General Miscellany

The J.H. Woodward Series contains five subseries: Diaries, Personal Correspondence, Business Correspondence, Business and Legal Papers, and Martha Woodward.

The Diaries Subseries contains records of daily activities, prices, weather, and to-do lists. Some diaries are poorly kept, while others are well maintained. Personal and business notes are included. J.H. Woodward used pocket sized, bound, dated notebooks for recording. They are arranged chronologically

The Personal Correspondence Subseries is divided into outgoing and incoming subseries. Outgoing correspondence is chronologically arranged. Incoming correspondence is arranged alphabetically according to person or company, then chronologically. It is important to note that because the Woodwards were involved in a family business, their correspondence will reflect both business and private concerns. Thus, a personal letter may briefly discuss business and a business letter may contain family and personal information as well. The outgoing correspondence consists of letters from J.H. Woodward to his wife (Martha), his father (S.H.) and his doctor (Thomas McCrae). (J.H. suffered varying ailments for most of his life, including a rather large tapeworm). The incoming correspondence includes correspondence primarily from family and friends. Detailed and regular letters (and family gossip) come from his sister Hannah, his wife Martha, and his daughter Bertha. "Boodie" is a young A.H. Woodward.

The Business Correspondence Subseries includes outgoing and incoming correspondence. Outgoing correspondence is chronologically arranged. Incoming correspondence is arranged alphabetically according to person or company, then chronologically. Outgoing business correspondence includes J. H. Woodward's letterbooks from 1873-1904, as well as individual letters from 1893-1916. Of particular interest is J.H.'s correspondence with his brother W.H. Woodward, the first President of Woodward Iron Co. The incoming business correspondence is comprised of correspondence from business associates. The largest groups of correspondence are from LaBelle Iron Works and from his friend and fellow iron magnate, J.N. Vance, president of Riverside Iron Works.

The Business and Legal Papers Subseries is mostly of a personal nature, although some LaBelle Iron Works, Woodward Iron Co., and First National Bank of Birmingham papers are intermixed. This subseries includes estate papers of J.H. Woodward, as well as ledgers, checkbooks, cancelled checks, receipts, and tax information.

The Miscellaneous Subseries contains various publications and papers. Included here are J.H. Woodward's railroad passes, maps, newspaper clippings, the will of Caroline Hughes (sister), and business correspondence to and from W. H. Woodward's associates.

The Martha Woodward Subseries includes business, personal, and general correspondence. Business correspondence relates to personal finances and the J. H. Woodward Estate. Personal correspondence is mostly from lawyer and friend James Giles and daughter Bertha W. Underwood. Also included are cancelled checks and checking stubs from the Orlando Savings and Trust Company. Materials relate to personal financial issues and the estate of her husband. There is also a copy of Benner's Prophecies, of which J.H. owned an earlier edition, and her mother's Bible.