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Porter and Catherine Ent Collection

4 cartons, 1 overize box (5.25 linear feet)

(1900 – 2001)

bulk 1940's

Edward H. Nabb Center for Delmarva History and Culture, Salisbury, University, Salisbury, Maryland

Identifier 2022.016
Creator(s) Culver, Richard W.; Ent, Catherine; Ent, Porter
Acquisition See Nabb Center Staff
Language(s) English
Use Records are open for research. Copyright, including literary rights, belongs to the author(s) or their legal heirs. Permission to publish or reproduce must be obtained from the Nabb Research Center which extends beyond "fair use."
Preferred Citation "Item, collection title and identifier, box # and folder # (if applicable), Edward H. Nabb Research Center for Delmarva History and Culture, Salisbury University, Salisbury, Maryland."
Attribution Finding Aid written by Kate Harris, August 2023
Related Materials None
Separated Materials

Separated materials consist of approximately one box of uncatalogued artifacts.
Abstract

The Porter and Kitty Ent Collection contains memorabilia, letters, and scrapbooks from Catherine (Kitty) Hopkins Ent from WWII and their life together afterwards in Salisbury, MD. It includes scrapbooks and memorabilia from Kitty’s sister, Sarah Dryden, and her brother in law, Norman Dryden. The bulk of the collection is photos, letters, notebooks, and memorabilia from Porter’s time overseas in WWII as well as a correspondence course in aeronautical engineering and flight training records. A significant portion of the collection is Kitty’s scrapbook, Pocahontas Oil Co. memorabilia, exchange club directories and correspondence. Also included is some correspondence and a large scrapbook detailing Norman Dryden’s time overseas in WWII. Army insignia, pins, medals, are included separately.

Biographical History

Porter Ent and Catherine (Kitty) Hopkins Ent married in 1932 and lived on Russell Avenue in Salisbury Maryland. Porter Ent was born in Somerset in 1910 to Joseph W. and Libby Kirwan Ent. He was a Medical Technician overseas in WWII. When he returned from the war, Porter obtained his pilot’s license and was a member of the Civil Air Patrol and the Salisbury Wicomico Airport Commission. He worked as a Salesman for Breyer’s Ice Cream and was a member of the Exchange Club for almost 40 years, receiving recognition for his contribution to civic projects such as the Salisbury Zoo and the Salvation Army Boys Club. Porter and Kitty were members of Asbury UM Church in Salisbury, MD. Catherine (Kitty) Hopkins Ent was born in in 1912 in Mt. Vernon to Stephen O. Hopkins and Vella Ross Hopkins. Kitty Ent worked at Pocahontas Oil Co. throughout her career as a bookkeeper, beginning in 1930 to her retirement in 1970’s. Kitty worked with her sister Sarah Dryden for much of her time at Pocahontas. Sarah Hopkins Dryden was married to Norman Dryden. Porter and Kitty Ent and Sarah and Norman Dryden were friends with Norman Holland Jr. through their work at Pocahontas Oil Co. Norman Holland Jr. joined his father Norman Holland Sr. in the management of Pocahontas Oil Co. in 1947.

Pocahontas Oil Co. was founded in 1926 in Salisbury, MD by two brothers William and Norman Holland. Pocahontas quickly expanded from a coal delivery business to become the exclusive dealer of the ‘Iron Fireman’ heating equipment, fuel oil delivery, gravel, ready mix concrete, and other building supplies, as well as the Pocahontas Transportation Company that utilized four freight boats for shipping on the coast between New York and Florida, including a one third interest in shares in the Victor Lynn Line. The Pocahontas Transportation Company shipped, warehoused, and delivered fertilizer to peninsula farmers. The Pocahontas fleet of ready-mix concrete trucks participated in the building on local area landmarks such as Deer’s Head Hospital and the Salisbury-Wicomico Airport. In 1943, William Holland left Pocahontas and sold his interest to Norman Holland.

Scope and Content Note

 The Porter and Kitty Ent Collection documents the couple’s relationship during WWII through letters and Porter’s photos and documents of his Army experiences. Kitty’s scrapbooks capture the years before, and during, the early part of their marriage. Documents and memorabilia pertaining to Breyer’s Ice Cream, Pocahontas Oil Co., and aeronautical training highlight/record/document? Their life after the war. Peripherally, Sarah and Norman Dryden and Norman Holland are included, linked to Kitty and Porter through Pocahontas Oil and shared experiences of WWII.

Arrangement Statement

Series 1 (People)

Series 1.1: Porter Ent

Series 1.2: Catherine “Kitty” Hopkins Ent

Series 1.3: Jean Hopkins Culver

Series 1.4: Norman Dryden

Series 1.5: Sarah Hopkins Dryden

Series 2 (Organizations)

Series 2.1: Pocahontas Oil Co.

Series 2.2: Exchange Club, Mason Dixon Chapter

Series 2.3: Asbury United Methodist Church

Series 3 (Publications)

Series 3.1: Promotional Materials

Series 3.2: Newspapers

Series 3.3: Books

Subject Terms

  • Topical Terms
    • Personal correspondence
  • Corporate Names
    • Pocahontas Oil Co.
    • Mason Dixon Exchange Club
  • Personal Names
    • WWII

Inventory List

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Series 1: People

Box 1

1. (Series 1.1) Porter Ent, photo portrait

2. (Series 1.1) Porter Ent, Advance Technicians Medical Corp. Group Photo, 1944

3. (Series 1.1) WWII, Porter Ent, 168th Medical Corp./Hospital photos, 1940’s

  • Hospitals, France, Italy, Soldiers in Uniform
  • Many of the people, locations, and events Porter writes about in his letters to Kitty appear in these personal photos

4. (Series 1.1) WWII, Porter Ent, photos, documents, and memorabilia

  • Photos, Civil Air Patrol license and ID cards
  • Army immunization record, 1943
  • Group photo of Hitler Youth, n.d.
  • Photos of warships, European locations, soldiers in camps, artillery
  • Newspaper clipping, poem
  • Greeting cards

5. (Series 1.1) WWII, Porter Ent, Medical Tech Class Materials, n.d.

  • Notes, diagrams, instructions, quizzes

6. (Series 1.1) WWII, Porter Ent, Medical Corp. handwritten class notes, n.d.

7. (Series 1.1) WWII, Porter Ent, Medical Corp. handwritten class notes, n.d.

8. (Series 1.1) WWII, Porter Ent, Medical Tech Certificate, April 5, 1944

9. (Series 1.1) WWII, Porter Ent, Medical Tech Certificate, July 5, 1944

10. (Series 1.1) WWII, Porter Ent, Restricted Special Order Medical Technician Promotions, Aug. 9, 1945

11. (Series 1.1) WWII, Porter Ent, Service Records, 1945

  • Certificate of Appreciation

12. (Series 1.1) WWII, Porter Ent, Service Records, 1943

  • Graduation Exercises School for Medical Department Technician booklet, July 5, 1944
  • Service Record Booklet, includes times and locations of trainings, notable friends and acquaintances, and other personal trivia.
  • Separation Qualification Record, U.S. Army, 1943
  • Application for National Service Life Insurance, 1943
  • National Service Life Insurance, Sept. 15, 1943

13. (Series 1.1) Airmail Stationary Box, 1940’s

14. (Series 1.1) WWII correspondence, Porter Ent to Catherine (Kitty) Ent, Dec. 1944 – Aug. 1945

15. (Series 1.1) WWII correspondence, Porter Ent to Catherine (Kitty) Ent, Sept. 1945 - Nov. 1945

16. (Series 1.1) WWII Correspondence, Porter Ent to Catherine (Kitty) Ent, Misc.

  • Typed jokes and anecdotes mailed with letters
  • Newspaper clippings, Army newsletters

17. (Series 1.1) Porter Ent, Photos, Eastern Shore, Post WWII

18. (Series 1.1) Porter Ent, Oversize Photos

  • 168th Gen. Hospital Medical Team
  • Breyer’s Ice Cream Annual Dinner, 1959/1960

19. (Series 1.1) Porter Ent, Pilot Rating Book, 1946 – 1947

20. (Series 1.1) Porter Ent, Aviation Receipts, 1958

21. (Series 1.1) Porter Ent, Correspondence Course in Aeronautics, International Correspondence Schools, Scranton PA, 1945

  • Handbook of first Aid, United States Office of Civilian Defense, 1941
  • Aviation Engines, Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3, 1945
  • Aviation Engine Lubrication, Fuel, and Cooling Systems, 1945
  • Airplane Handling and Maintenance, 1945
  • The Airplane and Its Parts Part 1 and Part 2, 1945
  • Aircraft Propellers, 1945
  • Aviation Engine Carbureters (sic), 1945
  • Airplane Instruments, 1945
  • Aircraft Accessories, 1945
  • Airplane Assembly and Rigging, 1945
  • Elementary Aeronautical Engineering, 1945
  • Elementary Principles of Electricity, 1945
  • Aviation Engine Ignition, 1945
  • Principles of the Internal Combustion Engine, 1945
  • Aviation Engine Operation and Maintenance, 1945

22. (Series 1.1) Aviation Directories, 1950 – 1978

  • AOPA Handbook for Pilots, 1978
  • Maryland Airport Directory, 1950
  • Beechcraft Service Center Directory, 1977
  • Maryland Airport Directory, n.d.

Box 2

1. (Series 1.1) Print photo of Roosevelt signing the Social Security Act

2. (Series 1.1) Porter Ent, Breyers Ice Cream, 1950-1960’s

  • Photos, business cards, 17th annual dinner program)
  • Business cards, Porter Ent
  • 17th Annual Dinner program

3. (Series 1.2) Catherine Hopkins Ent

  • Scrapbook, 1930’s
  • Misc. letters to Catherine (Kitty) Ent

4. (Series 1.3) Jean Hopkins Culver Washington High School Memorabilia, 1945

  • 50th class reunion nametag
  • Commencement booklet
  •  “The Hatchet,” Washington High School newspaper

5. (Series 1.4) Norman Dryden, 1940’s

  • Photos, 1940’s
  • Telegram from Norman to Sarah Hopkins Dryden, 1945
  • Armed Forces certificate in memory of Norman R. Dryden, n.d.
  • Norman Dryden notebooks, 1940’s
  • letter from Sarah, certificate of service, notebooks, telegram

6.(Series 1.5) Sarah Hopkins Dryden, 1944

  • Poem letter written to her husband Norman R. Dryden
  • Letter to Catherine Hopkins, June 10, 1930

Series 2 (Organizations)

7. (Series 2.1) Photos, Pocahontas Oil Co. Annual Dinner, 1939-n.d.

8. (Series 2.1) Pocahontas Oil Co., 1930 – 1970’s

  • Catherine Ent Bookkeeper notepad, war memorial fund receipt, obituary of S.N. Holland Sr., newspaper clipping of Pocahontas float in 1951 Chicken Festival Parade (2004), photographs
  • Deposit slips and cheques of Salisbury National Bank, Co. Worker’s Class of Asbury M.E. Church, 1945 – 1947
  • Newspaper article, “Crusade in Europe,” by Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1948
  • Letters to Catherine (Kitty) Ent, 1970’s

9. (Series 2.1) Pocahontas Oil Co

  • Pocahontas Community Song Sheet booklet, Birthday Wishes from George and Barbara Bush (1992), photo of Pocahontas trucks, Sarah Dryden Secretary notebook
  • 25th Anniversary booklet covering the history of Pocahontas Oil Co.
  • 50th Anniversary newspaper notice, 1976
  • Photos of the Pocahontas Oil Co. boats

10. (Series 2.2) Exchange Club, Mason Dixon Chapter

  • Newspaper Clipping, exchange club winner, Chester Adams, n.d.
  • ·         Jerome Kern stamp
  • Catherine (Kitty) Ent, Exchange Club Resolution, June 10, 1989
  • Catherine (Kitty) Ent, Exchange Club Correspondence, 1989

11. (Series 2.2) Exchange Club Newsletters, program, proposal, annual report 1979-1989

12. (Series 2.2) Mason Dixon Exchange Club Directories, 1985 – 1988

13. (Series 2.3) Asbury United Methodist Church, Mount Vernon, MD., 1977-2002

  • Print of sketch of the Church by Edna Hopkins
  • Memoriam summary of donations, 1977
  • List of repairs done between 1997-2002
  • Photo of exterior of church, n.d.
  • Photo of interior of church, n.d.
  • Deposit slips & cheques for Salisbury National Bank, Co. Worker’s Class of Asbury M.E. Church
  • Book of cheques, First National Bank of Maryland, n.d.

Series 3 (Publications)

14. (Series 3.1) Misc. Publications, n.d.

  • Davis Esso, Commemorative Declaration of Independence, 1964
  • Commemorative Bill of Rights, 1976
  • Biden Campaign “In Thanks of your support,” addressed to Mr. Culver, n.d.

15. (Series 3.1) Kraft Food Marketing Materials, 1970 – 1980’s

  • Crystal Food Products – pamphlet of herbs & spices
  • Kraft recipes, 1976
  • Eagle Brand recipe book
  • Kraft Inc. Annual Report, 1987
  • Kraft Inc. Vol. 12 No. 4, 1988

16. (Series 3.1) Princess Anne Publications

  • Camp Somerset (Civilian Conservation Corp Camp) May Day Benefit Dance program, May 12 1943
  • Program for Olde Princess Anne Days, October 8 & 9, 1983
  • Lions Annual Variety Show of 1968 Program, March 4-6, 1968
  • One room schoolhouse class photo, believed to be Mt. Vernon, MD. School, late 18th/early 20th C.

17. (Series 3.1) Salisbury and Wicomico County Promotional Material

  • The Salisbury Magazine, Vol. 1 No.’s 1 & 2, 1976
  • Salisbury and Wicomico County Tourism and Commerce information brochure, n.d.
  • Maryland millennium celebration brochure, 2000
  • Wicomico County road map, n.d.

18. (Series 3.1) Nabb Center Calendars, 2000/2001

19. (Series 3.1) Vegetable Theatre, Smithsonian Institution, 1992

20. (Series 3.2) Eastern Shore Black History Program, 2021

21. (Series 3.2) Salisbury News & Advertiser Holiday Song Book, 1996

22. (Series 3.2) Newspaper Clippings, Pictures, 1992 – 1993

23. (Series 3.2) Articles on the Waterloo Mansion

24. (Series 3.2) Newspapers, 1960’s

  • The Sunday Times, Sept. 22, 1968 (partial paper)
  • The Daily Times, Oct. 15, 1969 (partial paper)
  • The Daily Times, Oct. 17, 1969 (front page)

25. (Series 3.2) Newspapers, 1970 - 1971

  • The Daily Times, May 6, 1970 (partial paper)
  • The Daily Times, May 6, 1970 (partial paper)
  • The Daily Times, May 7, 1970 (partial paper)
  • The Daily Times, Oct. 29, 1970 (partial paper)
  • The Baltimore Sun, Feb. 23, 1971 (partial paper)

26. (Series 3.2) Newspapers, 1973-1976

  • The Daily Times, Feb. 9, 1973 (partial paper)
  • The Sunday Times, Apr. 21, 1974 (Cook Book Supplement)
  • The Washington Star, Dec. 20, 1975 (Inside Football Report)
  • The Sunday Times, Feb. 8, 1976
  • The Daily Times, Sept. 26, 1976 (Bicentennial Cookbook)
  • Salisbury Advertiser, Sept. 30 – Oct. 6, 1976 (the Women’s section)

27. (Series 3.2) Newspapers, 1995 – 2011

  • The Daily Times, Sept. 1995 (Home section)
  • The Daily Times, Aug. 11, 1996 (partial paper)
  • The Daily Times, Aug. 22, 1996 (Home section)
  • The Daily Times, July 20, 2000 (Deer’s Head anniversary supplement)
  • The Daily Times, Aug. 14, 2003 (partial paper)
  • The Daily Times, Mar. 6, 2004 (partial paper)
  • The Daily Times, Apr. 6, 2005 (Frank Perdue feature)
  • The Daily Times, Nov. 2005
  • The Daily Times, Jan. 9, 2011 (partial paper)
  • The Washington Post, n.d. (WWII special supplement)

Box 3

1. (Series 3.3) Otis, A.S., Pope, F. (1944). Elements of Aeronautics. Published for the United States Armed Forces by World Book Company.

2. (Series 3.3) Lyon, T.C. (1945). Practical Air Navigation. 2nd Ed.  Civil Aeronautics Bulletin No. 24. United States Government Printing Office Washington. (book includes maps)

3. (Series 3.3) Haynes, B.C. (Jan. 1943). Meteorology for Pilots. Civic Aeronautics Bulletin No. 25. United States Government Printing Office Washington.

4. (Series 3.3) 1951 Aircraft Yearbook, 33rd Annual Edition. Aircraft Industries Association, Inc. The Lincoln Press, Inc.

5. (Series 3.3) Peck, G.W. (1900). Peck’s Uncle Ike and the Red Headed Boy Also Sunbeams Humor, Sarcasm, and Sense. Thompson & Thomas

6. (Series 3.3) Lindquist, G.E.E. (1944). The Indian in American Life. Friendship Press, Inc.

7. (Series 3.3) (1944). Pictorial History of the Second World War. Wm. H. Wise and Co., Inc. Vol. 2

8. (Series 3.3) Roos, F.J. Jr. (1947). An Illustrated Handbook of Art History.  The Macmillan Company.

9. (Series 3.3) (1911, 1929). Words Their Spelling Pronunciation Definition Application. 2nd Edition. The Gregg Publishing Company.

10. (Series 3.3) Tuyl, G.H.V. (1924). New Essentials of Business Arithmetic. American Book Company.

11. (Series 3.3) Baker, James W. (1925). 20th Century Bookkeeping and Accounting Part II. 15th Edition. South-Western Publishing Co.

12. (Series 3.3) Hakes, Adelaide B. (1925). Typewriting Speed Studies Revised Edition. Gregg Publishing Company.

13. (Series 3.3) (1929) Progressive Indexing and Filing for Schools. Library Bureau Division.

Box 4

1. (Series 3.3) Baker, J.W., Prickett, A.L., M.A. (1930). 20th Century Bookkeeping & Accounting Revised. Southwestern Publishing Company.

2. (Series 3.3) Reager, R.C. (1948). You Can Talk Well. Rutgers University Press.

3. (Series 3.3) Nock, M.L. (1979). It Was a Joy and a Pleasure. [Maryland? : The Author?]

4. (1942) Salisbury City Directory F189.S16 S25 1942

5. (1953) Salisbury City Directory F189.S16 S25 1953

6. (1961) Salisbury City Directory F189.S16 S25 1961

7. (Series 3.3) Anna Brotemarkle, A. & White, D. (1976). Lower Eastern Shore Patriot, Bicentennial Edition. Bicentennial Committee of Somerset, Wicomico, and Worcester.

Oversize Box

1. (Series 1.4) WWII Norman Dryden Scrapbook, 1940’s

  • Photos, including Norman, of WWII

2. (Series 1.2) Kitty Ent Chicago World Fair Scrapbook, 1934

  • scrapbook of a road trip taken by Kitty and Porter to visit the 1934 World’s Fair in Chicago and baseball cards.

3. (Series 3.2) The Saturday Evening POST, August 27, 1966

4. (Series 3.3) Collier’s World Atlas and Gazetteer, 1940

5. (Series 3.3) Atlas of Hunterdon County, N.J. Beers Comstock & Cline, 1873

6. (Series 1.5) WWII Sarah Dryden Scrapbook, 1940’s

  • Containing letters, booklets, newspaper clippings and notes from Norman, all pertaining to WWII. Notably, money – Lire, Francs, Yen, Shilling

7. (Series 3.2) PM Daily, June 8, 1944

Artifacts

Uncatalogued

Attachments

None