Palmer family papers

Descriptive Summary
Repository:	Georgia Historical Society
Creator:	Palmer, Vera C., 1886-1981.
Title:	Palmer family papers
Dates:	1850-1972
Extent:	1.5 cubic feet (3 boxes)
Identification:	MS 1281

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Biographical/Historical Note

Samuel Palmer of Darien (d. 1850), was married in 1826 to Caroline America Dexter (1807 -). He came to Savannah in 1818, but retained his home at Darien until 1852. Samuel B. Palmer (1828 - 1913) was a son of Samuel and Caroline (Dexter) Palmer. He was born in Darien, came to Savannah as a young man and opened a hardware business known as Palmer and Sons, and later as Palmer and Deppish. After Mr. Deppish's death the firm was renamed Palmer Bros., and still later was incorporated as Palmer Hardware Co. Mr. Palmer sold the business in 1907 and retired. He had served throughout the Civil War with the Chatham Artillery. Herbert Armin Palmer (1833-1917), born in Darien, was another son of Samuel and Caroline (Dexter) Palmer. In 1857 he married Laura Cornelia Winkler (circa 1834-1925), daughter of Zachariah M. Winkler. He was a co-owner of Palmer Hardware Co. He served in the Quartermaster Dept., C.S.A. Armin Butler Palmer (1860-1927) was born in Savannah, the son of Herbert Armin and Laura C. (Winkler) Palmer. His wife was Lillie Caldwell Palmer (d. 1942). He entered business with Duckworth & Co., cotton merchants, and then became Secretary of Palmer Hardware Co. At the time of his death he was the senior member of Palmer & Cay (with his son-in-law, J. Eugene Cay), insurance agents. He served in the Spanish-American War as a Lieutenant in the Chatham Artillery. Vera Caldwell Palmer, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Armin Butler Palmer, was born in Savannah in 1886 in the family home at 10 West Jones Street. She was descended from William Palmer who arrived at Plymouth Colony in 1621 on the ship Fortune. "Ve" was educated in local schools and graduated from Mary Baldwin College. She worked with the American Red Cross during World War I and was also a charter member of the Junior League of Savannah. She was employed by the Savannah-Chatham Board of Education as a librarian, mostly at Savannah High School. Ve was an active member of St. John's Episcopal Church. She died in Savannah on January 4, 1981.

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Scope and Content Note

This collection contains papers and materials related to the Palmer family as well as other related families including the Winkler family. Included in the collection are letters, deeds, business records, military records, maps, and photographs. Some of the materials pertain to the development of Isla Island and Tybee Island and relevant maps are included in the collection. Additionally this collection includes the records of the transfer of the Mulberry Grove plantation from Zachariah M. Winkler to the Palmer family heirs.

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Index Terms

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Administrative Information

Custodial History

Material was acquired from creator.

Preferred Citation

[item identification], Palmer family papers, MS 1281, Georgia Historical Society, Savannah, Georgia.

Acquisition Information

Gift of Vera C. Palmer, 1977.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research.

Publication Rights

Copyright has not been assigned to the Georgia Historical Society. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Division of Library and Archives. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Georgia Historical Society as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the researcher.

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Separated Material

Artifacts were separated and cataloged with the Georgia Historical Society Artifacts Collection. View digital images of artifacts at the end of this collection inventory or search the Digital Image Catalog for further information.

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Sponsorship

Encoding funded by a 2012 Documenting Democracy grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.

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Container List

 

Box

Fldr

1

1

Samuel Palmer and Samuel B. Palmer papers, 1850­1912 ( 3.0 items. )

Copy of will of Samuel Palmer, 1850; papers pertaining to lots in Evergreen Cemetery (now Bonaventure), 1876, 1912.

 

2

Herbert Armin Palmer papers, 1904-1917 ( 10.0 items. )

Herbert A, Palmer to his son Armin B. Palmer, May 5, 1904, regarding his will (copy of will attached), 1 p. Herbert A, Palmer to A,S. Bacon, August 17, 1906, regarding his hotel accommodations at Tryon, North Carolina, 3 p. Invitation to the golden wedding anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. Herbert A , Palmer, 1907; Papers regarding lots in Evergreen (Bonaventure) cemetery, 1876-1921; clippings regarding H,A. Palmer, 1907-1917.

 

3

Armin Butler Palmer papers, 1895-1948 ( 13.0 items. )

Vera Palmer to her father, A.B. Palmer, August 20, 1895, regarding the family vacation at Lakeville, 3 p. Letter from the Chatham Artillery about his record in the company, 1906, 1 p. Papers about the estate of A. B. Palmer, Lillie C. Palmer, Executrix, 1935 (3); Will and other papers of the estate of Lillie C. Palmer (Mrs. A.B.) (6); clipping regarding the silver wedding anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. A.B. Palmer, undated. Photograph of A. B. Palmer.

 

4

Armin Butler Palmer. Deeds to property on Tybee Island and map of the Estill property on the Island, 1907-1913

For maps see Box 3.

 

5

Other legal papers, 1912-1938 ( 4.0 items. )

Deed of gift of Herbert A. Palmer to Laura C. Palmer, lots in Savannah and Chatham County, 1912; deed of gift, Laura C. Palmer to Armin B. Palmer, lots in Savannah and Chatham County, 1918; warranty deed, W.T. Thompson, et. al. to A.P. Palmer, a lot on the south side of Park Avenue, West, in Savannah, 1917; warranty deed, Lillie C. Palmer to Earl A. Zipperer, lots in Twickenham Terrace, Chatham County, 1938.

 

6

Vera Caldwell Palmer papers, 1915-1972 ( 5.0 items. )

Passport for Vera C. Palmer to travel in Barbados, signed by Robert Lansing, 1 p.; list of stocks owned, 1900; statement of income and expenditures, 1949; United States of America War Ration Book One, 1942, issued to Vera Caldwell Palmer (3 stamps still attached); post card from Mac (Malcolm Bell, Jr., nephew) from London, October 1972.

 

7

Miscellaneous ( 21.0 items. )

Leather bill-fold, labeled Samuel Palmer, 1833; continental currency, $30, July 22, 1776; Bank of Commerce, Georgia, $10, December 1, 1856; United States fractional currency in denominations of 10 cents (6) ; 25 cents (4) ; 50 cents (2) (faces of 4 of the 10 cent denominations have been touched up in color to represent a pirate, an Indian, a colonial officer and a Zouave) ; a description of Jesus Christ, taken from public records of Rome.

 

8

Genealogical notes. Notes on Caroline Dexter Palmer and on the Martinangel family ( 2.0 items. )

 

9

Palmer Hardware Co. papers, 1871-1908 ( 65.0 items. )

Transfer of stock shares in The Industrial Association of Georgia, Palmer Hardware Co. to unknown, 1871; Statement, Palmer Hardware Co. to J,C. Rowland, 1895; Protest, G.R, Thigpen for non-payment of note to Palmer Hardware Co., et. al., 1900; sample of stationery; photograph of Palmer Hardware Co. building; sight drafts, promissory notes, receipts, etc., 1879-1908; excerpt from Savannah Homes and People, pp. 315-318, with articles on Palmer Hardware Co., H,W, Palmer, S.B. Palmer, H,A. Palmer, A.B, Palmer, with pictures.

 

10

Estate of Zachariah TM. Winkler ( 6.0 items. )

Legal papers 1867-1885: citation regarding Herbert A. Winkler's application for Letters of Administration, 1867; waiver of dower, E,M. Winkler, widow of Z ,M, Winkler, 1867; administrator's sale of live stock, 1867; Letters of' Administration to Herbert A, Palmer, 1867; Letters ad colligendum to Herbert A. Palmer, 1867; Hampton L. Ferrill, Ordinary of Chatham County, to H.A, Palmer, November 17, 1885, requiring that Palmer wind up the estate.

 

11

Estate of Zachariah M, Winkler, Account books, 1867-1886 ( 2.0 items. )

 

12

Estate of Zachariah M. Winkler. Vouchers, 1868-1872 ( 46.0 items. )

 

13

Estate of Zachariah M. Winkler. Vouchers, 1873-1885 ( 41.0 items. )

 

14

Clippings regarding Chatham Artillery in the Spanish American War ( 19.0 items. )

 

Box

2

Mulberry Grove Plantation

Deeds, agreements, petitions, 1869-1946, 7.0 items.

Correspondence, 1906-1921, 22.0 items.

Concerns the dispute with the Coast Line Railroad Company over a right-of-way through the plantation. For relevant maps see Box 3.

Correspondence, 1924-1962, 9.0 items.

Concerns soil Isla Island and the U. S. condemnation of a northern portion of it; maintenance of the road between Mulberry Grove and Oak Grove to Monteith; tax assessment; "Mulberry Grove to Congress. No. 10" suggesting that the U.S. Government acquire the property because of its historical connections; the wanton burning of pine timber; and an easement on the railroad spur tract. For relevant maps see Box 3.

Timber estimates and timber sales, 1819-1940, 22.0 items.

Timber estimates, March 1918 (2), January 28, 1923; timber sales (statements and vouchers), 1934, 1938; fire report, 1940. For timber map, see Box 3.

Photographs, 1940, 4.0 items. . View images: 1 | 2 | 3.

Online Inventory Contains Digitized Items

The avenue (2); ruins of' the foundation; postal card depicting foundation ruins, issued for the Eli Whitney postal stamp.

Eli Whitney. Photograph of a portrait; example of first-day covers for the Eli Whitney postage stamp, 1940, cancelled Whitney stamps (duplicates not counted), 2.0 items.

Clippings. George Washington's, visit to Mulberry Grove, Nathanael Greene, unveiling., of the Eli Whitney tablet, Whitney postage stamp, history of the plantation, 32.0 items.

Bonaventure. An unsigned typed sketch of the plantation and Evergreen Cemetery; penciled notes attached, 1.0 items.

 

Box

3

Oversize

Lillie C. Caldwell's diploma from Girls' High School, Savannah, 1878, 4.0 items.

(attached is her, "Salutatory,"); appointment of Armin B. Palmer as lst Lieutenant Light Battery "B" Georgia Artillery U.S.V., June 10, 1898, 1 p.; certificate of membership of lst Lieutenant A.B. Palmer in The Naval and Military Order of the Spanish American War, signed by Theodore Roosevelt as Commander.

Mulberry Grove Plantation maps, 9.0 items.

Includes a survey by John McKinnon, 1819, with negative photocopy; plat of the portion occupied by the A.C.L.R.R. at Montieth, 1913; timber map; Isla Island with petition for condemnation attached; Savannah Springfield Road (State Highway Project 42) (blue print).

Tybee Island maps, 3.0 items.

Plan of a Part of Tybee Island. March 1890, by Percy Sugden (Savannah Morning News lithograph, undated.) in very poor condition; Plan of Lots 25 to 31 on Tybee Inlet, 1902, by J. C. Howard (blue print; map of proposed road to Wilmington and proposed road to Tybee island, 1909 (blue print).

Savannah and Georgia maps, 3.0 items.

Savannah Quadrangle (Corps of Engineers military map) 1920; Key plan ... Industrial and Domestic Water Supply, Savannah, Georgia, by J. E. Sirrine & Co., 1946, photocopy; Soil map. Georgia, and Chatham County Sheet, 1911 (U.S. Bureau of Soils).

Land grant, state of Georgia to Joseph Ryan, 1,000 acres in Effingham County, 1793 October 5, 2.0 p.

Survey and pendant seal attached. In poor condition.

 

Artifacts

A-1281-001 Five shilling dollar coin from the Bank of England, 1804 View online.

A-1281-002 World’s Columbian Exposition commemorative half dollar, 1893 View online.

A-1281-003 Large cent coin from the United States, 1819 View online.

A-1281-004 8 Shilling coin from Hamburg, 1726 View online.

A-1281-005 Large cent coin from the United States, 1814 View online.

A-1281-006 Large cent coin from the United States, 1817 View online.

A-1281-007 Large cent coin from the United States, 1803 View online.

A-1281-008 Spanish coin View online.

A-1281-009 Coin used in the colonies of Great Britain, one eighth Anchor dollar, 1822 View online.

A-1281-010 Coin with King George III on the obverse View online.

A-1281-011 Large cent coin from the United States, 1847 View online.

A-1281-012 Large cent coin from the United States, 1798 View online.

A-1281-013 Large cent coin from the United States, 1810 View online.

A-1281-014 1838 Spanish coin View online.

A-1281-015 Coin with King George III on the obverse View online.

A-1281-016 Token with the American shield on the obverse View online.

A-1281-017 50 cent coin with Louis Philippe on the obverse View online.

A-1281-018 Capped bust dime from the United States, 1829 View online.

A-1281-019 Spanish Real coin with an image of Charles IV on the obverse View online.

A-1281-020 50 cent French coin, 1852 View online.

A-1281-021 Four pence coin with Queen Victoria on the obverse View online.

A-1281-022 Coin with King George III on the obverse View online.

A-1281-023 Three pence coin with King William IV on the obverse View online.

A-1281-024 Coin with King George III on the obverse View online.

A-1281-025 Four pence coin with Queen Victoria on the obverse View online.

A-1281-026 Spanish Real coin with an image of Charles IV on the obverse View online.

A-1281-027 10 Soldi coin from Italy, 1811 View online.

A-1281-028 Seated Liberty half dime from the United States, 1853 View online.

A-1281-029 50 Centesimi coin from the Kingdom of Sardinia in 1828 View online.

A-1281-030 One Schilling coin from Mecklenburg Schwerin in 1792 View online.

A-1281-031 French coin from 1810 with an image of Napoleon on the obverse View online.

A-1281-032 1/2 Franc coin with Louis Philippe on the obverse View online.

A-1281-033 Six pence coin with King William IV on the obverse View online.

A-1281-034 French coin from 1809 with an image of Napoleon on the obverse View online.

A-1281-035 Indian head penny, 1892 View online.

A-1281-036 Six pence coin with Queen Victoria on the obverse View online.

A-1281-037 Coin with King George III on the obverse View online.

A-1281-038 Spanish coin View online.

A-1281-039 Coin worn smooth View online.