Cameron Family Letters

Collection

Identifier: SC-MS-194

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Cameron Family Letters contain the writings of the Cameron family over two generations, from 1910-2005, with the bulk between Bruce B. Cameron Sr. and Lottie Fales Cameron from 1912-1914. Most letters are photocopies of the originals, which are not included. Beginning with former Wilmington mayor Bruce B. Cameron’s letters to his wife Lottie Fales while they were dating, the letters show Bruce’s life in Wilmington compared to Lottie’s time studying at Meredith College in Raleigh. A few letters from Lottie’s mother, Margaret D. Hewlett Fales, to Lottie are also included. The second part of the collection contains letters from Daniel D. Cameron, Bruce and Lottie’s son. His letters discuss his time abroad as a soldier in World War II, beginning a few days after the invasion of Normandy. An interview with Daniel in 2002 is included, as well as the program from his funeral in 2005.

Dates

1912-1914 (photocopies), 1944 (photocopies), 2002, 2005
Majority of material found within 1912-1914 (photocopies)
Majority of material found within 1944 (photocopies)

Creator

Cameron, Bruce Barclay, 1890-1944 (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research use.

Copyright Statement

Copyright University of North Carolina at Wilmington, all rights reserved. Certain items in this collections were conveyed to UNCW without the accompanying copyright. Where the donor did not convey copyright to UNCW, copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.

Biographical Note

Bruce Barclay Cameron was born in 1890 and lived in Wilmington most of his life. He worked at MacMillan and Cameron (the family auto parts and oil distributor business) and married his wife Lottie in August of 1915. Lottie Fales Cameron was born in 1894 in Wilmington, NC. She attended Meredith College from 1912-1914, returning home to marry Bruce. Bruce and Lottie had two children, Daniel D. Cameron and Bruce B. Cameron Jr. Cameron Sr. died in July of 1944, while serving as mayor of Wilmington (1943-1944) and while his son Daniel was serving overseas in World War II. Lottie passed away in October 1960.

Daniel David Cameron was born in 1921 in Wilmington, NC. He attended New Hanover High School in 1938, and in 1942, he graduated from the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia with a Commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. Cameron served in WWII and arrived at Normandy Beach on D Day + 3. After the war ended, Cameron returned to Wilmington and got involved in local government and business, even becoming mayor (1955-1957) like his father. Cameron was instrumental in creating the Committee of 100, which helped revitalize industry in the area after the departure of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad. He also contributed to the development of Figure Eight Island with his brother Bruce Jr. In 2005, Daniel passed away, and he is buried in Oakdale Cemetery with Bruce and Lottie.

Sources: FindAGrave.com, Ancestry

Extent

2 Containers (Contains 2 document boxes.)

Language

English

Additional Description

Arrangement

This collection is arranged in three series: Series 1 contains letters between Bruce B. Cameron and Lottie Fales, as well as two letters to Lottie from her mother, Margaret D. Hewlett Fales. Series 2 contains letters from Daniel D. Cameron to his parents, Bruce B. and Lottie F. Cameron. Most describe his experiences as a US soldier during WWII. Series 3 contains letters between various members of the Cameron family, as well as materials about the Fales family and ephemera.