James Madison University Libraries & Educational Technologies http://www.lib.jmu.edu

A Guide to the

Don C. Miller Collection, 1785-1799

SC# 4049

Compiled by: Christina Bolgiano, April 2005 

Revised by: Tara Mastrangelo, September 2010

NOTE: CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE ONLINE LEDGER

Please Submit an application for permission to quote or publish.

Descriptive Summary

Repository: Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University

Title: Don C. Miller Collection, 1785-1799

Collection No.: SC# 4049

Collector: Don C. Miller

Extent: One CD-ROM

Language: English

Abstract: 

The Don C. Miller Collection, 1785-1799, consists of one CD-ROM containing 200+ digital images of one bound ledger, 12 inches tall by 7.5 inches wide, from the Pine Forge iron forge near New Market, Va.

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions:

None.

Use Restrictions:

Must submit an application to quote or publish from this collection.

Preferred Citation: 

Don C. Miller Collection, 1785-1799, SC# 4049, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Va.

Acquisition Information:

Mr Don C. Miller, owner of the ledger, offered to allow Carrier Library to make digital images of the ledger and gave permission to make the images accessible to the public in April 2005.

Processing Information:

A Kodak EasyShare digital camera on a copystand with tungsten lights was used to obtain 300 dpi JPG images of the ledger. A white sheet of paper was inserted behind torn pages in the ledger to enhance legibility of the torn sheet. Several pages were photgraphed twice to make sure the best image was obtained. Therefore, there are some duplicate images on the CD-ROM.

Historical Note

Pine Forge was an iron forge along Smith Creek, near New Market in Shenandoah County, Virginia. It is thought to have been built and operated by the family of Dirck Pennybacker, and his son Benjamin, in the late eighteenth/ early nineteenth century. The forge eventually changed hands but remained in operation until the end of the nineteenth century.

Scope and Content

The Don C. Miller Collection, 1785-1799, consists of one CD-ROM containing 200+ digital images of one bound ledger, 12 inches tall by 7.5 inches wide, from the Pine Forge iron forge near New Market, Va.

The handwritten ledger contains accounts from Pine Forge. These accounts consist of entries of names and charges, in pounds, shillings and pence, for a variety of services and products including steel, iron, sheep, mill services, and a wide array of foods.

Arrangement

The digital images of the collection are arranged in the same order as the original ledger.

Bibliography

Wayland, John Walter. A History of Shenandoah County, Virginia. Baltimore: Regional Pub. Co., 1980.

Location of Originals

Original ledger is retained by the donor.

Related Material/Collections

For similar ledgers from Pine Forge in the nineteenth century, see also UNC-Chapel Hill's Shenandoah County (Va.) Account Books #2934, Southern Historical Collection, The Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.