Title: Divine Family Papers

Date/Date Range :   1871-1989 (bulk circa 1890-circa 1939)

Extent: 6.25 linear feet

Abstract:

Housed within the Divine Family Papers, 1871-1989, are correspondence, day books, photographs, legal and financial materials, newspaper articles, genealogical materials, and more, belonging primarily to the Divine Family of Tazewell and Johnson City, TN. Over half of the materials belonged to Major Paul E. Divine. The rest of the collection belonged to Major Divine's wife Lulu Belle Milburn, her parents W.E.F. and Ella Milburn, her brother Blaine Milburn, and Lulu and Paul's daughter Milburn "Sis" Divine.

Call number: MS-2555

Repository: University of Tennessee Special Collections Library, Knoxville, TN

Aquisition Information:

This collection was purchased in August 2004.

Access Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Copyright:

The copyright interests in this collection remain with the creator. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library.

Preferred Citation:

[Identification of Item], Divine Family Papers, MS-2555. University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Special Collections Library.

Collection consists of six boxes divided into nine series: Paul E. Divine; Lulu M. Divine; Divine Family Papers; Milburn Family Papers; Newspaper Articles; Photographs; Genealogical Research Materials; Miscellaneous; and Oversized.

Major Paul Eave Divine, military officer and lawyer, was born in May 20, 1871 to Dr. John W. and Mary Adelaide "Ada" (Newlee) Divine. His siblings include W.N. "Divy", John W., Liz, and Nelle (presumably married to A. Kellogg Sharp). He worked for Walter P. Brownlow, during his first term in office (1897-1901) and then for the National Soldiers' Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers in Jonesboro, TN. On May 20, 1911, he formed the legal firm of Guinn and Divine with David M. Guinn in Johnson City, TN. Previous partners included H.Y. Hughes and W.A. Owens.

Paul married Lulu Belle Milburn on September 27, 1906. She was born January 17, 1881, to William Elbert Franklin "Frank" and Florence Ella (Williams) Divine. She had a sister Frank Lee Milburn, who married Ralph D. Miller (Jan. 15, 1908 - Sept. 25, 1959) in Nov. 1904, as well as a brother named Blaine (b. c. 1888), who married an Eloise. She was postmaster for Johnson City, TN, in the 1920s and 1930s. On September 18, 1938, Lulu was tried for the shooting death of her son-in-law Reginald M. Randall. After deliberating for 10 minutes, the jury acquitted Lulu.

Before Paul died on April 17, 1935, and Lulu on October 13, 1955 (both are buried in Johnson City, TN), the couple had three daughters: Josephine, Florence Ella, and Milburn Adelaide "Sis" Divine. Sis was born on January 6, 1909. She married Reginald M. Randall on August 2, 1937, in Johnson City, TN. Lulu Divine shot Randall to death on July 21, 1938, while he was beating Milburn. She returned to "Miss Milburn Divine" and did not remarry. In 1943, she became a certified air traffic controller. She died on February 4, 2001, and is buried alongside her parents in Johnson City, TN.

Walter P. Brownlow, nephew of Senator William Gannaway "Parson" Brownlow, was born in 1851. He edited the Herald and Tribune in Jonesboro, TN, and was a U.S. Representative for Tennessee (1896-1910). Also, from 1902 until his death in 1910, he was a member of the Board of Managers for the National Soldiers' Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers.

Housed within the Divine Family Papers, 1871-1989, are correspondence, day books, photographs, legal and financial materials, newspaper articles, and more, belonging primarily to the Divine Family of Tazewell and Johnson City, TN. Over half of the materials belonged to lawyer Major Paul E. Divine. The rest of the collection belonged to Major Divine's wife Lulu Belle Milburn, her parents W.E.F. and Ella Milburn, her brother Blaine Milburn, and Lulu and Paul's daughter Milburn "Sis" Divine. There are also photographs, articles, genealogical records and other materials within the collection.

Dating primarily to the 1890s, 1900s, and 1930s, the contents of Series I: Paul E. Divine consist of legal and financial materials (e.g. affidavits, bills, account books), writings (e.g. speeches and diaries), published materials that were not written by him (e.g. congressional records, pamphlets, Brownlow speech), and portraits. There is also a large number of letters to and from family, U.S. Representative Walter P. Brownlow, and other Tennessee (especially Johnson City, TN, and Tazewell, TN) lawyers. Some of these are divided by correspondents, including "Josefina," Paul Divine's Spanish-speaking "lover" in Puerto Rico. Two of three miscellaneous folders include military and Spanish papers from Puerto Rico, where he was stationed during and after the Spanish-American War.

The second series, Series II: Lulu M. Divine, also includes financial and legal documents and correspondence with family, friends, and colleagues. There are also letters with U.S. Rep. Carroll Reece. Some miscellaneous items include maps, writings, etc. These date between the 1880s and 1930s -- letters from the 1880s-90s are with her parents. There are also many legal and financial documents that deal with the illness or death of Paul.

Series III: Divine Family Papers and Series IV: Milburn Family Papers includes documents belonging to Milburn Divine, Florence Divine, W.E.F. Milburn, or Blaine Milburn. The Milburn Divine folders contain correspondence, two books (including her 1937 wedding guest and gift registry book), and some miscellaneous items, which include her 1943 air traffic controller certification, drawings, etc. There is, however, only one item for Florence -- a certificate of confirmation from St. John's Church, Johnson City, TN, in 1931. The W.E.F. Milburn folders contain only some correspondence from 1882 to 1920. Finally, the Blaine Milburn folders contain letters, mostly from his father in 1908-11, and miscellaneous items, including a couple of University of Tennessee exams, an American University play program, etc.

Series V: Newspaper Articles is divided into seven folders. The first contains articles about Paul, Lulu, or Milburn Divine -- two articles report on Lulu's 1938-murder trial for shooting her son-in-law, Reginald Randall. The second folder contains bulletins, ads, etc. for the Republican Party -- very few documents are actually newspaper articles, in this folder only. The rest of the folders are divided by years -- 1890s-1910s, 1920s-30s, 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s-70s. Some articles from every folder have been removed to oversized folders.

Series VI contains photographs and negatives, as well as some of the envelopes they were in. Most of these are from the 1940s and 1950s. However, there is a photograph of "Paul E. Divine / age six months" from 1871. There is also one pin and one photograph encased in glass (broken but glued to the picture) from around the turn of the 19th century.

The genealogical materials in Series VII contain research notes and correspondence, pertaining to the Divines and many other families.

In the final series, Series VIII: Miscellaneous, are two folders, one with 1925 correspondence for a Mrs. Maude Lamb from Chas. F. Herms. It is uncertain to whom the miscellaneous documents in the second folder belonged. There includes a reception invitation, Hotel Broadway in Louisville, KY card, an unused 1948 calendar, a 15th birthday program from 1939 for the Johnson City Business and Professional Women's Club, and more.

Oversized materials have been removed to oversized boxes (boxes 5 and 6). Materials removed have been noted in the container list.

See also MS 2361: The Paul Divine Papers, 1892-1903.

• Divine family.
• Washington County (Tenn.) -- Genealogy.
• Washington County (Tenn.) -- History.
• Claiborne County (Tenn.) -- Genealogy.
• Claiborne County (Tenn.) -- History.
• Spanish-American War, 1898.