%xmlchars; ]> mc00304 Guide to the Perry-Wynns Fish Company Records, 1949 - 1993 Processed by: Stephanie A. Horowitz; machine-readable finding aid created by: Stephanie A. Horowitz North Carolina State University Libraries' Special Collections Department

Campus Box 7111 Raleigh, NC 27695-7111

2005 Machine-readable finding aid derived from xml authoring program. Date of source: January, 2005 Finding aid written in English Guide to the Perry-Wynns Fish Company Records, 1949 - 2002 MC 304 North Carolina State University Libraries' Special Collections Department Contact Information: &ncsuaddr; Processed by Stephanie A. Horowitz Date Completed March, 2005 Encoded by Stephanie A. Horowitz Descriptive Summary North Carolina State University. Libraries. Special Collections Dept. Perry-Wynns Fish Company The Perry-Wynns Fish Company Records, 1949 - 2002 MC 304 2021 43.5 The Perry-Wynns Fish Company Records contain the business records, including financial, payroll, sales, and fishing information, of the Perry-Wynns Fish Company (alternatively known as the Perry-Wynns Fishery) of Colerain, North Carolina, on the Chowan River. The papers date from 1947 to 2002. The Perry-Wynns Fish Company was formed in 1952 when L. D. Perry and Leo Wynns formed a partnership to run a herring packing plant in Colerain, North Carolina on the western shore of the Chowan River. Incorporated in 1966, the company was, for decades, the largest freshwater herring fishery in the world, packing both herring and herring roe under the Tidewater Brand, the Bertie Brand and Chowan's Best. In September 2003, Hurricane Isabel destroyed nine of the fishery's eleven buildings, putting the company out of business. off-site For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Special Collections Research Center Reference Staff. Information for Users Restrictions to Access

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

The Perry-Wynns Fish Company Records were a gift of the Perry-Wynns Fish Company on March 13, 2001 and of Lois Fischer Black on March 23, 2002.

Acquisitions Information

The Perry-Wynns Fish Company Records were a gift of the Perry-Wynns Fish Company on March 13, 2001 and of Lois Fischer Black on March 23, 2002.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of Item], Perry-Wynns Fish Company Records, MC 304, Special Collections Department, North Carolina State University Libraries, Raleigh, North Carolina.

North Carolina State University does not own copyright to this collection. Individuals obtaining materials from the NCSU Libraries' Special Collections Department are responsible for using the works in conformance with United States copyright law as well as any donor restrictions accompanying the materials.

Historical Note

The Perry-Wynns Fish Company was formed in 1952 when L.D. Perry and Leo Wynns formed a partnership to run a herring packing plant in Colerain, North Carolina on the western shore of the Chowan River. The company was incorporated on February 7, 1966. For decades, it was the largest freshwater herring fishery in the world, packing both herring and herring roe under the Tidewater Brand, the Bertie Brand and Chowan's Best. It also ran a restaurant, the Sea Gull Cafe, that was open for lunch during the herring season in March and April. During the Perry-Wynns Fish Company's height, it hired up to 200 seasonal and permanent employees. During the 1990s, the number of herring in the Chowan River fell, and the business shrank to a point where it hired 25 seasonal employees and had ten full-time employees. The company also began packing herring, mackerel and mullet caught elsewhere, rather than processing fish caught locally in the Chowan River. In September 2003, Hurricane Isabel destroyed nine of the fishery's eleven buildings, putting the company out of business.

Scope and Content Note

The Perry-Wynns Fish Company Records include volumes of employee records (including salary information), records of fish caught and packed, and books of sales and general financial information. Also included is a subsequent addition of five photographs.

Organization of the Collection

The Perry-Wynns Fish Company Records are organized into four series: Employee Records, Financial Records, Catch Records, and Photographs.

Online Catalog Headings Fisheries Fisheries--Atlantic States Fisheries--Economic aspects--North Carolina Fisheries--North Carolina Fisheries--North Carolina--Chowan River Fishery processing industries--North Carolina Fishery processing industries--North Carolina--Employees Herring fisheries--North Carolina Perry-Wynns Fish Company Perry-Wynns Fishery Detailed Description of the Collection Series 1 Employee Records, 1951-1973 10 boxes2.5 linear feet

This series contains payroll records for the Perry-Wynns Fish Company's seasonal and permanent employees. The volumes have been arranged chronologically.

1 1Employee records, 1951 1 2Employee records, 1952 1 3Employee records, 1953 1 4Employee records, 1954 1 5Employee records, 1955 2 1Employee records, 1956 2 2Employee records, 1957 2 3Fish Cutters, 1958 2 4Fish Cutters, 1959 2 5Roe Pickers, 1959 2 5Fish Cutters, 1963 3 1Employee records, 1960 3 2Fish Cutters, 1960 3 3Roe Pickers, 1960 3 4Employee records, 1960-1961 3 5Employee records, 1961 4 1Fish Cutters, 1961 4 2Roe Pickers, 1961 4 3Employee records, 1962 4 4Roe Pickers and Fish Packers, 1962 4 5Fish Cutters, 1963 5 1Roe Pickers, Fish Packers, and Skinners, 1963 5 2Fish Cutters, Men and Women, 1964 5 3Roe Pickers, Fish Packers, and Skinners, 1964 5 4Additional Cutters, 1964-1965 5 5Regular and Off-season Fish Packers, July 4, 1964-June 25, 1966 6 1Labor, 1965 6 2Roe Pickers, Skinners, and Fall Fish Packers, 1965 6 3Regular Payroll, 1966 6 4Men and Fish Cutters, 1966 6 5Roe Pickers, Skinners and Fall Packers, 1966 7 1Men and Fish Cutters, 1967 7 2Roe Pickers, Skinners, and Fall Packers, 1967 7 3Men's Working Hours, 1967-1968 7 4Men (Night Workers), 1967-1970 7 5Regular Payroll, 1968 8 1Men and Fish Cutters, 1968 8 2Roe Pickers and Skinners, 1968 8 3Roe Pickers, Fall Packers, and Skinners, 1969 8 4Seasonal Men and Fish Cutters, 1969 8 5Roe Pickers, Fall Packers, and Skinners, 1970 9 1Regular Employees, 1970-1971 9 2Seasonal Fish Cutters, 1970-1971 9 3Roe Pickers, Skinners, and Packers, Fall 1971 9 4Men (Night Workers), 1971-1973 9 5Regular Employees, November 4, 1971-November 1, 1973 10 1Roe Pickers, Skinners, and Fall Packers, 1972 10 2Fish Cutters, 1972-1973 10 3Roe Pickers, Skinners, and Fall Packers - Seasonal Operations, 1973 Series 2 Financial Records, , 1949-1970 21 volumes25 linear feet

The Financial Records series contains volumes of the Perry-Wynns Fish Company's financial information, including sales, purchase, and payroll records. The volumes have been arranged chronologically.

11 Financial records1949 June - 1952 April 12 Financial records1952 13 Financial records1953 14 Financial records1953-1958 15 Financial records1954 16 Financial records1955 17 Financial records1956 18 Financial records1957 19 Financial records1958 20 Financial records1959 21 Financial records1960 22 Financial records1961 23 Financial records1962 24 Financial records1963 25 Financial records1964 26 Financial records1965 27 Financial records1966 28 Financial records1967 29 Financial records1968 30 Financial records1969 31 Financial records1970 Series 3 Catch Records, , 1950-1995 10 boxes16 linear feet

The Catch Records series includes records of the numbers of fish caught by Perry-Wynns Fish Company employees in individual years. The records have been arranged chronologically.

32 1Catch records1950-1952 32 2Catch records1953 32 3Catch records1954 32 4Catch records1955 32 5Catch records1956 33 1Catch records1957 33 2Catch records1958 33 3Catch records1959 33 4Catch records1960 33 5Catch records1961 34 1Catch records1962 34 2Catch records1963 34 3Catch records1964 34 4Catch records1965 34 5Catch records1966 34 6Catch records1966-1968 34 7Catch records1967 35 1Catch records1968 35 2Catch records1969 35 3Catch records1970 35 4Catch records1970-1971 35 5Catch records1971 35 6Catch records1972 35 7Catch records1972-1974 36 1Catch records1973 36 2Catch records1974 36 3Catch records1975 36 4Catch records1975-1977 36 5Catch records1976 36 6Catch records1977 36 7Catch records1978 37 1Catch records1978-1979 37 2Catch records1979 37 3Catch records1980-1981 37 4Catch records1980-1983 37 5Catch records1982 37 6Catch records1983 37 7Catch records [File 1 of 2]1984 38 1Catch records [File 2 of 2]1984 38 2Catch records1985 39 1Catch records1985-1989 40 1Catch records1985-1995 40 2Catch records1987 40 3Catch records1988 41 1Catch records1990-1993 41 2Catch records1994-1995 Series 4 Photographs, , 2002 1 folder

Five photographs were taken of the Perry-Wynns Fish Company by Lois Fischer Black, NCSU Libraries Special Collections Research Center, following the company's donation of its records to North Carolina State University.

42 Photographs2002