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Henrietta P. Collins

Henrietta P. Collins was secretary of the Orange County chapter of the American Red Cross, organized in Hillsborough in June and July 1917, after serving on the Daughters of the Confederacy committee that set out to form it. She taught the chapter's children's knitting class and in May 1918 became chief clerk of its women's work.

Source: State Archives of North Carolina, Military Collection, WWI Papers, Box 2, Folder 37: Orange County Red Cross History (typescripts, 1918-1919), scans 1-12

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Life and Orange County connections

Dated events connected with this person, earliest first. See these 7 dated events in the chronology →

  1. Hillsborough children aged six to sixteen learn to knit for soldiers in a Red Cross class Henrietta P. Collins and Mrs. J. Cheshire Webb taught girls and boys from six to sixteen to knit wash cloths for soldiers, using knitting cotton that Daniel Miller and Co. of Baltimore donated through Lillie Bivins. The room was full at every meeting, and the better knitters moved on to wool; by October about fifty children were knitting for the chapter. People: Henrietta P. CollinsSearch the index · State Archives of North Carolina, Military Collection, WWI Papers, Box 2, Folder 37: Orange County Red Cross History (typescripts, 1918-1919), scan 5
  2. The Daughters of the Confederacy in Hillsborough move to start a Red Cross chapter At its May 1917 meeting the Gen. George B. Anderson Chapter, United Daughters of the Confederacy, discussed the war, and presiding officer Rebecca Cameron named a committee to form a Red Cross chapter in Hillsborough. The committee wrote many letters for information, which led to the organizing meeting of June 1. People: Henrietta P. CollinsSearch the index · State Archives of North Carolina, Military Collection, WWI Papers, Box 2, Folder 37: Orange County Red Cross History (typescripts, 1918-1919), scan 1
  3. Hillsborough residents meet at the Session House library to organize a Red Cross chapter About thirty people met in the library at the old Session House on June 1, 1917, heard Sarah Cheshire of Raleigh explain Red Cross work with sample bandages, and joined the Red Cross. They chose J. C. Webb temporary chairman, Henrietta P. Collins secretary and Rev. T. M. Grant treasurer, and set a mass meeting for June 4. People: John W. Graham, Henrietta P. Collins, J. Cheshire WebbSearch the index · State Archives of North Carolina, Military Collection, WWI Papers, Box 2, Folder 37: Orange County Red Cross History (typescripts, 1918-1919), scan 1
  4. The Orange County Red Cross chapter organizes permanently under John W. Graham At a court house meeting on July 5, 1917, the chapter read its national authority to organize with jurisdiction over all of Orange County except Chapel Hill and elected Maj. John W. Graham chairman, with Henrietta P. Collins as secretary and Margaret Forrest as treasurer. The Red Cross Central Committee's recognition letter followed on July 17. People: John W. Graham, Henrietta P. CollinsSearch the index · Documenting the American South: A Record of the War Activities in Orange County, North Carolina, 1917-1919, p. 30
  5. The Orange County Red Cross reports 455 members at its first annual meeting At a public meeting in the Hillsborough court house, chairman John W. Graham reported 455 members since June 4, branches at Cedar Grove and New Hope, an auxiliary for Black residents, a case of 1,453 surgical dressings shipped to Atlanta, about 150 knitters, and $1,535.43 given. The officers were re-elected, and Capt. Stuart Allen of Canada's Princess Patricia regiment spoke on the fighting in France. People: John W. Graham, Henrietta P. CollinsSearch the index · State Archives of North Carolina, Military Collection, WWI Papers, Box 2, Folder 37: Orange County Red Cross History (typescripts, 1918-1919), scan 7
  6. Mrs. J. Cheshire Webb is named the Orange County Red Cross's director of woman's work At the request of Mrs. John W. Grant, the executive committee named Mrs. J. Cheshire Webb director of woman's work on May 11, 1918, and set supervisors over the work: Sue B. Hayes for surgical dressings, Mrs. S. Strudwick for hospital garments, Mrs. W. H. Webb for supplies and shipping, and Henrietta P. Collins as chief clerk. People: Henrietta P. CollinsSearch the index · State Archives of North Carolina, Military Collection, WWI Papers, Box 2, Folder 37: Orange County Red Cross History (typescripts, 1918-1919), scan 12
  7. The Orange County Red Cross forms a canteen committee to give packages to men leaving for camp On September 2, 1918 the chapter appointed a canteen committee of five women, each to add another, with authority to buy supplies for packages worth up to a dollar for men leaving Hillsborough for camp. In October the Chapel Hill chapter offered to share the cost, since the men came from all parts of the county. People: Henrietta P. Collins, George HoweSearch the index · State Archives of North Carolina, Military Collection, WWI Papers, Box 2, Folder 37: Orange County Red Cross History (typescripts, 1918-1919), scan 14

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