State of Tennessee Department of State Tennessee State Library and Archives

A. P. Welch Business Records, 1900-1983

COLLECTION SUMMARY

Creator:

Welch, A. P. (Abraham Poteet), 1881-1956

Inclusive Dates:

1900-1983, bulk 1918-1930

Scope & Content:

Consists of correspondence, receipts, maps, ledgers, and political ephemera. The bulk of the collection is correspondence to and from A. P. Welch in his capacity as proprietor of A. P. Welch and Company. The letters mostly relate accounting and pricing information in the timber and lumber industry. A delightful collection of letterheads depict storefronts and manufactories across the Eastern United States, including Tennessee. Other letterheads artfully display business logos and trademarks. The correspondence contains a particularly fine collection of illustrated letterheads depicting wagons, buggies, and early automobiles. Also among the correspondence is a 1922 letter from a gentleman asking Welch to assist in the construction of a Nazarene church in Columbia, Tennessee. Attached to a letter from A. Frank and Co., Nashville, from is a wallpaper sample. A copy of a workmen’s compensation accident report from A. P. Welch and Company, dated , was attached to correspondence with Integrity Mutual Casualty Company and sent in . A number of telegrams to A. P. Welch further discuss his timber business.

The collection also includes a sample ballot from the 1940 Putnam County local election and a campaign flyer for Jared Maddux promoting his candidacy for state senate. A publication from the Monterey Church of the Nazarene celebrating its 75th anniversary has an image of Rev. A. P. and Daisy Welch on the cover. A damaged Victory Garden leaflet published by the University of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service was found between the pages of one of the ledgers. A pamphlet advertises the course offerings at Trevecca College (later

Trevecca Nazarene University). Sixty maps and plats depict Welch’s land around the Upper Cumberland Plateau including a number of Monterey, one of Tennessee and Kentucky, and one of the world. These are all stored in map drawer M-12-18, except the largest, which are on top of M-8 and M-9 in an oversize folder. An oversized photograph depicts a group of A. P. Welch’s employees enjoying an employee thanksgiving. They are seen wearing celebratory ribbons, a number of which are in the collection. One photograph shows Arthur Jackson Nickens in a World War I era U. S. Navy uniform, although he never served.

Eighteen ledgers detail A. P. Welch’s accounts and finances. In addition to his business and personal accounts, Welch kept early accounts of the Monterey Church of the Nazarene, including contributions. Some ledgers from local banks, perhaps kept by his brother, complete the collection.

Physical Description/Extent:

13.75 cubic feet

Accession/Record Group Number:

2010-083

Language:

English

Permanent Location:

ASRS; M-18-12, Top of M-8 and M-9 map cabinets

Repository: Tennessee State Library and Archives, 1001 Rep. John Lewis Way North, Nashville, Tennessee, 37219

Administrative/Biographical History

Abraham Poteet Welch was born on May 28, 1881, in Putnam County to John Wesley Welch and Julia Ann Ford. His World War I draft registration describes him as a short and slender man with black eyes and graying hair. On August 3, 1900, he and Daisy Andrews married in Putnam County. At the time of this marriage, A. P. lived at home and worked as a grain dealer. Before he launched A. P. Welch and Company he worked as a minister, farmer, and for Cookeville Veneer Company. His business, A. P. Welch and Company, bought and sold lumber, coal, real estate, and feed. Under this styling, Welch served as the purchasing agent for Carthage Spoke and Cooperage Company and Cookeville Veneer Company. He served as a director of The Welch Stave and Heading Company with his relatives George Nathaniel Welch, John W. Welch, J. P.

Welch, and J. N. Welch. A. P. helped found Monterey Nazarene Church in 1903 and continued preaching full-time until 1930. A. P. and Daisy Welch had three daughters, Lucile, Margaret Josephine, and Ruth. He died on January 9, 1956, and is buried in Welch Memorial Cemetery in Putnam County.

Organization/Arrangement of Materials

The collection is arranged alphabetically by document type, then chronologically.

Conditions of Access and Use

Restrictions on Access:

No restrictions

Restrictions on Use and Reproduction:

While the Tennessee State Library and Archives houses an item, it does not necessarily hold the copyright on the item, nor may it be able to determine if the item is still protected under current copyright law. Users are solely responsible for determining the existence of such instances and for obtaining any other permissions and paying associated fees that may be necessary for the intended use

Index Terms

Corporate Names: Monterey Church of the Nazarene (Tenn.) Trevecca Nazarene College

Personal Names:

Maddux, John Jared Welch, A. P. (Abraham Poteet), 1881-1956

Subjects:

Agriculture -- Tennessee Coal trade -- Tennessee Lumber trade -- Tennessee Nazarenes (Church of the Nazarene) Railroads -- Freight -- United States Small business -- Tennessee Timber -- Tennessee

Geographic Names:

Cookeville (Tenn.) -- History -- 20th century -- Sources Cumberland County (Tenn.) -- History -- 20th century -- Sources Cumberland Mountains -- History -- 20th century -- Sources Monterey (Tenn.) -- History -- 20th century -- Sources Putnam County (Tenn.) -- History -- 20th century -- Sources Sarasota (Fla.) -- History -- 20th century -- Sources Sparta (Tenn.) -- History -- 20th century -- Sources Tennessee -- Politics and government -- 20th century White County (Tenn.) -- History -- 20th century -- Sources

Document Types:

Account books Bills of lading Correspondence Ledgers (account books) Legal documents Maps (documents) Photographs Receipts (financial records) Registrations (licenses) Ribbon (material) Telegrams

Acquisition and Appraisal

Provenance and Acquisition:

This collection was donated to the Tennessee State Library and Archives by Deborah Nixon Peercy.

Processing and Administrative Information

Preferred Citation:

A. P. Welch Business Records, 1900-1978, Tennessee State Library and Archives

Processing Information:

Processing completed by Zachary Keith in June 2018. Updated by Kimberly Mills Wires in July 2021.

DETAILED COLLECTION DESCRIPTION

CONTAINER LIST

Contents/Item Title Date Box Folder/Volume Automobile registrations 1923 1 1 Contracts 1924 1 2 Correspondence 1917 1 3 Correspondence 1918 1 4 Correspondence 1 5 Correspondence 1 6 Correspondence 1 7 Correspondence 1 8 Correspondence 1 9 Correspondence 2 1 Correspondence 2 2 Correspondence 2 3 Correspondence September 2 4 1918 Correspondence 2 5 Correspondence November 2 6 1918 Correspondence December 2 7 1918 Correspondence 3 1 Correspondence 3 2 Correspondence 3 3 Correspondence 3 4 Correspondence 3 5 Correspondence June 1920 3 6 Correspondence 3 7 Correspondence 3 8 Correspondence September 3 9 1920 Correspondence 3 10 Correspondence November 3 11 1920 Correspondence December 3 12 1920 Correspondence 4 1 Correspondence January 1921 4 2 Correspondence 4 3

Correspondence February 1921 4 4 Correspondence February 1921 4 5 Correspondence March 1921 5 1 Correspondence March 1921 5 2 Correspondence March 1921 5 3 Correspondence March 1921 5 4 Correspondence 6 1 Correspondence April 1921 6 2 Correspondence 6 3 Correspondence 6 4 Correspondence 6 5 Correspondence 6 6 Correspondence September 6 7 1921 Correspondence September 7 1 1921 Correspondence 7 2 Correspondence November 7 3 1921 Correspondence December 7 4 1921 Correspondence undated 1922 7 5 Correspondence 7 6 Correspondence 7 7 Correspondence 7 8 Correspondence 7 9 Correspondence 7 10 Correspondence 7 11 Correspondence 7 12 Correspondence 7 13 Correspondence September 7 14 1922 Correspondence 7 15 Correspondence November 8 1 1922 Correspondence November 8 2 1922 Correspondence December 8 3 1922 Correspondence undated 1923 8 4 Correspondence 8 5 Correspondence 8 6 Correspondence 9 1 Correspondence March 1923 9 2 Correspondence 9 3

Correspondence 9 4 Correspondence 9 5 Correspondence 9 6 Correspondence 9 7 Correspondence September 9 8 1923 Correspondence October 1923 10 1 Correspondence October 1923 10 2 Correspondence November 10 3 1923 Correspondence November 10 4 1923 Correspondence December 10 5 1923 Correspondence December 11 1 1923 Correspondence undated 1924 11 2 Correspondence 11 3 Correspondence 11 4 Correspondence February 1924 11 5 Correspondence 12 1 Correspondence March 1924 12 2 Correspondence 12 3 Correspondence April 1924 12 4 Correspondence April 1924 13 1 Correspondence 13 2 Correspondence May 1924 13 3 Correspondence 13 4 Correspondence 13 5 Correspondence 14 1 Correspondence September 14 2 1924 Correspondence September 14 3 1924 Correspondence 14 4 Correspondence October 1924 14 5 Correspondence November 15 1 1924 Correspondence November 15 2 1924 Correspondence December 15 3 1924 Correspondence undated 1925 15 4 Correspondence January 1925 15 5 Correspondence January 1925 15 6

Correspondence 16 1 Correspondence February 1925 16 2 Correspondence 16 3 Correspondence 16 4 Correspondence April 1925 17 1 Correspondence 17 2 Correspondence 17 3 Correspondence 17 4 Correspondence July 1925 18 1 Correspondence 18 2 Correspondence August 1925 18 3 Correspondence September 18 4 1925 Correspondence September 18 5 1925 Correspondence 19 1 Correspondence November 19 2 1925 Correspondence December 19 3 1925 Correspondence December 19 4 1925 Correspondence 1927 19 5 Correspondence January 1928 19 6 Correspondence February 1928 19 7 Correspondence March 1928 19 8 Correspondence April 1928 19 9 Correspondence May 1928 19 10 Correspondence June 1928 19 11 Correspondence July 1928 19 12 Correspondence August 1928 19 13 Correspondence August 1928 20 1 Correspondence September 20 2 1928 Correspondence September 20 3 1928 Correspondence October 1928 20 4 Correspondence November 20 5 1928 Correspondence 1930 20 6 Correspondence undated 1931 20 7 Correspondence January 1931 21 1 Correspondence February 1931 21 2 Correspondence March 1931 21 3 Correspondence April 1931 21 4

Correspondence May 1931 21 5 Correspondence June 1931 21 6 Correspondence July 1931 21 7 Correspondence August 1931 21 8 Correspondence September 21 9 1931 Correspondence October 1931 21 10 Correspondence November 21 11 1931 Correspondence December 21 12 1931 Maps -- Pure Oil Pathfinder -- undated 21 13 Kentucky-Tennessee Photographs -- Arthur J. Nickens undated 21 14 (Monterey, Tenn.) Political ephemera -- Jared Maddox for undated 21 15 State Senate Political ephemera -- Putnam County 1940 21 16 sample ballot Publications -- ESSO Farm News 1951 21 17 Publications -- Railroad rules and 1918 21 18 regulations Publications -- Trevecca College undated 21 19 informational pamphlet Publications -- Victor Garden leaflet undated 21 20 Ribbons undated 21 21 Telegrams undated 22 1 Telegrams 1918 22 2 Telegrams 1919 22 3 Telegrams 1921 22 4 Telegrams 1922 22 5 Telegrams 1923 22 6 Telegrams 1924 22 7 Telegrams 1925 22 8 Telegrams 1928 22 9 Telegrams 1930 22 10 Ledgers -- A. P. Welch and Company -- 1920-1921 OV 1 1 1920-1921 Ledgers -- A. P. Welch and Company -- 1922-1924 OV 1 2 1922-1924 Ledgers -- A. P. Welch and Company -- 1924-1933 OV 2 3 February 1924-1933 Ledgers --A. P. Welch and Company -- September OV 2 4 Employee Timekeeping 1928- June 1930

Ledgers -- Account Book -- First 1919-1935 OV 2 5 National Bank, Crossville; First National Bank, Sparta; American National Bank Ledgers -- Unidentified account book 1923-1928 OV 2 6 Ledgers -- General store 1900-1901 OV 3 7 Ledgers -- Rents and Mineral Springs 1942-1945 OV 3 8 School construction Ledgers -- Account book -- Bank of 1937-1946 OV 3 9 Monterey Ledgers -- Official documents portfolio undated OV 3 10 Ledgers -- Official documents portfolio undated OV 3 11 Ledgers -- Unidentified account book 1927-1931 OV 4 12 Ledgers -- Account book -- Bank of 1915-1931 OV 4 13 Monterey Ledgers -- A. P. Welch personal 1928/1931- OV 5 14 accounts/Monterey Church of Nazarene 1935 accounts Ledgers -- Unidentified gas station 1942 OV 6 15 Ledgers -- A. P. Welch 1920-1924 OV 7 16 Ledgers -- A. P. Welch 1920-1929 OV 8 17 Ledgers -- A. P. Welch 1927-1940 OV 9 18 Maps -- A. P. Welch lands near 1945 Oversize Monterey, Tenn. (x2) Folder 2 Maps -- Plan of coal tracts of Jeffrey undated Oversize Coal Company Sheet 1 Folder 2 Maps -- Plan of coal tracts of Jeffrey undated Oversize Coal Company Sheet 2 Folder 2 Maps -- Mine Map, Bills Branch Coal 1920 Oversize Company, Monterey, Tennessee (x4) Folder 2 Maps -- Survey of A. P. Welch land undated M-18-12 near Mineral Springs, Tennessee Maps -- A. P. Welch subdivision (x3) undated M-18-12 Maps -- A. P. Welch subdivision no. 2 1945 M-18-12 (x13) Maps -- Mrs. Ova Welch McClain 1945 M-18-12 subdivision (x4) Maps -- Plat of Monterrey, Tennessee M-18-12 (x7) Maps -- Pugh to Red Rock survey undated M-18-12 Maps -- Survey plat near Monterey, undated M-18-12 Tennessee, showing 1945.2 acres of A. P. Welch land (x5) Maps -- Overton County, Tennessee, 1979 M-18-12 parcel appraisal map #128

Maps -- Overton County, Tennessee, 1979 M-18-12 parcel appraisal map #129 Maps -- Overton County, Tennessee, 1979 M-18-12 parcel appraisal map #133 Maps -- Overton County, Tennessee, 1979 M-18-12 parcel appraisal map #134 Maps -- Allied Appraiser’s map of 1976 M-18-12 portion of Mineral Springs Maps --Parcel appraisal map near Cliff undated M-18-12 Springs, Tennessee Maps -- Webb Real Estate and Tenn. 1983 M-18-12 Realty and Auction Co. 8th District, 14th District, Overton County, Tennessee. (x2) Maps -- Plan of Welch Memorial undated M-18-12 Cemetery, Monterey, Tennessee (x2) Maps -- The Progressive Farmer map of 1940s M-18-12 Kentucky and Tennessee Maps -- The Progressive Farmer map of Approximately M-18-12 the World 1940 Maps -- Obey City Quadrangle, USGS 1974 M-18-12 7.5 minute map Maps -- Survey of unidentified land undated M-18-12 Maps -- Survey of timber land near undated M-18-12 Clarkrange, Tennessee Maps -- Survey of unidentified land undated M-18-12 near Meadow Creek Maps -- Map of Monterey, Tennessee, 1949 M-18-12 (highway department map) Maps -- Survey of John W. Welch land 1925 M-18-12 on Phillips Creek Maps -- Wartburg Quadrangle, 1912 M-18-12 topographical map Maps -- Pikeville Quadrangle, 1913 M-18-12 reconnaissance map Photograph - A. P. Welch and Company undated Oversize employees at Employee Thanksgiving Folder 1 Publications -- Church of the Nazarene, 1978 Oversize Monterey, Tennessee, 75th Anniversary Folder 1 (x2)