The Alan Crockwell Collection contains a variety of materials from different sources that document the history of Miami, Coconut Grove, Coral Gables, and greater Miami-Dade County. Much of the content is related to Ralph Middleton Munroe and his family. Topically, the papers also address criminal history in Miami-Dade County, historic buildings in Coconut Grove including the Barnacle and the Coconut Grove Library, the history of the University of Miami, and the early settling of Miami-Dade County. The dates of items range from 1873 into the 1970s.
This collection contains correspondence from the Barnott family, primarily letters to and from Mary A. Barnott, the wife of Edward Barnott. The two of them were early settlers of the Biscayne Bay area in the 1870s, and the family's letters document much of the day-to-day affairs of life in Miami at the turn of the 20th century. They were also close friends with William H. Gleason, the founder of the Biscayne community, and his family, all of whose correspondence with the Barnotts can be found in this collection. Furthermore, the collection contains other archival materials, such as clippings, notes, old checks, and advertisements.
