Manuscript and Archival Collections

Mahlon Adams served on the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Planning Committee in the 1990s and played a large role in the redesign of Freedom Park where there is a pavilion there is named in her honor. The bulk of the collection is are related to the foundation of the Freedom Park Neighborhood Association.

The collection consists primarily of personal letters written between John A. Alexander and Evelyn G. Galloway while Alexander served in the U.S. Army during World War II.

Papers documenting Alexander's service with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, including the Charlotte branch, his presidency of the North Carolina State Conference of Branches, and his membership on and chairing of the national board of directors. Includes minutes, correspondence, reports, speeches, programs, news releases, membership records, documentation on NAACP-initiated court cases, and material on voter education projects. Also includes material on the 1965 bombing of his home, the Charlotte Area Fund, health care, school desegregation, and housing.

2 Docket books containing summons, judgments, and warrants with various loose legal documents comprise this assortment of papers left by a justice of the peace in the Paw Creek community of Mecklenburg County, NC. around the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries

Papers of William Tasse Alexander and his descendants in the Mallard Creek area of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. Consists primarily of records relating to the operation of the family plantation, including deeds and other legal papers, financial accounts, and information on cotton production and slaves. Also includes correspondence, an 1882 school register, genealogical material, clippings, photographs, and early twentieth century postcards of Charlotte.

Maps of Charlotte, NC and vicinity, and across the state are represented in this collection. Some of the state maps are regional with adjoining states.

The collection consists of photocopies of documents pertaining to two prominent families in Charlotte, NC: the Belks and the Everetts. Most of the collection consists of correspondence with Herschel Hill Everett, his daughter, Ann, and her husband, Henderson Belk.

Primarily typescripts, recordings, and other material documenting outdoor dramas relating to Mecklenburg County history. Also contains interviews between Blythe and subjects of several of his non-fiction books, including Mabel Wolfe Wheaton, sister of Thomas Wolfe.

Biographical and genealogical material about the Boggs family and collateral lines, including the Alexander, Calhoun, Garner, Livingston, and Prince families. Also includes photographs of Charlotte (ca. 1890-ca. 1910).

The collections consists of an extensive collection of postcards of twentieth century Charlotte, as well as materials related to First Ward School, textiles, gold mining, and politics in North Carolina.

Small collection of papers, concerning primarily Jack Boyte’s career in architectural preservation in Charlotte, North Carolina in the late twentieth century.

Papers of the Caldwell and Davidson families of Rosedale plantation in Mecklenburg County, N.C. Includes medical account books (1824-47) of Dr. David Thomas Caldwell; land records and surveys (1833-1942); journal (1837) of Sarah Frew Davidson; correspondence (1861-1984); plantation account books (1869-85); and photographs of family members and of Rosedale, including images of the latter by Frances Benjamin Johnston and Bayard Wootten.

Invitation to an event at the Central Hotel, Charlotte, North Carolina, dated 29 May 1873.

Primarily financial records concerning appropriations and expenditures of the city government, 1890s-1920s. Includes material relating to the overall budget and to schools, taxes, business licenses, payrolls, and Elmwood and Pinewood cemeteries.

Primarily narrative survey and research reports prepared to evaluate structures and sites for inclusion on the local register of historic places. Reports include information on present and former owners of the properties. Collection also includes brochures and other commission publications and clippings about the sites, the commission, and historic preservation.

Posters and slides used by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools in commemorating the Charlotte bicentennial, 1968.

A collection of photographic slides documenting historic neighborhoods in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Photographic prints of scenes of downtown Charlotte, N.C.

This collection is consists of photographs and pamphlets from Charlotte's Redevelopment Commission (later called the Urban Redevelopment Department, which became Community Development, and lastly, Neighborhood Development.)

The collection contains papers produced by Jack Claiborne over the course of his career in journalism and media communications, beginning in 1941 and spanning until his retirement as the Associate Vice Chancellor of Public Relations at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 2000.

This collection contains family papers and material about Charlotte, as well as pamphlets about history and politics of Charlotte and North Carolina, patriotic societies, and alcoholism and prohibition.

Single folder collection of three Battle of Charlotte DAR chapter yearbooks.

Contains minutes, correspondence, programs, and financial material but no membership applications. Also includes 15 scrapbooks documenting local history and the activities of the chapter.

Records of the first DAR chapter in North Carolina, founded in 1898. Contains membership applications; minutes of chapter and executive board meetings; histories of the chapter and the state organization.

Records of a DAR chapter founded in 1912 by descendents of the signers of the disputed Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence. Includes membership applications, minutes, yearbooks, and financial records.

The records of the Jane Parks McDowell chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution contains records and scrapbooks documenting the history and activities of the chapter from its founding in 1960 to 2001.

The collection consists of two circuit photographs of Camp Greene's Base Hospital, in 1917; photographed by THE MOONS Commercial and Home Photographers, of Charlotte, NC.

"Discover Charlotte" consists of 16mm films about Charlotte history, cultural events, and prominent individuals.

Papers of a Charlotte educator and politician, documenting her service as city council member for district 4 (1977-1985). Includes correspondence, reports, and financial data relating to such issues as the controversy over a site for the new coliseum, planning, and neighborhood preservation, especially in regard to zoning problems due to church expansion.

Material relating to the authenticity of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence, including a letter (1916) from Fries, an archivist and editor, to Stephen B. Weeks, North Carolina collector and historian, concerning Traugott Bagge's report that "the County of Mecklenburg declared itself free and independent of England" in 1775.

Photographs of the Government Center and the Sugar Creek Basin, Charlotte, NC.

Dr. Tom Hanchett is a community historian in Charlotte, NC, who consults with local cultural heritage organizations and community groups.

The collection contains a large number of architectural drawings of buildings (residential, commercial, educational, professional, industrial and spiritual) that were built in the Charlotte, N.C. metrolina area from 1923 to the early 1970s

Records of the one of the oldest Presbyterian churches in Mecklenburg County, primarily consisting of eight Books of Session Minutes (1843-1959), which include church membership lists, baptismal records, and minutes of the meetings.

The first airmail letter sent from Charlotte, North Carolina; addressed to Donald E. Dickason of Wooster, Ohio; dated April 1, 1930.

Records of an organization established in 1977 to preserve the northern Mecklenburg County home of Hugh Torance (1743-1816), which was built in the 1770s or 1780s. Includes information on the history and restoration of the house, board minutes, financial records, correspondence, legal documents, fund raising material, and photographs.

The Introduction to the English Language Oral Histories contains forty one literary projects developed in 1995 and 1996. Each of these projects includes a transcription of an oral interview, a linguistics analysis of the interview subject and a historical analysis.

Jackson's six page, handwritten essay is a commentary on the visit of President Theodore Roosevelt to Charlotte on October 19, 1905.

Papers of the Jetton and related families since the mid-eighteenth century; including mostly real estate surveys and indentures, correspondence, genealogical notes, estate records, documentation on the Civil War and Reconstruction, and receipts for consumer goods.

Collection consists of a scrapbook and a small collection of organizational records from the Charlotte, North Carolina, Junior DAR chapter.

One sterling key (4.9 cm) to the City of Charlotte embossed "Stan Brookshire, Mayor" on verso. The key was given to Betty Yelton Alexander in 1991 recognition of 30.5 years of service in the City of Charlotte Purchasing Department (1961-1991).

Mary Norton Kratt's papers concern her career as a writer, newspaper journalist, biographer and poet. She primarily wrote about Southern culture in the twentieth century

Bulk of the collection concerns local history, such as the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence and the Museum of the New South.

Letters written to James Latta, his wife Jane, and their daughter Nancy. Writers are Robert Latta, William A. Latta, and Eliza Dilworth Latta, who are writing from their home in Yorkville, S.C., to Robert’s parents and sister at their Mecklenburg County home.

Architectural drawings, office files, record books, and other material documenting the career of an early Charlotte architect. Includes drawings and specifications for residences, institutions, churches, and business offices in Charlotte and elsewhere in North Carolina.

Collection 390 contains the papers of Reverend Jeff Lowrance (1951-2007), a Presbyterian minister, who served six different congregations from 1975 to 2007. During his thirty-two year career he wrote over 1200 sermons, which make up the majority of this collection.

Photographs of scenes of the Myers Park neighborhood and downtown Charlotte used in Legacy: The Myers Park Story (1986) by Mary Norton Kratt and Thomas W. Hanchett.

Collection of 96 letters written by Private Joseph B. Mathews of the base hospital at Camp Greene to his girlfriend, Eva La Flamme in Massachusetts.

Diaries of a worker in Charlotte’s Louise Cotton Mill. Topics mentioned include textile mills, religion, the weather, activities of family and friends, and public events from local to the international.

This collection contains papers and photographs generated by the McCoy and related families in Mecklenburg County, NC from 1796 to 2001. Includes The letters, papers and photographs that the McCoys generated and accumulated during WWI.

Frank McNinch was the mayor of Charlotte, NC from 1912 to 1917, and later was appointed to serve on the Federal Communications Commission in 1930, becoming its Chairman in 1933. The collection contains mostly the papers he generated while working for these two federal commissions.

This collection contains information concerning organizations dedicated to home-making and home economics in North Carolina and in Mecklenburg County. The home economics movement was a phenomenon of the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, and its purpose was to provide services and information to home-makers (primarily in rural areas) to help them manage their households more cost-effectively.

The collection consists of materials associated with the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence.

Records of Mecklenburg County’s oldest and largest historical organization from its establishment in 1954. Includes minutes, programs, financial records, and information on historic preservation projects sponsored by the association

This a small collection containing primarily correspondence from Clarence Marion Mills (C.M. Mills), in his role as an elder in the Primitive Baptist Church of Charlotte, NC. Other papers concern real estate transactions, Mills’ Auto Service, Inc., and printed matter concerning gas rationing during WWII.

Filed March, 1804 Court of Equity, Salisbury District Bill of Complaint of Alexander Morrison against the Trustees of the University of North Carolina and their agent Adlai Osborn the Elder. State of North Carolina Salisbury District

Series of reproductions of frameable pen-and-wash drawings of landmarks in Mecklenburg County, N.C., by artists Al Fincher, Gene M. Love, and E. Springs, issued by Mutual Savings and Loan Association, Charlotte, N.C., in 1966. Landmarks depicted include the Covenant Presbyterian Church, the American Doughboy Statue, the Mecklenburg County Courthouse, and Cedar Grove Plantation.

Photographs collected by the association for its book, Legacy: the Myers Park Story (1986), written by Mary Norton Kratt and Thomas W. Hanchett.

Papers of the Patterson family of northern Mecklenburg County, mainly concerning their business activities, real estate purchases, wills, and family correspondence. Also includes papers from several related families, especially their Cumming, Hodges, Potts, and Sloan connections.

Papers documenting the Peoples family of Providence Township in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina with a particular focus on material generated by Richard Peoples (1790-1870). Contains deeds, purchase lists, estate appraisals, letters, subscriptions, obituaries, newspaper articles and genealogical materials.

The collection consists of the professional and personal photographic work of Steve Perille, a photojournalist who worked for the Bloomington Herald-Times, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and the Charlotte Observer. A noted photographic essayist, the collection includes prints and negatives of his features, news, pictorial, portraits, and sports photography.

The collection concerns Perzel's interest and work in the preservation of historic buildings in Charlotte, NC. Most of the collection consists of photographs of historic buildings and residences, and photos of street scenes of Charlotte in the early 20th century.

The collection is a small assortment of papers mostly generated by Selby Daniels, who was a member of Providence Baptist Church, in the late twentieth and early twentieth-first centuries.

Collection consists of reproductions of pen-and-wash drawings of historical landmarks in Mecklenburg County, N.C., by Teresa Beth Hough, issued by Rexham Corporation, Charlotte, N.C., in 1976. Landmarks depicted include the Berryhill House, the Robert Grier House, St. Mary's Chapel at the Thompson Orphanage, and St. Peter's Episcopal Church.

Chiefly original photographs by Roberts and copies of other photographs used in books for which he was photographic editor.

Photocopies of indentures and surveys relating to land in northern Mecklenburg County along the Catawba River owned by the Sample Family.

The J. Kenneth Sanford papers, consist almost entirely of his rough drafts that eventually formed his book "Charlotte and UNC Charlotte: Growing Up Together."

This collection consists primarily of demographic studies Selden conducted as a volunteer and as a paid consultant for such organizations as the Boy Scouts of America, Charlotte Chamber of Commerce, and Health and Hospital Council.

Letter and advertising brochures relating to Smoot's book, Marshal Ney Before and After Execution (Charlotte: Queen City Printing Co., 1929).

Selected records and histories of a northern Mecklenburg Co. congregation, founded in 1884. Includes minutes, membership lists, and financial accounts of the Women's Auxiliary and Women's Guild; a church history by Bishop Joseph Blount Cheshire Jr. (1927); and an address about Cheshire by Judge Heriot Clarkson (1933).

The collection contains photographs and written reports that resulted from course assignments in the UNC Charlotte Art Department between 1981 and 2002.

This collection contains approximately 19,757 negatives taken by William Hoke Sumner Jr., a professional photographer who photographed news events, weddings, buildings, business meetings, sports events, store openings, ribbon cuttings, social gatherings, and numerous other activities.

The Taylor and Richardson families album contains photographs and other materials that document the life of Charles Samuel Lafayette Alexander Taylor, an African American barber, soldier, and firefighter active in numerous social and political causes in Charlotte, North Carolina, and his family. The album contains photographs of Taylor; Ella Louise Pickens Taylor, his second wife, and other relatives and family connections.

Telephone directory with the Bell System logo on front cover (American Telephone and Telegraph Co., Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph Co.) Corrected to October 15, 1922.

Papers of Hugh Torrance and his descendants, including, his son, James Galbraith Torrance, and his grandson Richard Allison Torrance. Includes account books, Revolutionary War service records, family correspondence, land and estate records, information on slaves, and contracts with overseers.

Papers of four generations of the Van Landingham family of Charlotte and of the Harwood family of New England and Atlanta. Includes correspondence, records of household expenses and investments, genealogical information, photographs, and blueprints of the family home in Charlotte.

Papers of a Charlotte widow who wrote, under the byline of "The Carolina Housewife," for The Charlotte Observer during the 1930s and 1940s. Includes typescripts of her columns, recipes, and letters from readers asking for advice and recommending recipes.

The collection contains a small assortment of materials: two advertising posters (one for an auto race, and another for a country music concert), and eleven post cards of Charlotte in the early twentieth century.

Papers of Kenneth Wilson Whitsett, a Charlotte historian, artist, and co-founder of Pictorial Engraving Co. Also includes World War I correspondence of Whitsett and his brother.

Records of the North Carolina Florence Crittenton Industrial Home, Charlotte, kept by Wilson, a member of the board of directors.

Original handwritten and typed copies of essays written by Charlotte senior citizens in courses sponsored by the Shepherd's Center and Central Piedmont Community College and taught by Margaret Bigger in 1992-94. These are personal accounts of growing up during the Prohibition era and the Depression and of life during World War II.