| Scope and content |
The bulk of the collection consists of correspondence between Ward, family members, and friends between 1893 and 1915. Correspondence between Ward and his mother reveals aspects of turn-of-the-century Wilson. Her letters reflect concern at being a widow and trying to raise and educate her sons, manage her hotel, and operate a farm in the county. References are made to various social activities, including a traveling freak exhibit. Letters of Needham Ward note aspects of life at the University of North Carolina. Of particular interest are references to baseball games, attitudes of upperclassmen toward freshmen, the construction of an Alumni Building, the novelty of women in post-graduate work, and courses offered. Also of interest are letters pertaining to N.C. College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts; Massey Business College, Columbus, Ga.; and Eastman Business College, Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Other correspondence includes a letter from Weigand, Neb., describing the climate and topography of the state, crops grown, native trees, and winter blizzards. Letters from collectors contain listings of curiosities for sale. Also of interest is a letter from the Typewriter Exchange in Chicago, Ill., which contains samples of typewriter print and their prices. Also includes postcards, advertisements, and receipts. |
| Access restriction | No access restrictions. |
| Cite as |
Walter G. Ward Papers (#464), Special Collections Department, J. Y. Joyner Library, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina, USA. |
| Terms of use | Literary rights to specific documents are retained by the authors or their descendants in accordance with U.S. copyright law. |
| Acquisitions source |
Joyner- Gift of Mr. Willis Stancill. |
| Biographical note | Walter G. Ward, one of six children of Joseph and Martha Speight Ward, attended school in Wilson, where his mother operated Ward's Hotel. Prior to attending Eastman Business College, Poughkeepsie, N.Y., in 1898, Ward worked as an accountant in Spring Hope, N.C. After leaving Eastman Business College, Ward was a bank cashier in Greenville, N.C. He returned to Spring Hope in 1907, and married Margarette Morton Dillard the following year. In 1925, Ward and his family settled in Greenville, where he operated a mercantile business and ginned cotton. |
