West Virginia and Regional History Center
1549 University Ave.P.O. Box 6069
Morgantown, WV 26506-6069
Business Number: 304-293-3536
wvrhcref@westvirginia.libanswers.com
URL: https://wvrhc.lib.wvu.edu
Staff of the West Virginia & Regional History Center
Administrative Information
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Conditions Governing Access
No special access restriction applies.
Preferred Citation
[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], Julia McDonald Davis (1900-1993) Papers, A&M 1856, West Virginia and Regional History Center, West Virginia University Libraries, Morgantown, West Virginia.
Scope and Contents
Correspondence, manuscripts, class notes and other papers of Julia McDonald Davis (1900-1993), an author and daughter of lawyer and statesman John W. Davis. Includes correspondence of Julia Davis; manuscripts of her work; her notes; correspondence of John W. Davis; and additional newspaper clippings, postcards, photographs, ephemera, and other material. Subjects of Julia Davis's correspondence and notes include a biographical sketch of E.H. McDonald, Miss Davis's grandfather; business letters; reminiscences of the Civil War; and memoirs of Colonel A.W. McDonald. Subjects of John W. Davis's correspondence include family matters, political and business matters, and information about his trips. Correspondents include John W. Davis, William L. Wilson, and Julia McDonald (probably Julia Davis's mother).
Separated Material
Some photographs have been transferred to Photographs Collection (see series 5, box 5, folder 14 for photocopies).
Transferred to Map Cabinet 2, A-Z:
1884 Broadside Democratic Party Platform and Campaign poster (with a map of U.S. showing lands given away to railroad companies).
Two oversize photographs of John W. Davis.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
- Authors -- Letters and papers
- Davis, John W. (John William), 1873-1955
- Davis, Julia, 1900-1993
- Genealogy
- McDonald, A. W. (Angus William), 1799-1864
- McDonald, E.H.
- McDonald, Julia.
- United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865
- Wilson, William Lyne, 1843-1900
- Women's history -- 1850-1899
- Women's history -- 1900-1929
- Women's history -- 1929-1950
- Women's history -- 1951-present
Significant Persons Associated With the Collection
- Davis, John W. (John William), 1873-1955
- Davis, Julia, 1900-1993
- McDonald, A. W. (Angus William), 1799-1864
- McDonald, E.H.
- McDonald, Julia.
- Wilson, William Lyne, 1843-1900
Significant Places Associated With the Collection
- United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865
Container List
This series includes letters from Julia McDonald (1866-1888) containing family news; a biographical sketch of the family of Julia Davis, especially that of her grandfather, E. H. McDonald; a letter from Kenneth McDonald to Julia Davis containing reminiscences and stories of the Civil War; royalty statements for some of Davis's stories (1931-1940); and business letters (1931-1936).
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 1
Correspondence1866–1932
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 2
E.P. Dutton and Company, Incorporated -- Royalty Statements of Julia Davis1931–1940
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 3
E.P. Dutton and Company, Incorporated -- Julia Davis Letters1931–1936
This series includes various typed drafts of works by Julia McDonald Davis, including A Valley and a Song: The Story of the Shenandoah River , The Shenandoah River , and assorted articles.
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 4
"The Young Object to Being Called Serious-Minded" by Julia Davis1928
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 5
The Anvil: The Trial of John Brown by Julia Davis (play) [editions from productions in New York and Charleston]1961
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 6a
Manuscript of A Valley and A Song: The Story of the Shenandoah by Julia Davis [1 of 2]1963
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 6b
Manuscript of A Valley and A Song: The Story of the Shenandoah by Julia Davis [2 of 2]1963
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 7
Fourteen Chapter Work (Chapter 1: "England is Still There")undated
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 8
"They'll Send Me Back" by Julia Davisundated
- Mixed Materials Box: 2 Folder: 1a
The Shenandoah River by Julia Davis [1 of 3]1945
- Mixed Materials Box: 2 Folder: 1b
The Shenandoah River by Julia Davis [2 of 3]1945
- Mixed Materials Box: 2 Folder: 2
The Shenandoah River by Julia Davis [3 of 3]1945
This series includes class notes of Ms. Davis; memoirs of Colonel A. W. McDonald; notes on the trial of John Brown in 1859; a notebook of poems collected by Emma Davis; and a memorial of Angus MacDonald by the West Virginia Bar Association.
- Mixed Materials Box: 2 Folder: 3
College class notesundated
- Mixed Materials Box: 2 Folder: 4
"Memoir of Colonel A.W. McDonald"undated
- Mixed Materials Box: 2 Folder: 5
Notes on the trial of John Brownundated
- Mixed Materials Box: 2 Folder: 6
Notes from diaries detailing the Lewis and Clark Expedition (also includes a miniature psalm book)undated
- Mixed Materials Box: 2 Folder: 7
Emma Davis elocution book and typescript memorial of Angus MacDonald by the West Virginia Bar Associationundated
This series includes a letter from William L. Wilson to John A. Preston, trying to persuade "Davis" to accept law professorship at Washington and Lee University (1899) and a newspaper clipping of John W. Davis's reminiscences at age 81 (1954). Subjects of the 1920s letters include John W. Davis's trip to London to attend an American Bar Association meeting, his legal work in Washington D. C., oil investigations in Washington ruining McAdoo's chances for the Presidential nomination, the political "mess" at Washington, comments on the coming Democratic Convention (all 1924); information on trips to Canada, England, and France made by John W. Davis (1925); and family matters (1924-1925).
- Mixed Materials Box: 3 Folder: 1
John W. Davis correspondence1899, 1953-1954
- Mixed Materials Box: 3 Folder: 2
John W. Davis correspondence (mostly to Julia Davis)ca. 1923-1925
This series includes newspaper and magazine clippings regarding the Davis family, including: a biographical sketch of the life of John J. Davis; Harrison County Bar Association memorial to J. J. Davis; Will Rogers column regarding West Virginia; death of Dr. J. J. Richardson (personal physician to Taft, Teddy Roosevelt, J. W. Davis); text of J. W. Davis's attack on the New Deal; copy of a speech made by John J. Davis in 1898 election; pictures; articles on Emma K. Davis's activities as a reporter and as a member of the criminal court committee inspecting the Harrison County Jail; and frontier nursing service activities. Also includes photographs of the family; scrapbooks of postcards, newspaper clippings, ephemera, and other material; and copies of Julia Davis's book reviews and advertisements.
- Mixed Materials Box: 3 Folder: 3
John J. Davis newspaper clippings (includes biographical sketch of the life of John J. Davis, Harrison County Bar Association memorial to J.J. Davis)ca. 1910-1920
- Mixed Materials Box: 3 Folder: 4
John W. Davis newspaper and magazine clippings (includes Will Rogers column regarding West Virginia; death of Dr. J.J. Richardson [personal physician to Taft, Teddy Roosevelt, J.W. Davis]; text of J.W. Davis's attack on the New Deal; copy of a speech made by John J. Davis in 1898 election)ca. 1913-1958
- Mixed Materials Box: 3 Folder: 5
Newspaper clippings on Emma K. and Julia Davis (includes articles on Emma K. Davis's activities as a reporter and as a member of the criminal court committee inspecting the Harrison County Jail; frontier nursing service activities)ca. 1934, undated
- Mixed Materials Box: 3 Folder: 6
Photographs of J.W. Davis and family, calling cards (includes prints and a cabinet card)undated
- Mixed Materials Box: 3 Folder: 7
Photographs, drawings, and miscellaneousca. 1884, undated
- Mixed Materials Box: 3 Folder: 8
Miscellaneous drawings, notes, and pamphlets1952, undated
- Mixed Materials Box: 3
Scrapbook postcard collection (images include landmarks of West Virginia, Maryland, Washington D.C., and many other locations)ca. 1900-1912
- Mixed Materials Box: 4 Folder: 1
Annual Report of the West Virginia Bar Association, Including Proceedings of the Seventieth Meeting Being the Sixty-Eighth Annual Meeting (includes tribute speech on J.W. Davis)1954
- Mixed Materials Box: 4
"School Days" scrapbook of Julia McDonald Davis (includes manuscript writing, correspondence, photographs, clippings, ephemera)ca. 1904-1915
- Mixed Materials Box: 4 Folder: 2
Newspaper clippings scrapbookundated
- Mixed Materials Box: 4 Folder: 3
John W. Davis New York University honorary law degree (includes photographs)1951
- Mixed Materials Box: 4 Folder: 4
Scrapbook postcard collectionca. 1900-1912
- Mixed Materials Box: 5 Folder: 1
Photostat copies of Julia Davis's book reviews and advertisementsundated
- Mixed Materials Box: 5 Folder: 2
Portrait photographs of John W. Davis1955, undated
- Mixed Materials Box: 5 Folder: 3
Portrait photograph of John J. Davisundated
- Mixed Materials Box: 5 Folder: 4
Copies of photographs transferred to Photographs Collectionundated