THE DERBY FAMILY PAPERS COLLECTION Finding Aid Call
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THE DERBY FAMILY PAPERS COLLECTION Finding Aid Call number: HC1 Extent: 32 letter boxes; 16 oversized document boxes Black Belt Archives, Station 45, Livingston, AL 35470 www.centerforblackbelt.org DERBY FAMILY PAPERS COLLECTION SERIES DECRIPTION AND CONTAINER LIST Location Number: HC1: Room 2, Shelf 4-6 Finding Aid Title: The Derby Family Papers Collection Physical Description: 32 letter boxes; 16 oversized document boxes Physical Location: Black Belt Archives: Room 2; Shelf 4-6 Introduction: Rev. Patsy Derby Chaney, the daughter of Frank I. Derby, donated the Derby Family Papers Collection to the University of West Alabama on June 13, 2007. The collection totals roughly 44 cubic feet of records, including 32 letter boxes and 16 oversized document boxes. The arrangement of this collection is chronological and alphabetical by record series within a particular year. A few folders contain series whose chronological scope exceeds one school year. In these rare instances, the folder is filed in the earliest school year exhibited by the enclosed papers. There are some access restrictions on the collection due to privacy issues. Please refer any questions concerning access to the archivist. The majority of the records in the Derby Family Papers Collection pertain to the business, charitable deeds, and personal correspondence of Frank Inge Derby, a west Alabama agricultural magnate. The collection also includes records created by members of the Derby family between the late nineteenth and late twentieth centuries. Researchers interested in Alabama’s agricultural history, innovations in animal husbandry, the prevalence of hunting as a cultural institution in the Southeastern United States, early- twentieth-century philanthropy in Alabama, the history of the cattle and timber industries in both Alabama and the United States, and the growth of Alabama’s transportation system during the twentieth century will find this collection particularly useful. Biographical Sketch: Born in 1881 in Gaston, AL, Derby became known as “The Cattle King of Alabama” and “The Game Cock of Sumter.” His academic training occurred at the Marion Military Institute in the 1890s. Derby left MMI to pursue a career in livestock breeding and trading. In 1900, he married his first love, Kate Horn, and moved south of York, AL. They would raise four children to adulthood – Frank, Jr. (b. 1902), Mary Kate (b. 1904), Carrie Horn (b. 1912), and Evan Allison (b. 1917). In 1900, Frank Derby forged a business partnership that would last for seventeen years. He joined Oscar E. Cobb, a prominent local livestock dealer, to form the firm of Cobb and Derby. Cobb and Derby flourished as Frank Derby rode from town to town striking deals and cementing his reputation as a cattle man. The firm initially sold Shorthorn Hereford and Angus cattle, but gradually came to specialize only in Shorthorns. While working with Cobb, Derby conducted cattle feeding experiments and became one of the first cattlemen in Alabama to dip his livestock in vats of chemicals to eradicate ticks. Derby often invited other farmers to his property to demonstrate the tick-dipping process and freely disseminated his knowledge. When Cobb retired from the profession in 1917, Derby prospered on his own. In July 1918, Frank Derby organized a well-known cattle sale. A physically slight man whose business was integral to the American war effort, Derby did not serve in the military during World War I. To contribute, Derby held a charity bull auction in Birmingham, which raised $100,000 for the American Red Cross. In August 1919, Frank Derby held a second, better-known charity auction. Derby organized one of the biggest events in the history of Demopolis, the Rooster Bridge Sale, to erect a bridge across the Tombigbee River. Derby convinced famous people to donate roosters that were sold for much more than their actual monetary value. Among the noteworthy rooster donors were comedian Fatty Arbuckle, Congressman William Oliver, President Woodrow Wilson, Premier David Lloyd-George of Great Britain, Premier Georges Clemenceau of France, Premier Vittorio Emanuele Orlando of Italy, and Helen Keller. The Rooster Sale, viewed by thousands, netted $45,000 for the bridge fund. Kate Horn passed away in 1929. Frank married a schoolteacher from Prattville named Minnie Wade Cory in 1939. In 1940, their only child, Patsy, was born. In 1959, State Senator E.O. Eddins introduced legislation to permanently change the name of the Demopolis Tombigbee Bridge to “Rooster Bridge.” The bill also called for the commission of a historical marker memorializing the Rooster Sale. The new bridge sign and memorial were completed in 1961, two years before Derby’s death. Scope and Content Note: Inclusive Dates: 1836 to 1996. Bulk Dates: 1909 to 1928. The Derby Family Papers Collection contains series of records including, but not limited to, Business Correspondence, Personal Correspondence, Bank Statements and Deposit Slips, Bills and Receipts, Legal Correspondence and Agricultural Correspondence. The majority of the collection is composed of paper records, but it also contains hundreds of photographs, photo negatives and an antique typewriter. One of the collection’s strengths is its diversity of a broad array of record categories. This collection provides information about the American cattle industry, transportation in Alabama, early-twentieth-century Alabama cultural history, the connections between state politicians and Alabama businessmen in the early twentieth century, the evolution of agricultural techniques and the life of Frank Derby. Series Descriptions: Advertisements –Written advertisements for both products and services. The series includes advertisements from magazines and newspapers as well as brochures and pamphlets. These records provide information on American consumer activity in the twentieth century. Agricultural Correspondence – This series contains Derby’s correspondence with academicians at the Alabama Polytechnic Institute in Auburn and government officials representing the Alabama and Federal Departments of Agriculture. A smaller series entitled “Agricultural Pamphlets” contains standardized literature created to enlighten farmers about proper crop and livestock management. These records detail Derby’s commitment to developing new farming techniques and teaching others of the advantages of their implementation. Auction Advertisements –This series includes flyers and posters that advertised the auctions that Derby organized, as well as those hosted by his colleagues in the industry. Livestock breeders used this media to promote awareness of their sales. Bank Statements and Deposit Slips – This series contains bank statements and checks from West Alabama and East Mississippi financial institutions including Robertson Banking Company in Demopolis, the Bank of York in York, the City National Bank of Tuscaloosa and the First Federal Bank of Meridian. These records track the growth and fluctuation of the Derby family fortune. A subseries includes the personal bank statements of Frank’s first wife, Kate Horn, his second wife, Minnie Wade, and his daughter, Patsy. Bills and Receipts –This series contains records of the purchases made by the Derby family and spans the chronological range of the collection. From hulls to feed his cattle to oil to operate his farm machinery to hats for his wife, these invoices document Derby’s business and personal expenditures. Business Correspondence –This series contains letters written to Frank Derby pertaining to the sale of cattle. It includes requests for pedigrees to prove the lineage of cattle purchased from Derby, demands for refunds on infertile heifers, commentary from Derby’ s colleagues nationwide about conditions in their local cattle markets, and requests for Derby’s input on when and where to hold cattle auctions. Business Correspondence and Responses –This series includes business correspondence sent to Frank Derby along with a copy of his response to that party. While many of these records contain simply an initial letter and Derby’s reply, some sets detail extended communication over many years. These letters are filed according to the year of the earliest correspondence. Business Correspondence –Derby’s Responses – This series contains business correspondence which Derby initiated, or his response to letters which are not included in the collection. Checkbooks – A sister series of “Bills and Receipts,” this series demonstrates how and when Frank Derby spent his money. Freight Bills and Livestock Contracts –Shipping receipts reveal where and to whom Frank Derby shipped cattle and produce. This series also contains shipping bills paid by businesses that shipped items to Derby. Historic Bridge Marker Correspondence – This series contains correspondence concerning the 1959 bill for a historic marker at the Rooster Bridge in Demopolis, as well as congratulatory letters sent to Derby. Kate Derby Correspondence – Frank Derby’s first wife, Kate Horn Derby, was one of the first female coeds to graduate from the University of Alabama in the 1890s. This series contains letters sent to and received by her related to topics as varied as piano repair, medical problems and the hiring of teachers. Legal Correspondence – Correspondence in this series includes letters that Frank Derby’s attorneys sent to him, as well as their letters to other lawyers. Minnie Wade Derby Correspondence –This series includes letters written by and sent to Minnie Wade Derby by her family and friends, including