Guide to the Earley W. Bridges Papers, 1917 - 1967

Collection Number MC 28

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Collection Information
Abstract:

The Earley W. Bridges Papers are mainly comprised of materials relating to Masonic activities or organizations, with the majority focusing on the Greensboro Masonic Museum and the Masonic Fellowship Club of Greensboro, North Carolina. Also included in the collection are copies of poems written by Mr. Bridges while he was stationed in Greenville, South Carolina during World War I.

A veteran of World War I, Earley W. Bridges was initiated into the Freemasons in 1930. From that point onwards, he was very active member of the Greensboro No. 76 Lodge. Bridges had a particular interest in Masonic history and served as the first curator of the Greensboro Masonic Museum. He also wrote a number of books and pamphlets about Freemasonry and its history, as well as several histories of specific lodges.

Contact Information:
Special Collections Research Center
NCSU Libraries
Campus Box 7111
Raleigh, North Carolina
27695-7111 USA
Phone: (919) 515-2273
Fax: (919) 513-1787
URL: http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/specialcollections/
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Processed by
Jennifer McElroy, 2006 February
Encoded by
Jennifer McElroy, 2006 February

Descriptive Summary

Repository

North Carolina State University Libraries, Special Collections Research Center

Creator

Bridges, Earley Winfred, 1894 - 1974.

Title

Earley W. Bridges Papers, 1917 - 1967

Call Number

MC 28

Extent

0.25 linear feet, 1 half-box

Location

For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Special Collections Research Center Reference Staff.

Language of Material

English

Information for Users

Restrictions to Access

This collection is open for research; access requires at least 24 hours advance notice.
Acquisitions Information

Gift from Earley W. Bridges, September 1968 (Accession no. 1968-0007) and April 1969 (Accession no. 1969-0010).
Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Earley W. Bridges Papers, MC 28, Special Collections Research Center, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, NC
Copyright Notice

The nature of the NCSU Libraries' Special Collections means that copyright or other information about restrictions may be difficult or even impossible to determine despite reasonable efforts. The NCSU Libraries claims only physical ownership of most Special Collections materials.

The materials from our collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source.
Processing Information

Processed by Jennifer McElroy, 2006 February

Encoded by Jennifer McElroy, 2006 February

Biographical Note


Earley Winfred Bridges was born on August 18, 1894 in Franklin County, North Carolina. The son of John Joseph and Ida Lorena Carroll Bridges, he had twelve siblings, including William Stanley Bridges, a member of North Carolina State University's mechanical engineering faculty for forty-two years, and Henry L. Bridges, who was North Carolina State Auditor from 1947 until 1981. The Bridges family moved to Wakefield, North Carolina, in 1909 and Earley worked on the dairy and truck farm his father helped operate.

In the spring of 1917, Bridges enlisted as a private in Company B of the 3rd North Carolina Regiment of the National Guard. His company was called up for active duty and he trained in Raleigh before heading to Camp Sevier in Greenville, South Carolina. Bridges sailed to France in May 1918 and began serving in the front-line trenches. On September 29, 1918, during the offensive which broke the Hindenburg line, Bridges was wounded. Several months later, the wounds on his right leg necessitated amputation. For his service and injuries in the first World War, Bridges earned four medals: the Purple Heart, a Victory medal, the North Carolina medal, and the Daughters of the Confederacy's Cross of Military Service.

Bridges was discharged from the army in November 1919 and enrolled in North Carolina State College of Agriculture and Engineering (later North Carolina State University) the next month. He received a B.S. in Business Administration in 1924, and did graduate work from September 1924 until June 1925. Bridges then worked as a high school teacher in Florida for one school year before moving to Greensboro, North Carolina, where he was employed by the Dixie Fire Insurance Company as a bookkeeper until 1930. He married Emily Lena Smith on August 4, 1928.

Throughout his life, Bridges was extremely active in the Masons. He was initiated into the Greensboro Lodge #76 in 1930 and held several offices in the Lodge, including Master and Treasurer. Bridges had a particular interest in Masonic history and, after the creation of the Greensboro Masonic Museum in 1932, he was elected its first curator and librarian. In 1933 he was also elected to the position of lodge historian. Bridges also wrote a number of books and pamphlets about freemasonry and elements of Masonic history. Among the titles are The Masonic Governors of North Carolina and Tokens: A Composite And Critical Study of a Great and Important Masonic Subject . He also produced the histories of several chapters or lodges, including: Greensboro Lodge No. 76, Chorizon Chapter No. 13, Ivanhoe Commandery No. 8, and Tabasco Lodge No. 271. Bridges received the Joseph Montfort Medal for Distinguished Masonic service in 1966.

Earley W. Bridges died on Oct. 17, 1974.

Scope and Content Note


The Earley W. Bridges Papers are comprised of photocopies of newspaper clippings, periodicals, a pamphlet, and reports. These materials relate generally to Masonic activities or organizations, with the majority focusing on the Greensboro Masonic Museum and the Masonic Fellowship Club of Greensboro, North Carolina. Also included in the collection are photocopies of poems written by Mr. Bridges between 1917 and 1918 while he was stationed at Camp Sevier in Greenville, South Carolina. The papers date from 1917 to 1967.

Organization of the Collection


The collection is organized by subject.

Online Catalog Terms


The following terms have been used to index the guide to the collection in the NCSU Library's online catalog.

Individuals

  • Bridges, Earley Winfred, 1894 - 1974.

Topics

  • Freemasonry--History--North Carolina.
  • Freemasons. Greensboro Lodge No. 76.
  • World War, 1914-1918--Poetry.

Geographic Names

  • Greensboro (N.C.)--History.
  • Camp Sevier (S.C.).

Detailed Description of the Collection

  • Reports/Acquisitions of the Greensboro Masonic Museum, 1956 - 1967 [MC 28 Half Box 1, Folder 1]
  • Bridges, Earley Winfred. "Masonic Fellowship Club of Greensboro, North Carolina, 1936," 1968. [MC 28 Half Box 1, Folder 2]
  • The Orphans' Friend and Masonic Journal, 1939 - 1957 [MC 28 Half Box 1, Folder 3]
  • The Orphans' Friend and Masonic Journal, 1958 - 1966 [MC 28 Half Box 1, Folder 4]
  • The North Carolina Mason, 1968 March [MC 28 Half Box 1, Folder 5]
  • Newsclippings about the Greensboro Masonic Museum, 1933 - 1945 [MC 28 Half Box 1, Folder 6]
  • Newsclippings about the Greensboro Masonic Museum, 1946 - 1955 [MC 28 Half Box 1, Folder 7]
  • Poetry, 1917 - 1918 [MC 28 Half Box 1, Folder 8]