Brief Description: The collection includes diaries, photographs, family correspondence, and business records covering the period of 1835-1889. The materials in this collection relate to the history of Sallie Independence Foster McDonald, her father George Washington Foster, and the Foster Family. The majority of the material is related to life in Florence, Alabama in the second half of the XIX century.

Created by: Sallie Independence Foster papers

Volume: 2.0 Boxes

Arrangement: Box 1 of the collection contains two diearies and a composition book belonging to Sallie Independence Foster. In Box 2, the majority of the materials are organized in three three-ring binders. These binders are labeled by the subject: Foster Correspondence Business records 1835-1888, Foster and McDonald correspondence 1855-1998, and Civil War correspondence.

Biographical Note for Sallie Independence Foster papers :

Sallie Independence Foster was born on October 18, 1848, in Nashville, Tennessee. She was the youngest child of George Washington Foster (1806-1878) and Sarah Independence Watkins Foster. Her father was a wealthy industrialsit and planter. Beside Sallie, the family had seven children: Mary Ann, Virginia (Jennie), Watkins (Wat), Louisa (Lo), George Washinton, Jr. (Wash), Andrew J. (Jack), and Sallie.

From the age of seven Sally lived in Courview in Florence, where she returned after a few years of marriage with children of he own. Sallie Foster kept diaries thoughout the Civil War and later years that offer insight into life in Florence. Her first diary begins in June of 1861 when she was twelfe years old. While the 1861 diary does not mention the Civil War often or with much detail, a later diary (1862-1887) discusses the movement of Confederate and Union troops in Florence. Other subjects covered in her diary include trips to visit Florence area stores, doctors, and people, as well as church. These diaries along with a composition book that Sallie used for school are part of this collection.

Mr. James Thomas McDonald Jr. and Mrs. Flora Speed, great-grandchildren of Sallie Independence Foster McDonald and her husband Sterling, gave the materials in this collection to the UNA archives in 2012.