Dr. Frank Ainsley Papers

Dr. W. Frank Ainsley was a long-time professor in the Department of Geography and Geology at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. These papers contain materials collected by him during his academic and research careers and focus geographical concerns in southeastern North Carolina primarily during the 1970s to 1990s. Included are journal articles, newspapers, magazines, brochures, pamphlets, notes, photographs, correspondence, maps, and other similar research materials. Although the main focus of this collection is New Hanover County, it includes information on other North Carolina counties and the state more broadly.

Research completed on New Hanover County looks extensively at the structures and land use of the Airlie Road area, the farm colonies and expansion of companies owned by Hugh MacRae, and the structures and land use of the Greater Wilmington Area. There is a significant emphasis on maps in this collection, which include originals and photocopies, as well as Ainsley's handwritten annotations. Types of maps include those that detail natural land features, county lines, towns, neighborhoods, communities, and roads from the mid-1800s to the 1990s, illustrating how the region has grown and changed over time.