Guide to the John D. Davis Papers

Record Group 007

Date Span:  1783-2003 (bulk 1830-1950)

Extent:  0.75 cu. ft.  (26 Files)

Biographical Sketch:  Dr. John D. Davis (October 31, 1936 – June 14, 2011) was a resident of Dothan, born to the family of Dr. Dupree Davis and Mrs. Lottie Lee Davis.  After graduating from Auburn University and the UAB School of Dentistry, Dr. Davis practiced for 40 years, beginning a joint practice with his father.  In addition to being a licensed dentist, Davis was an ordained minister and licensed merchant mariner who served in the Coast Guard Reserve.  He was his extended family's historian as well as an avid historian and archaeologist of the Chattahoochee / Flynt / Apalachicola River Basin.

Scope / Content:  Documents the family history of the Derrick—Owen—Moody—Davis families as they lived in Charleston, SC, the Montgomery/Pike Co. area of Alabama, and Dothan, AL.  Contains plantation, slaveholding, and landholding records from the 19th century, a German-language Bible, Records of the Southeast Alabama Dental Society, various World War II era family papers, and two local newspapers commemorating significant events.

Organization:  Organized into 3 series: 

Series 1. SE AL Dental Society Records, 1937-1959, 1992 (1 File Folder)
Minutes of meetings and financial records of the Southeast Alabama Dental Society, 1937-1959 and 1922.

Series 2.  Family Papers, 1783—1945, 1963  (23 File Folders)
Personal and plantation records of the Derrick--Owen--Moody--Davis families of Montgomery or Pike Co., AL (1783-1946);  Old and New Testaments in German Bible used by David Derrick to preach to German congregation in Charleston when he rode circuit in mid-19th century.  WW2 materials:  RAF pilot's bible; letters from RAF trainee (also named John Davis) at Napier Field to Davis family in Dothan; Davis family ration book

Series 3. Newspapers, 1945.  2 issues
Dothan Eagle of May 7, 1945; Special War History Section, Mont. Advertiser of Oct 21, 1945.

Provenance:  Records of the SE AL Dental Society came to Dr. John D. Davis from his father, a dentist in Dothan.  Plantation and family records came to Dr. Davis by way of his great uncle, George Clyde Davis, via the latter's will.  Davis's mother provided the World War 2 materials.

Processing Note:  Collection came to the Wiregrass Archives in 2 accessions:  007-08-0627;  007-08-0712;

Preferred Citation:  John D. Davis Papers, RG 007, The Wiregrass Archives, Troy University Dothan Campus, Dothan, AL.

Date processed:   2008
Processed By: TB, HDMc

INVENTORY

Series 1:  SE AL Dental Society Records, 1937-1959, 1992;  1 File Folder

File I.D.					File Label
007	08-0627	001	001		Southeast Alabama Dental Society – Financial Statements, [1938 - 1957, 1992]; Meeting Minutes [1937-1957,1959, 1992]

 

Series 2:  Family Papers, 1783—1945, 1963;  23 File Folders
Personal and plantation records of the Derrick--Owen--Moody--Davis families of Montgomery or Pike Co., AL (1783-1946);  Old and new Testaments in German Bible used by David Derrick to preach to German congregation in Charleston when he rode circuit in mid-19th century.  WW2 materials:  RAF pilot's bible; letters from RAF trainee (also named John Davis) at Napier Field to Davis family in Dothan; Davis family ration book.

Plantation records arranged by Davis in three-ring binders, labeled by volume number.

File I.D.					File Label
007	08-0627	001	001		Southeast Alabama Dental Society - Financial Statements, [1938 - 1957, 1992] and Meeting Minutes [1937-1957,1959, 1992]
007	08-0627	001	002		Moody and Derrick Miscellaneous Papers [V.1] [1833 - 1834, 1836 - 1840, 1844 - 1845, 1848, 1872, 1874, 1876, 1877, 1881, 1883]
007	08-0627	001	003		Receipts Miscellaneous - Owen Land Black Leather Wallet [V.2B] [n.d.]
007	08-0627	001	004		Records for Slaves and Household Accounts [V.2B] [1783, 1850, 1855, 1858, 1860 - 1862, 1865 - 1871, 1873 - 1875, 1879 - 1881, 1885 - 1886, 1892, 1901, 1903 - 1904, 1910]
007	08-0627	001	005		Land Deeds [V.2B] [1831 - 1832, 1834 - 1835, 1850 - 1851, 1865, 1873, 1886, 1972, 1974, 1979]
007	08-0627	001	006		Receipts Miscellaneous - Owens [V.2B] [1848, 1850, 1859, 1861, 1863, 1866 - 1870, 1872 - 1874, 1877, 1879, 1880, 1882 - 1883, 1885, 1888, 1890, 1892, 1894 - 1896, 1904, 1906, 1910, 1913, 1955, 1933]
007	08-0627	001	007		Notes and Other Legal Instruments [V.3.] [1863, 1868, 1873, 1875 - 1879, 1886 - 1892, 1895, 1899 - 1904, 1906 - 1907, 1913 - 1918]
007	08-0627	001	008		Cotton Receipts [V.4] [1868 - 1872, 1874, 1876, 1880, 1883, 1888 - 1890, 1892 - 1893, 1897 - 1898, 1904, 1907, 1909, 1912 - 1913, 1915, 1927 - 1938]
007	08-0627	001	009		Owen Sister - Miscellaneous Papers [V.4] [1919 - 1920]
007	08-0627	001	010		Railroad Receipts (C.H. Owen) [V.4] [1862 - 1872]
007	08-0627	001	011		School Receipts [V.4] [1861 - 1863, 1866 - 1867, 1875]
007	08-0627	001	012		Returned List [V.5] [ 1877 - 1880, 1884, 1890 - 1894, 1900, 1902]
007	08-0627	001	013		Tax Receipts [V.7] [1833 - 1835, 1843 - 1847, 1849 - 1852, 1854 - 1856, 1858 - 1859, 1861 - 1863, 1866 - 1867, 1869 - 1873, 1875 - 1877, 1880, 1882 - 1883, 1885, 1891 - 1894, 1901 - 1905, 1908 - 1910, 1912 - 1916, 1918, 1922 - 1942]
007	08-0627	001	014		Tax Receipts [1933 - 1942] and Wallet and Contents [1939 - 1940, 1945 - 1946] [V.7]
007	08-0627	001	015		Confederate Currency [1864] [V.7], Currency [1918] [V.9] File located in vault
007	08-0627	002	001		Owen Sister Miscellaneous Papers [V.8] [1891, 1904, 1907 - 1908, 1910, 1912 - 1915, 1919 - 1920, 1922 - 1923, 1928 - 1929, 1934, 1936, 1938, 1940, 1945]
007	08-0627	002	002		Paper Fragments and Letters [V.9] [ 1847, 1859 - 1865, 1868, 1880, 1891 - 1892, 1897, 1902, 1907 - 1908, 1910 - 1914, 1916 - 1917]
007	08-0627	MD8	001		Account Records, Property Deeds [V.2] [ 1844, 1851, 1859]
007	08-0627	MD8	002		Returned Lists [V.6] [1872 - 1926], Montgomery County Map 1963
007	08-0627	MD8	003		Returned Lists [V.6] [1927 - 1943, 1946]
007	08-0712	001	001		Correspondence to Dr. Dupree and Lottie Lee Davis [1940 - 1946]
007	08-0712	001	002		War Ration Books for John Dupree Davis, Lottie Lee Davis, and Dupree Davis [1943]
007	08-0712	001	003		Bible - New Testament Partial John Davis [September 15, 1939]
007	08-0712	001	004		19th Century German Bibles

 

Series 3:  Newspapers, 1945.  2 issues

File ID					File Label
007	08-0712	MD8	001		The Dothan Eagle [May 7th, 1945] Montgomery Advertiser [October 21, 1945]

 

Contact Us

Wiregrass Archives
Troy University Dothan Campus
Everett 128
502 University Dr.
Dothan, AL  36303

Phone: 334-983-6556 x21327
Email: wiregrassarchives@troy.edu