Manuscript Collections for the Environmental History Resources Guide
Agnew, Marian K., papers, c. 1967–1993. 70 linear feet. Mss1Ag635aFA2 (in process).
These materials consist of federal, state, county, and municipal reports on water quality in the Chesapeake Bay and Potomac Estuary. Compiled by attorney Marian K. Agnew, also included are case files from several legal cases concerning attempts to stall or stop construction or other activities that would add to existing pollution problems. In addition, there are audio/visual materials consisting, in part, of oral histories of a number of like-minded women, who referred to themselves as the "Sewer Ladies." These women began their activities in the early 1970s when all were living in the Washington Metropolitan Area. Although most of these reports could be obtained from the individual agencies or from government document repositories, it is this amassing of information from so many sources that makes this collection of particular interest. Also reflected is the political activity of the women involved, many of whom were wives or employees of government and charitable agencies: State Department, CIA, DIA, Public Health Service, Red Cross, EPA, Civil Service and military. Ms. Agnew eventually earned her law degree so that she could advance the group's initiatives. A draft guide is available from the Manuscripts and Archives staff.
Arvonia-Buckingham Slate Company, Inc., records, 1913–1990. 71 folders. Mss3Ar896a.
This set of corporate records was compiled and maintained by the last secretary-treasurer of the company, Charles E. Wingo III. A full run of the company minute books, from 1913 to 1985, comprises the first series in the collection. These volumes allow researchers to track corporate history and operations and reveal numerous issues the company faced over time, including environmental matters relating to quarrying slate, the production of slate products, and efforts to resolve matters regarding "waste" created from those activities, from hauling to the development of new product lines. Other series in the collection include the papers of presidents of the corporation (Series 2) and of secretary-treasurers (Series 3). A finding aid to the collection is available online.
Bagby, George William (1828–1883), papers, 1828–1917. 1,648 items. Mss1B1463a.
This collection largely relates to Bagby's career as a popular writer and lecturer. It includes a letter, 1862 January 12, of John Moore (of Aldie) to M. Harrison concerning the damages to his fields and fences, as well as the confiscation of some of his timber and his hay by forty armed men led by Lieut. Love of the 5th or 6th South Carolina Regiment, Confederate States Army of Northern Virginia; also concerns the pillage of an adjoining farm (item a910).
Baker, C. M., "Hydrostatic, Chemical and Biological Survey of Blackwater River, Franklin, Virginia, October–December 1937." 59 leaves. Mss7:2B5683:1.
Prepared by Baker, John Wendell Bailey, and C. L. Walker, this early study was sponsored by Chesapeake-Camp Corporation.
Baliles, Gerald L. (b. 1940), papers, c. 1970–2004. c. 200 linear feet. Mss1B1986aFA2 (in process).
Collection contains personal and political papers regarding Baliles's career as a state legislator, Virginia attorney general, and governor of Virginia. In these capacities he influenced the protection and restoration of the Chesapeake Bay and dealt with transportation issues in the commonwealth. Series 1, House of Delegates files, includes a file on the Estuarine Environmental Education Support Program, 1980. Series 5.2, House of Delegates service, contains files about a Water Study Commission, 1976–1981. Series 6 contains files regarding the following legislation in the House of Delegates and subject research: Air Pollution Emission Inspection, HB116, 1978–1980; Clean Air Act, 1970–1980 (3 folders); Coal Conversion Authority, Virginia, SB341, 1979–1980; Coastal Resources Management, 1978–1979; Coastal Resources Management, HB403, constituent postcards, 1979; Coastal Resources Management, SB403, 1979; Energy, 1974–1980 (4 folders); Energy Conservation, Housing, 1978; Environment, Miscellaneous, 1976–1979; EPA Visibility Rules, 1980–1981; Land Use, 1974–1979; Metrorail, 1976–1981; Non-Returnable Beverage Containers, 1978–1980; North Anna Nuclear Power Station, 1974; Portsmouth Coal Facility, 1981; Power Plant Sitting, 1972–1979; Railroads, 1976–1979; Recycling, 1976–1980; Reforestation of Timberland, 1977; Report of the Wastewater Treatment and Disposal Systems Joint Subcommittee, 1979; Roads, 1978–1980; Small Scale Hydro-Electric Power in the Southeast, 1979–1981; Solar Energy, 1977–1979; Solid Waste Management, 1977–1981 (2 folders); and Summaries, Environmental, 1978. Work continues on this collection, which will offer significant materials from the period of Baliles's terms as attorney general and Virginia's chief executive. For additional information on the collection, please consult a reference librarian or a member of the Manuscripts and Archives staff.
Blair, John (1687–1771), diary, 1751. [74] p.: holograph; 6 x 4 in. Mss5:1B5754:1.
This volume includes records of weather conditions kept in a copy of The Virginia Almanack for 1751, published in Williamsburg. The diary is printed in the William and Mary Quarterly, Series 1, vols. 7 and 8 (1899).
Blow family papers, 1764–1832. 11 items. Mss2B6235b.
This small collection includes correspondence of George Blow (of Tower Hill, Sussex County) with Edmund Ruffin (concerning an analysis of the effects of Blow's use of enclosures and vegetable manures on his agricultural produce in 1823).
Bolling, Charles Edward (1852–1929), papers, 1870–1931. 95 items. Mss1B6383a.
Collection chiefly consists of correspondence, account books, and diaries concerning Bolling as an engineer in the Department of Public Works in Richmond from 1873 to 1920. Some specific materials of interest include correspondence of Bolling with Francis I. Cabell (concerning the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad and the Shockoe Creek Sewer) and with Lucy Chambliss (Day) Martin (concerning the drinking quality of water from the James River) in Section 1.
Branch & Company, Richmond, records, 1837–1976. c. 125,000 items. Mss3B7327aFA1.
This collection focuses on the investment firm of Branch & Company in Richmond and its predecessor and subsidiary companies. The former included auction houses, commodities brokerages, and banks primarily founded by Thomas Branch of Petersburg and Richmond. Along with corporate records concerning operations of these companies, the collection includes papers of firm principals and other family members, including John P. Branch (a business associate of his named James Turner Sloan owned large tracts of land in Richmond and Chesterfield County and a significant portion of his papers concern Parker Farm, which later became a major industrial site and the location of the Richmond Deepwater Terminal [Boxes 174, 197–198, and 271–276]), Blythe Walker Branch (records as vice president of the Clifton Forge Water Company, 1890–1891 [Box 175]), Robert Gamble Cabell (some personal correspondence concerns the Virginia-Carolina Chemical Corporation, of which he was a prominent stockholder [Boxes 192–194]), and Edmund Addison Rennolds (materials concerning the Tredegar Company and Tredegar Timber Company [Box 212]).
Records of subsidiary companies founded and operated by partners in Branch & Company include those for Arvonia-Buckingham Slate Company, Inc., operating quarries in Buckingham County ([Boxes 221–223] of particular note is a file in 1967 containing aerial photographs of quarry sites and other geologic information [Box 222]); Buckingham Slate Quarries Corporation (Box 223); Buckingham-Virginia Slate Corporation (marketed products from the slate quarries [Boxes 223–224]), Monticello Slate Corporation (operating Albemarle County quarries [Box 224]), and Williams-Arvonia Slate Corporation (also a marketing firm [Box 224 and bound volumes]). Various records found here for these companies, generally operational, legal, and financial, include information on mining practices, production of after products, the perennial problem of waste rock, and other environmental matters.
Other subsidiary companies include Lower Tuckahoe Land Corporation (managed a tract in Henrico and Goochland counties, originally part of the Tuckahoe Plantation, which was sold to residential housing developers in 1965 [Boxes 243, 298–300]), Richmond River Front Land Corporation (also involved with the Parker Farm property in Chesterfield County [Box 249]), Riverside Land Corporation (controlled prime industrial sites in downtown Richmond and leased them to manufacturers [Boxes 249–250, 301]), and West View Land & Improvement Company (developed a residential project in Richmond [Boxes 250, 302, and bound volumes]).
Records created by persons and firms more loosely associated with Branch & Company include those of Colonel James Henry Dooley and his wife, Sallie (May) Dooley (concerning their property in Augusta County, Swannanoa, and operations of the Richmond & West Point Land, Navigation, & Improvement Company, primarily focused on land development in West Point, King William County, and the West End Land & Improvement Company (later West End Home Building Association [Boxes 251–252]).
A supplementary guide to the records in this collection is available in the VMHC Research Library Reading Room.
Brooks, Ruth Anne M., compiler, Virginia political materials, 1957–1997. c. 200 items. Mss1B7915a.
Publications, newspaper clippings, and political handouts collected by Ruth Anne Brooks of Richmond concerning Virginia politics and election campaigns. Section 3 consists of miscellaneous subject files, including one on the Virginia Beach water supply.
Brown, Stuart E., papers, 1889–2001. 299 items. Mss1 B8154b.
The papers of Stuart E. Brown ([1916–2004] of Berryville) relate to his work editing and publishing the autobiography of George Freeman Pollock entitled, Skyland: The Heart of the Shenandoah National Park. The collection contains correspondence, photographs, printed materials, and other items relating to Brown's work and also to Shenandoah National Park. The entire collection provides insight into George Freeman Pollock and his mountain resort, Skyland, which became a part of Shenandoah National Park. Pollock was an advocate for the conservation of the area around Skyland and was instrumental in the creation of the Park.
Cabell family papers, 1739–1896. 20 items. Mss1C1118b.
This small collection of family papers largely consists of a series of diaries, 1851–1869, kept by Mayo Cabell at Union Hill in Nelson County (Section 2). His entries include notes on agricultural operations and weather observations.
Central Coca-Cola Bottling Company, Inc., records, 1906–2003. 86 boxes. Mss3C3332aFA2.
Collection largely concerns the bottling of Coca-Cola beverage products by this Richmond-based company that conducted operations in Virginia and contiguous states. The "Water Quality, Environmental Protection Agency, 1990–1992" file concerns water quality issues (Series 10.7, Folder 853). Betty Sams Christian, at one time president and CEO of the company, was actively involved with wetland conservator Virginia Ducks Unlimited (Series 14.2, Folder 1683). There is a great deal of information concerning littering and recycling as it regards bottling companies in the National Soft Drink Association papers (Series 13.3.) and the state soft drink organization records (Series 13.6). A guide to this collection is available in the library reading room or online.
Chesapeake Corporation, Inc., records, c. 1800s–2010. c. 200 linear feet. Mss3C4249aFA2 (in process).
Records concern the operation of paper mills in West Point. Over sixty boxes of tract records document the forestation and deforestation of tracts of land owned by Chesapeake Corporation. Collection also includes paper work filed with the Environmental Protection Agency. A finding aid will be available online once the collection has been fully processed; until then, consult Manuscripts and Archives staff directly.
Clarke, John Stanley (1857–1877), diary, 1873. [418] p.: holograph; 5 3/4 x 3 in. Mss5:1C5535:1.
Kept in Richmond by a teen-aged boy, the diary includes frequent references to weather conditions.
Cogbill family papers, 1852–1889. 47 items. Mss1C6553a.
Collection contains testimonial letters, 1863–1889, written to Benjamin Daniel Cogbill (Section 1) and affidavits, 1887–1889, concerning the medicinal powers of Whoobry water, which came from a spring on the property of the Cogbill family in Mecklenburg County (Section 2).
Cook family papers, 1890–2007. 26 items. Mss2C7739b.
Collection contains a commissioner's notice (item b12), 1899 January 30, issued at Charlotte Court House, concerning the settlement of accounts as decreed by the circuit court for damages to land in Charlotte County caused by the removal of timber.
Custis family papers, 1683–1858. 909 items. Mss1C9698a. Microfilm.
Comprised of records of members of the Custis family of Williamsburg, and York, New Kent, and Fairfax counties, this collection also includes numerous materials of George Washington, second husband of the widow Martha Dandridge Custis. Among those papers are two plans, 1789–1800, prepared by Washington concerning crop rotations at farms he owned in Fairfax County: French's Plantation (a400) and Muddly Hole Farm (a401).
DeButts family papers, 1784–1962. 258 items. Mss1 D3545a.
The DeButts family lived in and around Loudoun County; this collection concerns members of this and the related Dulany and Whiting families. Section 16 includes a letter of Mary Ann Debutts (Dulany) Whiting to Anna Maria Sarah (Goldsborough) Fitzhugh (of Ravensworth, Fairfax County) concerning the Whiting family's rental of Richland, a plantation in Stafford County. Letter regards $7000 worth of improvements made at Richland by the Whiting family and a two-year supply of corn and wheat, which were all later destroyed by Union troops encamped at Aquia.
Dickerson, Nathan D. (1818–1901), diary, 1846–1899. [251] pp. Mss5:1D5585:1. Photocopy of a typed transcription.
Kept as an overseer at plantations in Charlotte, Halifax, and Mecklenburg counties. Entries include lists of farm activities such as hogs killed, tobacco cut, wheat and fodder sold, and yearly tallies regarding the number of animals on the plantations, but most important are monthly summaries for weather related events and agricultural tasks (fields cleared, planted, harvested). Also included are entries regarding the flooding of rivers and creeks, and damages done to various crops. The original diary is currently in private hands.
Douthat family papers, 1795–1922. 1,424 items. Mss1D7495a.
Papers of the Douthat family of Weyanoke, Charles City County, and the related Lewis, Marshall, and Wade families. The bulk of the collection consists of the papers of planter Robert Douthat (1820–1897) and concerns farming operations at Weyanoke and to some extent Shirley Plantation, both in Charles City County. Materials include correspondence and accounts; agreements regarding the plantations; bonds with individuals and companies; and miscellaneous materials. Section 2 consists of correspondence, 1802–1833, of plantation owner Fielding Lewis. Correspondents of interest include William Farr (requesting payment for oyster shells to be used for fertilizer). Section 3 consists of accounts, 1795–1853, kept by Fielding Lewis (of Weyanoke), in part concerning the purchase of oyster shells for fertilizer. Section 10 consists of correspondence, 1830–1895, of Robert Douthat (of Westbury and Weyanoke, Charles City County, and Danville). Correspondents of interest include brother-in-law John Lamb (concerning farming operations at Shirley, including purchase of lime and guano) and commission merchants Allison & Addison of Richmond (concerning guano and bone meal).
Dunford, Earle (b. 1926), papers, 1899–1995. 108 folders. Mss1D9183a.
Papers of Earle Dunford (of Richmond) relate to his book, The Richmond Times-Dispatch: The Story of a Newspaper, published in 1995. The book covers 150 years of the newspaper's history, including the origins of the paper and the four generations of the Bryan family who published it; the various departments and people at the newspaper; and major twentieth-century events covered by the paper. Materials in the collection include drafts of the book, research files, and transcripts of interviews with past and present employees of the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Among the research files are several relating to flooding and other damage caused by Hurricane Camille in 1969 and Tropical Storm Agnes in 1972 (Folder 28), and a tornado that hit Richmond in 1993 (Folder 56). Also included in the research is a file concerning the Kepone poisoning of the James River in 1975 (Folder 35).
Eppes family papers, 1722–1948. 540 items. Mss1Ep734d.
Primarily diaries, correspondence and other materials of Dr. Richard Eppes (1824–1896) of Appomattox Manor, City Point [formerly Prince George County, now city of Hopewell]. The diaries, 1851–1896, give details of agricultural activities and daily life at Eppes's several farms, including Eppes Island, Charles City County, Bermuda Hundred, Chesterfield County, Woodland, Prince George County, and Hopewell, now part of Appomattox Manor. Typical entries include weather conditions, but also noted are unusual weather occurrences such as floods (item 301), tornados (items 302 and 307), and droughts (items 297, 298, and 304). Diary for 1875–1880 contains a summary of weather changes over the past 20 years (item 303). Other subjects include soil analysis (items 301 and 304), crop rotation (302), experiments with plaster and guano as fertilizer (item 306), and a visit from two anthropologists using Capt. John Smith's map to locate Native American sites (item 306). Also included are account books, 1811 and 1813 (items 28–29), kept by Archibald Eppes (d. 1820), 1822 and 1826 (items 126 and 128), kept by or for Benjamin Cocke (1731–1836), and 1847, 1857 (item 342), kept by Richard Eppes, concerning the shad fishing industry along the Appomattox River. Richard Eppes's accounts show the steep drop in supply following the over-fishing earlier in the century.
Eppes, Josephine Dulles (1855–1920), weather reports, 1898–1908. [140] pp. Mss5:1Ep735:1.
Kept at Appomattox Manor in what is now Hopewell, this journal contains newspaper clippings regarding precipitation and environmental concerns; individual daily entries provide very thorough reporting on weather conditions from almost every day between January 1898 and October 1908.
George, Alice B. Payne, papers, 1855–1875. 32 items. Mss2G2936b.
Include letters and accounts, 1858–1860, of Harris & Wilson of Richmond (by B. F. Harris) concerning the purchase of guano.
Grinnan family papers, 1750–1901. 807 items. Mss1G8855c.
This collection largely concerns Fredericksburg merchant Daniel Grinnan and his various mercantile ventures, along with papers of his son Dr. Andrew Glassell Grinnan. Section 23 includes an affidavit, 1863, of William E. Glassell, Albert Gallatin Nalle, and Isaac Wallers regarding damage to land in Madison County owned by Dr. Grinnan caused by Confederate cavalry troops.
Hamilton family papers, 1798–1990. 450 items. Mss1H1805c.
Concern the Hamilton, Vandegrift, and Withers families of Gloucester County. Section 8 includes among family correspondence, 1884–1917, of Alfred Willis Withers (of Severnby, Gloucester County) that with A. P. Sharp concerning well water at Severnby.
Hannah family papers, 1760–1967. 4,721 items. Mss1H1956a.
Primarily concern Hannah family members at the plantation of Gravel Hill, Charlotte County. Included within section 41 are agreements of George Cunningham Hannah with Margaret McDowell Venable Hannah and agents Addison & Addison (1887 October 10) for the purchase of four tons of wheat fertilizer. Also, included are agreements with the agent for P. Zell and Sons, Samuel Davis Morton, for the purchase of ten tons of Zell's Tobacco Fertilizer (1873 June 10) and for the purchase of twelve tons of Zell's Fertilizer (1874 May 1).
Hobson, Frederick Plumer (1835–1868), diary, 1867–1868. 29 p.: typescript copy; 11 x 8 1/2 in. Mss5:1H6538:1.
Kept at Eastwood in Goochland County, this diary includes regular reports on plantation operations and weather conditions.
Hole and Corner Club (Prince George County), reports, 1848–1849. 5 items. Mss4H7146b.
Reports of Fabian Armistead, Thomas Bell, John William Eppes, and Josiah Meriwether Jordan to the Hole and Corner Club concerning agricultural activities (particularly the use of manure) observed in the county in general and specifically at Woodlawn, Prince George County.
Holladay family papers, 1728–1931. 2,318 items. Mss1H7185a.
Papers of several generations of planters in Spotsylvania and Louisa counties. Include diaries, 1846–1847, of James Minor Holladay (1823–1891) concerning farming operations at Sunning Hill, Louisa County (Sections 121–122), and diary, 1857, kept by J. M. Holladay at Prospect Hill, Spotsylvania County (Section 123). Also include notes, 1846–1891, kept by Holladay concerning Prospect Hill, Sunning Hill, ensilage, and silos (Section 139).
Holladay family papers, 1794–1855. 12 items. Mss2H7188c.
A small collection of papers for this Spotsylvania County family. Includes pages 213–20 of the Farmer's Register, c. 1834, sent to Waller Holladay bearing an essay of W. G. Minor (of Braynefield, Caroline County) on the climate of Virginia.
Holton, A. Linwood, papers, 1929–1995. 629 folders. Mss1H7445a.
This collection consists of the personal and political papers of Virginia Governor Linwood Holton, primarily focusing on his military career, political campaigns, and post-gubernatorial career, with some unofficial materials relating to his service as governor. Section 4 contains correspondence and other papers, 1970–1978, concerning Holton's activities after serving as governor of Virginia and while an unsuccessful candidate for United States Senate in 1978. A letter, 1976 July 23, from Denis J. Brion (of Williamsburg) concerns water pollution in Virginia; letter, 1976 December 3, from Russell E. Train (of the Environmental Protection Agency) discusses Kepone [insecticide] pollution of the James River; letter, 1978 June 13, from his mother, Edith (VanGorder) Holton, discusses the Appalachian Power Company's desire to make a study of Big Cherry Reservoir in Wise County.
Section 5 contains a letter, 1986 May 28, from Holton to Leo Bourassa (of Huddleston) concerning cleanup of Smith Mountain Lake and the Roanoke River; a letter, 1986 July 11 (including an attached letter of July 2), from Wilma C. Warren (of the Virginia Water Project, Roanoke) discusses Virginia's water and wastewater needs. Section 12 contains loose newspapers and news clippings, including items concerning the oil industry, urban planning, and pollution problems in Virginia, 1966; also, includes an article on pollution in the James River, 1967.
Keith family papers, 1709–1865. 193 items. Mss1K2694a.
Collection largely involves the Keith family of Woodbourne in Fauquier County. Section 7 contains the correspondence of Isham Keith as president of the Fauquier White Sulphur Springs Company, 1842–1862, and beside covering matters relating to the Springs also includes correspondence with John Baker concerning the Rappahannock Company. Materials dating from 1844 in Section 13 also concern the company, which was formed and operated to open and improve navigation on the upper Rappahannock River. Sections 16 (correspondence of Thomas Green, 1839–1844) and 20 (miscellaneous letters, 1839) also concern the Fauquier White Sulphur Springs Company, with one letter in the latter section from Helen Glassell Grinnan concerning the health benefits of the spring waters for an enslaved person. Lastly, a list compiled by Isham Keith in 1862 concerns damage caused at Woodbourne by Union troops.
Kirby, Jack Temple (1938–2009), papers, 1867–2002. 3 linear feet. Mss1K6314a.
Jack Temple Kirby, a native Virginian who often wrote about his home state, was a professor of history at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, from 1965 to 2002. His specialties were the American South, rural and agricultural history, and environmental history. Section two contains correspondence, research notes, and reviews of books edited and/or written by Kirby, including Rural Worlds Lost: The American South, 1920–1960 (which examines changes in agriculture and the agricultural community in the rural South); Poquosin: A Study of Rural Landscape and Society (which presents the history of the low country between the James River in Virginia and Albemarle Sound in North Carolina), and Nature's Management: Writings on Landscape and Reform, 1822–1859 (an edited collection of early nineteenth-century agricultural writings by Edmund Ruffin, a passionate secessionist, composed when Ruffin edited the Farmer's Register [1833–1843] and served as a geological surveyor for South Carolina).
Latham, Fayetteville Mauzy (1826–1885), weather reports, 1877–1881. 15 pp. Mss2L3465a1.
Gathered in Culpeper County, these daily reports include entries for weather conditions, temperature, and precipitation levels.
LeSueur-Richmond Slate Corporation records, 1834–1998. 21 linear feet. Mss3L5673aFA2.
LeSueur-Richmond Slate Corporation is today the only remaining slate quarrying and production firm operating in the Arvonia area of Buckingham County, but its own history runs contemporaneously with more than half-a-dozen related firms, all of which were acquired by or merged with each other over a successive period of nearly 160 years, and all of whose assets are now controlled by LeSueur-Richmond. This collection is comprised primarily of the records of those predecessor or contemporaneous companies, most of which, to some degree or another, provide information on the environmental issues facing mining and manufacturing companies in the stone and rock products field. The records themselves include to varying degrees minute books of boards of directors, financial record books and loose papers, land and mineral rights acquisitions files, advertising and product information, and employee data. The firms represented include Arvonia-Buckingham Slate Company, Inc. (the largest set of records), Williams Slate Company, Inc., Monticello Slate Company (operating quarries in Albemarle County), Buckingham Slate Products Company, Inc., and Buckingham Slate Quarries Corporation, along with LeSueur-Richmond itself. Beside the general operations information that reveals the environmental issues facing these various companies, the collection includes materials specific to environmental topics. Among those are an agreement of Williams Slate with Perkins-Barnes Construction Company of Blackstone concerning the removal of overburden (quarry refuse) (Series 3, Folder 45) and a file on contracts with the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad concerning side track to the J. R. Williams & Co. processing plant in Buckingham County (Series 3, Folder 44), as well as agreements of Arvonia-Buckingham with Williams Slate and LeSueur-Richmond regarding waste materials and toppings (loose slate) (Series 5, Folder 96). A finding aid to the collection is available online.
Lewis, Meriwether (1827–1883), papers, 1850–1883. 45 items. Mss1L5877a.
Papers of a Lancaster County physician. Section one includes a letter, 1850 January 7, written to Lewis by Robert A. Munday (of Liberty Hall, King William County) concerning, in part, a marl pit and the use of marl as a fertilizer on his fields.
Louthan family papers, 1722–1900. 14,522 items. Mss1L9361a.
The Louthan family was centered in Caroline County. Section 42 of this collection contains diaries and notebooks of the Reverend Henry T. Louthan (then in Berryville) including diary entries for 1884 that make careful note of the natural world, concerning animal, plant, and insect life in Virginia and including a drawing of a locust and the Shenandoah River. Diaries for 1886 discuss nature, Henry killing a snake, and fishing.
McCarthy, Gerald P. "Virginia Environmental Endowment: Leadership, Leverage, and Legacy [speech]." Videodisk. Delivered 7 October 2010. Mss5:5M1275:1.
Delivered as a Banner Lecture at the Virginia Historical Society, this address concerns the history and role of the Virginia Environmental Endowment since its creation in 1977, with special attention to the influence of its grant awards program in shaping opportunities for environmental preservation, restoration, and education. Mr. McCarthy is executive director of the Virginia Environmental Endowment. A version is also available in VHS format; audio and video versions of the address are available online.
Macaulay, Angus Hamilton (1928–1983), papers, 1955–1983. c. 20,000 items. Mss1M1195aFA2.
Richmond lawyer Angus Hamilton Macaulay was a partner with the firm of Denny, Valentine and Davenport and active in community organizations and the Democratic Party in Virginia. The collection includes case logs, 1965–1975; memoranda, 1959–1977; speech notes; letters of commendation; notes concerning environmental law (Box 5), real estate and miscellaneous cases; general political correspondence, 1967–1983; notes concerning various local and state organizations, including the Richmond Air Pollution Control Board (Box 7) and the Technical Advisory Board on Air Pollution (Box 8); and miscellany. A collection finding aid is available in the library reading room.
McCue and Robertson family papers, 1831–1927. 131 items. Mss1M1395a.
Collection largely concerns members of the McCue, Robertson, and Stuart families of Augusta County and Staunton. A diary, 1879–1882, kept by Alexander Hall McCue at Long Meadows, Augusta County, bears brief entries on weather and farming activities (item a2). Similarly, his account book, 1875–1879, covering household and farming expenses also includes brief entries on weather and agricultural activities (item a1).
McDonald family papers, 1767–1951. 912 items. Mss1M145a.
Collection primarily concerns the family of Marshall McDonald of Berryville. Pertinent materials include his correspondence as U.S. Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries in Washington, D.C. (Sections 2 and 3), an 1879 deed of S. P. Browning to the Fish Commission of Virginia for 3.5 acres in Wythe County (item a248), and an 1879 agreement of William Davidson and others with McDonald (as Commissioner of Fisheries of Virginia) to sell a plot of land in Lexington (item a249).
Marshall Manufacturing Company, records, 1867–1897. 3 linear feet (200 folders). Mss3M3571a.
Records of the Marshall Manufacturing Company (of Manchester [later, Richmond]), a cotton manufacturer. Include correspondence with clients as well as ledgers and account books. Section 4 consists of an account book, 1867–1876, kept by the Marshall Manufacturing Company containing records of bags of cotton shipped to various companies. Also includes transactions for items such as guano, lamp wick, cop waste, and burlap.
Mason Family Papers, 1825–1902. 4,972 items. Mss1M3816d.
This collection concerns members of the Mason family in Greensville and Southampton counties, with the bulk of the collection focused on attorney John Young Mason (1799–1859), who served at times as U.S. Secretary of the Navy (during the administrations of presidents John Tyler and James K. Polk) and as president of the James River and Kanawha Canal Company. In the former capacity his papers (Sections 2, 4, 5, and 18) contain information on floating dry-docks and navy yards in general, as well as an explosion aboard the U.S.S. Princeton and the development of steam power for naval vessels; as canal president, Mason's papers are useful in tracing the progress of the canal construction as it moved further west from Richmond (Sections 6 and 19). On another topic, a letter, 1847 March 17, from William H. Seay (of Smithfield) to John Young Mason concerns in part the depreciation of Mason's land in Tidewater Virginia by over-cropping and overgrazing. Also, concerns damage to area crops from an abundance of wet weather (Section 4).
Menhaden Company, Inc., records, 1838–1996. 11 linear feet. Mss3M5255aFA2.
The Menhaden Company, Inc. (now Omega Protein, Inc.) was a manufacturer of fish oil, scrap, and meal. Beginning in the late nineteenth century as the McNeal, Edwards Company, located in Reedville, it was one of the menhaden factories operating on Cockrell’s Creek along the Chesapeake Bay. Menhaden, a small, oily fish abundant in Virginia’s waters, was processed for oil, protein meal, and bait for commercial and recreational fishing. The collection includes primarily correspondence, financial record books, and loose accounts that provide a glimpse into commercial fishing activities from 1900 to 1965. Along with environmental issues relating generally to the fishing industry throughout the collection, correspondence of the late 1940s to mid-1950s specifically touches on controlling waste from fish processing. A supplementary finding aid is available in the library reading room.
Merritt, Daniel Tatum (1795–1866), diary 1820–1866. [504] p.: holograph; 12 1/2 x 7 3/4 in. Bound volume. Mss5:1M5534:1.
Kept in Caswell and Person counties, N.C., and Halifax County, Va. Includes regular reports on agricultural operations and weather conditions.
Monument Avenue Crest Garden Club, Richmond, records, 1946–1975. 72 items. Mss3M7692a).
This organization, named for a residential community in Richmond's Westhampton area and founded in 1940, became extremely active in beautification and antilitter campaigns in the 1970s. Consisting primarily of scrapbooks compiled by club officers, the organization's records demonstrate efforts in undertaking plantings along the medians of Richmond's Libby Avenue (part of the Environmental Improvement Program of the National Council of State Garden Clubs, Inc., and awarded a Sears Environmental Improvement Program grant), work with associated local organizations in several local, state and national antilitter campaigns, and participation in the Governor's Program to Keep Virginia Beautiful. Also, club meetings regularly included discussions and presentations on environmental issues and nature conservancy beginning in the early 1970s.
Moring, Walter Fabius Maximus (1842–1887), diary, 1863–1864. 2 v. Mss5:1M8255:1–2.
Kept while serving in the 44th Virginia Infantry Regiment, C.S.A., around Richmond. The diary includes comments on military life and weather conditions.
Murphy, Richard D., diary, 1860 January 1–December 31. [160] p: holograph; 6 x 2 1/2 in. Mss5:1M9575:1.
Kept in Martinsburg, Berkeley County (now W.Va.), as an employee of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Company. Murphy comments on work duties and weather conditions, among other matters.
Murphy, W. Tayloe, papers, 1977–2000. 388 folders. Mss1M9592aFA2.
The papers of W. Tayloe Murphy (attorney of Westmoreland County) primarily concern his tenure in the Virginia General Assembly as a delegate for the 99th District, which includes the counties of Essex (part), King George, Lancaster, Northumberland, Richmond, and Westmoreland. This collection is divided into four series: Series 1: Correspondence, 1983–1999; Series 2: Legislative papers, 1977–2000; Series 3: Campaign materials, 1987–1999; and Series 4: Personal materials, 1982–2000. The bulk of the collection is made up of Murphy's legislative papers. Much of Murphy's work in the legislature focused on Chesapeake Bay Conservation and other environmental issues.
Folders with relevant environmental information include Folder 25: Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay (1989–1999); Folder 26: Appeals of Water Control and Air Pollution Control Boards Actions (1996; House Bill 1412); Folder 31: Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (1991–1995; House Bill 374); Folder 45: Chesapeake Bay (1984–1995); Folders 46–65: Chesapeake Bay Commission (1980–1999); Folders 66–68: Chesapeake Bay Foundation; Folder 69: Chesapeake Bay Land Use Roundtable (1987, report); Folder 70: Chesapeake Bay Legislative Advisory Commission (1980, report for Maryland and Virginia); Folder 71: Chesapeake Bay Local Assistance Department (1989–1998); Folder 72: Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve System in Virginia (1992); Folders 73–82: Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act and Extension (1986–1993, 1996); Folder 83: Chesapeake Bay Restoration Fund Advisory Committee (1995–1996); Folders 84–88: Chesapeake Bay Tributary Strategies (1994–1999; materials relating to Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia tributary strategies); and Folder 89: Chesapeake Executive Council (1988).
Also, Folder 90: Clean Air Act (1992); Folder 97: Confined Animal Feeding Operations (1999, House Bill 991); Folder 100: Council on the Environment (1987–1992); Folder 101: Council of State Government Environmental Task Force; Folder 103: Crab Trap Legislation (1995); Folder 107: Department of Conservation and Recreation (1993–1999); Folders 109–110: Department of Environmental Quality (1992–1999); Folder 129: Erosion and Sediment Control (1993); Folders 135–146: Future Of Virginia's Environment (1996–1999); Folders 160–165: Highway Beautification bills (1997–1998); Folder 215: Marine Resource Commission (1987–1997); Folder 216: Menhaden Industry (1994–1996); Folder 219: National Caucus of Environmental Legislators (1996); Folders 224–226: Non-Tidal Wetlands (1989–1991); Folder 234: Open Space Legislation (1999, House Bill 1550); Folder 235: Oyster Grounds Legislation (1998–1999, House Bill 2272); Folders 238–246: Poultry Waste Management in Chesapeake Bay Watershed; and Folder 247: Potomac River Fisheries Commission (1995–1996).
Also, Folders 255–259: Rappahannock River Basin Study Commission (1996–1999); Folders 260–261: Rappahannock River National Wildlife Refuge (1991–1994); Folder 262: Rappahannock River Valley Association (1990–1991); Folder 267: Report, Lower Dry River Water Quality Improvement Project (1995); Folder 268: Report, Patuxent River Basin Update (1986, produced by Maryland Office of Environmental Programs); Folder 269: Report, The Potomac: Protecting the Nation's River (1998, produced by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture); Folder 277: Sandbridge Beach Erosion Control Project (1985–1986); Folders 278–279: Scenic Virginia (1998–1999); Folder 280: Senate Bill – Right to Practice Forestry (1996, Senate Bill 542); Folder 285: Soil and Water Conservation (1991–1999); Folders 288–290: Southern Growth Policy Board (1992–1994); Folders 294–295: Sustainable Development Legislation (1993–1996, House Joint Resolution 291–536); Folders 297–298: Tidal Shoreline Erosion Policy (1986–1988); Folder 308: Virginia Chesapeake Bay Program (1993–1996); Folder 313: Virginia Environmental Policy Act (1999); Folders 324–325: Virginia Institute of Marine Science (1987–1999); Folders 327–329: Virginia Marine Resource Commission (1988, House Bill 1028); Folder 331: Virginia Outdoor Foundation (1996–1998); Folder 336: Virginia State Water Control Board (1987–1993); Folder 340: Waste Regulations (1997,1999, House Bill 2430); Folders 342–343: Water Quality Improvement Act Amendments (1997–1999); Folder 347: Wetlands-Tullock Ditching (1999); and Folder 349: York Watershed Council (2000).
This collection was received prior to Delegate Murphy's service as Virginia Secretary of Natural Resources from 2000 to 2006, so no materials regarding that period of his career are included. A finding aid to the collection is available in the library reading room and online.
Peticolas, Alfred Brown (1838–1915), drawing book, 1857–1859. [24] leaves. Mss5:10P4436:1.
The drawing book of physician Alfred Brown Peticolas bears pencil sketches of places in Amherst County, Lynchburg, and elsewhere in Piedmont Virginia; especially important to this guide are his sketches made along the James River & Kanawha Canal and those showing construction of track beds and bridges along the lines of the Orange & Alexandria and the Southside railroads.
Railey, Lilburn Rogers (1804–1890), papers, 1855–1884. 6 items. Mss2R1315b.
This small collection is focused on the Stone Henge Coal Pits in Chesterfield County. Specific items give the location of a coal mine to be purchased and mention alteration of the local topography and the means of salvaging a body of water.
Randolph, Thomas Mann (1792–1848), letters, 1840–1842. 18 items. Mss2R1575b.
A series of letters written to Francis Asbury Dickens in Washington, D.C., discuss agricultural operations at Tuckahoe plantation in Goochland County, as well as the operation of coal and iron mines and water measurements of the James River. Most mentions of the mines concern purchases, but they also discuss land conditions and mining operations.
Reynolds Metals Company, records, 1919–2000. c. 670 linear feet. Mss3R3395aFA2 (in process).
The Reynolds Metals Company records overall cover many topics that would be relevant to environmental issues, especially regarding mining, land conservation, and recycling. The records also document the company's role in creating a recyclable pop-top aluminum can for use with beverages. Series 6.4 of the records generated by company officer David P. Reynolds documents the development of that product, along with promoting consumer recycling and antilitter campaigns. In 1973 the company directed the construction of the first house built entirely of recycled materials. Finding aids to the processed portions of this massive collection are available in the library reading room or by contacting the Manuscripts and Archives staff directly.
Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac Railroad Company, records, 1833–1909. 69,200 (c.) items. Mss3R4152a.
Records of the Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac Railroad (Section 1) are organized chronologically and pertain to financial compensation by the company for damages to land and livestock. When the railroad was engaged in heavy construction projects the damage fees often increased. Large projects include construction of a new depot at Elba (in Richmond) in 1879, construction of the Byrd Street Station in Richmond from 1885 to 1887, construction of the James River Branch from 1889 to 1890, and doubling of the rail lines between Richmond and Washington, D.C., in 1902.
Rives, William Cabell (1793–1868), papers, 1833–1861. 3 items. Mss2R5248c.
Include a letter, 1861 September 11, from Rives (at Castle Hill, Albemarle County) to Alexander Rives concerning the use of guano (item 2).
Robert G. Cabell III and Maude Morgan Cabell Foundation, Richmond, records, 1959–2000. c. 1,200 items. Mss3R5407aFA2. Restricted access.
Established by prominent Richmond businessman Robert G. Cabell and his wife, Maude Morgan Cabell, this foundation issues significant grants annually for a variety of projects, including those dealing with the environment and environmental education. Minute books, officers' correspondence, and grant summaries reveal proposals and awards of funding in support of pertinent efforts. The collection is closed to researchers without express written authorization of the current president, secretary, or executive director of the foundation.
Roden family papers, 1881–1999. 839 items. Mss1R6144a.
Littleton Hewitt Roden, Jr. (1927–1997), was a division chief of the Wastewater Treatment Plant in Richmond. Section 4 includes a report, 1973 January 3, concerning the flooding of and destruction to the City of Richmond Wastewater Treatment Plant from Hurricane Agnes in June 1972, with photographs taken during the flooding.
Ruffin, Edmund (1794–1865), papers, 1818–1865. 826 items. Mss1R8385a.
This significant collection of papers of southern rights advocate and secessionist Edmund Ruffin is about equally divided between politics and his influential work as an agricultural reformer. Correspondence of Ruffin with family members and political colleagues frequently concerns agricultural reform and experimentation and farming operations at Beechwood, Coggin's Point, and Shellbanks in Prince George County, Cabin Point in Surry County, and Marlbourne in Hanover County (especially Sections 12, 20–21). Section 2 holds Ruffin's autobiographical essays, 1821–1855, entitled "Incidents of My Life," concerning, among other things, farming operations at Beechwood and Shellbanks, Prince George County, and at Marlbourne, Hanover County; the establishment of The Farmers' Register, Petersburg; and the Virginia Agricultural Society. This section also includes "Mr. Ruffin and the Marling System" (from an undated issue of the Charleston Mercury), which contains a speech, 1843 December 28, delivered by Edmund Ruffin at Garrysville, Prince George County; and an essay entitled "Farming Profits in Eastern Virginia. The Value of Marl" (from The American Farmer of Baltimore, Md., 1849) by Edmund Ruffin. Section 7 contains undated notes concerning the crop rotation system employed by Hill Carter. Section 26 consists of an essay, ca. 1853, entitled "Green Sand or Gypseous Earth of Lower Virginia," written by Edmund Ruffin, while the next section bears Ruffin's notes from the same period entitled "Green Sand or Gypseous Earth," concerning the results of gypseous earth experiments. The collection also includes diaries, 1843–1847, of Ruffin's son Julian Calx Ruffin concerning farming operations at Ruthven, Prince George County (Sections 28–29).
Ruffin family papers, 1849–1893. 142 items. Mss1R8387b.
This collection primarily consists of the correspondence of Edmund Ruffin of Marlbourne, Hanover County, and Beechwood, Prince George County, and of papers of members of the family of his son Julian C. Ruffin. Ruffin's own correspondence (Section 1), dating from 1851 to 1865, includes communications with William Gilham (of Virginia Military Institute, Lexington, concerning the chemical testing of marl samples), Robert E. Lee (concerning fortifications on the site of Fort Powhatan in Prince George County), his son Edmund Ruffin, Jr. ([1816–1876] concerning agricultural operations and marl pits at Marlbourne), and his son Julian (concerning agricultural operations at Marlbourne).
Sanders family papers, 1745–1914. 26 items. Mss2Sa565b.
Section 5 contains correspondence, contracts, and agreements allowing Virginia Iron, Coal and Coke Company to mine iron ore from Sanders family land in Wythe County, setting a production minimum.
Saunders, Richard (1823–1899), account book, 1859–1874, 1923–1926. 411 pp. Mss5:3Sa874:1.
Concerns mercantile operations in Dunnsville, Essex County, 1860–1861 (pp. 1–179); listing of timber sawed May 1873–January 1874 (pp. 180–190); sugar land sold September 1859 and April 1866 (pp. 191–192); an agreement with E.W. Kriste regarding the establishment of a fruit cannery in July 1873 (p. 552); and notes regarding the rotation of crops (pages following 552).
Saunders family papers, 1798–1903. 3,571 items. Mss1Sa878a.
Collection largely concerns members of the Saunders family of Campbell and Franklin counties and the related Dabney family. Of specific interest in Section 35 is a payment made by Peter Saunders as treasurer of Dug Spur Turnpike Company to John Wade in 1859 for damages caused by construction of a section of turnpike constructed on his property.
Sneden, Robert Knox (1832–1918), diary, 1861–1865. 5 volumes. Mss5:1Sn237:1.
A five-volume diary prepared and bound after the Civil War by a Union Army topographer and mapmaker. The diary bears numerous maps made or amended by Sneden, along with hundreds of watercolor sketches, a significant number of which depict the environmental impact of the construction of fortifications, raids and skirmishes, and pitched battles, many of which Sneden actually witnessed in Virginia. A guide to the collection is available in the library reading room and online.
Sneden, Robert Knox (1832–1918), scrapbook, 1861–1898. 4 volumes. Mss5:1Sn237:1. Photocopy of the original in the museum collections of the Virginia Historical Society.
Compiled by a Union Army topographical engineer who served in the U.S. Army of the Potomac. The volumes contain numerous hand-drawn maps and watercolor sketches of battlefields, camp sites and fortifications, and landscapes in general, many of which provide evidence of the effects on Virginia's environment from the movement of troops in large numbers, construction of fortifications, and raids, skirmishes, and pitched battles. A guide to the collection is available in the library reading room and online.
Snyder, Katharine Christine Parrish (b. 1876), commonplace book, 1913–1921. pp. Mss5:5Sn923:1.
Contains annual records of first frosts, first "killing" frosts, and agricultural operations at the Snyder family's farm in what is now McLean.
Spotswood family papers, 1760–1953. 144 items. Mss1Sp687b.
Section 13 contains an affidavit of John S. Fleming concerning gold mining operations on Flat Creek in Prince George County; Section 16 includes an 1842 agreement of John Chancellor and William Jones concerning gold mining operations in Orange County.
Stewart family papers, 1838–1963. 398 items. Mss1St495d.
Primarily consist of the personal papers of prominent Richmond widow Mary Amanda (Williamson) Stewart and her unmarried daughters at Brook Hill in Henrico County. Include a 1901 analysis by Dr. Buckner Magill Randolph concerning the water at Brook Hill (Section 20).
Temple, William Thomas (1829–1907), arithmetic book, 1852–1863. [67], [30] p.: part holograph; 10 1/2 x 7 3/4 in. Mss5:4T24785:1.
Kept by several members of the Temple family as a mathematical exercise and commonplace book. Pertinent sections kept by William Thomas Temple include accounts of weather in January 1852 and May 1863 and notes on agricultural operations in Prince George County, 1851–1855.
Ticer, Patricia Smith, papers, 1982–2001. 500 folders. Mss1T4355b.
Patricia S. Ticer (of Alexandria) placed this collection with the Virginia Historical Society to document her service as a Democrat in the Virginia State Senate from 1999 to 2001. The papers are divided into four parts and focus mainly on her legislative activities. They consist largely of general correspondence, drafts of legislative bills, and support materials collected by Senator Ticer concerning bills and issues. Part I consists of correspondence of Senator Ticer with constituents and other lawmakers, and concerns various pertinent issues such as Campaign Virginia (a nonprofit organization that lobbies for environmental and consumer issues that affect the interests of Virginia citizens [Folders 34–47, 85 and 86]), and poultry waste in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed (Folder 59). Part II consists of senate and house bills of which Ticer was a patron or co-patron; and materials concerning her service on the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources. The collection guide bears a list of senate and house bills. Part III consists of supporting materials sent to or collected by Senator Ticer concerning mainly legislative bills of which she was a patron or co-patron and includes correspondence, newsletters, pamphlets, and surveys (folder 408 concerns Campaign Virginia).
Ticer, Patricia Smith, papers, 1991–1998. 1,986 items. Mss1T4355a.
This collection of papers of Virginia State Senator Patricia S. Ticer (of Alexandria) covers her service as a Democrat in the sessions of 1997 and 1998. It consists primarily of general correspondence, drafts of legislative bills, and support materials collected by Senator Ticer concerning bills and issues. Part I (Box 1) focuses on her activities on the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources, where one of the key issues in these sessions was water quality. Part II (also Box 1) details her service on the Senate Transportation Committee, whose interests included the environmental impact of rail lines, road construction, and private vehicles. Most of the constituent letters addressed to Senator Ticer that might comment on environmental issues would be found in Part V (Box 3).
Todd family papers, 1709–1951. 95 items. Mss1T5662c.
Pertinent materials mention Black Heath coal mines in Chesterfield County in Section 4, concerning production in the next year (item c15) and an expense account for the mine (item c16). Item c51 gives the location of a swamp with latitudinal/longitudinal coordinates.
Tompkins, Ellen Wilkins (1818–1901), papers, 1886–1891. 7 items. Mss2T5996c.
This small collection focuses on Mrs. Tompkins's oversight of a family farm in Fayette County, W.Va., including information about damages caused to the land by Union troops when Fayette County will still part of the state of Virginia.
[Unidentified author], "Journal of Ten Days Travel on Board the Steamer 'Frances,' Left Bridgeport, [Conn.], Sep[tember] 7, 1875." 120 p. Mss5:1Un3:15.
This journal, apparently kept by a former Union soldier returning to Virginia a decade after the Civil War concluded, contains descriptions of his travel to and through Virginia up the James River and eventually to Alexandria and Washington, D.C. Along the way, he comments on a variety of topics, including his observations of the damages still left on the landscape from the war and the lack of recovery of farm and woodlands.
Upper Appomattox Company records, 1796–1935. 22 items. Mss3Up65a.
Collection includes minute books of meetings of trustees, superintendants, and stockholders of this company established to provide for improvements to and maintenance of the Appomattox River; also includes financial record books and some scattered correspondence of officers.
Upper Brandon, records, 1984–1998. 10,500 (c.) items. Mss3Up67a.
This collection includes materials concerning the purchase in 1984 and restoration of historic Upper Brandon plantation in Spring Grove, Prince George County, by the James River Corporation. James River originally planned to turn the site into a corporate training and conference center, but settled on the renovation of the existing manor house and garden, the construction of a lodge and lodge annex, and the implementation of farming and wildlife programs. The records document these activities, as well as corporate events, public functions, and farming operations at Upper Brandon. Section six includes materials concerning farming, hunting, water, and wildlife at Upper Brandon. The James River Corporation ran a farming operation under the direction of a manager hired by the company; a game program was established that allowed the hunting of doves, geese, and ducks. Upper Brandon Plantation received awards for their farm operations and their efforts to preserve the wildlife habitats in the marsh areas of the James River. In 1994, the James River Corporation donated conservation easements to the American Farmlands Trust and the Nature Conservancy, an event that is recorded through photographs, slides and videos in Section Seven: Functions, Events and Usage. Articles about this event can be found in Section Nine: Publicity.
Virginia Environmental Endowment Records, 1977–2011. 91 linear feet. Mss3V81951aFA2.
The Virginia Environmental Endowment (VEE) was established in 1977 as a nongovernmental, nonprofit corporation designed to improve the quality of Virginia's environment. Initial funding came from a voluntary contribution by Allied Chemical Corporation (now Honeywell) as partial settlement of the Kepone federal pollution litigation. Subsequent federal court settlements have added to the endowment's funds and have allowed its grant-making to extend to West Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio. The mission of the VEE is to improve the quality of the environment by using its capital to encourage all sectors to work together to prevent pollution, conserve natural resources, and promote environmental literacy. This collection, designated as the Robert R. Merhige Jr. Environmental History Archive, is organized into 6 series: Series 1: Governance materials; Series 2: Financial materials; Series 3: Executive Director's records; Series 4: Grants; Series 5: Public outreach; Series 6: Oral histories. A finding aid to the collection is available online.
Waldrop, Eloise Taylor, Papers, 1889–1980. 48 items. Mss1W1477b.
Primarily the travel correspondence of Eloise Waldrop (of Norfolk) but includes includes a letter, [April 9, 1889], of Virginia Robertson Taylor Waldrop to her sister-in-law, Eliza ALila@ Brend Waldrop Wilson at Swoope, describing a violent storm, April 6, 1889, and the resulting record damage in the Norfolk and Virginia Beach areas (item b1).
Ware Family papers, 1748–1981. 6,788 items. Mss1W2296b.
Largely concerns members of the Ware and related Latané, Maddox, McWane, Ritchie and Rouzie families, centered in Essex County. Section 22 contains legal papers of Eliza Constance "Lila" Maddox Ware (1888–1981) of Dunnsville, Essex County, regarding losses suffered from the destruction of Hurricane Hazel in 1954. Included is a letter of Guilford D. Ware (of Baird, White, & Lanning) advising his parents to file a statement in regard to their losses from the hurricane; a letter of J. W. Hosier, Jr. (insurance agent) to Frank Hundley (Hundley and Evans) regarding the numerous claims being handled by the General Adjustment Bureau and the complications of damages caused by wave wash (rising and wind-driven water); and statements made by Bettie B. Durham, Mary W. McManus, Edward F. McManus, and F. J. Wallace regarding property damages suffered during the storm.
Weaver, William (1780–1863) papers, 1786–1980. 220 items. Mss1W3798a.
William Weaver was a Philadelphia merchant-turned-Virginia ironmaster in Botetourt and Rockbridge counties. He operated the Bath Iron Works and Buffalo Forge in Rockbridge and the Etna Furnace in Botetourt. While the collection in general covers operations at these locations, Section 8 specifically includes legal records (photocopies), 1825–1839, in the case of John Doyle v. Weaver in Rockbridge Circuit Superior Court regarding Doyle's management of Lydia Furnace (later Bath Furnace) and Bath Forge, both of which later formed the Bath Iron Works. Section 4 includes a bond for money owed Weaver for damages to his property caused by the North River Navigation Company, while Section 12 includes an 1877 letter of Daniel Charles Elliott Brady (Weaver's nephew) regarding a metal yard at Pattonsburg in Botetourt County.
Wharton, John (1775–1829), memoranda book, 1803–1815. [178] p.: holograph; 4 x 6 1/2 in. Mss5:5W5558:1.
Kept as a medical student in Edinburgh, Scotland, and London, England, and then as a practicing physician in Culpeper County. The volume bears scattered notes on weather in Virginia in 1854 compiled by another, unidentified individual in 1854.
Wise family papers, 1816–1898. 149 items. Mss1W7547d.
In this collection, primarily consisting of the correspondence of attorney, congressman, and governor Henry Alexander Wise, is a pre–Civil War letter of John Cropper Wise to his brother Henry regarding the division of slaves of William B. Finney's estate at Onancock, the home of Col. John Finney of Accomack County. Also, concerns a new division of crop plantings (item d49).
Woolfolk family papers, 1780–1936. 579 items. Mss1W8844a. Microfilm reels C267–269.
Primarily the papers of family members at Mulberry Place and Shepherd's Hill in Caroline County. Section 27 includes an affidavit, 1864 May 24, of Chiswell Dabney, Richard Green, and John B. Neal concerning damages to property owned by Jourdan Woolfolk in Caroline County caused by members of the 2d and 5th North Carolina Cavalry Regiments, Confederate States Army, who cut and used 695 cords of wood during their occupation of Woolfolk's land.
Updated February 2, 2012