Collections

The Gilchrist Papers are comprised of the official papers of Albert Waller Gilchrist, 20th Governor of Florida, as well as newspaper articles, military and state official documents, items pertaining to the naming of Gilchrist County, materials regarding educational institutions including Carolina Military Institute and West Point, personal correspondence, genealogical research, and papers pertaining to Gilchrist's estate and will.

The Allen Morris Papers consist of personal and professional records and research materials accumulated by Mr. Morris over a period of about forty-one years. The papers consist of correspondence; biographical sketches of Florida officials and other famous Floridians; photographs, programs, and other materials related to the Allen Morris Legislative Awards; historical data concerning place names, historical houses, rivers and river boats.

The collection consists of the personal and business correspondence of Bucky Family members and other correspondents from 1893-1915. Most of the letters are incoming correspondence from business associates, close family members, relatives and friends to Jacob (Jake) D. Bucky. Numerous letters from 1893-1895 are written on the "L. Bucki and Son" letterhead stationery. The business correspondence from 1893 to 1895 refers mainly to payments and shipments of materials. Also included are several telegrams and notes concerning Masonic Hall Lodge dues. Of particular interest are the numerous pieces of letterhead stationery providing documentation for late nineteenth century Jacksonville businesses. In 1903-04, several letters from the Jacksonville law firm of Bisbee and Bedell refer to J. D. Bucki's appearance as a witness in the U.S. Supreme Court case, Fidelity & Deposit Co. vs. L. Bucki and Son Lumber Co. Reference is also made by the law firm to the L. Bucki Company ceasing business early in 1898. Three letters written by Fred Bucky to his father on May 16, 22, and 30, 1901 are of special note for their glimpse of life in Jacksonville at the beginning of the twentieth century. The contents also provide a brief eyewitness account of the re-building of Jacksonville after the Great Fire on May 3, 1901. On May 22, he relates to his father: "...It is a sad sight to see the once busy bustling prosperous Jacksonville buried in ashes. One cannot imagine how bad it really is unless they could actually see it. A few well insured ones and those whose homes were spared are alright..." On May 30: "... I know what the poor boy has suffered... the fire excitement was too much for his nerves. The re-building of the city is very slow at present, material is hard to get... " All items are photocopies. Most letters are legible; however, some handwritten letters are difficult to read.

These papers include a letter from Clement Acton Griscom to his son Lloyd, who served as a foreign diplomat to Japan in the early 1900s. Also included is a small Christmas gift card signed "From Bronson Winthrop," and a small envelope addressed to Col. Lloyd Griscom, care of Miss Griscom, Water Oak Plantation, Tallahassee, Florida. The fourth item in the collection is a letter from G. Leslie Isaac to "Col. Griscom" at Luna Plantation, Tallahassee, concerning a trip to a fair and a car purchase. Includes MSS 0-304.

The collection consists of more than 1,000 items, primarily twentieth century material relating to Jacksonville, Florida. Includes letters, documents, and notes relating to the personal, political, and business activities of Eartha M. M. White. Some subject files include publications, reports, programs, photographs, and memorabilia. Of particular interest are materials pertaining to: Prominent African American leaders, e.g., James Weldon Johnson, A. Phillip Randolph, and Simuel Decatur McGill; Historic Jacksonville business, charitable, and religious organizations including Afro-American Life Insurance Company, Bethel Baptist Institutional Church, Clara White Mission, Community Chest Association, and Jacksonville Negro Welfare League; Florida social and educational organizations including Florida State Federation of Colored Women's Clubs, Florida Baptist Academy / Florida Normal and Industrial Institute. The bulk of the collection are photographs depicting friends, relatives and events from her long life. Sizes of the photographs vary, ranging from 5x7 to 12x16 inches. A significant amount of her business and personal correspondence is also included. An extensive subject index is available for use with the collection. The collection also contains 156 black and white photographs of southern African American religious and labor groups, circa 1946-1949, by photographer R. Lee Thomas of Mound Bayou, Mississippi. His imprint contains the caption: Made by R. Lee Thomas, Mound Bayou, Mississippi, The Oldest Negro Town in America. Mr. Thomas was an African American photographer active in the early twentieth century in the southern United States, whose work provides photographic documentation of southern black social life during that time period. The majority of the photographs depict groups from Birmingham, Alabama, and adjacent areas.

The collection consists of materials of the E.H. Tomlinson and Son Real Estate Company from 1893-1958. The series include client records, correspondence, day books, maps, blueprints, and scrapbooks. Contained in these series are family correspondence, financial records, legal documents, deeds, contracts, reports, photographs, newspaper clippings, postcards, and pamphlets.