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Finding aid for the Audubon Mississippi / Strawberry Plains Finley Collection

MUM01701

PURL

http://purl.oclc.org/umarchives/MUM01701/

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Summary Information

Repository
University of Mississippi Libraries
Creator
McAlexander, Hubert Horton
Creator
National Audubon Society ;
Title
Audubon Mississippi / Strawberry Plains Finley Collection
ID
MUM01701
Date [inclusive]
1830-2008 (bulk 1830-1980)
General Physical Description note
29 boxes (12 linear feet)
Abstract:
Correspondence, documents, photographs and other materials related to the lives of several Marshall County, Mississippi families and the Strawberry Plains plantation. Includes the accretion by Dr. Hubert H. McAlexander of research materials gathered on Strawberry Plains.

Prefered Citation

Audubon Mississippi / Strawberry Plains Finley Collection, circa 1830-1980, Archives and Special Collections, J.D. Williams Library, The University of Mississippi

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Historical Note

The Finley and Davis families, related through marriage, lived in Marshall County, Mississippi; in 1834, Mary Jane Greelee of Virginia married John Tate Finley while her sister, Martha Trimble Greelee, married Ebeneezer Nelms Davis in 1845. Martha and Ebeneezer built the substantial plantation home, Strawberry Plains, while the Finley’s lived in Holly Springs proper. Strawberry Plains was burned during the Civil War. For several years after the 1863 fire, the family lived in a small cabin on the property.

The "Finley Place" was built by Mrs. Martha Alston Reese Jones, April 1859. During the Jones’s tenure, the Surgeon General of Grant’s Army and his staff occupied the home. The home became known as the Jones-Shuford House when Mrs. Jones sold the property to her son-in-law Dr. Shuford in 1872.

In 1906 George Finley purchased the home, which passed to his son Thomas Finley in November 1923. By this time Thomas had married Ruth Leach and had two children: Ruth Finley (September 1911) and Margaret Finley (June 1915). The two young girls grew up in the house and inherited it from their parents. Margaret Finley Shackelford returned to Holly Springs with her husband, Dr. Shackelford,and purchased Strawberry Plains while her sister Ruth remained in the Finley Place.

The two sisters donated Finley Place and Strawberry Plains to the National Audubon Society in 1983; the Society took residence in the Spring of 1998.

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Scope and Content Note

Collection from the Marshall County plantation, Strawberry Plains. Contains the letters, documents, photographs and other materials related to the lives of several Marshall County families: Davis, Finley, Leach, Hull, Fant, Moseley, Pinson, Kimball, Bynum, Tidwell, and Levy.

The bulk of the collection concerns the Finley family and is in the 20th century.

The Dr. Hubert H. McAlexander Accretion contains five boxes of research materials kept by Dr. McAlexander for his book on Strawberry Plains and the Audubon Society in Mississippi. Also includes information on family history from Holly Springs.

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Arrangement

This collection is arranged by series according to family, then divided by subject and format. Materials are chronologically arranged within each subseries. Materials in the Dr. Hubert H. McAlexander accretion remain in original order.

  1. Series I. Leach Family
  2. Series II. Davis Family
  3. Series III. Hull Family
  4. Series IV. Moseley Family
  5. Series V. Levy, Fant, Kimball, Bynum, Tidwell, Shackelford, and Pinson Families
  6. Series VI. Finley Family
  7. Series VII. Dr. Hubert H. McAlexander Accretion

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Administrative Information

Publication Information

University of Mississippi Libraries

Access Restrictions

The Audubon Mississippi / Strawberry Plains Finley Collection is open for research.

Copyright Restrictions

The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specified conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be "used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship or research." If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of "fair use", that user may be liable for copyright infringement.

Additions

No further additions are expected to this collection.

Acquisition Information

Donated to the University by the National Audubon Society, 2003. Accretion donated by Dr. Hubert Horton McAlexander, 2008.

Processing Information

Collection processed by Jennifer Ford. Stephanie McKnight processed the Hubery H. Alexander Accretion. Finding aid encoded by Jason Kovari, 8 May 2009 ; revised June 2010.

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Related Materials

Separated Material

Photographs were removed from this collection, housed separately for preservation purposes.

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Controlled Access Headings

Corporate Name(s)

  • Strawberry Plains Audubon Center -- History

Format(s)

  • blueprints (reprographic copies)
  • cookbooks
  • correspondence
  • diaries
  • documents
  • financial records
  • ledgers (account books)
  • maps
  • photographs

Geographic Name(s)

  • Marshall County (Miss.) -- History
  • Mississippi -- History -- 19th century
  • Mississippi -- History -- 20th century

Personal Name(s)

  • Finley family

Subject(s)

  • Plantations -- Mississippi -- Marshall County -- History
  • Slavery -- Mississippi -- Marshall County

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Collection Inventory

Series I. Leach Family 

1.1 Correspondence, 1881-1898 

1.2 Correspondence, Undated 20th Century 

1.3 Correspondence, 1905 

1.4 Correspondence, 1906 

1.5 Correspondence, 1906 

1.6 Correspondence, 1907-1909 

1.7 Tax Return Information, 1906-1918 

1.8 Financial Documents, 1890-1922 

1.9 Miscellaneous 

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Series II. Davis Family 

2.1 Correspondence, Undated-1905 

2.2 Martha Greenlee Davis’ Civil War claim correspondence, 1896-1901 

2.3 19th Century financial documents, Undated-1860 

2.4 19th Century financial documents, 1861-1894 

2.5 Miscellaneous 

3 OVRS E.M. Davis’ Civil War Pardon from Andrew Johnson, 21 August 1865 

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Series III. Hull Family 

2.6 Correspondence, 1869-1890 

2.7 19th Century financial documents 

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Series IV. Moseley Family 

2.8 Correspondence, 1891 

2.9 Slave bills of sale 

2.10 19th century financial documents (does not include slave bills) 

2.11 Martha Moseley correspondence 

2.12 Genealogical materials 

2.13 Genealogical materials 

2.14 Genealogical materials 

2.15 Genealogical materials 

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Series V. Levy, Fant, Kimball, Bynum, Tidwell, Shackelford, and Pinson Families 

2.16 Levy family correspondence and documents. 

2.17 Fant family correspondence 

2.18 Fant family financial documents, 1905-1916 

2.19 Kimball family financial documents, 1888-1903 

4.1 Bynum family financial documents, 1902 

4.2 Tidwell family financial documents, 1949 

4.3 Pinson family financial documents, 1922-1945 

4.4 Shackelford family correspondence and documents. 

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Series VI. Finley Family 

Correspondence 

4.5 Undated-January 1886 

4.6 March 1886-March 1888 

4.7 October 1888-December 1899 

4.8 Undated 19th-century 

4.9 Undated 19th-century 

4.10 January 1900-May 1900 

4.11 January 1901-November 1906 

4.12 January 1907-November 1909 

5.1 March 1910-December 1914 

5.2 January 1911-December 1919 

5.3 January 1920-December 1924 

5.4 February 1927-December 1929 

5.5 March 1930-December 1934 

5.6 January 1935-December 1939 

5.7 January 1940-December 1949 

5.8 July 1950-December 1959 

5.9 January 1960-October 1969 

6.1 March 1970-June 1979 

6.2 June 1980-January 1981 

Miscellaneous Materials 

6.3 19th Century documents 

6.4 20th Century documents, Undated-1967 

6.5 20th Century documents, Undated-1967 

General note

Includes materials on the Strawberry Plains historic register nomination

6.6 19th Century miscellaneous 

6.7 General miscellaneous 

6.8 General miscellaneous 

6.9 General miscellaneous 

6.10 General miscellaneous 

General note

Contains TVA abstract

7.1 General miscellaneous 

7.2 General miscellaneous 

7.3 General miscellaneous 

7.4 Miscellaneous art prints 

7.5 General miscellaneous 

General note

Contains copy of deed of gift of land for Finley Chapel

7.6 School materials ( See also Box 11

7.7 School materials ( See also Box 11

7.8 Empty envelopes 

7.9 Miscellaneous invitations 

General note

Includes invitation to Ruth Leach and Thomas Finley’s wedding in 1907

7.10 Maps and blueprints 

General note

Contains blueprint of a corn crib

7.11 Maps and blueprints 

General note

Contains highway map of Marshall County, January 1939

7.12 Plans for the restoration of Strawberry Plains, 27 March 1969 

7.13 Map of Mississippi County, Arkansas 

8.1 School materials ( See also Box 10

8.2 School materials( See also Box 10

8.3 Unidentified 20th Century scratch notes 

14 19th century cookbook- labeled, "receipt book, 28 October 1857. Woodland" 

14 19th century cookbook- labeled, "Mother Finley’s old cook books" 

8.4 19th century cookbook fragment and recipes 

8.5 20th century cookbooks and recipes 

8.6 20th century cookbooks and recipes 

8.7 Certificate of Baptism. Ruth Anna Leads, 29 October 1893 

8.8 Notebook Diary. Margaret Finley, Holly Springs, 1922 

Magazines and Pamphlets 

9-10 Magazines and Pamphlets 

Miscellaneous Fabric and Ephemera 

11 Fabric 

11 Glasses 

11 Autograph books 

11 Bio of Our Baby 

Diaries and Scrapbooks 

12 Diaries and Scrapbooks 

General note

Contains Emma Finley’s diary, 1858-1859

Newspaper Clippings 

3 19th Century 

3 20th Century 

General Miscellaneous 

14.1 General 19th Century miscellaneous 

14.2 General 20th Century miscellaneous 

14.3 General 20th Century miscellaneous 

14.4 Materials on the Children of the Confederacy group of Holly Springs 

14.5 General correspondence, unknown sender or recipient 

14.6 Documents 19th Century 

Ruth Finley Bank Statements 

13 Bank Statements 

Conditions Governing Access note

These materials are not publically available.

Photographs 

19th Century General Financial Documents 

14.7 Undated-1889 

14.8 1890-1899 

14.9 Documents regarding the guardianship of Finley Scruggs by George J. Finley, 1881-1887 

14.10 General 19th Century financial documents 

20th Century General Financial Documents 

14.11 Undated 

14.12 20th Century documents regarding the McKissack Farm 

14.13 Undated-1906 

14.14 1900-October 1909 

15.1 October 1911-December 1919 

15.2 1920-1921 

15.3 January-October 1922 

15.4 1922-1925 

15.5 1923 

15.6 1924 

15.7 March-October, 1925 

15.8 1926-1929 

16.1 1930-1933 

16.2 1934 

16.3 1935 

16.4 1936-1939 

16.5 1940-1942 

16.6 1943-1949 

16.7 March 1950-October 1958 

16.8 1961-1967 

16.9 1970-1979 

16.10 Addition to Finley Place, 1975 

16.11 1985 

20th Century Tax Return Documents 

17.1 Undated-1918 

17.2 1921-1923 

17.3 1929 

17.4 1930 

17.5 1933-1939 

17.6 1940-1949 

17.7 1941 

17.8 1942 

17.9 1943 

17.10 1944 

17.11 1945 

17.12 1948 

17.13 1949 

17.14 1951 

17.15 1952 

17.16 1954-1959 

17.17 1957 

17.18 1958 

17.19 1959 

17.20 1960 

17.21 1960-1965 

18.1 1961 

18.2 1962 

18.3 1963 

18.4 1964 

18.5 1966 

18.6 1966 

18.7 1967 

18.8 1967 

18.9 1968 

18.10 1968-1969 

18.11 1969 

18.12 1970 

18.13 1970-1972 

18.14 1971 

18.15 1972 

18.16 1973 

18.17 1973 

18.18 1974 

19.1 1974-1976 

19.2 1975 

19.3 1976 

19.4 1977-1979 

19.5 1978 

19.6 1980-1981 

Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service Files 

19.7 1967 

19.8 1968 

19.9 1969 

19.10 1970 

19.11 1971 

20th Century Stock and Bond Information 

20.1 Stocks and bonds, 1929-1979 

20.2 Miscellaneous stock and bond information 

20.3 Miscellaneous stock and bond information 

20.4 Stocks and bonds, 1929-1979 

20.5 Cancelled checks and bank statements, Undated-1921 

20.6 Cancelled checks and bank statements, Undated-1925 

20.7 Cancelled checks and bank books, 1920s-1930s 

21.1 Finley Family cancelled checks, 1933-1947 

21.2 Finley Family cancelled checks, 1961-1963 

21.3 Finley Family cancelled checks, 1975-1977 

21.4 Finley Family cancelled checks, 1978-1979 

21.5 Shackelford Family financial documents 

21.6 Shackelford Family financial documents 

21.7 Shackelford Family financial documents 

Ledgers 

Undated Financial Ledgers 

22 Loose Undated Financial Ledgers 

Thomas Finley Ledgers 

Ledger #1 February 1917-August 1917 

Scope and Contents note

Contains rent records and cash advances

Ledger #2 1915-1922 

Ledger #3 1917-1918 

Ledger #4 1918 

Ledger #5 1918-1921 

Ledger #6 1918-1920 

Ledger #7 1919-1921 

Ledger #8 Settlements 1921-1924 

Ledger #9 Income Tax 1921-1932 

Ledger #10 1921-1923 

Ledger #11 1922 

Scope and Contents note

Contains financial records, cotton records, and rent records

Ledger #12 October 1922-April 1929 

Scope and Contents note

Contains securities information, the account, cotton records, and household expenses

Ledger #13 1922-1935 

Scope and Contents note

Contains information on J.L. Finley, guardian of E.E. Finley

Ledger #14 Receipt book for cotton 1923-1929 

Ledger #15 1925-1927 

Ledger #16 1925-1927 

Ledger #17 1925 

Ledger #18 1925-1927 

Ledger #19 1925-1928 

Ledger #20 1925 

Ledger #21 1927-1929 

Ledger #22 1927-1928 

Ledger #23 1929-1931 

Scope and Contents note

Contains information on cotton records

Ledger #24 1929-1931 

Ledger #25 1931-1932 

Ledger #26 1931-1934 

Ledger #27 1931-1933 

Ledger #28 1932-1934 

Ledger #29 1932-1934 

Ledger #30 [1933] 

Ledger #31 Records of cotton bales 1934-1935 

Ledger #32 1934-1943 

Ledger #33 1934-1935 

Ledger #34 1934 

Ledger #35 1934-1939 

Ledger #36 1934-1935 

Ledger #37 1935-1949 

Scope and Contents note

Contains information on taxes, rents, and dividends

Ledger #38 1935-1937 

Ledger #39 1935-1957 

Ledger #40 17 April 1937-31 January 1940 

Ledger #41 1935-1938 

Ledger #42 1935-1941 

Scope and Contents note

Contains bank records, repair information, tax information, and cotton information

Ledger #43 1935-1942 

Ledger #44 1935-1937 

Ledger #45 1937 

Ledger #46 1937-1939 

Scope and Contents note

Contains cotton records

Ledger #47 1938-1940 

Ledger #48 1938-1940 

Scope and Contents note

Contains tenant records and information on acreage

Ledger #49 1940-1944 

Ledger #50 1940-1943 

Ledger #51 1940-1941 

Ledger #52 1941-1943 

Ledger #53 1942-1943 

Scope and Contents note

Contains information on cotton

Ledger #54 April 1942-October 1943 

Scope and Contents note

Contains information on debt, army worm, poison records, and fertilizer records

Ledger #55 1943-1945 

Ledger #56 1943-1945 

Ledger #57 September 1944-February 1945 

Ledger #58 1944-1949 

Ledger #59 1944-1945 

Ledger #60 September 1945-April 1946 

Scope and Contents note

Contains cotton and fertilizer records

Ledger #61 1945-1946 

Ledger #62 December 1946-October 1948 

Ledger #63 1947-1948 

Scope and Contents note

Contains cotton, corn, and fertilizer records

Ledger #64 1947 

Ledger #65 1947-1950 

Ledger #65B 1948-1962 

Ledger #66 1948-1950 

Ledger #67 1948-1950 

Ledger #68 1950s 

Ledger #69 1950-1956 

Scope and Contents note

Contains bank records, crop expenses, interest and stocks, and information on the Victoria Gin Company

Ledger #70 Cotton records September 1936-1950 

Ledger #71 1950-1952 

Ledger #72 1951-1955 

Ledger #73 1953-1959 

Scope and Contents note

Contains cotton register and farm reports

Ledger #74 1955-1961 

Scope and Contents note

Contains cotton and poison records

Ledger #75 April 1956-October 1959 

Ledger #76 1956-1967 

Ledger #77 Records of the Emma Finley Estate 1957-1961 

Ledger #78 1959-1962 

Ledger #79 Cotton and rent records 1960-1962 

Ledger #80 1960s 

Ledger #81 1962-1964 

Ledger #82 1964-1965 

Ledger #83 1966-1973 

Ledger #84 1966-1971 

George Finley Ledgers 

Ledger #1 Undated 

Scope and Contents note

Contains land plats and relating to George Finley’s land holdings

Ledger #2 1868-1875 

Ledger #3 1876-1877 

Ledger #4 1878-1882 

Ledger #5 1878 

Ledger #6 1880 

Ledger #7 1883 

Ledger #8 1885 

Ledger #9 [1885]-1888 

Ledger #10 1886 

Ledger #11 1887-1888 

Ledger #12 August-September 1888 

Scope and Contents note

Contains wage and time records

Ledger #13 1889-1891 

Ledger #14 1891-1893 

Ledger #15 1893 

Ledger #16 1894 

Ledger #17 1895-1896 

Ledger #18 1896-1897 

Ledger #19 1897-1899 

Ledger #20 1898 

Ledger #21 1899-1900 

Ledger #22 1901-1902 

Ledger #23 1902-1904 

Ledger #24 1914-1915 

Miscellaneous Ledgers 

Ledger #1 General ledger of household expenses 1934-1936 

Ledger #2 Contains inspirational writings and prayers Undated 

Ledger #3 Unknown owner but contains fertilizer records 1967 

Ledger #4 1965-1967 

Ledger #5 Ruth Leach’s short stories for composition class Undated 

Ledger #6 Margaret Elizabeth Finley baby book 6 June 1915 

Ledger #7 Ruth Finley’s diary 1961 

Ledger #8 Dockery & Donelson Company, Spot Cotton Brokers, notebook Undated 

Ledger #9 Ruth Finley lesson book 1929 

Ledger #10 Ruth Finley Biology I notes 1929-1930 

Ledger #11 1932, 1934 

Scope and Contents note

Contains Margaret Finley’s Holly Springs High School diploma and her 1934 certificate from the Delta, Delta, Delta Sorority

Ledger #12 Holly Springs Gin Company Board Minutes 20 June 1919-16 December 1931 

Ledger #13 Ledger from the Victoria Gin Company 1930-1931 

Ledger #14 Ledger from the Victoria Gin Company 1931-1938 

Ledger #15 Ledger from the Victoria Gin Company 1931-1938 

Ledger #16 Holly Springs Garden Club Records, 1947 

Ledger #17 Finley Brothers Ledger 1921-1925 

Ledger #18 Holly Springs school board minutes 1920-1922 

Ledger #19 Holly Springs Institute board minutes 1904-1920 

Ledger #20 Miscellaneous ledger from the 1940s 

Books 

28-29 Uncataloged Books 

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Series VII. Dr. Hubert H. McAlexander Accretion 

23.1 Chain of Title 

23.2 Strawberries 

23.3 The Fate of Strawberry Plains 

23.4 Greenlee 

23.5 Greenlee’s Ferry 

23.6 Finley Family (Early) 

23.7 Rockbridge Houses 

23.8 Rockbridge County, Virginia 

23.9 Fancy Hill 

23.10 Mary McDowell 

23.11 Paxton, Grigsby 

23.12 Diary-Emma Finley 1858-1859 

23.13 John T. Finley 

23.14 Davis Family 

23.15 Eben Davis 

23.16 Davis Patent and Farming Business 

24.1 Davis Children 

24.2 Stanback 

24.3 Martha Greenlee Davis 

24.4 Bankruptcy and Aftermath 

24.5 Strawberry Plains Building and Rebuilding 

24.6 Sale of Greenlee’s Ferry 

24.7 Moseley 

24.8 Nelms 

24.9 Mary Jane Greenlee Finley 

24.10 Nannie Dunlap Finley 

24.11 Finley Scruggs 

24.12 Geo. J. Finley Farming 

24.13 Finley Brothers-John Latta Finley 

24.14 Geo. T. Finley 

24.15 Finley Farming 1920’s and 1930’s 

24.16 John S. Finley 

24.17 George J. Finley 

24.18 Leach 

25.1 Miss Ruth 

25.2 Mr. Thomas and Miss Ruth 

25.3 Margaret and John 

25.4 Wills, Estate, Trust 

25.5 Ruth 

25.6 Miss Martha 

25.7 Restoration of House 

25.8 Bequest and Background 

25.9 Dawson 

25.10 Building House 

25.11 Davis-Davidson Letters 

25.12 Davidson Papers-McCormick Collection 

25.13 Coldwater Station 

25.14 Sherman and Coldwater Camp 

25.15 Location of Camp Coldwater 

25.16 Coldwater Camp Fall 1862-1863 

25.17 Puryear-Brittenum 

26.1 Puryear Place 

26.2 Gibbons-Roberts Plantation 

26.3 Jessie McKissack Peters 

26.4 Alexander C. McKissack 

26.5 McKissack 

26.6 McKissack Place 

26.7 Holmes Teer 

26.8 Oral Histories 

26.9 Nancy Faut 

26.10 McClure Interviews 

26.11 Irma Johnson 

26.12 Howell Interview 

26.13 Grace Mallory Turner b. 1918 

26.14 Zinn Interview 

26.15 Strawberry Church Recent 

26.16 Finley Grove 

26.17 Strawberry School 

27.1 Slave Cemetery 

27.2 Strawberry Church 

27.3 Stephenson Office (Mack) 

27.4 Strawberry Plains Research 

27.5 SRAC-Beginning 

27.6 Madge Early Years 

27.7 2005-2006 

27.8 2003-2004 

27.9 SPAC History Steering Committee Meeting, 24 June 2003 

27.10 Strawberry Plains Maps 

27.11 Charlotte Ingram-Map 

27.12 Census 1860-1880 

27.13 Census 1900-1930 

27.14 Strawberry/Mack Neighborhood 

27.15 Lillian Stephenson Burton 

27.16 Preservation Magazine 

27.17 Mississippi Audubon Magazine 

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