Perry-Wynns Fish Company Records 1949-2002

Summary
Contents
Names/subjects
Using these materials
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Creator
Perry-Wynns Fish Company
Size
43.5 linear feet (20 boxes and 21 volumes)
Call number
MC 00304

The Perry-Wynns Fish Company Records contain the business records, including financial, payroll, sales, and fishing information, of the Perry-Wynns Fish Company (alternatively known as the Perry-Wynns Fishery) of Colerain, North Carolina, on the Chowan River. The papers date from 1947 to 2002.

The Perry-Wynns Fish Company was formed in 1952 when L. D. Perry and Leo Wynns formed a partnership to run a herring packing plant in Colerain, North Carolina on the western shore of the Chowan River. Incorporated in 1966, the company was, for decades, the largest freshwater herring fishery in the world, packing both herring and herring roe under the Tidewater Brand, the Bertie Brand and Chowan's Best. In September 2003, Hurricane Isabel destroyed nine of the fishery's eleven buildings, putting the company out of business.

Biographical/historical note

The Perry-Wynns Fish Company was formed in 1952 when L.D. Perry and Leo Wynns formed a partnership to run a herring packing plant in Colerain, North Carolina on the western shore of the Chowan River. The company was incorporated on February 7, 1966. For decades, it was the largest freshwater herring fishery in the world, packing both herring and herring roe under the Tidewater Brand, the Bertie Brand and Chowan's Best. It also ran a restaurant, the Sea Gull Cafe, that was open for lunch during the herring season in March and April. During the Perry-Wynns Fish Company's height, it hired up to 200 seasonal and permanent employees. During the 1990s, the number of herring in the Chowan River fell, and the business shrank to a point where it hired 25 seasonal employees and had ten full-time employees. The company also began packing herring, mackerel and mullet caught elsewhere, rather than processing fish caught locally in the Chowan River. In September 2003, Hurricane Isabel destroyed nine of the fishery's eleven buildings, putting the company out of business.

Scope/content

The Perry-Wynns Fish Company Records include volumes of employee records (including salary information), records of fish caught and packed, and books of sales and general financial information. Also included is a subsequent addition of five photographs.

Arrangement

The Perry-Wynns Fish Company Records are organized into four series: Employee Records, Financial Records, Catch Records, and Photographs.

  • Fisheries
  • Fisheries--Atlantic States
  • Fisheries--Economic aspects--North Carolina
  • Fisheries--North Carolina
  • Fisheries--North Carolina--Chowan River
  • Fishery processing industries--North Carolina
  • Fishery processing industries--North Carolina--Employees
  • Herring fisheries--North Carolina
  • Perry-Wynns Fish Company
  • Perry-Wynns Fishery

Use of these materials

North Carolina State University does not own copyright to this collection. Individuals obtaining materials from the NC State University Libraries' Special Collections Research Center are responsible for using the works in conformance with United States copyright law as well as any donor restrictions accompanying the materials.

This collection may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which North Carolina State University assumes no responsibility.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Perry-Wynns Fish Company Records, MC 00304, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC

Source of acquisition

The Perry-Wynns Fish Company Records were a gift of the Perry-Wynns Fish Company on March 13, 2001 and of Lois Fischer Black on March 23, 2002.

The Perry-Wynns Fish Company Records were a gift of the Perry-Wynns Fish Company on March 13, 2001 and of Lois Fischer Black on March 23, 2002.

Please note that some historical materials may contain harmful content and/or descriptions. Learn how we’re addressing it.

The collection is organized into four principal series:

Employee Records 1951-1973 (Series 1)
Size: 2.5 linear feet

This series contains payroll records for the Perry-Wynns Fish Company's seasonal and permanent employees. The volumes have been arranged chronologically.

10 boxes

Employee records 1951
Box 1, Folder 1
Employee records 1952
Box 1, Folder 2
Employee records 1953
Box 1, Folder 3
Employee records 1954
Box 1, Folder 4
Employee records 1955
Box 1, Folder 5
Employee records 1956
Box 2, Folder 1
Employee records 1957
Box 2, Folder 2
Fish Cutters 1958
Box 2, Folder 3
Fish Cutters 1959
Box 2, Folder 4
Roe Pickers 1959
Box 2, Folder 5
Fish Cutters 1963
Box 2, Folder 5
Employee records 1960
Box 3, Folder 1
Fish Cutters 1960
Box 3, Folder 2
Roe Pickers 1960
Box 3, Folder 3
Employee records 1960-1961
Box 3, Folder 4
Employee records 1961
Box 3, Folder 5
Fish Cutters 1961
Box 4, Folder 1
Roe Pickers 1961
Box 4, Folder 2
Employee records 1962
Box 4, Folder 3
Roe Pickers and Fish Packers 1962
Box 4, Folder 4
Fish Cutters 1963
Box 4, Folder 5
Roe Pickers, Fish Packers, and Skinners 1963
Box 5, Folder 1
Fish Cutters, Men and Women 1964
Box 5, Folder 2
Roe Pickers, Fish Packers, and Skinners 1964
Box 5, Folder 3
Additional Cutters 1964-1965
Box 5, Folder 4
Regular and Off-season Fish Packers July 4, 1964-June 25, 1966
Box 5, Folder 5
Labor 1965
Box 6, Folder 1
Roe Pickers, Skinners, and Fall Fish Packers 1965
Box 6, Folder 2
Regular Payroll 1966
Box 6, Folder 3
Men and Fish Cutters 1966
Box 6, Folder 4
Roe Pickers, Skinners and Fall Packers 1966
Box 6, Folder 5
Men and Fish Cutters 1967
Box 7, Folder 1
Roe Pickers, Skinners, and Fall Packers 1967
Box 7, Folder 2
Men's Working Hours 1967-1968
Box 7, Folder 3
Men (Night Workers) 1967-1970
Box 7, Folder 4
Regular Payroll 1968
Box 7, Folder 5
Men and Fish Cutters 1968
Box 8, Folder 1
Roe Pickers and Skinners 1968
Box 8, Folder 2
Roe Pickers, Fall Packers, and Skinners 1969
Box 8, Folder 3
Seasonal Men and Fish Cutters 1969
Box 8, Folder 4
Roe Pickers, Fall Packers, and Skinners 1970
Box 8, Folder 5
Regular Employees 1970-1971
Box 9, Folder 1
Seasonal Fish Cutters 1970-1971
Box 9, Folder 2
Roe Pickers, Skinners, and Packers Fall 1971
Box 9, Folder 3
Men (Night Workers) 1971-1973
Box 9, Folder 4
Regular Employees November 4, 1971-November 1, 1973
Box 9, Folder 5
Roe Pickers, Skinners, and Fall Packers 1972
Box 10, Folder 1
Fish Cutters 1972-1973
Box 10, Folder 2
Roe Pickers, Skinners, and Fall Packers - Seasonal Operations 1973
Box 10, Folder 3
Financial Records, 1949-1970 (Series 2)
Size: 25 linear feet

The Financial Records series contains volumes of the Perry-Wynns Fish Company's financial information, including sales, purchase, and payroll records. The volumes have been arranged chronologically.

21 volumes

Financial records 1949 June-1952 April
Volume 11
Financial records 1952
Volume 12
Financial records 1953
Volume 13
Financial records 1953-1958
Volume 14
Financial records 1954
Volume 15
Financial records 1955
Volume 16
Financial records 1956
Volume 17
Financial records 1957
Volume 18
Financial records 1958
Volume 19
Financial records 1959
Volume 20
Financial records 1960
Volume 21
Financial records 1961
Volume 22
Financial records 1962
Volume 23
Financial records 1963
Volume 24
Financial records 1964
Volume 25
Financial records 1965
Volume 26
Financial records 1966
Volume 27
Financial records 1967
Volume 28
Financial records 1968
Volume 29
Financial records 1969
Volume 30
Financial records 1970
Volume 31
Catch Records, 1950-1995 (Series 3)
Size: 16 linear feet

The Catch Records series includes records of the numbers of fish caught by Perry-Wynns Fish Company employees in individual years. The records have been arranged chronologically.

10 boxes

Catch records 1950-1952
Box 32, Folder 1
Catch records 1953
Box 32, Folder 2
Catch records 1954
Box 32, Folder 3
Catch records 1955
Box 32, Folder 4
Catch records 1956
Box 32, Folder 5
Catch records 1957
Box 33, Folder 1
Catch records 1958
Box 33, Folder 2
Catch records 1959
Box 33, Folder 3
Catch records 1960
Box 33, Folder 4
Catch records 1961
Box 33, Folder 5
Catch records 1962
Box 34, Folder 1
Catch records 1963
Box 34, Folder 2
Catch records 1964
Box 34, Folder 3
Catch records 1965
Box 34, Folder 4
Catch records 1966
Box 34, Folder 5
Catch records 1966-1968
Box 34, Folder 6
Catch records 1967
Box 34, Folder 7
Catch records 1968
Box 35, Folder 1
Catch records 1969
Box 35, Folder 2
Catch records 1970
Box 35, Folder 3
Catch records 1970-1971
Box 35, Folder 4
Catch records 1971
Box 35, Folder 5
Catch records 1972
Box 35, Folder 6
Catch records 1972-1974
Box 35, Folder 7
Catch records 1973
Box 36, Folder 1
Catch records 1974
Box 36, Folder 2
Catch records 1975
Box 36, Folder 3
Catch records 1975-1977
Box 36, Folder 4
Catch records 1976
Box 36, Folder 5
Catch records 1977
Box 36, Folder 6
Catch records 1978
Box 36, Folder 7
Catch records 1978-1979
Box 37, Folder 1
Catch records 1979
Box 37, Folder 2
Catch records 1980-1981
Box 37, Folder 3
Catch records 1980-1983
Box 37, Folder 4
Catch records 1982
Box 37, Folder 5
Catch records 1983
Box 37, Folder 6
Catch records [File 1 of 2] 1984
Box 37, Folder 7
Catch records [File 2 of 2] 1984
Box 38, Folder 1
Catch records 1985
Box 38, Folder 2
Catch records 1985-1989
Box 39, Folder 1
Catch records 1985-1995
Box 40, Folder 1
Catch records 1987
Box 40, Folder 2
Catch records 1988
Box 40, Folder 3
Catch records 1990-1993
Box 41, Folder 1
Catch records 1994-1995
Box 41, Folder 2
Photographs, 2002 (Series 4)

Five photographs were taken of the Perry-Wynns Fish Company by Lois Fischer Black, NC State University Libraries Special Collections Research Center, following the company's donation of its records to North Carolina State University.

1 folder

Photographs 2002
Folder 42
Please note that some historical materials may contain harmful content and/or descriptions. Learn how we’re addressing it.

Access to the collection

This collection is open for research; access requires at least 48 hours advance notice. Because of the nature of certain archival formats, including digital and audio-visual materials, access to digital files may require additional advanced notice.

For more information contact us via mail, phone, or our web form.

Mailing address:
Special Collections Research Center
Box 7111
Raleigh, NC, 27695-7111

Phone: (919) 515-2273

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Perry-Wynns Fish Company Records, MC 00304, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC

Use of these materials

North Carolina State University does not own copyright to this collection. Individuals obtaining materials from the NC State University Libraries' Special Collections Research Center are responsible for using the works in conformance with United States copyright law as well as any donor restrictions accompanying the materials.

This collection may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations. Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which North Carolina State University assumes no responsibility.