ROBERT M. SHANK COLLECTION
1899-c. 1949

East Tennessee State University
Archives of Appalachia
Box 70295
Johnson City, Tennessee 37614

E-mail: archives@etsu.edu
Telephone: (423) 439-4338

INTRODUCTION

ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Provenance: The Robert M. Shank Collection was donated to the Archives of Appalachia by Chester A. Wilson on November 30, 1982.

Access: The collection is open for research.

Processing Information: Dawn Gentry, Missy Garant, and Scott Schwartz completed processing and the collection was opened to researchers on September 30, 1991.

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

Robert M. Shank was born in Sullivan County, Tennessee in January 1859 and married a Tennessee native in 1898. According to the 1900 census records the Shank family resided in Sullivan County near the community of Rocky Springs, Tennessee. The census identified Shank as a teacher. "Professor" Robert M. Shank taught at Anderson Hall, 1891, a private school built in 1885 on Eli Anderson's estate in Piney Flats, Tennessee. He later served as principal for the Mill Point Institute, a private subscription school, in the community of Lyceum between Mill Point and Blountville, Tennessee. The school operated between 1887 and 1945. The school's monthly tuition was advertised as $1.00 for the primary department, $1.25 for the secondary department and $1.50 for advance studies. It is quite likely, however, that these fees may have been paid in barter. In addition to his teaching responsibilities Shanks assisted the "county" superintendent in the planning and conducting of Teacher Normals and Teacher Association meetings, and gave numerous lectures and demonstrations on teacher effectiveness in the classroom. Robert Shank supplemented his teaching income by selling dairy products, produce, grain and livestock that he raised on his farm.

SCOPE AND CONTENT

The Robert M. Shank Collection contains one farmer's account book, newsclippings, newspaper, and a map of Sullivan County, Tennessee. The account book documents Shank's purchase and sale of agricultural products while a Sullivan County farmer and a "debts and records account" of his family's household expenses dating between 1899 and c. 1949. The book also contains a description of home remedies, a mathematical table for calculating the size and weight of different types of farm products, and various legal document forms. The newsclippings and newspaper contain reports of returns for elections held in Sullivan County between 1920 and 1934, a breeding table,and an advertisement for a state conference of the Daughters of the American Revolution held in Johnson City, Tennessee between October 31 and November 3, 1923. The collection also includes an undated map of Sullivan County that identifies district boundaries and the location of some communities within each district. The records have been placed in three folders and are arranged alphabetically according to the type of document within the folders; the newsclippings are arranged chronologically followed by the undated clippings. The oversized map and newspaper are located in the map cabinet by accession number. An index to the collection follows the Folder and Item List.

Important subjects covered in the collection include:

Agriculture--Tennessee, East
Daughters of the American Revolution
Elections--Tennessee--Sullivan County
Jackson, Andrew, 1767-1845
Livestock--Breeding
Sevier, John, 1745-1815
Sullivan County (Tenn.)--History
Traditional medicine--Formulae, receipts, prescriptions

FOLDER AND ITEM LIST

Folder 1

1. Farmer's Account Book, 1899-c. 1949.

Folder 2 - Newsclippings

1. Vote in Sullivan County, Tennessee, November 1920.
2. Democratic Primary Vote, April 12, 1924.
3. Incomplete Vote in Sullivan County, April 12, 1924.
4. How the District Voted, April 10, 1926.
5. Official Count of Sullivan County General Election, August 5, 1926.
6. Official Democratic Primary Returns in Sullivan County, August 5, 1926.
7. Official Sullivan Primary Vote, 1926.
8. Official Returns from Election in Sullivan County, August 4, 1932.
9. Sullivan Democratic Primary Official Vote, August 4, 1932.
10. Official Sullivan County Vote, November 8, 1932.
11. Sullivan Primary Results, April 7, 1934.
12. Official Canvas, April 1934.
13. Official Canvas Sullivan County General Judicial Elections, August 1934.
14. Breeding Table, ND.
15. Constitutional Convention Now Before General Assembly, ND.
16. Official Returns in Senator's Race, ND.
17. Sullivan's "Dry" Majority is 3,847, ND.
18. The Spawn of Republican Politics, ND.

Folder 3 - Oversized

1. Sullivan County Map (Oversized), ND.
2. East Tennessee welcomes DAR State Conference, October 1923.

SUBJECT INDEX*
*Numbers following each subject entry denote folder and item numbers.

Agriculture: 1-1, 2-4.
Anderson, J. B.-Circuit Court Clerk-1926 Election: 2-4.
Caldwell, Joe A.-Circuit Court Judge-1926 Election: 2-4.
Campbell, H. J.-Circuit Court Judge-1926 Election: 2-4.
Chambliss, Alex W.-1926 Election: 2-4.

Clark, R. E.-Superintendent for Public Institutions-1926 Election: 2-4.
Clark, R. E.-1934 Judicial Election: 2-13.
Coleman, William T.-Attorney General-1926 Election: 2-4.
Copenhower, Hugh W.-1934 Judicial Election: 2-11, 2-13.
Dail, John E.-Superintendent for Public Institutions-1926 Election: 2-4.

Dail, John E.-1934 Judicial Election: 2-12, 2-13.
Daughters of the American Revolution-Tennessee Chapter: 3-2.
Dewitt, John H.-1926 Election: 2-4.
Drinnon, Alf Taylor-1934 Judicial Election: 2-13.
Dunn, George M.-1934 Judicial Election: 2-13.

Elections-Sullivan County-1924-Highway commissioner: 2-1, 2-2, 2-3.
Elections-Sullivan County-1924-Tax Accessor: 2-1, 2-2.
Elections-Sullivan County-1924-Trustee: 2-1, 2-2, 2-3, 2-4, 2-11.
Elections-Sullivan County-1932-Congressional Representatives: 2-9, 2-10.
Elections-Sullivan County-1932-Direct Representatives: 2-5, 2-9, 2-10.

Elections-Sullivan County-1932-Railroad and Public Utilities Commissioner: 2-11.
Elections-Sullivan County-1932-State Senator: 2-9, 2-10.
Erwin, J. W.-1934 Judicial Election: 2-13.
Farm Products-Produce Weights: 2-14.
Federal Gubernatorial Elections-1932: 2-1, 2-10.

Top of Index

Ferguson, Shelbourne-1934 Judicial Election: 2-13.
Ford, John L.-Sheriff-1926 Election: 2-3, 2-4.
Fow, W. W.-1926 Election: 2-4.
Gray, Walter-1924 Judicial Election: 2-13.
Green, Grafton-Supreme Court-1926 Election: 2-4.

Hardin, James N.-1934 Judicial Election: 2-13.
Hawk, A. N.-1934 Judicial Election: 2-12, 2-13.
Helshell, T. H.-1926 Election: 2-4.
Home remedies: 1-1.
Jackson, Andrew: 3-2.

Johnson City, Tennessee Scenes: 3-2.
Ketron, Russell J.-1934 Judicial Election: 2-13.
Keys, H. S.-Highway Commissioner-1926 Election: 2-3, 2-4.
Livestock, Breeding: 1-1, 2-14.
Lyon, W. D.-County Judge-1926 Election: 2-4.

McKinney, C. P.-1926 Election: 2-4.
McMahan, Oscar L.-Attorney General-1926 Election: 2-4.
Miller, S. C.-Chancellor-1926 Election: 2-4.
Miller, S. C.-1934 Judicial Election: 2-13.
Mullenix, Mollie M.-1926 Election: 2-3, 2-4, 2-11.

Newland, J. D.-1934 Judicial Election: 2-13.
O'Dell, J. C.-Court Clerk-1926 Election: 2-4, 2-12.
Owen, W. A.-1926 Election: 2-4.
Portrum, H. C.-Court of Appeals-1926 Election: 2-4.
Prowvover, Arthur-1926 Election: 2-4.

Richards, H. P.-1934 Judicial Election: 2-12, 2-13.
Seavy, John-Governor of Alabama: 3-2.
Senter, J. D.-1926 Election: 2-4.
Sevier, John-Governor of Tennessee: 3-2.
Stone, A. D.-1934 Judicial Election: 2-13.

Suglor, R. T.-1934 Judicial Election: 2-13.
Sullivan County History: 1-1, 2-1 thru 2-15, 3-1.
Swiggart, William H.-Supreme Court-1926 Election: 2-4.
Taylor, John-Governor of Tennessee: 3-2.
Tennessee-History: 1-1, 2-1 thru 2-15, 3-1, 3-2.

Thomas, Joe S.-Sheriff-1926 Election: 2-4.
Thompson, Neal L.-1926 Election: 2-4.

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MTC 11/00 - modified GKY 03/12/02