]
]
This collection has access restrictions. For details, please see the restrictions.
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held in the Wilson Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in our reading room, and not digitally available through the World Wide Web. See the Duplication Policy section for more information.
Expand/collapse
Collection Overview
| Size | 30.5 feet of linear shelf space (approximately 13,000 items) |
| Abstract | The Graggs are an African American family from Black Mountain, N.C. Family photographs comprise the bulk of their collection, and the vast majority of photographs pertain to Butch and Kathryn Gragg's children, Harold Jr., Mavis, and Monica, when they were growing up and entering adulthood from the 1970s through the 1990s. Events depicted include ceremonies and activities for the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts; school-related functions; sports; graduations; vacations; and the Gragg family home life. Earlier images depict Butch Gragg and Kathryn Whitson (Gragg) in their adolescence and their parents. The papers are chiefly records, such as death certificates, wills, deeds, life insurance policies, personal identification, selective service registration cards and discharges from military service of individual members of the Gragg and related families. Surnames of related families are Whitson, Moorehead, Morehead, Lynch, Logan, and Creasman. Other materials include funeral programs, genealogical information, newspaper clippings, scrapbooks, engagement calendars and childhood diaries of Kathryn Whitson Gragg, scattered family correspondence, and spoken word sound recordings. The addition consists of letters, 1953-1971, to Frances Whitson, the mother of Kathryn Whitson Gragg, that document her relationships with Kathryn's father, Bruce Morehead, and his mother and wife. Also included are letters from Joseph Lowery, a cousin serving in the military and writing from Hawaii and South Vietnam; school materials from Asheville, Swannanoa, and Black Mountain, N.C.; and Bruce Morehead's snapshots of family and military barracks. |
| Creator | Gragg (Family : Black Mountain, N.C.) |
| Language | English |
Expand/collapse
Information For Users
Expand/collapse
Subject Headings
The following terms from Library of Congress Subject Headings suggest topics, persons, geography, etc. interspersed through the entire collection; the terms do not usually represent discrete and easily identifiable portions of the collection--such as folders or items.
Clicking on a subject heading below will take you into the University Library's online catalog.
Expand/collapse
Biographical Information
The Graggs of Black Mountain, N.C., were Harold Matthew "Butch Gragg (1948-2012), his wife Kathryn Whitson Gragg (1953-2012), and their children Harold Jr. (1974- ), Mavis (1975- ), and Monica (1981- ). The family was well known and active in Black Mountain, Swannanoa, and the surrounding communities from the 1970s through the early 2000s.
Butch Gragg was a long haul truck driver for ABF trucking company for more than 30 years. He had served in the United States Marine Corp during the Vietnam War and received a Purple Heart.
Kathryn Gragg was raised in Swannanoa, N.C., by her mother Frances Whitson. Kathryn was the first African American employee at the local bank in her hometown. Seeking to bridge the gap between the white and African American communities, Kathryn worked with the Girl Scouts through much of her life..
Harold Gragg Jr., the eldest of the three children, was the first in his immediate family to attend a four-year college. Harold Jr. graduated from Wake Forest University with a degree in computer science. He played football at Wake Forest and was signed professionally to the NFL. He also played football with the Frankfurt Galaxy in Germany. Today Harold Jr. is a software developer for one of the world's largest banks.
Mavis Gragg, the middle child, attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to achieve her dreams of becoming an international lawyer. She later received a master's degree in dispute resolution and began a career in mediation and law.
Monica Gragg, the youngest, "lives a life with no bucket list." She attended the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and later received her master's degree from a university in Switzerland. Monica has worked with youth at several universities in China, Japan, and Australia.
Butch and Kathryn Gragg died in an automobile accident in 2012. The children set up a Gragg Family Fund to support and provide scholarships to students who wish to further their education.
Back to Top
Expand/collapse
Scope and Content
Family photographs comprise the bulk of the collection, and the vast majority of photographs pertain to Butch and Kathryn Gragg's children Harold Jr., Mavis, and Monica when they were growing up and entering adulthood from the 1970s through the 1990s. Events depicted include ceremonies and activities for the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts; school related functions; sports; graduations; vacations; and the Gragg family home life. Earlier images depict Butch Gragg and Kathryn Whitson (Gragg) in their adolescence and their parents. The papers are chiefly records such as death certificates, wills, deeds, life insurance policies, personal identification, selective service registration cards and discharges from military service of individual members of the Gragg and related families. Surnames of related families are Whitson, Moorehead, Morehead, Lynch, Logan, and Creasman. Other materials include funeral programs, genealogical information, newspaper clippings, scrapbooks, engagement calendars and childhood diaries of Kathryn Whitson Gragg, scattered family correspondence, and spoken word sound recordings.
The addition relates to Frances Whitson, the mother of Kathryn Whitson Gragg. Materials include child support payments to her from Bruce Morehead for their daughter Kathryn Whitson Gragg; letters from Bruce Morehead, his mother Billie Morehead, and his wife Johnnie Mae Morehead, all to Frances Whitson in Swannanoa, regarding their relationships and Kathryn; letters from Joseph Lowery, a cousin serving in the military and writing from Hawaii and South Vietnam, to Frances Whitson. There are also school materials from Asheville, Swannanoa, and Black Mountain, N.C., for Frances Whitson and Kathryn Whitson Gragg and Bruce Morehead's photographic snapshots of family, dog, and military barracks.
Back to Top
Expand/collapse
Series Quick Links
Expand/collapse
Series 1. Photographs, circa 1900-2012.
Arrangement: Subject/chronological.
Photographs depicting members of the Gragg family and extended family members. Surnames of related families are Whitson, Moorehead, Morehead, Lynch, Logan, and Creasman. Also included are images depicting major milestones, events, and travels documented by the families from the begining of the twentieth century untill the early 2000s.
Processing note: Loose images were sorted into family and event groupings at the repository during processing.
Images depicting Butch and Kathryn Gragg. They were married on 29 February 1972 and died together in a car wreck on 6 May 2012.
Images depicting the Gragg children, Harold, Jr., Mavis, and Monica, throughout their lives. These include baby photos, school photos, and the sports such as Harold, Jr. playing football at Wake Forest University.
Images depicting the Gragg family together. Includes photos of the family home, cookouts, and family gatherings.
Images depicting the Gragg children, Harold, Jr., Mavis, and Monica, at school related events.
Images depicting holidays with the Gragg family, including Christmas and Easter.
Images depicting the Gragg family on vacations together. These include trips to waterfronts and famous locations.
Images depicting extended family and friends of the Graggs.
Portraits of the Gragg children as well as the family together.
Uncategorized images predominantly depicting the outdoors.
Images depicting unidentified extended family.
Images depicting parties with the Graggs.
| Image Folder PF-5723/281 |
Party, circa 1950s-1960s #05723, Series: "Parties, 1950-1990s" PF-5723/28113 images Color Photographic Prints |
| Image Folder PF-5723/282 |
Party, circa 1960s-1970s #05723, Series: "Parties, 1950-1990s" PF-5723/28212 images Color Photographic Prints |
| Image Folder PF-5723/283 |
Gragg family house party, circa Apr-80 #05723, Series: "Parties, 1950-1990s" PF-5723/28320 images Color Photographic Prints |
| Image Folder PF-5723/284 |
Good times folks, circa 1993 #05723, Series: "Parties, 1950-1990s" PF-5723/28415 images Color Photographic Prints |
| Image Folder PF-5723/285 |
Parties and award ceremonies, circa 1990s #05723, Series: "Parties, 1950-1990s" PF-5723/2858 images Color Photographic Prints |
Images depicting various sporting events. Harold, Jr. played football for Wake Forest University from 1993 - 1997, then went on to play in the NFL.
Images depicting different family events, such as graduations and weddings.
Images depicting the Gragg children participating in Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts of America.
| Image Folder PF-5723/345 |
Girls Scout trip at Christmas , circa 1986 #05723, Series: "Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, 1980-1990s" PF-5723/3457 images Color Photographic Prints |
| Image Folder PF-5723/346 |
Girl Scouts, Monica, circa 1987 #05723, Series: "Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, 1980-1990s" PF-5723/34626 images Color Photographic Prints |
| Image Folder PF-5723/347 |
Girl Scouts, circa 1980s-1990s #05723, Series: "Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, 1980-1990s" PF-5723/34720 images Color Photographic Prints |
| Image Folder PF-5723/348 |
Girl Scouts, circa November 1984-1990s #05723, Series: "Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, 1980-1990s" PF-5723/3489 images Color Photographic Prints, Polaroid (or other "instant print") |
Images depicting different church related activities.
| Image Folder PF-5723/349 |
Church activity, circa 1990s #05723, Series: "Church Events, 1990-2000s" PF-5723/3493 images Color Photographic Prints |
| Image Folder PF-5723/350 |
Church service activity, circa 1990s #05723, Series: "Church Events, 1990-2000s" PF-5723/3504 images Color Photographic Prints |
| Image Folder PF-5723/351 |
Church service, circa 1990s #05723, Series: "Church Events, 1990-2000s" PF-5723/3516 images Color Photographic Prints |
| Image Folder PF-5723/352 |
Church function, circa 2000s #05723, Series: "Church Events, 1990-2000s" PF-5723/35211 images Black-and-White Photographic Prints, Color Photographic Prints |
Images depicting the Moorehead family.
| Image Folder PF-5723/016 |
Moorehead Family, circa 1940s-1970s (1 of 3) #05723, Series: "Moorehead Family, 1940-1970s" PF-5723/01635 images Black-and-White Photographic Prints |
| Image Folder PF-5723/017 |
Moorehead Family, circa 1940s-1970s (2 of 3) #05723, Series: "Moorehead Family, 1940-1970s" PF-5723/01730 images Black-and-White Photographic Prints |
| Image Folder PF-5723/018 |
Moorehead Family, circa 1940s-1970s (3 of 3) #05723, Series: "Moorehead Family, 1940-1970s" PF-5723/01840 images Black-and-White Photographic Prints, Color Photographic Prints |
Images depicting the Whitson family, Kathryn Whitson Gragg's relatives.
Negatives have not yet been sorted or rehoused.
Processing note: Images were sorted into family and event groupings at the repository during processing based on notes, subjects depicted in materials, and film formats.
| Image Box 25 |
Gragg family, vacations, and homelife, circa 1920s-1940s #05723, Series: "Photographic negatives, 1940s-2000s" 251000 images Black-and-White Roll Film, Film Discs (analog), Black-and-White Sheet Film, Color Roll Film |
Expand/collapse
Series 1A. Photographs, 1950s-1960s.
Bruce Morehead snapshots of family, dog, and military barracks.
| Image Folder PF-5723/376 |
Photographs, 1950s-1960s #05723, Series: "1A. Photographs, 1950s-1960s." PF-5723/37610 images Black-and-White Photographic Prints, Color Photographic Prints |
Expand/collapse
Series 2. Photographic Albums, 1900s-1990s.
Arrangement: Chronological.
Chiefly photographic albums conatining images of family events and milestones from the 1900s to the 1990s.
Albums are in original order as received at the repository but descriptive information has been added by the processing archivist.
| Photograph Album PA-5723/01 |
Gragg Family Photograph Album (1), circa 1900s-1940s #05723, Series: "2. Photographic Albums, 1900s-1990s." PA-5723/01Approximately 100 images Black-and-White Photographic Prints Written on folder: Granny Whitson as a child; New Salem Baptist Church (Swannanoa, N.C.); Military tradtion; Newspaper clippings; Obituaries (Has a folder of loose documents found with album) |
| Photograph Album PA-5723/02 |
Gragg Family Photograph Album (2), circa 1948-1953 #05723, Series: "2. Photographic Albums, 1900s-1990s." PA-5723/026 images Black-and-White Photographic Prints Written on ablum: Harold Matthew "Butch" Gragg baby book; Gragg family tree. |
| Photograph Album PA-5723/03 |
Gragg Family Photograph Album (3), circa 1940s-1950s #05723, Series: "2. Photographic Albums, 1900s-1990s." PA-5723/03Approximately 150 images Black-and-White Photographic Prints, Color Photographic Prints Written on ablum: Granny Frances as a young woman; Military band; Soldier profiles; Kathryn Whitson (1960s); (Includes folder of manuscripts found loose in PA-5723/03) . |
| Photograph Album PA-5723/04 |
Gragg Family Photograph Album (4), circa 1957-1969 #05723, Series: "2. Photographic Albums, 1900s-1990s." PA-5723/04Approximately 150 images Black-and-White Photographic Prints, Color Photographic Prints Written on ablum: Young Kathryn; Home; School; Masons; Christmas; Deep snow of 1969; Lake Lure; Beaver Dam. |
| Photograph Album PA-5723/05 |
Gragg Family Photograph Album (05), circa 1950s-1969s #05723, Series: "2. Photographic Albums, 1900s-1990s." PA-5723/05Approximately 150 images Black-and-White Photographic Prints, Color Photographic Prints Written on ablum: Kathryn Whitson and Mother Frances; Swanoa, N.C.; Masons; Native Americans; School pictures; White children. |
| Photograph Album PA-5723/06 |
Gragg Family Photograph Album (06), circa 1970-1971 #05723, Series: "2. Photographic Albums, 1900s-1990s." PA-5723/06Approximately 100 images Black-and-White Photographic Prints, Color Photographic Prints Written on ablum: Approximately 80. |
| Photograph Album PA-5723/07 |
Gragg Family Photograph Album (07), circa 1970s #05723, Series: "2. Photographic Albums, 1900s-1990s." PA-5723/07Approximately 350 images Black-and-White Photographic Prints, Color Photographic Prints Written on ablum: Home; Family; Christmas; Vacation; Parade; Wedding; Birthday; Dogs. |
| Photograph Album PA-5723/08 |
Gragg Family Photograph Album (08), circa 1980-1981 #05723, Series: "2. Photographic Albums, 1900s-1990s." PA-5723/08Approximately 450 images Black-and-White Photographic Prints, Color Photographic Prints Written on ablum: Atlanta; Mavis, Harold, and others; Good time folks; Beach; Sourwood Festival; Black Mountain, N.C.; Christmas; Road trips; Babies; Sports. |
| Photograph Album PA-5723/09 |
Gragg Family Photograph Album (09), circa 1983 #05723, Series: "2. Photographic Albums, 1900s-1990s." PA-5723/09Approximately 30 images Black-and-White Photographic Prints, Color Photographic Prints Written on ablum: Family portraits; Football (NFL and NCAA) ticket stubs. |
| Photograph Album PA-5723/10 |
Gragg Family Photograph Album (10), circa 1984-1989 #05723, Series: "2. Photographic Albums, 1900s-1990s." PA-5723/10Approximately 400 images Black-and-White Photographic Prints, Color Photographic Prints Written on ablum: Brownie Troop 51; Picnic; Grandfather Mountain, N.C.; Savanah, GA.; Parades. |
| Photograph Album PA-5723/11 |
Gragg Family Photograph Album (11), circa 1988 #05723, Series: "2. Photographic Albums, 1900s-1990s." PA-5723/11Approximately 400 images Black-and-White Photographic Prints, Color Photographic Prints Written on ablum: Great Smokey Railway; Cookout; Softball game (young girls); Golf; Ceremony (Harold, Monica); Beach trip; Cherokee, N.C.; Motorcycle club; Postcards; Cruise Picture (1988); Football game; Bahamas. |
| Photograph Album PA-5723/12 |
Gragg Family Photograph Album (11), circa 1980-1983, 1988 #05723, Series: "2. Photographic Albums, 1900s-1990s." PA-5723/12Approximately 60 images Black-and-White Photographic Prints, Color Photographic Prints Written on album: Brownie Troop scrapbook, awards, trips, picnics, newspaper clippings; includes Kathryn Whitson Gragg. |
| Photograph Album PA-5723/13 |
Gragg Family Photograph Album (12), circa 1989 #05723, Series: "2. Photographic Albums, 1900s-1990s." PA-5723/13Approximately 400 images Black-and-White Photographic Prints, Color Photographic Prints Written on ablum: Graggs at home; Boy Scout Troop; NYC trip; Christmas; Beach trip (graduation); Black Mountain/Asheville; Wake Forrest. |
| Photograph Album PA-5723/14 |
Gragg Family Photograph Album (13), circa 1989 #05723, Series: "2. Photographic Albums, 1900s-1990s." PA-5723/14Approximately 60 images Black-and-White Photographic Prints, Color Photographic Prints Written on ablum: Gragg Family; Flora and Fauna. |
| Photograph Album PA-5723/15 |
Gragg Family Photograph Album (14), circa 1978-1980s #05723, Series: "2. Photographic Albums, 1900s-1990s." PA-5723/15Approximately 400 images Black-and-White Photographic Prints, Color Photographic Prints Written on ablum: Home; Family; Kids; Birthday; Carowinds; Graduation party; Good time folks; Kathryn's graduation (1980s). |
| Photograph Album PA-5723/16 |
Gragg Family Photograph Album (15), circa 1970s-1980s #05723, Series: "2. Photographic Albums, 1900s-1990s." PA-5723/16Approximately 300 images Black-and-White Photographic Prints, Color Photographic Prints Written on ablum: Gragg family at home; Graduation Kathryn; Christmas; Birthdays; Sourwood Festival; Petting zoo; Atlantic City, N.J.; Stone Mountain, GA.; Knoxville, Tenn.. |
| Photograph Album PA-5723/17 |
Gragg Family Photograph Album (16), circa 1940s-1980s #05723, Series: "2. Photographic Albums, 1900s-1990s." PA-5723/17Approximately 250 images Black-and-White Photographic Prints, Color Photographic Prints Written on ablum: Portraits; Owen High School (1967, 1971); Butch and Kathryn as children; Monica, Mavis, and Harold; Family from 2 generations ago. |
| Photograph Album PA-5723/18 |
Gragg Family Photograph Album (17), circa 1989-1990 #05723, Series: "2. Photographic Albums, 1900s-1990s." PA-5723/18Approximately 250 images Black-and-White Photographic Prints, Color Photographic Prints Written on ablum: Classrooms; Kids (Schoolmates); Mavis (12-15 years old); NYC Trip; Washington, D.C.; New Kids on the Block; School pictures; Family portraits. |
| Photograph Album PA-5723/19 |
Gragg Family Photograph Album (18), circa 1980s-1990s #05723, Series: "2. Photographic Albums, 1900s-1990s." PA-5723/19Approximately 500 images Black-and-White Photographic Prints, Color Photographic Prints Written on ablum: Gragg family home; Race cars; Girl Scouts; Devil's Courthouse (roadtrip); Basketball game; Miniature golf; Beach; Circus. |
Expand/collapse
Series 3. Papers, circa 1910-2012.
Arrangement: Loosely arranged by format and genre.
The papers are chiefly records such as death certificates, wills, deeds, life insurance policies, personal identification, selective service registration cards and discharges from military service of individual members of the Gragg and related families. Surnames of related families are Whitson, Moorehead, Morehead, Lynch, Logan, and Creasman. Other materials include funeral programs, genealogical information, newspaper clippings, scrapbooks, engagement calendars and childhood diaries of Kathryn Whitson Gragg, and scattered family correspondence.
Box 1-7
Box 1Box 2Box 3Box 4Box 5Box 6Box 7 |
Papers, circa 1910-2012 #05723, Series: "3. Papers, circa 1910-2012." Box 1-7 |
Expand/collapse
Series 3A. Papers, 1953-1971.
The addition relates to Frances Whitson, the mother of Kathryn Whitson Gragg. Materials include child support payments to her from Bruce Morehead for their daughter Kathryn Whitson Gragg; a baby book of milestones for Kathryn; letters from Bruce Morehead, his mother Billie Morehead, and his wife Johnnie Mae Morehead, all to Frances Whitson in Swannanoa, regarding their relationships and Kathryn; letters, 1966, from Joseph Lowery, a cousin serving in the military and writing from Hawaii and South Vietnam, to Frances Whitson. There are also school materials from Asheville, Swannanoa, and Black Mountain, N.C., for Frances Whitson and Kathryn Whitson Gragg.
Expand/collapse
Series 4. Sound Recordings, undated.
Arrangement: In order as received.
Unidentified spoken word sound recordings featuring conversation between two women. Majority of tapes are blank. Recordings are on Microcassette.
| Audiocassette C-05723/1 |
[unidentified sound recording]> #05723, Series: "4. Sound Recordings, undated." C-05723/1Microcassette |
| Audiocassette C-05723/2 |
[unidentified sound recording]> #05723, Series: "4. Sound Recordings, undated." C-05723/2Microcassette |
| Audiocassette C-05723/3 |
[unidentified sound recording]> #05723, Series: "4. Sound Recordings, undated." C-05723/3Microcassette |
| Audiocassette C-05723/4 |
[unidentified sound recording]> #05723, Series: "4. Sound Recordings, undated." C-05723/4Microcassette |
Expand/collapse
Items Separated
Processed by: Patrick Cullom, Rebecca Stubbs, Jennifer Overstreet, and Laura Hart, December 2017
Encoded by: Patrick Cullom, December 2017
Revisions by: Nancy Kaiser and Patrick Cullom, May 2019; Nancy Kaiser, October 2020
Since August 2017, we have added ethnic and racial identities for individuals and families represented in collections. To determine identity, we rely on self-identification; other information supplied to the repository by collection creators or sources; public records, press accounts, and secondary sources; and contextual information in the collection materials. Omissions of ethnic and racial identities in finding aids created or updated after August 2017 are an indication of insufficient information to make an educated guess or an individual's preference for identity information to be excluded from description. When we have misidentified, please let us know at wilsonlibrary@unc.edu.
Back to Top