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Lemuel Showell Blades, III, (1933-2011) began his career as a lawyer and then went on to become the president of the Norfolk Telephone Company while serving on a number of committees in Elizabeth City, and New Bern, North Carolina. This collection spans from 1711-2011 and includes newspaper clippings, photographs, genealogical charts, letters, oral histories, books, videos, and career files. The strength of this collection is the genealogical overview of the several generations linking to the Blades family.

This collection contains minutes from several eastern North Carolina Primitive Baptist churches including Mill Branch (1882-1998) and Nashville (1896-1983) churches in Nash County, Briery Swamp Church (1991-2006), and Kehukee (1971-1994) and Contentnea (October 1985) Primitive Baptist Associations. Other records include expense accounts and correspondence for Mill Branch Church; Bible records for the Barnhill family; correspondence and publications relating to a schism (1979) between Elder David Spangler and Brethren Eldon Gilbert and St. Clair Graham of Ontario, Canada; forms and clippings related to the Norfolk and Briery Creek Associations; and miscellaneous items.

Collection (ca. 1876-1942) of manuscripts, photographs, and printed materials relating to Vice Admiral Niblack (1858-1929) and his family, especially his naval, engineering, and scientific careers. Included are his work with the Smithsonian Institution; services in the USS ALABAMA, USS BOSTON, USS CASTINE, USS CHICAGO, USS COSMOS, USS IROQUOIS, USS LACKAWANNA, USS MICHIGAN, USS PATTERSON, USS PITTSBURGH, USS TACOMA, USS UTAH, and the USS WINSLOW; as Director of Naval Intelligence, 1919-1920; and his services ((beginning in 1896) as naval attaché to the U. S. Embassies at Berlin and Rome and to the U. S. Legation at Vienna. Topics covered include combat at the Battle of Manila (1898) during the Spanish American War, involvement of the USS BOSTON in the Battle of Iloilo (1899) in the Philippine Islands during the Philippine-American War, the Occupation of Vera Cruz, Mexico, 1914, and during and after World War I, 1917-1919, 1921-1922. Other materials relate to the naming and launching (1937-1942) of the USS NIBLACK.

Papers of Lincoln Fitzell (1958) documenting the life and literary career of noted the San Francisco, California-born poet, who also worked as a longshoreman; consisting of manuscript typescripts of his literary essays, short stories, poems, and a novel The Sword and the Dragon (1958).

The Louis Orr Collection contains a set of forty-eight prints of the original fifty-one print set (and one replacement print) made from etchings of North Carolina historical landmarks and architectural sites. The etchings were created from 1939 to 1952 by artist Louis Orr, a world-renown etcher, at the behest of North Carolina resident Robert Lee Humber who wanted to preserve North Carolina's heritage by providing the artwork to schools, colleges, public libraries and institutions throughout the state.

Papers (1885-1930, undated) including correspondence, financial papers, clippings, photographs, pamphlets, newspapers, a letterpress book, etc., relating to Fechtig's role as purchasing agent for the Washington, Ohio and Western Railroad Company and other companies.

Papers (1941-1962) consisting of correspondence, field orders, clippings, maps, photos, and miscellaneous.

Papers (1967-1980) including correspondence, memoranda, minutes, reports, bills, clippings, photographs, letters, etc.

Papers (1976-2011) of Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Executive Director of the North Carolina Clean Water Management Trust Fund and lobbyist for Conservation Council of North Carolina and the Sierra Club, North Carolina Chapter, including correspondence, newsletters, pamphlets, handbooks, magazines, legislative summaries, memos, reports, newspaper clippings on microfilm and miscellaneous documents relating to environmental issues.

Matriculation cards, photographs, newspaper clippings, and a ledger of physicians Matthew M. Butler and Charles S. Butler.

A Sketch of Naval Life (1856-1865) by John A. Grier and "The Escambia Scrapbook" detailing the experiences of the crew of the USS Escambia (AO-80) (1943-1946).

Records (1865 [1892-1999]) including correspondence, minutes, financial and legal records, audit reports, contracts, stockholder records, bids, blurprints, job specifications, ledgers, catalogs, and miscellany.

Biography of Clarence Raymond Deller, Jr., Cdr., USN (ret) [1918- ], by Elise B. Deller

Papers of Richard Eberhart (1885-1990 [Bulk: 1918-1989], undated) documenting the life and literary career of the Austin, Minnesota-born poet, playwright, literary critic, and educator, including correspondence, scripts, typescripts, holographs, miscellaneous materials, audio and video materials, and loose manuscript items transferred from the Stuart Wright Books Collection, proofs of published works, audio recordings, printed materials by Eberhart and other writers, oversized materials and materials in English, French, Greek, Anglo-Saxon, Old French, Russian, Spanish, Thai language.

Map (1597) of the East Coast of North America, by Cornelius Wytfliet, extending from the Outer Banks of North Carolina to Cape Breton (21- 41. North Latitude; 287- 308 West Longitude) excised from Descriptionis Ptolemaeici augmentum, the first atlas of America. 9 x 11.25 x .125. Matted. Hand colored. Watermark is present, but the animal depicted is unclear.