Finding aid for the Ray-Griffith-House family collection BC.MSS.02.19

Finding aid for the Ray-Griffith-House family collection

BC.MSS.02.19

Butler Center for Arkansas Studies
100 Rock Street
Little Rock, Arkansas, 72201
(501) 320-5700
arkinfo@cals.org

February 13, 2017



Repository:	Butler Center for Arkansas Studies
Creator:	Griffith, Mary Ray, 1869-1941
Title:	Ray-Griffith-House family collection
Dates:	1848-1952
Quantity:	1.0 Linear feet
Abstract:	This collection contains legal documents, business records, and correspondence from four generations of the Ray, Griffith, and House families of Prairie County, Ark.
Identification:	BC.MSS.02.19
Language:	English
Permanent URL:	http://purl.oclc.org/arstudies/bc-mss-0219

Arrangement

This collection is arranged topically and chronologically.

Scope and Contents

This collection contains legal documents, business records, and correspondence from four generations of the Ray, Griffith, and House families of Prairie County, Ark. Two men in this family, one in the first generation and one in the third generation, are named Richard Bogan Ray. They are distinguished in the finding aid by notations of the first (1st) or the second (2nd). Each of these men was known in the community by the name of Bogan. The bulk of the material in the collection relates to Mary Ray Griffith, her first husband, George Ray, her second husband, C. A. (Clayborn) Griffin, and her children.

Biographical Information

Richard Bogan Ray (1st) was born February 20, 1813, in Orange County, North Carolina. He married Elizabeth Ray on October 23, 1833. They had a number of children, including Euphema (Peny), born ca 1844, Benton, born ca 1850, and George, born in December 1851. The family lived for many years in McNairy County, Tennessee; a land document from that location is included in this collection. In about 1869, the family moved to Prairie County, Arkansas. Richard Bogan Ray (1st) died there on December 27, 1890.

George Ray was born in December 1851 in McNairy County, Tennessee. He married Mary A. Clark on January 22, 1888, at Hazen, Ark. Mary was born in Prairie County, Ark., on June 6, 1869, to Marshall and Temperance Clark. George and Hazel had two children, Mabel and Richard Bogan (2nd). George died October 16, 1908, and on March 14, 1909, Mary married C. A. (Clayborn) Griffith (born in 1869 in Shelby County, Tennessee). Mary died October 8, 1941, and C. A. Griffith died October 26, 1944.

Mabel Ray was born to George and Mary in May 1889. She married Tom Felts in December 1905, and in 1908 they had a son named Aubrey. The couple divorced in 1910, and the divorce agreement is included in this collection. In September 1916, Mabel married Ben House, a widower with four children. A school paper from Ben’s daughter Ruie is included in the collection. Mabel and Ben had a son named Ray, who served with Gen. Patton in World War II. He was later an officer in the Arkansas National Guard, retiring as a lieutenant colonel.

Richard Bogan Ray (2nd) was born August 22, 1892, at Hazen, Ark. After attending Draughans Business College in Little Rock, he worked for United Shoe Stores in Shreveport, Louisiana. He died October 15, 1963, in Louisiana and is buried at Oakland Cemetery, DeVall’s Bluff, Ark.

Index Terms

This record series is indexed under the following controlled access subject terms.

DeValls Bluff (Ark.)

Griffith, C. A. (Clayborn), 1869-1944

Griffith, Mary Ray, 1869-1941

Hazen (Ark.)

House, Ben F., 1883-1964

House, Mabel Ray, 1889-1955

Land utilization--Projects.

McNairy County (Tenn.)

Prairie County (Ark.)

Ray, Benton, 1850-1925

Ray, George, 1851-1908

Ray, Richard Bogan, 1813-1890

Ray, Richard Bogan, 1892-1963

Resettlement Administration

Weedman, Ruie House, 1908-1996

Restrictions

Restrictions on Access

Unrestricted access

Restrictions on Use

Non-circulating, in-house use only

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Ray-Griffith-House family collection, MSS.02.19, Butler Center for Arkansas Studies, Arkansas Studies Institute.

Acquisition Information

Donated by Howard L. Norton, 2002


Box	Folder
1	1	Background research


1	2	Land documents, Richard Bogan Ray (1st), 1851-1890
			Scope and Contents
			Deed, James M. Ingraham to Richard Bogan Ray (1st), 288 acres in McNairy County, Tennessee, September 23, 1851 Title bond, Richard Bogan Ray (1st) to Amanda Ross, 240 acres in Prairie County, Ark., February 18, 1875 Deed of conveyance, David and Amanda Ross to Richard Bogan Ray (1st), eighty acres in Prairie County, Ark., February 18, 1875 Warranty deed, Euphema Small [nee Ray] to Richard Bogan Ray (1st), land in Prairie County, Ark., June 21, 1890


1	3	Poll and property tax receipt, Richard Bogan Ray (1st), Prairie County, Ark.; miscellaneous receipt and envelope, 1873-1887


1	4	Receipt, sale of one bale of cotton by George Ray to F. Gates, DeVall's Bluff, Ark., December 21, 1886


1	5	Land documents, George Ray, 1893-1901
			Scope and Contents
			Warranty deed, W. P. Fletcher and Ella A. Fletcher, to George Ray, forty acres in Prairie County, Ark., March 27, 1893 Warranty deed, W. P. Fletcher and Ella A. Fletcher, to George Ray, forty acres in Prairie County, Ark., December 17, 1896 Warranty deed, Benton Ray and Maggie Ray to George Ray, forty acres in Prairie County, Ark., February 4, 1902 Warranty deed, W. J. Wilkins and Annie C. Wilkins to George Ray, two city lots in DeValls Bluff, Ark., October 28, 1901


1	6	Notices of property tax assessment to George Ray, Prairie County, Ark., September 1911


1	7	Land documents, Mary Ray Griffith, Benton Ray, Richard Bogan Ray (2nd), and Mabel Ray House, 1916-1924
			Scope and Contents
			Warranty deed, Richard Bogan Ray (2nd) and Mabel House (nee Ray) to Mary Ray Griffith, two-third interest in forty acres, Prairie County, Ark., November 14, 1916 Two promissory notes with property lien, Richard Bogan Ray (2nd) to Benton Ray, forty acres in Prairie County, Ark., January 15, 1923-January 15, 1925 Warranty deed, Benton Ray, Richard Bogan Ray (2nd), forty acres, Prairie County, Ark., January 15, 1923 Warranty Deed, Richard Bogan Ray (2nd) to Mary Ray Griffith, forty acres, Prairie County, Ark., May 31, 1924 Warranty Deed, Richard Bogan Ray (2nd) to Mary Ray Griffith, forty acres, Prairie County, Ark., November 1, 1924


1	8	Handwritten will and obituary prepared by Mary Ray Griffith, September 15, 1926


1	9	Correspondence and supplement to cotton acreage reduction contract, Mary Ray Griffith and county agent, Prairie County, Ark., 1934-1935


1	10	Correspondence and offer by Mary Ray Griffith to sell lands to the United States Resettlement Administration, Land Utilization Division, DeVall's Bluff, Ark. 1935-1937


1	11	Miscellaneous correspondence, Mary Ray Griffith, 1917-1937


1	12	Correspondence, Mary Ray Griffith and Royal Neighbors of America, 1922-1939


1	13	Correspondence, Mary Ray Griffith and Wrought Iron Range Company, 1931-1932; undated


1	14	Checks, promissory notes, and deposit slips, Peoples Bank of DeVall's Bluff, account of Mary Ray Griffith, 1923-1929


1	15	Checks and deposit slips, Planters Bank of DeVall's Bluff, account of Mary Ray Griffith, 1937-1941


1	16	Miscellaneous receipts, Griffith family, 1910-1941


1	17	Receipts for cotton and ginning, Griffith family and general merchandise cotton buyers, Hazen, Ark., 1928-1933


1	18	Land documents, Mary Ray Griffith and C. A. (Clayborn) Griffith, 1930-1937
			Scope and Contents
			Oil and gas lease, Mary Ray Griffith and C. A. (Clayborn) Griffith, Hazen, Ark., to Harvey Drilling Company, rights to drill on land in Prairie County, Ark., August 2, 1930 Guardian's deed, J. A. Welty, guardian for Elexey Troy Gray, to Mary Ray Griffitth, land in block 178, DeValls Bluff, Ark., February 6, 1937


1	19	Fire insurance, New York Underwriters Insurance Company, to C. A. (Clayborn) Griffith and Mary Ray Griffith for 536 Brinkley, DeVall's Bluff, Ark., 1937-1944


1	20	Correspondence, C. A. (Clayborn) Griffith and Woodmen of the World, 1910-1941


1	21	Burial association dues, C. A. (Clayborn) Griffith, 1935-1941


1	22	Letter from H. M. C. to Mr. Richard Bogan Ray (2nd), ca. 1900s


1	23	Letter, Indiana Veneer and Lumber to Richard Bogan Ray (2nd), Hazen, Ark., August 22, 1916


1	24	Statement, C. B. Westbrook Funeral Home to Mr. Richard Bogan Ray (2nd), for funeral of Mary Ray Griffith, October 14, 1941


1	25	Documents to settle the estate of Mary Ray Griffith, November 4, 1941
			Scope and Contents
			Quitclaim deed, C. A. (Clayborn) Griffith to Richard Bogan Ray (2nd) and Mabel House, land in block 178, DeValls Bluff, Ark., November 4, 1941 Quitclaim deed, Richard Bogan Ray (2nd) and Mabel House to C. A. (Clayborn) Griffith, life interest in land in block 178, DeValls Bluff, Ark., November 4, 1941 Agreement between C. A. (Clayborn) Griffith, Richard Bogan Ray (2nd), and Mabel House, to settle estate of Mary Ray Griffith, Prairie County, Ark., November 4, 1941


1	26	Divorce and child custody order, Mabel Ray Felts and Tom Felts, April 13, 1910


1	27	Flyer,"A cheerful liar," play at the High School Auditorium, Ruie House in cast, May 26, 1927


1	28	Burial certificate, Mrs. Mabel House with C. B. Westbrook Burial Association, Hazen, Ark., July 2, 1942


1	29	Fire insurance, New York Underwriters Insurance Company, to Mrs. Mabel House for 603 Brinkley, DeVall's Bluff, Ark., 1945-1952


1	30	Receipts, Mrs. Mabel House, 1941-1944


1	31	Checks, deposit slips, and bank statement, Planters Bank of DeVall's Bluff, account of Mrs. Mabel House, 1941-1945


1	32	Miscellaneous correspondence, Mabel Ray House, 1941-1948


1	33	Postcard of Paris, message believed to be from Lt. Ray House, ca. 1945


1	34	Miscellaneous correspondence and envelopes, 1911-1943; undated


1	35	Deed of release, American Building and Loan Association to C. C. Lumpkin and Lou Lumpkin, land in block 178, DeVall's Bluff, Ark., August 27, 1928


1	36	Newspaper clippings, 1930, 1941; undated


1	37	Statement of account, Town of DeVall's Bluff, with Frank Wright, agent for Cena Carr, cost of sidewalk on Brinkley Street, November 1, 1912


Box	Folder
2	1	Twenty-four page pocket diary, owner, unidentified attorney in Brooklyn, New York, 1848-1849


2	2	Notebook recording rent, deductions, and balances due for tenant farmers in the area of Oil Trough, Independence County, Ark., 1925-1926


2	3	Believed to be Mary Ray (Griffith), ca 1900 2 3/4x1 3/4 oval on 4 1/4x5 3/4 mat, black and white photograph


2	4	Lt. Ray House at Laguna, Arizona, December 25, 1943 2x3 color photograph