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Collection Number: 05260

Collection Title: Jesse James Bailey Papers, 1916-1964 (bulk 1920-1930)

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held in the Wilson Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in our reading room, and not digitally available through the World Wide Web. See the FAQ section for more information.

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Size 0.5 feet of linear shelf space (approximately 300 items)
Abstract Jesse James Bailey was born in Madison County, N.C. He served as sheriff of Madison County, 1920-1922, and of Buncombe County, 1928-1930. Much of his career as sheriff was spent enforcing Prohibition laws. In addition to his work as sheriff, Bailey worked for 58 years as a telegrapher and a detective for the Southern Railroad. The collection is chiefly correspondence relating to Jesse James Bailey's work as sheriff of Madison County, N.C., and of Buncombe County, N.C. The bulk of the correspondence is dated 1920-1923. Most are carbon copies of letters written by Bailey to sheriffs of neighboring counties, often regarding the enforcement of Prohibition laws. Other correspondents include concerned citizens and law offenders. Topics include raids against liquor stills, endorsements for township deputies, tax collecting, and the issuing of warrants. Also included are financial and legal materials; clippings; writings; printed materials; and photographs, among them a picture of Bailey with liquor distilling apparatus.
Creator Bailey, Jesse James, 1888-1980.
Language English
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Restrictions to Access
No restrictions. Open for research.
Copyright Notice
Copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], in the Jesse James Bailey Papers #5260, Southern Historical Collection, The Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Acquisitions Information
Purchase from Charles Apfelbaum of Watchung, N.J., February 2006 (Acc. 100333).
Sensitive Materials Statement
Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, the North Carolina Public Records Act (N.C.G.S. § 132 1 et seq.), and Article 7 of the North Carolina State Personnel Act (Privacy of State Employee Personnel Records, N.C.G.S. § 126-22 et seq.). 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 the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill assumes no responsibility.
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The following terms from Library of Congress Subject Headings suggest topics, persons, geography, etc. interspersed through the entire collection; the terms do not usually represent discrete and easily identifiable portions of the collection--such as folders or items.

Clicking on a subject heading below will take you into the University Library's online catalog.

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Biographical Information

Jesse James Bailey was born in Madison County, N.C. He served as sheriff of Madison County, 1920-1922, and of Buncombe County, 1928-1930. Much of his career as sheriff was spent enforcing Prohibition laws. In addition to his work as sheriff, Bailey worked for 58 years as a telegrapher and a detective for the Southern Railroad.

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Scope and Content

The collection is chiefly correspondence relating to Jesse James Bailey's work as sheriff of Madison County, N.C., and of Buncombe County, N.C. The bulk of the correspondence is dated 1920-1923. Most are carbon copies of letters written by Bailey to sheriffs of neighboring counties, often regarding the enforcement of Prohibition laws. Other correspondents include concerned citizens and law offenders. Topics include raids against liquor stills, endorsements for township deputies, tax collecting, and the issuing of warrants. Also included are financial and legal materials; clippings; writings; printed materials; and photographs, among them a picture of Bailey with liquor distilling apparatus.

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Contents list

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Series 1. Correspondence, 1916-1964 and undated.

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expand/collapse Expand/collapse Series 2. Other Papers, 1925-1974 and undated.

About 50 items.

Folder 5-6

Financial and legal materials, clippings, writings, printed materials #05260, Series: "2. Other Papers, 1925-1974 and undated." Folder 5-6

Folder 5

Folder 6
Image Folder P-5260/1

Four photographs #05260, Series: "2. Other Papers, 1925-1974 and undated." P-5260/1

One picture of Jesse James Bailey in front of a pile of liquor distilling materials; one picture of Jesse James Bailey with a banjo and four other men; and two pictures of an unidentified house.

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Processing Information

Processed by: Margaret Dickson, June 2006

Encoded by: Margaret Dickson, June 2006

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