Collection 124. Speculation Land Company Records
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Abstract : Speculation Land Company Records is a collection of materials generated by the owners and agents of the Speculation Land Company of New York, New York. The Speculation Land Company's land comprised of over 500,000 acres in southwestern North Carolina, particularly in Rutherford, Polk and Henderson Counties. In 1791, North Carolina granted 77 parcels of land to Tench Coxe, who eventually conveyed it to Peter Duponceau. During the early nineteenth century, the Speculation Land Company, headed by New York land speculators Isaac Bronson and Goold Hoyt, obtained the land. The local agents, the Justice family of Rutherford County, sold and leased the Speculation Land Company lands for almost 150 years. The male Justice family members worked as agents of the company for several generations until it finally dissolved in 1920. The Reverend Thomas Butler Justice and his family generated or received most documents in this collection.
Contents : This collection consists of over 10,000 documents and one photograph. Housed in 30 archival boxes, it occupies 14 linear feet or the space of four book shelves. Documents include land deeds, surveys, land plats, record books, business checks, and business and personal letters. Smaller collections of Speculation Land Company records are housed at Duke University, UNC Asheville and UNC Chapel Hill libraries.
Access : No restrictions to access. No Inter-Library Loan. W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection Archives is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Appointments are recommended.
Copyright : Literary rights have been transferred to Appalachian State University for all items originating from Thomas Bulter and Baylis Justice. Copyright for other items is retained by the authors or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.