Perkins Family Papers
1911-1950, undated
Manuscript Collection #1501- Creator(s)
- Perkins Family
- Physical description
- 1.15 Cubic Feet
- Preferred Citation
- Perkins Family Papers (#1501), East Carolina Manuscript Collection, J. Y. Joyner Library, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA.
- Repository
- ECU Manuscript Collection
- Access
- This collection is open for research.
The Perkins Family Papers document the personal, educational, military, and business activities of members of the Perkins family of Greenville, North Carolina, primarily during the early to mid-twentieth century. The collection includes personal diaries, school materials, essays, correspondence, photographic prints, military certificates and programs, and financial records related to the family's operation of M.A. Perkins and Son Grocery Store. Researchers will find materials that reflect everyday life, commerce, and military service in Greenville and Hawaii. Dates of materials span approximately 1911 to 1950.
Biographical/historical information
M.A. Perkins and Son Grocery Store was a family-operated retail business located on Dickinson Avenue in Greenville, North Carolina during the mid-1910s. The business was operated by Mattie A. Perkins and Lionel P. Perkins and is documented in local records between approximately 1913 and 1917.
City directories for 1916–1917 list M.A. Perkins and Son at 905 Dickinson Avenue and indicate that both Mattie A. Perkins and Lionel P. Perkins resided at 1012 Dickinson Avenue. A 1913 newspaper reference to Lionel P. Perkins places him in Greenville by that date. A discrepancy exists in the historical record regarding the store's exact address. The National Register of Historic Places nomination for the Dickinson Avenue Historic District identifies "Perkins and Son Grocery" at 903 Dickinson Avenue during the same period. Despite this variation, available sources consistently place the business on Dickinson Avenue by 1916.
The store operated within a developing commercial corridor that included other local businesses. Contemporary sources indicate that nearby establishments included M.G. Duke Grocery and the Weatherington Brothers Restaurant. The building at 905 Dickinson Avenue, constructed circa 1916 and commonly referred to as the Hines Building, was among the commercial structures in use during this period.
Scope and arrangement
The Perkins Family Papers document the personal, educational, military, and business activities of members of the Perkins family of Greenville, North Carolina, primarily during the first half of the twentieth century. The collection includes personal diaries, school materials, correspondence, photographic prints, military-related documents, and financial records related to the family's operation of M.A. Perkins and Son Grocery Store. The materials reflect both everyday life and commercial activity in Greenville as well as the military service of Alton A. Perkins in the Hawaiian Coast Artillery District.
The collection is arranged in three series:
Series 1: Mattie Perkins Materials – This series includes personal writings, diaries, schoolwork, and correspondence of Mattie A. Perkins. Items include composition books, class notebooks, essays, and a short story, as well as correspondence with political figures. Dates for materials in this series range from 1919 to 1950, with some undated items.
Series 2: Alton Perkins Materials – This series contains materials documenting the military service of Alton A. Perkins, including photographic prints, menus for military events, certificates of proficiency, and programs from training sessions at the Noncommissioned Officers School, Hawaiian Coast Artillery District. Materials in this series date from 1924 to 1925.
Series 3: Financial Records Pertaining to the Perkins Family and M.A. Perkins and Son Grocery Story – This series includes business and financial documents associated with M.A. Perkins and Son Grocery Store and other family financial matters. Materials consist of store ledgers, insurance policies, receipts, tax and deposit records, business licenses, correspondence with Moseley Brothers, Inc., and other related financial documents. The series covers the period 1911 to 1943.
The collection is arranged chronologically within each series and is maintained in its original format where possible. The arrangement reflects both subject and family member, facilitating research into personal, military, and business aspects of the Perkins family.
Administrative information
Custodial History
Processing information
Processed by Patrick Cash, March 2026
Copyright notice
This material is made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright law. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to taking precautions against infringement of copyright and respecting the publication rights of reproduced materials. All rights are reserved and retained regardless of current or future development or laws that may apply to fair use standards. Any materials used should be fully credited with their source according to the example given in the Preferred Citation note. Requests for assistance with citations and images of publication quality should be directed to specialcollections@ecu.libanswers.com. This collection may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state law. The user assumes full responsibility for using such information and is advised that the disclosure of such information about identifiable living individuals without their consent may have legal ramifications.
Metadata Rights Declaration
This record is made available under an Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International Creative Commons license.