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 24: Wilson Dam/TVA

Box 31

Folder 1: Tennessee River and Wilson Dam
Folder 2: Tennessee River and Wilson Dam
Folder 3: Tennessee River and Wilson Dam--"A Few Facts about the Tennessee River and The Wilson Dam at Muscle Shoals" (1933)
Folder 4: Tennessee River and Wilson Dam--"Benchmarks in the Tennessee Valley" (1934/35)
Folder 5: Tennessee River and Wilson Dam--"Oscar W. Underwood: A Political Biography" (CH. XIII)
Folder 6: Tennessee River and Wilson Dam--"Legal Rights of the United States and the State of Alabama in the Muscle Shoals Project" (1928)
Folder 7: Tennessee River and Wilson Dam--"A History of Navigation on the Tennessee River System" (1937)
Folder 8: Tennessee River and Wilson Dam--"The Tennessee River Navigation System" (1964)
Folder 9: Tennessee River and Wilson Dam--"Steamboating on Upper Tennessee" (by Frank L. Teuton, 1975)
Folder 10: Tennessee River and Wilson Dam--TVA's 30th Anniversary
Folder 11: Tennessee River and Wilson Dam--"Tennessee River Improvement Association" (1915)
Folder 12: Early Wilson Dam and Nitrate Plant--"History of Muscle Shoals/Pictures of Wilson Dam" (W.R. McKerral, 1922)
Folder 13: Early Wilson Dam and Nitrate Plant--Facts and General Information (Publications)
Folder 14: Early Wilson Dam and Nitrate Plant--Field Laboratory Noted (August/September 1918)
Folder 15: Early Wilson Dam and Nitrate Plant--"Chemical Control of Ammonia Gas Plant Operations" (Sept. 19, 1918), "Analysis of Ammonia Nitrate" (Undated), and Correspondence Regarding Nitric Acid "Explosion"
Folder 16: Early Wilson Dam and Nitrate Plant--"Date on Equipment at Nitrate PLant No. 2" (1918?)
Folder 17: Early Wilson Dam and Nitrate Plant--"Fixed Nitrogen Research Laboratory" (Report #1--April 21, 1919; Report #2--April 28, 1919; Progress Report--June 5, 1919)
Folder 18: Early Wilson Dam and Nitrate Plant--"The Behavior of Cyanamid in Storage at U.S. Nitrate Plant No.2" (1920)
Folder 19: Early Wilson Dam and Nitrate Plant--"War Department Activity Muscle Shoals District" (Pamphlet)
Folder 20: Early Wilson Dam and Nitrate Plant--"Souvenir--Visit to the Tennessee River" (c.1915-1916)
Folder 21: Early Wilson Dam and Nitrate Plant--"Analysis of Muscle Shoals Bids" (Treasury Dept., 1926) & "Analysis of Offers for Muscle Shoals" (Am. Farm Bureau Fed)
Folder 22: Early Wilson Dam and Nitrate Plant--General Research Materials
Folder 23: TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority)--"Tennessee Valley Authority--1933-1937"
Folder 24: TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority)--Wilson Dam Reservation Land Sales
Folder 25: TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority)--"Historical/Cultural Significance of the Muscle Shoals Reservation" (Don P. Haldimann)
Folder 26: TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority)--General Research Materials
Folder 27: History of TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority)--"National Fertilizer Development Center at Muscle Shoals, Alabama (R.D. Young)
Folder 28: History of TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority)--General Research Materials
Folder 29: History of the TVA (Tennessee Valley Autority)--"The Mussel Resource of the Tennessee River" and "Notes from the Background of our Knowledge of the Zoology of Tennessee"
Folder 30: Wilson Dam History--Dr. Curtis Memos
Folder 31: Souvenir of Inspection Trip by Officials and Citizens of the Tri-Cities (March 12, 1919)
Folder 32: "U.S. Nitrate Plant No.2, Muscle Shoals, Alabama" (J.F. Carle)
Folder 33: "Invisible Hand or Guiding Hand in the Valley"
Folder 34: Letter from War Department Regarding Tax Refund on lands Condemned for Nitrate Plant #2 (1924)
Folder 35: History of TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority)--"The Tennessee Valley Yardstick" (Edward P. Costigan, 1936)
Folder 36: "The Muscle Shoals Project" (Geography Dept., State Normal School, Florence, Ala., 1921)
Folder 37: War Mobilization in Muscle Shoals, Alabama 1917-1918 (Alabama Review, April 1986)