Howland-Mcintosh Family papers, 1713-1997 (bulk 1830-1989)

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Summary

Creator:
Howland-McIntosh family
Abstract:
Families originally from Carteret and Moore Counties, N.C. Correspondence; legal files, including deeds and wills; photographs; many genealogical materials; financial papers; postcards; paper currency; two scrapbooks; and school papers, all relating to the Howland and the McIntosh families from Carteret, Durham, and Moore Counties, N.C. Photographs include tintypes, albumen prints, and one daguerrotype. Many legal files pertain to a lengthy court case involving the transfer of family property on Shackleford Banks, N.C. to the federal government. Oversize materials include aerial photographs and land surveys of Shackleford Banks and other family properties, and photostats of early deeds. Though several photographs and all the currency date from the Civil War, the only other original documentation on the families' Civil War activities is a signed oath of allegiance to the Union dated 1865, and a few letters referring at length to the circumstances surrounding the confiscation of one Howland's property in Beaufort, N.C. during the war, and his attempts at legal restitution. William F. Howland (1876-1951) married Mary Elizabeth McIntosh (1878-1964) in 1903. The collection contains much of their correspondence. Other correspondence includes World War I letters from a McIntosh son, Leland Carson. The addition (04-129)(25 items, 1.5 lin. ft.; dated [1870s]-[1960s]) consists primarily of materials, including a scrapbook, photo album, letters, and travel journals, kept by Mary Howland Dawson from the 1950 "Youth Caravan to Germany" sponsored by the Methodist Conference of North Carolina. Also includes two family photograph albums, with images dating back to the 1870s; clippings about various family members; and an historical sketch of Salem United Methodist Church in Garland, N.C. This addition is unprocessed and is not represented in the finding aid.
Extent:
6.3 Linear Feet
2,147 Items
Language:
English.
Collection ID:
RL.00578

Background

Scope and content:

The Howland-McIntosh Family Papers span the years 1713-1997, with the bulk of the papers being dated from 1830-1989. They chronicle the personal lives and business affairs of three North Carolina families: the Howlands, the McIntoshes, and, to a much lesser extent, the Dawsons. The Howlands settled in Carteret County in the early eighteenth century, buying properties in and near Beaufort and on the Shackleford Banks. Their occupations included sea captains, millers, carpenters, small farmers, and insurance agents. Howland descendants married members of the McIntosh family, who were then living in Moore County. Eventually, descendants of these families moved briefly into Durham County in the late 19th/early 20th centuries. The Dawson family represented in this collection is related by marriage to the Howland-McIntosh family, and a descendant still lives in Durham County. The collection is rich in documents relating to the history of Carteret County, N.C. from the early 18th to the late 20th centuries, especially relating to the Outer Banks, including Shackleford Banks, now part of the Cape Lookout National Seashore. Eighteenth and nineteenth century legal papers in the collection chiefly document early land ownership, and there are also many family wills.

The collection consists of correspondence, legal papers, financial papers, photographs -- including daguerreotypes, tintypes, and albumen prints, printed materials such as periodicals and posters, school records and compositions, scrapbooks, postcards, stereograph cards, and a few artifacts. The bulk of the collection is made up of correspondence and many legal papers, especially deeds and indentures. There is little material directly concerning the Civil War in this collection; however, information on the families' activities during this period can be found in 20th century sources in the genealogical materials folders.

Family relationships and daily personal matters are documented in the Correspondence Series, which includes a long series of love letters written from 1903-1904 between William F. Howland II and Mary McIntosh Howland. Another series of letters originated from Leland C. McIntosh during his military service in World War I, chiefly in France and Belgium. These mainly concern routine family matters, but give some insight into camp life and the effect of the war on the soldiers. Leland also sent home souvenirs of his stay, including a 1914 Iron Cross which is housed in the Artifacts Series, along with a 1893 pin from Grover Cleveland's presidential inauguration. Other principal correspondents include William F. Howland, Sr., Ralph Howland, and Emma J. Howland; the remaining correspondents include several other family members and friends. Other family correspondence is located in the Scrapbooks Series and the Shackleford Banks (N.C.) Legal Papers Series.

Documents pertaining to specific members of these families and their financial and legal activities, particularly land ownership and household expenses, can be found in two family series. The Howland Family Series contains folders for papers grouped by various family members: Ralph Howland (1793-1866) and his wife Eliza Bell Howland (1810-1883); Zephaniah Howland (1752-1834?); Levi C. Howland (1834-?); and Emma J. Howland (1851-1920). Contents include deeds, mortgages, indentures, bills, receipts, estate papers, and a few recipes for home remedies. The Zephaniah Howland folder contains three petitions (1832-33) relating to his request for a military pension based on his participation in the Revolutionary War; these documents contain numerous details of his service. The Levi C. Howland folder contains an oath of allegiance to the Union signed by William F. Howland in 1865. Another mention of the impact of the Civil War on the Howlands is a document in the Ralph Howland legal papers which records his petition in 1866 to have confiscated property in Beaufort town restored to his rightful ownership. Also in this series is genealogical information on the Howland family, who descended from Henry Howland, brother of John Howland, original Mayflower passenger. The McIntosh Family Series contains legal papers (chiefly deeds); McIntosh children's school records, including many compositions; numerous clippings; obituaries; a few wills; and other information on family members.

Further information on the Howland, McIntosh, and Dawson families can be obtained from the two albums in the Scrapbooks Series. A McIntosh album chiefly records through the medium of commercial postcards Leland McIntosh's travels in Europe during the period 1917-1919. Some offer scenes of military camp life in Camp Greenleaf, Ga., and in France; others display routine views of Belgium, and the Italian and French rivieras. There are also some greeting cards, chiefly from the 1920s. The second album belonged to the Howland family and conveys many insights into the family's lives during the 20th century. Several descendants were alumni of Duke University; their academic and social activities there are documented through clippings, commencement booklets, and other Items. Other materials mounted in this album include many pieces of correspondence, photographs, postcards, war ration booklets, and greeting cards. Many postcards in both of these albums present views of 19th and 20th-century N.C. coastal areas. Other postcards can also be found in the Postcards Series.

The Shackleford Banks (N.C.) Series concerns a lengthy legal process transferring ownership of the Howland property on Shackleford Banks, N.C. to the federal government. The series is divided into two subseries: the Legal Papers Subseries contains all legal files from the attorney's offices, while the much smaller Family Papers Subseries originated from the family's own personal files. The litigation began in 1959 and ended in 1985 with the inclusion of the Shackleford Banks in the Cape Lookout National Seashore, and is richly documented in this collection through attorney-client and family correspondence, many deeds, land surveys and appraisals, court records, genealogical records, other legal and financial papers, and clippings. Researchers interested in the history of the Outer Banks of N.C. will be interested to find many photostats and photocopies of early Carteret County deeds and other legal papers, including a Lords Proprietor land grant to John Porter dated 1713. Many of these Items have been stored in the oversize materials section.

The Photographs and Artifacts Series provides portraits of family members from circa 1860 to the mid-20th century, including some in Confederate uniform. Most of the individuals, however, are unidentified. Also included in this series are a small group of early twentieth century stereograph cards, and a few artifacts.

Acquisition information:
The Howland - McIntosh Family Papers were donated to Duke University in 1997.
Processing information:

Processed by Paula Jeannet, Debbera Carson, and Allison Gluvna

Completed September 18, 1997

Encoded by Lisa Stark

Physical location:
For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Subjects

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Names:
Howland-McIntosh family

Contents

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Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection.

All or portions of this collection may be housed off-site in Duke University's Library Service Center. The library may require up to 48 hours to retrieve these materials for research use.

Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library to use this collection.

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Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], The Howland - Mcintosh Family Papers, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University.