Wilbur G. Kurtz, Sr. Papers 1814-1993, undated.

ArchivalResource

Kurtz, Wilbur G. (Wilbur George), 1882-1967. Wilbur G. Kurtz, Sr. Papers 1814-1993, undated.

Wilbur G. Kurtz, Sr. Papers 1814-1993, undated.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/702156111

This collection contains the personal and professional papers of Wilbur G. Kurtz, Sr. The bulk of the personal papers pertain to the Kurtz and Fuller families and Wilbur's early adult life in Greencastle, Indiana and Chicago, Illinois. The personal papers also contain a series of diaries written by Wilbur and correspondence between Kurtz and Fuller family members. The professional papers and research papers consist primarily of the research materials and notes compiled by Wilbur G. Kurtz, Sr. during his lifelong study and documentation of the Atlanta Campaign during the Civil War. A significant portion of the research material documents the participants and events of Andrews' Raid. Kurtz attempted to contact all the surviving participants involved in the raid and document their detailed memories of the event thru a questionnaire that included sketches. In order to provide some consistency in their responses to his inquiry he sent a standard questionnaire that included sketches as well as questions. The sketches reflected the participant's involvement in the raid. Questionnaires to the Union soldiers included sketches of the jail and details about the design of the General. Those sent to Confederate soldiers included sketches of the Lacy Hotel and railroad platform, and the design details of the Texas. Kurtz also utilized maps to illustrate a significant amount of his research pertaining to the Atlanta Campaign. Many of the maps document the information he gathered pertaining to troop movements and fortifications based on published records and first person interviews. Several of the Georgians he interviewed were civilians during the war and he recorded their experiences and the events they witnessed. Some of those individuals included Atlantan Sarah Huff, members of the Barnsley family, and Lucy Mulcahy of Bartow County, Georgia. His research also involved extensive field work retracing the route followed by troops during the Atlanta Campaign. For many of these excursions he recorded the participants and itinerary along with detailed observations pertaining to the physical landscape and conversations with local residents. Many of these detailed accounts are found in the collection. Also included in the employment subseries are notebooks compiled during his research for the Georgia Historical Marker Program. The notebooks, organized by county, contain a list of the markers with the complete transcriptions for each as well as scattered research notes and sketches. Kurtz documented all aspects of his research and kept a very detailed journal during his employment as historian and technical adviser during the production of Gone With the Wind. The journal details Kurtz's involvement in the production of the film and the daily activities on the set.

94.26 linear ft. (88 document cases, 43 oversize boxes and 8 flat files)

Atlanta History Center, Kenan Research Center / Cherokee Garden Library