Papers (1901-1930) consisting of letterpress books, correspondence, letters, logbook, etc.
Much of the collection deals with the operation of a lumber mill located in the vicinity of Vandermere, Pamlico County, N.C. Four letterpress books (1902-1907) contain all outgoing correspondence from the mill's local manager C. H. Flowers to the company headquarters in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Such information as the amount of lumber cut, repair and operation costs, and the number of hours worked by the labor crew is offered. Of particular interest are the various descriptions of the local labor situation, including the problem of maintaining a sufficient work crew and of satisfying demands for wage increases. These problems in part reflect the economic conditions of Pamlico County at the turn of the twentieth century. A personal notebook (1901-1902) kept by Flowers offers a weekly report of the amount of lumber locally sold and the prices charged.
The major portion of the collection's correspondence contains letters and directives addressed to the local mill from the company's main office. Included are instructions dealing with the buying of logs and equipment, business costs and shipments.
Also included in the collection are various personal letters and clippings of Flowers and his wife.
Gift of Mr. James Smith
Gift of Mr. Robert Hudgins
Processed by G. Stinagle, April 1972
Encoded by Apex Data Services
Literary rights to specific documents are retained by the authors or their descendants in accordance with U.S. copyright law.