Archival Collection Inventory

Name:  John P. Stanley (1916-1985) Papers

 

 

Inclusive dates:  1884-1976                      Predominant dates:  1957-1967

 

Biographical/historical background:

John P. Stanley was born in Woodstown, NJ in 1916 and moved to Elkton, Maryland in 1919 when his father purchased the News Agency on West Main Street.  Stanley graduated from Elkton High School and attended Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland, from which he graduated in 1938 with a B.S. in chemistry.  After college, Stanley worked for the Cecil County Welfare Board as a social worker until March 1941, when he joined the US Army and served in Europe during World War II from 1943 to January 1946.  He returned to Elkton to operate the family business with his brother Arthur.  Stanley became very involved in community organizations, including the Civil Defense Command, YMCA, Maryland Municipal League, Sons of the American Revolution, Historical Society of Cecil County, and Cecil Watershed Association.  He served as Post Commander of the American Legion (1948), President of the Elkton Chamber of Commerce (1952), President of Associated Cecil Endeavors, member of the Board of Directors of the Peoples Bank of Elkton (1958-1985), Commissioner of the Town of Elkton (1955-1963) and President/Mayor of the Town Commissioners (1963-1967).  He died in 1985.

 

Scope and content:

The majority of this collection focuses on projects undertaken by the Town of Elkton during the time John Stanley was a Commissioner and Mayor, from 1955-1967.  At that time, Elkton undertook several projects relating to economic development, capital improvements and urban renewal.  Part of this process included the hiring of professional engineers and planners to conduct surveys and assess the infrastructure of the Town.  John Stanley collected publications, reports, correspondence and minutes related to these projects, and saved copies of speeches he presented to various community organizations.  Stanley kept a scrapbook to document his activities, and the progress of the various projects in which he was involved.  Also included in the papers are documents relating to other organizations of which Stanley was a member.  Stanley also kept records pertaining to his military service, including personal receipts, orders and record of promotions.

 

Types of materials (list all):

Letters, notes, maps, newspaper clippings, photographs (3), scrapbook, map

 

 

Volume or size (list all that apply):              


__4__  boxes

__1.5_ linear feet

_____ Number of items

___2 _ Number of oversized items

 

Physical condition (poor, fair, good, excellent):  Generally good; some newspaper clippings in poor condition because of age and acidity 

 

Describe preservation procedures:

            Documents have been stored in acid-free, lignin-free manuscript folders with a calcium carbonate buffer.  When necessary, multi-page and highly acidic materials have been separated from other items with a folder insert made of similar material in lighter weight stock.  Folders were then placed in lignin-free boxes with metal edge construction made from 60-pt board with a calcium carbonate buffer. 

            No repairs to documents were made; fragile items were placed in mylar sleeves for protection.  Paper clips were removed, but original staples left intact and documents separated from others.

            Scrapbook pages exceeded capacity of binding and are stored with the scrapbook; newspaper clippers intended for the scrapbook are stored in a separate folder with the other documents.  The scrapbook is stored flat in an oversized box. 

            An oversized map in two parts was previously laminated and rolled.  This is tied with linen tape and is located with the scrapbook in the oversized box.

 

Original or reproductions? 

Original handwritten documents; original newspaper clippings; original (carbon, photo static) copies of letters, reports; typewritten and photocopies of newspaper articles

 

Location of originals and/or duplicates?

It is unknown whether any duplicate copies of reports and other public documents exist in other repositories.

 

Provenance (history of custody of material):

Collected and created by John P. Stanley during his lifetime and passed to his daughter, Deborah Storke upon his death in 1985. 

 

Donor:  ­­­­­Deborah Stanley Storke

 

Accession number:     _______                                  Date received:  ­­­­­_________

 

 

Organization and arrangement:

 

Summary

The collection was only minimally organized by John P. Stanley, with the exception of the scrapbook which was left intact as compiled.  Some files were organized by organization or project.  These main categories were used to create an artificial structure for the collection by project or subject (i.e., planning, urban renewal, Elk Creek Watershed) or by organization (i.e., Elkton Chamber of Commerce); this structure is generally chronological.  Other publications and papers are grouped and organized chronologically.

 

Box 1: 

 

Folder 1:  Research paper, History of Art, ca. 1938

 

Folder 2:  Annual Reports, Town of Elkton, Maryland, 1939-1967

 

Folder 3:  Zoning Reports and Ordinances, 1925-1965

 

 

Folder 4:         Publications-Planning, Economic Development, Municipal                                                 Governance,             1960-1961

 

Folder 5:  Economic and Population Analysis of Elkton, Maryland, 1963

 

Folder 6:         Analysis of Existing Land Use and Development Potential and                                         Neighborhood Analysis of Elkton, Maryland, 1963

 

Folder 7:         Streets and Highways; Traffic and Parking and Water Supply and                                    Sewage Disposal in Elkton, Maryland, 1963

 

Folder 8:         Master Development Plan for Elkton, Maryland, 1963; Planning                                     Commission Correspondence, 1961-1963; Elkton Maps

 

 

Box 2

 

Folder 1:  John Stanley Notes, 1956

 

Folder 2:  Public Works Planning Information, 1956-1967

 

Folder 3:  Urban Renewal documents, 1965-1966

 

Folder 4:  Capital Improvements Program documents, 1961-1967

 

Folder 5:  Capital Improvements:  John Stanley speeches and notes

 

Folder 6:  Report on Public Opinion on Need for Sewage Treatment Plant, 1957

 

Folder 7:  Report on Public hearing on improvements to Elk River, 1967

 

Folder 8:  Elk Creek Watershed documents, 1959-1968

 

Folder 9:  Elk Creek Watershed documents, June-September 1969

 

 

Folder 10:  Elk Creek Watershed documents, October-December 1969

 

Folder 11:  Sewage Treatment Plant, 1957-1960

 

Box 3

 

Folder 1:  Elkton Housing Authority, 1950-1976

 

Folder 2:  Associated Cecil Endeavors/ Holly Hall Corporation, 1966-1989

Folder 3:  Elkton Chamber of Commerce

 

Folder 4:  YMCA

 

Folder 5:  American Legion records

 

Folder 6:  Sons of the American Revolution

 

Folder 7:  Historical Society of Cecil County

 

Folder 8:  Photographs

 

Folder 9:  Newspaper clippings

 

Folder 10:  Washington Bowed

 

Folder 11:  War records:  Special Orders, Records 1941-1944

 

Folder 12:  War records:  Special Orders, Records, 1945

 

 

Folder 13:  War records:  Personal records, 1941-1944

 

Folder 14:  War records:  Personal records, 1945-1948

Box 4:  Oversized

 

Collection of newspaper clippings, letters, programs relating to the public career of John Stanley, including his involvement in the American Legion, Elkton Chamber of Commerce, Maryland Municipal League, Peoples Bank of Elkton, Civil Defense Command, Historical Society of Cecil County and activities as Commissioner and Mayor of the Town of Elkton.  A few personal clippings are included.