Montgomery County, Virginia Introduction

Montgomery County, Virginia, Manuscript Guides

This image is from the Ingles Family Collection, Ms2002-021, which includes first available documentation of Mary Draper Ingles (kidnapped at Draper Meadows Massacre and later escaped from Shawnee Indian captivity.)

This guide describes manuscript collections documenting the history of Montgomery County, Virginia, in the Special Collections, University Libraries at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, or Virginia Tech. Personal papers such as correspondence and diaries, family papers and genealogical records, account books, organizational records, and business records are among the unique resources it describes.

The entries are arranged in alphabetical order. Each entry contains a biographical or organizational history (when available) and a description of the materials in the collection. The size of each collection is given in cubic feet (abbreviated "cu. ft."), with 0.1 cu. ft. the smallest designation used. Each collection has a manuscript number associated with it (for example, Ms94-001) as it's permanent identifying number. Patrons requesting collections should refer to the manuscript number and the collection title.

Many of the collections described have been donated to the University Libraries by individuals, families, businesses, and organizations. We are very grateful for their support in our efforts to help preserve the history of Montgomery County, and we welcome inquiries from persons with historical materials who are interested in preserving them. Collections placed in the University Libraries are preserved and protected, organized, publicized through guides such as this one, and made available to researchers.

The Special Collections is located on the first floor of Newman Library at Virginia Tech. Please refer to the general information page for hours and directions. Researchers interested in obtaining more information about any of the collections described below are invited to inquire in person or to contact:
Special Collections Online Reference, or (540) 231-6308 or
University Libraries
Special Collections
Virginia Tech
P.O. Box 90001
Blacksburg, VA 24062-9001

ACKLER, BRYAN. PAPERS, 1968-71. 1.0 cu. ft. Graduate of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (1971), and one of the founders and editors of Alice, a Blacksburg, Virginia, underground newspaper. Collection consists of issues of Alice (1968-71); a tape recording of a student reply to a University radio program about student unrest; and a paper written by Ackler, "Alice: The Study of a Free Press." Ms90-047.

ADAMS, ELIZABETH KENT (1908-1994). PAPERS, 1922-1987. 0.2 cu. ft. Resident of Radford, Virginia and local historian. Correspondence, newspaper clippings, genealogical charts, essays, and other materials related to the history of Southwest Virginia and of Adams' ancestral lines, especially the Cloyd, Kent, McGavock and Putnam families. Includes photocopy of the autobiography of A. W. Putnam, photocopies of James Randall Kent's will and inventory of debts, and photocopies and originals of other family papers. Finding aid available in EAD on the Virginia Heritage database. Ms90-045.

ADRIANCE, THOMAS J. (1937-96). PAPERS, 1980-95. 3.0 cu. ft. Associate Professor of History at Virginia Tech (1968-96). Educated at Dartmouth College (B.A., 1959) and Columbia University (Ph.D., 1968). Papers consist of approximately 700 performance programs of theatrical and musical productions given in the local Blacksburg and Southwest Virginia region, New York City, and cities in Europe, collected by Adriance. Programs include performances given by the Roanoke Symphony, Barter Theatre (Abingdon, Virginia), and the Metropolitan Opera. Finding aid available on the Virginia Heritage database. Ms96-003.

ALLEGHANY CHAPTER, NATIONAL SOCIETY OF THE DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. RECORDS, 1890-2008, n.d. 6.8 cu. ft. The Daughters of the American Revolution (D.A.R.) was formed in 1890 as an organization to perpetuate the memory and spirit of the men and women who achieved American Independence, to encourage historical research in relation Membership in the D.A.R. is eligible to "any woman 18 years or older, regardless of race, religion, or ethnic background, who can prove lineal descent from a patriot of the American Revolution." The Alleghany Chapter was organized in 1911 in Blacksburg, Virginia, of members who descended from the pioneers who held land in the New River section of the Allegheny Mountains. The records consist of rosters, D.A.R. magazines, constitutions and by-laws, minutes and membership ledgers, yearbooks, scrapbooks, news bulletins, obituaries of members, and the original charter of the chapter. Finding aid available on the Virginia Heritage database. Ms1995-019.

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY WOMEN (AAUW), 2001. Meeting programs and master video for 75th Anniversary Luncheon. Ms2001-067.

AMISS, EDWIN J. LAND GRANT, 1838. 0.1 cu. ft. Land grant signed by Governor David Campbell for 150 acres of land in Montgomery County to Amiss. Ms88-044.

APPALACHIAN ORAL HISTORY PROJECT. RECORDS, 1986-1991. 1.25 cu. ft. Oral history interviews conducted by students of Dr. Jean Speer and Dr. Bohland in the Department of Humanities at Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University. Interviewees include Frank W. Bannister, Lillie A. Beavers, Julia T. Bratton, Thomas Cartmel Brown, Carol M. Caldwell, Freeman A. Cockram, Virginia B. Creger, Robert and Josephine Dolinger, Ora Evans, Donald R. Fessler, Anne W. Frame, David H. Halsey. Mildred S. Richardson, Judith C. Sale, Elizabeth M. Weatherford. Restricted interview materials include Georgia Croy, Carlton Harmon, Jack and Lillian Minnick, Ellison A. Smyth, and Keith Webb. Materials consist of audiocassette and mini-cassette tapes, tape logs, and student photographs and essays about some interviewees. Transcript available for the Hamblin interview. Finding aid available in EAD on the Virginia Heritage Project database. Ms93-025.

APPERSON FAMILY; see BLACK, KENT, AND APPERSON FAMILIES, PAPERS OF, 1779-1984 (bulk 1821-1948). 7 l.f. John Samuel Apperson (1837-1908) served as a hospital steward under Dr. Harvey Black in the 4th Virginia Regiment and the field hospital of the Second Corps, Army of Northern Virginia, during the Civil War, and later became a doctor. Papers include Apperson's correspondence (ca. 1850-1900) and Civil War diaries (1861-65, 6 diaries); a medallion (1893) commemorating the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's discovery of America owned by John S. Apperson; the correspondence and genealogical notes (ca. 1920-85) of Mr. and Mrs. Alex Apperson; and a notebook containing a Blacksburg history (1944) by Mary Apperson. Also includes scrapbooks (1933-50) of clippings, correspondence, and telegrams with information about the political career of Harvey Black Apperson (1890-1948), who was a State Senator and Attorney General of Virginia. Includes leases and reports from the Blacksburg Mining and Manufacturing Company of Montgomery County, Virginia, of which Alex Apperson was a stockholder. Genealogical notes and sources compiled by Alex and Miriam Apperson include information on the Amiss, Crockett, Dudley, Mastin, Porter, Tynes, and Woodbridge families. The Appersons were connected by marriage to the Black and Kent families. Finding aid available in EAD on the Virginia Heritage Project database. Ms74-003.

ASSOCIATION FOR THE PRESERVATION OF VIRGINIA ANTIQUITIES, MONTGOMERY COUNTY BRANCH. RECORDS, 1754-1996. 6.0 cu. ft. Founded in 1889, the APVA has twenty branches which own and maintain historic properties. The Montgomery County branch maintains the Smithfield Plantation in Blacksburg. Records largely document the recent history of Smithfield, ancestral home of the Preston family, especially its restoration beginning in 1962. Includes correspondence of George Green Shackelford (then director of the Montgomery County APVA), minutes, reports, clippings, programs, photographs, and architectural drawings, as well as APVA annual reports, newsletters (1982-88), and issues of Discovery (1977-89). Also includes historical documents of and genealogical information about the Preston family. Finding aid available on the Virginia Heritage database. Ms62-001.

[ATTORNEY'S SUIT AND COLLECTION RECORD], 1896-1929. 0.1 cu. ft. Author unknown. Attorney records covering litigation in the town of Blacksburg, Virginia. Finding aid available on the Virginia Heritage database. Ms2008-052.

BANK OF BLACKSBURG [VIRGINIA]. MINUTE BOOK, 1892-1903. 1 vol. Photocopy of the minutes of stockholders' and directors' meetings. Ms83-004.

BARNETT, JAMES INVENTORY, 1811. 0.1 cu. ft. List of free Negroes and Mulattoes, compiled by James Barnett, district commissioner of revenue for Montgomery County, Virginia. List includes places of residence of the free persons as well as a brief job description. Finding aid available in EAD on the Virginia Heritage Project database. Ms2002-022

BARNETT, JOHN W. PATENT, 1879. 1 item. Broadside entitled "Instructions for Using John W. Barnett's Patent Process for Curing Leaf Tobacco. Patented January 7th 1879." Barnett is identified as a resident of Big Spring, Montgomery County, Virginia. Image available Ms98-002.

BELCHER, DALE. PHOTOGRAPHS, 1987-94. 34 items. Photographer of Floyd County, Virginia. Black & white photographs of scenes in Floyd, Lee, Montgomery, Patrick, and Scott counties, Virginia, and scenes in Kentucky and West Virginia, depicting the traditional culture of mountain people. Ms97-021.

BEVERLY, MOSES. LAND GRANT, 1792. 1 item. Grant for fifty acres in Montgomery County, Virginia, signed by James Monroe, then governor of Virginia. Ms86-017.

BICENTENNIAL COMMISSION [MONTGOMERY COUNTY, VIRGINIA]. RECORDS, 1973-77. 1.0 cu. ft. Commission organized to encourage county organizations to engage in Bicentennial commemorative programs. Records include correspondence, minutes, reports, and newsclippings. Ms76-001.

BIG VEIN ANTHRACITE COLLIERIES. RECORDS, 1926-1928. 0.1 cu. ft. Coal mining operation in McCoy (Montgomery County), Virginia. Daily reports of fire boss, describing mine conditions. Finding aid available on the Virginia Heritage database. Ms90-014.

BLACK APPALACHIANS ORAL HISTORY PROJECT. CASSETTE TAPES, 1991. 0.4 cu. ft. Oral history interviews (22 on 25 tapes) conducted by Dr. Michael Cooke of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University of and about blacks in Appalachia, predominantly in Montgomery County, Virginia. Interviewees include Frank T. Bannister, Leola Burns, Alexandra Burford, Roxie Ida Byson, Rice Dobbins, James E. Dow, Rosa Thomas Holmes, Charles A. Johnson, Thompson V. Lester, Elizabeth Lester, Walter H. Lewis, William Burrell Morgan, W. Waymon Pack (transcript available), Cora Pack, J. Homer Pack, Christine P. Price (transcript available), Valerie Scott, Mason Scott, Homer C. Sherman, James E. Sherman, Ellison A. Smyth (transcript available), James C. Wade (transcript available), and Sarah J. Wade (transcript available). Finding aid available in EAD on the Virginia Heritage Project database. Ms91-019.

BLACK, KENT, AND APPERSON FAMILIES, PAPERS OF, 1779-1984 (bulk 1821-1948). 7 l.f. Papers and artifacts of an interrelated family prominent in Blacksburg's history. Dr. Harvey Black (1827-88) served in the Civil War as a surgeon for the Fourth Virginia Infantry Regiment and as surgeon in charge of the field hospital of the 2nd Corps, Army of Northern Virginia. Black assisted in the operation on General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson after he had been wounded at the Battle of Chancellorsville. He was a founder and was on the first Board of Visitors of the Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College, now Virginia Tech. Papers include the Civil War correspondence of Confederate surgeon Dr. Harvey Black to his wife, the Civil War diary of hospital steward John S. Apperson, cotton books and correspondence of Germanicus Kent, nineteenth-century account books of Blacksburg mercantile establishments, a 1912 European travel diary, the political scrapbooks of State Senator and Attorney General Harvey B. Apperson, and genealogy research on the Black, Kent, and Apperson and related families. Also includes a manuscript notebook with a history of Blacksburg, as told to Mary E. Apperson by her mother Lizzie Black Apperson. The Blacks were connected by marriage to the Apperson and Kent families. Finding aid available in EAD on the Virginia Heritage Project database. Ms74-003.

BLACKSBURG [VIRGINIA], TOWN OF. MISCELLANEOUS RECORDS, 1885-1968. 0.3 cu. ft. Collection consists of a variety of Blacksburg town documents and reports collected by Virginia Polytechnic Institute librarians. Includes financial statements (1927-51); a typescript annual report (1954); a population study (1944), Chamber of Commerce brochures; and information on elections (1936-68). Ms87-003.

BLACKSBURG [VIRGINIA] COMMUNITY CONCERT ASSOCIATION. RECORDS, 1939-69. 1.0 cu. ft. Organized to invite outside artists to perform on the Virginia Polytechnic Institute campus. Records include membership ledgers (33 vol.), programs, letters to members, and newsclippings. Ms76-002.

BLACKSBURG [VIRGINIA] COMMUNITY FEDERATION. RECORDS, 1926-57. 0.2 cu. ft. Formed in 1928 to unite community organizations toward common goals in matters dealing with public health, education, and community beautification. Originally called the Blacksburg Federated Council and was the direct outgrowth of a community study done in 1928 by the Virginia Tech Department of Rural Sociology in cooperation with various town organizations. Collection includes Community Days Programs (1926-29), Community Chest letters (1934-45), a Directory of Blacksburg Service Agencies (1942), and miscellaneous documents. Ms87-002.

[BLACKSBURG, VIRGINIA, GENERAL STORE DAY BOOK, 1894-95.] 1 vol. Unidentified Blacksburg general store. Customer accounts. Ms68- 010.

BLACKSBURG [VIRGINIA] HIGH SCHOOL BAND BOOSTERS. SCRAPBOOK, 1972-75. 1 vol. Scrapbook of newspaper clippings and photographs of the Blacksburg High School Warrior Band and about the work of the Band Boosters, whose purpose was to encourage and support the development of the instrumental program in the Blacksburg schools. Ms94-031.

BLACKSBURG [VIRGINIA] MUSIC CLUB. RECORDS, 1953-71. 3.0 cu. ft. Organization designed to promote the study of music among its members and to stimulate interest in and appreciation of music in the Blacksburg community. Records include programs, financial records, minutes, scrapbooks, programs, news clippings, lists of members, and bylaws and constitutions. Unprocessed. Ms79-008.

BLACKSBURG [VIRGINIA] ODD FELLOWS LODGE. RECORDS, 1910- 30. 3.8 cu. ft. Black fraternal and religious organization. Records include papers of the Independent Order of St. Luke, souvenir programs, annual reports, calendars, financial reports, proceedings from meetings, circulars, membership books, ritual books, and correspondence. Collection includes black wool uniform coatee with brass buttons with insignia BOOF. Finding aid available in EAD on the Virginia Heritage Project database. Ms88-009.

BLACKSBURG [VIRGINIA] ORAL HISTORY PROJECT. RECORDS, 1984-85. 0.2 cu. ft. Project of the University Libraries of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University to collect information on the history of Blacksburg, Virginia. Collection contains taped interviews, most with transcripts, of the following Blacksburg residents: Cliff Busby, Georgia Croy, S.H. Kessinger, Lucy Lee Lancaster, George Litton, Howard Price, Carrie T. Sibold, and Ellison A. Smyth. Unprocessed. Ms85- 005.

BLACKSBURG [VIRGINIA] POST OFFICE. RECORDS, 1914-22. 0.4 cu. ft. Collection consists of Postmaster's account and record book (1914-17), and cash books of the International Money Order Office (1915-22, 4 vols.). Finding aid available in EAD on the Virginia Heritage Project database. Ms73-009.

BLACKSBURG [VIRGINIA] PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. LAND DEEDS, 1850, 1904, and 1924. 0.1 cu. ft. Three deeds for land owned or sold by the trustees of the Blacksburg Presbyterian Church. Trustees include K. Black, W.M. Lybrook, Charles Black, Edwin I. Amiss, and Thomas Brown. Ms94-007.

BLACKSBURG [VIRGINIA] STUDY GROUP. RECORDS, 1984-85. 0.5 cu. ft. Study group funded by the Blacksburg town council under the aegis of the Townscape Committee to study the town's architecture and landscape, inform town officials about present conditions, and make recommendations for changes. Results were accumulated for a book, Blacksburg - Understanding a Virginia Town: Town Architecture (1986) by Donna Dunay. Records include architectural drawings, maps, diagrams, and photographs used in the book. Ms87-008.

BLACKSBURG [VIRGINIA] - VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE CIVILIAN DEFENSE COUNCIL. RECORDS, 1942-44. 0.2 cu. ft. A combined town-college organization to promote the war effort on the home front during World War II. Collection includes printed materials related to salvage drives and the general war effort, and the Information Committee. Ms79-005.

BLACKSBURG [VIRGINIA] WOMAN'S CLUB. RECORDS, 1907-1972. 7.0 cu. ft. Founded as the Women's Civic Betterment Club in 1907; disbanded in 1970. Involved in civic improvement projects including community beautification, public health, civil defense, charity and cultural programs. Records include correspondence, minutes, financial records, scrapbooks and printed material. Finding aid available in EAD on the Virginia Heritage Project database. Ms63-002.

BLECHER, MARVIN. AUDIOCASSETTE TAPE, 1998. 1 item. Oral history interview conducted by Virginia Tech student Christina Roemer with Marvin and Freda Blecher of Blacksburg, Virginia, about their involvement in the Jewish community in the town and the Hillel student organization at Virginia Tech. Dr. Marvin Blecher served as faculty advisor for Hillel from 1973 to 1983. Also includes information about the Blacksburg Jewish Community Center and other Jewish communities in the region. Ms98-017.

BLIZNAKOV, MILKA T. (1927- ). ARCHITECTURAL DRAWINGS, 1978- 79. 0.5 cu. ft. Born in Bulgaria; architect of Blacksburg, Virginia, and professor of Architecture and Urban Studies at Virginia Tech. Chair of the Board of Advisors for the IAWA. Papers consists of forty-three architectural drawings drawn by her of her residence in Blacksburg. International Archive of Women in Architecture. Ms91-025.

BODELL, DOROTHY (1931- ). RESEARCH NOTES, 1850-1996. 0.8 cu. ft. Resident and local historian of Blacksburg, Virginia. Collection consists of photocopies of notes and files Bodell compiled while researching her book Montgomery White Sulphur Springs: A History of the Resort, Cemeteries, Markers, and Monument, published in 1993. Notes include information about the resort's use as a Confederate hospital during the Civil War, run by the Sisters of Charity of Our Lady of Mercy, a religious order of Charleston, South Carolina. Also includes materials prepared for the 40th reunion of the Blacksburg High School class of 1948 (of which Bodell was a member). Finding aid available on the Virginia Heritage database. Ms88-042.

BROWN FAMILY. PAPERS, 1825-1912, 1965, n.d. 0.5 cu. ft. Montgomery County, Virginia, family; owners of a farm on the north fork of the Roanoke River. Collection consists of receipts, bills, correspondence, tax notes and other papers created between 1825 and 1912, with the bulk of the collection from 1850 to 1894, by members of the Brown family, particularly James Cartmill Brown (1828-1913), as they purchased services and goods from business people in the community. Finding aid available on the Virginia Heritage databse. Ms1990-011.

BROWN, RALPH MINTHORNE (1878-1958). PAPERS, 1925-1944. 2.3 cu. ft. Virginia Tech librarian, amateur historian and naturalist; compiler of the V.P.I. Historical Index, 1872-1941. Historical sources relating to Virginia Tech, Blacksburg and the New River Valley; notes on local ornithological and weather observations. For Brown's official files as head librarian, see Record Group 23/1. Finding aid available on the Virginia Heritage database. Ms70-002.

CAPERTON FAMILY. PAPERS, 1861-62. 0.1 cu. ft. Collection consists of transcripts of letters written by Mary Elizabeth Henderson Caperton of Nelson County, Virginia, to her husband George Henry Caperton, a soldier in the 1st Virginia Regiment of Mounted Volunteers (also known as the 30th Virginia Volunteers Mounted) in the Civil War. Mary Caperton wrote most of the letters from White Thorn, in Blacksburg, Virginia, while staying with Sarah Ann Caperton Preston, her husband's sister, while her husband served in the Confederate Army. She writes of various members of the Preston family, fears that the slaves will rise up in rebellion, and Dr. Harvey Black. Collections also includes a copy of George Caperton's diary written in late 1861 while he was ill. Ms91-034.

A CENTER FOR CIVIC ACTIVITY IN THE TOWN OF BLACKSBURG: A DESIGN COMPETITION, 1992-94. 0.2 cu. ft. A design competition sponsored by the town of Blacksburg, Virginia, and the College of Architecture and Urban Studies of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University that focused on a new town center. Solicitation of submissions began in 1992 and the winner was decided the following year. Materials include brochures about the competition listing winners, committee members, jurors, calendar, entrants, and competition managers, with the jury report; a poster advertising and soliciting submissions to the competition, a competition site plan showing existing conditions, and an article from CAUS News (Winter 1994) with an article about the competition. Ms95-013.

CHARLTON FAMILY. LETTER, 1861. 0.1 cu. ft. Waddy C. Charlton (1839-1920), Montgomery County, Virginia native and soldier in the 4th Virginia Infantry during the Civil War. Photocopy of letter to Charlton from unidentified brother in Christiansburg, Virginia. Mentions family matters, local crop conditions, the local movement of troops aboard trains, the prospects of a Confederate invasion of Washington D.C. and Maryland, and military activities in northwestern Virginia. Part of the
Civil War Small Manuscripts Collection. Ms2003-014.
CHARLTON FAMILY. PAPERS, 1861-1902. 0.2 cu. ft. Christiansburg, Virginia, family. Four members were in Company G, 4th Virginia Infantry ("Montgomery Fencibles," part of the "Stonewall Brigade") in the Civil War. Papers include thirty-five items of correspondence among the family members (1861-64), company muster rolls, and genealogical information. Transcripts available. Ms80- 001.

CHRISTIANSBURG INDUSTRIAL INSTITUTE [CHRISTIANSBURG, VIRGINIA]. HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS, 1866-1991. 0.4 cu. ft. Founded in 1866 by Civil War Union Captain Charles S. Shaeffer as a primary school for freed blacks. Supported by the Friends Freedmen's Association of Philadelphia (a Quaker organization). In 1896 Booker T. Washington reorganized the school into a program that gave technical training to black boys. CII was transferred to a 185-acre farm in 1905. In 1934 the Montgomery County School Board began its management of the school, and by B 1947 it was converted to a regional high school for blacks in the local area. In 1966 CII closed when the local schools were integrated. Collection consists of photocopies of historical documents and records of CII's history, compiled by Amanda De Hart of Pulaski, Virginia, an alumna of CII and the archivist for the school's alumni organization. Included in the documents are copies of the papers (consisting mostly of handwritten drafts of speeches, lectures, and sermons) of Edgar A. Long, principal of CII from 1905 to 1924. The collections also includes copies of school catalogs (1902-03, 1925-26), an annual report (1908), and writings of alumnae. Finding aid available in EAD on the Virginia Heritage Project database. Ms91- 033.

CHRISTIANSBURG [VIRGINIA] PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. MINUTE BOOK, 1869-97. 1 vol. Minutes of session, written by congregational secretaries R.D. Montague, Jno. R. Johnson, and Daniel Blain. Includes a list of members, the time when they were admitted to the Church, and their date of death. Ms84-179.

COFFEE FAMILY. LAND GRANT, 1800. 0.1 cu. ft. Grant for 730 acres in Montgomery County, Virginia, signed by James Monroe as governor of Virginia to Robert James, and Samuel Coffee. Ms86-018.

CROCKETT MINERAL SPRINGS SALE. BROADSIDE, 1931. 0.1 cu. ft. Crockett Springs � located on the South Fork of the Roanoke River � was the last mineral springs resort to be opened in Montgomery County, Virginia. This broadside describes the sale of the Crockett Mineral Springs Hotel in Montgomery County, Virginia, as well as hotel equipment and land. Finding aid available on the Virginia Heritage database. Ms2009-105.

CROY FAMILY. PAPERS, 1859-1938. 0.5 cu. ft. Blacksburg, Virginia family. Papers of the Croy and related families (especially the Dawson and Pepper families) of Montgomery County, Virginia. Includes correspondence, financial records, diaries, artifacts and photographs. Finding aid available in EAD on the Virginia Heritage Project database. Images from the album are available on the VT Imagebase. Ms2001-018.

CRUSH, CHARLES W. PAPERS, 1795-1946. 1.0 cu. ft. Montgomery County, Virginia, judge and local historian, author of The Montgomery County Story (1957). Papers include Crush's files on Confederate gravesites in Montgomery County (1931-38); Montgomery County War II casualties (1941-46); Company 161, Virginia Reserve Militia (1944-45); and the 150th anniversary of Christiansburg, Virginia (1945). Also includes bills from Montgomery County businesses (1809-80); a ledger book of James Hoge; lists of "tithables" (1799-1813); and typescript copies of court house records of Montgomery and Fincastle counties from the late 1700s. Finding aid available in EAD on the Virginia Heritage Project database. Ms84-180.

DEANE, FRANCIS B. JR. LETTER, 1857. 0.1 cu. ft. Member when the local schools were integ of the Virginia General Assembly from Campbell County from 1853 to 1858. Letter written June 28, 1857, to William Ballard Preston (1805-62), a Montgomery County, Virginia, lawyer who rose to the office of Secretary of the Navy (1849-50) under Zachary Taylor. In 1858 Preston was involved in the negotiations to establish a line of steamers from Norfolk, Virginia, to the west coast of Africa, which failed tomaterialize due to the Civil War. Deane writes Preston about the possibility of the state raising the capital for the line of steamships, and hopes that Preston will "secure the cooperation of Mr. Hunter's friends in the Legislature." He refers to Robert Mercer Taliaferro Hunter, a U.S. Senator at the time who later became the Confederate States of America Secretary of State. Ms92-006.

DILLARD, MARTHA. AUDIOCASSETTE TAPES, 1992. 0.2 cu. ft. Three oral history interviews (on 3 cassette tapes) conducted by artist Martha Dillard in connection with "Watershed," an exhibition of Dillard's paintings of the Ellett Valley in Montgomery County, Virginia. Interviewees include T. Cartmel and Liz Brown, Anna Laura Tribble, and Josie Shotts about the valley of the North Fork of the Roanoke River. Collection also includes postcards and flyers relating to the exhibition. Interviews untranscribed, notes available. Ms98-027.

D'INVILLIERS, EDWARD. REPORT, 1905. 0.1 cu. ft. Typescript carbon copy of a geological report on the Virginia Anthracite Coal Company property, Price and Brush Mountains in Montgomery County, Virginia, by d'Invilliers, geologist and mining engineer of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Ms59-002.

DRINKARD, ALFRED WASHINGTON, JR. (1883-1962). DIARY, 1947. 0.1 cu. ft. Director of Agricultural Experiment Station, 1917-1945; assistant director of Agricultural Experiment Station, 1945 until his retirement in 1948. Collection consists of a Daily Desk Diary, which mentions persons and events in Blacksburg and at Virginia Polytechnic Institute. Ms96-019.

DUDLEY, H.C. ACCOUNT BOOK,1910-24. 4 vols. Montgomery County, Virginia, general store, saw mill, and lime kiln merchant. Customer accounts. Ms40-007.

EARHART, DAVID G. (1834-1862). CORRESPONDENCE, 1862-63. .75 li ft. Thirty letters written by David Earhart of Montgomery County to his wife, parents, slaves, and sister while he was serving in the Stonewall Jackson Brigade, 4th Virginia Infantry, Company L. Also included are a letter David Earhart's wife, Mary Caddell Earhart of Dublin, Virginia, received regarding recovery of David Earhart's body after he was killed at the Battle of Chancellorsville; images of Mary and David Earhart, and a few items of additional family correspondence. Finding aid available in EAD on the Virginia Heritage Project database. Ms2002-017.

ELLETT, ANNA BURTON (1886-1974). PAPERS, 1750-1851, 1932. 0.2 cu. ft. Blacksburg, Virginia, resident, active in the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities, and local historical activities. Collection includes correspondence, accounts, and military documents relating to Colonel James Patton (3 items, 1754-97), Captain John Preston (4 items, 1792), Colonel William Preston (6 items, 1771-83), and General John Preston (3 items, 1814- 25). Also includes articles, music, papers, and books commemorating the o 200th anniversary of George Washington's birth (1932). Ms74-010.

ELLETT FAMILY. PAPERS, 1865-1961. 0.2 cu. ft. Montgomery County, Virginia, from Dr. Robert Thaddeus Ellett (1826-1904), who served as an assistant surgeon in White Sulphur Springs, Virginia, for the Confederate States Army during the Civil War, to Sue French of Pearisburg, Virginia, who later became his wife; and his medical accounts book (1867-72). Collection also includes genealogical information about the Ellett and French families in the form of photographs, newsclippings, and essays. Finding aid available in EAD on the Virginia Heritage Project database. Ms88-047.

FESSLER, MARY (1912-2000). PAPERS. ca. 1940-2001 (bulk 1967-1984). 5.5 cu. ft. and three oversize folders. The Fessler Papers are comprised primarily of records that doucment Fessler's work as a member of the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors from 1977 to 1986. They include Fessler's copies of Board meeting minutes, correspondence, studies, reports, financial records, and clippings pertaining to issues before the Board. Subjects include contruction of the Roanoke River dam, planning for landfills, wastewater, water, and sewage services, organization of the Montgomery County Public Service Authority, and county finances. The collection also contains records documenting Fessler's work with the Montgomery County League of Women Voters in the 1970s,the Montgomery County Democratic Committee (1967-1993), the Ninth-District Democratic Committee (1979-1981), and the Blacksburg Library Building Committee (1994-1999); a geological map of the Blacksburg Quadrangle, and campaign posters from state Democratic candidates from the early 1980s. Finding aid available in EAD on the Virginia Heritage Project database. Ms 2001-012.

FISHBURN, JUNIUS BLAIR (1865-?). PAPERS, 1940-47. 0.1 cu. ft. Roanoke, Virginia, banker and vice president of the Time-World Corporation. Papers include a typescript report (1940) by A. Murrill, mining engineer, on the Fishburn Price Mountain coal property in Montgomery County, Virginia, and a letter (1947) by Fishburn to John H. Jones of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on the property. Ms58-001.

FOWLKES, HENRY M. (1830-87). LETTERS, 1863-65. 0.1 cu. ft. Resident of Chesterfield and Montgomery counties in Virginia. Collection consists of two letters from Fowlkes to his children. The first was written in Winter Park, Chesterfield County, on October 6, 1863, to his young daughters, describing his life with and the death of his recently deceased wife. The second was written on October 12, 1865, from Greenhead, Montgomery County, as a farewell before what he believed would be his death. Transcripts available. Ms80-004.

FRAZER, G. PRESTON. ARTWORK, 1940s and 1950s. 22 sketches and drawings. Artist and former professor of architecture at Virginia Polytechnic Institute iand State University. Collection consists of twenty-two sketches and drawings done by Frazer of nudes and scenes of Blacksburg, Virginia, and the southwest Virginia region. Ms92-055.

FUNERAL CONSUMERS ALLIANCE OF THE VIRGINIA BLUE RIDGE. PAPERS, 2001-2004. 0.25 cu. ft. Volunteer organization begun in Blacksburg in 2001 to provide information about end-of-life planning. Papers consist of cemetery and f uneral home surveys, pre-planning forms for making end-of-life decisions, informative brochures about various end-of-life and funeral concerns, and information about the organization. Finding aid available in EAD on the Virginia Heritage Project database. Ms2005-001.

GARDENER, W.W. ACCOUNT BOOK, 1918. 1 vol. Montgomery County, Virginia, general store merchant. Customer accounts, 1918. Ms40-011.

GARDNER, C.B. TREASURY LEDGER, 1863-64. 0.1 cu. ft. 100 pages. Notebook with accounts kept by "Dr. C.B. Gardner Depository of the Treasury in a/c with the Treasury of the Confederate States" of Christiansburg, became his Virginia, giving date of deposit, by whom deposited, kind of stock, and amount. Also gives a "list showing the names of persons to whom certificates were given for treasury notes deposited for funding under the Act of 17th Febry 1864" giving date of deposit, name of depositor, number of certificates, and amount. Ms84-001.

GARDNER FAMILY. PAPERS, 1889-1937. 0.1 cu. ft. Residents of Shawsville (Montgomery County), Virginia. Letters home from John Sessler Gardner, living in Florida; Montgomery County property tax receipts of William Redman Gardner; and ephemera. Finding aid available on the Virginia Heritage database. Ms2008-096.

GIESEN, CHARLOTTE C. PAPERS, 1987. 0.1 cu. ft. Republican member of Virginia House of Delegates from Montgomery County (1957-61). Collection consists of a taped interview (April 1987) of Giesen, by Samantha J. Hall, a student at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, with a history paper on Giesen prepared by Hall. Ms87-009.

HAGER, ANNE JUDKINS. PAPERS, 1828-1990, n.d. 2.6 cu. ft. Genealogical researcher, and collector of her family papers. Papers consist of the files, books, and newspaper clippings gathered by Hager and other family members on the Preston family of southwest Virginia (particularly the Abingdon branch), and other associated families that intermarried with the Prestons. Finding aid available in EAD on the Virginia Heritage Project database. Ms95-008.

HALE, RUTH G. PAPERS, ca. 1984-87. 0.1 cu. ft. Roanoke, Virginia, resident. Papers consist of a copy of "Montgomery County Cemeteries" by Hale, listing markings on gravestones in cemeteries in Montgomery County, Virginia. Ms89-037. and State University. Collection consi

HARKRADER PRODUCE COMPANY. ACCOUNT BOOKS, 1924-36. 3 vols. Montgomery County, Virginia, company. Customer accounts. Ms40- 014.

HARRIS MOUNTAIN SCHOOLS. PAPERS, 1913-61. 0.1 cu. ft. Presbyterian mission schools in Floyd, Montgomery, and Franklin counties, Virginia. Schools included Shooting Creek, Ferrum; Cannaday, Chistiansburg; Buffalo Mountain, Sylvatus; Pippen Hill, Boone's Mill; Taylor's Mountain, Thaxton; Cave Mountain, Greenlee; Algoma, Boone's Mill; and Franklin, Christiansburg. Includes act of incorporation for the Schools (1913); correspondence (1947-61) to Rev. R.G. See, President of the Board of Advisors, and Rev. G.A. Wilson; histories of the school; a brochure about John Kellogg Harris, after whom the school is named; and a copy of the "Montgomery Mountain Missionary" (1925) containing articles on the Schools and the Presbyterian home mission. Ms61-001.

HICKMAN FAMILY. NEWSLETTERS and PAPERS, 1995-98. 0.1 cu. ft. Family newsletters written by H. William Gabriel of Florence, Montana, about his research into the history of the Hickman family of Back Creek, Bath County, Virginia. Includes extensive information about William P. Hickman (1810-64), a Presbyterian preacher who ministered to congregations in Wythe, Pulaski, and Montgomery counties, Virginia, until his death in May 1864, fighting with the Confederate forces at the Battle of Cloyd's Mountain during the Civil War. Ms98-007.

HILL, HENRY HARRIS (1880-1954). PAPERS, 1908-51, n.d. 0.4 cu. ft. Born in Scottsville, Virginia. Received B.S. (1907) and M.S. (1909) in chemistry from Virginia Polytechnic Institute. Became chemist in 1907 for the Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station and eventually head of the Agricultural Chemistry department at VPI before retiring in 1950. Hill was an elder of the Presbyterian Church in Blacksburg, Virginia, and executive secretary of the VPI Alumni Association. Papers include personal, biographical, and genealogical materials, papers about the Civil War and VPI, and material on Blacksburg and Montgomery County. Finding aid available in EAD on the Virginia Heritage Project database. Ms80-003.

HOGE FAMILY. PAPERS, 1781, 1817, 1848, n.d. 0.1 cu. ft. Early Southwest Virginia settlers. Papers consist of a letter (n.d.) from James Hoge (1732-1812) to John Preston (1764-1827) of Richmond and later Montgomery County, concerning the settlement of an account, and a certificate, dated September 10, 1781, entitling Hoge to 130 acres of land in Montgomery County that he settled on in 1769. Also includes a letter, dated March 6, 1817, to Hoge's son, General James Hoge (1783-1861) concerning land in Russell County to be sold for non-payment of taxes. Also includes a survey plat (1848) for General Hoge's 3,000 acres on Back Creek in Pulaski County, Virginia. Ms92-045.

HOGE, WILLIAM EDWARD. FAMILY PAPERS, 1810-1933. 1.2 cu. ft. Letters and deeds from the Hoge family describing life in southwest Virginia in the 1800s. Includes descriptions of their daily life, experiences with family sickness and death, and the Civil War. Also includes financial papers and genealogical research of the early settlers of southwest Virginia. Finding aid available in EAD on the Virginia Heritage Project database. Ms2003-019.

HUFF-HYLTON FAMILIES. PAPERS, 1803-14, 1858-82, 1975, n.d. 39 items. Settlers of Montgomery (now Floyd) County, Virginia, in the late 1700s and early 1800s. Collection consists of letters and other family papers of gathered by Barbara Ellen Huff Hylton Dillion (1828-1911), including promissory notes, fines, and an indenture for land of Samuel Huff, and letters written by Barbara's first husband Lorenzo Dow Hylton during the Civil War. Lorenzo Hylton (1830-64) served in Company D of the 54th Virginia Infantry, and died on February 13, 1864, in a Confederate hospital in Marietta, Georgia. Inventory available. Ms98-001.

HUMMEL, VIRGINIA HOLDEN (1916-98). PAPERS, 1830-1998. 3.0 cu. ft. Resident of and teacher in Blacksburg, Virginia, and amateur historian of Blacksburg and Appalachian history. Collection consists of newspaper clippings, research notes, photographs, maps, and genealogical information concerning the history of Blacksburg and its founders and notable residents. Finding aid available in EAD on the Virginia Heritage Project database. Ms98-014.

INDEPENDENT ORDER OF ST. LUKE. RECORDS, 1877-1970. 1.1 cu. ft. Established in 1867 as a life insurance organization for blacks. The Virginia chapter was organized in 1914 and headquartered in Richmond. Records consist of handbooks, correspondence, receipts, programs, membership records, annual reports, and assessment reports of the Order, collected primarily by members in Blacksburg, Virginia. Finding aid available in EAD on the Virginia Heritage Project database. Ms88-121.

INGLES FAMILY. COLLECTION, 1797-1823. 0.6 cu. ft. Ferry Hill Ledger (1797-1804) and 3 of 6 volumes of Ingles Family Bible (1823); first available documentation of Mary Draper Ingles (kidnapped at Draper Meadows Massacre and later escaped from Shawnee Indian captivity) and William Ingles, operator of Ingles Ferry, Ingles Ferry Hill Tavern, and blacksmith shop. Documentation of the family's extraordinary history, its ferry, and related enterprises. Finding aid available in EAD on the Virginia Heritage Project database. Ms2002-021.

JEWELL, D.V. ACCOUNT BOOKS, 1898-1902, 1919-20. 4 vols. Montgomery County, Virginia, general store merchant, and hotel owner. Customer accounts for the store and the hotel, 1898-1920. Ms40-015.

JOHNSON, PATRICIA GIVENS (1932-1996). PAPERS, 1920-1986. 2.0 cu. ft. New River Valley local historian and author. Correspondence, subject files, printed materials and photographs accumulated during Johnson's research on local history, particularly for her books on Andrew Lewis, James Patton and William Preston. Also includes a scrapbook, files on Christiansburg and Montgomery County history, and a few other materials which had belonged to Johnson's mother, Lula Porterfield Givens, also a local historian. Finding aid available in EAD on the Virginia Heritage Project database. Ms88-007.

JONES, J.T. LEDGER, 1925-26. 1 vol. Blacksburg, Virginia, merchant, possibly owner of a meat market. Lists accounts by customer, including C.W. Black, H.L. Price, and Y.B. Keister. Ms90-018.

KENNEY, ANNA WHITEHEAD. PAPERS, 1965-72. 0.6 cu. ft. Resident of Blacksburg, Virginia, and curator of Smithfield Plantation from 1965 to 1972. Papers consist of the files she created while she worked at Smithfield, with historical and biographical information about the Preston family and other pioneer families of of taxes. Blacksburg. Ms91-022.

KENT FAMILY. PAPERS, ca. 1818-1979;see BLACK, KENT AND APPERSON FAMILIES, PAPERS OF. Germanicus Kent (1791-1862) was a founder of Rockford, Illinois. Born in Connecticut, he lived in Huntsville, Alabama (ca. 1822-34); Rockford, Illinois (1834-44); and Blacksburg, Virginia (1844-62). Papers include a cotton book and letter book of Germanicus Kent (2 vols., 1821-1823); correspondence of Germanicus Kent (1834-60); miscellaneous correspondence and business papers of Germanicus, Aratus, and John E. Kent (ca.1834-60); correspondence with the Rockford, Illinois, Historical Society (ca.1966-77); and biographical and genealogical information. The Kents were connected to the Black and Apperson families by marriage. Finding aid available in EAD on the Virginia Heritage Project database. Ms74-003.

KENT, JACOB (1730-1776). ACCOUNT BOOKS, 1765-1793. 1.0 cu. ft. Merchant and innkeeper on the "Great Road" (now Virginia Route 11) in the Shawsville (Montgomery County), Virginia area. Collection consists of two account books. One ledger (spanning the years 1765 to 1771) is of unknown origin but records transactions of a merchant in the Cumberland County, Pennsylvania area. The second ledger is divided into two sections: The first section covers the years 1774 to 1776 and seems to detail the transactions of Kent's store in Montgomery County, recording customers' names, merchandise purchased, and credits to accounts. A section at the rear, written in a different hand and covering the years 1784 to 1793, may be from a store operated by Kent's son, Joseph Kent. Ms92-031.

KENT, JAMES RANDALL (?-1867). PAPERS, 1856-86, n.d. 0.4 cu. ft. Wealthy land and slave-holder in Montgomery and Pulaski counties, Virginia. Collection includes court records, correspondence, titheables to the Sheriffs of Montgomery and Pulaski counties, photographs, court summons, and other notes concerning Kent's property--Kentland--and his business affairs. Also includes a letter from Kent at Bank of Blacksburg to William H. Macfarland of Richmond, Virginia. Finding aid available in EAD on the Virginia Heritage Project database. Ms87-031.

KINZER, MICHAEL (1762-1826). FAMILY PAPERS, 1782-1904. 0.1 cu. ft. Montgomery County, Virginia, family. Collection consists of documents concerned Papers consist of the files she created whilewith the acquisition of land in Montgomery County, and Michael Kinzer's last will and testament (1826). Ms62-005.

KINZIE, SAMUEL. SURVEY, 1899. 0.1 cu. ft. Montgomery County, Virginia, resident. Survey of Kinzie properties in Blacksburg and Christiansburg, Virginia, by C.S. Charlton. Ms87-044.

LANCASTER, LUCY LEE (1905-89). PAPERS, ca. 1835-1980. 60.0 cu. ft. One of the first female graduates (class of 1925) and later librarian (1925-75) at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Collection consists of personal correspondence, travel diaries, memoranda and correspondence concerning Library and University matters, Blacksburg [Virginia] Consumer Club minutes and correspondence (1937-49), American Association of University Women material, class notes (1921-25), United Daughters of the Confederacy material, American Association of Retired Persons items, Blacksburg Civilian Defense Council minutes and correspondence (1941-45), and Phi Kappa Phi material. Materials include a typescript of the Tuesday Afternoon Book Club of Blacksburg minutes (1933-80); a radio script of "Three Heroes of Virginia" (Matthew F. Maury, Robert E. Lee, and Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson) written by M.C. Harrison of VPI; and a manuscript copy of portions of the Montgomery County, Virginia, deed book. Also includes correspondence and papers of her father William Lancaster; plus family bibles with genealogical information; an account book (1835-38) from a general store in Lynchburg, Virginia; and a book of handwritten poetry and prose, some dedicating the Confederate dead, from an unknown ancestor of Lancaster's. Inventory available online. Ms90-069.

LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY [VIRGINIA]. RECORDS, 1961-96, n.d. 11.0 cu. ft. Montgomery County chapter established in March 1974 to promote political responsibility through informed and active participation of citizens in government, and to promote discussion of government policies. Records consist of chapter and national league literature and publications, bulletins, candidate questionaires, meeting minutes and agendas, budget and financial information, and treasurer's reports. Topics covered include the Equal Rights Amendment, natural resources, poverty in Montgomery County, and education. Inventory available. Ms97-016.

LINCOLN-LOOK FAMILY. PAPERS, 1844-1930. 0.2 cu. ft. Sarah Ann Burt Lincoln (1826-1857) and husband Nathan Loomis Look (1819-1909), residents of Virginia's Loudoun, Botetourt, Montgomery, and Smyth counties during the mid-nineteenth century; operators of a farm implement factory, also engaged in cheese- and hat-making. Letters to and from Lincoln and Look family members in Massachusetts and New York, including a few written from Smyth County, Virginia during the Civil War. Transcripts available. Finding aid available on the Virginia Heritage database. Ms85-009.

MANNING, WARREN H. PAPERS, 1925-27. 0.1 cu. ft. Landscape architect in Massachusetts. Papers include Manning's reports and blueprint drawings on historic sites of Blacksburg, Virginia, including the Black homestead, Smithfield, and Preston Cemetery. Ms62-007.

[MAP OF 1937 MERRIMAC COMMUNITY, 1996.] 0.1 cu. ft. Map of the Merrimac coal mining community in Montgomery County, Virginia, as it was in 1937. Produced by the Appalachian Studies Program and the Landscape Architecture Program at Virginia Tech. Restricted use. Ms96-012.

MICHAEL, RUDOLPH DIXON (1904-1994). PAPERS, 1925-1984. 0.2 cu. ft. Virginia Polytechnic Institute alumnus (class of 1926) and Agricultural Experiment Station agricultural editor (1928-65). Contains correspondence and notes relating to the histories Blacksburg, the Preston family, and Smithfield Plantation (including maps of the grounds and the cemetery). Also contains a few campus photographs and printed materials related to Virginia Tech.Finding aid available in EAD on the Virginia Heritage Project database. Ms60-005.

MILLER, CHARLES A. (1819-93). FAMILY PAPERS, 1708-1926. 0.4 cu. ft. Christiansburg, Virginia, clergyman. Served as a home missionary in Giles County, Virginia, (1849-51) and in the Kimberlin Church of Giles County (1853-62). Pastor in the White House Church near Radford, Virginia, from 1871-93. Collection includes account books (1818-1903) of Rev. Miller and his second wife Melinda Taylor, as well as those of his ancestor Johann Muller of Schwabisch Hall in Germany letters from (1708-26); oath of allegiance (1778) annotated by Miller's uncle, the folk artist Lewis Miller (1796- 1882), of Ludwig Miller of Worcestor Township, Pennsylvania; certificate of apprenticeship (1799) of Daniel Miller of York County, Pennsylvania; and several other papers belonging to Rev. Miller, including deeds (1855), a diary (1858), and receipts and promissory notes (1840-1906). Mrs. Miller's papers include correspondence (1893- 1903), a bank book (1901-02), and a typescript genealogy of her family (1926). Ms83-001.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY [VIRGINIA] BICENTENNIAL COMMISSION. RECORDS, 1972-1977. 1.0 cu. ft. Commission formed to organize events celebrating the 200th anniversary of the formation of the United States and Montgomery County, Virginia. Includes correspondence, minutes, working notes and preparatory materials, printed material, and a scrapbook. Finding aid available in EAD on the Virginia Heritage Project database. Ms76-001.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY [VIRGINIA] DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE. RECORDS, 1961-94. 3.0 cu. ft. Correspondence, newspaper clippings, meeting minutes, and rosters concerning the committee, local politics, and the Congressional, Senatorial, and Presidential races of the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. Includes information about the specific campaigns and tenures of Rick Boucher (9th District Congressional Representative), L. Douglas Wilder (as Governor of Virginia, 1989-93), Al Gore and Bill Clinton (1992 Presidential campaign), Don Beyer (Lietenant Governor campaign), Mary Sue Terry for Attorney General (1989) and Governor (1993), and Joan Munford and Jim Shuler for the 12th District Virginia House of Delegates. Ms89-061.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY [VIRGINIA] HISTORIC SITES SURVEY. RECORDS, 1985-1986. 1.2 cu. ft. Records arising from a 1985 survey of significant architectural and/or historical sites in Montgomery County, Virginia. Includes an inventory of structures and sites, a copy of the survey's book, Montgomery County Historic Sites Survey (1986), and maps indicating locations of the inventory's structures and sites. Finding aid available in EAD on the Virginia Heritage Project database. Ms86-006.

[MONTGOMERY COUNTY SURVEY, 1965]. 1 vol. Typescript survey prepared by the first-year graduate students of the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at Virginia Polytechnic Institute. Topics include land use and misuse, transportation, commerce, employment, political aspects, non-urban lands, shopping distribution, county government, financial implementation, and land use controls. Ms91-060.

MONTGOMERY FEMALE COLLEGE. COLLECTION, 1886-1892. 0.1 cu. ft. Christiansburg, Virginia institution of higher learning for women during the latter 19th century. Assorted ephemera relating to the school, including a program for the 1886 class exercises; an 1892 program of entertainment; and certificates awarded to students Annie V. and Eugenia V. Sullivan. Finding aid available on the Virginia Heritage database. Ms2009-013.
MONTGOMERY FILM SOCIETY. RECORDS, 1956-1972. 0.5 cu. ft. Society devoted to bringing foreign, art and classic films to Blacksburg, Virginia. Records include correspondence, membership lists and administrative notes (including constitution), film advertisements and reviews, film rental agreements, programs, and financial records. Finding aid available in EAD on the Virginia Heritage Project database. Ms73-007.

MONTGOMERY SAVINGS BANK. ACCOUNT BOOK, 1873-78. 1 vol. Montgomery County, Virginia, bank. Customer accounts. Ms75-009.

MONTGOMERY WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS. GUEST BOOK, 1886-1890. .6 cu. ft. Resort operating in rural Montgomery County, Virginia from 1855 to 1904. Register includes names of resort's guests, their places of residence and notes on their meals, rooms and porterage. Finding aid available in EAD on the Virginia Heritage Project database. Ms2003-007.

MURRAY, JOHN (1909-2002). PAPERS, 1883-1999. 0.5 cu. ft. Professor of chemistry at Virginia Tech (1942-1971) and participant in Virginia's ornithological community. Bird logs, manuscript articles, and correspondence with academics and bird enthusiasts, focusing largely on Montgomery County, Virginia. Finding aid available on the Virginia Heritage database. Ms2008-036.
NEW RIVER INVESTMENT COMPANY. DEEDS, 1890-1892. Company chartered in 1889 for developing land in Montgomery County, Virginia. One deed from 1890 and three drafts of a deed from 1892. Finding aid available in EAD on the Virginia Heritage database. Ms2008-073.
NEW RIVER VALLEY PLANNING DISTRICT COMMISSION. REPORTS AND FILES, 1959-91, n.d. 3.0 cu. ft. Collection consists of reports, files, and other literature gathered and used by the commission to aid their planning for the New River Valley of Virginia. Some of the records deal with forestation, wilderness management, water systems, economic concerns, and housing in the New River Valley and other areas of southern Appalachia. Includes publications from the Appalachian Regional Commission. Inventory available. Ms98-024.

NEWLEE FAMILY. PAPERS, 1916,1980, n.d. 0.1 cu. ft. Blacksburg, Virginia, family. Colonel Robert G. Newlee was a sergeant in the 1st Virginia Regiment in the Mexican War, and raised a company in Blacksburg known as the Montgomery Mountain Boys at the beginning of the Civil War. Papers include a history (1980) of Smithfield Plantation, the Preston Family, and Virginia Newlee (Robert's daughter) written by George Shackleford; an obituary of Colonel Newlee, and a newspaper clipping (1916) with the muster roll of the Company of Virginia Volunteers in the Mexican War. Also includes a muster roll of Company L, Fourth Virginia Regiment, in the Civil War, of which Newlee was captain. Ms82-021.

NICOLAY, JOHN. PAPERS, 1792-1985. 1.4 cu. ft. Blacksburg, Virginia, resident and historian. Collection consists of papers Nicolay has used for his research on Montgomery County, Virginia, history. Topics include poverty in Montgomery County, blacks, local churches, and the Edie Family of Christiansburg, Virginia. Materials include oral history tapes, slides, and the transcript for Nicolay's paper, "Slave and Black Commentaries: An Oral History Project Reflecting on Wake Forest, Montgomery County, Virginia," written with Clyde Kessler; original documents, receipts, court records and warrants for arrest; historical photographs of the area by Earl Palmer; material from MOUNTAINSIDE MAGAZINE, edited by Nicolay from 1983 to 1984, including writings by Beverly Brinlee, Jess Carr, Fred Waage, and William White; chapters from Ann Swain's Radford University thesis about the Christiansburg Industrial Institute; and other material relating to the history of Montgomery County. Finding aid available in EAD on the Virginia Heritage Project database. Ms87-027.

PALMER, EARL (1905- ). APPALACHIAN PHOTOGRAPH AND ARTIFACT COLLECTION, ca. 1880-1989. Ca. 100 cu. ft. Award-winning Appalachian photographer and collector of Appalachian material culture artifacts. Palmer's photographs have been published in a number of magazines, including Life, National VirginiGeographic, and the Saturday Evening Post; in newspapers including the New York Times and Washington Star; and in books including Mountain Medicine and many of the books of Kentucky author Jesse Stuart. His work has been exhibited in galleries and museums across the nation. Palmer's photographs, taken over a fifty-year period, include depictions of the traditional culture of mountain people--their work, economy, daily life, and creative expression. Photographs include scenes of logging, mining, farming, railroading, moonshining, and homemaking; many photographs are accompanied by extensive typescript commentaries written by Palmer. The artifacts include a moonshine still; a hand-carved replica of Mabry Mill made by mountaineer Newton Hylton; handmade dolls, a rocking chair, wagon wheels, and a plow; and artifacts representative of coal mining and railroading in the Appalachian region. The materials have been donated jointly to the Appalachian Collection in the University Libraries and the Appalachian Studies Program at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Finding aid available in EAD on the Virginia Heritage Project database. Ms89-025.

PANDAPAS, JAMES J. (1915- ). AUDIOTAPE and PAPERS, 1966-88, 1997. 0.2 cu. ft. Resident of Blacksburg, Virginia, born in Peabody, Massachusetts. Played a large role in the development of business and residential housing in Blacksburg by establishing Blacksburg's first industry, Electro-Tec, in 1947, and Poly-Scientific Corporation, in 1953, both manufacturers of electroplated slip-rings for radar antannae. Also developed various neighborhoods in Blacksburg, including Airport Acres (established in 1942) and Highland Park (1945). In 1948 Pandapas purchased a 500 acre track of land on Poverty Creek in Montgomery County, Virginia, as a recreational area for the employees of Electro-Tec. By the time he sold this land to the National Park Service in 1987 it was called Pandapas Pond. Collection consists of audio-tapes of an interview conducted on July 16, 1997, in which Pandapas talks about his life and career as a businessman in Blacksburg. The collection also includes a transcription of the interview with corrections and additons done by Pandapas, newspaper clippings (1966-88) of editorials written by Pandapas and interviews conducted with him, and a self-published book entitled "Early History of Poly-Scientific by its Founder James J. Pandapas." Transcript of interview available. Ms97-011.

PENDLETON, LEE (1893- ). PAPERS, 1964-76. 0.1 cu. ft. Montgomery County, Virginia, historian, author of Indian Massacre In Montgomery County, 1755-1756 (1968). Collection includes correspondence, manuscript drafts on local history and families, a copy of his book, and newspaper clippings. Ms74-007.

PEYTON, JOHN HOWE (1778-1847). LETTER, 1821. 0.1 cu. ft. Born in Stony Hill, Stafford County, Virginia; attended the College of New Jersey at Princeton, and became a lawyer in 1799. Virginia Commonwealth Attorney, state senator (1839-45), and founder of the Virginia Female Institute at Staunton. Married Susanna Smith Madison (1780-1820) in 1802, and after her death married Ann Elizabeth Lewis (1802-50). Letter is from Peyton in Staunton to his first wife's mother, Elizabeth Preston Madison (1762-1837) at Fotheringay, Montgomery County, Virginia, and writes of the family and personal concerns. Ms77-001.

PRESTON AND OLIN INSTITUTE. RECORDS, 1852-71, n.d. 0.1 cu. ft. Academic institute in Blacksburg, Virginia that opened in 1854 under the name of Olin and Preston Institute. Closed during the Civil War, and then reopened as the Preston and Olin Institute. Was given to the state of Virginia in 1872 and its buildings were used for a new land-grant college, the Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College, (now Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University). Records consist of a book (1853-57) with lists of trustees of the Institute and subscribers, and a program (1871) of the anniversary Celebration of the Preston Literary Society, and reports of the Committee on Seminaries (1852-54, n.d.). Ms64-001.

PRESTON FAMILY (ALICE PRESTON MOORE COLLECTION). PAPERS, 1745-1882. 235 items. Pioneer Montgomery, Botetourt, and Washington County, Virginia, family. Papers include business transactions, land surveys, and general store accounts (1745-89) relating to William and Susannah Smith Preston; correspondence, business transactions, and notes on farm affairs (1782-1828) relating to their son, John Preston; correspondence and land surveys (1840-82) relating to John, William A., and Alfred G. Preston; correspondence (1848-61) relating to William Ballard Preston; and a day book (1789-1820) of the Prestons of Washington County. Ms62-004.

PRESTON FAMILY (CHARLES PEALE DIDIER COLLECTION). PAPERS, 1747-1897. 282 items. Separate collection from the Preston family collection listed above. Papers include surveys, promissory notes, and land indentures (1747-70) relating to James Patton; list of quit rents in the Middle District of Augusta (1759-60); promissory notes and correspondence (1755-1806) relating to William Preston; and correspondence, surveys, and business papers (1780-1830) relating to John Preston. Inventory available.Ms85-020.

PRESTON, JOHN (1764-1827). PAPERS, 1806-20, 1844, n.d. 0.2 cu. ft. Born at Greenfield (the Preston family home prior to Smithfield), served in the Virginia militia and the House of Delegates and Virginia Senate throughout his life. Treasurer of Virginia from 1810 to 1819. Papers consist of letters and promissory notes, and documents stating the transfer of lands, slaves, and property. Also includes a letter from J.B. McBride at the Union Theological Seminary, to William M. Radford of Botetourt County, Virginia. Finding aid available in EAD on the Virginia Heritage Project database. Ms94-034.

PRESTON, ROBERT TAYLOR (1809-80). PAPERS, 1829-71, n.d. 0.2 cu. ft. Born at Smithfield in Blacksburg, Virginia; built Solitude, his home near Smithfield, now part of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Prior to the Civil War Preston served as a member of the militia and justice of the peace. At the start of the Civil War he was appointed colonel of volunteers in the Provisional Army of Virginia, and in July 1861 was appointed colonel of the 28th Virginia Infantry, Confederate States of America, where he served until the infantry's reorganization in April 1862. Beginning in August 1864 he served as lieutenant colonel and then colonel of the 4th Virginia Reserves, and surrendered with the troops of General J. E. Johnston in North Carolina in April 1865. The collection consists of 218 letters, military orders, notes, certificates of military appointments, and other items, the majority collected or created by Preston during the period of May 1861 and December 1862. Includes several military orders signed by such members of the Confederate Army as Jubal Early, John B. Floyd, and George E. Pickett, as well as orders written by Preston himself. Also includes a draft of a notes broadside written by Preston from Solitude on May 13, 1863, as a call to arms to the men of Roanoke and Montgomery County to repel the Union Army which was in the immediate vicinity. Selected transcripts available. Inventory available. Ms92-003.

PRESTON, WILLIAM (1729-83). LAND GRANT, 1773. 1 item. Surveyor and militiaman. Born in Ireland, came to the American colonies in 1738. Settled in area of Virginia that is now Montgomery County. Established the plantation "Smithfield" in 1773, which is now near the Virginia Tech campus and run by the Montgomery County branch of the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities. Land grant is for 2175 acres in Botetourt County, Virginia (now the land that is Smithfield), purchased by Preston, signed by British King George III and Virginia colonial Governor John Murray Dunmore. Ms94-027.

PRICE, EMMETT RUSSELL (1874-1944). SCRAPBOOKS, 1910-1943. 1.5 cu. ft. Instructor and then professor of Agricultural Journalism and editor of the Agricultural Extension Division at VPI from 1920 to 1944. Collection consists of several scrapbooks of clippings about Blacksburg and VPI. Ms87-011.

PRICE, HARVEY LEE (1874-1951). PAPERS, 1853, 1927-49. 1.67 cu. ft. Descendant of early Montgomery County, Virginia, settlers. Price obtained his B.S. in 1898 from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and became a faculty member in the Horticulture Department (1900-50) and a School of Agriculture administrator (1908-48). Price had a strong avocational interest in genealogy and local history, and wrote Outlines of Montgomery County Families (1940) which, though never published, has proved a valuable source for genealogists and historians. Collection includes Price's extensive notes and correspondence which provided much of the information for his book. Finding aid available in EAD on the Virginia Heritage Project database. Ms75-001.

PRICE, JAMES BANE (1832-1896). ACCOUNT BOOKS, 1871-1897. 0.7 cu. ft. Proprietor of general store in Prices Fork (Montgomery Co.), Virginia. Collection consists of eight books detailing daily transactions, expenditures and customer accounts. Finding aid available in EAD on the Virginia Heritage Project database. Ms88-008.

PRICE, JIMMIE L. PAPERS, 1986-91. 3 videotapes and 0.1 cu. ft. Blacksburg, Virginia, resident and local historian. Collection consists of three videotapes of interviews conducted by Price with Montgomery County residents, including an interview in 1986 with Elizabeth Kent Adams about the Kentland property; interviews conducted in 1987 with four Montgomery County residents, including Robert H. Surface, Albert Hamlin, Evans Linkous, and Arnold Linkous, about coal mines and mining in the county; and an interview with Frank Bannister of Montgomery County, whose ancesters were slaves and later servants at Kentland. Also includes sketches of Kentland and coal operations, drawn by Price as described by the interviewees. Finding aid available in EAD on the Virginia Heritage Project database. Ms87-048.

PRODUCE COMPANY. ACCOUNT BOOKS, 1921-30. 2 vols. Montgomery County, Virginia, store. Customer accounts. Ms40-029.

RITTENHOUR, JOHN. DEED, 1795. 0.1 cu. ft. Deed for 300 acres on Sinking Creek of the New River in Montgomery County, Virginia, granted to Rittenhour, assignee of Michael Drake. Ms76-004.

ROBINSON, DAVID TOBIAS. CONFEDERATE COMPANY LIST, CA. 1861-63. 0.1 cu. ft. Confederate soldier in the Civil War. Manuscript list of Company E, 4th Virginia Volunteer Regiment, written by Robinson, listing rank, age, eye and hair color, occupation, and other information about the men in the company, most of them from Southwest Virginia counties. Also includes an itemized list of clothing distributed to each man. Ms92-017.

SANDERS, HARRY W. (1895-1985). PAPERS, 1916-67. 1.2 cu. ft. Born in Dumbarton, Virginia. Received B.S. in 1916 from Virginia Tech. Professor of Agricultural Education (1925-51) and Vocational Education (1940-63) at Virginia Tech. Professor Emeritus of Vocational Education (1963-85). Co-founder of the Future Farmers of Virginia, which grew into the Future Farmers of America. Collection consists of scrapbooks, photographs, articles, correspondence, newspaper clippings, and awards from Sanders' personal life and professional career, and materials related to his leave of absence from Virginia Tech (1932/33) while developing a Vocational Agricultural Education program in Puerto Rico. Scrapbooks include newspaper clippings about Blacksburg history, including clubs, organizations, churches, and community members. Ms75-002.

SARVEY, RUFUS. PAPERS, 1845-83. 0.1 cu. ft. Blacksburg, Virginia, general store owner. Two account books (1845-46, 1872-74), a partnership agreement (1879) between Sarvey and Thomas N. Conrad, and an agreement (1883) of sale for goods sold to Charles Lyle. Ms62-003.

SCARLETT, SHANNON TAYLOR. PAPERS, n.d. 0.1 cu. ft. Principal of Shannon Taylor Scarlett, Architects, of Boston, Massachusetts, since 1991. Won first prize in a design competition for a library and civic center in Blacksburg, Virginia, in 1992. Papers consist of a curriculum vitae, a firm biography, and a description of the Blacksburg library and civic center design. International Archive of Women in Architecture. Ms95-010.

SHACKELFORD, GEORGE GREEN. PAPERS, CA. 1955-86. 10.0 cu. ft. Professor of History (1954-86) and Professor Emeritus since 1986 at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Served on the Board of Advisors of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and on the board of the Kentland and coAssociation for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities. Collection includes clippings, correspondence, memoranda, bulletins, scrapbooks, and other materials relating to the APVA; the New River Historical Association; the Virginia Landmark Commission; the National Trust; the Democratic Committee of Montgomery County (Virginia); the Visiting Scholar Committee of the College of Arts and Sciences for VPI&SU; Blacksburg, Virginia, and Southwest Virginia history; historic properties in Blacksburg and Southwest Virginia, particularly Smithfield Plantation; and of Virginia and VPI&SU related topics. Restricted access. Unprocessed. Ms83-008.

SHACKELFORD, GRACE. PAPERS, 1962-65, n.d. 0.2 cu. ft. Architect of Blacksburg, Virginia. Collection consists of architectural drawings for seven residences in Blacksburg, Montgomery County, or Woolwine, Virginia, designed or altered by Shackelford. International Archive of Women in Architecture. Ms90-046.

SHELL FAMILY. PAPERS, 1871-1932. 0.1 cu ft. Includes a typescript copy of a sketch of the Shell or "Schull" family, early settlers of Montgomery County, Virginia. Originally dictated by John H. Shell in 1871. Centers around Jacob Shell (1720-1803), who came to the Price's Fork section of Montgomery County in the mid-eighteenth century. Mentions other early settlers, Indian raids, and the Indian captivity of "Mrs. English" and "Mrs. Bingamen." The two-page transcript was made in 1959 by Vernon McT. Shell of Arden, North Carolina. Also includes correspondence of Bernard Shell concerning Shell family history, together with related typescript notes, newsclippings and ephemera. Ms59-001.

SIBOLD, CARRIE T. (1904-90). PAPERS, 1912-26, 1966-90. 9.0 cu. ft. Blacksburg, Virginia, resident, and one of the first women graduates of Virginia Polytechnic Institute (1925). Papers consist of scrapbooks containing clippings about Blacksburg history, local church activities, and Virginia Tech (1966-90). Also includes diplomas from Blacksburg high school (1912-26) for Carrie and members of the Sibold family. Unprocessed. Ms90-043.

SLUSSER FAMILY. PAPERS, 1852-1909. 0.1 cu. ft. Montgomery County, Virginia, family. Includes loose ledger sheets (1852-58) for the household expenditures of Dr. John B. Slusser with pencil drawings from 1885(?) by Murray C. Slusser; advertisement of a mine car from the Pressed Steel Car Company (n.d.); sheet from an account book, "In account with the dining hall of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute" (1909); a U.S. patent application, January 30, 1894, for the invention of an improved nut-lock by Murray C. and William J. Slusser; and pages from a personal account book. Ms60-001.

"SMART" ROAD CITIZEN'S ADVISORY COMMITTEE. RECORDS, 1993-97. 0.6 cu. ft. The "Smart" Road is a project designed by the Virginia Department of Transportation to build a roadway as a direct link between Blacksburg and Roanoke, Virginia. Its construction is meant to alleviate congestion on Route 460 in Christiansburg and Blacksburg, Virginia, and to serve as a testsite for Intelligent Vehicle Highway Systems (IVHS), or "smart highway" technology. A citizen's advisory committee was formed in 1994 to advise VDOT about the environmental and social ramifications of building the new roadway, as well as its overal design. The records were collected by Dorothy Bodell, a member of the committee from January 1995 to July 1997. Finding aid available in EAD on the Virginia Heritage Project database. Ms97-025.

SMITH FAMILY. LETTERS, 1861-65, 1912, 1975, 1996 n.d. 0.2 cu. ft. Collection consists of forty-nine letters written by the brothers of the Smith family of Carroll County, Virginia, almost exclusively while most of them served as soldiers for the Confederacy during the Civil War. The brothers include James R. Smith (1831-63), who served in Company I of the 50th Virginia Regiment; Stephen Mitchell Smith (1832-1913), who was initially exempt from military service because he was the only blacksmith in the area, but later served with Company G of the 54th Virginia Regiment; William Alexander Smith (1835-68), who served in Company I of the 50th Virginia Regiment; and Barton Pierce Smith (1838-63) who enlisted in February 1863 and served in Company D of the 29th Virginia Regiment as a hospital steward. Most are written to Stephen Mitchell Smith from encampments in Virginia. Also includes genealogical information about the family compiled in 1975 by Frederick R. Smith of Hardy, Virginia. Finding aid available on the Virginia Heritage database. Ms1996-018.

SMITHEY & BOYNTON. RECORDS, 1922-77. 60.0 cu. ft. and 1500 rolls of architectural drawings. Architectural firm in Roanoke, Virginia, established in 1935 by Louis Phillipe Smithey and Henry B. Boynton. Records consist of about 1500 designs of residences, churches, businesses, schools, and community buildings predominently in the Roanoke, Montgomery County, and Southwest Virginia area, designed mostly between 1935 and 1977. Materials consist of project files, specifications, framed drawings and photographs, and architectural drawings. Includes designs done by Smithey before he collaborated with Boynton, as well as designs done by other firms of projects later redesigned by Smithey & Boynton. Ms92-027.

SMITHFIELD PRESTON FOUNDATION. PAPERS, 1784-1881, n.d. 204 items. Collection consists of letters written by two generations of members of the Preston family of southwest Virginia, Kentucky, and South Carolina, to James and Sarah Preston McDowell in Rockbridge County, Virginia. Most of the correspondents are the children and grandchildren of William and Susanna Smith Preston, settlers of Montgomery County, Virginia, who built their home, "Smithfield," in 1772. Inventory available. Ms97-002.

SMYTH, ELLISON A. JR. (1863-1941). PAPERS, 1859-1927. 6.0 cu. ft. Professor of Biology (1891-1925); dean of the faculty (1903-06); dean of the Department of Applied Science (1916-20); and faculty advisor to students in biology and pre-medical (1920-25). Papers include correspondence with professional and amateur scientists, and collectors, dealers and suppliers around the world, including H.H. Bailey, Carl Braun, Jonathan Dwight, E.K. Harvey, and James R. Randolph. Also includes correspondence with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the American Entomological Society, Boston Society of Natural History, Linnean Society of New York, and the University of Notre Dame Botany Department; reprints of articles written by Smyth; literature on topics in biology and science; and his notes, written in 1912, on birds in Montgomery County, Virginia. Ms81-098.

SOLITUDE. PHOTOGRAPHS and PAPERS, 1960s-80s. 0.3 cu. ft. Historic home of Blacksburg, Virginia, built by the Preston family in the early 1800s. Purchased by the Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College (now Virginia Tech) in 1872, and remains the oldest building on campus. Photographs consist of thirty-four mounted photographs of various views and details of Solitude, with identifying labels. Also includes other papers, such as newspaper clippings and postcards, with information about Solitude. Ms93-024.

[SOLITUDE LETTER, 1860.] 0.1 cu. ft. Letter written December 27, 1860, from an unidentified man at Solitude, the Preston home in Blacksburg, Virginia, to "Miss Martha." Ms90-138.

STERN OLD BACHELOR'S CLUB [BLACKSBURG, VIRGINIA]. MINUTE BOOK, 1928-32. 0.1 cu. ft. Men's social club in Blacksburg, framed drawings and photographs, and architectural drawing Virginia, whose motto was "Millions for defense, but not one cent for matrimony." Photocopy of a minute book listing officers and members, including Gordon Bennett, Mason Heavener, Baxter Johnston, Champ Lester, Harvey Lee Price, and David Slusser; and the club's constitution. Ms90-017.

SULLIVAN FAMILY. PAPERS, 1869-1902. 0.8 cu. ft. Early pre-medical (1920-25). Papers in Christiansburg, Virginia family. Collection includes correspondence (1883-89); ledger books for Blacksburg, Virginia district taxes (1885), Virginia House of Delegates (1891- 92), and Lorentz and Sullivan's mill (1882-1884); and photographs, brochures (1884), news clippings (n.d.), and receipts (1881-84). Finding aid available in EAD on the Virginia Heritage Project database. Ms56-001.

SUPERIOR ANTHRACITE MINES. FIRE BOSS REPORTS, 1929-1953. 0.3 cu. ft. Coal mining operation in McCoy (Montgomery County), Virginia. Daily reports of fire boss for the company’s Big Vein Mine, describing mine conditions. Finding aid available on the Virginia Heritage database. Ms2009-131.
SURFACE (ZERFASS) FAMILY. GENEALOGY, n.d. 0.1 cu. ft. Copy of extensive genealogy of the Surface, or Zerfass, family of Virginia, Indiana, and Ohio. Compiled by Clyde S. Boots of Isabel, Kansas. Contains thorough family trees of the family members; cemetery records of Johnson County, Indiana; records of the Price Family of Montgomery County, Virginia, who intermarried with the Surfaces; brief census statistics from 19th century Montgomery County, Virginia; biographies of select members of the family; and copies of the wills (1805 and 1808) of John Surface and John Surface, Jr. Ms70-001.

TANT, MARTHA ANN HITE. GENEALOGY RECORDS, 1991. 0.1 cu. ft. Resident of Kingsport, Tennessee, and genealogy researcher. Records include pedigree charts, Bible records, and family group listings of 300 years of Tant's ancestors, including the Brown, Haden, Harman, Hite, Linkous, Marrs, May, Salmons, and Trollinger families, who settled in Henry, Montgomery, Pittsylvania, and Tazewell counties, Virginia, and in Kentucky. Ms91-040.

TATE, LELAND B. (1905- ). PAPERS, 1940-57. 0.2 cu. ft. Professor (1937-71) and Professor Emeritus (1972- ) of Rural Sociology at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Papers include a scrapbook of clippings about Blacksburg, Virginia, community development (1940-41) and a paper--"Facts about Virginia's People"- -compiled by Tate and George Blume (ca. 1957). Ms56-004.

THOMAS, WILLIAM. ACCOUNT BOOK, 1845-52. 1 vol. Montgomery County general store merchant. Customer accounts. Ms40-031.

THURSDAY BOOK CLUB [BLACKSBURG, VIRGINIA]. RECORDS, 1926- 68. 0.1 cu. ft. Book club organized by women residents of Blacksburg, Virginia, in 1928. Originally called the Round Dozen Book Club. Records consist of meeting minutes (1928-30, 1936-42) and cards (1963-64, 1967-68) listing order in which the bookswere passed among the members. Also includes a newspaper clipping (January 1944) marking the twenty-sixth year of the Thursday Book Club. Ms97-004.

TUCKER, MATTIE LAMB (1893-1985). PAPERS, 1945-1984. 0.2 cu. ft. Blacksburg, Virginia Red Cross nurse and social worker. Certificates, newspaper clippings (mostly recognizing Tucker for volunteer efforts); photographs; correspondence and other printed material relating to her and her family's activities--particularly her son, Henry Tucker, a marine killed on Iwo Jima during World War II. Finding aid available in EAD on the Virginia Heritage Project database. Ms84-176.

TUESDAY AFTERNOON BOOK CLUB. RECORDS, 1933-1989. 0.5 cu. ft. Blacksburg, Virginia club, which met to discuss books and current affairs. Programs, minutes books, a club history, and a list of checked out books. Finding aid available in EAD on the Virginia Heritage database. Ms89-052.

UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST FELLOWSHIP OF THE NEW RIVER VALLEY. RECORDS, 1958-87. 0.2 cu. ft. Founded as the Blacksburg [Virginia] Unitarian Fellowship in 1956; changed name in 1986. Materials include a notebook with essays about the history, programs, etc. of the Fellowship; newsclippings; reports; and newsletters. Ms88-001.

UNITED DAUGHTERS OF THE CONFEDERACY, DR. HARVEY BLACK CHAPTER. RECORDS, 1862-1988. 2.0 cu. ft. Organization of female descendents of Confederate soldiers. The Dr. Harvey Black chapter was formed in Blacksburg, Virginia, in 1896, in honor of Black (1827-88) a Montgomery County resident and a surgeon for the Fourth Virginia Infanty Regiment during the Civil War. Records include chapter charter certificates, chapter meeting minutes, photographs, writings about Black and Confederate monuments, scrapbooks, letters (1862-64) from Elisha Epperson of the 67th Virginia Regiment to his wife, and rosters of Confederate soldiers. Finding aid available in EAD on the Virginia Heritage Project database. Ms90-050.

VIRGINIA BALL INVITATIONS, 1870-1871. 0.1 cu. ft. The three invitations to events at the Montgomery White Sulphur Springs, Yellow Sulphur Springs, and the Hancock House resorts. Finding aid available on the Virginia Heritage database. Ms2009-103.

WADE, JANE. LETTER, 1864. 0.1 cu. ft. Photocopy of a letter from Wade in Christiansburg, Virginia, written on May 15, 1864, to her husband John, a soldier in the Confederate Army in the Civil War. She writes about the "Yanks advancing on Dublin [Virginia] and burning town buildings," the wounded, and looting by the Yankee soldiers. Transcript available. Ms87-049.

WALL, ALEXANDER FLOYD (ca. 1826-ca. 1899). CORRESPONDENCE, 1861-65. 0.1 cu. ft. Farmer in Montgomery County, Virginia. Collection consists of copies of three letters, 1862-65, from Wall to his brother-in-law, Waddy Thompson James (1836-1926 or 1931), a Captain and then Lieutenant Colonel in Company B of the 57th Virginia Infantry during the Civil War. Wall's letters describe conditions on his farm during the war, prices of crops, problems of getting supplies to soldiers, and the transfer of slaves. Company B, or the "Franklin Sharpshooters," was organized by James of men from Franklin County, Virginia. James was injured in the Battle of Malvern Hill (July 1862) and resigned from service soon thereafter. Also includes one letter from James to his wife Jennie, written from Camp Belcher in Richmond, Virginia, on October 4, 1861, and biographical and military information about James and his career as a soldier. After the war James served in the Virginia House of Delegates (1874-78) and the Virginia Senate (1879-1882) as the representative from Franklin County. Finding aid available in EAD on the Virginia Heritage Project database. Ms82-007.

WALTERS, H. D. (b. 1849). FLYER, n.d. 0.1 cu. ft. Jeweler in Christiansburg, Virginia during the late nineteenth century. Flyer advertising a ring sale. Finding aid available on the Virginia Heritage database. Ms2008-059.

WALTHALL, J.G. ACCOUNT BOOK, 1906. 1 vol. Montgomery County, Virginia, general store merchant. Customer accounts. Ms40-030.

WEST, LINDSAY B. PAPERS 1975-1996. 1.5 cu. ft. and 2 oversize folders. The Lindsay West Papers span the years 1975-1996. The bulk of the collection is comprised of subject files West kept while she was serving on the Board of Supervisors. These files contain inter- and intra- office county government correspondence and memos, legal opinions, government documents, reports and studies, many of which include maps; and clippings. Most of these materials are photocopies of county government documents that were distributed by the county staff to each member of the Board. The papers document Montgomery County government during a period of rapid growth. Subjects include: annexation actions, the proposed Ingles Mountain Landfill in Radford, a proposed alternate for Route 460, and a proposal to develop a shopping mall along Route 460. The collection also contains records documenting other organizations West served: New River Community Action, the New River Valley Workshop, and the Montgomery-Floyd Regional Library Board Blacksburg Library Building Committee. The collection includes a poster announcing the dedication of the new Blacksburg branch library building in 1996. Finding aid available online. Ms2001-013.

WHISNER MEMORIAL METHODIST CHURCH. RECORDS, 1857- 1960. 4.0 cu. ft. Church in Blacksburg, Virginia; founded 1798. Records include recording steward's book (1859-60); quarterly conference minutes (1880-1950); church registers (1857-1938); Sunday school records (1879-1911); rolls of the Women's Foriegn Missionary Society; Blacksburg Auxiliary (1905-10); Women's Society of Christian Service record and report books (1941-60); and various publications dealing with the history of the church. Ms64-003.
WHITE, ISAAC (1837-89). PAPERS, 1861-1938. 0.2 cu. ft. Assistant surgeon in the Confederate Army. Born in Charlottesville, Virginia, White graduated in 1859 from the Medical College of Virginia. He resided in Upshur County, Virginia (now West Virginia) before the war, and then in Shawsville in Montgomery County, Virginia, until his death. He served in various regiments during the war, including the 29th Virginia Infantry Regiment, the 31st Virginia Infantry Regiment, and the 62nd Virginia Mounted Infantry Regiment. He also served, between September 1862 and January 1863 as an assistant surgeon at Montgomery White Sulphur Springs Hospital. The papers consist of letters from White to his wife in Shawsville, written mostly while encamped along the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia in 1863 and 1864. He describes the losses to his regiment suffered during the Battle of Gettysburg (July 1863), the Battles of New Market and Spotsylvania (May 1864), and the Battle of Winchester (September 1864). Finding aid available in EAD on the Virginia Heritage Project database. Ms97-013.

WISS, HENRY H. (1913-94). PAPERS, 1960, n.d. 0.2 cu. ft. Professor of Architecture at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University from 1947 to 1983. Collection consists of twelve architectural drawings and four photographs of Wiss's private residence in Blacksburg, Virginia, designed by him in 1960. Ms96-013.

WORLEY, CHARLES S. JR. (1912-95). PAPERS, 1954-62. 0.5 cu. ft. Professor of Architecture at Virginia Tech from 1947 to 1982, and Professor Emeritus from 1982 until his death in 1995. Papers consist of architectural designs done by Worley, often in partnership with Henry Wiss, also a Virginia Tech Architecture Professor, in the mid-1950s and early 1960s. Also includes photographs of Worley in his home in Blacksburg, Virginia, which he designed, and slides taken by Worley of Blacksburg, Smithfield Plantation, and the Ogunquit Museum of American Art in Maine. Inventory available. Ms96-017.

YATES, ANNE H. PRICE (1939- ). PAPERS, 1975-1985. 1.0 cu. ft. Co-compiler of Increase in Prices (1985). Correspondence; genealogical charts, notes and documents compiled by Yates and her father, William Conway Price, in the course of writing book. Finding aid available in EAD on the Virginia Heritage Project database. Ms89-087.

YELLOW SULPHUR SPRINGS HOTEL [MONTGOMERY COUNTY, VIRGINIA]. ACCOUNT BOOK, 1885-95. 0.5 cu. ft. Montgomery County mountain resort; established in 1810, closed in 1923. Became a Virginia Historic Landmark in 1977. Collection contains a guest register. Images available online (Adobe Acrobat Reader required for viewing). Finding aid available in EAD on the Virginia Heritage database. Ms40-033.

YELLOW SULPHUR SPRINGS SALE BROADSIDE, 1943. 0.1 cu. ft. The Yellow Sulphur Springs resort was built by Charles Taylor between Blacksburg and Christiansburg, Virginia, around 1810. The broadside advertises the sale of the mineral springs resort located in Montgomery County, Virginia. Finding aid available on the Virginia Heritage database. Ms2009-106.

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