Manuscript Collections at the

W.S. Hoole Special Collections Library

At present, the Manuscript Collections at the W.S. Hoole Special Collections Library consist of over 1800 collections with 11,000 linear feet of materials that cover an enormous array of research interests and subject areas.

Many of the collections reflect life in Alabama from territorial days to the present, though there are numerous collections that are of much broader interest beyond Alabama resources.  A partial list of collections with links to selected finding aids is accessible here.  Research areas include but are not limited to the following subject areas:

Business and Industry: Business records of merchants and business records of industries, particularly the iron and steel industry in Alabama

Agriculture: Plantation records, farm journals, diaries, and letters

Religion: Church records and papers of clergymen as well as reflections of religious beliefs found in letters and diaries

Social Life & Customs: Diaries, journals, scrapbooks, correspondence, photographs, and memorabilia

Folklore: Recordings of folk songs and materials on ethnic, folk, minority, and women's history and culture

Political Papers: Papers of Alabama congressmen, senators, and other officials; additionally, political beliefs, and observations reflected in papers of private individuals

Civil War & Reconstruction: Civilian and military correspondence, diaries, journals, muster rolls, accounts of battles, and maps, as well as a significant collection of the papers of Jefferson Davis

Transportation: Records of railroad companies in Alabama, documents on road construction, bridge building, and ferry operation

Literary Manuscripts: Many original manuscripts and papers by Alabama literary figures

Natural History: Collections of photographs of historical, geographical, geological, and botanical interest

Genealogy: Collections of family histories and pedigree charts

 

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