Smith - Tyson Family Collection, 1901-1926

(Manuscript Collection #1118)

Accessions Information

October 24, 2007 0.018 cubic feet; Collection (1901-1926) of family correspondence received by Maud Tyson Smith and her husband W. E. Smith, from C. Belle Evans, Janie Smith, Carl Tyson, Carrie Tyson, Maud Tyson, Maybelle Tyson, Melissa Tyson, of Cisco, Falkland, Farmville, Littleton, and Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina; Norfolk, Virginia; including correspondence from Maud Tyson, while attending Littleton Female College, and including Carl Tyson's letters during World War I from the Headquarters of the 81st Division, from Camp Jackson, near Columbia, South Carolina, May - November 1918. In protective plastic sleeves. See preliminary inventory attached. Donor: Mr. Edward T. Smith

Access Restrictions

No restrictions

Copyright Notice

Literary rights to specific documents are retained by the authors or their descendants in accordance with U.S. copyright law.

Preferred Citation

Smith - Tyson Family Collection (#1118), East Carolina Manuscript Collection, J. Y. Joyner Library, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA.

Acquisition Information

• Gift of Mr. Edward T. Smith

Processing Information

• Encoded by Lindsay Flood, March 28, 2008

• Processed by Lindsay Flood April 2008

• Transcripts by Lindsay Flood April 2008

The Smith - Tyson Family collection consists of thirteen letters, written between 1901 and 1926, along with transcripts of the letters. Ten of the thirteen letters are addressed to Mrs. W. E. Smith (née Maud Tyson), one is addressed to Mrs. W. E. Smith and family, another to both Mr. and Mrs. W. E. Smith, and one is addressed to Mr. W. E. "Edd" Smith. The authors of the correspondence in the Smith-Tyson family collection include John Tyson, Caroline "Carrie" Tyson, Clarissa Belle Evans, Carl Tyson, Mrs. Alfred Taylor (Maybelle "Belle" Tyson), and Janie Smith. The Tyson family resided in Falkland, Pitt County, North Carolina. In 1902, Maud Tyson attended Littleton Female College, in Littleton, North Carolina. Maud Tyson later married Walter Edward "Edd" Smith. The Smith family resided in Fountain, Pitt County, North Carolina.

United States Census records from 1900, for Falkland Township, Pitt County, North Carolina, indicate that Mrs. W. E. Smith (née Maud Tyson) was born in 1885, to parents Henry S. Tyson (born ca.1861) and Caroline "Carrie" Tyson (born ca. 1861). This 1900 Census also indicates that Maud Tyson's siblings included John (ca.1882-1901), Susie (born ca.1886), Annie(?) (born ca.1888), Carl (born ca.1892), Laney(?) (born ca.1895), and Leona (born ca.1897). The 1910 U.S. Census for Falkland Township, Pitt County, North Carolina, also shows that Maud Tyson had additional siblings, including Alonzo (born ca.1895), Maybelle "Belle" (Mrs. Alfred Taylor) (born ca.1900), and Mary (born ca.1902). U.S. Census records from 1920, for Fountain Township, Pitt County, North Carolina, indicate that W. E. "Edd" and Maud Smith’s children included Carrie (born ca.1908), Edward (born ca.1910), Mattie (born ca.1913), Henry (born ca.1916), and Grace(?) (born ca.1919).

The Smith-Tyson Family collection includes thirteen letters written between the years of 1901 and 1926, to Mrs. W. E. Smith (née Maud Tyson) and her husband W. E. "Edd" Smith, from various friends and family members, as well as transcripts of these letters. Folder A contains letters written by John Tyson, Caroline "Carrie" Tyson, Clarissa Belle Evans, Carl Tyson, Mrs. Alfred Taylor (Maybelle "Belle" Tyson), and Janie Smith. Folder B contains typed transcripts of the letters in this collection. The letters and transcripts are organized in chronological order. The first letter in the collection, dated January 27, 1901, was written by John Tyson, addressed to his sister Maud Tyson. The subject matter of this letter includes a speech given by John Tyson, information about family members, illness, a baptism, and romances. This letter also mentions the names of several people, including Willie Barett and Minie Raspberry.

Letters 2 through 4 of the collection were written in 1902, by Caroline "Carrie" Tyson, and were addressed to her daughter Maud Tyson, while Maud was away at Littleton Female College, in Littleton, NC. The subject matter discussed in these letters includes grading tobacco, Maud's friend Nannie, the cost of schooling, clothing items such as a pique waist, and news regarding family members.

A classmate of Maud Tyson's from Littleton Female College, Clarissa Belle Evans from Cisco, NC wrote letter 5 of this collection. The information in this letter, dated August 6, 1902, pertains to Littleton Female College, mutual friends, and various illnesses such as typhoid fever, capillary bronchitis, and malaria. Also written about are topics including the death of Clarissa's siblings, a picnic at Ballard's Bridge with a talk delivered by the Hon. J. C. Scarborough, President of the Baptist Institute at Murfreesboro, mosquitoes, food, and a fire at the water mill owned by Clarissa's father, Z. W. Evans. This letter also mentions the names of various people, including Ethel Briedlove, Eleanor Evans, Zacharia Evans, and Janie Henderson. Carl Tyson, the younger brother of Maud Tyson Smith, authored letters 6 through 9 of this collection. Three of the letters were addressed to Maud, and one to her husband Edd Smith. This correspondence was written between May and November of 1918, while Carl was enlisted in the Army and stationed at Camp Jackson, SC, during World War I. The information in these letters by Carl Tyson pertains to the progress of World War I and the draft, as well as his duties while at Camp Jackson. Additional topics covered in these letters include farming, weather, family, health, and financial issues.

Maud Tyson Smith's sister, Mrs. Alfred Taylor (Maybelle "Belle" Tyson) of Roanoke Rapids, N.C., wrote letters 10 and 11 in this collection. One is addressed to Mrs. W. E. Smith (Maud Tyson), and dated 1924, while the other is only a partial letter, and is undated. The subject matter addressed in these letters includes weather, gardening, making clothing, the purchase of chicks, family, and peaches.

Letter 12 is from Janie Smith to Mr. and Mrs. W. E. Smith, and is dated 1924. The information contained in this correspondence relates to an illness of Edward's, which may refer to Maud's husband Ed, or their son Edward. Letter 13, dated 1926, is another letter from Caroline "Carrie" Tyson to her daughter, Mrs. W. E. Smith (Maud Tyson) and family. This letter discusses an illness of Carrie's, religious faith, visits to Greenville and Winterville, NC, produce, and family members. This letter also mentions the names of people and places such as Bust Allerton, E. F. Tucker, Herman Tucker, Aubry's Creek, and Young’s store.

Note to researchers: For more information on Littleton Female College, the school attended by Maud Tyson Smith, see the Littleton College Memorial Association Papers (Manuscript Collection #114) in this repository. For more information on Camp Jackson, S.C., where Carl Tyson was stationed during World War I, see the George Willcox McIver Papers Manuscript Collection (#251), in this repository.

Below is material taken from a preliminary inventory and represents content from the collection that is unprocessed.

Expand All | Collapse All