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Charles R. Garnett Collection

 Collection
Identifier: 2005.011

Scope and Contents

The Charles R. Garnett Collection contains assorted holiday cards, letters, church programs, photographs, and other papers belonging to Charles R. Garnett, a black resident of Clarksville. The majority of this collection dates from 1931 to 1940. The remaining items in the collection are undated cards, postcards, and papers.

Dates

  • 1890 - 1960

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research use.

Conditions Governing Use

Some material may be copyrighted or restricted. It is the patron's obligation to determine and satisfy copyright or other case restrictions when publishing or otherwise distributing materials found in the collections.

Biographical / Historical

In the 1900 Census, Ida Garnett (b. October 1877, d. May 15, 1934) lived at 217 Poston Street with other family members. She worked as a laundress in 1900 and 1920, but the census record lists her as a private cook for a family in 1910. Ida's son Charles Robert Garnett (b. February 11, 1901, d. November 24, 1976) worked as a bronzer for a local foundry. From at least 1920, mother and son lived together at 523 Poston Street. Ida Garnett died May 15, 1934 and was buried at Golden Hill Cemetery, a historic African-American cemetery on Sevenmile Ferry Road.

On August 24, 1940, Charles Robert Garnett married Mrs. Lucile Garrott Barton (b. November 1, 1903, d. 1996). Lucile's fist marriage was to Marion G. Barton on May 22, 1920. Charles and Lucile Garnett lived at 532 Poston Street. City directories document Charlers Garnett's occupations. He worked as a laborer for Dunlop Milling Company in 1942 before eventually finding employment as a mixer at Iglehart Brothers/Iglehart's from 1947 to 1952. By 1959, Garnett was working as a porter at Boillin-Harrison Co. On November 24, 1976, Charles passed away; however, his widowed wife Lucile lived until 1996. The couple are buried together at Evergreen Cemetery, an African-American cemetery located adjacent to Golden Hill Cemetery.

In 2005, Calvin Stokes purchased a dresser drawer filled with the papers of a local African-American family at a yard sale in Clarksville, Tennessee. The Charles R. Garnett Collection is comprised of the family papers formerly housed in that drawer.

Extent

0.63 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

Assorted holiday cards, letters, church programs, photographs, and other papers belonging to Charles R. Garnett.

Arrangement

Arranged chronologically by subject.

Processing Information

This collection was processed by a former staff member, ca. 2012. Items were placed between acid-free papers in acid-free folders. Staff member Jenna Stout relabeled folders, rehoused the collection in a small box, and created the finding aid. Although the collection was processed in November 2012, additional materials were located in the volunteer room in March 2019.

Title
Charles R. Garnett Collection
Author
Jenna Stout
Date
2018-2019
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Montgomery County Archives Repository

Contact:
350 Pageant Lane
Suite 101D
Clarksville Tennessee 30741 United States
931-553-5159