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Finding-Aid for the Audobon Mississippi/Strawberry Plains Finley Collection. (MUM00184) The Department of Archives and Special Collections. The University of Mississippi Libraries

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MUM00184

Finding-Aid for the Audobon Mississippi/Strawberry Plains Finley Collection. (MUM00184)

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Table of Contents

Descriptive Summary
PURL:
http://purl.oclc.org/umarchives/MUM00184/
Creator:
Finley Family
Title:
Audobon Mississippi/Strawberry Plains Finley Collection.
Inclusive Dates:
1857-1985
Materials in:
English
Abstract:
Collection consists of letters, documents, photographs and other materials related to the lives of several Marshall County families

.

Quantity:
21 boxes; 2 boxes of uncataloged books + ledgers.
Number:
MUM00184
Location:
EE10 – EE12.
Repository :
The University of Mississippi
J.D. Williams Library
Department of Archives and Special Collections
P.O. Box 1848, University, MS 38677-1848, USA
Phone: 662.915.7408
Fax: 662.915.5734
E-Mail: archive@olemiss.edu
URL: https://www.olemiss.edu/depts/general_library/archives/
Cite as:
Audobon Mississippi/Strawberry Plains Finley Collection. (MUM00184). The Department of Archives and Special Collections, J.D. Williams Library, The University of Mississippi.
Historical Note
Mary Jane Greelee of Virginia married John Tate Finley in 1834 and 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 in 1863. The family lived for some time in a small cabin on the plantation, but managed to rebuild Strawberry Plains after several years.
The “Finley Place”, a house in the nearby town of Holly Springs, was owned by the Finley family from 1906-1983. It was the childhood home of Ruth Finley and Margaret Finley Shackelford. The original home was built by Mrs. Martha Alston Reese Jones in April of 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 and passed it on 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. Her sister Ruth still lived in the “Finley Place.” The two sisters donated the “Finley Place” and Strawberry Plains to the National Audubon Society in 1983. The Society took residence in the spring of 1998.
Scope and Contents Note
Included within the homes were the papers of three inter-related Marshall County Families: Davis, Moseley, and Finley. The collection begins in the 1830s and continues to the 1990s and contains letters, documents, financial records, ledgers, photographs, and other materials related to the life and work of these families. There is also material related to the Leach, Hull, Fant, Pinson, Kimball, Bynum, Tidwell, and Levy families. The bulk of the collection concerns the Finley family and is in the 20th century.
Restrictions
Access Restrictions
Open.
Use Restriction
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.
Collection History
Source of Collection
The Audobon Mississippi/Strawberry Plains Finley Collection was donated to the University of Mississippi in 2003 by Strawberry Plains and its Board of Trustees and the National Audubon Society.
Container List

Box 1 Leach Family


Folder 1: Correspondence, 1881-1898/

Folder 2: Correspondence, Undated 20th Century.

Folder 3: Correspondence, 1905.

Folder 4: Correspondence, 1906.

Folder 5: Correspondence, 1906.

Folder 6: Correspondence, 1907-1909.

Folder 7: Tax return information, 1906-1918.

Folder 8: Financial Documents, 1890-1922.

Folder 9: Miscellaneous.

Box 2 Davis Family
Folder 1: Correspondence, Undated-1905.

Folder 2: Martha Greenlee Davis’ Civil War claim correspondence, 1896-1901.

Folder 3: 19th century financial documents, Undated-1860.

Folder 4: 19th century financial documents, 1861-1894.

Folder 5: Miscellaneous.

Box 3 Davis Family
Oversize: E.M. Davis’ Civil War Pardon from Andrew Johnson. August 21, 1865.

Box 4 Hull Family
Folder 1: Correspondence, 1869-1890.

Folder 2: 19th century financial documents.

Box 5 Moseley Family
Folder 1: Correspondence, 1891.

Folder 2: Slave bills of sale.

Folder 3: 19th century financial documents (does not include slave bills).

Folder 4: Martha Moseley correspondence.

Folder 5: Genealogical materials.

Folder 6: Genealogical materials.

Folder 7: Genealogical materials.

Folder 8: Genealogical materials.

Box 6 Levy, Fant, Kimball, Bynum, Tidwell, Shackelford, and Pinson Families

Folder 1: Levy family correspondence and documents.

Folder 2: Fant family correspondence

Folder 3: Fant family financial documents, 1905-1916.

Folder 4: Kimball family financial documents, 1888-1903.

Folder 5: Bynum family financial documents, 1902.

Folder 6: Tidwell family financial documents, 1949.

Folder 7: Pinson family financial documents, 1922-1945.

Folder 8: Shackelford family correspondence and documents.

Box 7 Finley Family
Folder 1: Correspondence, Undated 19th century-January 1886.

Folder 2: Correspondence, March 1886-March 1888.

Folder 3: Correspondence, October 1888-December 1899.

Folder 4: Correspondence, Undated 20th century.

Folder 5: Correspondence, January 1900-May 1900.

Folder 6: Correspondence, January 1901-November 1906.

Folder 7: Correspondence, January 1907-November 1909.

Folder 8: Correspondence, March 1910-December 1910.

Folder 9: Correspondence, January 1911-December 1919.

Box 8 Finley Family
Folder 1: Correspondence, January 1920-December 1924.

Folder 2: Correspondence, February 1927-December 1929.

Folder 3: Correspondence, March 1930-December 1934.

Folder 4: Correspondence, January 1935-December 1939.

Folder 5: Correspondence, January 1940-December 1949.

Folder 6: Correspondence, July 1950-December 1959.

Folder 7: Correspondence, January 1960-October 1969.

Folder 8: Correspondence, March 1970-June 1979.

Folder 9: Correspondence, June 1980-January 1981.

Box 9 Finley Family-Documents and Miscellaneous materials
Folder 1: 19th century documents.

Folder 2: 20th century documents, Undated-1967.

Folder 3: 20th century documents, Undated-1967. Note: Includes materials on the Strawberry Plains historic register nomination.

Folder 4: 19th century miscellaneous.

Folder 5: General miscellaneous.

Folder 6: General miscellaneous.

Folder 7: General miscellaneous.

Folder 8: General miscellaneous. Note: Contains TVA abstract.

Box 10 Finley Family- Miscellaneous materials
Folder 1: General miscellaneous.

Folder 2: General miscellaneous.

Folder 3: General miscellaneous.

Folder 4: Miscellaneous art prints.

Folder 5: General miscellaneous. Note: contains copy of deed of gift of land for Finley Chapel.

Folder 6: School materials. See also Box 11.

Folder 7: School materials. See also Box 11.

Folder 8: Empty envelopes.

Folder 9: Miscellaneous invitations. Note: includes invitation to Ruth Leach and Thomas Finley’s wedding in 1907.

Folder 10: Maps and blueprints. Note: contains blueprint of a corn crib.

Folder 11: Maps and blueprints. Note: contains highway map of Marshall County, January 1939.

Folder 12: Plans for the restoration of Strawberry Plains, March 27, 1969.

Folder 13: Map of Mississippi County, Arkansas.

Box 11 Finley Family- Miscellaneous materials.
Folder 1: School materials. See also Box 10.

Folder 2: School materials. See also Box 10.

Folder 3: Unidentified 20th century scratch notes.

Folder 4: 19th century cookbook- labeled, “receipt book, October 28th 1857. Woodland.”

Folder 5: 19th century cookbook- labeled, “Mother Finley’s old cook books.”

Folder 6: 19th century cookbook fragment and recipes.

Folder 7: 20th century cookbooks and recipes.

Folder 8: 20th century cookbooks and recipes.

Box 12 Finley Family- Magazines and pamphlets.
Box 13 Finley Family- Miscellaneous fabric and ephemera.
Box 14 Finley Family- Diaries and scrapbooks. Note: Contains Emma Finley’s diary, 1858-1859.
Box 15 Finley Family- Newspaper clippings, 19th century.
Box 16 Finley Family- Newspaper clippings, 20th century.

Box 17 General miscellaneous
Folder 1: General 19th century miscellaneous.

Folder 2: General 20th century miscellaneous.

Folder 3: Materials on the Children of the Confederacy group of Holly Springs.

Folder 4: General correspondence, unknown sender or recipient.

Folder 5: Documents 19th century.

Box 18 Uncataloged books

Box 19 Uncataloged books

Box 20 Ruth Finley bank statements- Restricted.

Box 21 Photographs

Box 22 Photographs

Box 23 Finley Family- 19th century general financial documents
Folder 1: Miscellaneous 19th century financial documents, undated-1889.

Folder 2: Miscellaneous 19th century financial documents, 1890-1899.

Folder 3: Documents regarding the guardianship of Finley Scruggs by George J. Finley, 1881-1887.

Folder 4: General 19th century financial documents.

Box 24 Finley Family-20th century financial documents
Folder 1: Miscellaneous 20th century financial documents, undated.

Folder 2: 20th century documents regarding the McKissack Farm.

Folder 3: Miscellaneous 20th century financial documents, undated-1906.

Folder 4: Miscellaneous 20th century financial documents, 1900-October 1909.

Folder 5: Miscellaneous 20th century financial documents, October 1911-December 1919.

Folder 6: Miscellaneous 20th century financial documents, 1920-1921.

Folder 7: Miscellaneous 20th century financial documents, January-October 1922.

Folder 8: Miscellaneous 20th century financial documents, 1922-1925.

Box 25 Finley Family- 20th century financial documents
Folder 1: Miscellaneous 20th century financial documents, 1923.

Folder 2: Miscellaneous 20th century financial documents, 1924.

Folder 3: Miscellaneous 20th century financial documents, March-October, 1925.

Folder 4: Miscellaneous 20th century financial documents, 1926-1929.

Folder 5: Miscellaneous 20th century financial documents, 1930-1933.

Folder 6: Miscellaneous 20th century financial documents, 1934.

Folder 7: Miscellaneous 20th century financial documents, 1935.

Box 26 Finley Family- 20th century financial documents
Folder 1: Miscellaneous 20th century financial documents, 1936-1939.

Folder 2: Miscellaneous 20th century financial documents, 1940-1942.

Folder 3: Miscellaneous 20th century financial documents, 1943-1949.

Folder 4: Miscellaneous 20th century financial documents, March 1950-October 1958.

Folder 5: Miscellaneous 20th century financial documents, 1961-1967,

Folder 6: Miscellaneous 20th century financial documents, 1970-1979.

Folder 7: Addition to Finley Place, 1975.

Folder 8: Miscellaneous 20th century financial documents, 1985.

Box 27 Finley Family- 20th century tax return documents
Folder 1: Miscellaneous 20th century tax documents, Undated-1918.

Folder 2: Miscellaneous 20th century tax documents, 1921-1923.

Folder 3: Miscellaneous 20th century tax documents, 1929.

Folder 4: Miscellaneous 20th century tax documents, 1930.

Folder 5: Miscellaneous 20th century tax documents, 1933-1939.

Folder 6: Miscellaneous 20th century tax documents, 1940-1949.

Folder 7: Miscellaneous 20th century tax documents, 1941.

Folder 8: Miscellaneous 20th century tax documents, 1942.

Folder 9: Miscellaneous 20th century tax documents, 1943.

Folder 10: Miscellaneous 20th century tax documents, 1944.

Folder 11: Miscellaneous 20th century tax documents, 1945.

Folder 12: Miscellaneous 20th century tax documents, 1948.

Folder 13: Miscellaneous 20th century tax documents, 1949.

Folder 14: Miscellaneous 20th century tax documents, 1951.

Folder 15: Miscellaneous 20th century tax documents, 1952.

Folder 16: Miscellaneous 20th century tax documents, 1954-1959.

Folder 17: Miscellaneous 20th century tax documents, 1957.

Folder 18: Miscellaneous 20th century tax documents, 1958.

Folder 19: Miscellaneous 20th century tax documents, 1959.

Folder 20: Miscellaneous 20th century tax documents, 1960.

Folder 21: Miscellaneous 20th century tax documents, 1960-1965.

Box 28 Finley Family- 20th century tax return documents
Folder 1: Miscellaneous 20th century tax documents, 1961.

Folder 2: Miscellaneous 20th century tax documents, 1962.

Folder 3: Miscellaneous 20th century tax documents, 1963.

Folder 4: Miscellaneous 20th century tax documents, 1964.

Folder 5: Miscellaneous 20th century tax documents, 1966.

Folder 6: Miscellaneous 20th century tax documents, 1966.

Folder 7: Miscellaneous 20th century tax documents, 1967.

Folder 8: Miscellaneous 20th century tax documents, 1967.

Folder 9: Miscellaneous 20th century tax documents, 1968.

Folder 10: Miscellaneous 20th century tax documents, 1968-1969.

Folder 11: Miscellaneous 20th century tax documents, 1969.

Folder 12: Miscellaneous 20th century tax documents, 1970.

Folder 13: Miscellaneous 20th century tax documents, 1970-1972.

Folder 14: Miscellaneous 20th century tax documents, 1971.

Folder 15: Miscellaneous 20th century tax documents, 1972.

Folder 16: Miscellaneous 20th century tax documents, 1973.

Folder 17: Miscellaneous 20th century tax documents, 1973.

Folder 18: Miscellaneous 20th century tax documents, 1974.

Box 29 Finley Family- 20th century tax return documents and Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service files.
Folder 1: Miscellaneous 20th century tax documents, 1974-1976.

Folder 2: Miscellaneous 20th century tax documents, 1975.

Folder 3: Miscellaneous 20th century tax documents, 1976.

Folder 4: Miscellaneous 20th century tax documents, 1977-1979.

Folder 5: Miscellaneous 20th century tax documents, 1978.

Folder 6: Miscellaneous 20th century tax documents, 1980-1981.

Folder 7: Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service, 1967.

Folder 8: Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service, 1968.

Folder 9: Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service, 1969.

Folder 10: Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service, 1970.

Folder 11: Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service, 1971.

Box 30 Finley Family- 20th century stock and bond information
Folder 1: Stocks and bonds, 1929-1979.

Folder 2: Miscellaneous stock and bond information.

Folder 3: Miscellaneous stock and bond information.

Folder 4: Stocks and bonds, 1929-1979.

Folder 5: Cancelled checks and bank statements, undated-1921.

Folder 6: Cancelled checks and bank statements, undated-1925.

Folder 7: Cancelled checks and bank books, 1920s-1930s.

Box 31 Finley and Shackelford Families
Folder 1: Finley Family cancelled checks, 1933-1947.

Folder 2: Finley Family cancelled checks, 1961-1963

Folder 3: Finley Family cancelled checks, 1975-1977.

Folder 4: Finley Family cancelled checks, 1978-1979.

Folder 5: Shackelford Family financial documents.

Folder 6: Shackelford Family financial documents.

Folder 7: Shackelford Family financial documents.

Box 32 Loose undated financial ledgers.

Thomas Finley Ledgers
Ledger #1: February 1917-August 1917. 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. Contains financial records, cotton records, and rent records.

Ledger #12: October 1922-April 1929. Contains securities information, tithe account, cotton records, and household expenses.

Ledger #13: 1922-1935. Contains information on J.L. Finley, guardian of E.E. Finley.

Ledger #14: 1923-1929. Receipt book for cotton.

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. 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: 1934-1935. Records of cotton bales.

Ledger #32: 1934-1943.

Ledger #33: 1934-1935.

Ledger #34: 1934.

Ledger #35: 1934-1939.

Ledger #36: 1934-1935.

Ledger #37: 1935-1949. Contains information on taxes, rents, and dividends.

Ledger#38: 1935-1937.

Ledger #39: 1935-1957.

Ledger #40: April 17, 1937-January 31, 1940.

Ledger #41: 1935-1938.

Ledger #42: 1935-1941. 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. Contains cotton records.

Ledger #47: 1938-1940.

Ledger #48: 1938-1940. 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. Contains information on cotton.

Ledger #54: April 1942-October 1943. 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. Contains cotton and fertilizer records.

Ledger #61: 1945-1946.

Ledger #62: December 1946-October 1948.

Ledger #63: 1947-1948. 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. Contains bank records, crop expenses, interest and stocks, and information on the Victoria Gin Company.

Ledger #70: September 1936-1950. Cotton records.

Ledger #71: 1950-1952.

Ledger #72: 1951-1955.

Ledger #73: 1953-1959. Contains cotton register and farm reports.

Ledger #74: 1955-1961. Contains cotton and poison records.

Ledger #75: April 1956-October 1959.

Ledger #76: 1956-1967.

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

Ledger #78: 1959-1962.

Ledger #79: 1960-1962. Cotton and rent records.

Ledger #80: 1960s.

Ledger #81: 1962-1964.

Ledger #82: 1964-1965.

Ledger #83: 1966-1973.

Ledger #84: 1966-1971.

Empty Ledgers

George Finley Ledgers
Ledger #1: Undated ledger containing 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. 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.

Other Miscellaneous Ledgers
Ledger #1: 1934-1936. General ledger of household expenses.

Ledger #2: Undated. Contains inspirational writings and prayers.

Ledger #3: 1967. Unknown owner but contains fertilizer records.

Ledger #4: 1965-1967.

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

Ledger #6: June 6, 1915. Margaret Elizabeth Finley baby book.

Ledger #7: 1961. Ruth Finley’s diary.

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

Ledger #9: 1929. Ruth Finley lesson book.

Ledger #10: 1929-1930. Ruth Finley Biology I notes.

Ledger #11: 1932, 1934. Contains Margaret Finley’s Holly Springs High School diploma and her 1934 certificate from the Delta, Delta, Delta Sorority.

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

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

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

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

Ledger #16: Holly Springs Garden Club Records, 1947.

Ledger #17: 1921-1925. Finley Brothers Ledger.

Ledger #18: 1920-1922. Holly Springs school board minutes.

Ledger #19: 1904-1920. Holly Springs Institute board minutes.

Ledger #20: Miscellaneous ledger from the 1940s.

 
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