Archives Collections

1. African American Studies

   The African-American Studies Publications Collection consists of published articles as well as journals in African American Studies. The collection is divided into four series. The series are:

   • Series 1: Published Articles (2 boxes)
   • Series 2: Negro Digest and Black World (4 boxes)
   • Series 3: Black Scholar and Black Lines (1 box)
   • Series 4: Miscellaneous Publications (1 box)
2. The African American Heritage Trail

   

   
   The African American Heritage Trail consists of papers, documents, collected articles, photographs, images and a publication pertaining to the African American Heritage Trail. “In 1990, the Florida Legislature formed a Study Commission of African American History in Florida in an effort to increase public awareness of African American contributions.” This collection contains sites, buildings and other significant points of interest to black history identified by the Commission as places and things to be preserved and promoted as tourist attractions. The collection is arranged as follows:
   • Series 1: Historical Information
   • Series 2: Photographs and Images
   • Series 3: Publication Information

3. American Missionary Association

   The American Missionary Association was designed to institute full and equal privileges of citizenship to freedmen in the United States during the late 19th and early 20th century. The American Missionary Association Collection is a collection of various documents pertaining to the AMA. The documents were collected and research by Dr. J. Richardson. The collection is divided into six series: 1) Bureau Documents, 2) Various States Documents, 3) Texas State Document, 4) Virginia State Documents, 5) Missouri State Documents, and 6) Alabama State Documents. All documents were donated to the John G. Riley House Museum by. Dr. Richardson. Print Catalog. (msword 114.50 kB)

4. The Antebellum South/Slavery

   Antebellum is a Latin word meaning before the war; in America, the word is associated with the South before the Civil War. The Antebellum South/Slavery collection contains materials that pertain to the antebellum and slavery period. The collection gives access to slave schedule which contains names of slave owners in Leon County. The schedule also gives slave ages, gender, and color of each slave and the number of slaves dwelling on a plantation.

5. Aquilina C. Howell Collection
   The Aquilina C. Howell mss. consists of papers of distinguished Leon County educator, Aquilina Howell. Born in Tallahassee, Florida in 1917, Howell graduated from Old Lincoln High School in 1934. She received her B.A. from Florida A&M College in 1938 and a M.A. in Curriculum and Guidance from New York University. “In a distinguished career that lasted more than four decades, Howell served the children of Leon County as a teacher, guidance counselor, supervisor of curriculum and guidance, and Director of Secondary Education. In 1985, she retired as Superintendent for Instruction, the highest ranking black administrator at that time”. The Aquilina C. Howell collection includes papers, correspondence, photographs, greeting and postcards, and memorabilia. Print Catalog (msword 106.50 kB) .

6. Black Abolitionist Papers

   The Black Abolitionist Papers mss. (manuscripts) consist of papers, documents, collected articles, and publications pertaining to the abolishment of slavery in the United States and information pertaining to the publication of the papers .This collection is the largest collection of pre-civil war African-American history documents from 1830 to 1865. It contains over 25,000 documents including editorials, sermons, speeches, letters, and essays collected from approximately 300 manuscript libraries/depositories throughout the world including England, Scotland, Ireland, Canada, and the United States. The collection is divided into four series:

   • • Primary documents
     • Canadian documents

       

     • Abolitionist publications

7. Black Beaches 1935-1997

   A The collection is made up of historical facts on Black Beaches; the histories of both American Beach, in Jacksonville, Florida and Money Beach, located in Port St. Joe, Florida, were a few of the beaches open to Blacks. The collection includes newspaper clippings, deeds (copies), post cards, touring information, obsequies of the late Damon P. Peters, Sr., and photos. Print Catalog. (msword 23.50 kB)

8. Black Churches

   The collection contains histories of local churches in Tallahassee. The pieces included in the collection are programs, slideshow information, and newspaper clippings. The Black church as an institution is the oldest organization in the United States. The churches, as a whole, harbor more history than any other Black institution in America. Church was the only place Blacks could meet freely and eventually speak openly about their condition in America. Print catalog. (msword 28.00 kB)

9. Black Newspapers

   

   The Black Newspapers Collection contains a host of various black newspapers published from over the years. The collection is divided into (20) twenty boxes: 1) The Black Dispatch, 2) Capitol Outlook, 3)The Columbus Times, 4) The FAMUan, 5)The Kansas City Call/Star, 6)The Miami Herald, 7) Minneapolis Spokesmen, 8) The Minneapolis Star/Tribune, 9) New Black Monitor, 10) The New Crusader, 11)The Oklahoma Eagle, 12) The Omaha Star, 13) Orlando Sentinel, 14) The Pensacola Voice, 15) The St. Paul Recorder, 16) St. Petersburg Times, 17) Tallahassee Democrat, 17A) Tallahassee Democrat, 18) The Twin Cities Courier, and 19) The Washington Post. Print Catalog. (msword 69.50 kB)

10. Black Studies Programs (msword 41.50 kB)
    With the end of the Civil Rights Era, Black studies programs developed and increased throughout America. Public schools attempted to infuse African American history into curriculums and lesson plans in attempts for cultural diversity in public schools. Colleges and Universities constructed African American Studies programs and developed Ph.D. programs to offer individuals the opportunity to continue research in the field. The collection contains lesson plans, teaching aids, planning guide for curriculum, segregation material, and Black history facts. Print Catalog. (msword 41.50 kB)

11. Cemeteries Collection

    The collection documents the histories of cemeteries. The collection contains walking tours of graveyards, maps of graveyards, histories of graveyards, photos, news clippings, and programs from ceremonies and events. This is an invaluable resource for novice researchers and those new to historic preservation. Print Catalog. (msword 24.00 kB) Funeral Programs & Obituaries collection

12. Ceremonies, Programs and Reunions Collection

    Ceremonies, programs and reunions are a vital part of a community’s history. They reflect the cultural beliefs, religious beliefs, and the socioeconomic of a community. Programs from ceremonies, programs, and reunions can be very helpful to anyone researching the history of a group or community. The collection is made up of programs that record the history of Tallahassee and Leon County. The set contains community programs that reflect the events that took place, class reunion programs from Barrow Hill, FAMU High, and Old Lincoln High School. Also included are family reunion programs, Tuskegee Airman program and retirement programs. Print Catalog. (msword 23.50 kB)

13. Civil Rights Collection
    The collection contains research papers, Cream of Wheat ads, newspaper clippings, teaching aids, and a history of the Civil Rights Movement. The brief history includes Civil Rights Leaders, school desegregation and prejudice in the United States histories, newspaper clippings, and NAACP legal defense and civil rights cases. Print Catalog. (msword 29.00 kB)

14. Dissertation and Theses Collection

    The collection contains theses and dissertations that concern African American topics or African American related topics. The set includes :

    • Robert La Bret Hall’s 1984 dissertation, “Religion and Cultural Changes Among Blacks in Florida, 1565 – 1906”
    • Jennifer Opager’s “ master thesis titled, “We Have Come From A Long Way: An Oral History of the Macon Community, Leon County, Florida”
    • Caroline Emmins Poore’s master thesis, “Strike the First Blow”, Harry T. Moore and the fight for Blacks equality in Florida
    • Mae Eisenmann’s paper, “African-Americans In the Struggle For Liberation 1954 – Present: A Bibliography.”

15. Emancipation Essays Collection

    During the summer of 1862, Lincoln’s administration accepted a policy. The policy accepted was the Emancipation Proclamation which led to the destruction of America’s “peculiar institution” – slavery. The collection contains information about Emancipation Day in Florida which took place on May 20; a Tameka Bradley Hobbs newspaper article concerning emancipation, and essays from the John G. Riley House Museum Center’s Annual Emancipation Day Art and Essay Contest. Print Catalog. (msword 22.50 kB)

16. Family Reunion Planning

    During the Jim Crow era, there was a great migration of African Americans from the South to the North leading to the dismantling of the Black extended family; which plays a vital role in the American family. The collection also holds information on researching your family history.

17. Florida A & M University Collection

    Florida A&M University is a land grant institution founded in 1887 under the leadership of President Thomas D. Tucker. The collection contains information concerning:

    • Foote-Hilyer, Gibbs Cottage
    • Jackson Davis Hall
    • Florida A&M press releases (1995)
    • James Nasby House
    • Lee Hall
    • Lucy Moten Elementary School
    • McGuinn Hall
    • Nathan B. Young, Perspectives on Black education, art work at Coleman Library
    • Cropper Hall, Sampson Hall
    • Sunshine Manor
    • Turner House
    • Whitley Hall
    • FAMU past presidents
    • Baptist student union
    • Black archives
    • Carnegie Library
    • Central Heating Plant
    • Coleman Library and a Florida A&M historical sketch
      Print catalog. (msword 30.50 kB)

18. First Lincoln High School 1876-1970

    

    Old Lincoln High School was established in 1869 in Tallahassee, Florida, to educate the newly freed slaves. The school was named after Abraham Lincoln. The collection documents the history of Old Lincoln High School, containing programs, yearbooks, photographs, newspaper clippings, commencement programs, school programs, and programs between Lincoln H.S., Florida Agricultural and Mechanical H.S., and Griffin H.S. The collection is arranged in two series:

    • Series 1: Publications, Photographs, and Programs
    • Series 2: Yearbooks
      The series are arranged in three boxes: 31A, 31B, and 31C

19. Florida Black History

    Florida has a rich multicultural history where in Africans and African Americans have played a vital part in shaping. The collection contains materials from the Union Bank building, the Soloman D. Spady House Museum, news clippings, photos, information on the Rosewood, Hurston, Ray Charles, Chappie James, Harry Tyson Moore, James Weldon Johnson, Jacksonville’s first citizen, Pathways African American Heritage, Florida History, copies of various African American scenes, African American History Calendar 2002 – 2003 (Tallahassee Community College), The Tajiri, Slave Ship Speaks, Orlando, Florida, Eatonville, Springfield, and Black History of Florida in a partial chronology. Print catalog. (msword 32.50 kB)

20. Florida Black Schools

    The collection is made up of information concerning Negro schools in Florida before desegregation. The set contains a brief history of rural one room schools in Leon County, Moton High School, Brooksville, Florida, Edward Waters College, Jacksonville, Florida, Crooms Academy graduates 1933 – 1950, Antebellum College graduates, Central Florida schools, Manatee County schools, 1928 – 1958, Middleton High School, and Shadeville School.

21. Florida Heritage Education

    The collection includes thirty-five Florida Heritage lesson plans and a Florida Heritage unit plan. The collection is useful to anyone looking to infuse African-American history into his or her lesson plan.

22. Florida History

    The collection contains information on: territorial day of Florida, Civil War Reconstruction, Civil Rights era, State census, Florida Governor Leroy Collins, Tallahassee, State government, and a brief Florida history.

23. Funeral Programs and Obituaries collection

    Funeral programs and obituaries are a great source for information. They can reveal birth dates, occupations, family history, if the individual belonged to any group or organization, the level of education, socioeconomic wealth, culture, and religion of individuals. The collection contains fifty-four funeral programs and obituaries. The majority of the programs belong to individuals who were members of the Tallahassee community. The programs date as far back as the 1800’s. Print catalog. (msword 34.00 kB)

24. Gadsden County Communities

    Gadsden County was founded in 1823, during territorial days of Florida; and is one of the oldest county seats in Florida. The collection contains a historic survey of the city of Quincy, Florida and specific information about Richie Anderson Jennatt. Gadsden County Catalog

25. Genealogy

    The collection contains genealogy materials used when tracking family history, different genealogies studies, an African American genealogy website, and different genealogy societies and their publications.

26. Geraldine Johnson Collection

    The Geraldine Johnson-Johnson collection contains news clippings, journal entries, and other helpful historical documents that capture the rich history of African American experiences. The bulk of the collection highlights the nineteenth century; gives special attention to the period of reconstruction in Tallahassee, Florida. Print catalog. (msword 20.50 kB)

27. Grant Writing Collection

    The collection is made up of grant writing material. The material instructs how to properly write, research and apply for a grant. For example, the collection contains a 1999 – 2000 Cultural Facilities Program Grant Application as well as other grant writing information.

28. Harper's Weekly Collection

    The Harper’s Weekly collection includes newspapers from December 29, 1860 – to – December 21, 1861. From this collection, readers can obtain a first hand look at the first year of the Civil War from the Northern perspective. The arrangement of the collection is in box identification. There are two boxes: Print catalog. (msword 38.50 kB)

    • • Box 1 December 29, 1860 – to – July 6, 1861
      • Box 2 July 13, 1861 – to – December 21, 1861
29. Henrietta Atkins Collection
    Henrietta Atkins was a mid-wife in Leon County. She served her community for years before going home on March 12, 1967. Henrietta Atkins was born on March 12, 1865, in Leon County, Florida. She was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George Jones. She married William Atkins and became a mother of three, grandmother of 5, great, grandmother of 9, and great, great grandmother of 13.
    The collection contains Henrietta Atkins’ memorabilia, which includes Henrietta Atkins’ letters, birth certificates, mortgages, and deeds. Print catalog. (msword 20.50 kB)

30. 

    Hidden Sagas (msword 35.00 kB)
    Hidden Sagas: Stories of Florida’s African American Experience” Oral History Project had its roots as a response to the Florida Humanities Council’s 30th Anniversary celebration in 2003, and three year initiative entitled “Telling Florida’s Stories: Strengthening Florida Communities.” The specific goal of this project was to collect the reminisces of black Floridians who had lived through the Jim Crow Era and witnessed the changes wrought by the Civil Rights Revolution. The driving force behind “Hidden Sagas” was to revamp the history of America’s rural communities that is often overshadowed by the vast amounts of evidence of urban centers. The roots of the African American experience begin with the land, may it be a plantation of the antebellum period or tenant farmer. It was these places that Black culture, religion, and folk life took its form. It is only natural to return to those places to seek the history of African American people. This collection contains papers, audio tapes, video tapes, and photographs of the research and publication of Hidden Sagas. Print catalog. (msword 35.00 kB)
31. Historic Buildings and Places
    Historic preservation in America started in the 19th century when architects, historians, and social critics became concerned about the loss of historic places and buildings. Since that time, historical places and building have been renovated and funded through the federal government by becoming a site on the National Historic Register. The collection contains information about the historic site throughout America, historical preservation information, as well as a number of sites that promote historic preservation. Print catalog. (msword 34.00 kB)
32. Historic Leon County
    The collection contains copies of Rural Resources of Leon County, Florida.
    1821 – 1950: Volume I Historic Contexts and Case Studies, by Historic Tallahassee Preservation Board. The case studies give a brief history of Leon County through case studies done on the families that were in Leon County between 1821 – 1950. The collection also contains the September 1989 Proposed Historic Preservation Ordinance and Incentive Program for Tallahassee and Leon County by the Historic Preservation Task Force. The book is Tallahassee/Leon County’s plan to ensure historic preservation of the city and county. Print catalog.

33. Historic Preservation

    Historic preservation in America started in the 19th century when architects, historians, and social critics became concerned about the loss of historic places and buildings; since that time, historic preservation has been a major business. The overall goal of a historic preservationist is to preserve the history for future generations. This led to historic preservation societies that span across America. The collection is made up of various historic preservation society publications and historic preservations plans, ordinances, and incentives programs. The set also contains archaeology reports. Print catalog. (msword 32.00 kB)

34. Historic Tallahassee

    This collection contains the history of Tallahassee’s communities and neighborhoods. It focuses on the Black communities and neighborhoods which once thrived in Tallahassee. Print catalog. (msword 26.00 kB)

35. Jet Magazine
    Jet magazine was founded in Chicago, Illinois, in 1951, by John H. Johnson. Jet magazine was influential in the early days of the American Civil Rights movement. The magazine itself was originally printed in either mostly or all black and white with a small digest-sized format. Catalog of collection available in Word document (msword 168.00 kB)

36. John G. Riley House Museum

    The collection contains information concerning the development of the John G. Riley House Museum & Center as well as the day-to-day legwork of the museum & center. The files range from program information to displays to grants.

37. Leon County Schools

    The collection contains information concerning Leon County rural one-room school houses from attendance records to commencement exercises. The collection also tracks the education system for blacks in Leon County through segregation and integration. Brief histories are given for some schools.
    See also: Ruth Lee Frazier Collection

38. Midwives Collections 1951-1979

    

    The collection contains birth records from 1951 – 1969, a manual for midwives August 1955, Mary Jane Chandler state lay-midwife license for 1979, and photos of Mary Jane Chandler and other midwives including Gertrude Williams’ city license, a uniform express receipt and a manual for midwives.
    . . . . . . . picture is oil on canvas of Granny Atkins: Atkins was born in Tallahassee in 1865. Her birthing books record her births from 1934-1950; many others occurred prior to the requirement that births be recorded. She "caught" some 2,000 babies in Leon and surrounding counties, offering the dedication and warmth of the midwife in the evolving relationships of the medical profession. She died in 1967 at the age of 107.] Henrietta Atkins Collection

39. Multicultural Studies

    The collection contains a history of multi-cultural history of Florida, a multi-cultural study of the Freedmen Crest, and a file on Vertamae Grosvenor (Cook Book).

40. NAACP Collection

    The collection offers a brief history of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). The collection is full of NAACP programs that highlight NAACP award winners, as well as education programs, and conferences programs. The news clippings are very helpful to anyone interested in following the history of the NAACP. One collection contains a file that documents the case worked by the NAACP in Florida and a literacy program. Print catalog. (msword 24.50 kB)

41. O, the Oprah Magazine collection

    O, The Oprah Magazine, is an expansion of Oprah Winfrey’s enormously successful television show. The O Magazine, “gives confident, smart women the tools they need to explore and reach for their dreams, to express their individual style and to make choices that will lead to a happier and more fulfilling life”. O, The Oprah Magazine, was awarded the Start-Up of the Year by Adweek Magazine and Advertising Ages’ Best Magazine of the Year and Best Launch of the Year in 2001. Print catalog. (msword 29.00 kB)

42. Oral History

    The Oral History collection contains interviews from individuals from Tallahassee, Leon County, and surrounding cities and counties. Oral History collection offers the chance to view the events that have shaped society through the people who lived during that time period. Print catalog. (msword 23.00 kB)

43. Organization and Clubs

    The collection documents the interest of groups and organizations in Tallahassee, Florida. The groups and organizations have always been present in African American culture.

44. Phylon: the Atlanta University Review of Race and Culture

    

    Phylon Journal image

    The journal Phylon is a publication established by Atlanta University (now known as Clark Atlanta University) in 1940. This journal is dedicated to academic and social issues concerning African Americans. Between the late 1950’s and 1960, it became known as Phylon Quarterly. Although the name changed, its contents remained the same. This collection includes original Phylon journals published from 1941 to 1966. The collection is arranged in eight boxes arranged chronologically. Print catalog. (msword 35.50 kB)

45. Ruth Lee Frazier Collection
    A native of Leon County, Ruth Lee Frazier retired after teaching 25 years in Leon County schools, then established Frazier’s Books, publishing novels and books of poems and plays. Print catalog. (msword 22.50 kB)

46. Tallahassee Black Families collection

    Tallahassee was founded in 1825 and selected as the capital because of its location, which was the halfway point between Pensacola and St. Augustine. The city depended on a plantation economy, which was fueled by slave labor; as a result, by 1860, the Black population grew to three times the size of the White population. The descendents would create a rich and unique history in Tallahassee, which this collection has recorded and preserved. The collection records the history of Tallahassee. The assortment is made up of the Mr. & Mrs. Levi Simmons Papers, Martin Family Papers, Pasty Miller Papers, Benjamin J. Baker Papers, Robert Meacham, Jack Jefferson Papers, Davis and Pemberton Family Reunion Program, Katherine Nickelson Spieghts Collection, Martha Brown Collection, Dr. Alpha Omega Campbell, Lewis Washington Taylor, Cherrye L. Turner Spencer, The Gardner Family History, The Hall family of Leon County, Rev. Bernyce H. Clausell History, and Charles Henry Rollins History. Print catalog. (msword 32.00 kB)

47. Tallahassee Communities

    This collection contains the history of Tallahassee’s communities and neighborhoods. It focuses on the Black communities and neighborhoods which once thrived in Tallahassee. Print catalog. (msword 26.50 kB)

    The assortment is made up of the Mr. & Mrs. Levi Simmons Papers, Martin Family Papers, Pasty Miller Papers, Benjamin J. Baker Papers, Robert Meacham, Jack Jefferson Papers, Davis and Pemberton Family Reunion Program, Katherine Nickelson Spieghts Collection, Martha Brown Collection, Dr. Alpha Omega Campbell, Lewis Washington Taylor, Cherrye L. Turner Spencer, The Gardner Family History, The Hall family of Leon County, Rev. Bernyce H. Clausell History, and Charles Henry Rollins History.
    Tallahassee Polk City Directory catalog - Historic Leon County catalog - Historic Tallahassee catalog -

48. Thelma T Gorham Collection

    The Gorham collection consists of papers of Florida A&M University professor, Thelma T. Gorham, 1913-1992. The Collection spans over Gorham’s lifetime. It includes papers, correspondence, photographs, greeting and postcards, and memorabilia. The arrangement of the collection is in both series and box identification. The series are: correspondence, educational and professional career, memorabilia, three- dimensional objects, JET Magazine collection, Ebony Magazine Collection, miscellaneous publications, miscellaneous articles collected by Gorham, photographs, audio and video, greeting and post cards, and pamphlets and brochures collected by Gorham, outside of the series are single boxes with box identification. Catalog available in Word document (msword 1.39 MB)

November 2009