Tanner Lumber Company collection

Collection

Collection number: MSS-092

Scope and Contents

The collection consists of records pertaining to the Tanner Lumber Company and its predecessor, the Dozier Company, and those pertaining to the president of the company, J.B. Tanner, and his family. Included in the business series are checks and ledgers, blank Tanner Lumber Co. forms, and ephemera, such as stickers, postcards, and aprons. The records in the Dozier Company subseries include pricing quotations and receipts from various companies, as well as correspondence documenting business operations. Of particular note are letters from 1931 regarding contract bids for Hirsch Hall and Brown Hall at the University of Georgia. Also within the business series are records from Athens Market Inc. The Athens Market subseries consists largely of checks from The Citizens and Southern Bank, as well as correspondence documenting farming operations, shipment of products, and contracts for local farmers.

The second series consists of documents belonging to Walterette Arwood, J.B. Tanner’s wife, and her sister, Katherine Arwood, as well as press clippings and photographs of Jessie J. Mize, the second aunt of JoNan Ritchie-Tanner, J.B. Tanner Jr.’s wife. There are also commencement programs belonging to Frank Telford Ritchie Jr. and Horace Bonar Ritchie Jr., the father and uncle of JoNan Ritchie-Tanner, respectively, and one belonging to J.B. Tanner Jr.’s daughter. Also included are a cookbook in which a recipe from JoNan Ritchie-Tanner is featured, and multiple Athens High School reunion booklets in which J.B. Tanner Jr. and JoNan Ritchie-Tanner are featured.

Dates

1921 - 2008

Conditions Governing Access

This collection has no restrictions. This collection is open to the public. Library policy on photography and photocopying will apply. Advance notice may be required. Apply in the Heritage Room for access.

Biographical / Historical

J.B. Tanner (1906-1995) initially worked as a salesman for the Dozier Company until 1947 when he became the company’s vice president. At this point, the company became known as the Dozier-Tanner Lumber Company, with A.W. Dozier serving as president and W.B. Dozier as the Secretary-Treasurer. In 1955, the company was fully bought out by J.B. Tanner, after which it became the Tanner Lumber Company. The company operated out of what is now known as the Tanner Building at 199 Fulton St. from 1947-1995. The Tanner Building was bought by the University of Georgia in 1996, and is now the home of the Environmental Planning and Design program.

Within the collection, there are also records pertaining to Athens Market Inc., although the relationship between this business and that of the Tanner Lumber Company is unknown. Athens Market Inc. was a short-lived business that operated out of a warehouse located at 217 Thomas St. from April 1927 until November 1927. The purpose of the business was to buy and sell farm products including produce, machinery, and accessories, and to manufacture agricultural supplies. Frank C. Neel served as the president and Fred Voyles served as the Secretary-Treasurer.

Extent

4.61 Linear Feet (Six legal documents boxes, two oversize boxes)

Language

English

Additional Description

Overview

The Tanner Lumber Company was an Athens-based company that sold builders’ and artists’ materials until 1996. The collection includes documents and ephemera belonging to the company, as well as miscellaneous materials from two other local businesses, the Dozier Company and Athens Market Inc. Also included in the collection are family records of the company’s president, J.B. Tanner.

Arrangement

The collection is organized in two series, with the first having three subseries: Series I. Business records Subseries I. Tanner Lumber Company Subseries II. The Dozier Company Subseries III. Athens Market Inc. Series II. Family materials

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Terrie J. Tanner-Callahan

Related Materials

Charles A. Rowland IV collection, MSS 002, Heritage Room, Athens-Clarke County Library

Related Materials

J. Tanner collection of Clarke Central High School memorabilia, MSS 024, Heritage Room, Athens-Clarke County Library

Separated Materials

The following were separated from the collection: The University of Georgia 1983 fact book was moved to Dr. Gwen Wood Fact Books; copy of Cobern F. Kelley’s Good Thoughts YMCA notebook belonging to Cobern F. Kelley was moved to vertical file, Social organizations--Young Men’s Christian Organization (YMCA). Athens Woman's Club Cookbook was moved to the Heritage Room catalog. The following were moved to the Heritage Room’s map collection: 2004 Georgia state parks and historic sites guide, 2005-2006 Athens visitor guide, 2013 Georgia state parks and historic sites guide, 2017-2018 map of Georgia, The State Botanical Garden of Georgia visitor guide and map, The Garden Club of Georgia visitor guide, City of Metter, Georgia visitor guide.

Physical Description

Fair to good

Deaccessions

The following were deaccessioned because they are located in the library catalog: Sketches of Rabun County History by Andrew Jackson Ritchie, Threads of Ancestors by Leila Ritchie Mize and Jessie Julia Mize, and Kelley’s Boys by Darrell Huckaby. A 2009 Athens and Clarke County street map, and 2000’s Downtown Athens map and guide were deaccessioned because they are located in the Heritage Room’s map collection. The following instruction sheets were deaccessioned: Instructions for Using the "Dick Smith" Self-Feed Nail Stripper, Instructions for Using the Singer Sewing Machine, and Instructions for Using the Singer Manufacturing Co.'s Attachments.