Moore Family Papers

1870-1950
Manuscript Collection #275
Creator(s)
Moore family
Physical description
1.09 Cubic Feet, 545 items, 1 volume , consisting of correspondence, land records, legal records, pamphlets, report, programs, essay, poem, speeches, tracts, clippings, picture post cards, photographs, receipts, ledger book, and miscellaneous.
Preferred Citation
Moore Family Papers (#275), East Carolina Manuscript Collection, J. Y. Joyner Library, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA.
Repository
ECU Manuscript Collection
Access
No restrictions

Papers (1870-1950, undated) of clerk of Pitt County Superior Court and his sons, consisting of correspondence, land records, legal records, pamphlets, reports, essay, poems, receipts, speeches, ledger books, and miscellaneous.


Biographical/historical information

David C. Moore resided in Greenville, N.C., and served as clerk of superior court. His sons, David, Jr., Allen Thurman, Andrew J., and Thomas, attended the University of North Carolina after which they lived in Greenville.


Scope and arrangement

Much of the correspondence (1871-1920) concerns local and family matters. A prominent topic is the University of North Carolina. Letters describe a late-night torch procession through Chapel Hill (May 24, 1905), and life at UNC (May 11, 1913). Other letters (1911) solicit contributions for the Tau Chapter House Fund for the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity.

Topics relating to education include discussion of a planned school in Tarboro (July, 1872), and a letter recommending entrance without examination into UNC of a graduate of the Greenville Male Academy (1901).

Letters from Primitive Baptist elder Sylvester Hassell and others comment on a yearly meeting of the Flat Swamp Church (Sept. 13, 1873), the purchase of a Bible and hymnal for the Great Swamp Church (March, 1910), and other matters relating to the Primitive Baptist Church (Nov., 1920).

World War I letters comment on the physical examination for military inductees, military life (April, 1917), and opine that the U.S. Army was good despite complaints of some officers and enlisted men (June, 1919).

Other topics of interest include hard times in Bethel (1873), an account of train travel from Greenville to Salem, N.C., with comments on a "stage" ride from High Point to Salem, and a description of Salem (1871); the resort of Seven Springs near Goldsboro (1912); and precautions to be taken against the influenza epidemic of 1918, local deaths from the disease, and the conditions in Wilmington.

A file of Greenville Cotton Mills records includes tabulations of yarn sales (1916) and yarn orders (1918); a letter pertaining to the estate of a Moore family member controlled by the Mill (1917); a trial balance for August, 1917; and a "winder's sheet sheet" for the week ending May 11, 1918.

Land records consist of seven deeds for Pitt County land (1870-1920). Legal records consist of land rental contracts (1895, 1896, 1897); steam saw rental contracts (1895); a timber contract (1897); a contract between Bethel Manufacturing Company and Boyle Manufacturing Company of Martin County for the rental of a "whoop" saw (1896); and an inventory of the personal estate of D.C. Moore (1914).

Records pertaining to elections include a pamphlet, Senator Simmons for Locke Craig, (1908); lists of Pitt County delegates to the state and congressional conventions (1912); a speech urging the selection of Oscar N. Underwood as presidential nominee (1912); a tabulation of the Pitt County precincts for candidates in the June 2, 1934, Democratic primary; a flyer, "Gubernatorial Bulletin," showing notes in state conventions for candidates Craig, Kitchen, and Horne (undated); and various undated ballots.

Material pertaining to the University of North Carolina includes a student handbook (1904), a term report (1906), a class bulletin and dance cards (1915), and a Glee Club program (1928).

A nineteenth century essay argues the necessity of wearing woolen clothes the year round. Accompanying the essay is a recipe for black walnut stain and a furniture polish (undated). A sheet (undated) contains poems entitled "Prayer and Potatoes," and "The Child and the Rill."

Speeches (1942, undated) consist of radio talks on the history and 35th anniversary for the Kiwanis Clubs.

A tract, "Are you Guilty? A Murderer's Last Words," (undated) cites the evils of alcohol and need for prohibition. A brochure (1918) states the program of the Veterans of World War I, and a 1964 pamphlet, Dan Moore, pertains to his governor's race.

A picture post card collection contains scenes from Chapel Hill and UNC, Charlotte, Goldsboro, Greensboro, Greenville, Lumberton, Raleigh, Rocky Mount, Seven Springs, Wilmington, Wilson and other North Carolina cities; the Jamestown Exposition of 1907; New York City, Pennsylvania; and Virginia. Photographs and photograph albums primarily pertain to the Moore Family.

Miscellaneous materials of interest include D. C. Moore's records (1904) as Greenville Clerk of Superior Court, 1905 season scores for a Greenville sports team, a typescript account of a trip to Raleigh to see UNC game (1912), and a memorial tribute to Mary E. Ward [1932].


Administrative information
Custodial History

January 6, 1975, 400 items; Papers (1872-1928) of a Pitt County, N.C., family, including correspondence, photographs, picture post cards, legal papers, financial records, and a ledger. Gift of Mr. Charles Wilkerson, Greenville, N.C.

Source of acquisition

Gift of Mr. Charles Wilkerson

Processing information

Processed by D. Lawson, May 1979

Encoded by Apex Data Services

Copyright notice

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


Key terms
Family Names
Moore family
Corporate Names
Pi Kappa Alpha
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill--Alumni and alumnae
Topical
Cotton manufacture--North Carolina--Greenville
Land use--North Carolina--Pitt County
Political campaigns--North Carolina--Pitt County
World War, 1914-1918--Personal narratives

Container list
Box 1 Folder a Correspondence, 1871-1940
Box 1 Folder b Greenville Cotton Mills Records, 1916-1918
Box 1 Folder c Land records, 1870-1896
Box 1 Folder e Elections material, 1908-1934
Box 1 Folder f UNC-CH file, 1906-1950
Box 1 Folder g Poem and essay, undated
Box 1 Folder h Kiwanis material, 1942, undated
Box 1 Folder i Programs, pamphlets, tracts, 1905-1911, 1964, undated
Box 1 Folder j Clippings, undated
Box 1 Folder k Miscellaneous, 1875-1932
Box 2a Folder b Photographs
Box 2a Folder c Photographs
Box 2b Folder e Chapel Hill, N.C., Postcards
Box 2b Folder f Miscellaneous (non-North Carolina) Postcards
Box 2b Folder n Washington, D.C., Postcards
Box 2b Folder o Raleigh, N.C., Postcards
Box 2b Folder p New York City, N.Y., Postcards
Box 2b Folder q Pennsylvania Postcards
Box 2b Folder r Laurinburg, N.C., Postcards
Box 2b Folder s Virginia Postcards
Box 2b Folder t 1907 Jamestown, Virginia Exposition Postcards
Box 2b Folder u Richmond, Virginia, Postcards
Box 2b Folder v Charlotte, N.C., Postcards
Box 4 Clerk Superior Court Ledger
Oversize Folder os1 Indenture (May 10, 1873) between Guilford Andrews and Artemis Whitehurst of Pitt County, N.C.