Francois Mignon Papers,   1853-1980 1939-1980

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Francois Mignon Papers,   1853-1980 1939-1980

http://www2.lib.unc.edu/mss/inv/m/Mignon,Francois.html

Francois Mignon (given name Frank VerNooy Mineah) was born in 1899 in Cortland, N.Y. He was a journalist and curator of buildings, furnishings, and gardens at Melrose Plantation, Natchitoches, La. Melrose was a working cotton and pecan plantation, but it was best known in the period between the two World Wars as a writers' and artists' colony. Cammie Henry, who bought the plantation in 1899, restored its unique collection of African-inspired buildings. These structures sheltered such authors as Lyle Saxon, James Register, Harnett Kane, Alexander Woollcott, and Rachel Field. Mignon began writing his own weekly column for the Natchitoches in the 1950s. In addition to his writing, Mignon designed the gardens at Melrose and promoted the African American folk artist Clementine Hunter. Enterprise The collection includes Mignon's journal and correspondence from about 1939 to 1980. Also included are photographs, printed materials, newspapers clippings, writings and other materials collected by, written by, or relating to Mignon and his diverse interests. Mignon's journal began with his arrival at Melrose Plantation in 1939 and continued until February 1970, when the plantation was sold. Many of the ideas Mignon first expressed in his journal later appeared in his newspaper column, which dealt chiefly with Natchitoches, La., history and traditions. Persons significant in the collection include James Register; the Louisiana naturalist Caroline Dorman; the Louisiana filmmaker Caroline Ramsey; an African American soldier named King Solomon, who grew up at Melrose; Eleanor Roosevelt (2 items); Rachel Field; Harnett Thomas Kane; Lyle Saxon; and Alexander Woollcott. After 1970, the correspondence is chiefly from readers of Mignon's weekly newspaper column and his responses. In addition to these materials, the collection contains the original manuscript of B.L.C. Wailes's "Report on the Agriculture and Geology of Mississippi" (1854) and letters from Wailes's granddaughter to Mignon. Also included are 19th-century documents and genealogical information relating to the Metoyer family, which originally built the plantation later called Melrose.

8400; 15.0

eng,

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection

Information

SNAC Resource ID: 6628082

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Southern Historical Collection

Related Entities

There are 23 Entities related to this resource.

Bayou Folk Museum

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6t25vx9 (corporateBody)

Charles Pratt

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6pt38kc (person)

Gaines, E. J.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w62h31zq (person)

Wailes, Benjamin L. C. (Benjamin Leonard Covington), 1797-1862

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6ws8tfm (person)

Planter and educator of Mississippi. From the description of Benjamin L.C. Wailes diary excerpt, 1859. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 70981286 Agriculturist, geologist, and naturalist, of Washington County, Miss. From the description of Papers, 1843-1862. (Duke University Library). WorldCat record id: 20273418 Scientist and planter, chiefly remembered for his interest in soil, rocks, fossils, plants and animal life. Collected specimens in all these field...

Caroline Dorman

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w67v30z9 (person)

Lape, Esther Everette

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w655810j (person)

Northwestern State University

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6n44ztz (corporateBody)

saxon, Lyle, 1891-1946

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w68p5zcm (person)

Saxon, an LSU alumnus, was a resident of Baton Rouge, La. He was a historian as well as a writer of fiction. From the description of Lafitte the pirate, 1930-1932. (Louisiana State University). WorldCat record id: 262161478 Saxon, an LSU alumnus, was a resident of Baton Rouge. He was a historian and writer of fiction. From the description of Children of strangers, 1930-1937. (Louisiana State University). WorldCat record id: 262161476 Lyle Saxon was a fea...

Perry, Regina

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w65z7ppx (person)

Gary Mills

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6zj24cc (person)

Jules Lion

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w62d49cr (person)

Hunter, Clementine

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6gj0fhs (person)

Artist. From the description of Reminiscences of Clementine Hunter : oral history, 1979. (Columbia University In the City of New York). WorldCat record id: 122597977 African American folk artist; Natichitoches, La.; b. 1885; d. 1988. From the description of Documentary on Clementine Hunter, 1985. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 779476826 From the description of Video on Clementine Hunter, 1985 [videorecording]. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 83475525 ...

Metoyer

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6nq7k0n (family)

Elizabeth Mills

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6c40872 (person)

Wailes, Benjamin L. C. (Benjamin Leonard Covington), 1797-1862

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6ws8tfm (person)

Planter and educator of Mississippi. From the description of Benjamin L.C. Wailes diary excerpt, 1859. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 70981286 Agriculturist, geologist, and naturalist, of Washington County, Miss. From the description of Papers, 1843-1862. (Duke University Library). WorldCat record id: 20273418 Scientist and planter, chiefly remembered for his interest in soil, rocks, fossils, plants and animal life. Collected specimens in all these field...

Cammie Henry

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6wf9cgm (person)

Henry, Cammie

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w67j6z3q (person)

J. A. Baumgartner

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6jr6c6w (person)

Mignon, Francois

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6891h8k (person)

Francois Mignon, a journalist and curator of buildings, gardens, and furnishings at Melrose Plantation, a working cotton and pecan plantation in Natchitoches, Louisiana owned by Cammie Henry. Henry made the plantation into an artists' and writers' colony. From the description of Francois Mignon papers, 1939-1970. (Louisiana State University). WorldCat record id: 237797154 Francois Mignon (given name Frank VerNooy Mineah) was born 9 May 1899 in Cortland, N.Y., to...

Brandon, Nellie Wailes

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6g31cdh (person)

Metoyer family

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6xz008f (family)

Louisiana Tourist Commission

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6nf13b9 (corporateBody)

Ramsey, Caroline

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6zx702c (person)