A Guide to Women's History Collections

M75-86
Randolph Family
Papers, 1820-1978
2 cubic feet

The Randolphs settled in Tallahassee in 1829 and became a prominent local family. Thomas Eston Randolph’s daughters conducted the first school for girls in Tallahassee. The collection contains drawings, poems, essays, school papers and letters of several Randolph family women.

M81-3
Hughes Family
Papers, 1844-1889
1 cubic foot

The papers of this North Florida/South Georgia family include the diary (1884, 1889) of Kate C. Hughes, which provides a look at life in the mid-19th century from one woman's perspective.

M83-26
Yarbrough Family
Papers, 1880-1940
.5 cubic foot

The papers of the Yarbrough family of Jefferson County include scrapbooks and notebooks of Corinne Turnbull Yarbrough and Mary Simpson Yarbrough. Of special interest is an 1885 publication, "A Message from China to the Woman's Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South," regarding the formation of a joint stock company within the church to finance missionary schools in the Far East.

M83-27
Taylor Family
Papers, 1850-1969
1 cubic foot

The Taylor family papers include the journals of Elizabeth L. Taylor of Black Creek (1850s) and of Mary C. Taylor (1920). Elizabeth Taylor writes of plantation life in the mid-19th century, including slave life and births. Mary’s diary documents her daily activities such as chores, social outings, gardening and church. The collection contains photographs and genealogy records of the Taylor and related families of Leon and Wakulla counties.

M86-36
Knott Family
Papers, 1845-1999
33.5 cubic feet

William V. Knott of Tallahassee had a long career in Florida state government. The collection includes papers of his wife, Luella Pugh Knott; his daughter, Mary Knott Bazemore; and his sister-in-law, Permelia Colley Knott. The papers of Luella Knott include her writings, music and genealogical research. Mary Knott Bazemore was a pediatrician; her papers reflect her professional life and her interest in the family's real estate holdings. Permelia Knott's papers document her personal and business activities.

M86-38
Elliot Family
Papers, 1851-1957
.75 cubic foot

The papers of this Tallahassee family include those of Sallie Cotton Elliot and her daughter-in- law Carrie Elliot. A notebook kept by Sallie Cotton Elliot contains letters describing mid-19th century life at a girls' boarding school. Carrie Elliot was a founder of the Tallahassee Live Oak Trail and a member of other civic organizations. Among her papers are materials relating to the organization of the Live Oak Trail, a scenic route that preserved many of the oldest and largest trees in downtown Tallahassee.

M87-8
Griscom Family
Papers, 1896-1977
12 cubic feet

This collection includes the personal and business papers of Audrey Crosse Griscom, as well as the correspondence, stocks, tax records, estate records and other business papers of Frances C. Griscom. Frances Griscom's papers include correspondence with Mamie Eisenhower and President Richard Nixon, as well as documents related to the operation of Water Oak Plantation in Leon County.

M87-36
Palmer Family
Letters, 1856-1915
.25 cubic foot

This collection includes the personal letters of Mary Rebecca Gassaway Palmer. Subject matter includes wedding plans, social activities and life in Monticello, Florida during the Civil War and late 19th century.

M87-38
Lewis Family
Papers, 1853-1967
21.50 cubic feet

The Lewis family of Tallahassee founded the Lewis State Bank. This collection contains the legal, business and personal papers of several generations of the family involved in the operation of the bank. The women of the family are also represented through the papers of Mary Elizabeth Lewis, Elizabeth Douglas Lewis, Sarah Davis Lewis, Sarah Everett Lewis Henderson and Mary S. Lewis included in the collection.

M88-1
Stone Family
Papers, 1827-1959
3 cubic feet

This collection contains diaries, correspondence and other papers of the Stone family of Calhoun County, including the diary and other papers of Lois Lancaster. Lancaster was the first wife of Mode Lee Stone, a prominent Florida educator who held positions within Tallahassee schools, the Department of Education and Florida State University. The collection includes teacher exams and records from the early 20th century reflecting Stone’s career.

M91-5
Simpson Family
Papers, 1825-1978
8.28 cubic feet

This collection includes the letters and papers, dating from the early 20th century, of Dorothy Conrad Simpson, wife of Florida legislator Richard H. Simpson of Monticello.

M92-1
Call Family and Brevard Family
Papers, 1788-1925
6 cubic feet, 27 microfilm reels, 33 compact discs

This collection consists of the papers of the family and descendants of Richard Keith Call, Territorial Governor of Florida. Included is a diary of his daughter, Ellen Call Long (the first white child born in Leon County), author and civic leader. The diary describes life on the home front during the Civil War. The series also includes the writings of educator and author Caroline Mays Brevard.

N2005-9
Blackshear, Pittman, White, Dickens and Drew Families
Papers, ca. 1700s-1970s
23 cubic feet

This collection contains correspondence, personal papers, business papers, photographs and other miscellaneous materials of five related families of Jackson County, Florida and Laurens County, Georgia. The collection provides unique documentation of business and family life in Northwest Florida and Southwest Georgia from the antebellum period through the mid-20th century.

N2008-9
Kirvin Family
Papers, 1891-1918
.5 cubic foot

This series consists of personal papers of Mary Kirvin of Allenton, Florida, which include tax, financial and farming information in addition to family correspondence and letters from her son serving in World War I.

N2008-16
Mary Ann Lines
Lines Family
Memory Books and Memorabilia, 1840-1870
1 compact disc

This collection consists of one compact disk containing 92 images of two memory books kept by Eliza and Mary Ann DuPont and of jewelry items owned by Mary Ann. The memory books date from the late 1840s and contain autographs, essays and mementos of the two girls. The books served as a remembrance of their Quincy home. Mary Ann's book may shed light on the founding of the nation’s second oldest college sorority (Phi Mu) by a Floridian whose father felt strongly about his daughters' education at a time when most women did not attend college.

N2014-4
Bannerman and Seabrook Family Papers, 1827-1999, bulk 1910-1930
9 cubic feet

This collection documents a prominent Tallahassee area family from the late 19th century through the late 20th century. Included in this collection is a considerable amount of correspondence to and from family members Ellen Hunter Bannerman, Ann Bannerman Camp, Mary Bannerman Seabrook, Inez Seabrook Davenport, and other female relatives. These papers provide valuable documentation of a segment of North Florida culture.

N2015-3
Meginniss Family Papers, ca. 1887-1998
3 cubic feet

Mary Hamilton Meginniss graduated in 1933 from Florida High School, a demonstration school operated by the Florida State College for Women, and she continued her studies at the Florida State College for Women. She taught home economics at Leon High School and at one point ran the school's cafeteria. This collection consists of correspondence, photographs and ephemera Mary collected during her teenage and early adult years.

N2015-10
Hackley and Randolph Family Papers, ca. 1849-1915
.25 cubic foot

The Randolph family moved from Virginia to Florida in 1829 and settled in Tallahassee, becoming active in the city's civic and social life. This collection consists of letters between members of the Hackley and Randolph families that primarily discuss family matters such as health, marriages, births, deaths, children and employment. Marion Paul "Pat" Spencer's diary chronicles her life in Pensacola, Florida, from February 14, 1909, to August 15, 1915, with frequent gaps in entries. She discusses trips to visit friends and family; daily tasks such as arranging flowers, sewing, reading, playing cards and taking walks; her teaching career; and updates on friends and family.

N2017-166
Brown, Lewis, Douglas, Ward, Henderson and Anthony Family Papers, 1875-1975, bulk early 1900s
2 cubic feet

This collection documents several related families in the Tallahassee and Palm Beach areas. The materials provide insight into local history from Reconstruction through the Modern Era. The records include photographs, daguerreotypes, correspondence, recollections, genealogies and bank records. Of interest is the 1827 to 1874 memoir of Elizabeth Brown Douglas, daughter of Thomas Brown, the second governor of Florida.

N2018- 15
Rogers Family Papers, 1829-2000, bulk 1870-1950
21 cubic feet

The Rogers family was one of Volusia County's most notable pioneering families. Mary Josie Rogers became one of the first female physicians to practice in Florida in 1907, and in 1922 became the first female mayor of Daytona Beach. By 1946, she was Chief of Staff of Halifax District Hospital. She died in 1975 after a long and prolific life of medical practice and political activism. This collection contains a variety of records that document more than a century of Rogers family history in Daytona Beach and the surrounding areas. The family papers contain letters between family members and friends, personal diaries and day books, photographs, and other materials related to the various hobbies and interests of the Rogers family.