William Lindsey McDonald papers, 1927-2009 | UNA Archives and Special Collections

By Dixie Norwood

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Collection Overview

Title: William Lindsey McDonald papers, 1927-2009

Primary Creator: William Lindsey McDonald papers, 1927-2009

Extent: 60.0 Cubic Feet

Arrangement: The Collection arranged into series.

Scope and Contents of the Materials

The William Lindsey McDonald Collection (1927-2009; eighty-one boxes) is part of the research collection of William Lindsey McDonald, alumnus of the University of North Alabama, Florence City (AL) historian, and author. Research includes notes, correspondence, ephemera, scrapbooks, duplicated manuscripts, organizational minutes, artifacts, and numerous photographs. Most of the materials relate to the history of the Shoals area. Research articles related to Alabama and surrounding states also are part of this collection. Some materials are personal in nature, particularly those related to family history.

Biographical Note

William Lindsey (Bill) McDonald (June 7, 1927- June 20, 2009) was a native of Florence, Alabama. A lover of history since he was a young boy, bill McDonald was known for his in-depth knowledge of the area's history. A tireless researcher, he served as the Florence City Historian beginning in 1989 and authored or co-authored fifteen books and innumerable articles in magazines, newspapers and periodicals. After serving in World War II, Dr. McDonald received a degree in business administration from Florence State Teachers College (now UNA) in 1952. He was a member of the first graduation class of the new ROTC program and after graduation from college he left to serve as a Second Lieutenant in the Korean War. after reitirng as Army Reserve Colonel with thirty-eight years of sevice, Dr. McDonald had assignments on the staffs of the Provost Marshal General and the Assistant Chief of Staff for Personnel at the Pentagon. In addition to his Florence State degree, Dr. McDonald graduated from the Army's Command and General Staff College (1974), the Industrical College of the Armed Forces (1975); and pursued seminary studies in the United Methodist Church.

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Biographical],
[Series 2: Organizations],
[Series 3: Correpondence],
[Series 4: Speeches],
[Series 5: Writings],
[Series 6: Sermons],
[Series 7: Research Articles],
[Series 8: Historic Sites],
[Series 9: Historic Sites--Lauderdale County],
[Series 10: Lauderdale County History],
[Series 11: East Lauderdale],
[Series 12: West Lauderdale],
[Series 13: Cloverdale],
[Series 14: Green Hill],
[Series 15: Pickwick],
[Series 16: St. Florian],
[Series 17: Waterloo],
[Series 18: Florence History],
[Series 19: Florence Lauderdale Public Library],
[Series 20: East Florence],
[Series 21: Eliza Coffee Memorial Hospital],
[Series 22: Colbert County/Muscle Shoals],
[Series 23: Gilbert Plantation Records],
[Series 24: Wilson Dam/TVA],
[[information restricted]],
[Series 26: University of North Alabama],
[Series 27: Factories and Mills],
[Series 28: Churches],
[Series 29: Lauderdale County Families],
[Series 30: Families],
[Series 31: Prominent Persons],
[Series 32: John Coffee],
[Series 34: Patton and Weeden Families],
[Series 35: Black Residents in the Shoals],
[Series 36: Veterans],
[Series 37: Indian Collection],
[Series 38: Civil War Materials],
[Series 42: Journals],
[Series 39: Alabama],
[Series 41: Maps],
[Series 33: Jackson Family],
[Series 40: Tennessee],
[Series 43: Image Collection Index],
[All]

Series 31: Prominent Persons

Box 44

Folder 1: Prominent Persons--Miscellaneous Biographies
Folder 2: Prominent Persons--Dred Scott (1795?-1858)
Folder 3: Prominent Persons--Dred Scott
Folder 4: Prominent Persons--Wyeth, John Allen (1845-1922)--"With Sabre and Scalpel
Folder 5: Prominent Persons--Sannoner, Ferdinand (1818-1894)
Folder 6: Prominent Persons--McKinley, John (1780-1852)
Folder 7: Prominent Persons--Meigs, Col. Return Johnathan (1734-1823)
Folder 8: Prominent Persons--Stribling, T.S. (Thomas Sigismund) (1881-1965)
Folder 9: Prominent Persons--Davis, Ethel (1896-1968)
Folder 10: Prominent Persons--Wood, Alexander Hamilton (1796-1860)
Folder 11: Wood
Folder 12: Prominent Persons--Foote, Henry (1804-1880)
Folder 13: Prominent Persons--Douglass, Hiram Kennedy (1893-1975)
Folder 14: Notes on Families of North Alabama Vol. II--Hiram Douglass
Folder 15: Prominent Persons--Baker, James A. III (1930-?)
Folder 16: People and Places
Folder 17: People and Places
Folder 18: People and Places
Folder 19: Waring Sherwood
Folder 20: "Things That Happened from the Cradle to Matrimony" by Charles G. Butler
Folder 21: Prominent Persons--Tom Clark
Folder 22: Lauderdale County Memoirs--The Story of Alabama (Biographies)
Folder 23: James Gang (Frank and Jesse) in Shoals Area
Folder 24: Prominent Persons--McVay, Hugh (1766-1851)
Folder 25: Prominent Persons--O'Neal, Edward A., III (1923-1931)
Folder 26: Excerpts from Papers of Andrew Jackson, Including Travel Chronology (Florence, Alabama)
Folder 27: Nina Leftwich, The Citizen
Folder 28: Prominent Persons--Betty Trantham (Dies at age 149)

Box 45

Folder 1: Young-Whitten (Martha L.) Journals (c.1869-1875) (References to Lauderdale County & Family Records)
Folder 2: Young-Whitten (Martha L.) Journals (c.1869-1875) (References to Lauderdale County & Family Records)
Folder 3: Prominent Persons--Handy, W.C. (William Christopher) (1873-1958)
Folder 4: From Northern Lithuania to Northern Alabama by Sam Israel
Folder 5: Davis, Rebecca Harding--Bits of Gossip--"In the Far South" (1904) (Annotated by Lasseter, Janice M.)
Folder 6: Selected Obituaries (A-H and Miscellaneous)
Folder 7: Selected Obituaries (G-M)
Folder 8: Selected Obituaries (O-W)
Folder 9: Lauderdale County, Alabama Obituaries (Index)

Box 46

Folder 1: North Alabama Part 1
Folder 2: North Alabama Part 2