Virgil Davis Collection

S341

1803-1967

1folder

Manuscripts & Rare Books Division

Indiana State Library

Finding Aid by: Nikki Stoddard Schofield, October 2013

Biographical Note:

In 1967, Virgil E. Davis lived at 1234 Franklin Street, Brookville, Indiana. When Mrs. Ferd Joseph, Jr., 1723 East State Street, Salem, Ohio, wrote to the Brookville Chamber of Commerce that year, her letter was given to Mr. Davis. He answered her inquiry about the Charles A. Bishop Furniture Company, which operated in Brookville from 1882 to 1896.

Source:

Information Found within Collection

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Scope and Content:

This collection consists of five items. A red hardcover “Notes” book contains the names of 130 people buried in Bethlehem Cemetery. The names are written in pencil, beginning with the earliest birth of 1803. Immediately following this section, there are four pages of signatures in ink, which could be the names of people registered to vote. Toward the back of the blank book are names of people who are not registered. Five pages record “Baptist Churches in Franklin County,” including Little Cedar Baptist Church, Fairfield, Bethlehem, and Big Cedar. One page has names for a speaker’s bureau.

There is a single-page program of “Jubilee Meeting of Harmony Church, May 26, 1887,” to commemorate the 50th anniversary. Another item is a one-page letter dated April 24, 1967 from Virgil E. Davis, Brookville, Indiana, to Mrs. Ferd Joseph in answer to her inquiry about the Charles A. Bishop Furniture Company in Brookville. A four-page manuscript entitled “To Whom This May Concern” gives early recollections of Fairfield, from its beginning in 1815 as a village to 1900 when the population was 890. The author is B. C. Dubois.

The last item in the collection is a green vinyl binder labeled “Showalter Articles, American Legion History, Other Term Papers.” There are twelve school papers,written for American History classes by 11th and 12th graders in early 1934. Most of the term papers were handwritten, but a few were typed. The subjects and authors are:

  1. Gravity Supersides Strong Arm at Drinking Fountain, about Brookville’s water supply, by Evann Sauerland
  2. DePauw University in 1837, by Mary Louise Koch
  3. 1820 Grindstone Market Off 548 Points Traffic Impeded, about Brookville stores, by Martha Studt (typed)
  4. History Term Paper, about Fairfield orphans, by Sylvia York (typed)
  5. Franklin Democrat newspaper from 1860 to 1865, by Virgil Davis
  6. Bracken Hill property lawsuit over ownership, with drawing, author unknown
  7. Basketball in Brookville High School from 1922 to 1947, by Donald Smith
  8. Main Street, A Half Century Ago, 1905-1955, by Gayle Rusterholz
  9. Water Supply of Brookville, by Charles L. Diener
  10. Artists of Brookville, by Bertha Armstrong
  11. The American Legion of Franklin County, by Margery E. Hoffman (typed)
  12. History of the Organization and Activities of the Bernard Hurst Post No. 77, which began in 1919 in Brookville, by Hazel Waggoner

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Photocopy Policy:

Manuscript material CANNOT be photocopied or digitized in its entirety. Photocopies and/or digital reproductions (i.e. scans, digital photographs) cannot exceed 25% of a COLLECTION or FOLDER within a collection. In some cases, photocopying may not be permitted due to the condition of the item. Please check with the Manuscript Librarian for possible alternatives.

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Collection Inventory

Folder and Item Listing:

Date
1803-1935 / Blank book labeled “Notes” with various entries
May 26, 1887 / Jublilee Meeting of Harmony Church program
No date / History of Fairfield by B. C. Dubois (4 page manuscript)
1934 / Term papers by 12 students in American History classes
April 24, 1967 / Letter from Virgil E. Davis to Mrs. Ferd Joseph, Jr., Salem, Ohio

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Collection Information:

Size of Collection: / 1folder.
Collection Dates: / 1803-1967
Provenance: / Virgil Davis, July/August 1974
Access: / The Collection is Open for Research Use
Restrictions: / None.
Reproduction Rights: / Permission to reproduce, exhibit, or publish material in this collection must be obtained from the Manuscript and Rare Books Division, Indiana State Library.
Language: / Materials are entirely in: English
Alternate Formats: / None.
Related Holdings: / None.
Collection Notes: / None.