W. E. F. and Blaine Milburn, 1909-1935
This collection houses correspondence, day books, photographs, legal and financial materials, newspaper articles, genealogical materials, and other items documenting the Divine family of Tazewell and Johnson City, Tennessee. Over half the items present pertain to Major Paul E. Divine; the remainder were created by Lulu Belle (Milburn) Divine, W. E. F. Divine, Florence Ella (Williams) Milburn, Blaine Milburn, and Milburn Sis Divine.
Series I: Paul E. Divine houses legal and financial materials, correspondence, published materials, and portraits documenting Major Paul E. Divine. Much of the correspondence was written between Divine and various family members, U.S. Representative Walter P. Brownlow, and other Tennessee lawyers. Some of these letters are divided by correspondent, including those to Josefina, Paul Divine's Spanish-speaking lover in Puerto Rico. Two of the three folders housing other documents contain military papers created in Puerto Rico, where Divine was stationed during and after the Spanish-American War.
Series II: Lulu M. Divine houses legal and financial documents, correspondence to family, friends, and colleagues, maps, and other writings. Many of the legal and financial papers document Paul E. Divine's death.
Series III: Divine Family Papers and Series IV: Milburn Family Papers include documents pertaining to Milburn Divine, Florence Divine, W. E. F. Milburn, and Blaine Milburn. Materials documenting Milburn Divine include correspondence, two books (including her 1937 wedding guest and gift registry book), drawings, and certificates. Materials documenting the Milburn family include Florence (Williams) Milburn's confirmation certificate, correspondence, examinations that Blaine Milburn completed at the University of Tennessee, and other materials.
The majority of Series V: Newspaper Articles has been organized by year. Of particular interest are the items in the first two folders, which document Lulu (Milburn) Divine's 1938 murder trial.
Series VI: Photographs houses a number of images pertaining to the Milburn and Divine families, including a photograph of Paul E. Divine at six months of age and one image encased in glass (broken but glued to the picture) from around the turn of the 19th century.
Series VII: Genealogical Research Materials houses research into the Milburn, Divine, and other families.
Series VIII: Other Materials houses correspondence between Mrs. Maude Lamb and Chas. F. Herms, a reception invitation, a card from Hotel Broadway in Louisville, Ky., an unused 1948 calendar, and other materials.
Series IX: Oversize contains materials that are too large to be stored with standard sized materials.
Dates
- 1909-1935
Conditions Governing Access
Collections are stored offsite and must be requested in advance. See www.special.lib.utk.edu for detailed information. Collections must be requested through a registered Special Collections research account.
Extent
From the Collection: 6.25 Linear Feet
Repository Details
Part of the Betsey B. Creekmore Special Collections and University Archives, University of Tennessee, Knoxville Repository