Helen Thomas – Page 2 – Southern Sources

“May a Good Christmas Be Yours!”: Seasonal Greetings from Paul and Elizabeth Green

Paul Green, a Pulitzer Prize winning playwright and Carolina alum, was known for writing “The Lost Colony” and many other outdoor dramas. However, during the holidays he and his wife Elizabeth put their creative genius to a specifically festive use. Each year, the Greens crafted a Christmas card featuring lyrics, and sometimes sheet music, to seasonally-themed songs. Some of the tunes were borrowed, but the words were the Greens’ own writing, sometimes featuring songs from Paul’s published plays. Check out a few of these cards below:

From the Paul Green Papers, #3693, Southern Historical Collection, The Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

“And a two winged aeroplane that will fly”: Kids’ Letters to Santa from 1932

Check out these Christmas wish lists from cousins Niles Grosvenor and Phoebe Evans of Memphis, Tennessee from November, 1932. The corresponding orders to Sears, Roebuck, and Co. from their grandmother and Phoebe’s father show that Santa got it right.

From folder 293 in the Hill and Grosvenor Family Papers #4191, Southern Historical Collection, The Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

For reference, it appears that a transcript was made:

“…deportment has been uniformly correct…”: Report Cards of the 19th Century

With exams in full swing here at UNC, we thought we’d take a moment to appreciate the subjects we’re no longer graded on. Take a look at these report cards from years past – which categories and wordings would you least like to be added to your transcript? Our nomination is “total failure.”

This UNC Chapel Hill student appears to have missed 65 recitations, but at least his deportment was “uniformly good.” From folder 34 of the John S. Henderson Papers #327.

Calista Ramsey wasn’t doing all that well in arithmetic at the Concord Female College, but she did avoid the “total failure” mark. From folder 9 in the J. G. Ramsey Papers #1568.

Eliza London seems to be doing very well in French, German, and Greek at the School of the Misses Nash and Kollock. From folder 14 in the Emily London Short Papers #5181.

(For more on the history of this Hillsboro girls’ school, check out A Sketch of the School of the Misses Nash and Miss Kollock.)

Siblings W. H. and Bettie Joyner both did well in these Franklinton Schools report cards, but both missed the opportunity to take “Wax Work.” Note that W. H.’s penmanship received perfect marks. From folder 41 in the Joyner Family Papers #4428.

The note on the back of W.H's report card reads "Your grandfather's report card. Not as good as Aunt Bettie's." — The note on the back of W.H’s report card reads “your grandfather’s report card. not as good as Aunt Bettie’s, though.” See Bettie’s straight A’s (straight sevens?) below.

A Movember to Remember

In honor of Movember, here’s a look at some of our favorite facial hair found in Wilson Library’s photographic materials. Which is your favorite?

1209_a_blake_1500 meters_olympic team — A. Blake, 1500 meters marathon runner, 1896 United States Olympic Track Team.
From the Eben Alexander Papers #1209, Southern Historical Collection.

John Thomas Wheat, circa 1870-1880. Photographer: J. B. Wortham.
From the John Thomas Wheat Papers #1832, Southern Historical Collection.

H. C. Warmouth — H. C. Warmoth, 1875-1925.
From the Henry Clay Warmoth Papers #752, Southern Historical Collection.

Harry St. John Dixon, 28th Mississippi Volunteers, “The Bloody 28th.” C.S.A.
From the Harry St. John Dixon Papers #2375, Southern Historical Collection.

Charles_Iverson_Graves_seated_Scan_1 — Colonel C. I. Graves in uniform of Egyptian Army.
From the Charles Iverson Graves Papers #2606, Southern Historical Collection.

Pre-Flight School Officer — From the the United States Navy Pre-Flight School (University of North Carolina) Photographic Collection #P0027, North Carolina Collection Photographic Archives.

GB Bushy Cook — G.B. “Bushy” Cook with Ramses at UNC football game.
From the Hugh Morton Photographs and Films #P0081, copyright circa 1949, North Carolina Collection

Autographed button featuring Kyle and Richard Petty.
From the Lew Powell Memorabilia Collection, North Carolina Collection Gallery.

Thanksgiving Recipes from the SHC

Why scour Pinterest? The SHC has your Thanksgiving menu right here! Check out this selection from Recipes in the Culinary Art, Together with Hints on Housewifery & c. by Lancelot Minor Blackford, 1852.

Do you recognize any dishes from your Thanksgiving table?

Click any of the images below for a larger view.

Winter squash recipe — Green Corn Pudding

Green Corn Pudding Recipe — Winter Squash alias “Cashaw”

Sweet potatoe pudding — Sweet Potatoe Pudding

Excerpts from Recipes in the Culinary Art, Together with Hints on Housewifery & c. Lynchburg: Blackford and Bro., First American Edition, 1852. Copyright by Launcelot Minor Blackford. From folder 162 of the Blackford Family Papers, Southern Historical Collection, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence

“…to secure unimpaired their inalianable rights, priviledges, and liberties from the Dominant grasp of British imposition and Tyranny.”

This Fourth of July marks two hundred and thirty-seven years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, but did you know that Mecklenburg County set out to declare its independence from Great Britain even earlier? On May 19th and 20th of 1775, immediately after receiving news of the Battle of Lexington, a convention in Charlotte adopted but did not publish resolutions of independence from the British government. Days later, the Committee of Safety in Charlotte adopted twenty resolves establishing independence and local laws. These resolves were taken to Congress in Philadelphia, which considered them a premature action, and the National Declaration of Independence was not adopted until the next year.

However, those who had participated in the drafting of the Mecklenburg Declaration continued to profess its historical importance. Since no formal declaration was published, the original copy was considered to be the minute book of the Mecklenburg convention recorded by its secretary, John McNitt Alexander. This minute book was destroyed in a fire in 1800, but copies of the record in Alexander’s possession survived. Later that year, Alexander created a new copy from his surviving records for William R. Davie. While the accuracy of surviving copies of the Declaration has been disputed by historians, this copy is given credence due to the accompanying certificate from Samuel Henderson testifying that he received it directly from Davie’s son. That document (known as the Davie Copy) as well as the accompanying certificate from Samuel Henderson, can be seen in the images below.

[click on images for full-screen view]

Item citation: From folder 1 of the Mecklenburg Declaration Papers (#00501) in the Southern Historical Collection, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Other sources:

McNitt, V. V. (1960). Chain of Error and the Mecklenburg Declarations of Independence. Palmer, Massachusetts & New York: Hampden Hills Press.

Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County. (1961). Chapter 4: Verifying the Facts. Hornets’ Nest: The Story of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County. Charlotte, NC: Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County. Retrieved from http://www.cmstory.org/history/hornets/facts.htm