The Thea Furman Papers consist of ledgers, correspondence, photographs, family Bibles, family research and personal papers documenting her family’s history.
The ledgers include two from her second great-grandfather, T.Q. Donaldson. The first contains a catalogue list of his personal law library [20 pages] with Confederate States of America currency pasted inside the front cover. The second ledger contains notes made on legal cases. The ledger from Thea’s great-great grandfather David Hoke [Clerk of Court and sheriff for several terms], appears to be a store ledger.
The correspondence is between various members of the Furman family including Rebecca (Kincaid) Davis, Rev. James C. Furman, Mary G. (Davis) Furman, Kincaid Furman and Nathan H. Davis.
Newspaper clippings include a photocopy of the story “Three Miners Attacked by Robbers,” from the Sacramento Statesmen, two accounts dated December 28, 1855 (Placerville), and December 20 1854 (Rocky Canyon). Mentioned is a Captain Davis who is Jonathan Rutledge Davis (1816-1890), an ancestor of Thea Furman. There is a letter (Dec 27 1854) in the Davis Family Papers from Jonathan [R.] Davis from Placerville [Calif.], acknowledging the December 19 story of robbers attacking and his killing them.
There is a folder with history of the Greenville house known as the T.Q. Donaldson house at 412 Crescent Avenue. Built in 1863, it was owned by T.Q. Donaldson beginning in 1868, his daughter Dorothy (Roberts) Furman and her husband Dr. Davis Furman beginning in 1912, and then by Donaldson’s grandson, Romayne A. Barnes until 1987.
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