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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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Collection Overview
| Size | About 18,500 items (36.5 linear ft). |
| Abstract | Francis Osborne Clarkson (1895-1984), of Charlotte, N.C., was a University of North Carolina alumnus (1916), lawyer, North Carolina Senator, and North Carolina Superior Court judge. He was married to Cama Burgess Clarkson. His father, North Carolina Supreme Court Judge Heriot Clarkson (1863-1942), and his mother, Mary Osborne Clarkson, also lived in Charlotte, N.C. The Clarkson family spent significant time in Little Switzerland, a vacation community in Western North Carolina that was founded circa 1909 by Heriot Clarkson. Josephine A. Osborne (1880-1966) was Francis O. Clarkson's aunt. Her father, Edwin Augustus Osborne (1837-1926), was a lawyer, Confederate colonel, Episcopal priest, and superintendent of Thompson Orphanage, Charlotte, N.C.; he also served as a chaplain in the Spanish-American War. The collection contains correspondence, legal documents, printed items, and other materials documenting Francis O. Clarkson's involvement in legal, religious, civic, and family matters. Files document arbitration, chiefly between labor unions and companies in North Carolina; Clarkson's legal representation of the Switzerland Company, including a conflict between the Switzerland Company and the Federal Highway Commission over payment to landowners for right of way during Blue Ridge Parkway development in the 1930s and 1940s; and to a lesser extent Clarkson's legal representation of individuals. There are also files relating to Clarkson's involvement with the Episcopal Church, both in Charlotte, N.C., and in Little Switzerland, N.C., and his involvement with civic organizations, including the local YMCA in Charlotte, N.C., and the establishment, development, and administration of the Second Street Branch, a separate YMCA branch in Charlotte, N.C., for African Americans. There is also a small amount of genealogical materials. The Addition of May 1981 contains correspondence, genealogical materials, and family papers created by Francis O. Clarkson's aunt, Josephine A. Osborne (1880-1966), and his grandfather, Edwin Augustus Osborne (1837-1926). |
| Creator | Clarkson, Francis O. |
| Language | English |
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Information For Users
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Subject Headings
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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Biographical
Information
Francis Osborne Clarkson (1895-1984), of Charlotte, N.C., was a University of North Carolina alumnus, lawyer, North Carolina Senator, and North Carolina Superior Court judge. He was married to Cama Burgess Clarkson. His father, North Carolina Supreme Court Judge Heriot Clarkson (1863-1942), and his mother, Mary Osborne Clarkson, also lived in Charlotte, N.C. The Clarkson family spent significant time in Little Switzerland, a vacation community in Western North Carolina that was founded circa 1909 by Heriot Clarkson.
Edwin Augustus Osborne was the father of Mary Osborne Clarkson. He was a lawyer, Confederate colonel, Episcopal priest, and superintendent of Thompson Orphanage, Charlotte, N.C., from its founding in 1892 until 1898. He also served as a chaplain in the Spanish-American War. His other daughter, Josephine A. Osborne (1880-1966), never married. In the years after her parents' deaths she conducted extensive research into her family's genealogy.
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Scope and Content
The collection consists of correspondence and other papers documenting Francis O. Clarkson's family and his involvement in legal, civic, and religious matters. There are files relating to arbitration overseen by Clarkson, chiefly between labor unions and companies in North Carolina. There are also files documenting Clarkson's legal representation of the Switzerland Company, a corporation founded by Clarkson's father, Heriot Clarkson, to build, develop, and protect the interests of Little Switzerland, a vacation community in western North Carolina. These files are chiefly correspondence regarding watersheds, land disputes, and a conflict between the Switzerland Company and the Federal Highway Commission over payment to landowners for right of way during the development of the Blue Ridge Parkway in the 1930s and 1940s. There are also a few materials documenting Clarkson's legal representation of individuals, including his execution of the estates of family members.
There are also files relating to Clarkson's involvement with the Episcopal Church, both in Charlotte, N.C., and in Little Switzerland, N.C., including correspondence and other materials relating to the Allied Church League, Saint Andrew's Church, Saint Peter's Church, the Diocese of North Carolina, and Episcopal missions in the Philippines and other countries. There is also documentation of Clarkson's involvement with the National War Labor Board, the Charlotte War and Community Chest Speakers' Bureau, and the Legal Aid Committee. There are files, 1941-1969, documenting Clarkson's tenure as president of the local YMCA in Charlotte, N.C., and his subsequent activity on the Board of Directors. There are also numerous files, 1942-1955, documenting the establishment, development, and administration of the Second Street Branch, a separate YMCA branch in Charlotte, N.C., for African Americans. There are also a few genealogical materials.
The Addition of May 1981 consists of the papers of Josephine A. Osborne and her father, Edwin Augustus Osborne. Josephine A. Osborne's materials include correspondence, genealogical research, family papers, writings, and photographs. Of note are printed materials, 1918, in support of women's suffrage; letters and photographs from Rachel Wolff, a missionary in India during the 1950s; and two letters from 1793 documenting the domestic lives of two women in North Carolina. Edwin Augustus Osborne's papers include correspondence, writings, and other related materials. Of note in his papers are materials relating to his involvement with the Thompson Orphanage in Charlotte, N.C., and drafts of several sermons written by him. There are also photographs, chiefly 1890s-1930s, of the Clarkson and Osborne families and their friends.
Additions received after 1981 have not been integrated into the original deposits. Researchers should check additions to be sure they have identified all files of interest to them.
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Series Quick Links
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Francis O. Clarkson Papers, 1740s-1982.
Arrangement: Alphabetical
The collection consists of correspondence and other papers documenting Francis O. Clarkson's involvement in legal, civic, religious, and family matters. There are files relating to arbitration overseen by Clarkson, chiefly between labor unions and companies in North Carolina. There are also files documenting Clarkson's legal representation of the Switzerland Company, a corporation founded by Clarkson's father, Heriot Clarkson, to build, develop, and protect the interests of Little Switzerland, a vacation community in Western North Carolina. These files are chiefly correspondence regarding watersheds, land disputes, and a conflict between the Switzerland Company and the Federal Highway Commission over payment to landowners for right of way during the development of the Blue Ridge Parkway in the 1930s and 1940s. There are also a few materials documenting Clarkson's legal representation of individuals, including his execution of the estates of family members.
There are also files relating to Clarkson's involvement with the Episcopal Church, both in Charlotte, N.C., and in Little Switzerland, N.C., including correspondence and other materials relating to the Allied Church League, Saint Andrew's Church, Saint Peter's Church, the Diocese of North Carolina, and Episcopal missions in the Philippines and other countries. There is also documentation of Clarkson's involvement with the National War Labor Board, the Charlotte War and Community Chest Speakers' Bureau, and the Legal Aid Committee. There are files, 1941-1969, documenting Clarkson's tenure as president of the local YMCA in Charlotte, N.C., and his subsequent activity on the Board of Directors. There are also numerous files, 1942-1955, documenting the establishment, development, and administration of the Second Street Branch, a separate YMCA branch in Charlotte, N.C., for African Americans. Lastly, there are a few genealogical materials.
Please note that, for the most part, original folder titles have been retained.
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Addition of May 1981: Josephine A. Osborne Papers, 1793-1966.
Papers of Josephine A. Osborne and her father, Edwin Augustus Osborne. Josephine A. Osborne's materials include correspondence, genealogical research, family papers, writings, and photographs. Of note are printed materials, 1918, in support of women's suffrage; letters and photographs from Rachel Wolff, a missionary in India during the 1950s; and two letters from 1793 documenting the domestic lives of two women in North Carolina. Edwin Augustus Osborne's papers include correspondence, writings, and other related materials. Of note in his papers are materials relating to his involvement with the Thompson Orphanage and drafts of several sermons written by him. There are also photographs of the Clarkson and Osborne families and their friends, primarily from the 1890s to the 1930s, including a photograph of a "baby prize fighter."
Please note that, for the most part, original folder titles have been retained.
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Addition of May 1981: Correspondence and Other Papers, 1899-1966.
Correspondence, writings, and collected printed materials and clippings of Josephine A. Osborne. The correspondence is primarily with church members, colleagues, and relatives, as well as form letters from the Thompson Orphanage and from Rachel Wolff, a missionary in India. Writings include notes, handwritten drafts, typescript copies of articles and talks, and school materials. Printed materials include pamphlets, brochures, and charts largely relating to historic sites and the history of the church in North Carolina. Of particular note are a collection of pro-women's suffrage printed materials. Clippings include retrospective Civil War clippings, articles about relatives Francis O. Clarkson and Heriot Clarkson, and southern history and culture.
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Addition of May 1981: Genealogical Papers, 1793-1963.
Materials relating to Josephine A. Osborne's genealogical research of the Osborne, Moore, McWhorter, Nisbet, Napier, Sharpe, and Peacock families. Materials include notes, family trees, correspondence with various relatives, originals and reproductions of family papers, and other similar materials.
Of note are two letters from the 1790s written by Mary L. Osborne to Miss M.Mc. Osborne concerning her home life in North Carolina. There are also many materials relating to the restoration of Tryon Palace in New Bern, N.C. Josephine A. Osborne helped prepare exhibits of genealogical materials for the site.
Note that, for the most part, original folder titles have been retained.
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Addition of May 1981: Edwin Augustus Osborne Papers, 1861-1925.
Papers belonging to Edwin Augustus Osborne, who was a lawyer, Confederate colonel, Episcopal priest, and superintendent of Thompson Orphanage in Charlotte, N.C., from its founding in 1892 until 1898. He also served as a chaplain in the Spanish-American War. Materials include correspondence with friends and colleagues, writings, and various family papers, including deeds, estate documents, and financial materials. Of particular note are materials from the Thompson Orphange, in Charlotte, N.C., and drafts of sermons prepared by Edwin Augustus Osborne.
Note that, for the most part, original folder titles have been retained.
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Addition of May 1981: Photographs, circa 1800-1953 (bulk 1890s-1930s).
Photographs of Osborne and Clarkson family and friends and photographic reproductions of family portraits. Includes a photograph of "baby prize fighter" Francis B. Osborne from 1910. Many of the photographs appear to have been gathered as part of Josephine A. Osborne's genealogical research.
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Items Separated
Processed by: Sara Mannheimer, Virginia Ferris, and Julie Seifert, February 2013
Addition of May 1981 processed by: Danielle Fasig, February 2013
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