mc00329 Guide to the Wall Family Papers, 1900-1992 MC 00329 Finding aid prepared by Processed by: Michael Watts and Dani Nation;machine-readable finding aid created by: Dani Nation Special Collections Research Center 2007 This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit 2011-10-29T22:08-0400 Finding aid written in English. Wall Family Papers MC 00329 Special Collections Research Center 11.0 Linear feet 1900-1992 The Wall Family Papers document the lives of John Nelson Wall; his wife, Frances MacGregor Wall; their son, John Nelson Wall Jr.; along with various members of their extended family, friends, and professional acquaintances, between 1900 and 1992. The bulk of the collection is correspondence written between the years of 1920 and 1960, much of which was exchanged between John and Frances from 1933 to 1949, during their extended courtship and early years of marriage. The Wall family of Morven, North Carolina, includes John Nelson Wall (1904-1992); his wife, Frances MacGregor Wall (1909-1949); and their son John Nelson Wall Jr. (1945- ). John Nelson Wall Sr. worked for the North Carolina Transportation Department in Anson County, North Carolina. Frances MacGregor Wall taught home economics and was a 4-H home demonstration agent in Cleveland County, North Carolina, then assistant 4-H club leader for the state of North Carolina. John Nelson Wall Jr. was a faculty member in the English Department at North Carolina State University. For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Special Collections Research Center Reference Staff. 22 archival boxes Wall Family Restrictions to Access

This collection is open for research; access requires at least 24 hours advance notice.

 Acquisitions Information

Gift of John Nelson Wall Jr., 2002 December (Accession no. 2002-0018) and 2007 April (Accession no. 2007-0126)

 Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Wall Family Papers, MC 329, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC

 Copyright Notice

The nature of the NCSU Libraries' Special Collections means that copyright or other information about restrictions may be difficult or even impossible to determine despite reasonable efforts. The NCSU Libraries claims only physical ownership of most Special Collections materials.

The materials from our collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source.

 Processing Information

Processed by Michael Watts and Dani Nation, May 2007

Encoded by Dani Nation, May 2007

 Biographical Note

The Wall family of Morven, North Carolina, includes John Nelson Wall (1904-1992); his wife, Frances MacGregor Wall (1909-1949); and their son John Nelson Wall Jr. (1945- ).

Frances Smith MacGregor Wall was born on August 22, 1909, in Lilesville, North Carolina. Her father, John MacGregor, was a farm demonstration agent employed by the Cooperative Extension Service in North Carolina; her mother, Georgia MacGregor, operated a boarding house for school teachers living in the area. Frances attended the North Carolina College for Women (now the University of North Carolina at Greensboro), where she received a degree in education. After graduating, she taught home economics at Lilesville High School. In 1935, she began work as a 4-H home demonstration agent for Cleveland County. She remained with the organization and was promoted to assistant 4-H club leader for the State of North Carolina in 1937. Her chief obligations were to organize local 4-H club functions, demonstrate to young women on the domestic arts, write newspaper articles, and deliver radio broadcasts to promote the 4-H program.

John Nelson Wall was born on February 20, 1904, in Morven, North Carolina, to Edwin and Inez Wall. He was the youngest of their ten children. Wall enrolled in North Carolina State College (later North Carolina State University) in 1923 and 1924 to study mechanical engineering.

In the late 1920s, John Nelson Wall organized work parties that traveled to the midwestern United States to participate in summer wheat harvests. The groups were known as the "Wheatfield Gang."

After 1929, Wall settled permanently in Morven, taking a job with the North Carolina Department of Transportation. He attended the Morven Presbyterian Church, eventually becoming a Ruling Elder, and was also an active member of the Kilwinning Scottish Rite Masonic Lodge.

John Wall and Frances MacGregor met in 1933 and maintained a correspondence throughout their courtship. They married in 1944, and the correspondence continued as Frances's work with the 4-H association often kept them apart. In 1945 the couple had a son, John Nelson Wall Jr., and Frances resigned her post with 4-H and was, in 1946, working as a home economics instructor at Morven High School. In April 1949, Frances was hospitalized and treated for cancer. After experiencing a brief period of recovery, she died that August at the age of forty.

John Nelson Wall Sr. worked for the North Carolina Department of Transportation in Anson County for more than forty years. He died on September 29, 1992, at the age of eighty-eight.

John Nelson Wall Jr. graduated from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill with a BFA in English in 1967 and earned his master's degree in English in 1969 from Duke University. He received a doctorate in English from Harvard in 1973 and joined the faculty of North Carolina State University's English Department that same year.

 Scope and Content Note

The Wall Family Papers document the lives of John Nelson Wall; his wife, Frances MacGregor Wall; and their son, John Nelson Wall Jr.; along with various members of their extended family, friends, and professional acquaintances between 1900 and 1992. The bulk of the collection is correspondence written between the years of 1920 and 1960, much of which was exchanged between John and Frances from 1933 to 1949, during their extended courtship and early years of marriage. There is also a good deal of correpsondence sent to John Nelson Wall by women that he most likely met while traveling to wheat harvests in various locations throughout the 1920s, as well as photographs taken durring these travels.

The collection also contains photographs, papers and correspondence related to Frances MacGregor Wall's work for the 4-H organization and the various educational and promotional events she conducted over the course of her travels as demonstration agent. Of particular interst are the transcripts of her radio broadcasts for 4-H.

Clippings and photographs related to the childhood and education of John Nelson Wall Jr. are included as well.

 Organization of the Collection

The collection is divided into three series: 1. Personal Papers 2. Correspondence 3. Photographs An addition of May 2007 was arranged in the same way but was not incorporated into the original deposit.

 Wall, Frances MacGregor, 1909-1949 Wall, John Nelson, 1904-1992 Wall, John Nelson, 1945- 4-H clubs--North Carolina--History Articles Calendars Courtship--United States--History Dating (Social customs)--United States--History Directories Letters (correspondence) Lilesville (N.C.)--History Love-letters--United States Morven (N.C.)--History Photographs Women--United States--History Correspondence Series 1 4.5 Linear feet 1920-1992 9 archival boxes Scope and Contents note

This series contains the letters written by and to members of the John Nelson Wall family. Primarily, it contains letters from Frances MacGregor Wall to John Nelson Wall dating from 1920 to 1946 and depicting their courtship and marriage, as well as describing Frances Wall's career with the 4-H organization. Also included are letters received by John Nelson Wall from friends and acquaintances from 1920 until 1992. Of particular interest are letters from women he most likely met during his travels across the United States in the 1920s.

See also the addition of May 2007.

 Letters from Frances MacGregor Wall to John Nelson Wall 1 1 January 1933 - April 1933 Letters from Frances MacGregor Wall to John Nelson Wall 1 2 May 1933- October 1933 Letters from Frances MacGregor Wall to John Nelson Wall 1 3 November 1933 - December 1933 Letters from Frances MacGregor Wall to John Nelson Wall 1 4 January 1934 Letters from Frances MacGregor Wall to John Nelson Wall 1 5 February 1934 Letters from Frances MacGregor Wall to John Nelson Wall 1 6 March 1934 - April 1934 Letters from Frances MacGregor Wall to John Nelson Wall 1 7 September 1934 - December 1934 Letters from Frances MacGregor Wall to John Nelson Wall 2 1 May 1935 - July 1936 Letters from Frances MacGregor Wall to John Nelson Wall 2 2 August 1935 - December 1935 Letters from Frances MacGregor Wall to John Nelson Wall 2 3 January 1936 - March 1936 Letters from Frances MacGregor Wall to John Nelson Wall 2 4 May 1936 - August 1936 Letters from Frances MacGregor Wall to John Nelson Wall 2 5 September 1936 - December 1936 Letters from Frances MacGregor Wall to John Nelson Wall 2 6 March 1937 - July 1937 Letters from Frances MacGregor Wall to John Nelson Wall 2 7 August 1937 - December 1937 Letters from Frances MacGregor Wall to John Nelson Wall 2 8 January 1938 - May 1938 Letters from Frances MacGregor Wall to John Nelson Wall 3 1 June 1938 - December 1938 Letters from Frances MacGregor Wall to John Nelson Wall 3 2 January 1939 - August 1939 Letters from Frances MacGregor Wall to John Nelson Wall 3 3 September 1939 - December 1939 Letters from Frances MacGregor Wall to John Nelson Wall 3 4 January 1940 - May 1940 Letters from Frances MacGregor Wall to John Nelson Wall 3 5 June 1940 - December 1940 Letters from Frances MacGregor Wall to John Nelson Wall 3 6 January 1941 - April 1941 Letters from Frances MacGregor Wall to John Nelson Wall 4 1 May 1941 - August 1941 Letters from Frances MacGregor Wall to John Nelson Wall 4 2 September 1941 - December 1941 Letters from Frances MacGregor Wall to John Nelson Wall 4 3 January 1942 - March 1942 Letters from Frances MacGregor Wall to John Nelson Wall 4 4 April 1942 - June 1942 Letters from Frances MacGregor Wall to John Nelson Wall 4 5 July 1942 - October 1942 Letters from Frances MacGregor Wall to John Nelson Wall 4 6 November 1942 - December 1942 Letters from Frances MacGregor Wall to John Nelson Wall 5 1 January 1943 - February 1943 Letters from Frances MacGregor Wall to John Nelson Wall 5 2 March 1943 - April 1943 Letters from Frances MacGregor Wall to John Nelson Wall 5 3 January 1943 - February 1943 Letters from Frances MacGregor Wall to John Nelson Wall 5 4 May 1943 - July 1943 Letters from Frances MacGregor Wall to John Nelson Wall 5 5 August 1943 - October 1943 Letters from Frances MacGregor Wall to John Nelson Wall 5 6 Jan 1944-February 1944 Letters from Frances MacGregor Wall to John Nelson Wall 5 7 March 1944 - April 1944 Letters from Frances MacGregor Wall to John Nelson Wall 6 1 May 1944 - August 1944 Letters from Frances MacGregor Wall to John Nelson Wall 6 2 September 1944 - December 1944 Letters from Frances MacGregor Wall to John Nelson Wall 6 3 January 1945 Letters from Frances MacGregor Wall to John Nelson Wall 6 4 No date Letters from Frances MacGregor Wall to John Nelson Wall 6 5 No date Letters from Frances MacGregor Wall to John Nelson Wall 6 6 No date Frances MacGregor- Personal Correspondence (other) 7 1 Letters from John Nelson Wall to his Mother 9 2 1928-1940 John Nelson Wall Sr. to John Nelson Wall Jr. 9 3 1967-1990 Letters to Family Members 9 4 1922 - 1979 John Nelson Wall Personal Correspondence (General) 9 5 1932-1954 John Nelson Wall Business Correspondence (General) 9 5 Wheatfield Gang Correspondence 9 6 1925 - 1932 Letters to John Nelson Wall from Agnes 9 7 1924 - 1925 Letters to John Nelson Wall from Ann 9 8 1933 Letters to John Nelson Wall from Elizabeth Braswell 9 9 1924 Letters to John Nelson Wall from Bright 9 10 1924 Letters to John Nelson Wall from Cornelia 9 11 1927 Letters to John Nelson Wall from Evelyn 9 12 1928 - 1934 Letters to John Nelson Wall from Edna 9 13 1932 - 1935 Letters to John Nelson Wall from Fanny 9 14 1930 Letters to John Nelson Wall from Frances Kelly 9 15 1930 - 1944 Letters to John Nelson Wall from Hattie 9 16 Letters to John Nelson Wall from Hester 9 17 1927 -1928 Letters to John Nelson Wall from Inez Boone 9 18 1928 -1929 Letters to John Nelson Wall from Jean 10 1 1927 - 1930 Letters to John Nelson Wall from Jimmie 10 2 1922 Letters to John Nelson Wall from Leona 10 3 1922 Letters to John Nelson Wall from Lilly 10 4 1941 Letters to John Nelson Wall from Louise 10 5 1937 Letters to John Nelson Wall from Margaret 10 6 1932 - 1941 Letters to John Nelson Wall from Marie 10 7 1922 Letters to John Nelson Wall from Mary 10 8 1922 - 1929 Letters to John Nelson Wall from Mary Alice 10 9 1926 - 1927 Letters to John Nelson Wall from Mary E. 10 10 1929 Letters to John Nelson Wall from Mary Shaw 10 11 1931 Letters to John Nelson Wall from Mary Taylor 10 12 1928 Letters to John Nelson Wall from Merle 10 13 1927 Letters to John Nelson Wall from Sarah 10 14 1925 Letters to John Nelson Wall from Viola 10 15 1925 Letters to John Nelson Wall from Virginia 10 16 1940 Letters to John Nelson Wall from unknown 1927 10 17 1940 Ruth 10 18 1930-1931 John Wall Sr. Letters concerning John Jr's relationship with Terry Cobb 11 1 1967 -1970 Letters from Family Members 11 2 Postcards 11 3 1925-1949 Postcards and Greeting Cards (1 of 3) 11 4 1900-1950 Postcards and Greeting Cards 10 6 Greeting Cards 10 7 Postcards and Greeting Cards (2 of 3) 11 5 1900-1950 Postcards and Greeting Cards (3 of 3) 11 6 1900-1950 Letters from John Wall Jr. to John Wall Sr. 16 5 1969-1983 Letters from Terry Cobb Wall John Wall Sr. 16 6 1967 Letters to John Wall Sr. 16 7 1980-1992 Personal Papers Series 2 2.5 Linear feet 1906-1992 5 archival boxes Scope and Contents note

This series contains news clippings, financail documents and printed materials. Of particular interest are compiled histories of Frances MacGregor Wall's ancestors of the names Smith and MacGregor as well as radio broadcast transcriptions, organization literature and notes amassed by Frances MacGregor Wall durring her career with 4-H.

See also the addition of May 2007.

 Frances MacGregor- Professional Papers 7 2 Frances MacGregor- 4-H Radio Broadcasts 7 3 Frances MacGregor- Newspaper Articles 7 4 Frances MacGregor - 4-H Pamphlets 7 5 Frances MacGregor - Home Economics Literature 7 6 Frances MacGregor- Delta Kappa Gamma Society 7 7 Julia MacGregor 7 8 Family History Smith/MacGregor 7 9 Family History- Smith (Book) 7 10 Coin Purse - Frances MacGregor 7 11 Wedding Invitation - John Nelson Wall and Frances Smith MacGregor 11 7 1944 Family History- Wall and Liles 11 8 Edwin Craig Wall Sr. and Edwin Craig Wall Jr. (Canal Industries) 11 9 1980-1987 John Nelson Wall Sr. -Deceased 11 10 1992 John Nelson Wall Travel Journal and Notebooks 9 1 1909-1968 Loose contents "Mother's Bible" 11 11 1940-1950 Newspaper Articles 13 1 1942-1943 Newspaper Articles 13 2 1941-1949 Newspaper Articles 13 3 1958-1987 Theological Matters- Church 13 4 1922-1962 Printed materials 13 5 1900-1950 North Carolina Highway Map 13 6 1948 John Nelson Wall Sr. notes (1 of 2) 13 7 unknown John Nelson Wall Sr. notes (2 of 2) 13 8 unknown John Wall Sr. Business papers 14 1 1937-1986 John Wall Sr. bank statements and canceled checks 14 2 1944 John Wall Sr. bank statements and canceled checks 14 4 1946 John Wall Sr. bank statements and canceled checks 14 5 1948 John Wall Sr. bank statements and canceled checks 15 1 1950 John Wall Sr. bank statements and canceled checks 15 2 1951 John Wall Sr. bank statements and canceled checks 15 3 1956 Frances MacGregor Wall bank statements and canceled checks 15 4 1944 Veterans Loan 15 5 1942-1944 Insurance 15 6 1938-1951 Real Estate 16 1 1925-1987 Sales contract 1941 Pontiac Deluxe 16 2 1941 Receipts (1 of 2) 16 3 1941-1977 Receipts (2 of 2) 16 4 1941-1977 John Wall Jr. newsclippings and scholarly correspondence 16 8 1963-1970 Photographs Series 3 1.5 Linear feet 1880-1992 3 archival flat boxes Scope and Contents note

This series contains family photographs collected by Frances MacGregor Wall, John Nelson Wall, and John Nelson Wall Jr. as well as photographs of Frances MacGregor Wall (then Frances Smith MacGregor) when she was a student and during her career with the 4-H organization.

See also the addition of May 2007.

 Frances MacGregor Wall and ancestors 8 1909-1949 John Nelson Wall and ancestors 12 1906-1992 John Nelson Wall Jr. and family 17 1945-1992 Addition of May 2007 2.5 Linear feet 1920-1992 5 archival boxes, 1 flat file. Scope and Contents note

The addition of May 2007 contains materials documenting the lives of John Nelson Wall, his wife, Frances MacGregor Wall, and their son John Nelson Wall Jr. along with various members of their extended family, friends, and professional acquaintances between 1900 and 1992. The bulk of this series is comprised of books belonging to Frances MacGregor Wall. Also of interest are the letters, notes and journals written by John Nelson Wall, especially the calendars kept between 1986 and 1991 which describe his day to day life.

 Correspondence Series 1 1923-1987 Scope and Contents note

This series contains the letters written by and to members of the John Nelson Wall family. The addition of May 2007 contains primarily letters, cards, and postcards sent to John Nelson Wall from the 1920s until the time of his death in 1992. This addition of May 2007 has been arranged in the same way but was not incorporated into the original deposit.

 Letters and Cards sent to John Nelson Wall 18 1 1923-1987 Letters from John Nelson Wall to family 18 2 1928-1939 Letters exchanged between Belle Liles and "Aunt Sissy" 18 3 1940 Personal Papers Series 2 1920-1992 Scope and Contents note

This series contains the personal papers generated by John Nelson Wall, his wife, Frances MacGregor Wall, and their son John Nelson Wall Jr. along with various members of their extended family and friends. The bulk of the series addition is made up of Frances MacGregor Wall's collection of books on gardening, cooking, and collections of poetry and reference volumes printed between 1920 and 1949. Also of interest are the notes and journals written by John Nelson Wall, especially the calendars kept between 1986 and 1991 which describe his day to day life. This addition of May 2007 has been arranged in the same way but was not incorporated into the original deposit.

 WWII Ration book 18 4 1942 Gas Ration issues to M.E. Gardner 18 5 1942 Address book 18 6 1980 Gefroj Studio Keepsake Art 18 7 unknown Marriage License of John and Frances Wall 18 8 1944 Financial Doccuments 18 9 1941-1945 Report Card NC State A&E issued to John N. Wall 18 10 1923 John Wall Jr. School papers 18 11 1963 Tax forms 18 12 1944-1947 John Nelson Wall handwritten will 18 13 1964 Stamp Collection 18 14 1900-1977 Newsclippings 18 15 1920-1986 John Nelson Wall Notes 18 16 1927-1988 John Nelson Wall Calendar with notes 18 17 1986 John Nelson Wall Calendar with notes 19 1 1987 John Nelson Wall Calendar with notes 19 2 1988 John Nelson Wall Calendar with notes 19 3 1990 John Nelson Wall Calendar with notes 19 4 1991 John Nelson Wall memorial service record 19 5 1992 Frances MacGregor Wall photo stationery 19 6 unknown Frances MacGregor Wall's "Deadwood, SD" bookmark 19 7 unknown Lilesville 4-H booklet 19 8 1947 Wood-covered Guest Log 19 9 unknown The Morven Highschool Pioneer yearbook 20 1 1923 Websters Academic Dictionary 20 2 1929 Handbook of Early American Pressed Glass Patterns by Ruth Webb Lee 20 3 1936 Songs for Courage by Grace Noll Crowell 20 4 1938 My Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook 20 5 1939 Verses I Like 21 1 1939 A Southern Garden by Elizabeth Lawerence 21 2 1942 The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran 21 3 1943 When We're Green We Grow by Jane Simpson McKimmon 21 4 1945 Lilesville Echoes yearbook 21 5 1946-1947 Morven Highschool Yearbook 22 1 1947 Wadesboro Telephone Directory 22 2 1952 Clover All Over by James W. Clark Jr. 22 3 1984 Greensboro College Alumni Directory 22 4 1991 You Might be a Redneck If... by Jeff Foxworthy 22 5 1992 Booklet - These Blooming Climbers by l. Young Correthers 22 6 Unknown The Favorite Recipes of the Cartoogechaye Home Demonstration Club 22 7 Unknown News photo of Frances Smith MacGregor with school class 22 8 1920 Oversized Printed Material, Magazine Clippings and Notes removed from Box 18 folder 16 and Box 20 folder 3 1 1930-1959