Brown, Hewitt A., Cumberland and Harnett County Collection 
    Collection concerns some individuals and families (surnames include Johnson, McKethan, Kelly, Dickson, and Buie) who lived Cumberland County during the antebellum era; and some who lived in Harnett County (post-1855), after its formation from the northern portion of Cumberland. In contrast to the earlier era when farming the land was the chief occupation, the collection includes some material from the Gifford family, with members who had seen military service, from World War II on. Like many, they had strong connections, not only to family, but also to the U.S. Army installation of Fort Bragg, and eventually settled in the environs, in Harnett County. Papers include land grants; indentures; tax and other receipts; miscellaneous materials; and two slave bills of sale of a young boy named Gim, and a girl named Patsy. Apparently unrelated to these early families is a small quantity of additional material (photographs, negatives, certificates, etc.) concerning the Gifford family, whose members saw U.S. Army military service from World War II until circa 1980. (1 box)
  • Brown, Mayo, and Hopkins Family Papers, 1762-1975
    Brown, Mayo, Hopkins and other related families were early settlers in the eastern part of North Carolina, including Bertie, Edgecombe and Pitt County. David Mayo died around 1833 in Edgecombe County, and was the son of William (ca. 1740-1782) and Judith Manning [?] Mayo. One of the other earliest landowners represented in these papers was Asa Brown (b. 1772), born in Bertie County (became Edgecombe) to John Brown Sr. and Mary Little Tarver. Descendants of the Brown family remained in Edgecombe well into the 20th century. Includes indentures and deeds; estates records regarding division of land, relinquishment of title, etc., receipts for taxes, goods, school tuition, railroad stock subscriptions, school certificates, Mason membership certificates, etc.; agreements; contracts; certifications; promissory notes; permission to return home signed at Appomattox Court House for paroled prisoner (Capt. G.L. Brown, Army of N. Virginia); two oaths of allegiance to the Union, 1865; 1853 articles of agreement permitting Littleberry Brown [rights regarding] to drain into canal (Ballahack); 14 engineer-drawn map sections of the canal running up Little Conetoe Creek, through Juniper Swamp (July 1911); four sections of 1905 map of Edgecombe County; items reflecting career (sectional manager/post master) of Henry Brown Fountain (1917-2013), ca. 1975; and genealogical miscellaneous material and printed matter. Some copied material is included in the collection. The earliest original document is an indenture, Pitt County, 6 April 1774, William and David Mayo.
  • Brumit, Susan Greer Ray Vance, Journals, 1951 - 1989 
    Susan Greer Ray Vance Brumit (1909-1990), wife, mother, and homemaker, was born in Elk Park, Avery County, North Carolina. She was the daughter of Thomas Jefferson Ray (1872-1941), owner of a chemical company in Elk Park, and Cordelia Green Morphew (1875-1934). At sixteen she married Thomas Beauregard Vance, Jr. of Plumtree, NC, and in 1928 she gave birth to their son Thomas Beauregard Vance, III. She left her first husband in or after 1931 and, sometime during the mid-1930s, she married her second husband, Captain Philip I. Brumit. The collection includes 31 volumes of journals (6 of which are unbound) and 31 manuscript/printed items. Mrs. Brumit's journals begin in 1951 and end in 1989; she used them to express her opinions and musings on a number of topics, whether family members, relations with neighbors, social trends, economic conditions, political events, or religious matters.
  • Buchanan, James P., Papers, 1919 - 1926 
    James P. Buchanan was a member of Macon Local Union of the North Carolina Division of the Farmers' Educational and Cooperative Union. The collection consists of seven items, including a volume of minutes, 1919-1923, of the Wendell Farmers' Union Cooperative Warehouse; a memorandum book and five leaves from a farm account book, with information on the Buchanan farm near Wendell, N.C., 1923-1926.
  • Burns, Adelphos J., Papers, 1859 - 1864 
    Adelphos ("Dell") J. Burns was the son of William T. and Emily A. Burns of Chatham County. He enlisted in Company G, 48th Regiment, N.C. Troops, on March 1, 1862. Although he disliked infantry service, he continued to serve in the 48th Regiment until the end of August, 1864, exchanging at that time into Company D, 3d N.C. Cavalry. This collection includes letters, a weaving draft, one pencil drawing, medical notes, a newspaper clipping, and several envelopes. Of the 29 Civil War letters in the collection, 25 were written by Adelphos J. Burns to his parents; three were written to him by his parents; and one was written by N. R. Harris of the Partisan Rangers at Kinston to Henry Addison Burns. Adelphos J. Burns appears to have meant to write to his parents fortnightly, though there must have been times when that was not possible. Consequently, the quality of the letters varies with the amount of news available during the week in which he was writing, or goings-on in North Carolina that merited his comment.
  • Burroughs Family Papers, 1859 - 1930 
    William L. Burroughs, son of Basil and Rebecca M. (Turner) Burroughs enlisted with his brother Charles G., in Company B, 12th N.C. Regiment on April 26, 1861. He was sick in the hospital at Petersburg in May 1862, and both boys were furloughed home on sick leave from 1862 into 1863, Charles G. returned to his regiment in April 1863, but William L. was at home from May 28, 1862 until Aug. 2, 1863 at which time he was reported as absent without leave from his regiment. Papers of two generations of the Burroughs family of Granville/Warren County. The seventeen items dating from 1859 through 1878 relate to William Luther Burroughs (born Oct 1836), and the remaining items dating from 1892 to 1930 relate to his son William J. Burroughs (born 1875) and family connections.
  • Burton, Annie Laurie, Letters, 1942 - 1945, 1948 - 1949 
    Annie Laurie Burton, a native of Prospect Hill, Caswell County, began her career as an elementary school teacher. When the United States entered World War II, Burton trained as a field officer in the American Red Cross military welfare service and served in several arenas until the war's end. From 1948-1950, Burton worked with U.S. Army Special Services in occupied Germany. The collection includes primarily letters Burton wrote home from her overseas posts. However, the collection contains nine letters Burton wrote during 1942 from various sites in the United States during her training and preparation for work overseas. The collection also includes approximately fourteen photographs, taken primarily overseas.
  • Bynum Family Papers, 1850 - 1914, 1946, 1980 
    This small collection of papers relates primarily to the family of Joseph H. M. Bynum (1824-1899) and Mary Ann (Stewart) Bynum (1833-1923) of Vass, Moore County, N.C. Land purchases are represented in the collection by seven warranty deeds, ranging in date from 1867 to 1880. There are miscellaneous land papers and a 1899 report of the commissioners appointed to set off a year's allowance to Bynum's widow. The letters in the collection are of family interest exclusively.
  • Byrne, Matthew and Margaret, Account Book, 1761-1864 
    Matthew and Margaret Kelley Byrne operated a general store in Bladen County from approximately 1761 to 1789. The Byrne family kept a record of slave births from 1762 to 1862.This volume is a ledger and day book which lists transactions of Matthew and Margaret Byrne’s establishment. The proprietors offered a host of goods and services to settlers and travelers along the Northwest Cape Fear River in Bladen County during colonial and Revolutionary times. Merchandise included foodstuffs, herbal remedies, cloth, apparel, and hardware. Hostelry, hauling, and moving services were supplied. Attached to this finding aid are two tables of names. The first is a record of customers from 1761 to 1789. The second is a record of slave births from 1762 to 1862. (1 volume)

C

 

  • Clifton Family Collection, 1840-1885
    William Saunders (Wiley/Wilie) Clifton (ca. 1777-1847) married Elizabeth Alford around 1802. The couple settled in Franklin County and had several children, including Thomas Turner (T. T.) Clifton (ca. 1810-1882). Thomas, a farmer and a blacksmith, married Nancy Pippin, and the couple's children included John T. Clifton (1838-1901). John was a farmer and ran a general store along with his brother, Robert. The collection includes blacksmith, cotton, and store accounts of T. T. and John T. Clifton; estate papers of Wilie Clifton, 1848; Sophie Harriet Boyle's keepsake album, Civil War period; a broadside and letter to newspaper editor. (2 boxes)
  • Cunningham, Josiah H. and William A., Letters, 1861-1865
    Josiah H. Cunningham (ca. 1841-1863) and William Alexander Cunningham (ca. 1843-1904) were sons of George Washington (ca. 1807-1872) and Susan Turner Rives Cunningham (ca. 1817-1901), Granville County. On 8 June, 1861, the two brothers enlisted as privates, trained at a school of cavalry instruction at Camp Beauregard, Ridgeway, Warren County. It was there that the 9th Regiment N.C. State Troops (1st Regiment N. C. Cavalry) was formed on 12 August 1861. William survived the war, but Josiah was wounded 15 October 1863 near Manassas Junction, Va., and died the following day. Consists of fifty-six letters, the majority of which were written by the Cunningham brothers to family at home. Of these, a small quantity were written by Daniel B. Duke, company bugler, and by Robert D. Grisham/ Grissom, a private, both from Granville County, and one by Turner, probably a kinsman. Most of the letters consisted of references to life in the camps, with news that would be of interest to family at home, and did not dwell on the dangers and horrors of war. A couple of letters after Josiah's death provide a few scant details to the grieving family. (1 box)
  • Current, Ruth, Papers, 1926 - 1967
    Miss Ruth Current (1900-1967), a native of Rowan County, began her association with North Carolina State Extension Service in January, 1928, as home demonstration agent in Statesville and served in that capacity until November 1, 1930. Later she served successively as district home demonstration agent for the Southwest District (1930-1937), state home demonstration agent (1937-1958), and assistant director of extension in charge of home economics programs (1958-1961). The personal papers of Ruth Current include correspondence, clippings, photographs, speeches, articles, notes, reports, newsletters, bulletins, programs, booklets, a notebook, and other miscellaneous items related to her work in the home demonstration field.
  • Curtis, Chauncey W., Manuscript, 1862
    During the Civil War, Curtis was a private in the 41st New York Volunteers. This collection contains a 26-page manuscript entitled "The Burnside Expedition to Roanoke," and a sheet folded to make four printed pages containing an obituary of Chauncey W. Curtis, 1843-1914. The manuscript, written about 1900, recounts the memories of Curtis as a private soldier in the Battle of Roanoke Island and the capture of New Bern in 1862. The obituary was published by the Grand Army of the Republic post of which he was a member until his death.
  • Cuthbertson and McCollum Family Papers, 1858 - 1865, 1885 - 1889 

    Moses W. Cuthbertson (1795-1865) of southern Union County, his wife, Margaret McCollum (1798-1880) had no children, and operation of the plantation (2,400-acres, with half under cultivation) was with the assistance of 11 male slaves ranging in age from 12 to 58, and 7 female slaves ranging in age from 12 to 48. The farm journal begins on January 15, 1858, and continues to February 15, 1865. Entries report on the annual agricultural cycle, production of various goods, births and marriages, and the movements of local soldiers during the war years. Addition of 2012 consists of letters, deeds, land records, promissory notes, bonds summons, writs, estates papers, powers of attorney, receipts, miscellaneous papers.

D

 

  • Dail, Joseph Cooper, Store Account Books, Edenton, N.C., 1894-1941 
    Joseph Cooper Dail (1872-1940) was born in Chowan County, a son of Martha A. Boyce and Nathan D. Dail. In 1898 Dail began working in a mercantile store in Edenton (Chowan County), then purchased the store in 1903. In 1897 he married Christian Eliza (Kate) Hobbs (1878-1959). At least five children were born to this couple, who lived in and brought up their family in Edenton. This collection represents the financial records of grocer, Joseph Cooper Dail, who first worked in, then later owned a retail grocery in the town of Edenton. Included among the account books, with entries made from 1894-1941, are the following: six volumes labeled as double entry ledgers, two volumes labeled as single entry ledgers; thirteen volumes variously labeled as daybooks, order books, or annual books and involving sales; charges, and orders; three small, soft bound, memorandum books containing inventories and lists of medications; and three other volumes including lists of old, unpaid accounts, supplies, or produce orders, etc. Additionally, one volume includes four pages with college expenses listed for children, Leroy Dail, at Wake Forest College, and Katie Dail at Meredith College. One or more volumes includes brief comments about weather, such as rain, thunderstorms and sometimes the deaths of customers and/or community members listed. (3 boxes)
  • Daily News Company Papers, 1909 - 1914 
    The Daily News Company, which founded the Greensboro Daily News, was chartered in 1909 for the purpose of publishing a newspaper that would treat the Republican Party in a balanced fashion and would not act as an entirely Democratic Party newspaper. Stockholders included members of both parties from all over the state and included Robert Douglas Dick, former editor of the defunct Republican newspaper, the Daily Industrial News . In 1911 Walter A. Hildebrand and partner George Crater purchased the plant and business of the Daily News so that it was no longer published under the aegis of the Daily News Company. At the beginning of 1914 the company was dissolved and its capital distributed among the shareholders. The collection includes 7 loose documents (typed and manuscript) and two volumes relating to Greensboro Daily News and the Daily News Company. The first volume contains the minutes of the board of directors and the second is the stock ledger for the Daily News Company.
  • Dalton Family Papers, 1851 - 1973
    The Rev, Mr. Dalton, son of Nicholas and Rachel (Hunter) Dalton of Rockingham County, N.C., was educated in the University of North Carolina, Princeton University, and Union Theological Seminary. Licensed by the Presbytery of Orange in North Carolina in 1847, Mr. Dalton was dismissed to the Presbytery of Concord where he was ordained at the close of 1848. He remained in the Presbytery of Concord, serving as supply pastor and missionary, from 1848-1857 when he was dismissed to the Presbytery of Orange. Mr. Dalton was a member of the Presbytery of Orange from 1857-1889 when he was dismissed back to the Presbytery of Concord where he remained until his death in 1896. Archie Carter Dalton, son of the clergyman, entered Davidson College in 1874 and died in 1876 while still a student. The heart of this collection is made up of twelve original manuscript sermons written and preached by the Rev. Pleasant Hunter Dalton (1821-1896), and five original manuscripts written by his son, Archie Carter Dalton (1853-1876). The papers also include 10 miscellaneous manuscripts, research notes, typescripts, photocopies, 7 newspaper clippings, and 1 scrapbook.
  • Denmark, Leonidas Polk, Collection, 1861 - 1965 
    Leonidas Polk Denmark (1892-1964) was the grandson of Colonel Leonidas Lafayette Polk (1837-1892). Leonidas Lafayette Polk's second daughter, Juanita ["Neta"], married James W. Denmark. The Denmark's three children were Leonita, a graduate of Meredith College, 1911; Leonidas Polk, College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, 1915; and. James W., Jr., Raleigh High School and a school of photography in Tennessee, 1916. The collection includes letters, telegrams, articles and editorials, newspapers and clippings, booklets, pamphlets, magazines, manuals, postcards, photographs, uniform insignia, and miscellaneous items. Ca. 2000 items.
  • Devereux, John, Papers, 1712 - 1892
    This collection contains papers relating to the Pollock and Devereux families, among the largest landowners and slaveholders in North Carolina during the antebellum period. This small lot of documents includes some papers of the Pollock family prior to as well as after the connection formed with the Devereux family by the 1790 marriage of Frances Pollock (1771-1849) and John Devereux, Sr. (1761-1844). The family papers are made up principally of patents for land, deeds, in Halifax and Bertie counties and the Hawfield land in Orange (now Alamance) County. Papers relating to slaves owned by the family are located in folders concerning the estates of George Pollock, 1839-1840, and John Devereux, 1844. Of particular interest is the last will and testament of Frances (Pollock) Devereux (1771-1849) leaving several charitable bequests to the Presbyterian Church in the United States, its schools and foreign missions, to the Presbyterian Church, Raleigh, N.C., to The Seaman's Friend Society, Norfolk, Va., and a continuing annual fund to help pay a teacher giving religious instruction to slaves on Roanoke River plantations. While the record of Mrs. Devereux's estate indicates the value of her slaves, the file includes no list of them; and only a few of her slaves were named in the will. Also of interest are the group of papers relating to the Griffin Free School New Bern, N.C., 1834-1867. These are primarily fiscal records dating from the time when Thomas Pollock Devereux (1793-1869) and his son were trustees. Additionally, a large portion of the collection consists of military papers and accounts relating to John Devereux's (1819-1893) service during most of the Civil War as the state's chief quartermaster, with the rank of major.
  • Dobbs County Manuscripts, 1767-1785 
    Dobbs County was formed in 1758 from Johnston, under an act effective 10 April 1759. When the county was abolished in 1791, Dobbs's former land went into the formation of Lenoir and Glasgow (name changed to Greene in 1799). Early Dobbs County manuscripts are particularly important because of extensive records loss in fires in the Lenoir County Courthouse, 1878 and 1880. Similarly, Greene had lost many court and all land records in 1876. Consists of four Dobbs County manuscripts: two documents accessioned in 2001, both deeds (indented deeds or indentures), dated 1770 (John Charlescraft to Benjmain Caswell, 600 acres) and 1785 (Benjamin Caswell to Abraham Hill, 350 acres). Includes also two documents accessioned in 2012, consisting of one land grant, dated 1767, 436 acres to James Hinson; and one deed (indented deed or indenture), 1779, Richard Caswell to James Lawson, Jr., 380 acres.(4 items)
  • Doughton, Virginia Pou, Family Papers, 1741-2006
    Virginia Davis Pou Doughton (b. 1922) a native of Raleigh, was born to Virginia Davis (1896-1973) and James H. Pou, Jr. (1893-1944). A graduate of Peace College and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, class of 1944, Mrs. Doughton has maintained a lifetime interest in family history and has written articles and two books, The Atlantic Hotel in Beaufort, North Carolina, and Tales of the Atlantic Hotel, 1880-1933. Collection consists primarily of genealogy, family records and deeds (a mix or originals and photocopies), correspondence, photographs, and research Mrs. Doughton has done on different subjects, including the Atlantic Hotel, Atlantic coast hurricanes, education in North Carolina, early exploration of the North Carolina coastline, and various towns in the state. Among the various papers of interest is a hand-sewn booklet that lists the first names of children born into slavery and their mothers, as part of the Bynum or Farmer families, Edgecombe or Wilson Counties, circa 1825-1865. Also, there are numerous letters and a card, 1941-1943, written to Mrs. Doughton and to her grandmother Mrs. Floyd S.Davis and other family from John (Johnnie) Farmer, an African American man of Wilson County who served during World War I, and worked as a cook and handy man.
  • Douglas, Robert Martin, Letters, 1866 - 1873 
    Robert Martin Douglas (1849-1917) was the son of Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois, celebrated U.S. Senator and Democratic presidential candidate in 1860, and Martha Denny (Martin) Douglas of Rockingham County, North Carolina. Robert served first as private secretary to Governor William Woods Holden and later to President Grant. The letters in this collection were all written to Douglas during the period falling between his graduation from Georgetown University and his resignation as private secretary to President Grant. Copies of his replies to the letters are not present. 143 items.

E

  • Eames, R. M., Papers, 1876 - 1898
    Chartered by the North Carolina legislature, February 11, 1881, the North State Mining Company was established for the working of "marketable minerals" in western North Carolina. R. M. Eames was one of the company directors and a mining superintendent. The letters, receipted bills, payrolls, prospectus, broadsides, newspapers, inventories, deeds, agreements, and account books furnish a glimpse of the workings of the North State Mining Company. 211 items, 2 bound volumes.

F

  • Fagan, F.F., and Company Account Books, 1832-1839
    The F. F. Fagan and Company general store operated in Columbia in Tyrrell County, N.C. from 1832 to 1839. The proprietors were Franklin Friley Fagan and Joseph Halsey. Scant reference to the town of Plymouth in neighboring Washington County is included in the collection. This collection consists of four account books, including two ledgers and two day books. Recorded merchandise includes food staples, cookware, clothing, sewing essentials, grooming items, stationery, postage, and hardware. Attached to this finding aid is a table of customers’ names for the store, with particular care given to list women’s names, since women were not enumerated by name in the 1830 and 1840 Censuses. (4 bound volumes)
  • Faison Family Papers, 1834-1874
    Herod Faison was related to some of the first settlers of Northampton County. His own land was in the vicinity of Jackson, the county seat, and included a plantation with around seventy slaves by the year 1860. Herod and his wife, Gulielma (Shepherd) were parents of at least seven children, including sons, John W. (b. circa 1838); Frank Shepard (b. circa 1846); and Paul Fletcher (circa 1840-1896), all of whom served in the Civil War as Confederate officers. Consists of correspondence, 1860-1861, and one undated antebellum letter (4 total), and miscellaneous items consisting of a bill, obituary, and commencement program (1834-1874), with the total relating primarily to the Faison Family, but also to the allied Waddell Family. Three of the four letters were exchanged between Paul F. Faison, a cadet at West Point, and his parents, 1860-1861, with Paul's two letters reflecting his strong sense of conflict but unwavering desire to return to his home on the eve of North Carolina's secession from the Union, 20 May 1861. There is also the undated letter, antebellum period, from Mrs. Faison's niece, Annis [Anistasia Waddell] while she was a student at St. Mary's Hall, Burlington, New Jersey, circa 1845. (1 box)
  • Fort Caswell Papers, 1909-1912; 1917-1919, Bulk, 1917-1918
    Fort Caswell, located on Oak Island, Brunswick County, was occupied by various branches of the U.S. armed forces for much of the period, 1836-1945. The U.S. Army built a full military reservation on the site between the 1890s and early 1900s. By 1916 the fort had been rebuilt and was considered an important east coast military post during World War I. It was sold in 1923, but reacquired and put into service until the end of World War II. These are the working files relating to construction and maintenance of the cantonment and post. The collection consists of the Quartermaster files for construction, 1917-1919; and a few papers from the District Artillery Engineer's files, 1909-1912. (1 box)
  • Fountain, Judge George M., Wilmington Ten Case File, 1971-1978 
    A native of Tarboro, Edgecombe County, George Motz Fountain, Jr., was born in 1914 to George M. and Mary Royal Motz Fountain. After attending the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1932-1934, and earning a law degree from Cumberland University Law School in Tennessee in 1935, Fountain began the practice of law in Tarboro with his father. At the time of the legal proceedings in the case considered, Judge Fountain was the Resident Judge of the Seventh Judicial District of North Carolina. Collection includes a small quantity of materials, chiefly photocopies, related to the case of State of North Carolina vs. Benjamin F. Chavis et al, dating 1971-1978. Documents includes briefs, transcripts, petitions, judgements, and related legal materials created or received by Judge Fountain assigned to hear a request for a retrial of the Wilmington Ten case. The Wilmington Ten were tried for fire bombing a grocery in Wilmington and for conspiring to assault the firemen and police who responded to the fire. Includes one hand-written legal pad of notes apparently made by George M. Fountain, 46 pages, citing examinations of Jerome Mitchell, and noting dates from 6 February 1971 to 15 March 1977. (1 legal size box, .5 cubic feet.)
  • Fowle, Daniel G., Papers, Addition, 1852 - 1957 
    Daniel Gould Fowle (1831-1891), son of Martha Barney Marsh and Samuel Richardson Fowle of Woburn, Massachusetts, was elected governor of North Carolina in 1888 only to die suddenly while in office. Born in Washington, North Carolina, Fowle served in the 14th and 31st N.C. regiments until captured and paroled at Roanoke Island. He also served as a state legislator, state adjutant general, a superior court judge, delegate to the 1868 conservative convention and chairman of the central committee to the "Constitutional Union Party" (subsequently the Democratic Party), and defense attorney in Ku Klux Klan prosecutions. The bulk of these materials are speeches made by Daniel G. Fowle (1876-1889), letters written to him during his tenure as governor of North Carolina (1889-1890), and materials relating to Governor Fowle's daughter, Mary Haywood Fowle Stearns, including letters written to her (1899-1957).

G

  • George Williamson & Co., see "Williamson, George, and Co."
  • Gillis, Etta McKay, Papers, 1917-1948
    Etta McKay Gillis (1886-1971) was born near Laurinburg, Scotland County to Parthenon Jane McCall and Artemus McKay. Her siblings were John Hugh McKay (1877-1945); Fannie Hall McKay (1878-1884); William Archibald McKay (1879-1941); George Hampton McKay (1882-1954); and Arnold Artemus McKay (1889- 1957). Etta was a graduate of Flora McDonald College, Red Springs N.C. Around 1938 she married a farmer and a widower, Angus James Gillis (1874-1941), of Raeford, Hoke County. The collection contains some one hundred and forty-nine letters, most of which are to Etta. The time frame covered in these letters includes the eras of the Great Depression and World War II and includes various exchanges about farm life; crops; sharecroppers; labor shortages; gas, sugar, etc. shortages; women's domestic endeavors such as gardening, canning, sewing; illnesses; community life; the United States' entry into World War II; training and lifestyles of servicemen; and college life for young women at Flora MacDonald College, etc. Etta was especially loyal to her extended family, but also to her alma mater, Flora MacDonald College, and to the Presbyterian Church.
  • Gobble, Fleetus Lee, Papers, 1944-1961 
    Fleetus Lee Gobble was born in 1891 in Davidson County to John H. and Frances Foster Gobble. Married in 1913, Gobble and his wife, the former Blanche Evans, settled in Winston-Salem and became the parents of three children. By profession Gobble was a barber and businessman as owner of barbershops and two schools of cosmetology. He was first elected to the state House of Representatives as a Democrat from Forsyth County in 1941 and served continuously, with the exception of the 1947 session, until his sudden death in Raleigh in 1961 at the age of seventy. These papers relate to Gobble's service in the legislature and on committees, on the board of trustees of the Winston-Salem Teachers College, and to a lesser degree to his professional and family life. The papers include political and some family correspondence; newsclippings pertaining to events, news of the General Assembly, and two scrapbooks: 1944-1961; and 1959-1961. (3 boxes, 1 2/3 cubic feet.)
  • Goodrich, Ray Wilkes, Papers, 1900-1975
    Ray Wilkes Goodrich (1900-1975), was a Winston-Salem photographic studio owner, award-winning photographer, and member of the N.C. Board of Photographic Examiners, 1940s-1950s. Includes material documenting Goodrich's work with the Board of Photographic Examiners; several certificates, business letters, a business logo, etc.; and 16 black and white photographs, 16x20; 1 color photograph, 16x20; 1 photograph hand colored with pastels, 16x20 (by Myrtle Whitmore Goodrich, Goodrich's wife); a black and white photograph, 8x10, of the Goodrich family, and 2 ca. 8x10 black and white group photos of professional photographers, including Goodrich.
  • Greenlee Family Papers, 1833-1899
    The Greenlee family came to western North Carolina from Rockbridge County, Virginia. James Greenlee and his sister Grace were the first in the area. In addition to owning a large tract of land along the Catawba River in McDowell County, James possessed a wealth of land in Burke, Yancey, Mitchell, Buncombe, and Rutherford counties, as well as a large tract in Memphis, Tennessee. In addition to farming, he raised cattle and drove his livestock for sale in Philadelphia and Charleston. He held a variety of public offices and represented Burke County at Hillsborough, where the State Convention of 1788 considered ratification of the newly proposed federal Constitution. James Greenlee’s youngest son, David Washington, sought to amass a large plantation in McDowell County. Such endeavors were continued by son, Thomas Young Greenlee, who also served in public positions including county surveyor. These are the papers of three generations of the Greenlee family of Burke and McDowell County.The papers include a small amount of correspondence from some of the Greenlee family members, including Thomas Young Greenlee and his wife Margaret Logan, their son, John Logan, and Margaret’s parents, John and Rebecca Logan. Thomas Young served as executor of his father, David Washington Greenlee’s estate among others. Accordingly, estate records for David Washington are included along with bills and receipts for family members or acquaintances for which Thomas Young served as executor of their estates.The earliest records in this collection are land records beginning with a 1778 land grant in Burke County. In 1842 McDowell County was formed from Rutherford and Burke County. Prior to 1842 most of the land records are from Burke County; while after 1842 the majority of land records are from McDowell County.Thomas Young, a land surveyor for McDowell County, surveyed much of the mountains and surrounding counties; a small portion of related notes and records are included. The collection also includes sundry court records for various family members and acquaintances. (3 boxes)
  • Greenlee, Nina Melissa, Letters, 1943-1948
    Nina Melissa Greenlee (1907-2004), a native of Old Fort in McDowell County, began her career as a school teacher at North Cove and Clichfield Elementary schools. She joined the Women's Army Corps in June 1943, and was stationed in Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia; Camp Davis, North Carolina; Fort Bragg, North Carolina; and subsequently transferred to Caserta, Italy. She was discharged in 1948 after service at Fort Jay, Governor's Island, N.Y. This collection contains letters and photographs Nina wrote home to her sister, Ruth, and her mother. The majority of the letters are from camps and forts around the United States, and some during 1946 when she was stationed in Italy. Dates of the collection range from 1943 to 1948.

H

  • Hammond, J. Palmer and Theo Early, Papers, 1900-1985
    James Palmer and Theo Early Hammond were natives of North Carolina. They married in October 1923. James Palmer Hammond served in the Second Battalion, 54th Infantry, AEF, France, 1919. Papers date from circa 1917-1923; 1960-1961, and consist in the main of letters exchanged between the Hammonds prior to their marriage in October 1923, but also additional letters, including some to Theo from friends and other family members; invitations; the marriage certificate; and over a dozen copies of newspapers of the Second Battalion, 54th Infantry, AEF, France, 1919, and miscellaneous material. Collection may not be in its final statement of arrangement but may be used upon request.
  • Hampton Family Papers, 1852 - 1951
    Papers, chiefly letters, of three generations of the Hampton family of Hamptonville, Yadkin Co., N.C. Papers from 1852-1917 are principally the letters of Col. John A. Hampton, Civil War officer, state legislator, and lawyer. Those from 1918-1951 are principally those of Hampton's daughter, Nellie Hampton Bell, her children and her brothers and children. Col. Hampton's letters to his son Green Hampton, 1899-1903, are a rich source for cultural and economic history of the area. The letters of Mrs. Bell's daughters for 1924-1929 are students' letters written from the Southern Conservatory of Music, Durham, N.C. Other members of the family who correspond or who are mentioned in the letters include Frank Armfield Hampton (private secretary to U.S. Sen. Furnifold M. Simmons), State representative Charles G. Bryant, Baptist hymnist and publisher Sanford M. Brown. Political figures mentioned in the corresp. include Zebulon Baird Vance, William Woods Holden, Calvin Josiah Cowles, Henry H. Cowles, Robert F. Armfield, Benj. F.Long, and Furnifold M. Simmons. The papers are, however, more valuable as a source of social and economic history than political history.
  • Harris, Thomas Clarke, Papers, 1887-1934
    Thomas Clarke Harris (ca. 1849-1934) was one of six children of the former Martha Ann Hunter (1827-1909) and Dr. Adam Clarke Harris (1823-1899), Granville County. Over his lifetime Harris worked as a store clerk, wood engraver, science museum curator (State Museum in Raleigh), civil engineer, draftsman, designer, inventor, and writer of adventure stories for boys, and of topics such as hunting and fishing, and coastal scenes and life. Consists chiefly of published stories and articles by Harris, examples of engravings and technical drawings executed by him, and numerous newspaper articles relating to inventions and designs by Harris and some articles and letters to newspaper editors that reflect his viewpoints on various topics and his explanations of technical subjects. Of particular interest are a few handwritten manuscript essays, including "Some Personal Recollections of the Ku Klux Klan by a Member of the Order, 1867 to 1870" ; "The Carolina Banks," dated 1903, and a typed manuscript essay, "The Making of an Agnostic." Additionally, a small quantity of the news articles refer to Harris's wife and son. (1 box)
  • Hill, Jesse, Letters, 1864-1865
    Jesse Hill (1827-1882) was born to Sarah Hege (d. ca. 1888) and William “Buck” Hill (circa 1808-1874) of Davidson County. A farmer, Hill married Fanny Scott, 1850, and they had one son, Junius (1851-1924). Soon a widower, Hill remarried twice. Over two years after the Civil War commenced, Hill enlisted in Wake County on 1 January 1864. A private, he was assigned to Company K, 21st Regiment of Infantry. Captured late in the war, Private Hill was released on 27 June 1865 after taking the Oath of Allegiance. These thirty-two letters are a Civil War soldier’s communications to his family in Davidson County. They were written by Hill, primarily to his wife, Emoline, during the years 1864 and 1865, with the first dated 25 January 1864, and the last dated 17 March 1865. (1 boxes)
  • Hindes and Kincey Account Books, 1831-1833, 1895-1901
    The Hindes and Kincey general store was situated at Trent Bridge, later Pollocksville, in Jones County, N.C. from 1831 to 1833. The proprietors were Stephen Kincey and William Hindes. From 1895 to 1901, George W. Harrison operated a blacksmith and wheelwright business in Jones and Craven counties, using the same account books to record his dealings with customers. This collection contains two account books, primarily consisting of one ledger and one day book. Recorded merchandise includes food staples, cookware, housewares, clothing, sewing essentials, grooming items, books, stationery, and hardware. Attached to this finding aid is a table of customers' names for the store, with particular care given to list women's names, since women were not enumerated by name in the 1830 and 1840 Censuses. The later blacksmith and wheelwright business used both account books as day books. Attached to this finding aid is a second table of customers' names for the daily transactions of this business, which may help to bridge the gap caused by the loss of 1890 Census records.
  • Hines, W.W.W., Papers, 1898 - 1932, n.d.
    William Walter Washington Hines (1878-1953), a native of Lincolnton served in the army during the Spanish American War. While in Cuba Hines purchased U.S. army mules, and after his return to Lincolnton he established a livery business there in 1905. Hines went into the business of road and street construction and specialized in the grading and construction of road shoulders in piedmont and eastern North Carolina. Collection contains 31 letters of recommendation of Hines for his service in Cuba during the Spanish American War and for his subsequent work as a contractor in road construction. Includes 1922 contract for construction of Lincolnton Graded School, military records, biographical sketch, and xerox copies of documents relating to Civil War service and losses of his father, George W. Hines.
  • Holeman, James, Letters, 1846 - 1862
    James Holeman (1800-1874), was a Whig and was first elected a a state representative from Person County. Holeman married his second wife, Elizabeth Webb, also of Person County, shortly before the election of 1846. These ten letters were written by Holeman to his wife while in Raleigh attending sessions of the Assembly from 1846 to 1862.
  • Hooper, Ruby T., Collection, 1991 - 1992
    Ruby Thompson Hooper ran unsuccessful political campaigns for selection as a Republican member of the House of Representatives from Burke County in 1982, and for nomination as her party's gubernatorial candidate in 1984. She was appointed deputy secretary of the N.C. Department of Human Resources by Governor James Martin when he took office in 1985. Mrs. Hooper resigned this position at the end of June 1991 to seek again the nomination as the Republican gubernatorial candidate. Her campaign was overshadowed by Lt. Gov. James C. Gardner, seeking the same nomination. The collection consists of 272 items pertaining to Mrs. Hooper's campaign, all dating from 1991-1992.
  • Howerton, William Henry, Family Papers and Account Books, 1861-1917
    William Henry Howerton (1831-1885), born in Franklin County, moved with family to Hillsborough and Salisbury, where his father was a hotel keeper. A 1857 graduate of Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, Howerton practiced in Rowan County before enlisting in 1862, and served one year as captain of Company H, 37th Regt., North Carolina Troops. Active in Republican Party politics, Howerton successfully stood for election to the office of Secretary of State in 1872. He also operated a general merchandise store in Salisbury during the 1860s, the Warm Springs Hotel, Madison County, circa 1879-1884, and the Ocean Home Hotel, Morehead City, 1885. Papers consist of of material pertaining to Dr. William Henry Howerton (aspects of his career) and his family, including three handwritten reminiscences of Howerton's daughter, Frances Jones Howerton; eight photographs; a manuscript letter written from Cuba, 1898, during the Spanish American War; a teaching certificate, 1917, and other items, circa 1861-1917, including five account books.
  • Hoyle, Bernadette, Papers, 1945 - 1950, 1952 - 1983 
    Bernadette Woodlief Hoyle (1912-1989) was a central figure in the literary life of North Carolina during her career as a journalist and professional photographer. This collection of her papers constitutes only a portion of Mrs. Hoyle's writings and correspondence, and date for the most part from the first five years of her career. They include Mrs. Hoyle's writings (1945-1950), correspondence and research files for her book published in 1956, Tar Heel Writers I Know, and a series of file's relating to the North Carolina Writers' Conference (1952-1983).
  • Hubbard, Joseph H., Letter, 1863
    Joseph Hendley Hubbard (1841-1871) was a Civil War soldier who served in two different units before his election as lieutenant in the Sampson Artillery, commanded by his uncle, Captain Abner A. Moseley. This manuscript letter, dated February 7, 1863, was written by Hubbard at Fort Caswell while serving in the 2nd Artillery. Addressed to Hubbard's stepmother, the letter informs her that his uncle (her brother, Lt. Abener A. Moseley) was to leave the fort on the following day to return to their home plantations the Sampson County slaves that had been impressed by the state to erect and repair the network of Cape Fear River fortifications below Wilmington.
  • Hunnicutt, Cassie May Horton, Papers, 1988-1990
    Cassie May Horton Hunnicutt (1904-2005) was born in Wake County. Consists of a series of handwritten letters and reminiscences (also cards and miscellaneous material) that she wrote from circa 1988 to 1990 to her grandson, Dan Deans, that describe her youth, her family, and friends, and way of life in rural Wake County and the region, along with her thoughts and observations about life as she grew older, and her responses to major events of her time. Quantity about 1 manuscript or fibredex box.
  • Hyatt, Delia, Papers, 1710 - 1968
    Delia Hyatt (1881-1964) was educated in the Kinston High School (1900), the Kinsey Female Institute at LaGrange, and St. Mary's School in Raleigh. Subsequently she briefly taught school; Clayton High School, 1908/09, and Mount Olive Graded School, 1909/10. Her true occupation in life, however, seems to have been management of real property. In 1963, as her life was coming to a close, Miss Hyatt created a charitable corporation styled, "The Hyatt Memorial Home for Boys" and transferred her property to it. The collection also includes some papers concerning Delia Hyatt's brother Anderson Lawrence Hyatt (1884-1960), sister Sybil Hyatt (1877-1951), her parents Sybil Henry Miller Hyatt (1858-1933) and Dr. Henry Otis Hyatt (1848-1922), and grandparents Anderson Roscoe Miller (1830-1905) and Delia Maria Henry Miller (1835-1884). This collection of material is gathered into four groupings: family papers (including land records); Bibles and prayer books; photographic images in different forms of photography; and oversize material. Most, but not all, of the papers are made up of deeds, grants, plats, surveys, and legal papers relating to the Hyatt family's real property. Consequently the greater part of them are evidences of title to lands conveyed in 1963 to the charitable trust, Hyatt Memorial Home for Boys. Of the Bibles and prayer books, only two Bibles contain family data. The photographic material includes a few daguerreotypes, a number of ambrotypes and tintypes, and a larger number of paper photographs. About half the photographic material lacks identification notations, though all of it relates either to the northern branch or to the southern branch of the family.

I

  • Idol-Welch Family Papers, 1823-1978 
    The Welch and the Idol families had established roots in Davidson County in the early 19th century or before, but the branches represented in these papers moved to Guilford County prior to the Civil War. There various members settled in or near High Point, a township laid out in 1853. The men were primarily farmers and carpenters, and several saw service in the war. First as a young woman and later as a wife and mother, Julia Welch received the majority of the letters represented in the collection, about twenty of thirty-eight. The papers are organized chronologically into the following series: Indentures, 1823-1879; Civil War Era Correspondence, 1861-1865; Post Civil War Era, Correspondence, 1866-1902; Idol and Welch Family History and Genealogical Materials, 1943-1978; and Reminiscences of Verta Idol Coe. The indentures and almost all of the letters are original; the series of family history and genealogical materials are photocopies; the last series is an audio recording (CD) converted from a cassette recording, 1981, and including recollections of Mrs. Coe (1891-1982), High Point area. (2 boxes, 2/3 cubic feet.)

J

  • Jackson, Joseph John, Papers, 1836 - 1930 
    Joseph John Jackson, son of Samuel S. and Elizabeth Jackson, was educated at the University of North Carolina (B.A.,1838, M.A., 1843), and later served as trustee of the university (1858-1868). As an attorney practicing in Pittsboro, Jackson was active in Chatham County and state politics. The papers in this collection date from 1836 to 1930, with a majority created during the course of Jackson's professional life, or arising as evidences relating to real property in which he had an interest or was an owner. (480 items)
  • Johnson, Andrew, Collection, 1854-1948
    Andrew Johnson was born in Raleigh, N.C. in 1808 to Mary (Polly) McDonough and Jacob Johnson (d. 1811). Johnson moved to Greeneville, Tennessee as a young man. He served as a pre-Civil War Tennessee State Representative, U.S. Representative, Governor of Tennessee, Vice President of the United States, President of the United States, and U.S. Senator until his death in 1875. Includes three documents from Johnson's Tennessee governorship, 1854; two original letters, one from Gov. Jonathon Worth (Jan. 1866) expressing state's gratitude for restoration of civil government and support for President Johnson's policies; and one to Nashville, Tenn. judge and fellow Unionist, John C. Gant (June 1872). There are typed extracts from memoirs of Dr. A. Jobe that concern a visit by Johnson to Raleigh and Chapel Hill (1867) and the erection of a monument in a Raleigh cemetery to his father, Jacob. Also in the collection are photographs of buildings and monuments relating to Johnson and miscellaneous printed material. There is genealogical information and copies of material, including a marriage bond of Johnson's parents and a reward poster (1824) for escaped bound apprentices, Andrew and his brother, William.
  • Jones and Askew Family Papers, 1860-1914 
    Andrew J. (A.J.) Jones (circa 1834-1863) was a child of Redman/Reddin and Celia Belch Jones, of Bertie County, near Colerain. His sister, Luvinia (circa 1840-1929) married the eldest son of Lawrence Askew, of Winton, Hertford County, David Cherry Askew (1836-1865). Lawrence Askew (1801-1884), farmer and owner of a grist and flour mill, near Winton, apparently outlived his wives and some of his children. It is unclear if Mrs. Esther Raboteau Beale Jones (1868-1932), was related through her husband, P. R. Jones, to the Jones family of Bertie County, and to the Askew family, though she had several family connections in the area. She was born in Portsmouth, Va., a child of C.B. (Cyprian or Crispian) Beale, a native of Hertford County, and of Julia Raboteau Beale, a native of Fayetteville, Cumberland County. Through her mother's side, Mrs. Jones was related to the mother of Mary Esther Page and Walter Hines Page, the former Catherine Frances Raboteau. Includes one volume first used in 1860 as a single entry ledger; and a group of loose papers, that relate primarily to the settlement of the estate of Lawrence Askew. The first pages of the book were business transactions recorded in 1860, by A. J. Jones (Andrew J.). Items sold included corn meal, ears and bushels of corn, tobacco, bacon, other meats, cotton, whiskey, bricks, and so on. Later entries during the 1870s seem to have been made by Lawrence Askew, and included shingles, flour, and other products; and those following his death in 1884 were made by the executors of his estate. Additionally, includes a letter by Mrs. Esther C. Beale Jones and tax notice, October-November 1914, relating to her inheritance from the estate of an aunt who had resided in Hertford County. (1 box)
  • Jones, Graham Papers, 1961-1965
    Graham Eugene Jones (1927-1989), was press secretary to James Terry Sanford (1917-1998), Democrat and governor of North Carolina, 1960-1964. Jones was a graduate of the University of North Carolina, receiving an A.B. in Journalism in 1951. Jones was the first press secretary appointed by a North Carolina governor. The papers consist primarily of press releases, press photographs, arranged chronologically. In addition to the press photographs, there are variety of undated (period of 1959-1964), and unidentified photographs. The majority of photographs include Sanford, Sanford with family, and with other individuals and groups during his tenure as governor. There is a smaller quantity of miscellaneous files, including campaign and inaugural material, and a folder on the topic of race relations in the state. Additionally, there are three sound recordings of Terry Sanford during his campaign and during office. (17 boxes, 6 cubic feet.)
  • Joseph Cooper Dail Store Account Books, see "Dail, Joseph Cooper, Store Account Books, Edenton, N.C., 1894-1941"
  • Judge George M. Fountain's Wilmington Ten Case File, see "Fountain, Judge George M., Wilmington Ten Case File, 1971-1978"

K

  • Keeter Family Papers, 1834-1941
    James Keeter (ca. 1791-1834) was the son of Henry and Mary Elizabeth Cookesy Keeter. Land granted in 1799 to James's grandfather, also James, was situated along the waters of Catheys Creek, north central Rutherford County. Other family members made their homes there in subsequent decades and on into the 20th century. Descendants included John Calvin Keeter (1825-1906), his son, Charles Frank Keeter (1864-1945). Many of the papers reflect the family's land, financial, estate matters; its few letters hint of political involvements and suggest ongoing contact with Keeter family who had migrated to Arkansas. Account books, apparently maintained by John Calvin Keeter and his son Charles Frank, provide more than a glimpse of a segment of the community in north central Rutherford County. John's work as a wheelright, blacksmith, postmaster, and merchant supported the community's day-to-day life, and the records tell part of the story. Two journals from the early 20th century hold southern recipes and spiritual poems written down perhaps by Emeline, wife of J.C. Keeter, and by Linette, wife of Frank Keeter. (2.0 boxes, includes one oversize manuscript box.)
  • Kenan, Thomas S., Papers, 1830-1875
    Thomas Steven Kenan (1838-1911) was born in Kenansville, Duplin County, a son of Owen Rand and Sarah Rebecca Graham Kenan. A graduate of the University of North Carolina, 1858, Thomas studied law with Judge Richmond Pearson then opened a law practice in Kenansville, I860. During that period he and his brother James organized the Duplin Rifles, subsequently designated in 1861 as Company C, Twelfth N.C. Regiment, with Thomas as captain. After six months the company was designated as Company A, Forty-third Regiment, and Thomas subsequently was promoted as colonel in April of 1862. He was wounded at Gettysburg on 3 July 1863. Confined at several Federal hospitals, he was held at Federal prison on Johnson's Island (Ohio), then in March 1865 transferred to Point Lookout, Maryland, and later paroled. Later Kenan served in the General Assembly, 1865-66, and in 1866-67. He was elected to the office of Attorney General, 1876, and was subsequently reelected for an additional four-year term. During that period Thomas also served as reporter for the North Carolina Supreme Court. Consists of letters to Kenan, military orders, enlistment papers, scrapbook, autograph book, list of prisoners, and miscellaneous envelopes and material.
  • Kendrick, Larkin S., Papers, 1858 - 1890 (1861 - 1874) 
    Larkin Stanhope Kenrick was a farmer living in the neighborhood of Capernaum Baptist Church in eastern Cleveland County, N.C. At the outbreak of the Civil War he enlisted in the North Carolina Infantry Regiment, 34th, Company F. Eventually, in 1871, Kenrick went to Tennessee and never returned home. Of the 35 letters in the collection, those from the Civil War period are written by Kenrick and various persons in his family, including his wife. Kenrick's departure to Tennessee and his subsequent letters coincide with the appearance of a U.S. commissioner in Cleveland County to arrest members of the Ku-Klux Klan for violations of the federal Enforcement Acts. The 23 miscellaneous materials in the collection include a few receipts, promissory notes, a crop lien, a certificate of military exemption, and a subscription list to pay a minister's salary at the Capernaum Baptist Church. The dates of the collection range primarily from 1861-1874. (58 items)
  • Knudsen, Betty Ann, Papers, 1974-2005
    Betty Ann Leonard Knudsen (1926- ) was a trailblazing woman politician and community activist in Wake County as well as an avid butterfly lover. She was the first female chair of the Wake County Board of Commissioners (1976-1984); a founding member (1976) and president of the Women’s Forum of North Carolina; and she was a member of numerous boards, councils, and associations on the state and local level since the 1970s. Additionally, she has been an active mentor to other women in politics and leadership positions. She self-published a children’s riddle book in the late 1990s entitled, How Are Butterflies Like Chickens? to aid her butterfly presentations to children, as well as a DVD about butterflies. Her love of butterflies and commitment to the nurturing of women culminated in the founding of an informal group in 1976. Named the Royal Order of the Butterflies, it was inspired by a line from a poem, "you can fly, but the cocoon has to go." This collection contains correspondence between Betty Ann Knudsen and various politicians on a political and personal level; correspondence related to the Royal Order of the Butterflies; her children’s book, DVD, and butterfly presentations; as well as material reflecting her political and community action and involvement; and personal correspondence with family members and friends from the 1970s to the 2000s. (1.3 Cubic feet;4 boxes)
  • Koonce Furniture Company Papers, 1905-1935 
    The Koonce Furniture Company was founded by two brothers, John S. Koonce and Charles F., although the latter opted out of the furniture business in 1915. The surviving records of the store range in date from 1905 to 1935. However, John Koonce held the business together though the economic depression, until his sudden death at the beginning of 1940. This collection contains the surviving correspondence, invoices, furniture manufacturers' catalogs and two sales volumes of the Koonce Furniture Company, Raleigh, North Carolina. (2 linear feet, 8 boxes. Includes correspondence, invoices, furniture manufacturers' catalogs, and 2 volumes)

L

  • Ledbetter Manufacturing Company Ledger, 1917 - 1979 
    During the twentieth century, the Ledbetter Manufacturing Company was rebuilt, enlarged, and expanded to produce synthetic yarns. The ledger contains accounts of the manufacturing plant's fixed assets and their depreciation. The ledger has attached worksheets and computer print-outs, with the latter showing the status of fixed assets and their depreciation as of June 30, 1979, near the time of the company's dissolution.
  • LeGrand, Harry E., Papers, 1949-2010 
    Harry E. LeGrand (1917- ) was born near Mebane, Alamance County, and was graduated from the University of North Carolina in 1939 with a B.S. degree. Following service in World War II, he embarked on a career as a hydrogeologist that continued well past 2000. His earliest work was with the U.S. Geological Survey in Georgia, but he returned to North Carolina, based in Raleigh, where his focus was on studying the geology and ground water in the Southeast's Piedmont and Mountain Regions underlain by igneous and metamorphic rocks. Study of the Atlantic Coastal Plain, particularly in North Carolina, has been another area of interest. After 1974 LeGrand served as a consulting hydrogeologist with several agencies, conducting studies in North Carolina (consulting for North Carolina Dept. of Natural and Environmental Resources; later the North Carolina Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources) and various parts of the United States and also in Europe, Australia, and the Caribbean area. In addition to his published works in various journals and studies, his writings include some poems and essays. The papers, 1949-2010, document a significant portion of LeGrand's career as a hydrogeologist, first with the U.S. Geological Survey and then as an independent hydrogeologist located in Raleigh, N.C. The collection is organized into six series: biographical material; unpublished writings in verse and essay, and a collection of memoranda, 1987-1992, written to raise serious issues about ground water, the aquifers that contain and transmit water, and the importance of geological considerations in locating safe radioactive disposal sites, addressed to the North Carolina Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Authority; published scientific articles, reports, etc. on hydrogeology and related areas, particularly in North Carolina, covering the Coastal Plain, Piedmont, and Mountain Region, but also the Southern States; miscellaneous materials related to hydrogeology; and illustrations of hydrogeological concepts: paper copy, transparencies, and lantern slides; and samples of data regarding various N.C. river basins and associated streams. The materials are primarily articles; addresses; reports; poems and essays; memoranda; abstracts; surveys; and illustrations of geological and hydrogeological phenomenas, utilizing diagrams, maps, charts, etc. and employed in transparencies and lantern slides. The bulk of the collection consists of LeGrand's professional writings selected by a variety of professional journals and published proceedings. (2 cubic feet, 6 boxes.)
  • London, Isaac Spencer Collection, 1769 - 1964 
    Isaac Spencer London, newspaper editor, Rockingham, N.C., was born in Pittsboro, December 11, 1885. He entered the newspaper field when he bought the Siler City Grit in May, 1909. He edited this paper until 1917, at which time he purchased the Post and Dispatch at Rockingham, combining them with the first issue on December 6, 1917 as the Post-Dispatch. In 1953, he sold the paper but remained its editor until his death on July 8, 1964. Mr. London served Rockingham and Richmond County in various capacities, including chairman of the Rockingham School Board, chairman of the Richmond County Draft Board, and chairman of the Richmond County Board of Elections. This collection includes the correspondence of Isaac Spencer London, Board of Elections files, subject files, genealogical materials, files related to Isaac London, Jr., account books, booklets and pamphlets, and various miscellaneous materials.
  • Long, Woody and Co. Account Book, 1900-1904 
    At least as early as the late 1860s, various members of the Long families and Woody families of Person County were active as merchants in several towns and communities. It appears that the men who were principals in the Long, Woody and Company were J. A. Long of Roxboro and possibly William A. Woody of Bethel Hill. The ownership of the concern, however, remains uncertain. This volume represents transactions of a store dealing with hardware, tinware, and some general merchandise. It lists purchases by individual customers or by business customers. Items purchased included axe handles, axel grease, rope, buckets, shoes, boxes of hooks and springs, paint, windows, shells, saw teeth, sheets of tin, oil, buggy rings, knives, shoes and nails (horses), shovels, sashes, bed casters, bolts, lamps, steak dishes, etc. (1 volume, account book)

M

  • McGuire, Samuel Patrick and Ella, Family Papers, 1872-1933
    The McGuires were an African American family of Raleigh, Wake County, with some extended family who later moved to Virginia and to the cities of Philadelphia and New York. Samuel Patrick McGuire (1856-1906), formerly of Orange County, married Eleanor (Ella) Buffloe, b. ca. 1861, Wake County around 1881. Ella continued to work as a laundress after her husband's death and held the family together. At her death in 1946, Ella's surviving children were with her in the Oberlin area of the city of Raleigh. Includes personal and business letters; business receipts and Raleigh schools and city tax receipts; promissory notes; bills and statements of dues; summons for Raleigh public road work; wedding invitations; certificate of church membership; insurance policies; World War I naval commendation for son, Wilbert Henrick McGuire, for role in saving the ship, U.S.S. Mount Vernon, following its torpedoing by enemy; a small quantity of photographs; and miscellaneous materials. Note: The arrangement of this collection may not be in its final form, but the collection may be used as is.
  • McKenzie, Tyson and Company Account Book, 1812-1827
    The McKenzie, Tyson and Company general store was located near the junction of Moore, Lee, and Chatham counties in North Carolina from approximately 1798 until 1823. Aaron Tyson, Murdoch McKenzie, and Archibald McBryde were the original partners in the business. This collection contains one day book. Recorded merchandise includes food staples, cookware, clothing, sewing essentials, grooming items, books, stationery, postage, and hardware. Attached to this finding aid is a table of customers' names for the store, with particular care given to list women's names, since women were not enumerated by name in the 1810 and 1820 Censuses. (1 volume)
  • McKimmon, Jane S., Papers, 1910 - 1945
    Jane Simpson McKimmon (1867-1957), daughter of William and Anne Cameron Simpson of Raleigh, was a pioneer in the home demonstration field in North Carolina. This work was an outgrowth of the Farmer's Cooperative Demonstration Work, organized by Dr. Seaman A. Knapp in Texas (1903) to aid farmers and agricultural workers. She was selected, in 1911, as one of five pioneer state home demonstration agents to develop a similar program for improvement of the lives of rural women and their families through education in home economics. In the same year a joint program sponsored by the United States Department of Agriculture, the North Carolina Department of Agriculture, and North Carolina State College established an extension service in 14 counties in the state. Formation of Girls' Tomato Clubs was one of the first projects and from these canning clubs developed the home demonstration movement in North Carolina. Under the leadership of Mrs. McKimmon the North Carolina Home Demonstration Service was soon recognized as a model program and her ideas and methods spread throughout the nation and abroad. The papers include letters, reports, questionnaires, booklets, pamphlets, bulletins, leaflets, programs, invitations, menus, newspaper and magazine clippings, desk calendars, forms, and photographs relating to Jane Simpson McKimmon's work with home demonstration and canning clubs.
  • McLaurin, Joe M., History Collection, 1900 - 2002 

    Joe M. McLaurin was a historian from Richmond County, North Carolina who spent his career collecting information and records about the history of the county and its families. McLaurin was a successful businessman and active in historical societies. These records concern the history of Richmond County and the genealogies of its families. The collection contains papers and correspondence relating to McLaurin's efforts to seek out and acquire historical records on these subjects. The collection holds original primary sources and copies of sources if McLaurin could not acquire the originals. Many people donated papers to the collection, but he also purchased materials when they were offered for sale.

  • McMillan, Robert L. and Mary Lee (Swann) Papers, 1908 - 1980
    Robert L. McMillan (1888-1969) was born in Richmond (now Scotland County) to Mary Amanda (Johnson) and Archibald Alexander McMillan. Founder of the law firm, McMillan and McMillan, he was a leader in Wake County and state civic, patriotic, and political functions, and Pullen Memorial Baptist Church. During World War II, he was state director of the N.C. Office of Civil Defense. Long a stalwart of the Democratic Party, McMillan was chairman of his precinct for around forty years. A native of Kingstree, South Carolina Mary Lee (Swann) McMillan (1890-1981) was a daughter of Mary Frances (Lewis) and James Milan Swann. Like her husband, Mrs. Swann was a leader of state and local organizations, long active in her church and community. Her literary pursuits included writing a garden column that was featured in the Raleigh Times for twenty-three years, until 1973. She was one of the founders of the North Carolina Art Society. The McMillan papers include circular letters, reports, publications, newspaper and magazine clippings, photographs, American Legion materials. These date from the year 1908 to the year 1980 and relate to their private lives; their activities in the American Legion and the American Legion Auxiliary, the Clan McMillan Society, Inc., in American, the Garden Club of North Carolina, the National Council of State Garden Clubs, the North Carolina Camellia Society, the Raleigh Garden Club, the Olla Podrida Club, the North Carolina Office of Civilian Defense, the State Recreation Commission, and so forth. The papers include also material relating to Mr. McMillan's political activities. (19 boxes)
  • McNeely, James, Papers, 1838-1870
    James McNeely (circa 1813-1887) was born in the portion of Burke County that by 1842 had become part of McDowell County. In 1847 a bond was submitted on behalf of McNeely as a McDowell County constable. McNeely also operated a tavern and a general merchandise store in Turkey Cove. In 1855 he married Catherine McCall (1836-1925). Papers include writs of execution, notes of debt, receipts, and summonses from McNeely’s service as constable of McDowell County during the late 1840s. There are also business papers, including accounts and correspondence, representing his work from 1845, possibly as a tavern owner, then in partnership with J. Young in the general merchandise concern of Young and McNeely, Turkey Hamlet, McDowell County, around 1855. (7 boxes)
  • Maglenn, James, Collection, 1857; 1863-1864
    James Maglenn (1833-1914), chief engineer of the Civil War blockade runner Ad-Vance, was a native of Ireland who emigrated to the United States at the age of 19 in 1852. When and where he mastered the engineering of steamships is unknown. This small collection of materials includes the original 1857 engineer's certificate issued to him at Norfolk, Virginia, that licensed him as a first assistant engineer following the examination of his qualifications as prescribed by an 1852 act of Congress. (3 items)
  • Malone, Vernon, Papers, 1976-2009
    Vernon Malone (d. 2009), a native of Wake County, was the son of John and Nonnie Donaldson Malone. A graduate of DuBois High School in Wake Forest and Shaw University in Raleigh, he studied further at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and the University of Minnesota. A career educator, Malone served as chairman of the Wake County School Board; was elected as a Wake County Commissioner (1984-2002; chairman, 1990-1994); and North Carolina State Senator (2003-2009), where he was serving at the time of his sudden death. Papers include handwritten and typed speeches made by Vernon Malone in Wake County and beyond to organizations, church and school groups, from 1976 to just before his death in 2009; letters; photographs; programs; resolutions; tributes; certificates; a diploma; guest books; the "Lord Malone 1994" Scrapbook; clippings; various material relating to his life, family, and public service; and a DVD disc of the recorded funeral service of Senator Malone, 23 April 2009. Processing may not be in its final form, but the collection may be used as is.
  • Mann-Arrington Gold Mining Company Account Books, 1887 - 1890 
    In 1887 the Mann-Arrington Gold Mining Company, a new company chartered in North Carolina, acquired a gold mine located in Nash County. The company failed in 1893 when judgment for an outstanding $53,000 debt was rendered against it in the U.S. Circuit Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina. Includes four ledgers of company store accounts and one time book for the Mann-Arrington Gold Mining Company. The time book records each worker's name, the number of days worked each month, and the daily rate of pay. The ledgers list debts owed by the workers but do not itemize the items purchased.
  • May, James A., Letter, 1862
    This manuscript letter, dated June 13, 1862, was written by James A. May (1849-1862), a Civil War soldier enlisted in Company E, 22nd Regiment (Infantry), North Carolina Troops. Addressed to May's older half-brother, the letter describes the fighting in the Battle of Seven Pines, Virginia (Battle of Fair Oaks).
  • Miscellaneous Papers, 1689-1912 
    This is a collection of miscellaneous items such as letters, deeds, grants, surveys, wills, leases, miscellaneous items, that also included a number of photocopies and transcripts from other repositories. Writers, letter recipients, and subjects of these materials vary widely. They range from governors, generals, to ordinary citizens and cover a range of historical periods, from the pre-Revolutionary period on to the 20th century, with 21st century additions expected. Papers from the colonial period include letters such as a contemporary abstract of letter about Governor Dobbs's marriage to a girl of fifteen.Revolutionary War letters discuss topics such as the Batttle of Moores Creek Bridge and southern campaigns, loyalists, privateers, condition of soldiers, among various others.Post-Revolutionary material includes an unsigned and incomplete but detailed discussion of the U.S.Constitution; and letters about western and bounty lands (1795-1797), and more.Subjects of Civil War letters include preparations in South Carolina; blockade-running; and the fall of Fort Fisher.Postwar letters include Lillie Devereux Blake on the New York Women's Suffrage Association (1886); Jefferson Davis about North Carolina's distinguished history (1889);William Jennings Bryan to Walter Clark (1909, n.d.), as a small sample. Throughout the collection are letters relating to court cases and personal business affairs. (7 boxes)
  • Mitchell and Bouchelle Account Books, 1820-1845 
    Dr. Lueco Mitchell (d. 1837-1838) practiced medicine in Salisbury, North Carolina from 1823 to1839. On May 15, 1834, Dr. R. M. Bouchelle (d. 1849) joined the practice. The men dissolved their partnership on May 1, 1837. Bouchelle continued to practice in Salisbury until 1839. This collection consists of three ledgers and one day book. Attached to this finding aid is a table of names of patients for Mitchell and Bouchelle’s medical practice from 1823 to 1839. (4.0 volumes)
  • Mizelle, Margaret B., Letters, 1942 - 1944 
    Margaret B. Mizelle served as a 2nd lieutenant with the Army Nurse Corps during World War II. While stationed with the 38th Evacuation Hospital in England, Africa, and Italy, she wrote letters to her mother concerning articles of clothing, cosmetics, or food that Lt. Mizelle wished sent to her from home. Occasionally the letters contain descriptions of life in the field.
  • Mobley and Buck Family Papers, ca. 1890-1967
    The Buck and Mobley families have roots in eastern North Carolina, particularly Pitt County, going back to the 19th century, if not before. From those families there were several generations of sharecroppers on land part of or near Grimesland Plantation. The papers culminate with those of Stella Buck Mobley (died in May 2012 at age 97), who was a plantation caretaker for years, and whose son, Jenises Mobley, was killed in 1968 in Vietnam. Papers of the Buck and Mobley Family of Pitt County, ca. 1890-2013, including loose photographs, an album and remaining portions of two others; financial records of home and tobacco farm of Stella Buck and Lunnie Jay Mobley, Grimesland; personal items and official documents, and letters of their son, Jenies, including a 1965 Klan poster and his card of membership intent; letters to and from him during U.S. Army service, 1967-1968, until his death in combat; a book (2005) written by Sgt. Mobley's company lieutenant, with several reference to Jenies and a a personal inscription to his mother; and a 2.5 page email from Gregory C. Mobley, with his reminiscences of the Grimes Plantation, where he had spent summers, 1966-1976, when his great aunt and uncle, Stella and Lunnie, served as plantation managers, caretakers; and some miscellaneous materials. Ca. 1 cu. Ft.
  • Moore, Elizabeth, Collection, 1898 - 1974 
    Miss Elizabeth Moore, a native of New Bern, has served as Deputy Clerk of the Superior Court of Craven County. This collection consists of genealogical notes, correspondence relating to genealogical research, newspaper clippings, family trees, brochures, photographs, postcards, Bible records, published family histories, cemetery records, broadsides, and transcriptions of protests from the port of New Bern.
  • Morton, Matilda Lamb, Memoirs, 1861 - 1865 
    This collection consists of a retrospective memoir (original manuscript and typescript) of Civil War events in the life of an eastern North Carolina child, Matilda Lamb. In addition are the original obituary for the writer's older brother (mortally wounded in May, 1864, at Wire Bottom Church, Virginia) and a Xerox copy of a May, 1933, letter written by Mrs. Morton to another brother, George Charles Lamb (who figures in some of her adventures recounted in the memoir).
  • Myslajek, Stanley E., Papers, 1947 - 1948 
    Stanley E. Myslajek (1911-1995) started his career as a professional wrestler in 1932. In 1947, Myslajek began promoting matches in Raleigh and Durham. This collection of materials relates to the series of 26 matches that Myslajek made and promoted in Raleigh during a single season that lasted from September 4, 1947, to May 13, 1948, plus a single post-season match on June 25, 1948.

N

  • Nabors, A. H., Physician and Merchant Account Book, Rutherford County, N.C., 1870-1872 
    Asbury Hull Nabors (1838-1902) was born at Laurens, Laurens County, S.C. to Alon and Martha Nabours. He was educated at the Charleston Medical College at Charleston, S.C., where he received his degree in 1860. Asbury Hull Nabors maintained a medical practice and a general merchandise concern in Rutherford County. The store was near Camp Creek Township in the area with a post office named Brittain (apparently now defunct). This ledger of accounts contains entries for Dr. Nabor's medical visits and for general store purchases from the years 1870-1872, with most occurring in 1871. The volume has 218 numbered pages that begin at page four (first three pages and possibly an index are missing). Included with the volume is a copy of a store advertisement that appeared in the Mountain Banner, 9 June 1882. (1 item, account book)
  • Norden, Eric, Collection, 1735-1967
    This collection consists of the papers of Norden, native of Sweden, Wilmington resident, and civil engineer specializing in land surveying and title research in southeastern North Carolina for lumber companies, development companies, and the N.C. Department of Public Instruction, perfecting titles to swamp lands owned by the department. (21.0 Linear feet)
  • Norman, Hobson, and Chitty Family Papers
    The Norman and Hobson and related families, Phillips, Matthews, etc., were farmers, with roots in Surry County from which Stokes and Yadkin were formed, 1789 and 1850. The Hamilton and Chitty families (possibly unrelated) were living in Stokes County by the late 1700s, on land that became part of Forsyth in 1849. Though in different counties, these families were in close proximity to the historic Moravian tract (ca.1753), located near the three forks of Muddy Creek, which rises in current southwest Stokes, flows south through western Forsyth, then enters the Yadkin River. Papers includes a 1797 indenture, Frederic William Marshall, Moravian business manager of Wachovia, to Horatio Hamilton, Stokes County; two Evans and Chitty family deeds, 1885 and 1920, that include a portion of land conveyed in the 1797 document; receipts of David Chandler Norman, 1827-1857, Yadkin County, including those related to his role as estate executor of father-in-law, William Phillips; three family letters to Tyre C. Hobson, Norman’s son-in-law, 1896-1915; a love letter (1915) from Hobson's grandson, Joe Tyre Matthews, to his future wife, Sarah Wooten; one photo and miscellaneous materials. (2 boxes)

O

  • Overhills Papers, 1886-1985
    Extending over 30,000 acres in its heyday, the Overhills estate of the 20th century had previously been the site of a vast turpentine plantation. Located primarily in Harnett County in North Carolina's Sandhills, this tract lost appeal by 1900 as the area's timber and naval stores industries declined. By 1906 the land had been transformed into a hunting preserve with the prospect of becoming a premier southern hunt club. Over the next few years the enterprise changed names and hands several times. Percy Avery Rockefeller was one of several wealthy investors whose interest grew as the property took on resort amenities, including a clubhouse, golf course, passenger train service, riding stables, and dog kennels for the fox hounds. After 1919 Rockefeller, by then a primary investor, fostered development of vacation residences in "The Hill" area and sought to make the estate self-reliant through forestry and agricultural development. The estate's name in 1922 was formalized as the Overhills Land Company and in 1938 as Overhills, Inc. and Overhills Farms, Inc. By 1938, The Hill had become a retreat primarily for the Rockefeller family, while the hunting preserve was transformed into tenant farms. Over the next few decades various agricultural businesses emerged within the tenant farm system that sustained the estate. During the early 1970s sharecropping was replaced by large-scale corporate agriculture. In 1980 the property was reduced to around 10,000 acres and the agricultural businesses merged into Overhills, Inc. The family sold the property in 1997 to the U.S. Army for use as training lands adjacent to Fort Bragg Military Reservation. The papers consist primarily of business information utilized or created by the various property managers of the Overhills estate and span the years 1886 to 1985, with a few maps dated a few years beyond. Materials represented are original property deeds and business records including contracts/licenses, product informaton; financial records such as loose bank statements, deposit slips, bills paid, returned checks, receipts, and information contained in ledgers (not a complete set), such as cash books, cash disbursements, time books, accounts ledgers, and employees' wage information; employee and tax information; business correspondence; maps; some drawings, and miscellaneous oversized materials. Within the Overhills papers there are some materials relating to the predecessor business, the Kent-Jordan Company hunting retreat, dating from 1911 to the early 1920s. (256 boxes, ca. 95 cubic feet.)

P

  • Perry, W. C., Account Book, 1922 - 1927
    This single-volume account book contains some of the farming and antique business transactions of William Calvin Perry of Troutman, Iredell County, North Carolina. The book includes a record of cantaloupes raised by Troutman and sold in cities and towns in western and piedmont regions, 1922-1924 and 1926-1927; and accounts of the sale of antiques from Perry's shop in his home, from 1933-1937 and 1940.
  • Pippenger, Eleanor Troy, Collection, Bulk, 1753-1853
    Bladen County was formed in 1734 from New Hannover. The Cape Fear River divides the county running roughly in a north to south line. In 1808 Columbus County was formed from Bladen and Brunswick. Ancestors of Eleanor Troy Pippenger lived Bladen and later Columbus County. Consists primarily of land grants and indentures for acreage in Bladen County during the period, circa 1735 to 1853. These materials are particularly important because of the Bladen County courthouse fires in 1770, 1800, and 1893. Subsequent miscellaneous land and court records supplement land grants and indentures. Other items of interest include several deeds and bills of sale for slaves. There are a small portion of deeds and indentures from Columbus county spanning from 1821-1907. (3 boxes)
  • Polk, Leonidas L., Ledger, 1883-1887
    Leonidas LaFayette Polk (1837-1892) was a native of Anson County, the son of Andrew and Serena Autry Polk. As a young man he was a gentlemen farmer with an ongoing interest and involvement in journalism. After serving in the General Assembly 1860-1861, Polk was an officer in the Confederate Army. His successes in the years after the Civil War included service as the first Commissioner of the State Department of Agriculture, 1877-1880. Although three businesses he founded in the early 1880s failed, Polk founded the successful Progressive Farmer in 1886; was elected national president of the Farmers' Alliance and Industrial Union, 1889; and was influential in higher education, the farmers' movement, and the affairs of the state and nation. This ledger includes an alphabetical index of businesses and individuals followed by page numbers and pages headed by names of businesses and individuals. There is a listing under each name of purchases by date. Items purchased include a variety of books, supplies, and some services. The name of the business operated by Polk is not identified, and most of the entries predate the founding of the Progressive Farmer. (1 item, account book)
  • Poplar Grove Account Book, 1820 - 1821
    The small store identified as Poplar Grove was located in northwestern Nash County, presumably near a place known by the same name. The 108 pages remaining of the account book reflect the store's stock of goods, including piece goods, notions, shoes, salt, sugar, brandy, tobacco, nails, paper, medicines, powder, and shot.
  • Poteet-Dickson Letters, 1861 - 1902, and undated 
    Martha A. E. Henley (1826-1902) and Francis Marion Poteet (1827-1902) were likely born in Burke or McDowell County, N.C., and were married on September 26, 1847 in McDowell County. Thirteen children were born to this union. Francis worked variously as a farmer, a carpenter, and a miller. Living in the Dysartsville area of McDowell County, Poteet was working as a miller at the time of his conscription into the Confederate Army, Company A, 49th Regiment, North Carolina Troops. At different stages of the war, Poteet was encamped at Weldon, N.C., Kinston, N.C., Petersburg, Virginia, and in other spots in North Carolina and Virginia. In early 1864 Poteet was tried for desertion after he returned home when a young son became ill and died. Poteet was eventually returned to his post, possibly because he was voluntarily returning to the army when arrested. After the war ended, the family moved to Enola, Burke County, North Carolina, where Francis operated a grinding mill and Martha worked in a nearby store. In the 1890s the Poteet family moved to Mooresboro, Cleveland County, N.C. Martha and Francis Poteet died within a day of each other in early April of 1902. The collection includes 47 original manuscript letters, dating from July 16, 1861 to July 12, 1902 and also an undated handcopied story by a child, and a undated family memorandum, ca. 1902 with birth, marriage, death and other dates of Francis Marion Poteet and Martha A. E. Hendley Poteet. The majority of the letters are the Civil War correspondence of Francis Marion Poteet and Martha A. E. Hendley Poteet (36 of 38 letters). The letters convey the deep sense of family and the devotion and love of this couple as man and wife. The letters also reveal the hardship and sacrifices of service in the Confederate army and the harsh plight of a woman running a small farm in McDowell County during war-time while her husband was away. To a lesser degree the letters document Francis Poteet's service in the 49th North Carolina Infantry. Two of the letters are from a brother of Francis, Peter Poteet, during his service at Yorktown, Va. in the 1st North Carolina Infantry Regiment. The remaining letters (9) are post-war correspondence, primarily from Francis and Martha to their daughter Celenia and her husband, F. M. (Frank) Dickson. These letters are also valuable beyond the information they contain about life in the latter half of the 19th century, particularly for the insight they give into the relationships and events within the family. (1 legal size box, 1/3 cubic foot.)

R

  • Ramquist, Janis L., Papers, 1970-2006
    Janis Lindblom Ramquist (b. 1947) was born in San Francisco, a daughter of Alton and Sue Lindblom. In 1970 she was graduated from California State University at Sacramento (teaching certificate and B.A. in psychology). She moved to North Carolina in the late 1970s, and to Raleigh in the early 1980s. From 1978 to 1985 Ramquist was a volunteer lobbyist for the North Carolina League of Women Voters. Since 1986 she has been a lobbyist registered with the North Carolina General Assembly and a consultant to various groups through workshops, seminars, and consulting services. These are the private professional papers of Ms. Ramquist, as Governmental Affairs Consultant and Coordinator (i.e. legislative liaison or lobbyist) for several organizations. Collection contains correspondence, reports, contracts, newspaper clippings, publications, journal articles, subject files, speeches, mailing lists, press releases, fact sheets, General Assembly voting records, medical records, insurance claims, court case examinations, audio tapes, directories, employment applications, brochures, research reports, compendia, and both proposed and ratified legislation. There is one folder of materials (greeting cards and campaign button) relating to the ERA campaign. (42.0 boxes)
  • Revis, Daniel W., Letters, 1862 - 1863, 1865 
    Daniel W. Revis of Henderson Co. (N.C.) was a farmer, Civil War solider (serving in Co. B, 64th Regt., Infantry, North Carolina Troops), and later a licensed Baptist preacher. The 35 letters, dating from 1862-1863 and 1865, were written within the family of Daniel W. Revis. Two of the letters relate to the problem of deserters among the men from Henderson County. In addition to letters, the collection contains one of the following items: an oath, preacher's license, advertising circular, envelope, and wrapper.
  • Richardson, R. P., Jr. and Company Books and Ledgers, 1898-1927 
    A native of Rockingham County, Robert Payne Richardson Jr. was born in 1855 to Robert Payne Richardson and his second wife, Mary Elizabeth Watlington, a native of Caswell County. Educated locally and one year at the Bingham School, Orange County, Richardson Jr. associated early with his father's tobacco and mercantile business in Reidsville. Around 1877 the younger Richardson formed his own business, the R. P. Richardson Jr. and Company, with a concentration on smoking tobacco, produced mainly under the brand name, Old North State. The business thrived over two decades in the tobacco-centric town of Reidsville. However, the year 1917 brought challenges with a factory fire and the building nearby of a large American Tobacco Company plant for the production of Lucky Strike cigarettes. When Richards Jr. died in 1922, the company stayed in family hands until its sale in April 1926 to Brown and Williamson Tobacco Corporation. Collection includes 22 volumes, representing a portion of the business records of the R.P. Richardson, Jr. and Co., founded in 1877 for the manufacture and sales of smoking tobacco. Volumes include 14 letter press books, 1911-1927; 5 ledger books, 1898-1910; and 3 check stub books, November 1917-August 1918. (22 volumes, 3 cubic feet.)
  • Richmond County Historical Collection, Nick Lovin Studio Photo Negatives, 1976 
    Nick Lovin (1942-1985) was a professional photographer in Richmond County. He continued studio and location work while employed at the Richmond County Daily Journal as their staff photographer. The photo negatives of the Nick Lovin Collection comprise color and black-and-white photographic negatives in 2 1/4 x 2 1/4, 6 x 7, and 35mm formats. Primary subject matter includes weddings and portraits. (3 boxes, .75 cubic feet.)
  • Rigsbee, Elizabeth, Letters, 1914 - 1923, and undated 
    Hannah Elizabeth Rigsbee (1893-1965), known as Elizabeth, was born in Durham County, N.C. to John Vernon Rigsbee (1848-1912), and Mary Whitworth Leigh Rigsbee (1854-1908). The family's youngest child, Elizabeth was only fifteen when her mother died and around nineteen when her father died. By 1914 or earlier, Elizabeth was working with children at the Baptist Orphanage in Thomasville, N.C.(later the Baptist Children’s Homes of North Carolina). By 1930 or before she was married to Thomas Benton Roberts (1889-1965), a district supervisor of buyers for the American Tobacco Company. The collection includes twenty original letters addressed to Miss Rigsbee, with seventeen written to her as part of courtship initiated by various male friends. Dates of the letters range from 1914 to 1923 with fourteen undated or lacking complete dates. Two of the letters are from a sister, Mary Jessie Rigsbee, known as Jessie, and one from a boy, Annual Wheeler, a resident of the Kennedy Home, a branch of the Baptist Orphanage in Kinston, N.C. Nineteen of the letters are handwritten, while one is typescript. In their entirety the letters include scattered references to activities and entertainments such as ball games, card games, plays, picture shows, church activities, casual gatherings, and going for rides. As a whole, the letters provide a small window into the practice of courtship or dating between a young employed woman and middle class men (at least two employed in the tobacco industry) in small town and rural North Carolina during the early twentieth century. There is one wedding announcement in the collection, dated October 1918. (1 letter size box, 1/3 cubic feet.)
  • Roberson, Joseph J., Papers, 1830 - 1845 
    Joseph J. Roberson (1813-1862), a native of Carteret County, practiced his craft as a ship carpenter during the 1840s and 1850s in New Bern. The Joseph J. Roberson Papers consists primarily of miscellaneous papers of Roberson and his partners: Roberson and Brothers, and Thomas S. Howard and Robersons. The collection includes some correspondence, two contracts for building vessels (1832 and 1844); accounts and receipts relating to shipbuilding, household accounts, and the building of a bridge in Onslow County. Promissory notes include record of rent and slave hire by Roberson and his partner(s).
  • Rohrer, Grace J., Papers, 1972 - 1989
    Grace Jemison Rohrer (1924- ), daughter of Howard A. and Caroline Elmore (Bishop) Jemison, was born in Chicago. Some years after her marriage to Robert H. Rohrer, she moved with her family to Winston-Salem. This collection contains correspondence, memoranda, reports, handbooks, and brochures arising from the public life of Grace J. Rohrer during the years from 1972 to 1989. The collection reflects Mrs. Rohrer's involvement with various organizations, including the Republican Party, North Carolinians United for Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), the N.C. Women's Political Caucus, Friends of University Network Television, and her service as secretary of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, and the Department of Administration. As a policy advisor to Governor James G. Martin, Mrs. Rohrer served in his "Cabinet Clusters," 1986-1989, and was also involved during that time with the N.C. Council on the Status of Women.
  • Rose Family Photograph Albums, 1925 - 1950 
    Marion Simon Rose (1901-1980) was a Durham businessman married to Susan Emily (1915- ), a figure in the cultural life of Durham. The four albums of candid photographs chronicle their wedding, other special occasions, and the lives of their two daughters. 4 volumes on 1 microfilm reel.
  • Russell Autograph Book, 1861 - 1863 
    Daniel L. [Lindsay] Russell (1845-1908) served as governor of North Carolina from 1897 to 1901. He was a member of the class of 1863/64, University of North Carolina. The volume contains the autographs of 70 schoolmates in the war classes at the university, most of whom went to war, and on all of whom (even those no longer living) the university conferred ex speciali gratia the degree of Bachelor of Arts in 1911. Dates of entries are from 1861-1863. The volume also contains the autographs of three soldiers at Fort Caswell and Fort Fisher in 1863.
  • Ruiz, Robert C., Papers, 1940-1960
    Robert Charles Ruiz was born in Oteen, Buncombe County in 1929 to Cipriano Nilo and Elsie M. Brown Ruiz (1893-1984). He trained as an x-ray technician, working as early as 1947 and thereafter as an X-ray technician with the Tuberculosis Section of the N.C. State Board of Health (NCSBH). By the late 1940s he was involved in a state-wide survey that utilized mobile tuberculosis X-ray units travelling to all counties within the state, in an effort to eradicate tuberculosis in North Carolina. In 1951 Ruiz enlisted for service in U.S. Army Medical Corps and from 1951 to 1953 he served in mobile army surgical hospital (MASH) units, from Fort Meade, Md. Camp Pickett, Va. to Korea. Following his honorable discharge, Ruiz returned to North Carolina and worked with the NCSBH in Raleigh. Papers reflecting personal, military, and professional work and interests, including photography and work as an x-ray technician with the Tuberculosis Section of the N.C. State Board of Health (circa 1940s-early 1960s) and its statewide survey consisting of mobile tuberculosis X-ray units traveling about the state in a concerted effort of the state board and county health departments to detect and ultimately eradicate tuberculosis in the state; and service in U.S. Army Medical Corps, 1951-1953 in mobile army surgical hospital (MASH) units, from Fort Meade, Md., Camp Pickett, Va. to Korea. Materials include correspondence primarily with family; greetings cards; scrapbook and five photo albums containing a variety of materials in addition to photographs, and negatives, such as personal and official army correspondence, clippings, church bulletins; postcards, photocopies of pocket diary; negatives; slides; printed materials; loose materials of the type contained in albums; a Korean maps; ephemera and miscellaneous materials, with dates ranging ca. 1949-2010, with the bulk from the early 1950s. Additionally, a small quantity of World War I and World War II materials, photocopies and two items of correspondence, 1918, and two v-mail letters, 1944. Note: this collection is partially arranged, but can be used by researchers.

S

  • Seals Family Papers, 1842 - 1956
    This collection consists of correspondence and papers of the family of William and Jane Seals of Richmond County, N.C. Correspondence dates from 1862 to 1904 and includes letters written home by sons, William, James, John, and Harris from Civil War encampments and trenches; letters written by some of the sons as they seek work during the economic depression of the 1870s; and various letters concerning family and business matters. The collection also includes bills for cotton seed and receipts from baled cotton of Alexander and Porter T. Seals and cotton insurance for Porter T. Seals (1872-1956); deeds, grants, and land papers (1842-1945) relating to the land of Alexander and Porter T. Seals in Richmond County, N.C.; burial association, funeral, and literary papers (1878-1956); and bills and receipts (1866-1946).
  • Shepherd, James E., Papers, 1806 - 1884 
    James Edward Shepherd (1847-1910), lawyer and jurist, was born at Mintonville, near Suffolk, Virginia, the son of Thomas Swepson Shepherd (1811-1860) and his first wife Ann Eliza Browne (1813-1852). Shepherd attended the University of North Carolina in 1867 and 1868, and was admitted to the bar and opened a practice in Wilson in 1869. Shepherd was elected one of the justices of the North Carolina Supreme Court in 1888 and was appointed chief justice in 1892. The collection consists of letters, deeds, bills of sale, bill of lading, subpoenas and other legal writs, printed matter, daguerreotypes, ambrotypes, tintypes, and paper photographs. 91 items.
  • Slave Bill of Sale of Jim, a Boy, Mecklenburg County, 1847
    Jim was born in slavery circa 1840, and was sold at a young age in a transaction between two residents of Mecklenburg County. Possibly his surname after emancipation or after the Civil War was Johnston or Sloan. This handwritten slave bill of sale transferred ownership of a boy named Jim from Samuel Johnston to E.B.D Sloan, possibly Edward Brice Dobbs Sloan, on 11 December 1847 for five hundred dollars. (1 folder)
  • Slave Collection, 1748-1922
    This is a collection created over time by the State Archives's staff, consisting of original and photocopied documents relating to slavery in North Carolina, as late as 1862. Consists of original items such as bills of sales, deeds of gift, account of hire of slaves, and also photocopied items (with some enclosures), including bills of sale, deed of emancipation, commitment, court papers, petitions, certification, claims, letters, depositions, and slave births. Includes a manuscript letter of 2 February 1843 written by a friend of John Brown, Augustus Wattles of Ohio (abolitionist and educator), to William Smith, Michigan, alias for David, a fugitive slave who had belonged to Presley Nelms of Anson County, North Carolina. Additionally, there are three copies of published accounts, each recollections of slavery days. (2 boxes)
  • Slave Receipts/Bills of Sale, Catey and Children, Cloey [Chloe], a Girl, and Frank, May 4, 1853 and March 5, 1862
    Two receipts, one for sale of Catey, and her three children, Mary, Richard, and Sally (Wilmington, N.C. 1853), and the other for sale of Cloey [Chloe], a girl of about 10, and exchange of Frank, age 40 (unknown place, 1862).The first was issued by Ansley Davis to Speir/Spier Walters, both possibly of Robeson County; the second issued by J.B. Hardee to J.A. Thompson, locale uncertain, but possibly, Columbus County, N.C., and/ or Brunswick County, N.C., Horry County, S.C. Though the receipts are from one donor, they are apparently not related. These receipts functioned as bills of sale, with the first transaction in the amount of $1,000, and the second transaction representing an exchange, with payment of an additional $58.75, for Frank.(1 box)
  • Sloan-Osborne Ciphering Book, c. 1753, 1778-1779, 1782 
    Adlai Osborne (1744-1814), lawyer and political and educational leader, was born in either New Jersey or Delaware, son of Alexander and Agnes McWhorter Osborne. At the age of five he was brought by his parents to what is now southeastern Iredell County. Henry Sloan (1769-1783), was the son of John and Agnes Sloan of Rowan (subsequently Davidson) County. The volume contains the arithmetic exercises of both Adlai and Henry. It is thought both boys' entries were completed around the age of 9 or 10. 1 volume made up of post-folio size paper manufactured at two different papermills.
  • Stewart Family Ledger and Scrapbook, 1911-1923
    The Stewart family was prominent in early 20th century New Bern, Craven County. J.W. (John or James Washington) Stewart was owner of the Stewart Sanitorium and the Hazelton Hotel and other businesses located in and around New Bern. One of Stewart's daughters was Eleanor Grace Stewart (1899-1927). In 1923 she travelled to Europe, and upon her return was met in New York City by two of her sisters who accompanied her on cultural pursuits in the city before returning home to New Bern. Consists of 2 volumes, one a ledger of the Stewart Sanitorium, New Bern, 1911-1913; and one a scrapbook, 1923, Summer, created by E. Grace Stewart, to record memories of her Atlantic voyage, travel in England, Scotland, France, etc. and return stay in New York City, and including various travel mementoes, a ship program and cabin list, handwritten descriptions, programs, postcards, some photographs, etc.
  • Stipe, Robert E., Papers, ca. 1974-2001
    Robert Edwin Stipe (1928-2007) was born in Eaton, Pa. to J. Norwood and Ethel M. Stipe. Over time he was educated as a lawyer, planner, and also studied and worked as a public official, teacher, and author. Though his service, work, ideas, and inspiration, Stipe has been widely regarded as a main founder of the modern historic preservation movement in North Carolina. Collection contains various items, 1974-2001, including papers, notebooks, audio cassettes, and miscellaneous materials related to the career of Robert E. Stipe in preservation, as professor emeritus of design in the School of Design at North Carolina State University, and as Director of the Division of Archives and History during the mid-1970s. Note: Processing may not be complete or in its final form, but the collection may be used as is.
  • Stone, James A., Papers, 1842 - 1880
    James Albert Stone (c.1820-1882) was one of the sons of Jonathan Murray Stone, representative in the General Assembly from Granville and Nash counties. Though James A. Stone, like his brothers Francis M. and Silas M., taught in the common schools of North Carolina, he is consistently reported as a farmer in the federal censuses. The collection consists almost entirely of promissory notes, bills, and receipts dating from 1842 to 1880. Miscellaneous papers include an 1845 contract to teach school; a letter from Stone's wife dated Jan. 17, 1854; a note from his father, Jonathan Murray Stone; a 50 cent fractional currency notes of the state of Georgia, series of Jan. 1, 1863; an undated table of temperatures and hours for firing a barn of tobacco; and an undated final settlement for the estate of H. Ezell.
  • Strange, James W., Collection, 1861 - 1865 
    A native of Fayetteville, Cumberland County, James William Strange (1818-1886) was appointed captain of Company D, 19th Regiment, North Carolina Troops (otherwise called 2d Regiment, North Carolina Cavalry), on June 21, 1861. After resigning his command of the company in March 1864, the following April Strange was elected captain of Company F, 2d Battalion, North Carolina Defense Troops. The two documents in this collection relate to the two companies under his command.
  • Suggs-McEwen Family Papers, 1791 - 1918 
    These papers relate chiefly to the southwestern Bladen County landholdings of John S. McEwen. Subsequent to his death in 1881, most of the lands were purchased by McEwen's nephew, William A. Suggs, from the other heirs. The papers, dating from 1791-1918, include bills and receipts; a few letters and plats of survey; estates papers; deeds; miscellanea pertaining to land; promissory notes; tax receipts; the Suggses family record and school papers; and oversized land grants.

T

  • Tayloe, Jonathan Stanley, Papers, 1917 - 1920 
    Jonathan Stanley Tayloe (1890-1918) was the youngest of the three children of Watson and Addie (Hayes) Tayloe of Bertie County. Tayloe served as a soldier during World War I and on August 9, 1918 he was killed in the trenches while being shelled. The collection consists chiefly of correspondence. Most of the letters are personal and were written by Tayloe in different training camps to his family. One letter was written just before his death in Europe. The remaining papers relate to the recovery of his effects by his family and to his war risk insurance.
  • Thornton, William E., Papers, 1950-2009
    Dr. William Edgar Thornton was born in 1929 in Faison, North Carolina. After receiving a BS in physics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel, he was commissioned in the U.S. Air Force where he helped develop air-to-air missile combat radar systems for fighter pilots. Thornton helped organize and then directed Del Mar Engineering's avionics division. He then went to medical school, again at University of North Carolina. Dr. Thornton then rejoined the Air Force to pursue research in aerospace medicine, and continued that work with NASA where he served on Skylab missions and as a mission specialist on two space shuttle missions aboard the Challenger. The papers consist of materials created by or collected by Dr. William E. Thornton during his career in U.S. Air Force, Del Mar Avionics, medical school, and at NASA. These records concern Dr. Thornton's interests and professional work. Materials include his work developing the Radar Optical Firing Error Indicator for the Air Force to train fighter pilots in air-to-air missile combat. They also include his research in medical subjects like telemetry, cardiography, nuclear magnetic resonance, and aerospace exercise. Dr. Thornton's medical interests continued from his studies in medical school all the to the end of his career with NASA as he investigated aspects of these subjects in aerospace medicine. The collection is made up of correspondence, research, patent paperwork, news clippings, photographic prints and negatives, and film footage of early test projects, with the dates ranging from 1950 to 2009. (14.0 cubic feet)

V

  • Valley Town Account Book, 1850-1871
    The Valley Town general store was located in Valley Town (Cherokee County) near present-day Andrews. It was in operation from approximately 1850 to 1871. Its proprietors were not explicitly identified. Merchandise included cloth, animal skins, shoes, sewing essentials, hardware, furnishings, building materials, ammunition, and food staples. In addition to being a general store, the location served as a post office and wayside inn. Attached to this finding aid is a partial index of customers, including one native American who remained in the valley after the removal of the Cherokee.
  • Vann, John, Papers, 1718 - 1911
    The John Vann Papers consist primarily of the papers of father and son, John Vann (1768-1850) and John Arline Vann (1822-1902), Hertford County, N.C., planters, public officials, and state legislators. The majority of the papers relate to the affairs and estates of others for whom the two Vanns acted in a fiduciary capacity as executor, administrator, trustee, or guardian. A significant number of the remainder of the papers related to the activities of the two Vanns (principally the son) as public officials of Hertford County. These semi-public materials include wills, inventories of estates, accounts of administrators and guardians, tax records, election records, tar and fish inspection records, deeds, and bills of sale. The private family papers include papers on the Cool Spring Baptist meeting house, Chowan Baptist Female College, Accounts, Bills, receipts, deeds, promissory notes, sawmill accounts, fishery accounts, and a small amount of correspondence ranging in date from 1788 to 1900. Some of the papers relate to the affairs of John Vann's father-in-law, Jesse R. Cross.
  • Vertical Paper Cutter Company Account Book, 1906 - 1907 
    The Vertical Paper Cutter Company, located in Raleigh, was incorporated on June 2, 1906. Henry E. Litchford was president, and Everett M. and Melvin N. Andrews were vice-president and secretary-manager respectively. The company appears to have purchased paper in bulk and to have cut and sold it to specifications given them by the purchaser, and, at the same time, to have held exclusive right to market a patented vertical paper cutter. A single ledger of accounts payable which covers the period from June 6, 1906, to August 31, 1907.

W

  • Waddell, James Iredell, Family Papers, 1762-1919
    Papers relate to the Waddell, Moore and connected families of New Hanover, Brunswick, Bladen, and Orange Counties, N.C., specifically those of Captain James Iredell Waddell, commanding officer of the Confederate steamer C.S.S. Shenandoah. Included are Waddell's personal and military correspondence, accounts of the course of the Shenandoah, ancestral land papers with surveys and plats, a biography of Justice Alfred Moore, a dispatch by General R. E. Lee, obituary and other clippings, and various personal items. Regarding the enslaved people there are two wills; a power of guardianship; slave bill of sale; receipt; estate division including date of birth with occupation and mother's name; a deed of trust.
  • Warm Springs Hotel Daybook, 1879 
    The Warm Springs Hotel was established in Buncombe, later Madison County, around 1832. Until destroyed by a fire in 1884, the hotel was one of North Carolina's main summer resorts. It was located in the community of Warm Springs (renamed Hot Springs in 1886), in the Appalachian Mountains of western Madison County near the confluence of the French Broad River and Spring Creek. The town and resort derived their name from the natural thermal springs in the area, which had long drawn travelers seeking relief from their ailments. A daybook, for the year 1879, January 25 - October 17, recording daily receipts and expenditures of the hotel as they occurred. Consists of 1 volume (578 pages less pages cut or overwritten). During this period of time, the hotel was under the proprietorship of Dr. William H. Howerton, a physician who in 1862 had served briefly as captain of Company H, 37th Regt., North Carolina Troops. Following the Civil War, Dr. Howerton became active in Republican Party politics and successfully stood for election to the office of Secretary of State on the Republican ticket in 1872. Upon completion of his term of office, early in 1877, Dr. Howerton left Raleigh for Warm Springs and remained until around in end of 1882. (1 volume, 578 pages less pages overwritten and cut)
  • Warm Springs Hotel Guest Arrivals and Departures, 1880 
    The Warm Springs Hotel was established in Buncombe, later Madison County, around 1832. Until destroyed by a fire in 1884, the hotel was one of North Carolina's main summer resorts. It was located in the community of Warm Springs (renamed Hot Springs in 1886), in the Appalachian Mountains of western Madison County near the confluence of the French Broad River and Spring Creek. The town and resort derived their name from the natural thermal springs in the area, which had long drawn travelers seeking relief from their ailments. An account book, for the year 1880, June 1 - September 20, recording the number of guests registered during the day and during the night, accounting for all departures and the amount paid. Consists of 1 volume (125 pages). During this period of time, the hotel was under the proprietorship of Dr. William H. Howerton, a physician who in 1862 had served briefly as captain of Company H, 37th Regt., North Carolina Troops. Following the Civil War, Dr. Howerton became active in Republican Party politics and successfully stood for election to the office of Secretary of State on the Republican ticket in 1872. Upon completion of his term of office, early in 1877, Dr. Howerton left Raleigh for Warm Springs and remained until around the end of 1882. (1 volume, 125 pages)
  • Warm Springs Hotel Ledger of Accounts, 1881 
    The Warm Springs Hotel was established near thermal springs of the same name, in Buncombe, later Madison County, around 1832. Until destroyed by a fire in 1884, the hotel was one of North Carolina's main summer resorts. It was located in the community of Warm Springs (renamed Hot Springs in 1886), in the Appalachian Mountains of western Madison County near the confluence of the French Broad River and Spring Creek. The Swannanoa Hotel opened in 1880 in Asheville, North Carolina. Both hotels at separate times were briefly under the proprietorship of Dr. William H. Howerton, who had served briefly as a captain of Company H, 57th Regiment, North Carolina Troops in 1862. Following the war Dr. Howerton became active in politics and was elected Secretary of State on the Republican ticket in 1882. He operated the Warm Springs Hotel from 1877 to 1882. A general ledger for the year 1881 containing accounts posted from a daybook now missing from the collection. The volume includes guests accounts due the hotel as well as accounts that were owed by the hotel to staff for supplies, advertising, and other expenses. The names of each guest are listed with the corresponding hometown or city. Incidental charges to guests and to staff are included for various infractions, including breaking glass and crockery. The index is partially obscured by the overwriting of a child's hand. Some other pages are filled with practice correspondence, essays, and a farcical song The Lime Kiln Club, parodying initiation into a black fraternal organization. (1 volume, ca. 273 pages)
  • Warm Springs Hotel-Swannanoa Hotel Daybook, 1882-1883 
    The Warm Springs Hotel was established near thermal springs of the same name, in Buncombe, later Madison County, around 1832. Until destroyed by a fire in 1884, the hotel was one of North Carolina's main summer resorts. It was located in the community of Warm Springs (renamed Hot Springs in 1886), in the Appalachian Mountains of western Madison County near the confluence of the French Broad River and Spring Creek. The Swannanoa Hotel opened in 1880 in Asheville, North Carolina. Both hotels at separate times were briefly under the proprietorship of Dr. William H. Howerton, who had served as a captain of Company H, 57th Regiment, North Carolina Troops in 1862. Following the war Dr. Howerton became active in politics and was elected Secretary of State on the Republican ticket in 1882. He operated the Warm Springs Hotel from 1877 to 1882 and the Swannanoa Hotel from mid-December 1882 to ca. 1884. A daybook that records daily receipts and expenditures during the last eight months Dr. William H. Howerton operated the Warm Springs Hotel (April 24 - December 14, 1882), and for the first seven months he operated the Swannanoa Hotel at Asheville (December 15, 1882 - July 20, 1883). Consists of 1 volume (1 volume, 894 pages)
  • Waugh and Finley Account Books, 1815-1828, 1838
    The Waugh and Finley general store operated in Wilkesboro [formerly Wilkesborough] in Wilkes County, N.C. from 1807 to 1845. The proprietors were William Pitt Waugh and his nephew, John Finley. This collection consists of four day books, which itemize transactions by date. In addition, the collection has loose-leaf papers, which have been gathered together in one box of folders. Recorded merchandise includes food staples, cookware, clothing, stationery, books, postage, and hardware. Attached to this finding aid are two tables of customers’ names for the store. (4 volumes)
  • Weathers Family Papers, 1849-1933
    The Weathers family was prominent in Rutherford County from the early 19th century, then later in Cleveland County when it was formed in 1841 from Rutherford. The Weathers farmed, and William M. (1796-1867) had a license to sell spiritous liquors. A grandson, Albert Pinkney (1860-1933), was a builder, merchant, and mayor of Shelby, ca. 1925; and great-grandson, Lee Beam Weathers, was a long-time editor and publisher of the Shelby Star. Small collection consists of a 19th century business/farm waste book (1884-1886 and before); items relating to three generations of Weathers including an 1849 receipt for whiskey, a young girl's (Pearl Weathers) autograph book (1896-1903); and items relating to Albert Pinkney Weathers (1860-1933), and his service as business leader, mayor of Shelby, and his funeral, March 1933; and miscellaneous material. Attached to this finding aid is a list of names of customers of the Weathers farm and retail business. This is a sampling of names found in this one extant account book. (2.0 containers One volume enclosed in an oversized acid-free folder; the other container is a half-size fibredex box.)
  • Wells, Mann, and Ledbetter Family Papers, 1795-1876
    Newman Wells arrived in Rutherford County in the early years of the 19th century after migrating possibly from Rowan County and earlier from Chester County, South Carolina. His first marriage to Rebecca Edwards produced at least nine children, including Thomas (ca. 1794-1847); Lucretia, (ca. 1796-1851); Elizabeth Wells (ca. 1802-1863); Andrew (1804-1884); Joseph (1804-1877); and John (1810-). Lucretia was married twice, first to Anthony Harmon and second to David Mann. Elizabeth married Gloud Finley Long, whose daughter Nancy was married to Coleman Ledbetter, who enlisted during the Civil War as a private in the 25th Regiment, Company C. The family members who remained in North Carolina settled mainly in Haywood, Rutherford and Buncombe Counties. Papers consisting of correspondence (1848-1866), receipts, certifications, petitions, promissory notes, bills of sale (1795-1863), advertisements for medical treatments; two items concerning Vilet [Violet], a slave woman; and Civil War era documents including a soldier’s discharge from the 25th Regiment, N.C. Troops (1862), an agriculture bond between Coleman Ledbetter and the CSA (1864), an oath of allegiance to the U.S. Constitution (1865). (1 box)
  • West, Tatum, and McBride Family Papers
    Several courthouse fires in Bladen County destroyed court and various land records as late as 1893. This collection includes land transfers and court certifications involving the West, Tatom, and McBride families, who had been established in Bladen County by the early 19th century, if not before. The documents concern the conveyance (through indentures and deed) of land that was located in the area of Turnbull Creek, Bladen County; they include certifications of deeds and authenticity of signatures. On the whole the papers document land owned and purchased by Ollin Tatom [Tatum] and his son, Richard W. Tatom, and show the eventual transfer of land from the West family, through Franklin and Amanda Caroline Cain West to W.R. McBride. (1 box)
  • Wetherington, Julia, Papers, 1948 - 1951 
    Julia Wetherington, 1892-1978, daughter of Oliver Hazard and Nannie (Daughtery) Wetherington, was born at Tuscarora, Craven County, N.C. She began her career as an elementary school teacher in 1913. In 1938 she began work as a state elementary school supervisor in the Division of Instructional Services, N.C. Dept. of Public Instruction. During 1949 Miss Wetherington, having been granted a leave of absence by the N.C. Dept. of Public Instruction, worked as an education advisor in the denazification program under the U.S. High Commissioner for Germany to reform the school system of post-war Germany. Miss Wetherington completed her work in Germany toward the end of 1949, returned to Raleigh, and resumed her work in the N.C. Dept. of Public Instruction. She retired in 1958. The papers in this collection all relate to Miss Wetherington's experience in post-war Germany. They include a file of biographical and personnel materials, copies of briefing notes and historical reports, an article by Vaughn R. De Long on "School Reform in Land Hesse", nine sets of note cards, and souvenirs.
  • Whedbee Freedmen Papers, 1854 - 1882
    Files of Judge William Armistead Moore, receiver of so much of the estate of James P. Whedbee of Perquimans County, N.C., as had been bequeathed to his slaves in 1852. Upon suit by Whedbee's heirs at-law in 1866 to prevent distribution of a portion of the estate among Whedbee's former slaves, the Supreme Court of North Carolina ruled there had been no lapse in the terms of the will and that distribution was to be made. Judge Moore, as receiver, searched out the original slaves and their heirs (scattered in New York, Boston, Washington, D.C., Yorktown, Va. and various North Carolina towns) in order to pay them their share of the bequest. Includes correspondence, lists of slaves/freedmen, affidavits of identity, powers of attorney, receipts from freedmen for distributive shares and so forth.
  • Wheeler, Dr. Samuel Jordan, Notebooks, 1832 - 1879 
    Dr. Samuel Jordan Wheeler (1810-1879) was educated at Hertford Academy; graduated from Union College, Schenectady, N. Y.; studied medicine with Dr. Nathan Chapman, first president of the American Medical Association. He married Lucinda Bond, daughter of Lewis Bond, state legislator from Bertie County. A Baptist active in the Chowan Association, he practiced medicine, farmed, and taught at the Chowan Baptist Female Institute. Dr. Wheeler owned and edited The [Murfreesboro] Citizen, 1858-1859 and served with the mounted "partisan rangers" on picket duty, 1862-1864. Includes a medical day book of 145 pages and a diary. The day book contains the accounts of his patients in intermittent years between 1834-1870 and the accounts of boarders, some of whom were young ladies attending the Chowan Baptist Female Institute [Chowan College] in Murfreesboro, 1849-1855. The diary of 1879, written on the back of weekly weather chronicles of the War Department is essentially a day by day account of the slow dying of Dr. Wheeler at "Willow Hall" in Bertie County.
  • Whitehead, Joseph Bryant, Papers, 1779 - 1911 
    This small collection relates to the family of Joseph Bryant Whitehead, one of the principal famers of Halifax County during the 19th century. The papers appear to be random survivals, apparently preserved for sentimental reasons by Whitehead's youngest son. Most of the eight letters were written by out-of-state relatives or family connections, and range from 1848 to 1882. Some of the papers relate to the estates of Halifax Conty decedents or to the guardianship of orphans. Deeds and land records, bills and receipts, and promissory notes make up a third of the collection. Other papers include an undated Valentine from the 1880s, invitations, including one to Whitehead's funeral, and memoranda of the births and deaths of family members.
  • Whitfield, Snipes, and Hastings Family Papers, 1850-1986 (Bulk, 1920-1986) 
    Families represented had roots during the 18th and 19th centuries in Caswell and Person counties, but some moved in subsequent generations to nearby Guilford and Durham counties. Most focus is on Hazel Mary Snipes Hastings (1924-2001), apparently the first in her family to attend college, and her life and her family's intertwined lives as revealed through the long run of letters home to her mother, Rosa Elizabeth Whitfield Snipes Durpree (1897-1989). Papers contain a birth and death record created in the years before 1862 of the Asa and Jane Johnson Fuller family, Person County, written on pages sown into a rebound (cloth and cardboard) almanac. Letters of particular interest were those written during the Great Depression, and those from Hazel Mary Snipes Hastings to her mother during her student days at Mars Hill Junior College, and subsequently while enrolled in the Watts School of Nursing, Durham.Includes a small quantity of photographs and other material, and family letters that extend to 1986. (3 boxes)
  • Whitford, Hardy, Account Book, 1832-1841
    The Hardy Whitford general store was operating in New Bern from 1818, or earlier, until about 1841. Hardy Whitford (1793-1841) was the sole proprietor. This volume is a ledger which itemizes transactions by customers’ names. The front page appears to capture the autographs of three generations of Whitford men: Hardy, John D., and Reid. Its inside cover provides instructions on timber measurements. The store merchandise included cloth, apparel, household wares, building materials, hardware items, food staples, spirits, and tobacco products. Hauling and shoe mending services were provided by slaves and indentured servants. Attached to this finding aid is a partial index of customers' names for the Hardy Whitford Store. (1 volume)
  • Willard, Martin S., 1891-1903
    Martin S. Willard (1858-1933) was born in Washington, N.C. to Albert A. and Mary Hannis Stevenson Willard. He was vice president and secretary of Carolina Insurance Company and president of the Willard Bag and Manufacturing Company, Wilmington, both located in Wilmington. A Democrat, Willard was elected in New Hanover County to the N.C. House of Representatives (General Assembly sessions of 1899/1900 and 1901). Papers include a letterbook, 1900-1903, with correspondence regarding legislative matters, and a small quantity of business and family matters; about one-third cubic feet of legislative and insurance related correspondence, 1891, and 1900-1903; and two scrapbooks of clippings concerning laws, taxes, public corporations, etc., 1900-1904.
  • Williams, Clyde Armstrong, Papers, 1943-1948 
    Clyde Armstrong Williams (1926-2010), a native of Mount Olive in Wayne County, was the son of James Henry and DeElla Blythe Williams. He attended The Citadel and North Georgia College, 1943-1944 and the former again in 1947. In late 1944 he enlisted in the U.S. Army; following training at Fort Bragg and other installations he was assigned to the 185th Infantry Regiment, 40th Division. Williams was first stationed in the Philippines, then served with the occupational forces in Korea, and was honorably discharged from the Army in 1946 with a Medal of Honor. After military service, Williams returned to The Citadel briefly, but soon became involved in the operation of the family farm near Mount Olive. The collection of papers includes letters written to home while Williams was at The Citadel, North Georgia College, Fort Bragg, and an unknown location in California, and also written home while stationed overseas. Some of the letters were written by his parents. There are two memoirs in the format of handwritten letters that include anecdotes and document some of Clyde's experiences (noncombat) during his time overseas. Also included are letters written during 1945-1946 from a relative, Corporal Virginia Blythe, a member of the Women's Air Corps, written to Mr. Williams' mother, with numerous references to Clyde. There are approximately 25 photographic negatives, apparently taken overseas, and other miscellaneous material. (3 boxes)
  • Williams, David Marshall ("Carbine"), Letters, 1927-1934
    David Marshall ("Carbine") Williams (1900-1975), firearms inventor, was born and grew up on the farm of his family near Godwin in Cumberland County. During a raid on an illicit still in 1921, Williams was involved in a shoot-out.Though he denied shooting the deputy sheriff, he averted possible capital punishment by pleading guilty to second degree murder.While serving a projected twenty to thirty-year sentence, Williams won the admiration of the warden who saw his skill in repairing and designing guns, and assigned him to the prison machine shop. He is recognized as designer of short stroke piston, which made possible the M-1 carbine rifle. Includes twenty-six manuscript letters and one invitation sent 1923-1934 to David Marshall ("Carbine") Williams, primarily during the time of his incarceration at the State Farm at Caledonia, Halifax County. The majority were written by a brother, Robert Wesley Williams, then a student at Elon College. Three of the letters were accessioned in 2002; and an additional twenty-four items in 2010.The letters reflect the strong support of his family. (1 box)
  • Williams, Kate Middleton Pearsall, Papers, 1877 - 1946 
    Kate Middleton Pearsall (1861-1909) was the daughter of Jeremiah and Jemima Haywood Pearsall of Duplin County. Presumably, her teaching career lasted only through the decade of the 1880s and closed upon her marriage to Robert Williams of Mount Olive, N.C. By a previous marriage Robert Williams had two children, Mary Elizabeth (Mrs. Richard Edward Wooten) and George R. Williams, and by his marriage to Kate Middleton Pearsall, one son, James Henry Williams (1891-1949). Kate Pearsall Williams entered Hygeia Hospital and Sanatorium in Richmond, Virginia, for treatment of a heart condition in the autumn of 1907 and remained there through the winter of 1907/08. She died July 2,1909. The collection consists of letters, invoices, bills, receipts, post cards, two manuscript volumes, cancelled checks, and notes. The majority of the letters are those written by James H. Williams to his mother while in school at Faison and Oxford and those written to him by Mrs. Williams from their home in Mount Olive or from Hygeia Hospital, Richmond, Virginia. The invoices, bills, and receipts date from the years when James H. Williams was under his mother's guardianship from 1905 to 1909. Earlier materials relate to the education of Kate Middleton Pearsall Williams and include a copybook and notebook.
  • Williamson, George, and Co., 1816 - 1825, 1827 - 1829, 1834 - 1840 
    George Williamson & Co. was founded in Yanceyville, Caswell County by Williamson, a businessman and high sheriff long prominent in his county's affairs. The ten manuscript volumes comprise an invoice book; one volume of cash sales and five volumes of credit sales; one blacksmith shop ledger of accounts of debts, prefaced by miscellaneous financial memoranda; and two blacksmith shop journals that appear to function as a rough account from which entries were to be posted in ledgers not present in the collection. Seven of the volumes relate to Williamson's mercantile business, while three relate to his blacksmith shop (with one of the latter relating to the financial side of Williamson's duties as sheriff).
  • Wilmington Ten Case File, 1971-1978, see "Fountain, Judge George M., Wilmington Ten Case File, 1971-1978"
  • Winslow, Caleb, and Family Papers, 1712 - 1941 
    Caleb Winslow, a Quaker physician, was born in Hertford, Perquimans County in 1824. He moved to Baltimore, Maryland, in 1866, and died there in 1895. Caleb Winslow was married to Jane Paxson Parry on January 14, 1852, and they had eight children. The papers include correspondence of the Winslow family and several items of the Leiper and Knowles families, deeds, land grants, bills of sale, bonds, accounts, receipts, bills, promissory notes, wills, marriage certificates, estate papers, advertisements, warrants, summons, miscellaneous court papers, account books, 2 letter books (including c. 275 items), histories of the Winslow and Fayssoux families, account of Philip Jones' descendants, genealogies of the Fayssoux and Winslow and allied families, newspaper clippings, photographs, magazine excerpts, and miscellaneous material including envelopes. Ca. 2,375 items.
  • Wiser, Betty Hutchinson Papers, 1951-1991
    Betty Hutchinson Wiser (1931-2010) was born in Richland County, Ohio, the daughter of Mary Louise Stine and Roscoe David Hutchinson. In 1957 she married Edward H. Wiser, Ph.D., and the couple later moved to Raleigh, N.C. She earned degrees culminating in a doctorate in Adult Education, became a champion for women's rights and senior's Issues, and the cause to fight osteoporosis. She served as the state president of the North Carolina League of Women Voters, served as a representative in the N.C. General Assembly (1985-1990), director of the Wake County Council on Aging, and developed the retired senior volunteer program. Her last professional position was as head of the Older Adult Health Branch in the N.C. Dept. of Health and Human Services. These are the personal papers of Betty H. Wiser stemming from her role in several civic and women's organizations and relating to her participation in and interest in the political process at the state and local level. Throughout the collection there are papers and publications of several organizations in which she was active and in which she held leadership positions. These, however, are not the official chapter records. The papers consist of five series: the state League of Women Voters, 1951-1976 (including those assembled while she was president of the state League); Wake County Council on Aging, 1974-1990; Political Campaigns and Organizations, 1982-1990; N.C. Council on Status of Women, 1981-1984; and N.C. Council of Women's Organizations, 1972-1983. (57.0 boxes)
  • Woods, Annie Ruth Maynor, Papers, 1950-2002
    Consists of manuscripts and typescripts, comprising the body of the creative writings of Annie Ruth Maynor Woods (1918-2003), including poems, plays, dramatic skits, shorts stories, essays, novels, and other literary forms; and songs and poems, circa 1950-2002.
  • Wooley, Wood, Clark Family Papers
    The Wooley family's roots in Montgomery County date back to the late eighteenth century. The Clark family, originally from Scotland, arrived in Montgomery County in the 1880s. The two families were joined through the marriages of William Daniel Clark and Elizabeth Ella Wooley, and Neal Clark and Minnie Susan Wooley in the 1890s. The marriage of Neal Clark and Minnie Wooley produced eight children. One of their daughters, Monta Jane Clark, married Loyd Thomas Wood of Cherokee County, S.C. in 1928. The collection primarily focuses on the lives of Minnie Susan Wooley, her children, and the family of Loyd and Monta Wood. The Wood, Wooley, Clark Family Papers document the lives and activities of several members of a Montgomery County family from the 1880s to the 1990s. The oldest items in the collection are land grants which date from 1812 to the 1850s. Other early records, which date from the 1880s, are papers and accounts from the Clark Brothers' turpentine and lumber businesses and their general store. A large part of the collection is made up of correspondence and personal papers. Although the letters are primarily concerned with family affairs, they shed light on a variety of topics which will be of interest to social historians. The collection also contains genealogical files; land records, such as deeds, mortgages, and surveys; student materials, such as notes and assignments; materials relating to Loyd and Monta Wood's teaching careers; as well as church related items, including directories, yearbooks, and bulletins. (35.0 boxes)
  • Worth, Jonathan, Papers, 1831 - 1889 
    Governor Jonathan Worth was born in 1802 in Guilford County, son of Eunice Gardner and Dr. David Worth, a descendent of Nantucket Quakers. Worth served as governor of North Carolina from 1865-1868 and supported President Andrew Johnson's reconstruction policies. The collection consists of copies of outgoing correspondence (13 letter press books) between 1850 and 1869 and incoming correspondence from 1831 until after his death in 1869. Ca. 5,300 items
  • Wright, George W., Ledgers, 1885 - 1889
    George W. Wright (1850- ) was a farmer in southeastern Richmond (now southern Scotland) County, with cotton as his primary crop. Wright's farm was located on Gum Swamp, south of Laurel Hill and southwest of Laurinburg. In 1884 Wright rented a local gin and press where he baled cotton for himself and for the public. The collection includes the following two ledgers: a 94-page ruled book marked Book C, covering the years from 1885 to 1887; and a 180-page ruled book marked Book D, covering the years from 1887 to 1889. Both volumes contain accounts of creditors and accounts of debtors.
  • Wynne Family Papers, 1775-1934
    The Wynne Family represented in this collection settled primarily in Franklin and Wake Counties. They descended from Pate Wills Milner and his wife, Jacobina Wilson, who originated in Scotland and Wales. In 1771 the couple came to the area that would later become Louisburg, North Carolina, Franklin County. Their great-grandson, George Washington Wynne, later moved to Raleigh where he owned the G.W. Wynne Livery, Sale, and Feed Stables and dealt in horses and mules. Papers of Wynne and related families, primarily of Franklin, Wake counties, circa 1775-1910, consisting of letters; a love letter and a poem; receipts for goods, tuition and taxes, etc.; an indenture; slave receipts and slave bills of sale; 1863 Quarter Master’s receipt; state order for audit of guardianship accounts; promissory and various monetary transaction notes; Christmas cards; a communication from Wesleyan Female Institute, and miscellaneous materials. (2 boxes)
  • Wynns Family Papers, 1824 - 1927
    The Wynns (Winn, Wynn, Winns) family of Hertford County was one of great prominence in colonial North Carolina. The papers in this collection belonged to several members of the Wynns family and to relatives by marriage. The majority of the papers are those of William B. (? - 1840) and his son James Madison Wynns (1834-1906). The collection consists of correspondence, deeds, accounts, receipts, promissory notes, wills, minutes, legal papers, ledger books, and miscellaneous material. (1 microfilm reel.)

Y

  • Young, John Augustus, Diary, 1861 - 1888 
    John Augustus Young (1814-1888) was born in Iredell County. Young built the Rock Island Manufacturing Company, a woolen mill. Young served in the 4th Regiment of North Carolina Troops (1861-1862) but returned to wool manufacturing for troops. After the failure of his mill in 1870, Young served as clerk of Inferior Court, Mecklenburg County until 1885 and then as postmaster of Charlotte until his death. The collection includes a diary of thirty-one pages kept by Young in 1861, a sample pay voucher, a list of flare and cannon signals (1861), and a photocopy of Young's obituary (1888). The diary recounts the 4th Regiment's organization after his appointment in May; giving general details of Battle of Bull Run; describing Col. George B. Anderson and leave spent with Maj. Bryan Grimes at a plantation in Virginia; and mentioning epidemic of measles, nursing service by ladies of Richmond, machinery ordered from England for his mill, and clothing for the regiment.
  • Young, John Graham, Papers, 1861, 1864 
    John Graham Young (1846-1918) was born in Statesville. The son of Colonel John Augustus Young, John Graham enlisted in 4th Regiment, North Carolina State Troops (N.C.S.T.). The papers consist of a diary containing a muster roll, casualty lists, a speech by Jefferson Davis, three riddles, and several poems (some apparently composed by Major Edwin Augustus Osborne). 9 items.

Z

  • Zimmerman Family Papers, 1757-1883
    David Zimmerman (1799-1857) and his wife, Margaret (1805-1879), owned a farm in eastern Burke County near the Icard community. Among their six children, the three boys served as Confederate soldiers in the Civil War. Hartley and David were both wounded in combat and later paroled, while Israel was taken prisoner and died of his wounds in a federal hospital. In addition to farming the Zimmerman family operated a distillery. David Zimmerman owned one slave in 1850, a 15 year-old girl named Peggy, whom he bought in 1843. The Zimmerman Family Papers consist of correspondence; bills, receipts and promissory notes; records of deeds and land, a distillery business, and estates; slave papers; Civil War military papers; oaths of allegiance; tax receipts; vital records; and miscellaneous papers. (1.0 boxes)