The materials from Washington and Lee University Special Collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and
private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright law. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials, including
but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used should be
fully credited with the source. Permission for publication of this material, in part or in full, must be secured with the
Head of Special Collections.
Conditions Governing Access
This collections is open for research use.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Davidson Family Papers, WLU-Coll-0540, Special Collections and Archives, James G. Leyburn Library,
Washington and Lee University, Lexington, Va.
This collection contains personal and business correspondence, an assortment of holiday and greeting cards (1930s-1940s),
account books, family photographs, a range of printed matter, including travel guides and ephemera from the family of R. E.
(Robert Edmund) and his wife Gunhild A. Davidson of the Bell's Valley and Goshen communities of Rockbridge County, Virginia.
Correspondence, primarily 1917-1949, includes letters from R. E. Davidson to Gunhild Vang (Davidson) during their courtship;
letters to Helen M. Davidson (daughter) and her letters to home while at Madison College; letters from Sam M. Davidson (son)
to his family while in service in the United States Army's 57th Coastal Artillery Regiment during the Second World War and
posted from Camp Pendleton, Virginia, California, and Hawaii. During his war service in Hawaii, Sam M. Davidson was engaged
and married to his first wife Lorraine (Mendonca) Davidson and they had two children. A number of Lorraine Davidson's letters
to her in-laws are also included.
The collection includes school related ephemera from Madison College and Goshen High School (Va.), two student papers about
the town of Goshen, Virginia, printed advertisements, records of Sam M. Davidson's post-Second World War training and graduation
from the Honolulu Police Academy, and various papers and account books (1877-1922) of S. M. (Samuel Miller) Davidson and Lula
K. (Wallace) Davidson (parents of R. E. Davidson).
Also of note is a family photograph album (1867-1910) consisting of cartes de visite and cabinet cards, some identified, many
by Staunton, Virginia and vicinity photographers. Within the album are ten photographs of Staunton Military Academy cadets
(circa 1880-1890). Loose photographs include a candid shot of people and the Natural Bridge, a cabinet photograph of a staged
studio scene of girls of the Weslyan Female Institute (circa 1885-95) formerly of Staunton, Virginia.
Includes Amherst County tax receipts for S. M. Davidson (1876-1884) letters to S.M. Davidson. Letterheads include "Valley
Railroad Company" and "Richmond and Danville Railroad Company"
Letter to Lula K. Davidson and R. E. Davidson business related papers
1900-1930
Scope and Contents
Includes R. E. Davidson's First World War draft registration cards and letter to Lula K. Davidson (1907) from a doctor concerned
with her son Robert Jr.'s case of "grippe" or influenza.
Contents include Gunhild Vang's minutes (1914-1915) of the "Busy Bee Society" - a sewing group of the girls of the German
Lutheran Church of Farmville, Virginia (now St. John's Lutheran Church); and Gunhild Vang's school notebooks as a student
at the State Female Normal School in Farmville, Virginia.
Undated letters to and loose papers of Gunhild Davidson
Mixed Materials [35101013592378] box: 4 folder: 1
Holiday and greeting cards to Davidson family
1930-1950
Mixed Materials [35101013592378] box: 4 folder: 2
Holiday and greeting cards to Davidson family
1930-1950
Mixed Materials [35101013592378] box: 4 folder: 3
Holiday and greeting cards to Davidson family
1930-1950
Mixed Materials [35101013592378] box: 4 folder: 4
Holiday and greeting cards to Davidson family
1930-1950
Mixed Materials [35101013592378] box: 4 folder: 5
Goshen High School material
1930-1940
Mixed Materials [35101013592378] box: 4 folder: 6
Goshen High School student papers
1930-1940
Mixed Materials [35101013592378] box: 4 folder: 7
Helen M. Davidson loose papers
1930-1950
Scope and Contents
Miscellaneaous papers of Helen M. Davidson during her time at Madison College in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Includes clippings,
ephemera, drawings, including a pen and ink sketch of comic strip character "Tillie the Toiler" from a friend, Bettie J. Moore.
Also included is a document and guide written in Braille.
Mixed Materials [35101013592378] box: 4 folder: 8
Letters, Helen M. Davidson to family
1939-1940
Scope and Contents
This folder includes photographs of Helen M. Davidson.
Letters to R. E. and Gunhild Davidson (parents) from Sam M. and Lorraine Davidson
1941, October-December
Mixed Materials [35101013592618] box: 6 folder: 1
Letters to R. E. and Gunhild Davidson (parents) from Sam M. and Lorraine Davidson
1942, January-October
Mixed Materials [35101013592618] box: 6 folder: 2
Letters to R. E. and Gunhild Davidson (parents) from Sam M. and Lorraine Davidson
1943, January-December
Mixed Materials [35101013592618] box: 6 folder: 3
Letters to R. E. and Gunhild Davidson (parents) from Sam M. and Lorraine Davidson
1943-1944
Mixed Materials [35101013592618] box: 6 folder: 4
Letters to R. E. and Gunhild Davidson (parents) from Sam M. and Lorraine Davidson
1945, April-May
Mixed Materials [35101013592618] box: 6 folder: 5
Newspaper (complete), Honolulu Star, Sam M. Davidson and Lorraine Mendonca portrait photographs
1942, May 18
Scope and Contents
This folder also includes portrait photographs of Sam M. Davidson in his militaty dress unifrom and his wife Lorraine (Mendonca)
Davidson. The newsapers includes their marriage announcement.
Mixed Materials [35101013592618] box: 6 folder: 6
Souvenir photographs of Hawaii and Honolulu Police Department materials
circa 1940s, 1948-1949
Scope and Contents
This folder contains a souvnir collection of small "snapshots" of Hawaii, an outdoor photograph of the Honolulu Police Department
in formation titled, "Honolulu's Finest 3-30-1949", a photo of four police officers in uniform including Sam M. Davidson,
and a Seond World War era colorful patriotic hand bill with "There is a man from this family in the Navy."
Mixed Materials [35101013592618] box: 6 folder: 7
Second World War ration booklets, Davidson family
circa 1941-1945
Mixed Materials [35101013592618] box: 6 folder: 8
Printed ephemera and advertising
circa 1900-1941
Scope and Contents
Folder includes a "Clark's Spool Cotton" advertisement card with San Francisco, Ca. bay scene; ink blotters advertisements
for State Farm Insurrance; cards for a funeral procession "Carriage List" (blank), a "White Star Mills" (Staunton, Va.) envelope,
a St. Augustine, Florida travel brochure (1930s-40s).
Mixed Materials [35101013592618] box: 6 folder: 9
Lynchburg Opera House advertisement for "Lew Dockstader's Minstrels" show
Includes a pocket map of California, a guidebook to the city and county of Los Angeles, Ca., and "Summer Tours by Sea" -
guidebook of cruise routes of the "Merchants and Miner's Transportation Company"
Mixed Materials [35101013592733] box: 7 folder: 1
William H. Taft celluloid political pin - "Virginia State Republican Excursion
1908, August 21
Scope and Contents
The excursion was to Hot Springs, Virginia.
Mixed Materials [35101013592733] box: 7 folder: 2
Printed matter - "Virginia State Teachers Quarterly - Annual Proceedings, 1916"; a parenting guide titled, "The Child;" "The
story of the Natural Bridge;" The Palmer Method of Business Writing"
1905-1914
Mixed Materials [35101013592733] box: 7 folder: 3
Chemistry notebook of Hilda Coffey (Goshen High School)
1937
Mixed Materials [35101013592733] box: 7 folder: 4
Three theater related publications
circa 1917
Mixed Materials [35101013592733] box: 7 folder: 5
Printed matter - four titles on needlework, crochet lessons, and spiderweb hats
1909-1918
Mixed Materials [35101013592733] box: 7 folder: 6
Clothing patterns
1910-1935
Mixed Materials [35101013592733] box: 7 folder: 7
S. M. Davidson account book with business related content, Biblical quotes, and musings, occasional daybook-like entries.
1920-1922
Mixed Materials [35101013592733] box: 7 folder: 8
Lula K. Davidson account book for sewing projects and expenditures
1876, 1888-1889
Mixed Materials [35101013592733] box: 7 folder: 9
R. N. Wallace account book for masonry and farming
Wallace, R. N. (Russel Newman), 1816-18941876-1882
