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The Phoenix Historical Society: African American History of Edgecombe County was founded in 2001 to recover, record, and promote the unique history of Edgecombe County (North Carolina) as experienced by members of its African American community. This collection contains the society's official records, brochures, event programs, and publications related to research, community events and sponsored projects.

Papers (1914) consisting of carbon copies, letters, position of stock, law, legislation.

Papers (1900-1918, 1944) including birthing records, genealogical records, copies of estate settlement, financial records, deeds of sale for parcel of land.

Collection (1900 - 1983, undated [Bulk: 1936 - 1940]) of correspondence, newspaper clippings, photographic prints, printed forms, ephemera, printed materials, oversized materials, etc. relating to the life and career of William J. Croom (1901-1940) as a patrolman in Kinston, North Carolina, a member of the first North Carolina State Highway Patrol in Greensboro, N.C., and Director of Public Safety in Durham, N.C.; Also included are Croom and Peed family genealogical files and photographs.

Journal (1889-1897) including farm journal, business transactions, daily weather, religious beliefs, alliance meetings.

Includes medical school class notes, medical licenses, patient notes, account books, certificates, diplomas, and photographs.

Collection consists of a two volumes titled "Journal of a Cruise from Norfolk, Virginia to the Pacific Ocean in the United States Frigate United States, Isaac Hull, Esq'r, Commander" kept by Philadelphian midshipman Lawrence Penington from 4 December 1823, through 22 April 1827. United States was one of six frigates authorized to be constructed by the Naval Act of 1794 and it served as the flagship for Commodore Hull who was head of the American naval squadron on the Pacific Coast of South America. Penington documents navigation statistics, weather reports and daily ship life, along with the larger issues of interaction between the American naval squadron and British, Spanish, Chilean, Colombian and Peruvian naval and military counterparts.

Carolina (1746?). Pulled from volume-3. page 562. 7-7/8 by 10-7/8 image size, 2-2/3 to 3-1/3 linen matting over acid free matting, 16-2/3 by 18-2/3 decorative wooden frame, Moderate foxing. Black and white map. Location: Vault.

Diary compiled (8/19/1943 - 9/15/1945) while serving as a US Navy Electrician's Mate 2/c aboard the USS Essex (CV 9) during World War II, including diagrams of electrical equipment, descriptions of daily life at sea; defending against air and torpedo attacks; attacking the Japanese-held islands of Marcus, Wake, Rabaul, Tarawa, Marshalls (Roi, Kwajalein) Truk, Saipan, Bonin, Guam, Philippines (Mindanao, Luzon, Cebu), Okinawa, Formosa, Indo-China, Tokyo, Iwo Jima, and the Japanese main islands; the naval battles of the Marianas Islands, the Philippines Sea, the Philippines typhoon of 1944, and attacks by kamikazes.

This ledger (1886-1903) contains accounts for a general store in Bethel, N.C., owned by Guilford Andrews, one of the town commissioners who incorporated Bethel in 1873. Loose papers (mostly concerning Guilford Andrews in Pitt County) found in the ledger are land records (1879-1887), insurance policies (1875, 1882), tax receipts (1880-1898), receipts and bills of lading (1880-1884, 1900), a license to sell liquor (1877), business correspondence (1884) and accounts.

Papers (1900-1961, undated) including correspondence, speeches, clippings, pamphlets, photographs, etc. relating to chairmanship of the Davidson County (NC) Democratic Party and member of the State Senate. c.

Papers (1805-1968; bulk 1860-1916) consisting of correspondence of a political nature, family-related correspondence, speeches, financial papers, farm records, farm account books, clippings, photographs, a diary and printed material related to Elias Carr and other members of the Carr and related families. Elias Carr (1839-1900) of Edgecombe County, a member of the Democratic Party, was the governor of North Carolina (1893-1897) and president of the N.C. State Farmers' Alliance and Industrial Union (1889-1892).

The Utaka Hashimoto Papers (1942-1946, undated), consists of a scrapbook, entitled Utaka's Over Sea Souvenir, compiled by Hashimoto's wife, Mitsuyo "Mitzie" Hashimoto, to document her husband's World War II military intelligence service as a Technician 5th class, in the 163rd and 171st Language Detachments, 32nd Infantry Division, I Corps, United States Army, which was assigned to the Southwest Pacific and Occupation of Japan. The scrapbook focuses on his overseas service, from October 1945 through May 1946, aboard the troopships SS JAMES H. KINKAID (WSAT AP USAT-480) and SS MARSHALL VICTORY (VC2-S-AP2); his brief deployment in Manila, the Philippines during October - November 1945; and in various locations in Japan from November 1945 to May 1946. Included are correspondence, newsletter clippings, photographic prints, black and white and color postcards, printed forms, U.S. Military and Occupation and Japanese currencies, and ephemera from Japan. Additional items document Utaka Hashimoto's military service and also include photocopies of records of his wife's voluntary evacuation (before their marriage) due to the resettlement of Japanese Americans during WWII and that of her second husband who was in a relocation camp.

Papers (ca. 1890s-2003) of Nina Belle Redditt (1923-2005) and family of Greenville, Pitt County, N.C. Nina Belle Redditt, who served as a DKC officer in the U.S. Navy for 31 years, was the daughter of George Edward Harris, Sr., and Isabella "Belle" Augusta Hearne Harris. Included are scattered correspondence (1905-1907, 1930s-1950s, 1975), photographs and photocopies of photographs (1890s-1978), clippings (1950s-2003), and genealogical notes related to the Harris, Hearne and Moore families of Pitt County and the Redditt family of Beaufort County, N.C. Also included are two books: Old Southern Songs of the Period of the Confederacy, and Southern Sidelights by Rev. William E. Cox. Additional material relates to Nina Belle Redditt's Navy career and includes a photograph album (1947-1955) of service in Malta, Bainbridge, Maryland, and the Portrex war exercise in Puerto Rico; and photographs (1953) and documents (1956, 1963) related to the Korean War Military Armistice Agreement and the United Nations Command's involvement.

Records (1937-1960) including correspondence, work orders, product invoices, requisitions, receipts, advertisements, photographs, and publications.