James Solomon and Raiford James Wood papers, 1794-1971.

ArchivalResource

Wood, James Solomon, 1851-1927. James Solomon and Raiford James Wood papers, 1794-1971.

James Solomon and Raiford James Wood papers, 1794-1971.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/173482412

This collection contains James S. Wood's business and legal papers relating to his work as a cotton factor and commission merchant in Savannah from 1880-1927. They include orders and receipts for cotton made to various companies throughout the Southeast and a few to England, plus negotiations with railroad companies for transportation, especially with the Wrightville and Tennille Railroad company of Tennille, Georgia. Because J.S. Wood was a longtime director and held one term as president of this railroad in the early 1890s, a great deal of the correspondence (ca. 1890-ca. 1925) concerns the management of the railroad. Two folders concern the Confederate monument in Forsyth Park and include photographs of both the "Confederate Soldier" by David Richards which was placed on top of the monument in 1879 and the original statue by Robert Reid known as "Peace" ("Silence") which stood there from 1875-1879 and was removed to the Laurel Grove Cemetery. The collection also contains correspondence related to J.S. wood and Bro.'s (1883-1914) interests in fertilizer as well as correspondence with various law firms about contracts and legal cases which involved J.S. Wood and his cotton and fertilizer interests. Following the business correspondence are the account books, a receipt book and the trial balance sheets (1890-1919). These sheets list the various firms with which J.S. wood dealt, and as such, might be useful as a partial directory of the cotton and railroad related firms of these years. Family correspondence (1886-1966) is sparse and the bulk is from 1886-1919. Most of these letters are from Mrs. Mary S.I. Wood and the children to her husband, J.S. Wood. After his death in 1927, the emphasis changes to Jared, Augusta, and Raiford who wrote to their mother. The next section of this collection contains Raiford Woods' personal papers, which deal with work at Telfair Academy of Arts and Sciences (only briefly) and his interest in the history and art of Savannah. Of special note are his descriptions of the houses of Savannah and the Presidents of the United States who visited the city. There are articles on the monuments of Savannah and a few notes on his family's genealogy.

10 boxes, 2 volumes (5.0 cubic feet)

Georgia Historical Society