In 1902, Leverette C. Smith of Duluth, Minn., married Nellie B. Cole of Raleigh, N.C., daughter of John W. and Sarah D. Burns Cole. The couple began their married life in Duluth, but quickly relocated to Nellie's family home in Raleigh. Among Leverette and Nellie's children were musicians Leslie and Llewellyn A., both of whom served with the American Expeditionary Forces during World War I. Correspondence and related items include business letters, 1878- 1895, of John W. Cole and his brother-in-law D. S. Burns of Chatham County, N.C.; a 1917 letter describing an automobile trip from Chicago to Los Angeles; letters, 1917-1919, from Leslie and Llewellyn A. Smith, both with the American Expeditionary Forces, first in camps in the United States, then in France, chiefly describing military life; and a few letters relating to Leslie's musical career, among them several from minstrel and other traveling shows interested in recruiting Leslie to play in their orchestras.Also included are Cole family financial and legal materials, 1878-1911, many of which relate to settlements of various family estates, and Smith family financial and legal materials, 1890-1937, some of which relate to property Leverette C. Smith owned in Osceola County, Fla. Also included are clippings about family members; photographs of family members and World War I scenes; and an account of a 1929 tour of a musical band from Charlotte, N.C., to the West.
