Hardin-Wilkes Family Papers - Accession 221

Authors

• Hardin Family
• Wilkes Family

Files

Identifier

Accession 221

Inclusive Dates

1833-1973, nd

Restrictions

Open under the rules and regulations of the Louise Pettus Archives and Special Collections

Collection Size

1.75 linear feet, 3500 pieces

Language

English;

Historical Note

The Hardin-Wilkes Family are longtime residents of Chester, SC.

Captain Obadiah Hardin (1827-1862) was a Confederate officer in Co. E, 6^th SC Volunteers, Chester Guards, during the American Civil War, stationed at various encampments around Manassas, Virginia, in 1861. Capt. Hardin died from wounds sustained at the Battle of Dranesville on January 1, 1862.

Scope and Content Note

The Hardin–Wilkes Family Papers consist of correspondence, financial records, ledgers, newspaper clippings, photographs, and printed materials documenting the Hardin and Wilkes families of Chester County, South Carolina. The collection spans from 1833 to 1973, with the bulk of the material dating from the mid-nineteenth through the early twentieth centuries. The papers provide insight into family life, local business activity, and regional history in and around Chester, South Carolina.

A significant portion of the collection consists of correspondence among members of the Hardin and Wilkes families. Of particular note are the letters of Captain Obadiah Hardin (1827–1862), an officer in Company E of the 6th South Carolina Volunteers, Chester Guards, during the American Civil War. Written in 1861 from Confederate encampments in and around Manassas, Virginia, these letters to his wife describe troop movements, skirmishes, and the conditions of soldiers in camp. Captain Hardin later died from wounds sustained at the Battle of Dranesville on January 1, 1862. Additional correspondence documents the family networks of Captain Hardin’s daughter, Nancy “Nannie” Hardin Wilkes, and her husband Levi Roden Wilkes, whom she married in 1878. Letters among family members discuss domestic matters, community affairs, and everyday life. Correspondence also includes letters written to and from several of their children, including Floyd Adin Wilkes, Ashbel Hardin Wilkes, and Ethel Wilkes, as well as related family members such as the Simrill family.

The collection also contains poetry, music, journals, and ledgers associated with Levi Roden Wilkes and other family members. Some of the poetry appears to have been written by Wilkes, while other pieces are unattributed. A ledger and weather diary kept by Levi Roden Wilkes records daily weather observations and business transactions, and a separate ledger belonging to William Thomas Wilkes documents financial activity. Other printed materials include issues of Railroad Trainmen’s Journal and The Railway Conductor, as well as an early nineteenth-century mathematics workbook of uncertain ownership.

Printed ephemera and clippings provide additional context for the family’s social and community life. These materials include commercial advertisements, almanac covers, business cards, and newspaper clippings from publications such as the Charleston Evening Post, Atlanta Tri-Weekly Journal, and The Youth’s Companion. Obituaries and articles document members of the Hardin, Wilkes, and related families and notable local figures.

Photographs within the collection depict members of the Hardin and Wilkes families, though many images are unidentified. The collection also contains negatives showing the exterior and interior of a historic residence. Miscellaneous materials include church and educational bulletins, agricultural publications, election materials, court documents related to Levi R. Wilkes, a teacher’s certificate for Nancy Hardin Wilkes, and a variety of pamphlets and printed guides.

Financial records form another major component of the collection. These records include sales receipts, tax documents, legal papers, and product order forms documenting routine business transactions conducted by members of the Hardin–Wilkes family in Chester County. The records are arranged chronologically and span from 1847 to 1972, illustrating the family’s economic activities over several generations.

Overall, the Hardin–Wilkes Family Papers document the personal, military, and economic experiences of a South Carolina family from the antebellum period through the twentieth century. The collection is particularly valuable for its Civil War correspondence and its detailed records of family relationships, local commerce, and community life in Chester County and the surrounding region.

Provenance

The original donation of the papers of the Hardin-Wilkes family were deposited with the College Archives on November 14, 1978 by Karen Collins and Karen McAlister and were comprised entirely of photocopies. On May 13, 2021, Karen E. Collins donated the originals of the Hardin-Wilkes Family Papers.

Copyright

For information concerning copyright please contact the Louise Pettus Archives and Special Collections at Winthrop University.

Finding Aid Citation

Louise Pettus Archives and Special Collections, Winthrop University, "Hardin-Wilkes Family Papers - Accession 221". Finding Aid 288.
https://digitalcommons.winthrop.edu/manuscriptcollection_findingaids/288