Skip to main content

Alfred Austell papers

 Collection
Collection number: ahc.MSS29

Scope and Content

These papers consist of various business and legal documents related to Alfred Austell's numerous business ventures. Included are land deeds, bookkeeping notes, checks, property insurance policies, bills, receipts, and photocopies of pages from Austell's letter book dealing with banking business, sale of cotton, and property acquisition and payment of personal notes. This collection also contains two pocket files, which are listed by month. The contents of these files have been left in the original order in which they were received (please see Box 3).

Dates

  • 1833-1962
  • Majority of material found within 1833 - 1889

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use

Unpublished manuscripts are protected by copyright. All requests to publish, quote, or reproduce must be submitted through the Kenan Research Center.

Administrative/Biographical History

Alfred Austell (1814-1881), merchant, financier, and cotton dealer, was born in East Tennessee on January 14, 1814, to parents Jane Wilkins and William Austell. He married Francina Cameron of LaGrange, Georgia in 1853, and they had four children, Alfred, Jr., Janie, Leila, and William. In 1865, Austell and E. W. Holland purchased the Bank of Fulton, and in 1865, he established the Atlanta National Bank. He served as President until his death. Austell was also a partner in a number of cotton brokerage firms including Austell and Camp, Austell and Inman, and Austell and Swann. In addition to his dealing in the cotton trade, Austell invested in real estate in Atlanta, Georgia, as well as railroads in several southern states. Austell also served on Atlanta's first board of education and on the finance committee of the First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta. He died on December 7, 1881 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Extent

2.92 linear ft. (3 document cases, 1 oversize box)

Language

English

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift, 1967 with subsequent additions.

Description Control

This collection was reprocessed in 1994.

Title
Alfred Austell papers
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding aid is written in English.

Repository Details

Part of the Kenan Research Center at Atlanta History Center Repository

Contact:
130 West Paces Ferry Road
Atlanta GA 30305
404-814-4040