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Benjamin Franklin Kennerly papers

1 carton, 1 overize box (1.75 linear feet)

(1868 – 1982)

bulk 1897-1917

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

Identifier 2008.093
Creator(s) Kennerly, Benjamin Franklin
Acquisition

The Benjamin Franklin Kennerly papers were donated to the Nabb Research Center by Anne Morris Clay, June 2008.
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 Jennifer H. Piegols, April 2017.
Related Materials None
Separated Materials See Nabb Center Staff
Abstract

The Benjamin Franklin Kennerly papers document the extensive business background of one of Salisbury, Maryland’s mayors. Correspondences and receipts, as well as ledgers and checkbooks, record the personal and business interactions of a small-town businessman at the beginning of the twentieth century. Correspondence and receipts dated after his death, created by his family members and business partners, provide insight into the elongated process of receiving life insurance and selling off businesses. The papers also include family photographs, advertisements, and other business notes and materials. The papers date from 1868-1982 and include modern publications referencing B. F. Kennerly and subjects he found interesting.

Biographical History

Benjamin Franklin Kennerly (July 23, 1862- May 17, 1915) was born and raised by his parents, John and Mary, in the Barren Creek district of Wicomico County, Maryland.  As a young man, he moved to Salisbury and married Ella Eversman (1869-1935) in 1891.  Together they had four children, Ruth, Benjamin Franklin III, Virginia, and Myra.  Over the course of his life, he participated in many business ventures and acted in leadership positions for a variety of companies.  His resume included a co-ownership of the Kennerly-Mitchell clothing store and the Kennerly-Shockley Company, which specialized in dry goods.  He was also a director of the Peoples National Bank, the Wicomico Building and Loan Association, and the Salisbury Realty Company.  On his personal time, he participated as a high-standing member of the Improved Order of Red Men in the State of Maryland.  In the last few years of his life, he served as the Mayor of Salisbury from 1912 to 1914. 

Arrangement Statement

Folders are listed by their location in each box; any given subject may be dispersed throughout the entirety of the collection.

Subject Terms

  • Topical Terms
    • Business
    • Politics
  • Corporate Names
    • Improved Order of Red Men
    • Kennerly and Mitchell Clothing Store
    • Salisbury Broom Company
    • Peoples National Bank
  • Personal Names
    • Harcum, Harry L. (1890-1970)
    • Kennerly, Benjamin Franklin (1862-1915)
    • Taylor, Walter ( )
  • Location Terms
    • Salisbury (Md.)

Inventory List

The inventory list for this item is hidden due to its length. Click the button below to view it.

Box 1

1.      Correspondence, 1868, 1897

2.      Correspondence, 1901-1910

3.      Correspondence, 1911-1914

4.      Correspondence, 1915-1916

5.      Correspondence, undated

6.      Photograph, Ruth and Benjamin Franklin, circa 1897

7.      Photograph, Ruth, Franklin, and Virginia, circa 1900

8.      Photograph, The Kennerly Family, 1902

9.      Photograph, Ruth, Uncle Bennie, Franklin, and Virginia, 1905

10.  Post Card, Residence of B.F. Kennedy, Salisbury, MD, undated

11.  Travel Tags and Railroad Ticket, undated

12.  Proposal, For Wharf Building, 1911 February 27

13.  Meeting Minutes, Various Committees, 1911

14.  List of Petit Jurors, April Term, 1914

15.  Pamphlet, Improved Order of Red Men, 58th Great Sun Session, undated

16.  Receipts, 1898-1910

17.  Receipts, 1911-1914

18.  Receipts, 1915-1917

19.  Receipts, undated

20.  Checks, 1904-1916

21.  Account Books, circa 1909-1913

22.  Business Notes and Calculations, undated

23.  Ledger, circa 1906-1910

24.  Ledger, Estate Records, 1914-1915

25.  Ledger, Salisbury Broom Company, Kennerly and Twilley, 1912-1916

26.  Ledger, Salisbury Broom Company, 1913

27.  Checkbook, Personal, 1915-1922

28.  Checkbook, Business Checks, Peoples National Bank, 1910-1915

29.  Checkbook, Salisbury Broom Company, 1913-1915

30.  Chart, Automobile and Boat Races, 1911 May 20

31.  Official Price List, Stratton Fire Clay Company, circa 1912

32.  Business Cards, undated

33.  Advertisement, Kellogg’s Toasted Corn Flakes, undated

34.  Lecture, What I Saw, Heard and Thought On My Trip to Europe, 1919

35.  Publication, The Maryland Act of Religious Toleration, circa 1949

36.  Publications, A Jaunt into the Dutch Country Part 1 and 2, circa 1952

37.  Publication, Indians in Seventeenth-Century Virginia, 1957

38.  Publication, The Past… A Bridge to the Future: City of Salisbury Sesqui Bi Centennial, 1982

39.  Publication, Indians, undated

40.  Newspaper Articles, circa 1906

41.  Information on the Kennerly Family House, 103 Elizabeth Street, Salisbury, Maryland, undated

 

Box 2

1.      Account Book, Business Transactions, 1914-1915

 

 

 

 

Artifacts

See Nabb Center Staff

Attachments

None