Western Regional Archives Finding Aids

Finding aids for collections held by the Western Regional Archives are listed below in alphabetical order. Many of these finding aids are now available through the Discover Online Catalog (DOC).

Tab/Accordion Items

A

  • Alexander Inn Collection, 1833-1992 - This collection documents the history of the Alexander-Davidson family of Buncombe County. The Alexanders were one of the first white families to settle in the area and have remained influential in the region. Since the 1820s, the Alexanders managed a series of businesses, including one of their most well-known financial endeavors, the Alexander Inn, which operated from roughly 1820 to the 1950. The Alexander Inn Collection consists of letters, photographs, newspaper clippings, genealogical information, guest registers, financial ledgers, and other ephemera relating to the Alexanders' businesses.
  • Albers, Anni, Collection, 1937-1966 - The Anni Albers Collection consists primarily of booklets, leaflets, and articles on the art of pictorial weaving as seen in the work of Anni Albers. Many items reflect her creative efforts at Black Mountain College, while others are of a more recent period. The collection also includes speeches concerning Black Mountain College, clippings from American and German newspapers on exhibitions by Anni Albers, biographical notes and comments on design.
  • Alternative Reading Room Collection, 1990-1996 - The Alternative Reading Room (TARR) was established in 1990 in the back of the Laughing Seed Café in Asheville, N.C. Its founder, envisioned TARR as a hub for the exchange of ideas, with access to periodicals not found in public and academic libraries. Additionally, TARR offered internet access at a time when the number of U.S. households that owned personal computers was roughly between 20 and 30 percent. The Alternative Reading Room Collection consists chiefly of periodicals by and for the LGTBQ community.
  • American Enka Company Architectural Drawings, 1929-1974 - The American Enka Company was established by the Dutch firm Nederlandse Kunstzijdefabrik - the Netherlands Artificial Silk Company. The plant, begun in 1928 and opened in July 1929, was built on a 2,000-acre site in the Hominy Valley, west of Asheville. It would become the largest rayon manufacturing center in the world. A nylon plant was built in the 1950s. By the 1970s, American Enka Company employed over 10,000 people in 10 factories around the country. The American Enka Company Architectural Drawings consist of approximately 2,000 drawings of industrial buildings, mill village homes, the clubhouse, offices, and other associated structures.
  • Appalachian National Park Association: General Records, 1899 - 1936 - The collection documents the activities of the Appalachian National Park Association, showing it as an important contributor to future developments in forestry conservation. Thanks to the association's efforts, added to those of committed professionals, citizens, and other conservation organizations, Congress later established the Pisgah National Forest, near Asheville, and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Material dates, from 1899 [1885?] to 1936, with the bulk, 1899-1906. The collection includes minutes, correspondence, map plates, photographs, newspaper clippings, scrapbook, speeches, list of interested persons, and a 1902 message to Congress concerning the South Appalachian region.
  • Ashby, Sylvia Girsh, Collection, 1946 - 1950 - Sylvia Girsh (subsequently Mrs. Cliff Ashby) was a student at Black Mountain College during the late 1940s. Black Mountain College was an experimental school located in Black Mountain, N.C. Established in 1933 by John A. Rice and others, the purpose of the college was to educate the whole person, with an emphasis on the role of the arts and creative thinking. The Sylvia Girsh Ashby Collection is a small collection of memorabilia relating to Black Mountain College during the years 1946-1948 including photographs, college publications, and an obituary. (16 items, 2 of which are duplicates)
  • Asheville Bravo Concerts Records - Asheville Bravo Concerts began as the Asheville Civic Music Association in 1932 and held its last concert in May 2012. During its eighty year run, the association brought acts from all over the world to Asheville. The acts included symphonies, operas, musicals, ballets, dance companies, vocalists, and instrumentalists. This collection contains correspondence, organizational materials, concert programs, original photographs, promotional materials, newspaper clippings, and other miscellaneous items collected by the association.
  • Asheville, North Carolina Area Lantern Slide Collection, ca. 1910s - Three (3) lantern slides containing views of western North Carolina.
  • Atwood, Arlice G., War War II Scrapbook and Military Ephemera, 1943-1956 - Arlice Gilbert Atwood (1927-2006) was born in Alleghany County, North Carolina. He served in the Merchant Marines prior to enlisting in the Army in 1946. He was stationed in Germany, Japan, and Korea where he participated in the landing at Inchon. Following the war in Korea, Arlice worked as a recruiter for the U.S. Army and Air Force in eastern North Carolina. This collection is comprised chiefly of one scrapbook of clippings about servicemen and women from Alleghany County, North Carolina during World War II. (0.20 cubic feet)

B

  • Black Mountain College Miscellaneous Collection, 1943 - 1945, 1975 - 2007 - The Black Mountain College Miscellaneous Collection includes various materials that are related to Black Mountain College but are not part of the college records, the Black Mountain College Research Project, or other collections donated by individuals connected with Black Mountain. The collection includes general information about the college's origins and educational philosophy, copies of original college publications, photographs, memoirs and printed materials dealing with either the college or with people associated with it. (ca. 70 items)
  • Black Mountain College Photograph Collection, 1940-1945 - This collection of photographs includes views of the construction of the Studies Building, interiors of art classes, and activities of faculty and students between 1940 and 1945.
  • Black Mountain College Project Collection, 1939-2010 - The Black Mountain College Project (BMC Project) was incorporated as a not-for-profit corporation in the State of New York in 1999 by Mary Emma Harris, Black Mountain College scholar and author of The Arts at Black Mountain College (The MIT Press, 1987). The mission of the project is the preservation and interpretation of the history and influence of Black Mountain College through preservation of primary documents, interviews with former faculty and students, and dissemination of information via multiple platforms including presentations, articles, and online resources.
  • Black Mountain College Records, 1933-1956 - Black Mountain College was established in 1933 as an independent, coeducational, four-year college and originally was located in the buildings leased from Blue Ridge Assembly, near Black Mountain, N.C. In 1941 the college moved to the nearby Lake Eden property purchased by the corporation, and it remained at this location until it closed in 1956. Series Descriptions: 506.1 Minutes and Attendant Papers; 506.2 General Files; 506.3 Faculty Files; 506.4 Student Files (restricted); 506.5 Students, Rejected or Withdrawn (restricted); 506.6 Treasurer's Files; 506.7 Student Financial Files (restricted); 506.8 Student Course Card Files (restricted).
  • Black Mountain Woman's Club Records - The Black Mountain Woman's Club was founded in 1921, but its origin can be traced to 1913 when five women met to organize a Mother's Club with the purpose of improving the local school. Projects of the Black Mountain Woman's Club include town beautification projects; student scholarships; an annual home tour, flower shows, and an arts and crafts festival; public safety; and education.The Black Mountain Woman's Club Records contain minutes, yearbooks, scrapbooks, clippings, club project files, financial records, and publications.
  • Blair, Roberta, Collection, 1944 - Roberta Blair attended Black Mountain College (Black Mountain, North Carolina) during the first Summer Art Institute which was held July 16-September 15, 1944. The letters and accompanying photographs and slides which make up this collection reflect her experiences during that period. (27 items, including 6 letters, 8 color slides, 5 black and white photographs, 4 printed photographs, 4 8x10 black and white photographs)
  • Blue Ridge Assembly Photograph Album, 1900-1910 
    Album (5 1/2" x 8") containing 28 photographs taken by Robert Colder Beaty, a YMCA director at Georgia Tech, during an unidentified conference in and around the Blue Ridge Assembly/Robert E. Lee Hall, Black Mountain, NC. Note on back of one photo refers to 'M. E. Conference.' Photos are undated but appear to have been taken in the 1910's. (28 items)
  • Blue Ridge Parkway Photograph Collection, 1931-1959 - 14 photo boxes (includes photographs and negatives), 5 drop boxes (includes index cards describing the photographs). The Blue Ridge Parkway was built to connect Shenandoah and The Great Smokey Mountains National Parks. Construction began in 1935 by the Public Works Administration. It was completed in 1987. The photographs document the construction of the Blue Ridge Parkway between 1935 and 1959. Photographs from 1931-1933 include the construction of Skyline Drive, used as a model for the Blue Ridge Parkway.
  • Branson Family Papers, 1828-1949 - Luke L. Branson migrated to western North Carolina from Virginia in 1830. He and his wife, Malinda had 10 children. The papers follow the line of Luke (1), Robert Newton (2), Alvin Larry (3), and Ernest D. (4) The Branson Family Papers consist of Luke Branson's 1828 ciphering book, correspondence, genealogical information, personal recollections of Robert Newton Branson and ephemera.
  • Britt, Neill L., Letters, 1944 - During World War II, Neill Britt flew a B-17 bomber out of England. He was shot down and went missing in action and was held in a German prisoner of war camp. Two letters to Sarah Prevatte Britt about her husband Neill L. Britt's missing-in-action and prisoner of war status.

C

  • Camp Sequoyah Collection, 1933-1978 -  In 1923, C. Walton Johnson established Camp Sequoyah near Weaverville, North Carolina. The "camp with a purpose" attracted young men who spent their summer hiking, canoeing, swimming, horseback riding, and shooting. Spirituality, Indian lore, nature study and handicrafts were also a part of the camp curriculum. Camp Sequoyah's mission was to teach young men to "see with their eyes, feel with their hearts, do with their hands and live togetherin a spirit of brotherhood" to foster self-reliance and personal growth. During its 54-year tenure, Camp Sequoyah adjusted its offerings. A shorter camp during the month of June was available for young women who wanted a short stay at the start of the summer. The camp closed in 1978 but the friendships live on in its active alumni group. The Collection contains catalogs, correspondence, brochures, newsletters, rosters and articles.
  • Carson, John Harzard, Family Papers, 1794-1894 - John Hazard Carson (1752 - 1841) arrived in America in 1773 from his native Scotland. After a two-year stay in Pennsylvania he made his way to North Carolina. Carson settled in Burke County - then on the American Frontier - at the time of the Revolutionary War. In 1778 Carson married Rachel Matilda McDowell of Burke County. They had seven children. After receiving a land grant in 1793 for 640 acres "on the waters of Buck Creek and Clear Creek" near present-day Marion, he built his family a home. The John Hazard Carson Family Papers consist of surveys, deeds, promissory notes, receipts for lands, marriage certificates, bills of sale for slaves, judgments, indentures, a co-partnership for gold mining in California, conveyance of dower, deeds of conveyance and miscellaneous papers.
  • Church Women United of the Swannanoa Valley Records, 1999-2014 - Church Women United of the Swannanoa Valley was organized in 1943 and is comprised of approximately two dozen churches. The group is affiliated with CWU in North Carolina, the Southeast, and nationally. The Swannanoa Valley unit's purpose, as stated in its 1999 bylaws, is to function as "an ecumenical movement of Christian women for the purpose of witnessing to their unity and faith in Jesus Christ through worship, study, action, celebration, and global relationships." Through the years, the organization has participated in local, regional and national ministries including adult education, interdenominational youth activities, emergency transportation, and overseas relief. In addition, it has supported other organizations such as the Ministry of Hope and the Swannanoa Christian Ministry. This collection is arranged chronologically.
  • Clarence Barker Memorial Hospital and School for Nurses Annual Report, 1918 -  The Clarence Barker Memorial Hospital and Dispensary was founded in 1899 by Mrs. Adele Elma Barker Schmidt and Mrs. Virginia Purdy Barker Bacon as a memorial to their brother. The Clarence Barker Memorial Hospital, also known as Biltmore Hospital, was incorporated under the laws of North Carolina. Edith Vanderbilt donated 15 acres of land adjacent to the original site where a new Biltmore Hospital was completed around 1930. Both buildings have been repurposed and are still in use.
  • Clark, Julia Ray Brown Papers, 1933-1955 - Julie Ray Brown Clark (1933-2020) was born in Buncombe County, the second born to Robert S. and Eva Padgett Brown. Her father ran Brown's garage in Oteen and was later an electrician. She was the youngest of nine grandchildren of B. C. "Caney" Brown and Emma Lucinda Ray Brown. The Julie Ray Brown Clark Papers consist of photographs, correspondence, ephemera, clippings, one diary and one cassette tape. 
  • Clark Reunions, Sandy Mush High School, Ebeneezer Baptist Church, Newfound Community School, 1932-1981 - In the Autumn of 1931, Curtis Clark (1909-1996) and his cousin Otha Hall (1903- 989), began to organize a Clark family reunion in the Sandy Mush section of Buncombe County. The Clark Reunion Booklet is an unbound typescript manuscript that contains a one- or two-page synopsis of each year's gathering from 1932 to 1981.
  • Coleman, James Millar, Letters, 1914-1919 - James Millar "Nemo" Coleman was an American soldier and First Lieutenant in World War I. The James Millar Coleman Letters consists of wartime correspondence between James and his family, as well as photographs and mementos from his time in the military and service in France during World War I.
  • Colonial Dames XVII Century, Governor Philip Ludwell Chapter Records, 1958-2009 
    The lineage society known as the National Society of Colonial Dames XVII Century was created in 1915 by a half dozen women who shared an interest in genealogy. The North Carolina Society organized in 1949. After a charter membership of 50 women was reached, a formal organizational meeting took place June 21, 1950 in Raleigh. The first chapter of the State Society was organized in 1951 - the Sir Walter Raleigh. The Governor Philip Ludwell Chapter, named for an appointed governor of the British Colony of Carolina, was organized in Marion in 1956. The collection contains minutes, scrapbooks, newsletters, and financial reports. (2.00 cubic feet)
  • Conley, Mabel, Scrapbook - One scrapbook chiefly covering Mabel Conley's time at Davenport College in Lenoir, N.C., a two-year college of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South in operation from roughly 1857-1933.

D

  • Dodge, James Philander, Jr., Papers, 1916 - 1946 - James Philander Dodge, Jr. (1893-1967), a native of St. Augustine, Florida, was living at Linville Falls, North Carolina, when the United States entered World War I. Dodge served in Europe in both World Wars. In between and after the wars he worked for the State Highway Commission. As this collection of materials now stands, it is made up almost altogether of maps, photographs, typescripts, military orders and ephemera brought together by Dodge during the three epochs in his life as army officer and claims adjuster. There is but very little touching his life outside those areas. 111 items.
  • Downing, Terry and Johnston Elementary School Covid-19 Collection, 2020 - Johnston Elementary School is a K-4 school in West Ashville, Buncombe County, N.C. that serves approximately 200 students. During the outbreak of Covid-19, fourth grade students wrote down answers to specific questions about Covid 19 such as "What is it like for you to be quarantined?" and "What have you missed out on during the Covid 19 quarantine?" The students' answers were collected and compiled in a book, along with student-created illustrations. 1 Box. 
  • Dreier, Theodore and Barbara Loines, Black Mountain College Collection (Dreier BMC Collection), 1925 - 1988 - Theodore (Ted) Dreier trained as an engineer at Harvard (A.B., 1923; S.B., 1925), and began working for the General Electric Company (GE). He and Barbara Loines Dreier (Bryn Mawr, A.B., 1928, Eng. Lit. and Art Hist.) were married in 1928 and initially lived in Schenectady, New York, GE headquarters. In 1930 Ted Dreier changed his career to education and took a faculty position in physics at Rollins College, Winter Park, Florida. In 1933 John Andrew Rice was fired and a portion of faculty, including Dreier, either resigned or were dismissed during a controversy over academic freedom and tenure at the college. Several of the dissidents then agreed to found a college of their own. Named Black Mountain College (BMC) and located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, the college initially drew a small following of former Rollins students and a few recruited from the northeast. Early on the founders decided to stress the practice, not just the study of the arts and to raise the arts courses to full curricular status. Into this venture, Dreier brought his supportive wife, Barbara, and their children. The Dreiers remained at BMC until 1949, during which time Dreier taught and served variously as administrator, fund-raiser, treasurer, rector, and served continuously on the Board of Fellows, responsible for the finances of the college and hiring and firing of faculty. The Dreier Black Mountain College Collection represents a variety of papers created by or collected by Theodore and Barbara Loines Dreier during their sixteen years at Black Mountain College (1933-1949), and for several years prior to and following their tenure at the college--as early as 1925 and as late as 1988. This collection contains papers and correspondence and other materials relating to Ted and Barbara Dreier, their extensive connections and network of family and friends; and it also documents the educational, administrative, and fund raising activities associated with Dreier's various positions within the college, including his role as one of the college's founders. Other than correspondence, the collection includes clippings, programs, and articles; class notes and papers; files on individuals with Black Mountain College connections and various topics such as music and art; manuscripts, mostly those of Ted Dreier; the personal professional files of Dreier as treasurer, Board of Fellows, faculty member; notes; official correspondence; college publications, and miscellaneous files, and special items such as Ted Dreier's scrapbook; Barbara Dreier's course notes; printed materials, from the college and those written about the college; a Gropius-Breuer portfolio; photographs and negatives of family at BMC, and various students and faculty. The bulk of the material dates from 1933 to 1949, though there are some papers dating from the time before and after the Dreier's marriage in 1928; some correspondence and materials dated during Ted Dreier's tenure as an assistant professor of physics at Rollins College (1930-1933); and there is some material, including correspondence during the period of post-Black Mountain College, as late as 1988, from individuals previously associated with the college. (81 boxes, 27 cubic feet).
  • Duberman, Martin, Collection, 1933-1980 - The papers of historian and playwright Martin Duberman contain materials relating to his research into the history of the experimental school Black Mountain College (located in Black Mountain, N.C.) and his subsequent book Black Mountain: An Exploration in Community, first published in 1972. The collection includes correspondence between Duberman and people connected with Black Mountain College, research files, manuscript materials, college publications, interview transcripts and tapes, photographs, negatives, newspaper clippings, journal articles, books, drafts and reviews of Duberman's book.
  • Dwight, Peggy, Papers, 1933-1976 - Margaret "Peggy" Dwight was a student at Black Mountain College from 1933-1935. Black Mountain College was an experimental school located in Black Mountain, N.C. Established in 1933 by John A. Rice and others, the purpose of the college was to educate the whole person, with an emphasis on the role of the arts and creative thinking. Peggy Dwight's papers include letters from Josef Albers, college bulletins, and printed materials about the history of the college and people associated with it. (ca. 30 items)

E

  • Edwards, Cranford, and White Families Postcards, Correspondence, and other material, 1868-1991 - Nellie Edwards Cranford (1872-1954) wife of Trinity College professor William Ivey Cranford (1867-1936) contracted tuberculosis around 1905. She, along with her mother Mary Jane "Mollie" White Edwards (1840-1931) and her young daughter Mary White Cranford travelled to Waynesville, N.C. at the advice of her doctor. There she could partake of the mountain air and see a tuberculosis specialist. They spent days riding about in the family's horse drawn carriage to keep Nellie out in the fresh air, and also to look for a spot to build a home. The following summer construction began on the eight-sided summer home. (0.2 cubic feet)
  • Evarts, John, Scrapbook, 1938
    John Evarts was born around 1909 in Vermont to Alice C. and Sherman Evarts, both natives of New York. Noted as an improvisational pianist, Evarts had been on the BMC music faculty from 1933 until his departure in 1942 for active duty in the U.S. Army. Instead of returning to BMC as expected, Evarts remained in Europe many years beyond the war. The scrapbook, a record of the production, DANSE MACABRE, was created by or for Evarts. (1 item)

F

  • Fariello, M. Anna, Craft Research Collection - This collection consists of articles, notes, photocopies, booklets, flyers, and ephemera relating to craft and craft revival in Western North Carolina. The bulk of the materials were assembled as part of the research for the Western Carolina University online, grant-funded project entitled Craft Revival Shaping Western North Carolina Past and Present. The bulk of the project ran from 2005 to 2009 and the purpose was to create a research-based website to document the historic effort to revive handcraft in the western part of the state. While these files were used for that project, they also include materials in addition to that effort relating to craft in the region.
  • First North Carolina Infantry Regiment Panoramic Photograph, 1916 - North Carolina supplied three regiments to Pershing's Punitive Expedition to Mexico in 1916, including the First North Carolina Infantry regiment. The unit mustered at Camp Glenn in Morehead City the first week of August, 1916 and arrived in El Paso, Texas September 30, 1916. J.T. Gardner, brother of future governor O. Max Gardner commanded the regiment.
  • Folkmoot USA Records, 1983-2008 - Folkmoot USA is an international song and dance festival held each summer in western North Carolina since 1984, with roots in Waynesville. These records contain correspondence from dance groups, photographs, and videos. Of special note are files created before and after the fall of the USSR, letters regarding political coups, international issues between Palestine and Israel, and creatively worded press releases.
  • Forbes, Stephen H., Papers, 1935-1967 - Stephen H. Forbes (1910- ) attended Black Mountain College from 1935-1938 and from 1940-1942. Later, he became a friend and financial supporter to the school. His papers include correspondence dating from 1937 to 1959 concerning administration of the college, faculty changes, campus and physical plant development, operating finances and issues relating to property owned by the college. Other materials in the collection include pages from a journal kept by Forbes; class notes and exams; and notes on financial situations and other issues. (192 items)
  • Foreman, Clark, Papers, 1942-1944 - Clark Howell Foreman taught political science at Black Mountain College during the 1943-1944 school year. Black Mountain College was an experimental school located in Black Mountain, N.C. Established in 1933 by John A. Rice and others, the purpose of the college was to educate the whole person, with an emphasis on the role of the arts and creative thinking. Clark Foreman's papers contain letters and articles related to Black Mountain College, conflicts between members of the college community, and racial integration. (12 items, 1 folder.) 
  • French Broad Lodge #292 Records, 1921-1985 - The Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of North Carolina issued dispensation for the creation of the French Broad Lodge on December 12, 1868. It was chartered the following year, and a lot was purchased for a lodge building on Blannahasset Island in the French Broad River, adjacent to the town of Marshall. This structure was damaged, moved to higher ground north of town, and later sold. In 1924, the Lodge purchased a lot at 63 South Main Street in downtown Marshall for the construction of a three-story building. It was completed in the autumn of 1926 and is still in use by French Broad Lodge #292. This collection contains 1 stock certificate book; architectural plans; two charters for Boy Scout troops; a program for the Installation of Officers, Marshall Chapter 35, Order of the Eastern Star, April 6, 1985; and 2 lodge membership cards.

G

  • Garland, G. N., World War II Era Scrapbooks, 1939-1941 - George Napoleon (G. N.) Garland (1925 - 2009) compiled three scrapbooks between 1939 and 1941. Most of the material chronicles events from World War II, but some of the clippings, especially from the first scrapbook, are of a more general nature.
  • Goodson, Joan and Robert, Research Collection - This collection documents the history of the North Fork area of the Swannanoa Valley in Buncombe County and was compiled by Joan and Robert Goodson while researching for their books, On the North Fork of the Swannanoa River, 1800-1950 and Tabernacle Cemetery Listings and Historical Information, 1837-1994 : Tabernacle United Methodist Church, Black Mountain, North Carolina, published in 1997 and 1994 respectively. It includes photo copies, genealogical information, clippings, photographs, and published materials.
  • Green, Jesse D., Black Mountain College Collection, 1940-1980
    Jesse D. Green (b. 1928) attended Black Mountain College, Black Mountain, N.C. between 1946 and 1948. Green completed his undergraduate work in Reed College, Portland, Oregon, where he earned a B.A. degree in June 1951. He formed a representative collection of 105 items ranging from 1940 to 1980 relating to Black Mountain College or published by the college. This collection is comprised of letters, brochures, articles, and assorted college publications. (25 items)
  • Gregory, Mary, Papers, 1965-1989 - Mary Gregory taught woodworking and crafts at Black Mountain College (Black Mountain, N.C.) from 1941-1947. Although the collection does include a few writings and photographs relating to Black Mountain College, it primarily contains photographs and technical drawings dating from the period when Ms. Gregory had her own woodworking shop (1954-1988) and when she taught at Concord Academy, Concord, Massachusetts.
  • Grove Arcade Arts and Heritage Gallery Postcards and Ephemera, 1995-2008 - This collection contains postcards, brochures, exhibit ephemera, clippings and articles. (.25 cubic feet)

H

  • Hahn, Hannelore, Papers, 1946-2007
    Hannelore Hahn, a survivor of the Holocaust, is a poet and writer. A former student of Black Mountain College, she is a graduate of the University of Southern California in Comparative Literature. She founded the International Women's Writing Guild (IWWG) in 1976 and is the guild's executive director. The papers include issues of the IWWG's journals, other printed matter, writings, a memoir and musings; class notes, primarily psychology from BMC, 1946-1948; a journal based on Ms. Hahn's experience serving as a companion to a young psychiatric patient at Highland Hospital; an interview; a small quantity of correspondence with other BMC students, and other materials. (2.0 cubic feet)
  • Handmade in American Records, 1995-2015 - Handmade in America was established in 1995 "to grow the economy through craft, cultural heritage and the community assets of western North Carolina." Initiated to increase interest in local crafts, to provide assistance and economic venues for local crafters, and to stimulate the economy, the organization provided workshops, created an artist registry, and connected artists and crafters with galleries and shops. The collection consists of minutes, clippings, photographs, and grant and project files documenting the non-profit organization and its administration, fundraising, and services.
  • Hare's Funeral Home Funeral Register, 1927-1934 - Hare Funeral Home was in business in West Asheville from roughly 1920 To 1936. Patrick Edward Hare (ca. 1869-1933) was the proprietor. A native of Gates County, N.C., Hare and his siblings and widowed mother moved to Asheville from the Albemarle region of North Carolina around 1889.
  • Hennen, Isaac Russell and Mary Madeline Tabet, Letters, 1943-1945 - Corporal Russell Hennen served in the U.S. Army during World War II. In 1943, Hennen sustained an unspecified injury and consequential infection which necessitated a military discharge and his transfer to the Oteen Veteran's Administration Hospital. The letters written between Hennen and his then girlfriend, Madeline Tabet, were exchanged between 1943 and 1945 and detail his stay in Oteen.
  • Herman, Mary Knox Henderson, Photographs, 1922-1995 - Mary Knox Herman Henderson (1894 - 1982) was an early childhood educator. She graduated from Hickory Grammar School in 1911 and received additional training at Kate Baldwin Free Kindergarten Normal Training School in Savannah, Georgia. She taught kindergarten in Gastonia, Hickory and Waynesville. This collection contains photographs of various kindergarten classes taught by Mrs. Herman during her career as an early childhood educator, and a copy of the CD Mrs. Rosemary's Kindergarten, which is based on Mrs. Herman's class.
  • Historic Burke Foundation Collection, 1850-1960 - The Historic Burke Foundation, Inc. was created in response to a drive to preserve the Historic Burke County Courthouse that dates to the 1830s. The Historic Burke Foundation, Inc. Collection consists of 3.75 feet of documents, chiefly from the Ervin, Pearson, Ray, and Tate families, including correspondence, financial records, business records, genealogical material, and invitations, dating from the 19th and 20th centuries. (3.2 cubic feet)
  • Huntley, Elizabeth "Libby" American War Mothers Collections, 1954 - 2008 - The American War Mothers organization was established in response to federal officials' appeal to improve food production and conserve during World War I. Initial membership was available to those whose children had served in the military during WWI, but was later amended to include any American wars. This collection contains a scrapbook, programs, bylaws, and certificates. This collection contains a scrapbook, programs, bylaws, and certificates
  • Hutchins, Irene Ovredahl, Fontana Dam and Village Photographs, 1942-1944 - Irene Orvedahl (1912-2003), worked as a nurse at Fontana Dam during World War II, while the dam was under construction. Following the war she became a school nurse and got married. The Irene Ovredahl Hutchins Fontana Dam and Village Photographs collection consists of 64 small black and white photographs of Fontana Village and construction of the dam, and nurses' picnics and outings.

I

  • Interstate Highway 40 Tunnel Construction Photograph Collection, 1967 - 1969 - Andrew C. Payne, an English civil engineer, held the title of assistant to the resident engineer for Michael Baker, Jr., Inc. Consulting Engineers and supervised the work of the contractor, Lewis Construction Associates. Payne and his staff provided the site lines for the alignment and profile of the highway and tunnel and administered the contract on behalf of the State Highway Department. Collection includes photographs, negatives, and other materials that document the construction of the westbound tunnel of I-40 close to the border between North Carolina and Tennessee.

J

  • Jackson, T. R., Collection, 1951-1952 - T. R. Jackson was a student at Black Mountain College. Black Mountain College was an experimental school located in Black Mountain, N.C. Established in 1933 by John A. Rice and others, the purpose of the college was to educate the whole person, with an emphasis on the role of the arts and creative thinking. The collection contains two leaflets printed on the college's printing press. (2 items, 1 folder).
  • Jacobs, John J., East Asheville Clippings, Ephemera, and Photographs, 1941-1992 - John J. Jacobs was born in 1941 to Dr. Paul and Dorothy May Jacobs. He attended Asheville-Biltmore College and served a four-year stint in the Coast Guard, In 1965, he married Elizabeth Cozette Price of Rutherford County, N.C. John J. Jacobs worked at the U.S. Climatic Data Center in Asheville. This collection contains newspaper clippings, photograph, and ephemera. (0.01 cubic feet)
  • Jennerjahn, Warren "Pete" and Elizabeth "Betty" Schmitt Papers  -Warren "Pete" Jennerjahn (1922-2020) and Elizabeth "Betty" Schmitt Jennerjahn (1923-2007) grew up in Milwaukie, Wisconsin. During the 1940s, both attended Black Mountain College, near Black Mountain, N.C. Betty attended the 1944 Summer Art Institute. In 1948 she returned to BMC with her husband, Pete, a WWII veteran. The couple attended classes and were later appointed to faculty positions, Pete in art and Betty in dance. During their tenure at BMC, the Jennerjahns introduced the campus to the multi-disciplinary avant-garde Light, Sound, Movement Workshop. They stayed on at BMC until 1951. After spending a year in Paris, they settled in New York City. This collection contains correspondence, sketchbooks, academic transcripts, drawings, and receipts. 
  • Jumper, Wilson Hargett, Family Papers, 1768-2001 - The collection, donated by Wilson Hargett Jumper, relates to his three North Carolina family lines--the Wilson, Hargett, and Jumper families. The Wilson Hargett Jumper Family Papers consist of letters, documents, photos, military materials, and ephemera.

K

  • Kremen, Irwin, Exhibition Catalogs - Dr. Irwin Kremen (1925- ) studied writing at Black Mountain College in 1946. In 1966 Dr. Kremen began making collages, constructions, and paintings. This collection includes catalogs from exhibitions of Irwin Kremen's and Mrs. Barbara Kremen's works. (ca. 50 items)
  • Krenek, Ernst, Letters, 1939 - Composer and musician Ernst Krenek visited Black Mountain College (Black Mountain, North Carolina) in April 1939. His letters include discussions of events at the college, music, and Heinrich Jalowetz. (3 items, 1 folder)

L

  • Lane, Mervin, Manuscripts, 1987-1989 - Mervin L. Lane (1928- ), professor of literature at Santa Barbara City College, studied at Black Mountain College during the years from 1946-1948 and again in 1950. This collection of manuscripts was created during preparation of Professor Lane's book Black Mountain College: Sprouted Seeds, An Anthology of Personal Accounts, an anthology of essays, poems, and reminiscences by former students of the college. The collection includes typescript drafts and final gallery proofs of the text of the book, miscellaneous working papers, correspondence with contributors to the anthology, and correspondence with former students who were willing to comment privately on their experience at the college but who declined preparing comments for publication in the anthology.
  • Lanier, Nick, Slides and Negatives of the Blue Ridge Parkway, 1984 - This collection contains approximately 615 color slides, 153 black and white 35 mm negatives, and 1 black and white 4 x 5 negative of images taken along the Blue Ridge Parkway in 1984 in preparation for the parkway's 50th anniversary.
  • Loveless, Joan Potter, Slides of Weaving - Joan Potter Loveless (1925-2009) attended Black Mountain College during the mid-1940s. She took art classes with Josef Albers and studied weaving with Anni Albers and Trude Guermonprez. While living in Taos, New Mexico in the 1950s and '60s, Joan began to weave tapestries using locally spun wool which she dyed herself. Although some inspiration for her may have come from her younger days at Black Mountain College, Joan's work was much more influenced by the New Mexico landscape and the weaving of the area's indigenous dwellers, the Navajo. The Joan Potter Loveless Slides of Weavings are comprised of sixty-three color slides of original weavings. All slides numbered. Some have brief descriptions on the slide mounts.

M

  • McDowell, Frances A., Collection, 1894-2013 - Frances Lewis Arthur McDowell (1915 - 1998) was an active resident of Buncombe County, involved in the local community especially the restoration of the Smith-McDowell House in Asheville. She worked for the Veteran's Administration hospital in Oteen from 1945 to 1973. This collection contains correspondence, newspaper clippings, photographs, scrapbooks and genealogical notes compiled by Mrs. McDowell.
  • Mangold, Mr. and Mrs. Frederick R., Papers, 1933-1972 - Frederick R. Mangold was an instructor and professor at Black Mountain College (Black Mountain, N.C.) from 1934-1942. During those years he also served as acting Secretary, Secretary of the Corporation, Registrar, and member of the Board of Fellows of the Corporation. Both his first wife, Isabel Hollister Mangold, and his second wife, Anne Gilbert Mangold, also worked at Black Mountain College. This collection pertains to the Mangolds' years at Black Mountain, and includes correspondence, college publications, articles about Black Mountain and miscellaneous items. ( 483 items, including correspondence, college publications and forms, etc.)
  • Manor Inn Photograph Collection, The, 1910-1970 - Photographs depicting the Manor Inn, 265 Charlotte Street, Asheville, NC, c. 1910-1970 (bulk c. 1910-1920).
  • Metz Family Great Smoky Mountains Road Trip Scrapbook, 1940 - This scrapbook chronicles a road trip to the Great Smoky Mountains taken by the Metz family of St. Louis, Missouri in August 1940. The family included Louis Karl Metz (1901-1978), his wife Alice Bertha Miller Metz (1909-1990), and their only child David Louis Metz (1932-2002). The trip coincided with severe floods in east Tennessee and western North Carolina. The scrapbook contains a written account of the trip, an account of expenses, photographs, newspaper clippings, and travel ephemera.
  • Miller, George Augustus "Nip" Miller, Sr., Collection - George A. "Nip" Miller was born March 13, 1929 in Baxley, Georgia. He inherited his mother's interest in family history and genealogy and following service as a Chief Master Sergeant in World War II, Korea and Vietnam, Miller returned to Western North Carolina and began to survey cemeteries in Haywood County. This project grew into collecting and compiling obituaries and death notices from newspapers and funeral homes. This collection and contains mostly cemetery and death records. Additional items include yearbooks and ephemera.
  • Morris, William Conway, Oteen Diaries, 1925-1928 - The William Conway Morris Oteen Diaries consist of two loose-leaf diaries: Oteen Diary of W. C. Morris, December 5, 1925, to December 31, 1926, Inclusive and Oteen Diary: January 1, 1927 to January 1, 1928, W. C. Morris, Ward I-2. Both items contain daily entries of life in the Oteen hospital, as well as lists of nurses on duty, patients in the ward with Morris, and deaths during the year. The collection also contains one original issue of The Record of the Hampden-Sydney Alumni Association, Vol. 2, No. 3, April 1, 1928 that includes an article about William Conway Morris's accomplishments and his long-term illness and hospitalization.
  • Myers Family Photographs - This collection consists chiefly of black and white photographs from roughly the early 1900's to late 1950's. depicting everyday life with families, couples, cars, children, and neighbors.

N

  • Nelson and Jump Families Papers - This collection consists of papers from both the Nelson and Jump families, chiefly correspondence home from Bill Nelson while he served in the Navy as a Fireman Apprentice during the mid-1960s.
  • North Carolina Museum of Art, Black Mountain College Research Project, 1933 - 1973 - The Black Mountain College Research Project (BMCRP) was conducted by the North Carolina Museum of Art from May 1, 1970 - February 14, 1973 and funded primarily by two grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). The purpose of the project was to gather information and materials for an exhibit on Black Mountain College and its contributions to the arts in the United States. The resulting collection includes the administrative files of the project, photocopies of research materials, questionnaires, tapes and transcripts of interviews with people connected with Black Mountain College, donated manuscript materials, original copies of college publications, books, and visual materials. Although the exhibit on Black Mountain College did not take place as planned, the primary researcher for the project, Mary Emma Harris, continued to work on the subject and eventually wrote a book entitled The Arts at Black Mountain College.
    • Administrative Files - The Administrative Files (Subseries 1) of the Black Mountain College Research Project contain materials that were generated by the project in the course of its operation. Included are photocopies and original mimeographs of correspondence, internal memos, reports to the National Endowment for the Humanities, lists of people and materials, contact information, forms, proposals, notes, transcript headings, release forms for documents and interviews, and a card file of addresses and sources of information.
    • Research Files - The Research Files (Subseries 2) of the Black Mountain College Research Project were created by project staff for their own use in preparing for the exhibit. Most of the materials in these files are photocopies of items located in the Black Mountain College Records. Once photocopies were made they were rearranged by project staff into subject categories, which are in many cases different from those found in the college records. However, since the focus of the project was only on the arts at BMC, the research files as gathered by the BMCRP do not reflect the total scope of information that is available in the Black Mountain College Records.
    • Questionnaires - Questionnaires (Subseries 3) were sent to former Black Mountain College students and faculty as a preliminary step before interviews were done. In some cases correspondence, personal reminiscences and resumes were sent back with the questionnaire.
    • Interviews - Interviews (Subseries 4) contains audio recordings and transcripts of interviews conducted by the Black Mountain College Research Project with former BMC students, faculty and related individuals.
    • Donated Materials - Donated Materials (Subseries 5) contains information for use in the planned exhibit and materials that were given to the project. Included are photocopies or originals of class papers, student notes, exams, diaries, personal reminiscences, correspondence, architectural drawings, newspaper and journal articles, programs, bulletins, newsletters, brochures, community lists, publicity flyers, sheet music, poetry and creative writings.
    • College Publications - College Publications (Subseries 6) contains original materials that were published for or by Black Mountain College and were later purchased by or donated to the research project. These materials include announcements, bulletins, newsletters, community bulletins, forms, literary publications, postcards, programs, publicity flyers and brochures.
    • Books - Books (Subseries 7) includes books, pamphlets and other published materials that were bought by or donated to the research project. This subseries includes reference works relating to the modern arts, materials written by or about people connected with Black Mountain College, poetry and essays, and exhibition catalogues.
    • Visual Materials - Visual materials (Subseries 8) includes photographs, negatives, and slides that were donated to the project or were taken by project staff. These images document objects created by BMC artists, drama and music performances, college life, classes, students and faculty, summer sessions, architecture, and the work program.

 

O

  • Ogden, Doan Reber, Papers, 1952-1984 - Doan Reber Ogden (1907-1989) was a landscape architect of note, whose influence can be seen across western North Carolina. The Ogden Papers contain four small series of interrelated files: Professional Card Files, Client Card Files, Specification Files, and Landscape Plans.
  • Ogden, Doan Reber, "From a Landscape Architect's Notebook" Articles and Illustrations, 1950s - Landscape architect Doan Reber Ogden's influence can be seen across western North Carolina. He opened a practice in Asheville in 1952. Although he did work out-of-state and out of the region, Ogden chiefly worked in North Carolina's mountain counties. He designed Asheville's University Botanical Gardens, the Arboretum at Haywood County Community College, and he had a hand in designing plantings at Warren Wilson College and Western Carolina University. This collection consists of 14 articles written in the late 1950s with 18 illustrations to accompany certain articles. The title "From a Landscape Architect's Notebook," precedes each individual article subtitle. Only one article was known to be published. There is also a 68.5 x 68.5 cm. landscape design plan unrelated to the articles.
  • Oteen Collection, Heather South, 1919-1953 - As the United States became involved in World War I, existing American military hospitals underwent renovations, as new facilities were built to train army medical personnel and to care for soldiers and servicemen returning from the conflict in Europe. Near Azalea, North Carolina, east of Asheville, "a 1,000-bed hospital for the treatment of tuberculosis" was built. The War Department authorized an additional $300,000 to expand the facility, which was first known as General Hospital No. 19 at Azalea. After the new Oteen Post Office opened in 1918, the hospital was informally referred to as Oteen Hospital or the hospital at Oteen. This collection consists of correspondence, newsletters, photographs, and ephemera about the hospital and surrounding businesses. (0.010 cubic feet)
  • Oteen, The - The Oteen was one of several field magazines authorized for publication by the Surgeon General of the Army during World War I. The weekly magazine was produced and managed by volunteer editors and contributors from U.S. Army General Hospital No. 19, a hospital established in Azalea, N.C. in 1918. The collection is comprised of one bound volume containing twenty-four issues of The Oteen. The magazine covered local events and happenings related to the hospital, such as new ward arrivals, social programming, and general gossip. The magazine also featured essays, poetry, and artwork produced by hospital patients.

P

  • Page, Don, Collection, 1936 - 1942 - Donald Page (1917- ) was born and brought up in Denver, Colorado. He entered Black Mountain College, Black Mountain, N.C. in September, 1936, where he studied art under Josef Albers and weaving and textile design under Anni Albers. After his graduation in May, 1941, Page returned for postgraduate studies at Black Mountain College in the fall of 1941, and the spring of 1942. This collection of materials is made up of textiles, drawings, and studies done by Don Page under both Josef and Anni Albers at Black Mountain College during the period from 1936 to 1942. 
  • Palmer, John, Papers, 1977-2007 - This collection, created by John Glen Palmer, encompasses his tenure at Haywood Community College in Clyde, North Carolina, from 1977 until December 2007. A native of Haywood County, Palmer served as an adjunct forestry instructor and as the director of the campus arboretum, leading numerous landscaping projects and participating in campus building projects throughout the growth of the college. The collection contains meeting minutes, correspondence, project photographs, building and landscaping plans, and catalogs used to select flora for landscaping.
  • Patterson, Barbara Ellis, Genealogy Collection, 1989-2003 - Barbara "Bobby" Ellis Patterson (1931 - 2017) was born in Catawba County, North Carolina. She became an avid local history and genealogy researcher. She volunteered at the Hezekaih Alexander House in Mecklenburg County, and after returning to Catawba County she became director of the Hickory Landmarks Society. Barbara's genealogical research led her to join the DAR and the Colonial Dames. The Barbara Ellis Patterson Genealogy Collection consists of correspondence and research about several family lines in Western North Carolina and Virginia.
  • Post, Helen M., Photographs and Negatives, 1937 - Helen M. Post (1907-1978), studied photography under the tutelage of noted Viennese photographer, Trude Fleischmann. In 1935, Post returned to the United States and began her career as a freelance photographer. Her work documenting educational institutions took her to Black Mountain College, an experimental college near Black Mountain, North Carolina. There Post photographed members of the faculty such as Anni Albers and Xanti Schawinsky, students, campus scenes, and examples of life in the college community. The Helen M. Post Photographs and Negatives consist of 41 photographic prints, 233 35 mm. negatives, 27 contact prints from these negatives, and 43 2 1/4 x 2 1/4 inch negatives all taken during Post's brief visit to Black Mountain College in 1937.

R

  • Randolph, Reuben, Rank Appointment Certificate, 1865 - Reuben Randolph was born in Burke County, N.C. in 1832. He was living in Yancey County and working as a farmer with his wife, Jemima and two children when he enlisted to serve in the North Carolina Infantry. He enrolled in Mitchell County and was assigned to Company K of the N.C. 58th Infantry Regiment in July of 1862. He deserted at Tanner's Station, Tennessee, September 7, 1863. On September 24, 1863, Randolph enlisted in Company C of the 13th Tennessee Cavalry. He was promoted to sergeant October 26, 1863. This collection is comprised of one certificate. (0.01 cubic feet)
  • Ridgecrest Scrapbook, 1944 - The Young Woman's Auxiliary (Y.W.A.) Camp at Ridgecrest was founded in 1924 under the direction of Juliette Mather. It was part of the larger Southern Baptist Assembly incorporated in 1907. Mather, who is pictured in the scrapbook, led the girls to follow the slogan of "Fellowship, Friendship, Frolic, and His Spirit Over All." The Y.W.A. camps were feeders for the mission fields, where women would dedicate their lives to church-related services. This scrapbook features black-and-white photographs of six young ladies during the summer of 1944 and includes buildings at the Southern Baptist Assembly. Of special note are doodles or marginal drawings included on some pages.
  • Riley, Sue Spayth, Papers, 1937 - 1942 - Sue Spayth (subsequently Sue Spayth Riley) was a student at Black Mountain College until 1940. Her papers contain manuscripts, typescripts, photographs, and printed items, such as letters, essays, theater programs relating to her work and study, primarily at Black Mountain College (Black Mountain, North Carolina) during the years 1937-1940. Correspondence in this collection continues until 1942. It includes letters from college friends (principally Phyllis S. Josephs and Robert M. Sunley), and also relates to work done for The Biological Bulletin at Woods Hole, Mass.
  • Rosscraggon Wood, Inc. Records, 1939-2006 - Rosscraggon Woods, Inc. is a non-profit organization created to acquire, administer and maintain a 23-acre tract of undeveloped land in southern Buncombe County near Skyland. The land was set aside by Rose Chapman (1860-1941) in order to create a natural preserve. The Rosscraggon Woods, Inc. Records consist of minutes, photographs, maps, scrapbooks, and clippings.
  • Ruth Originals Collection, 1953-1984 - This collection gives an overview of Ruth Originals, one of the first significant female-owned businesses in western North Carolina. Founded by Ruth Combs and Daisy Sample in December 1949, the business began as a cottage industry for the manufacture of specialty children's clothing. The Hendersonville-based business grew into a multi-million-dollar operation before being sold in 1977. The Ruth Originals Collection contains newspaper clippings, obituaries, two sketches of dresses, and several photographs that include images of girls modeling clothing and various people, including Ms. Combs and Ms. Sample.

 

S

  • St. Genevieve-of-the-Pines Guestbook, 1917-1922 - Hillside Convent was founded in Asheville, North Carolina, in 1908 by the Sisters of Christian Education, a Catholic order. Non-denominational day instruction was available to children ages 6-13. In the early years, the faculty was European-born and courses in French and German were taught by native speakers. Because of the school's popularity, classes were first held at 48 Starnes Avenue, but later moved to 74 Main Street to accommodate additional students. In 1910, the Victoria Inn on Victoria Drive was purchased. The acquisition allowed Hillside Convent to expand further and by 1911, in addition to the day school, St. Genevieve's College, offered secondary education to young ladies ages 14-18 by boarding or day school. By 1912, the school was known as St. Genevieve Academy. Instruction, for day or boarding students, was divided as follows: The Preparatory, for boys and girls to age 13; The Academy, which corresponded to high school; and The College, which offered an additional four years of study that led to degrees. Later the school was known by the fashionable moniker St. Genevieve of the Pines.
  • Sly, Allan, Papers, 1936 - 1973 -  Pianist and composer Allan Bernard Sly taught music at Black Mountain College from 1935-1939. Black Mountain College was an experimental school located in Black Mountain, N.C. Allan Sly's papers include audiotapes of commentary by Sly about his experiences at Black Mountain College, two essays by Sly concerning music and the college, and a dissertation by Anna M. Hines about music at Black Mountain. (9 items, including 256 page dissertation, 2 essays, 2 photocopied letters, 3 audiotapes, 1 manuscript )
  • Smith, Corporal Howard Kingman, Letters, 1919-1921
    Corporal Howard Kingman Smith was born in 1894 in Savannah, Georgia to William Franklin and Carrie Smith. He enlisted in the U.S. Army on May 24, 1918 and was stationed at Camp Meade, Maryland before being moved to the U.S. General Hospital in Oteen, North Carolina. Howard's letters to his mother in Georgia were written during his time in Oteen between 1919 and 1921 and describe his life at the hospital and in the mountains.
  • Snipes, Joseph Fleming, Scrapbook, 1953-1957 - Joseph Fleming Snipes (1898-1992) was born in Nebo, North Carolina. He was a business and civic leader in McDowell County. In 1953, Governor William B. Umstead appointed Snipes to serve on the North Carolina Highway Commission to represent the newly-created 13th district that included Buncombe, Burke, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Rutherford and Yancey counties. The scrapbook reflects the work Snipes performed with the N.C. Highway Commission and regional highway organizations.
  • Southard, Carlyn and Adell, A.G. and S.F. Redistribution Center, Asheville Scrapbook, 1944 - In 1944, Asheville became a host city to a number of servicemen and -women returning from active duty, as well as home to the Army Ground and Service Forces Redistribution Center. Carlyn and Adell Cannon Southard stayed at the Battery Park Inn from October 30 to November 12, 1944. The Carlyn and Adell A.G and S.F. Redistribution Center, Asheville Scrapbook contains postcards, menus, receipts, promotional brochures, photographs, and correspondence.
  • Stoller, Claude, Papers, 1940-2015 - The Claude Stoller Papers consist of photographs, letters, publications, notes, and other materials related to the donor and his time at Black Mountain College in western North Carolina.
  • Summers Family Photographs and Memory Booklet, 1929 - 1937 - Alfred James Summers and Ethel Bobbitt Summers and their seven children lived on a farm near Browns Summit in Guilford County, N.C. This collection is comprised of a handmade booklet containing autographs, postcards, photographs, and newspaper clippings created by Louise Summers in July 1929 while attending a conference at the YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly; 8 black and white photos showing James Randall Summers during his service in Civilian Conservation Corps company 408; and 23 black and white photos of Mary Williard Summers and freinds at Lees McRae College in the 1930s.

T

  • Thomas, Mary Teague, Papers, 1941-1993 - Mary Teague Thomas (1922-2012) began her career as an operating room nurse and spent forty-five years working in hospitals and in public health administration, becoming Director of Nursing for the Cumberland County Health Department in Fayetteville, NC in 1977. The Mary Teague Thomas Papers include photographs, letters, postcards, clippings, brochures, pamphlets, notes, textbooks, plaques and other documents related to her nursing training and long career in public health administration; letters from patients and soldiers during WWII; clippings documenting the changing role of public health nurses; and a scrapbook of historical clippings about the history of public health nursing in North Carolina.

U

  • Upper French Broad Defense Association Records, 1916, 1965-1984 - In 1961, the North Carolina Regional Planning Commission sought funding from the Tennessee Valley Association to build 14 dams along portions of the Upper French Broad River and to "channelize" portions of the river in order to ease flash flooding, attract industry and provide recreational opportunities. Grassroots opposition to the project grew and by the late 1960s several groups joined to form the Upper French Broad Defense Association. By November 1972, the Tennessee Valley Authority announced its decision to withdraw the project because of local opposition and failing government support. The Upper French Broad Defense Association Records contain correspondence, minutes, clippings, scrapbook pages, audio recordings, and slides.

V

  • Vance Monument Time Capsule Collection - On December 22, 1897, the cornerstone for a granite obelisk honoring former governor, senator, and Buncombe County native, Zebulon B. Vance, was laid at Pack Square in downtown Asheville. The cornerstone contained a time capsule. In 2008, a professional conservator determined that the monument was in need of restoration. In 2012, the non-profit organization, 26th North Carolina Regiment, partnered with the city and the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources (now the Department of Natural and Cultural Resoures) to raise restoration funds. In March 2015, with restoration work approaching, the time capsule was located and removed. Because the monument shifted over time, the time capsule was damaged. The documents it held were wet, but in remarkably good shape. The items were removed and taken to the conservation room at the Western Office of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources in Oteen for preservation and treatment. This collection contains, but is not limited to, newspapers, programs, periodicals, lists of officials and schoolchildren, and City of Asheville and Masonic publications.

W

  • Wall, J. D., Papers
    Joseph Daniel "J. D." Wall (1919-1986) was born in Marion, North Carolina, to Thomas G. and Nellie Ownsby Wall. He grew up in a large family and attended Marion Public Schools. Prior to enlisting in the military during World War II, Wall worked as a waiter at a local café and at the Marion Construction Company. In the early 1940s, he married Pauline Faye White (1922-2011), also from Marion. The J. D. Wall Collection consists of primary school documents, driver's licenses, ration booklets, notices of classification, Selective Service documents, and other miscellaneous items.
  • Western North Carolina Public Health Association Records, 1947-2008 - This collection contains annual meeting programs and minutes; bylaws and amendments; lists of officers and department directories; a general history of the WNCPHA and prominent members; newspaper clippings and miscellaneous materials. This collection also includes a video entitled, "As Time Goes By-The First Fifty Years," a history of the WNCPHA; a video concerning the Bill Broadway Award; an audio recording of Gloria Mauney's 1995 interview; an audio cassette recording of a speech by David Stone, president elect and chair for 50th birthday celebration in 1996.
  • Western North Carolina Public Health Association, Social Work Section Records, 1984-2001 - In January, 1984, a group of 10 people met in Morganton in order to discuss forming a Social Work Section of the Western North Carolina Public Health Association. Information sharing and identifying commonalities were key reasons to organize such a group, along with networking, skill building, and overcoming professional isolation. On May 17, 1984 members of the Western North Carolina Public Health Association voted to establish the Social Work Section at their annual convention. The Social Work Section requested to be dissolved in August 2001. Collection includes administrative records such as bylaws and reports.
  • Weston, Nan, Notebook, 1937 - Anne Howard (Chapin) Weston (1913-1992), a native of Hartford, Connecticut, was a student in Rollins College, Winter Park, Florida, from 1930 to 1933. She, and her future husband, Norman Betts Weston (1913-2000), were among the body of students who founded Black Mountain College at Black Mountain, N.C., in the autumn of 1933. The collection consists of one binder with 37 leaves (some blank). The leaves contain pasted color cutouts and some pencil figures demonstrating the application of various color systems studied while a student in a course taught by Josef Albers.
  • Weston, Norman B., Collection, 1927-1985 - Norman Betts Weston (1913-2000) and Anne Howard Chapin (1913-1992) were students at Black Mountain College (Black Mountain, North Carolina) from 1933-1938 and were married in January, 1935. The majority of the collection is made up of photographs and printed matter collected by Mr. and Mrs. Weston while students at Black Mountain, however a significant element in the collection relates to Josef and Anni Albers during their post-Black Mountain College period. (76 items)
  • Whitaker, Joshua W., Business Correspondence, 1895-1903 - This collection consists chiefly of business correspondence of Joshua W. Whitaker (1850 - 1903) with lumber wholesalers in North Carolina and Tennessee, along with some family correspondence. (0.2 cubic feet)
  • Willis, Ralph H., Western Carolina University High School Mathematics Contest Collection, 1978-2010 The Ralph H. Willis Western Carolina University High School Mathematics Contest Collection documents the history of the mathematics competition from its beginning as a regional competition in 1971, to the regional test site for the statewide competition it is today. The Ralph H. Willis Western Carolina University High School Mathematics Contest Collection documents the history of the mathematics competition from its beginning as a regional competition in 1971, to the regional test site for the statewide competition it is today.
  • Wood, Horace McGuire, Papers, 1933-1972 - Horace McGuire Wood (1902-1972) came to Black Mountain College (Black Mountain, NC) in 1942 to become the school's business manager and director of the work experience program. He later taught design and construction courses. After they left the college in December 1945, Mr. and Mrs. Wood continued to live at their home in the town of Black Mountain, where he conducted a house planning and building seminar for many years. The papers include correspondence from both during and after Wood's time at Black Mountain College, work experience program materials, minutes of faculty meetings, Black Mountain College publications, house plans, site plans, and other materials. (325 items)

Y

  • YMCA Camp Elliot Photographs, 1928-1930 - Camp Elliott, located between Old Fort and Bat Cave, North Carolina was established on 27 acres donated by the Elliot Family. The camp, which received its first campers in 1928, was under the organized under the auspices of the YMCA Interstate Committee. This collection contains 10 2 x 2 3/4 inch black and white photographs. (.010 cubic feet)