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McCart Family Papers

 Collection
Identifier: MSS-537-BC

Scope and Content

The McCart family papers represent the combined efforts of Ethel W. Sly McCart and of her husband William Henry McCart. Ethel's meticulous efforts to construct a scrap book of newspaper clippings, military correspondence and letters of affection are of special interest. Ethel McCart's papers contain insightful information of her unconventional career and impressions of daily life as a corporal in the U.S. Marine Reserve. War correspondence, diaries and photographs document her unique career in the untraditional role as a corporal in the first World War.

The bulk of the McCart family papers consist of what has survived of William McCart's papers. High school exam papers, war correspondence, address booklets and newspaper clippings punctuate events in his life which reveal a somewhat fragmentary view of this war veteran. William and Ethel's involvement in mining is also represented as well as a collaborative journal of their mining endeavors. What may be of special interest is a genre of letter writing not often assembled. After Ethel died, William joined a Lets Get Acquainted club and saved many pieces of correspondence. Letter writing of this specific type, 1957-1968 represents a particular sociological phenomena.

Dates

  • 1916-1968

Creator

Language of Materials

English

Access Restrictions

The collection is open for research.

Copy Restrictions

Limited duplication of CSWR material is allowed for research purposes. User is responsible for compliance with all copyright, privacy, and libel laws. Permission is required for publication or distribution.

Biographical Information

Corporal Ethel W. Sly McCart was born in 1891 in Trinidad, Colorado. She was in the Marine Corps Reserve during World War I and rose to the rank of corporal on May 23, 1919. Stationed in Washington D.C. in the Adjutant and Inspector's Department, her travels as a corporal include Paris Island South Carolina, New York, Maryland and Quantico, Virginia. Ethel McCart was an illuminating diarist producing three diaries in the years 1935, 1936 and 1937. During the 1940s she was an aspiring amateur short story writer. Moreover, she collaborated with her husband William Henry McCart a metallurgist in a joint mining operation as a miner and prospector. Ethel W. McCart died on July 26, 1957 and is buried at The National Cemetery in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

William Henry McCart was born on October 24, 1898. He was enlisted as a Private in the U.S. Marine Corps at Paris Island on June 11, 1918 and stationed at Norfolk Virginia. He was wounded while overseas, (July 22, 1918 - February 12, 1919) in the Dominican Republic at Santo Domingo City. Although his education was delayed due to the war, he later became a metallurgist, and exerced this knowledge in the McCart mining venture in New Mexico.

Extent

2 boxes (1.17 cu. ft.), plus oversize folder

Related Archival Material

Otero-Stinson Family Papers Center for Southwest Research, University Libraries, University of New Mexico Porter-Harvey Family Papers Center for Southwest Research, University of New Mexico
Title
Finding Aid of the McCart Family Papers, 1916-1968
Status
Completed
Author
Processed by CSWR Staff
Date
©2000
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding aid is in English

Revision Statements

  • June 28, 2004: PUBLIC "-//University of New Mexico::Center for Southwest Research//TEXT (US::NmU::MSS 537 BC::McCart Family Papers)//EN" "nmu1mss537bc.sgml" converted from EAD 1.0 to 2002 by v1to02.xsl (sy2003-10-15).
  • Monday, 20210524: Attribute normal is missing or blank.

Repository Details

Part of the UNM Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections Repository

Contact:
University of New Mexico Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections
University Libraries, MSC05 3020
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque NM 87131
505-277-6451