Lawrence L. Swain Papers, PC.5054
Abstract
Lawrence Swain was a longtime Manteo resident and member of the Dare County Board
of Commissioners from 1950 to 1966. This collection primarily documents the projects
in which Swain was involved as a county commissioner, with a particular focus on infrastructure
and county planning projects, such as roads and bridges, ferries, harbor projects,
shoreline erosion control, hurricane response and preparation, and tourism.
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Lawrence L. Swain Papers
- Call Number
- PC.5054
- Creator
-
Swain, Lawrence Leroy, 1915-2003
- Date
- 1946-1966
- Extent
- 1.600 cubic feet
- Language
-
English
- Repository
-
Outer Banks History Center
Restrictions on Access & Use
Use Restrictions
Copyright is retained by the authors of these materials, or their descendants, as
stipulated by the United States copyright law (Title 17 US Code). Individual researchers
are responsible for using these materials in conformance with copyright law as well
as any donor restrictions accompanying these materials.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], PC.5054, Lawrence Swain Papers, Outer Banks History Center,
Manteo, NC, U.S.A.
Collection Overview
The Lawrence L. Swain Papers, 1946-1966, primarily focuses on Swain's work as a commissioner
for Dare County. The materials in the collection comprise correspondence, meeting
minutes, notes, reports, and other data pertinent to the various projects Swain participated
in during his time on the board. Most materials document various infrastructure and
county planning projects, such as roads and bridges, ferries, harbor projects, shoreline
erosion control, hurricane response and preparation, and tourism.
Arrangement Note
Original order has been retained. Most materials are arranged chronologically or in
reverse chronological order within folders.
Biographical/Historical
Lawrence Leroy Swain was born 26 June 1915 in Plymouth, North Carolina, to Leroy R.
Swain and Hilda Ralph Swain. He attended Plymouth High School and graduated in 1932.
In 1935, he enlisted in the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and was stationed at
CCC camp 436, Camp Virginia Dare, on the north end of Roanoke Island. While working
for the CCC, Swain helped plant beach grasses to stabilize the dunes on Dare County's
beaches and worked as a first aid attendant, mess hall steward, and company clerk.
In 1936, Swain married Ollie Bell Midgett, a Dare County native, and the couple lived
in Manteo when Swain was discharged in 1937. They soon became active members of the
Manteo community.
In 1950, Swain was elected to the Dare County Board of Commissioners, on which he
continued to serve for most of the next sixteen years. During Swain's time, the board
established the offices of County Accountant, County Tax Supervisor, and County Tax
Collector, and drafted tax maps for the county. After being defeated in the 1966 election,
Swain took a job as an area development officer for the United States Agency for International
Development in Vietnam, where he remained until 1973, when he returned to the United
States and took a job in sales. He retired in 1984 and returned to his family home
in Plymouth, where he remained until his death in 2003.
Contents of the Collection
Collection Contents
Road Projects: North Carolina Highway Commission Ferry Operations, Personnel Data, 1962-1965
Box 1
Road Projects: Oregon Inlet Highway Bridge, 1961-1964
Box 1
Road Projects: Roads, Dare County Board of Commissioners, 1950-1966
Box 1
Road Projects: Carolina-Virginia Turnpike Authority, 1963
Box 1
Harbor Projects: Public Landing Site, Mill Landing, Wanchese, North Carolina, 1960-1964
Box 1
Harbor Projects: Stumpy Point Channel and Harbor, 1959-1965
Box 1
Harbor Projects: Manns Harbor Basin, 1963-1964
Box 1
Harbor Projects: Avon Harbor Channel and Basin, 1960-1965
Box 1
Harbor Projects: Buxton Harbor and Channel, 1963-1965
Box 1
Harbor Projects: East Lake Harbor, 1962
Box 1
Harbor Projects: Rodanthe Harbor and Channel, Rodanthe, North Carolina, 1963-1965
Box 1
Waterways Projects, General: Dare County Waterways and Harbors, 1956-1966
Box 1
Waterways Projects, General: Hatteras Inlet, Rollinson Channel, Hatteras Harbor, 1954-1965
Box 1
National Rivers and Harbors Congress, 1954-1966
Box 2
Erosion Projects: Jethro Midgett Proposal, 1965
Box 2
Erosion Projects: Beach Erosion Organizations (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Beach
Erosion Board, American Shore and Beach Preservation Association), 1962-1966
Box 2
Erosion Projects: Handbook for Erosion Control, Dare County, 1956
Box 2
Commercial Fishing Projects: Correspondence and Other Papers, 1957-1966
Box 2
Commercial Fishing Projects: Newsletters, 1963-1966
Box 2
Civil Defense Program: Dare County Planning and Program Responsibility, 1962-1964
Box 2
Civil Defense Program: Hurricane Donna Project (1961), 1960-1961
Box 2
Outer Banks Convention Center and Museum, Inc. (1961), 1961-1966
Box 2
Dare County Tourist Bureau: Board of Directors, Executive Committee, Finances [Folders
1-2 of 3], 1951-1959
Box 2
Dare County Tourist Bureau: Board of Directors, Executive Committee, Finances [Folder
3 of 3], 1951-1959
Box 3
Dare County Tourist Bureau: General Files, 1959-1963
Box 3
Dare County Tourist Bureau: General Files, 1964-1966
Box 3
Miscellaneous Projects: Dare County Economic Opportunity Program, 1964-1965
Box 3
Miscellaneous Projects: Federal Payments in Lieu of Taxes, Wetlands Hearings, 1963-1965
Box 3
Miscellaneous Projects: Washington Baum Bridge Dedication Committee, 1962
Box 3
Miscellanous Projects: Recreation Program for Dare County, 1963-1964
Box 3
Miscellaneous Projects: Navy, Airforce Bombing Range [Folder 1 of 2], 1957-1966
Box 3
Miscellaneous Projects: Navy, Airforce Bombing Range [Folder 2 of 2], 1957-1966
Box 4
Miscellaneous Projects: Manteo Airport Department, 1946-1965
Box 4
Miscellaneous Reports: Dare County Election Results, 1964-1966
Box 4
Miscellaneous Reports: Summary of Dare County Government, 29 November 1966
Box 4
Miscellaneous Reports: Regulations and Ordinances, 1964
Box 4
Miscellaneous Reports: Development Plan, Dare County, North Carolina, 1964
Box 4
Miscellaneous Reports: Population and Economy, Dare County, North Carolina, 1963
Box 4
Miscellaneous Reports: The Need for Hurricane Protection for the Mainland of Dare
County, North Carolina, 1958
Box 4
Miscellaneous Reports: On Proposed Water Facilities and Firefighting Apparatus and
Equipment..., 1958
Box 4
Dare County Board of Commissioners, 1963
Box 4
Subject Headings
Dare County Tourist Bureau (Dare County, N.C.)
Beach Erosion--North Carolina--Dare County
Bridges--North Carolina--Dare County
Ferries--North Carolina--Dare County
Harbors--North Carolina--Dare County
Hurricanes--North Carolina
Infrastructure (Economics)--North Carolina--Dare County
Roads--North Carolina--Dare County
Tourism--North Carolina--Dare County
Dare County (N.C.)--History--20th century
Herbert C. Bonner Bridge (N.C.)
Acquisitions Information
Donated by Lawrence Swain, October 1997.
Processing Information
Processed by Samantha Crisp, October 2019.