The Christensen family papers trace the lives and varied interests of their six children and many grandchildren. From running the family business to teaching school in Tennessee to serving as a state legislator to working as an engineer on the Savannah River Plant, the Christensen children and grandchildren participated in a wide range of activities in the South. This is largely reflected in the correspondence among family members that dates from the early 1880s through the 1980s. The papers of the Christensen family consist of approximately ten linear feet of materials documenting the lives of several generations. In date, the collection ranges from approximately 1806 to 1986, with the bulk of the papers falling between 1850 and 1935.
Correspondence is organized chronologically.
By and large, the collection consists of correspondence among family members the chief correspondent being Abbie Holmes Christensen. Also included are letters written to Niels Christensen from soldiers during the Civil War. Correspondence dating from 1893 and 1894 touches upon the effects of the hurricane that devastated the Beaufort area. Of particular note is a letter to Niels from Clara Barton, president of the American National Red Cross, thanking the Christensens for their donation of clothes to hurricane victims. Personal papers include materials relating to individual members of the Christensen family, as well as to the extended Holmes and Winch families.