| Scope and content |
Materials related to William J. Hardison pertain to his shingle business, his work as a public official, and his private life. Business correspondence from commission merchants in Norfolk, Va., and Baltimore, Md., concern his shingle business. Other correspondence reflects his work as sheriff of Martin County and his campaign for reelection. Financial records include tax receipts, promissory notes, and other receipts. Land records, primarily for Martin County, N.C., consist of deeds and a plat. Correspondence related to the Watts family consists primarily of letters from James W. Watts Jr., and his brother, John P. Watts. Letters from James W. Watts, Jr., discuss his student days at N.C. State College, his military training, and his duty with the U.S. Army Air Corps in southern Italy. Letters from John P. Watts describe attendance at Virginia Episcopal School, his tour of Europe, and student life at the University of North Carolina. Remaining correspondence, primarily from friends of the family, includes sympathy notes concerning James W. Watts Jr.'s death. |
| Access restriction | No access restrictions. |
| Cite as |
Hardison-Watts Family Papers (#415), 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 Mrs. Letha Wells Watts. |
| Biographical note | William J. Hardison was a constable, deputy-sheriff, and sheriff for Martin County, N.C., during the second half of the 19th century. He also sold shingles through William J. Hardison & Co. of Williamston. James W. Watts, Sr., of Williamston, ran the Watts Theater and the Marco Theater in the 1940s. He had two sons: James W. Watts, Jr., and John P. Watts. James W. Watts, Jr., attended N.C. State College and died in 1945 while serving with the 15th Air Force, 724 Bomb Squadron in Italy. John P. Watts attended Virginia Episcopal School and the University of North Carolina. |
