William Woods Holden (1818-1892) Papers, PC.65
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- William Woods Holden (1818-1892) Papers
- Call Number
- PC.65
- Creator
- Holden, W. W. (William Woods), 1818-1892
- Date
- 1852-1930
- Extent
- 0.200 cubic feet, 0.170 gigabytes
- Repository
- State Archives of North Carolina
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], PC.65, William W. Holden Papers, Private Collections, State Archives of North Carolina, Raleigh, NC, U.S.A.
Collection Overview
Papers of Holden, editor (1843-1868) of the North Carolina Standard (Raleigh), provisional governor (1865), and elected governor (1868- 1871), including letter from H. G. Spruill about Literary Board's swamplands and an access road in Washington Co. (1852); letter to D. L. Swain about bill in legislature affecting UNC (1857); letter from son, Lt. Joseph W. Holden, Co. D, 31st Regt. NCT, describing Roanoke Island (Dec., 1861); letters to future son-in-law Calvin J. Cowles about unreliable mails, Holden's split with Governor Vance, and the gubernatorial election of 1864; a printed proclamation as provisional governor (June 12, 1865); and his letter from Washington, D.C., about pending reorganization of state governments (1866). Most of the letters are to Governor-elect Holden in 1868 from local Republicans, Negroes, members of the Union Leagues of America, and others nominating justices of the peace and other officials; asking about the Homestead Law and validity of the courts; and writing about removal of disabilities, the test oath, harassment by Conservatives, party squabbles, freedmen, the KKK, and Heroes of America. Correspondents include William B. Rodman proposing strategy to win Conservatives to the party; John Pool on election irregularities in Camden Co.; Daniel L. Russell; Edward Cantwell; B. Higgins of Guilford Co. about development of state's natural resources using convict labor; the Tennessee Board of Immigration about Prussian immigrants; and Amos N. Hall about the Fayetteville and Coalfield Railroad. Letters from Holden in Washington, D.C., describe support promised by President Grant and need to prolong Holden's impeachment trial (1871); later letters to Cowles concern the U.S. Mint in Charlotte, family, and election of 1876. Also in collection are a printed assessment of Holden by W. K. Boyd (Trinity College, 1899) and an interview with Holden's step-sister (1930).