History Harvest Collection, 1880-2012

Compiled by:  Kayla Payne, June 2012

Descriptive Summary

Repository: Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University

Title: History Harvest Collection, 1880-2012

Collection No.: SC# 5030

Creator:  JMU's HIST 363 Intro. to US Religious History

Extent: 605 digital images

Language: English, German

Abstract: Under the direction of Dr. Andrew Witmer, students in the spring 2012 Introduction to U.S. Religious History Class, in partnership with Special Collections, worked to compile a digital collection of local religious artifacts. The class hosted a "History Harvest" in which local community members brought in items of religious significance to be digitized and shared with the community via JMU Libraries.

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions:  Collection is open for research. The collection is available online through JMU's Madison Digital Image Database. High-quality TIFF versions of many of these images are available in Special Collections. There is no physical access to the scanned originals.

Use Restrictions: The copyright interests in this collection have been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk. (library-special@jmu.edu).

Reproduction of this collection for publication, exhibition, web display or commercial use is only permissible with the consent of James Madison University's Libraries & Educational Technologies' Special Collections (540)568-3612, library-special@jmu.edu

Preferred Citation:  [item], History Harvest Collection, 1880-2012, SC#5030, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Va.

Acquisition Information: This collection was obtained during the History Harvest on April 14, 2012 from individual donors.

Other Formats Available: Digital images

Accruals: none

Provenance: Donors were interviewed on site by students for background information about their items, available in the descriptions below.

Bio/Historical Note:  Students of Dr. Andrew Witmer's Introduction to U.S. Religious History class planned and carried out a History Harvest in the spring of 2012. The purpose of this event was to gather and digitize items of religious significance from across the Shenandoah Valley so that they may be shared with the greater community via JMU Libraries. Community members were invited to East Campus Library (now Rose Library) from 10am to 2pm on Saturday, April 14, 2012 to share their items. The following excerpt from Dr. Witmer's syllabus gives a better indication of both the class and the event's purpose: "Within the new field of digital history, historians have pioneered an innovative approach to collecting and studying the past. This class will adapt a model recently developed at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and work with JMU Special Collections to organize and host our own History Harvest. This event invites community members to share their records related to the religious history of Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley for digital preservation and study by our class and future scholars. In regular consultation with the professor and Special Collections Librarian, students will use their skills and creativity to plan the History Harvest."

Separated Items: The following copyrighted materials were donated and are shelved with the rare books in JMU Special Collections:

Donated by Elwood Yoder:

     Yoder, Elwood E. We’re Marching to Zion: A History of Zion Mennonite Church, Broadway, Virginia, 1885-2010. Harrisonburg, Virginia: printed by Custom Printing, 2010. BX8117.V5 Y64 2010

     Yoder, Elwood E. The Bishop’s Letters: The Writings, Life, and Times of Virginia Mennonite Bishop Martin Burkholder, 1817-1860. Harrisonburg, Virginia: Shenandoah Valley Mennonite Historians, 2011. BX8143 .Y64 2011

Donated by Frances Scruby:

     Emmanuel Church. One Hundred Years Serving Our Lord: Emmanuel Episcopal Church Greenwood, Albemarle County, Virginia. Preface by Langhorne Gibson Jr., [1960]. BX5980.G83 E63 2005

     Scruby, Frances. Neve: Virginia’s Thousandfold Man. Charlottesville, Virginia: Pietas Publications, 2010. BX5995.N37 S43 2010

Scope and Content: 

The History Harvest Collection consists of 20.36 gigabytes of scanned files, c. 605 pages of material. The items in this collection cover various communities, churches, and denominations within the Shenandoah Valley. The collection is arranged in series based upon the donor.

Series One: William Ney, 1880s to present, bulk 1923-1989, contains information about the Beth El Congregation. The items in this series tell the history of the Beth El Temple through photographs, manuscript, and newspapers, and were brought in from the temple archives.

Series Two: Martha Dofflemyer, 1999-2012, contains information about Elkton Presbyterian Church.

Series Three: Kenneth J. Weaver, 1835-2012, bulk 1969-2012, pertains to Virginia Mennonites.

Series Four: Elwood Yoder, 1817-2010, contains two books, one about a Mennonite congregation in Broadway, Virginia, and another about a Mennonite bishop.

Series Five: Jane Desper, 1901-2001, pertains to White Hill Church of the Brethren.

Series Six: Esther Yoder Stenson, 1940s-1980s, contains items relating to the Amish church.

Series Seven: James Good, 1861, 1971 and undated, contains three Civil War photocopy documents.

Series Eight: Harold E. Huber, undated, contains a photograph of White House, which is south of Luray, VA.

Arrangement:

The arrangement of the series is as follows:

       I. William Ney

      II. Martha Dofflemyer

     III. Keneth J. Weaver

     IV. Elwood Yoder

      V. Jane Desper

     VI. Esther Yoder Stenson

    VII. James Good

   VIII. Harold E. Huber

Bibliography:

     Public Affairs. "JMU Students Plan to 'Harvest Valley's Religous History." http://www.jmu.edu/jmuweb/fs/news/fs11964.shtml

     Witmer, Andrew. "Syllabus of Introduction to U.S. Religious History." James Madison University, 2012. Web.

Location of Originals: Most artifacts were scanned and returned to the donors while others were given as a loan or donation to Special Collections.

Contents:                                                                                                                                                                  

Series I: William Ney - Beth El Congregation, 1880s to present, bulk 1923-1989

--Photographs

Old and Current Building Interior and Exterior

Original Temple

1923 Confirmation of Priests

Mosaics, Temple, Torah Scrolls

Rededication Service of Congregation in 1925 (bulletin)

Mosaic (Written Document, Newspaper Articles, Pictures)

25^th Anniversary Book (1989)

Series II: Martha Dofflemyer - Elkton Presbyterian Church, 1999-2012

--Photographs

Church (inside and outside)

Pastors

Advent wreath

Church Directory (Undated)

Church publications

"Celebrating 100 years of God's Love and Faithfulness: Elkton Presbyterian Church 1899-1999" (1999)

"Chrismons – An Explanation of the Symbols on the Chrismon Tree at Elkton Presbyterian Church, Elkton, Virginia" (December, 2001)

Letters

Weekly Bulletin 2012

Brochures

Scans of newspaper articles

Series III: Kenneth J. Weaver - Virginia Mennonites, 1835-2012, bulk 1969-2012

In Search of Faithfulness by Glendon L. Blosser

People of Peace by Gloria Y. Diener

Introduction to Virginia Mennonite Conference (VMC)

Letter from VMC Officer

Brochure identifying VMC current stance as a service organization

VA Mennonite Missions – 1919-1969, "Holding Forth the Word of Life"

Enlarging the Borders, 150 Years of Expansion by E. Richard Good (published 1985)

Conference minutes - Copies of the first recorded minutes from 1835, containing both the original German and a translation

Shenandoah Mennonite Historians' newsletters

Winter 2012, with lists of all Mennonite groups in VA

Spring 2012, a sample of the type of historical reporting by this group

Brochures for Breneman Turner-Mill, owned by Valley Brethren-Mennonite Heritage Center

Congregational Histories

1936-1986 Harrisonburg Mennonite Church, "Glimpses of our Past" 50th anniversary celebration, November 15 and 16, 1986

75th anniversary/75 year history of Harrisonburg Mennonite Church

Samples of brochures about VMC 2012 activities

March 2012 of "Connections", VMC Newsletter

Announcement for VMC's 2012 Annual Assembly

Series IV: Elwood Yoder - Virginia Mennonites, 1817-2012

We're Marching to Zion: A History of Zion Mennonite Church, Broadway, Virginia, 1885-2010 by Elwood E. Yoder (2 paperback copies)

The Bishop's Letters: The Writings, Life, and Times of Virginia Mennonite Bishop Martin Burkholder, 1817-1860 by Elwood E. Yoder (1 bound copy)

Series V: Jane Desper - White Hill Church of the Brethren, 1901-2001

Photocopied documents (1901-2001) concerning White Hill Church, detailing the church's original establishment, lists previous pastors with photographs, and also lists of donors and amount donated.

Series VI: Esther Yoder Stenson - Amish Church, 1940s-1980s

Images taken of clothes: black cap, white organdy cap and apron, white cap, black bonnet, beach bonnet cap

German prayer book

Series VII: James Good – Mennonite, 1861, 1971 and undated

Reprint of Mennonite Historical Bulletin article

Military Induction of Christian Good

Christian Good Virginia Militia Muster Roll

Series VIII: Harold E. Huber, undated
Photograph of White House, south of Luray, VA

Computer file names for these images in the Special Collections database: