Finding aid of the Greenlee Family Papers, PC.1817

Scope and Content:

Correspondence is primarily associated with the family of Thomas Young Greenlee. The earliest letters are written to Margaret Logan Greenlee before her marriage to Thomas Young. A few of the letters are from Eliza Greenlee, presumably the first wife of James M. Greenlee [brother to Thomas Young]. Two letters are courtship letters from Thomas wishing her to pledge her devotion to him. The remainder of letters are from a cousin in Monroe County, Tennessee. This correspondence is addressed to both her and her mother and father, John and Rebecca Logan.

Letters written to Thomas Young Greenlee are from son, James Logan while he is away at school. In his earlier letters James Logan is attending school at Dyartsville in McDowell County; while his later letters are from Davidson College. Most of the correspondence is general information about school life and requesting money to cover books, clothing, and tuition and family inquiries back home.

Correspondence to James Logan Greenlee comes mostly from friends, either from home or school mates. One letter written to him at Davidson College is from his father reporting on the family back home.

Scope and Content:

There is a wide array of items in this series relating to the personal lives of the Greenlee family. A collection of poems and writings by Margaret Logan Greenlee before her marriage to Thomas are included, as well as a portion of a diary kept be her son, John Patton. In his diary, he is primarily writing about helping his father with his land surveying. Another item related to John Patton Greenlee is a transcribed newspaper obituary from the Charlotte Oberserver in 1910 recognizing him as a Confederate veteran and the oldest patient in Morganton Hospital. Other items include receipts for personal items or travel and writings from an unknown source.

Scope and Content:

Thomas Young Greenlee was the executor for several estates including his father, David Washington Greenlee. Others were Richard Bird, Ann Donahoo [whom he may have inherited from the estate of Richard Bird], Daniel Hicks, and his wife's parents, John and Rebecca Logan. Most of the estate papers are notes, receipts, judgments, and other court documents.

Scope and Content:

The bills and receipts in this series are related to Thomas Young Greenlee and his brother, James M. Greenlee. Items are mainly tax receipts, receipts for land purchases and lists of notes.

Scope and Content:

Records included indicate that Thomas Young Greenlee was a county surveyor for McDowell County in the mid to late 1800's. This series contains many records and field notes of land surveyed in and around McDowell County. Additionally there are land surveying records that predate Thomas Young's era beginning with surveying notes from 1779.

Scope and Content:

Court Records mainly consists of judgments, summons, power of attorney, and deposition papers for Greenlee family members and acquaintances. Of particular interest is a report on the case of Sarah Spencer vs. James Greenlee, Burke County, 1828. This document provides the profits for hire of the slaves that are listed and amount of money due to the defendant. The report lists slave names, age, and value, hire amount, and expense on each.

Scope and Content:

Land records make up a large portion of this collection. Deeds and land grants span the course of over a century from 1778 to 1899, and while most are for land located in Burke and McDowell Counties, deeds containing land in surrounding counties are also included in these papers. Miscellaneous land records include advertisement of land for sale, lists of property, and permission to James H. to have a tannery on his land.