Steamboats of the Tar (River)

]> obhc_bridgers_henry_clark_jr Finding Aid of the Captain Henry Clark Bridgers, Jr., Steamboats of the Tar (River) Papers, 1819 - ca. 2000 Processed by: Courtney Clarke; machine-readable finding aid created by: Stuart Parks II &hdrNcDncsa; 2008 Machine-readable finding aid derived from XML authoring program. Date of source: December, 2008 Description is in English Finding Aid of the Captain Henry Clark Bridgers, Jr., Steamboats of the Tar (River) Papers, 1819 - ca. 2000 Outer Banks History Center &tpNcDncsa; Descriptive Summary Outer Banks History Center Bridgers, Henry Clark, Jr. The Captain Henry Clark Bridgers, Jr., Steamboats of the Tar (River) Papers, 1819 - ca. 2000 33MSS-99 Materials in English 3.3 For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Outer Banks History Center. Captain Henry Clark Bridgers, Jr., (1913-1981) graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1935 after which he entered the Navy and graduated from flight training school in 1936 as an aviator, ultimately achieving the rank of captain in 1962. Bridgers suffered a heart attack in 1965 that forced his retirement from the Navy. Returning to his native Edgecombe County, N.C., he became a well-known local historian who wrote about railroads, banking and steamboats in eastern North Carolina. At the time of his death in 1981, Bridgers had spent years researching and writing a manuscript entitled Steamboats on the Tar that remains unpublished. This collection consists of an unpublished manuscript in three versions and related research materials entitled Steamboats of the Tar. Included are books, maps, photographs, notes, correspondence, clippings, and vessel enrollment forms pertaining to steamboats operating in eastern North Carolina waters from the early 19th century forward. Administrative Information Access Restrictions

Available for research.

Copyright is retained by the authors of these materials, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law (Title 17 US Code). Individual researchers are responsible for using these materials in conformance with copyright law as well as any donor restrictions accompanying the materials.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], 33MSS-99, The Captain Henry Clark Bridgers, Jr., Steamboats of the Tar (River) Papers, Outer Banks History Center, Manteo, N.C., U.S.A.

Acquisitions Information

The research materials and Steamboats of the Tar manuscripts by Captain Henry Clark (Harry) Bridgers, Jr. came to the Outer Banks History Center through historian, author, and founding benefactor of the Outer Banks History Center, David Stick. He obtained the work after the death of Captain Bridgers in July, 1981 through Bridgers' family. After having met David Stick and sought his input regarding his research and unpublished manuscript, Captain Bridgers left instructions with his wife that the materials be turned over to Stick. Bridgers hoped that Stick would either publish an edited manuscript or turn it over to another qualified person who would. While Stick had the collection at his home in Kitty Hawk, he added several books, reports and monographs to the collection along with additional research notes and indexes that he completed. Stick retained the documents until August 2000, when he turned them over to historian and author Lindley S. Butler with the understanding that they would be donated to the Outer Banks History Center when Butler was finished researching and writing a book. By 2003, Butler had changed his research focus, and turned the still unpublished materials over to the Outer Banks History Center.

Processing Information

Processed by Courtney Clarke.

Encoded by Tama Creef, July, 2008 and Stuart Parks II, December, 2008

Biographical Note

Captain Henry Clark Bridgers, Jr., (1913-1981) graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1935 after which he entered the Navy and graduated from flight training school in 1936 as an aviator. He joined Patrol Squadron 7 in San Diego, California, and in 1939 became an instrument training instructor at Pensacola, Florida. During World War II, he served in the South Pacific as operations officer of Fleet Air Wing One, receiving the Legion of Merit for combat operations in the Solomon Islands. In 1945, he commanded Fighter Squadron 42 and then Carrier Air Group 42 aboard the USS Sicily. After training at the General Line School and the Naval War College, Bridgers became navigator of the USS Midway (1952). He achieved the rank of captain in 1963 and took command of the Atlantic Fleet Weapons Range. Bridgers suffered a heart attack in 1965 that forced his retirement from the Navy.

Returning to his native Edgecombe County, N.C., he became a well-known local historian who wrote about railroads, banking and steamboats in eastern North Carolina. At the time of his death in 1981, Bridgers had spent years researching and writing a manuscript Steamboats on The Tar that remains unpublished to this day.

Collection Overview

The collection consists of two versions of Bridger's manuscript Steamboats of the Tar, including two copies of the 2nd draft, one of which was reviewed by Marie D. Moore, North Carolina Division of Archives and History. Extensive research materials used in writing the manuscript make up the rest of the collection.

Microfilm printouts from eight newspapers reporting on steamboats in North Carolina waters from 1824 to 1912, along with photocopies and clippings from other published works on this topic are included. There is a folder of handwritten research notes including charts, lists, and a hand drawn map pertaining to the presence of steamboats in North Carolina waters. A separate folder pertains to Civil War boats. Bridger created a chronology of North Carolina steamboat history compiled from various newspapers. Information has been organized into charts from documents that were required for steamboat operation in N.C. waters. There are approximately 300 photographs and postcards depicting steamboats. Oversized items include photocopies of original Certificates of Enrollment and maps of the Tar/Pamlico River.

Collection Arrangement

The Captain Henry Clark Bridgers Jr. Collection is arranged topically with some record groups arranged chronologically or alphabetically.

Online Catalog Headings

These and related materials may be found under the following headings in online catalogs.

Subject Terms Steamboats--North Carolina North Carolina--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Naval Operations Steam-navigation--North Carolina Stick, David, 1919- Geographic Locations Pamlico River (N.C.) Tar River (N.C.) Related Collections

Additional information on topics found in this collection may be found in the Manuscript and Archives Reference System (MARS) http://www.ncarchives.dcr.state.nc.us.

See also: Captain Henry Clark Bridgers, Jr. Collection, East Carolina University, Joyner Library, North Carolina Collection Container List Papers, 1819-ca. 2000 8 boxes, 49 folders 1:1.1 Finding Aid Manuscript 1:2.1 Handwritten 1:2.2 Typed draft 1:2.3 Typed draft with review comments by Marie D. Moore, North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources Footnotes 1:3.1 Original 1:3.2 Edited Research Notes and Supporting Materials 2.4.1 Correspondence Clippings 2:4.2 Newspaper, 1824-1912 2:4.3 General 2:4.4 Handwritten Research Notes Executive Documents of the House of Representatives 2:4.5 1862-1863 2:4.6 1863-1864 2:4.7 1864-1865 Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies in the War of the Rebellion 2:4.8 Series I - Volume XVIII, 1887 pgs. 210 - 255, 612 2:4.9 Series I - Volume XXXIII, 1891 2:4.10 Index 2:4.11 Series I - Volume XXVII - In Three Parts, Part II - Reports, 1889 2:4.12 Series I - Volume XVIII, 1887 pgs. 46 - 48, 105 - 106, 157 - 158, 181 - 182, 612 - 613, 618, 646 - 647 Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navy in the War of the Rebellion, Series I - Volume 8 2:4.13 pgs. 1 - 85 2:4.14 pgs. 100 - 191 2:4.15 pgs. 200 - 293 2:4.16 pgs. 300 - 497 2:4.17 pgs. 500 - 629 2:4.18 pgs. 650 - 841 2:4.19 Steam Navigation in Virginia and North Carolina Waters, 1826 - 1836 3:4.20 Civil War Boats 3:4.21 Chrono C Steamboat Record Groups 3:4.22 I 3:4.23 II 3:4.24 Extracts from Certificates of Enrollment 3:4.25 All Sources vs. Certificates of Enrollment Information on Vessels from Enrollment Forms for N.C. Ports 4:5.1 Beaufort 4:5.2 Camden/Elizabeth City 4:5.3 Edenton 4:5.4 New Bern 4:5.5 Plymouth 4:5.6 Washington 4:5.7 Wilmington 4:5.8 Information on Vessels from NC Ports Publications 5:6.1 N.C. Newspapers on Microfilm N.C. Department of Archives and History, 1971 5:6.2 Steamboat Days Fred Erving Dayton, 1925 5:6.3 Steamboats: A History of the Early Adventure Ralph T. Ward, 1973 5:6.4 Flood Plain Information Tar River at Louisburg, N.C. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 1968 5:6.5 Flood Plain Information Tar River and Stony Creek, Rocky Mount, N.C. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 1968 5:6.6 Inland Steam Navigation in North Carolina Thomas H. Sloan, 1971 Photographs Bound Volumes 6:7.1 I 7:7.2 II Oversized Material 8:8.1 Maps Rivers and Creeks in Eastern North Carolina 8:8.2 Certificates of Enrollment (photostats) with U.S. General Services Administration Order Forms and Research Notes