|
 The Doy Leale McCall Rare Book
and Manuscript Library houses 8,000 linear feet of manuscript and archival material. Some
of the more important records and manuscript collections in The McCall Library include:
the papers of Congressmen Jack Edwards and Sonny Callahan, who served in the U.S. House of
Representatives, District 1, Alabama from 1964 to 2003; a large body of material from the
civil rights era including the papers of John LeFlore and the Non-Partisan Voters League
records; the Mobile County Circuit Court records (c. 1830-1917), and a huge railroad
collection.
The Doy Leale McCall Rare Book and Manuscript Library's
manuscript collections are listed alphabetically from A through J in part 1 of this guide.
The name of the collection may be that of a person, business, organization, institution,
subject, or donor.
Other Available Guides:
Subject
guide to manuscript collections
Alphabetical guide to photograph collections
Guide to printed material
Guide to university collections
FAQs about
manuscript collections
For more information about these collections please email
the archives at mccalllib@usouthal.edu.
Important Disclaimer: Warning concerning
copyright restrictions. The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States
Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material.
Under certain conditions specified in the law, archives are authorized to furnish a
photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specified conditions is that the photocopy
or reproduction is not to be "used for any purpose other than private study,
scholarship or research." If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy
or reproduction for purposes in excess of "fair use," that user may be liable
for copyright infringement. It is up to the user to comply with all copyright laws of the
United States.
A-J
K | L | M | N | O
| P | R | S | T
| U | V | W | Y
KESLER, LUTHER E. (95-09-290)
Contains 6 pocket diaries that document the life of this school
teacher, farmer, and barber. The handwriting in the diaries can be hard to decipher but
they are dated ca. 1908, 1912-1913, 1916, 1918, and 1923. The entries are extremely brief,
sometimes no more than "at home," "short day," or "I'm
sick." They trace the life of Kesler from his school days in Mississippi to his
teaching career in Baldwyn, Mississippi, to his job as a truck driver for Railroad Mail
Service. The diaries also list Kesler's cash balance and make notes about Mississippi
history. .25 cubic feet.
KING, CLINTON (91-09-228)
Includes copies of many nineteenth- and twentieth-century maps of
Alabama and the Gulf Coast area from the National Archives, the Library of Congress, and
the Mobile City Engineer's Office; U.S. Geodetic Survey maps for many counties in Alabama;
and county maps from the Alabama State Highway Department. An inventory is available. The
collection also contains microform copies of the American State Papers, Mobile County
census records for 1900, Alabama census records for 1910, and the following Mobile County
Probate Court materials: Orphan's Court Minutes (1813-1850), Marriage Indexes (1813-1867),
Real Property Indexes (1813-1907), Miscellaneous Books-Old Series (1819-1958), Translated
Records (1715-1841), and Will Books (1813-1850). Typed transcriptions of the Probate Court
Will Books prepared by Mr. King are available. There are also copies of New Orleans
passenger lists (1717-1724) and baptismal and death registers (1720-1730); records of the
Opalousas Post (1789-1803); and an index to baptisms at St. Louis Cathedral, New Orleans.
71.25 cubic feet.
KIWANIS
CLUB OF MOBILE (07-09-471)
Consists of two scrapbooks (June 1944 to
November 1967) containing photographs, annual reports, newspaper clippings, ads,
correspondence (some), announcements, flyers, and thank you cards. The fifty-five
black-and-white photographs depict special events and a variety of Kiwanis Club functions.
They include some prominent Mobilians such as Frederick P. Whiddon and Albert J. Tully.
Many of the images were used in publications. The clippings highlight various club
activities and the works and achievements of various Kiwanis members.
KOSTMAYER SR., CHARLES (05-07-448, 08-08-481)
One scrapbook and one album related to the World War II service
of Charles Kostmayer Sr. Also includes various documents pertaining to Kostmayer's
attendance at several colleges, including the University of South Alabama. The scrapbook
was assembled by Kostmayer's mother. It contains clippings about the war taken from the
local newspaper. The album consists of photographs dated 1942 to 1945 of Kostmayer and his
fellow soldiers as he was being trained with the Army Air Corps. The material is in poor
condition but has been photocopied. The collection also consists of an oral interview with
Kostmayer, which is available on CD. 2.25 cubic feet.
KOTHEIMER, PHILLIP
(92-09-246)
Contains approximately 400 maps for the tracks and right of ways
of the Mobile & Ohio Railroad, from Mobile, Alabama to Jackson, Tennessee, including
complete coverage of the Bay Shore Line in Mobile County, Ala. Also included are copies of
the Historical Society News of the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio Railroad (1978-1990),
the Illinois Central Gulf News (1972-1979), and the annual reports of the Mobile
and Ohio Railroad (selected years from 1879-1939), the Gulf, Mobile & Northern
Railroad (selected years from 1921-1938), Illinois Central Railroad (1958; 1968-1969),
Illinois Central Industries (1966-1976), and the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio Railroad
(1940-1970). 24 cubic feet.
The collection also contains copies of the Mobile Theater
(1908-1910). Published by John T. Kern Jr., this was a combination event program and
advertisement circular for theaters, hotels, and restaurants. 26 cubic foot.
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LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS (79-09-37)
Minutes, annual reports, newsletters, correspondence, and
miscellaneous papers of the Mobile chapter of the League of Women Voters dating from 1955
to 2007. Also includes a series devoted to environmental issues. 19.25 cubic feet.
LEFLORE, JOHN L. (85-07-93, 08-09-491)
Materials relating to various activities of civil rights leader
John L. Leflore. Included are correspondence, minutes, and other records of the regional,
state and local NAACP (1939-1956); the Mobile Housing Board (1966-1970); the Alabama House
of Representatives (1975-1976). The collection also contains one CD with John LeFlore's
FBI file, photographs, and articles written by Mr. LeFlore for various
newspapers. The papers have been microfilmed. (See also University
Collections under Larry Holmes, Melton McLaurin, and Rearguard.) 10 cubic
feet.
LEFLORE ORAL
HISTORY PROJECT (97-20-328)
Contains videotaped interviews with Joseph Langan, O. B. Purifoy,
Dr. W. B. LeFlore, Janet LeFlore, Fred Richardson, J. C. Randolph, Hon. James T.
Strickland, Henry Williams, Geraldine Clark, and Lancie Thomas. The interviews, filmed in
1996, are available on 34 VHS video tapes. They were produced under a grant from the
Alabama Humanities Foundation for a documentary on John L. LeFlore. An index for the
tapes is available. (See also University Collections under
Larry Holmes, Melton McLaurin, and Rearguard.)
LOGAN, DANIEL W.
(96-09-309)
Correspondence, journals (1862, 1869-1870, 1898, 1899-1901), and
account books of Daniel W. Logan, a bookkeeper. Born in Charleston, SC, in 1835, Logan
lived in Mobile from the 1860s until his death in 1906. The journals discuss events of the
day, as well as Logan's travels, visitors, work schedule. They also allude to the Civil
War and Reconstruction. 2 cubic feet.
LOTT,
VIRGINIA (04-08-417)
Virginia Lott was an information specialist for the Mobile County
Commission, where she worked from 1945 until 1986. The papers in the collection
(1955-1986) include manuals, handbooks, articles, and newsclippings relating to both the
1888 and 1958 Mobile County courthouses, as well as to forts, historic buildings, and
other historic information relating to Mobile County. (See also Photograph Collections under the same heading.) .5 cubic feet.
LYONS, MARK (03-09-406)
Correspondence
of Mark Lyons (1840-1887), Confederate States Army, February 18, 1861 to June 19, 1865.
The letters are addressed to his fiancee (and later his wife) Amelia Horsler (1845-1916).
Lyons first period of service began at Camp Beulah, Mobile. He was in Mississippi through 1862, resigned from the army, and
married Amelia Horsler in 1863. He then re-enlisted in May 1864 and was stationed at
various batteries in the defenses of Mobile until the end of the war. The letters have
been transcribed by a relative. Some background about Mark Lyons and historical notes
about the activities of the Confederate Army are included. 1 cubic feet.
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MASTIN, CLAUDIUS HENRY
(04-09-412)
Dr. Mastin, a prominent nineteenth-century Mobile physician, was
the founder of the Congress of American Physicians and Surgeons and one of the organizers
of the American Surgical Association. This collection contains letters, 1871-1898, from
many prominent physicians to Dr. C. H. Mastin. Correspondents include Jacob Huggins,
George August Ketchum, Henry F. Campbell, James Guild, E. L. Keyes, and John Guiteras.
Medical issues discussed include lithothomy and yellow fever. .25 cubic feet.
MAYGARDEN, JEANETTE
(00-20-362)
Twenty-one videotaped interviews, 1994-1995, with various
Mobilians including Charles Boyle, Caldwell Delaney, Jack Edwards, William J. and Emily
Staples Hearin, Paulette Horton, Joseph Langan, Lionel Noonan, Jack Stallworth, Eugene
Walter, Frederick Whiddon, and Caldwell Whistler. Also includes interviews with
members of Murphy High School Class of 1943 at their 50th reunion, and with Frances Sibley
on the history of Murphy. The interviewer, Jeanette Maygarden, worked as Woman's Editor at
the Mobile Press Register after graduating from Murphy and pursued a career in
public relations. Permission from interviewees or their heirs must be obtained
prior to quoting from these interviews. (See also Photograph
Collections under Samuel Eichold.)
MCCALL, DOY LEALE (11-09-546)
Still undergoing processing, this collection consists of
approximately one million documents related to Alabama's Black Belt region. Two portions
of the collection -- the printed material and the Pickens Papers -- are now open for
research. The printed material includes advertisements, almanacs, books, broadsides,
brochures, circulars, flyers, magazines, pamphlets, periodicals, reports, and sheet music,
but not newspapers, which have yet to be organized. The Pickens Papers include material on
Alabama's third governor, Israel Pickens, Israel Pickens's brothers and his nieces and
nephews. Subjects found within the Pickens Papers include pre-Alabama statehood, politics,
government, slavery, Reconstruction and the Civil War. The documents date from 1808 to
1944 [bulk 1820-1899]. A guide to the Pickens
Papers is available.
MC CORVEY, GESSNER T.
(06-09-462)
Kept in his youth by the former Alabama state Democratic
executive committee chairman, this one-volume (November 1, 1907 - August 1, 1909)
handwritten financial journal details household and business transactions. Gessner is
perhaps best known as one of the leaders of the Dixiecrat revolt of 1948, and for his
support of the Boswell Amendment, a 1945 codicil to the Alabama state constitution that
selectively disfranchised blacks and poor whites. .1 cubic feet.
MC
DONALD, IRENE (08-09-490)
This small collection consists of several letters and postcards
sent to the donor by Nobel Prize-winning authors and other famous people. The writers
include William Golding (Nobel Prize 1983 and author of Lord of the Flies),
Nadine Gordimer (Nobel Prize 1991 and author of A Guest of Honour), Doris Lessing
(Nobel Prize 2007 and author of the Martha Quest series), Walker Percy (author of The
Moviegoer), and Adlai Stevenson (1952 Democratic nominee for president of the United
States). 1 folder
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MCGOWIN LETTERS (548-2011)
Consists of forty-four photocopied letters written between 1861
and 1864 by brothers who were part of the McGowin family from Conecuh County, Alabama. The
brothers were the children of Samuel McGowin (1805-1892) and Martha Mason (1810-1892).
They include Peter McGowin (1833-1863), Alexander McGowin (1836-1914), Samuel McGowin
(1836-1862), James McGowin (1838-1897), Joseph McGowin (1839-1862), Anthony McGowin
(1840-1864), and John McGowin (1843-1862). All of the brothers except Peter served in
Company D of the 16th Alabama Regiment. Peter served either in Company B of the 9th
Alabama Infantry or Company I of the 17th Alabama. Only Alexander and James survived the
war. The letters were written by the brothers from the front lines during the Civil War
and mainly contain information about the health of the letter writers, about their lives
in camp, and inquiries about the health of their family members. Some also contain the
writer's perspective of battles in which they participated. There is, in addition, a
family tree. The location of the originals is unknown.
MC NEELY, S. BLAKE (00-09-371)
Although this collection spans the years from 1917 to 1979, the
dates of the material vary depending on genre. The donor, a freelance photographer, worked
for the Mobile and Ohio Railroad before founding Gulf States Engraving. It contains
documents relating to McNeely's investments (1917-1918), correspondence (1930-1932, 1937,
1946, 1972-1974), biographical information, and various publications in which McNeely's
photos appeared. The publications are mostly local. It also includes research for his
books and some of his photos. A large part of the collection is McNeely's manuscript for Papa,
the River, and Me: True Experiences along the Mississippi (1975). He is also the
author of Bits of Charm in Old Mobile (1946). Of interest in the collection are a
Seamen's Bethel booklet, a copy of a book on the Mississippi River steamboat era, and a
booklet about the Waterman Steamship Corporation (ca. 1944). (See also Photograph Collections under the same heading.) 2 cubic feet.
MC WILLIAMS,
RICHEBOURG GAILLARD (97-09-319)
Contains correspondence, notes, maps, publications, and other
research materials relating to two books, Fleur de Lys and Calumet, Being the Penicaut
Narrative of French Adventure in Louisiana (1953) and Iberville's Gulf Journals
(1981), and several articles written by Richebourg McWilliams (1901-1986). McWilliams
served as head of the Department of English at Birmingham-Southern College and Professor
of English at the University of South Alabama. An inventory is available on site. 3 cubic
feet.
MC WILLIAMS, TENNANT S.
(84-09-67)
Notes and other research materials used in the production of
Tennant McWilliams's book Hannis Taylor: The New Southerner as an American (1978).
Dr. McWilliams was professor of history and dean of the School of Social and Behavioral
Sciences at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. 1 cubic foot.
MILITARY ACTIVITIES IN MOBILE
One reel of microfilm of newsclippings of military activities in
Mobile from 1941 to 1943.
MIMS,
LAMBERT C. (08-09-459)
This extensive collection consists of a multitiude of subjects
connected with the long-time political career of this former mayor/city commissioner.
Consisting of a vast array of genres, from judicial and legal records to proclamations and
press releases to campaign material and photographs, the information in this collection
covers local topics typically found within such collections, but it also contains material
related to Mims' personal religious views and to the American Public Works Association.
Mims was rotating mayor and public works commissioner of Mobile from 1965 to 1985. (See
also Photograph Collections under ALCOA, Gary Gaston, U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers, and University Collections under Larry
Holmes, Melton McLaurin, and Rearguard.) 136.5 cubic feet.
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MOBILE AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE (04-08-409)
This Mobile organization was the first in the state, chartered by
the Alabama Legislature in 1854. The materials in this collection relate primarily to the
development of Dauphin Island and include brochures, photographs, scrapbooks, and news
clippings. The collection also includes, however, two scrapbooks dedicated to the
1971 visit of President Richard Nixon. 3.5 cubic feet.
MOBILE AREA FOUNDATION FOR PUBLIC HIGHER EDUCATION
(03-09-399)
This small collection includes correspondence, the 1962
incorporation papers and by-laws for the Mobile Area Foundation for Public Higher
Education and a deed for "Indian Mound Park" on Dauphin Island, as well as
resolutions of the board of directors for the foundation from 1962 regarding the purchase
of the Dauphin Island property for a Marine Resources Laboratory. It also has documents
relating to finances, expenses, and contracts for services. (See also University Collections under Ernest Cleverdon and Frederick
Whiddon.) .5 cubic feet.
MOBILE BAR ASSOCIATION
(10-09-525)
Bulletins, by-laws, committee reports, constitution,
correspondence, financial documents, membership lists, minutes, notes, scrapbooks, etc.,
of the fourteenth oldest bar association in the United States. The Mobile Bar Association
was incorporated on April 12, 1869, making it the oldest bar association in the state of
Alabama. Also includes material related to the women's auxiliary of the bar association.
15.75 cubic feet.
MOBILE BAR PILOTS
ASSOCIATION (94-09-284)
Miscellaneous correspondence, minutes, reports, and materials of
the Mobile Bar Pilots Association (1910-1916). Includes the records of the Harbor Master
and Boards of Port Wardens and Pilot Commissioners (1896-1914). Also included are several
articles written by William M. P. Dunne, a noted naval historian. .25 cubic feet.
MOBILE BAY AUDUBON SOCIETY (91-09-236)
Includes newsletters, minutes, agendas, resolutions,
correspondence, and notes of the organization (1970-c. 2000). It also contains numerous
articles, reports, and studies from various sources dealing with a wide range of
environmental and developmental issues pertaining to Mobile, southern Alabama, and the
Gulf Coast in general (e.g., the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway, the Cochran Bridge
replacement, the management of chemical waste, and disposal of dredging materials). 57
cubic feet.
MOBILE BRITISH WOMEN'S CLUB (96-09-315)
Includes correspondence, meeting notes, membership lists,
newsclippings, and photographs of the Mobile British Women's Club from 1964 to
1994. A brief finding aid is available. .5 cubic feet.
MOBILE CHAMBER ORCHESTRA (99-08-347)
The Mobile native and American author, actor, poet, and editor
Eugene Walter was one of the founding members of the Mobile Chamber Orchestra. This
collection contains 13 letters written in 1948 and 1949 to Walter while he was living in
New York. Nine of the letters are from Max McGill and two are from Catherine Middleton,
both Chamber members. The collection also includes programs from the 1947 through 1950
seasons and newsclippings. A number of the programs have handwritten annotations remarking
on the performance. (See also Photograph Collections under
McGill Studio.) .25 cubic feet.
MOBILE COUNTY
CIRCUIT COURT RECORDS (85-09-125)
The Mobile County Circuit Court records include 613 linear feet
of individual case files and over 300 bound volumes of minutes, final records, etc. The
materials date from ca. 1830 to ca. 1917. A brief inventory
is available on this web site. Naturalization records created by these courts have been
indexed by Clinton P. King and Meriem A. Barlow in Naturalization
Records, Mobile, Alabama, 1833-1906, and the minute books containing these records
have been microfilmed. Divorce cases are also available on microfilm and have
been indexed by staff at The Doy Leale McCall Rare Book and Manuscript Library in Index to Divorce Cases of the Thirteenth Judicial
Circuit Court of Alabama, 1816-1918. Many of the early cases require cleaning
and preparation by staff before researchers can use them. See instructions for ordering copies of court records. 839 cubic feet.
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MOBILE FEMALE
BENEVOLENT SOCIETY (97-08-324)
Founded in 1829 as a non-denominational organization to aid
indigent widows through the donation of food, clothing, and medical supplies, in 1835 the
Mobile Female Benevolent Society built and maintained several houses called "Widow's
Row" at Dearborn and Warren streets. Later the society purchased the Gazzam home at
the corner of Government and Ann streets to house the women. This is the present site of a
new facility known as Murray House, owned and operated by the Episcopal diocese of the
Central Gulf Coast under the auspices of the Mobile Female Benevolent Society. The
collection contains correspondence, financial records, the 1831, 1937, and 1951
constitutions, articles of incorporation (1841), inmate policies and legal agreements,
resident lists (1873-1960), and minutes from 1860-1864, 1886-1892, 1897-1898, 1953-1954,
1982-1983, and 1988-1989. A finding aid is available on site. 2 cubic feet.
MOBILE HOUSING BOARD RECORDS (98-09-344)
The records of the Mobile Housing Board cover roughly the years
1950 to 1980 and concern the urban renewal projects which the housing board directed.
These project areas included Water Street, East Church Street and Central Texas Street.
The collection contains appraisal reports with photos of acquired properties, project
planning books, maps of project areas, correspondence between the Mobile Housing Board and
the Department of Housing and Urban Development officials, various HUD publications, as
well as files concerning the activities of the Mobile Community Action Committee. Box
inventories to the collection are available on site. (See also Photograph
Collections under the same heading and under Mobile Historic Development Commission,
and Printed Material under Mobile Housing Board.) 366
cubic feet.
MOBILE JUNIOR MUSIC CLUB (09-07-509)
This collection contains 11 complete and 1 incomplete scrapbooks
(1979-1991) of the Mobile Junior Musick Club. Within the scrapbooks are photographs,
awards, programs, and other material. 1.5 cubic feet.
MOBILE TRICENTENNIAL, INC. (02-09-400)
In 2002 Mobile celebrated the 300th anniversary of its founding
by the French. This collection consists of the records generated by the non-profit agency
established to direct / coordinate events related to the year-long tricentennial
celebrations. Most of the records were accumulated by tricentennial office staff. They
consist of general office files as well as the files of the president of the committee,
meeting minutes, budgetary material, public relations files, banners, posters, and
photographs, as well as various other documents. Of interest within the collection are a
proposed time capsule, a copy of a 1902 poem about Mobile, plans for the development of
Africatown, a proposed documentary on Cudjo Lewis, material related to the visit of the
two-masted schooner Amistad, a reunion at Brookley Field, a bibliography of the
history of Baldwin County, a report on the economic effect of the celebration,
correspondence to/from Governor Don Siegleman, documents about Sail Mobile,
material related to the greening of the city, and a variety of other material on a myriad
of subjects. 23 cubic feet.
MOBILE UNION STATION
(90-09-198)
Blueprints of floor plans, elevations, and architectural details
of Mobile Union Station (M&O Railroad) showing the original building in 1905 and
alterations in 1946, 1957, and 1977. An inventory is available on site. 3 cubic feet.
MOWA
BAND OF CHOCTAW INDIANS (07-09-470)
Photographs, correspondence, manuscripts, newspaper clippings,
journals, books, court documents, and other research related material gathered by
historian Jacqueline Anderson Matte, and relating to the MOWA band of Choctaw Indians, a
group of people who reside along the Mobile and Washington counties' borders. Matte used
the information in writing her book They Say The Wind is Red and in her
appearance in front of the U.S. Senate's committee on Indian affairs, before which the
MOWAs were seeking federal recognition as an Indian tribe. Also included are research
materials Matte used to compose The History of Washington County, Alabama. Prior
notice of interest in this collection is required. 25.5 cubic feet.
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NEIGHBORHOOD
ORGANIZED WORKERS (NOW) (06-09-453, 06-09-454)
The Neighborhood Organized Workers (NOW) was established in
Mobile, Alabama, in July 1966. NOW carried on direct action in an effort to achieve
political, social, and economic reform in the African-American community. This collection
contains copies of NOW's FBI files (1968-1971) and covers topics related to
African-American leadership, race relations, civil rights activities, school
desegregation, voter registration, economic boycotts, and black nationalism in Mobile,
Alabama, and surrounding areas. These files were obtained through a U.S. Department of
Justice Freedom of Information Act request, and include memorandums, informant reports,
newspaper clippings, and copies of handbills gathered by the Mobile, Alabama, FBI
Field Office in its investigation of NOW and its activities. The FBI's primary
correspondent is Mobile's Special Advisory Commission (SAC). Typical information
gathered includes summary reports of NOW meetings, the composition of NOW leadership,
and an interpretation of the African- American community's attitude toward NOW, civil
rights, and race relations. A companion collection includes taped interviews with
civil rights activist and founding member of the Neighborhood Organized Workers Jerry
Pogue, former journalist for the Southern Courier newspaper and founding member
of the Neighborhood Organized Workers David Underhill, and George Langham, educator and
member of the Neighborhood Organized Workers. Guides to the FBI Files and
the Oral
History interviews are available on this web site. An appointment is
required to view this collection. Also please note: it is the sole responsibility of the
researcher to secure permission to quote from or publish material from the interviewees of
the oral history project. (See also University
Collections under Larry Holmes, Melton McLaurin, and Rearguard.) .75 cubic
feet.
NON-PARTISAN VOTERS LEAGUE (92-09-247)
These records of a civil rights organization in Mobile,
1956-1987, contain materials
concerning discrimination in public accommodations, employment, criminal justice
administration, and public education, including the Birdie Mae Davis case, the
cornerstone of the League's efforts at integrating the county public school system. John
LeFlore was the director of casework for the organization until his death in 1976.
Contains correspondence, minutes, administrative and financial records, legal documents,
press releases, news clippings, and publications. The records have also been microfilmed.
(See also University Collections under Larry Holmes, Melton
McLaurin, and Rearguard.) 17.75 cubic feet.
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OLD DAUPHINWAY
ASSOCIATION 91-09-240)
Minutes, correspondence, newsletters, newsclippings, and
photographs relating to the Old Dauphinway Historic District from 1976 to 1988. 4
cubic feet.
OLSON SCRAPBOOK (08-09-483)
Dating to 1923, the Edna Evelyn Olson scrapbook contains
memorabilia Ms. Olson collected the year she graduated from Barton Academy. Included are
classmate autographs, graduation programs, calling cards, photographs, ticket stubs, and
brief compiled lists of meetings for the "Better Speech" club. .25 cubic feet.
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PACE ORCHARD COMPANY (00-09-369)
While covering only a few years, this collection documents the
nuts and bolts of operating and financing a Satsuma orchard back. It consists of
correspondence dating from February 1910 to May 1916 (with 1914 missing) between the
operators of Pace and an array of other orchard owners, agents, nurseries, railways, and
individuals. 1 cubic feet.
PALMER, MARY S. (01-08-375)
Mary S. Palmer received an MA in English from the University of
South Alabama in 1984. This collection contains research notes for her thesis entitled
"Keep on Keeping on: The Story of George Wallace," as well as an unpublished
1995 popularized and updated version of that thesis. The collection also includes
newsclippings about Wallace's career and the assassination attempt on his life, notes,
interviews, and memorabilia. (See also Photograph Collections
under the same heading.) 1.5 cubic feet.
PARISH, EARL (90-09-193)
Correspondence, photographs, and other personal effects belonging to
Second Lieutenant Earl O. Parish, United States Army. Lt. Parish was born in Battle Creek,
Michigan in 1918 and was killed in Italy on December 9, 1943. 2 cubic foot.
PBX TELECOMMUNICATIONS CLUB SCRAPBOOKS (01-09-381)
Five scrapbooks belonging to the PBX Telecommunications Club.
They cover the period from 1974 to 1976 and 1984 to 1988. 1 cubic foot.
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RAYFORD, JULIAN LEE (91-09-227,
96-09-308)
Contains four notebooks of poetry, street cries, chants, and
stories written or collected by Rayford and three manuscript versions of Rayford's novel
about Mike Fink entitled Child of the Snapping Turtle (1951). The earliest
manuscript is undated and incomplete, the second is dated 1948, the third carries
revisions of the 1948 manuscript. They are available on microfilm. 2.25 cubic feet.
RICKARBY, ANN H. (92-09-249)
Made up of various papers belonging to Rickarby's grandfather
George Duncan Rickarby, who was a cotton buyer prior to and after and blockade runner
during the Civil War. (See also Photograph Collections under
the same heading.) .25 cubic feet.
ROSS III, JACK F.
(04-07-460)
Contains one scrapbook consisting of the personal memorabilia of
a member of one of Mobile's prominent families. The scrapbook contains invitations and
other such miscellaneous items, as well as photographs (many of which are unidentified).
Although he did not live a life of wealth, the scrapbook does reflect the social life of
someone of Ross's standing between the 1920s and the 1940s. There are no negatives for the
photos. A brief index is available. .5 cubic feet.
ROTARY CLUB OF MOBILE
The Rotary Club of Mobile, an affiliation of the Rotary
International, was organized on May 14, 1914. This small collection consists of two of the
club's rosters. One is undated but provides an image of each member and gives the member's
birthday, date of affiliation with the local club, and the member's place of employment.
The second roster, dated, 1979, lists the same information, but it also gives the member's
birthplace, spouse's name, and address. .25 cubic feet.
RUSHING, ALLEN (12-09-625)
Includes 205 issues of the Gulf, Mobile and Northern News dating
from November 4, 1921 to August 11, 1930 (vol. 1, no. 1 through vol. 9, no. 19) with some
issues missing. Also includes Rushing's master's thesis entitled "Isaac Burton
Tigrett and the 'Rebel Route'" (Tennessee Technological University, 1965). In
addition to the above, the collection contains five typed documents related to Tigrett.
1 cubic foot.
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ST. FRANCIS
STREET METHODIST CHURCH
Founded in 1840, this Mobile church maintained a continuous
congregation until 1993. Its records include microfilm of membership rolls,
marriages, baptisms, newsletters, and church bulletins, as well as historical information
on ministers that served the church, and files on church members who were featured in
local newspapers. A finding aid is available on site. 19 reels.
ST. PAUL'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH
Two rolls of microfilm containing baptismal records (1902-1997),
burial records (1908-1918 and 1924-1997), church registers (1908-1992), day books
(1901-1910), donation records (1902-1908), and marriage records (1904-1997). There are
gaps in dates occasionally.
SAUNDERS, JAMES E. (94-09-282)
One 900-page ledger used by James E. Saunders. Entries cover the
period from 1858 to 1863 and record profits and losses, commissions, sales, and interest
and dividends. Saunders was a commission merchant in Mobile from 1842 and co-owner of the
firm of Bradford and Saunders (which became Saunders and Son). Over 125 individuals and
firms are listed, including a few African Americans.
SCHUMANN MUSIC CLUB (95-09-293)
Scrapbooks, programs, and minutes of the Clara Schumann Music
Club (1894-2004), an organization founded to "advance the interest, and promote the
culture of music in the city of Mobile." 4.25 cubic feet.
SCHWEITZER, ALBERT
(08-08-494)
Consists of 516 books written by or about or including mention of
Albert Schweitzer, as well as binders of photocopied articles about Schweitzer;
bibliographic information; calendars; cassette tapes; DVDs; ephemera; magazines;
newsclippings; periodicals; postcards; and video tapes. Also includes three letters signed
by Albert Schweitzer. The material was compiled by Arthur E. Schultz, a Schweitzer
afficionado. 44 cubic feet.
SHORT PUBLICATIONS
Consists of 1 roll of microfilm with miscellaneous short
publications, including "Memories of Melrose Farm," "The Paper Shell and
Satsuma Orange," "Waterman Steamship Corporation," "The Port of
Mobile," "The Teller," and "Over the Ways" (about the shipyard of
Chickasaw.
SIENA
VISTA GARDEN CLUB (08-07-477)
Newspaper articles, art magazine clippings, magazine articles,
ads, postcards, and photographs related to the Sienna Vista Garden Club and its mission to
promote beautification in their neighborhood. The Garden Club was founded in 1948. As part
of their beautification efforts, homeowners on Siena Vista Street agreed to decorate their
homes and yards during the Christmas season, something for which they became renowned.
Viewing the decorations became an annual tradition for many Mobilians. .25 cubic feet.
SKIPPER,
WILLIAM N. "BILLY" (92-09-256)
Dancer, choreographer, and film maker, William "Billy"
Skipper (1921-1987) spent much of his life in New York and on the West Coast, but this
native Mobilian also maintained contact with artists in the Mobile area and made several
films locally. This collection contains 26 letters from Julian Lee Rayford to William
Skipper (1966-1975); slides, negatives, and photographs of Rayford and his folklore
drawings; a tape recording of Rayford. There are also several versions of an unpublished
play written by Skipper about Tempy Smith, a black woman from Macon County, Alabama, who
was a spiritual healer and mid-wife. Films include "As the Grass" produced by
Spottswood Studios and featuring Sally Maloney and William Skipper, and unedited footage
showing construction of the Wallace Tunnel, the Mobile Civic Ballet, and the Blessing of
the Fleet at Bayou La Batre. A finding aid is available on site. 1.5 cubic foot.
SLEDGE, JOHN (96-09-310)
The materials in this collection formed the basis for an article
written by John Sledge, architectural historian with the Mobile Historic Development
Commission, about Dr. Robert Rea, historian and professor emeritus at Auburn University.
They include biographical and professional career notes written by Rea, correspondence
between Sledge and Rea (1980-1995), copies of some of Rea's articles, and a few
newsclippings and photographs. Also included is a copy of Sledge's article which was
published in the Gulf Coast Historical Review (Spring 1995). .25 cubic feet.
STAFFORD, ADELE H. (99-08-352)
Adele Stafford's great-grandfather was James Ducloux, a master
blacksmith at the U.S. arsenal at Mount Vernon. Her grandfather was William Holder, who
served as post trader to the Indians. William's wife, Adele, and his son, William, visited
the Apaches at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, after they were transferred there from Mount Vernon in
1894. This collection is made up of newsclippings that discuss the history of Searcy
Hospital; pension information for James Ducloux; family history of George M. Wratten, who
acted as interpreter for the Apaches; an interview with Wratten's daughter, Blossom
Haozous; and newsclippings about the Apache reunion at Mount Vernon in 1982. (See also Photograph Collections under the same heading.) .25 cubic feet.
STARNES, MILDRED C. (08-07-495)
Mildred Coleman Starnes graduated from the now-defunct Providence
Infirmary School of Nursing in September 1930 and went on to spend her career in the
nursing field. Following her death in 1996, her husband started a scholarship program at
the University of South Alabama in her honor. The Starnes collection consists mainly of
photographs from Starnes' nursing career, many of which were taken while she attended
school. Several of the photos depict midwives from various parts of Alabama. Also includes
other material related to Starnes' nursing career and the scholarship in her name. 1.5
cubic feet.
STEVENS,
LEROY (00-09-358)
Scrapbooks, newspaper clippings, and photographs relating to
Leroy Stevens (1897-1972), a member of the Board of Revenue and Road Commissioners
(1942-1957) and the County Commission of Mobile County (1957-1972). 1.25 cubic feet.
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THOMAS, JUDGE DANIEL H. (00-09-357)
Daniel Holcombe Thomas was born in Prattville, Alabama, in 1906.
He was appointed to the federal bench by Harry Truman in 1951. Although Judge Thomas
retired in 1972, he retained supernumerary status until his death in 2000, making him one
of the United States' longest serving justices. Known as a conservative, Judge Thomas
adjudicated several civil rights cases, the most important to our area being the
Birdie Mae Davis v Mobile County School Board school desegregation case. He also
developed a national reputation for presiding over maritime cases. This collection
consists of 13 personal scrapbooks that contain miscellaneous speeches, letters, pictures,
programs, and articles that span Thomas' entire judicial career, and one bound volume of
congratulatory letters to him on the 15th anniversary of his installation as
judge. 2.5 cubic feet.
TOULMIN, HARRY T. (00-09-366)
Contains miscellaneous documents (1856-1936) related to Judge
Harry T. Toulmin (1838-1916). The documents include biographies, deeds, and other property
records (1869-1904), tax records (1856-1898), his will, estate papers, correspondence
(1863-1936), and two photographs. Also includes one receipt book (1858-1868). Some of the
material relates to Toulmin's judgeship and Civil War service. The judge began practicing
law in Mobile in 1860. He entered the Confederate army in 1861 as a private and was later
promoted to captain. Toulmin resumed the practice of law after the war. The collection
also includes a list of officers and soldiers of the 22nd Alabama Infantry, as well as a
typed report from Toulmin regarding the infantry's part in the battle at Chickamauga,
during which the son of Josiah Nott was killed. Some of the correspondence is between
family members or concerns family business and a number of the letters concern Toulmin's
selection to the federal bench. The receipt book lists expenses for, among other things,
renting slaves. The collection also includes an invitation to a breakfast engagement with
President Grover Cleveland. 1 cubic foot.
TOULMIN II, HARRY T. AND MARY (00-09-363)
Harry Toulmin II's papers consist primarily of correspondence
between he and his wife, Mary Duggar Toulmin (June 1943-March 1945, 1970) and he and his
cousin George B. Toulmin (1936-1983, bulk 1936-1948), although there is also
correspondence between George and George's mother (1942-1943), between George and George's
old political science professor at the University of Alabama Dr. Charles Smith Jr.
(1942-1943), and between George and various other contacts (1942-1943). Harry's letters to
his wife discuss conditions and events during World War II, but they also mention Mary
working during those years. The 1970s letters between Harry and Mary were written from and
discuss the situation in Ethiopia. The letters between George and Harry talk a great deal
in the early years about George's life at the University of Alabama but also discuss
military subjects during the war years. The collection also includes a manuscript written
by Toulmin that talks about the management of the Black Belt plantation owned by J.
Freeman Suttle's son of the same name. In it, he discusses the convict leasing system and
sharecropping and makes recommendations for improvement in the running of the plantation.
1 cubic foot.
TOULMIN, FRANCES EUGENIE BOWERS (92-09-248)
Made up of poems written by Frances Toulmin around 1857 to 1860. .10
cubic feet.
TOULMIN, MARY DUGGAR (93-09-263)
An unpublished manuscript by Mary Duggar Toulmin, "Annals of
Mobile Theater, 1808-1861," and supporting research material. 2.75 cubic feet.
TROUSDALE, HATTIE (01-09-377)
Contains 1 scrapbook of postcards, newsclippings, and letters.
Most of the material is of a religious nature, although the scrapbook does contain one
clipping about the Mobile Female Benevolent Society.
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UNITED STATES
DISTRICT COURT (85-09-72, 85-09-109, 96-09-124)
Documentation generated in four civil suits heard by the U.S. District
Court in Mobile includes court exhibits, depositions, pleadings files, newspaper
clippings, correspondence, and other official documents. 1. Bolden v. City of Mobile
(1976-1984) contested the use of at-large elections and resulted in a change in the form
of government for the City of Mobile. A box inventory is available (16 cubic feet.).
2. Brown v. John L. Moore et al. (1980-1985) involved the discriminatory nature
of school board at-large elections in Mobile County (12 cubic feet.). 3. Jail Inmates
v. Purvis (1980-1985) concerns prison overcrowding in Mobile County. There is an
inventory available (5 cubic feet.). 4. Lee et al. v. Macon County Board of Education
was a joint civil action suit (1970-1985) concerning school desegregation in several
Alabama counties and cities: Baldwin, Clarke, Conecuh, Dallas, Escambia, Macon, Marengo,
Marion, Monroe, and Washington counties, Demopolis, Selma, and Thomasville (12 cubic
feet.).
VAN ANTWERP, MARY P. (03-09-404)
A photocopy of a diary written by Laura Roberts Pillans
(1820-1883), great grandmother of Mary P. Van Antwerp, and a photocopy of a memoir written
by Laura's husband, Palmer J. Pillans (1816-1898). Also includes newsclippings about
Eugene Walter, photocopies of letters from Eugene Walter to Van Antwerp, and miscellaneous
Eugene Walter writings (some of which are photocopies) and drawings including "Ah
Weeping Willoughby." .25 cubic feet.
VETERANS'
HISTORY PROJECT (09-09-499)
Consists of 17 interviews conducted 2005 as part of an
African-American Studies class with local military veterans who served in every major
American conflict from World War II to the Iraq War. Because of the demography of the
class, the overwhelming majority of the veterans interviewed were African American. Six of
the interviews are preserved as video files on CD-ROMs and seven were transcribed. Four of
the interviews have no verbatim transcripts or audio files but are included in student
reports. The collection also includes a brief overview of the project, written by the
professor who taught the class. .5 cubic feet.
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WALTON,
JOSEPH A. (10-09-533)
Seventy-nine original poems written by local real estate agent
Joseph A. Walton. The poems cover such topics as plants, animals, "Randolph" the
mouse, places, and water, and a group entitled "et cetera." In addition, the
collection contains some introductory material, as well as genealogical and biographical
information. Walton is also the author of History of the Mobile Real Estate
Association (Mobile, 1959). .5 cubic feet.
WATERMAN,
JOHN B. (93-09-275)
This collection deals primarily with operations of the Waterman
Steamship Corporation from 1919 to 1937, and includes correspondence, mail contracts,
construction loans, ship repairs, speeches, reports, published materials, etc. (See also Photograph Collections under Waterman Steamship Corporation.) 12.5
cubic feet.
WATSON, LILLIE AND JOHN B. (87-09-156)
This collection contains some of the personal papers of John B.
and Lillie Watson. Found within it are poll tax receipts (1913-1933), payment coupons
(1937-1948), correspondence with the Veterans Administration (1936-1937), and other
assorted receipts. Also includes 35 family photographs, none of which are identified. .5
cubic feet.
WELCH, WALTER WADE
(03-09-407)
Eugene Walter was the recipient of an Arts Council Residency Grant
prepared by W. W. Welch that allowed Eugene to live in Baton Rouge for five months in
1980. The grant application and materials relevant to it are contained in the collection.
Other material in the collection include correspondence between Walter Wade Welch and
Eugene from 1979 to 1994, newspaper clippings, and Alabama publications featuring Eugene
Walter. Also included are recipes, drawings, and a Harlequin Intrigue novel that features
Eugene as a major character. The collection also contains information and memorabilia from
Eugene’s funeral, as well as information concerning the Renaissance Man Celebration
and the book, Moment’s With Eugene. In addition, this collection contains
colorful commentary by Eugene concerning Welch. .5 cubic feet.
WHIL/EUGENE WALTER
(04-09-422)
Transcripts and tapes for "Eugene at Large," a radio
program featuring poet and writer Eugene Walter. The program aired on WHIL-FM from 1993 to
1998 and featured discussion of local cultural events, recently published books, and food
history and recipes. The taped programs are available on CDs. 3.25 cubic feet.
WHISTLER CEMETERY
One reel of microfilm containing the index to burials at the
Whistler Cemetery since 1919. It is unclear when the index ends, although it may be 1997
since the microfilm was shot that year.
WILLIAMS, ALICE A.
(82-09-56)
Correspondence (1924-1951), legal papers, and memorabilia
pertaining to Alice Armistead Jones Williams, a member of the Toulmin family. The
collection (1902-1951) includes business correspondence (1915-1927), personal
correspondence (1905-1951), photographs, financial papers, legal papers, mail order
catalogs, women's health and beauty magazines (1902-1904), and newspaper clippings, and a
notebook with fictional writing. A finding aid is available on site. 2.25 cubic feet.
WILMER HALL (91-09-225)
This collection dates from the founding of the Episcopal Church
Home in Mobile in 1864. It includes a diary (1864-1865) kept by Sister Harriet, one
of the first three sisters at the home, a ledger book (1867-1872), an admissions journal
(1875-1911), a record book (1915-1919), a minute book (1913-1922), miscellaneous
photographs, and a master's thesis by Alice Blasingame, "A Study of the Episcopal
Church Home in Mobile, Alabama" (Tulane University, 1941). 1 cubic foot.
WISTARIA
STUDY CLUB (05-09-445)
The Wistaria Study Club was organized in 1937 to "encourage
educational betterment and stimulate intellectual and liberal culture." One of the
club's most far-reaching efforts to aid education was its nursing scholarship program,
which the group sponsored from 1940 to 1965. In addition to the nursing program, the
Wistaria Study Club supported various local, state, and national charities or groups such
as Murphy High School, the Miss Alabama Scholarship Fund, and the Creek Indian Fund. The
records (1941-2002) consist of club minutes and correspondence, as well as information on
the scholarship program. In addition, the collection has ten scrapbooks that relate to
Wistaria Study Club activities and contain programs, newsclippings, and photographs, among
other material. 4.5 cubic feet.
WOMAN'S CHRISTIAN UNION OF CHICKASAW (04-09-421)
Consists of 1 minute book (1927-1933) containing the
organization's constitution and by-laws as well as membership and attendance records. The
organization's objective was to enlist the women of Chickasaw in active Christian service
for the betterment of civic and social conditions. .25 cubic feet.
THE
WOMAN'S CLUBHOUSE ASSOCIATION, INC. (04-09-420)
This association was founded in 1929 as a "social society to
create and maintain an organized center of thought and activity among the women of Mobile;
to aid in the promotion of their mutual interests in the advancement of science,
education, civics, patriotism, literature, art, community service; and to provide a place
of meeting for the comfort and convenience of its members." The collection includes
scrapbooks (1931-2003), minutes (1930-1970), programs, correspondence, and songbooks. 14
cubic feet.
WOOD, ARTHUR A. (02-09-393)
Includes correspondence, minutes, and reports dated 1963-1975
related to the establishment of a medical school at the University of South Alabama. Dr.
Arthur A. Wood, a Mobile surgeon and member of the Medical Society of Mobile County and
the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce, served on a sub-committee of the Mobile Area
Foundation for Public Higher Education tasked with pursuing the development of a medical
school in Mobile. (See also Photograph Collections under Clyde
Huggins, and University Collections under Clyde Huggins.) .25
cubic feet.
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YWCA OF MOBILE (85-07-97)
A scrapbook containing newsclippings, photographs, letters, and
programs of the Mobile YWCA from 1904 to 1949 is available on microfilm. 1 reel.
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