Harrisonburg-Rockingham Historical Society Collection

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Summary Information

Repository:
Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University
Title:
Harrisonburg-Rockingham Historical Society Collection
Collection No.:
SC 0117
Date:
1740-1950
Extent:
6 boxes, 1 flat folder, 3.0 Cubic Feet
Language of the Material:
English
Abstract:
This collection consists of approximately 1,700 items, in six boxes and one flat folder, and covers the dates 1740-1950. The collection is comprised of a very wide variety of legal, governmental, business, school, and church records, as well as personal papers, all primarily from the Central Shenandoah Valley (Rockingham, Shenandoah, Augusta, and Page counties). Most are originals, but some facsimiles are included.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], [box #, folder #], Harrisonburg-Rockingham Historical Society Collection, 1740-1950, SC 0117, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Va.

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Scope and Content

This collection consists of approximately 1,700 items, in six boxes and one flat folder, and covers the dates 1740-1950. The collection is comprised of a very wide variety of legal, governmental, business, school, and church records, as well as personal papers, all primarily from the Central Shenandoah Valley (Rockingham, Shenandoah, Augusta, and Page Counties). Most are originals, but some photocopies are included.

The Legal/Governmental Documents Series includes summonses, road documents, juror lists, delivery bonds, papers from the Sheriff's Office and the Circuit Courts of Rockingham and Shenandoah Counties, CSA Telegraph Reports, postal accounts, and miscellaneous other official reports, claims, applications, etc.

The Business/Institutional Documents Series includes church histories and other church documents, school catalogs, slave purchase documents, records of Cootes' Store, and other miscellaneous business papers which are not related to families, such as the merger of the News Register Co. and Rockingham Publishing Co. Significantly the collection includes a complete issue of the Rockingham Weekly Register from April 26, 1828, that is not extant elsewhere.

The Individual/Family Documents Series contains deeds and indentures; letters; receipts; promissory notes and other financial papers, including those related to family businesses; certificates; and miscellaneous other documents. Of particular interest are the Harrison and Lincoln family folders, which include several noteworthy deeds; and the Winfield family folder, which includes several items relating to the Civil War.

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Arrangement

Most of the papers were received in no order. A few packets were labeled with family names. Documents are arranged chronologically within folders, except in the Miscellaneous folders of the Individual/Family series, where they are filed alphabetically. The documents were sorted into the following series and sub series:

  1. 1. Legal/Governmental Documents
  2. 2. Business/Institutional Documents
  3. 3. Individual/Family Documents
  4. 3.1. Individual Families
  5. 3.2. Miscellaneous Families
  6. 4. Oversize
  7. 4.1. Legal/Governmental Documents
  8. 4.2. Business/Institutional Documents
  9. 4.3. Individual/Family Documents
  10. 4.4. Maps

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Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the James Madison University Special Collections Library to use this collection.

Use Restrictions

The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu).

Acquisition Information

This collection was compiled from many boxes of miscellaneous papers placed on deposit at the library by the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Historical Society.

Processing Information

In order to streamline the process of applying collection numbers, Special Collections staff completed a large-scale renumbering campaign in the spring of 2017. This collection was previously cataloged as SC 2095.

Location

Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University

880 Madison DriveMSC 1704Harrisonburg, Virginia 22807library-special@jmu.eduURL: https://www.lib.jmu.edu/special/

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Index Terms

Subject

  • Virginia -- History, Local -- Sources
  • Virginia -- History -- Sources
  • Virginia -- Genealogy -- Sources
  • Virginia -- History -- Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775
  • Virginia -- Politics and government -- 1775-1865
  • Virginia -- Politics and government -- 1861-1865
  • Virginia -- Politics and government -- 1865-1950
  • Virginia -- Social life and customs
  • Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.) -- History -- Sources
  • Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.) -- Religious life and customs
  • Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.) -- Social life and customs
  • Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.) -- Genealogy -- Sources
  • Rockingham County (Va.) -- History -- Sources
  • Shenandoah County (Va.) -- History -- Sources
  • Augusta County (Va.) -- History -- Sources
  • Page County (Va.) -- History -- Sources
  • Rockingham County (Va.) -- Genealogy -- Sources
  • Shenandoah County (Va.) -- Genealogy -- Sources
  • Page County (Va.) -- Genealogy -- Sources
  • Augusta County (Va.) -- Genealogy -- Sources

Title

  • Virginia--History--Civil War, 1861-1865

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Collection Inventory

Series 1: Legal/Governmental Documents
Title/Description Instances
Account book, J. H. Shue, Clerk of Circuit Ct. (1 item), 1875-1881 box 1 folder 1
Applications to create voting precincts (2 items), 1875-1881 box 1 folder 2
Applications for soft-drink licenses (78 items), 1916-1931 box 1 folder 3
Appointments to office (7 items), 1876-1887 box 1 folder 4
Arrest warrants (6 items), 1890-1920 box 1 folder 5
Articles of agreement, 1861 Militia draft substitute agreement (11 items), 1821-1894 box 1 folder 6
Black voters, Rockingham County (1 item), 1902-1903 box 1 folder 7
Complaints of illegal sales of poison (14 items), 1906-1907 box 1 folder 8
Complaints to the court (5 items), 1778-1825 box 1 folder 9
Court Actions: court decisions and grand jury presentments (7 items), 1779-1897 box 1 folder 10
Courthouse and Public Square; papers dealing with the building of a new courthouse (12 items), 1832-1838 box 1 folder 11
Court Petitions (5 items), 1798-1899 box 1 folder 12
CSA Military telegraph reports, Confederate Bonds (5 items), 1864 box 1 folder 13
Debt contracts (19 items), 1797-1907 box 1 folder 14
Delivery bonds (90 items), 1844-1893 box 1 folder 15
Inquests (10 items), 1790-1823 box 1 folder 16
Jail: Reports on the condition of the jail (3 items), 1824-1916 box 1 folder 17
Juror lists. See also Oversize Series (63 items), 1871-1902 box 1 folder 18
Lawsuit: Haga vs. Bradley; Article of agreement and depositions concerning this lawsuit (13 items), 1829-1835 box 1 folder 19
Licenses; To sell merchandise, keep private entertainment, practice as physician or attorney, operate as daguerrian artist, 1929 list of stills (53 items), 1760-1929 box 1 folder 20
Oaths of office (7 items), 1779-1893 box 1 folder 21
Pleas of the Commonwealth (7 items), 1855-1860 box 1 folder 22
Postal accounts, Parnassus, Va. (25 items), 1875-1881 box 1 folder 23
Assessments of Clerks of the Court (93 items), 1880-1914 box 1 folder 24
Civilian Defense (1 item), 1941-1944 box 1 folder 25
Prohibition petition (1 item), 1914 box 2 folder 1
Promises to pay (28 items), 1817-1910 box 2 folder 2
Receipts & applications for business charters (51 items), 1875-1903 box 2 folder 3
Records & claims against estates (9 items), 1792-1890 box 2 folder 4
Recognizance bonds (50 items), 1883-1889 box 2 folder 5
Recognizance bonds, promises to keep the peace (77 items), 1890-1897 box 2 folder 6
Road documents. See also Oversize Series (57 items), 1793-1927 box 2 folder 7
Summonses and subpoenas (36 items), 1801-1930 box 2 folder 8
Tax Data. See also Oversize Series (4 items), 1801-1861 box 2 folder 9
Miscellaneous legal documents: Claims, judgments of court, deposition notice, program from dedication ceremony of W. G. Myers Armory (6 items), 1797-1954 box 2 folder 10

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Series 2: Business/Institutional Documents
Title/Description Instances
C&W Railroad Company. See also Oversize Series (3 items), 1895 box 2 folder 11
Cootes Store: legal & financial records, 1857-1923 box 2 folder 12
Cootes Store Horse Co. ledger, 1911 box 2 folder 12.5
Cootes Store: charges, receipts, 1839-1898 box 2 folder 13
Cootes Store: Post office records, 1866-1895 box 2 folder 14
Cootes Store: Bark business, 1890-1892 box 2 folder 15
Currency: Bills issued from banks and counties (2 items), 1860-1861 box 2 folder 16
Gilbert, Felix. Extracts by Warren Skidmore from Account book, 1768-1769 box 2 folder 16.3
Harrisonburg Chamber of Commerce, 1925-1944 box 2 folder 16.5
Mossy Creek Iron Works (1 item), 1801 box 2 folder 17
Rawley Springs Tonic Water Co., Rawley Springs Turnpike Co. (4 items), 1890, 1896 box 2 folder 18
River Bank Bridge Co. (3 items), 1867 box 2 folder 18.5
Rockingham Thespian Society (1 item), 1866 box 2 folder 18.7
Telephone companies: Receipts from Harrisonburg Mutual Telephone Co.; by-laws of Page Co. Telephone Company (3 items), 1902-1904 box 2 folder 19
General Church documents: Contains undated typed manuscript "Some Old Churches of Rockingham& Neighboring Counties" by Ruebush & Wayland; M. E. Church S., Rockingham Dist. Steward's Bk. 1884; 1911 Rockingham Sunday School Association Constitution; [Peaked Mountain Church] list, 1920 (4 items), 1884-1920, undated box 2 folder 20
Trustees and officers of churches, 1875-1918 box 3 folder 1
Church histories and directories, Cook's Creek Presbyterian, Hebrew Friendship congregation, Methodist Church of Dayton, Mt. Hebron, Port Republic Methodist Church, New St. Stephen's Reformed Church, Trissels Mennonite Congregation, 1927-1952 box 3 folder 2
School documents: Catalogs from Girls' Home School, Prospectus for Industrial School at Massanetta Springs, Program from McGaheysville H. S., Teacher's District Meeting, Timberville, 1908 program (5 items), 1889-1926 box 3 folder 3
Mossy Creek Academy: Lists of subscribers, Constitution (with transcription) (5 items), 1850 box 3 folder 4
Slave Purchase Documents (3 items), 1794-1825 box 3 folder 5
Miscellaneous business documents; 1901 timber contract; 1816 & other sale notices; 1843 Elk Run tent holders agreement; subscription form, Golden Horseshoe Tavern, Elkton; 1855 Rockingham Mutual Fire Ins. Co. policy for A. Sprinkel; 1913 (?) merger of News Register Co. & Rockingham Pub. Co., Account with J.P. Houck; Minute book of Weyers Cave Telephone Exchange, 1898-1952; Receipts of P.H. Myers (29 items), 1816-1919 box 3 folder 6

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Series 3: Individual/Family Documents

Series 3.1: Individual Families

Separate folders under each family or individual for which 5 or more relevant items are held.

Title/Description Instances
Basford, Thomas. Includes summonses, tax data, and business accounts (8 items), 1868-1874 box 3 folder 7
Conrad, Edward. Contains deeds & plat for downtown Harrisonburg; other deeds; & receipt for Valley Telephone Co. shares. See also Oversize (12 items), 1895-1908 box 3 folder 8
Crawford, William. Contains tax information (13 items), 1867-1877 box 3 folder 9
Eversole Family. Contains letters; road tax toll; RR stock receipts; & misc (70 items), 1832-1879 box 3 folder 10
Gaither Family (25 items), 1834-1907 box 3 folder 11
Garber Family. Includes tax data, muster fines, tax paper for the Confederacy, and receipts from shares of stock (5 items), 1834-1886 box 3 folder 12
Gibbons Family. Contains letters written by Mary Gibbons, including one dated 20 June 1862 describing battles of Pt. Republic & Cross Keys (17 items), 1838-1895 box 3 folder 13
Harrison Family. Includes an indenture that transferred land from T. Harrison to Rockingham County for a courthouse (3 items), 1779-1831 box 3 folder 14
Harnsbarger Family. Indentures, surveys (6 items), 1815-1824 box 3 folder 15
Kemper Family. Letters, mostly written to Fanny Kemper before Civil War (34 items), 1843-1862 box 3 folder 16
Kite, Joseph H. Bankruptcy papers (30 items), 1873-1875 box 3 folder 17
Koontz, John. Includes 1812 grant to land where Koontz built the house later occupied by Lincoln's. See also Oversize Series (24 items), 1805-1832 box 3 folder 18
Lincoln Family. Includes land indentures and typescript of genealogy. See also Oversize Series (6 items), 1780-1831 box 3 folder 19
Martz Family. Business letters from E. R. Shue, F. H. Bowman, etc. and letter to Hiram Martz commenting on politics and the recent elections (34 items), 1840-1914 box 3 folder 20
McGahey Family. Letters, deed, survey, & appraisal of estate of Tobias R. McGahey, 1845; blacksmithing accounts; 1862 note from John Letcher; 1884 note from J. R. Jones; churn patents, & misc (45 items), 1809-1944 box 3 folder 21
Miller Family (6 items), 1837-1882 box 4 folder 1
Morrison Family (12 items), 1876-1898 box 4 folder 2
Nicholas Family. See also Oversize Series (5 items), 1839-1843 box 4 folder 3
Reherd, William (17 items), 1834-1881 box 4 folder 4
Roller, John Edwin. Letters; description of military drill; tax receipts & other business papers (55 items), 1846-1908 box 4 folder 5
Senger, Daniel (5 items), 1899-1905 box 4 folder 6
Shacklett Family. Letters (65 items), 1834-1872 box 4 folder 7
Shacklett & Gibbons. Invoices (16 items), 1855-1858 box 4 folder 8
Shacklett & Others. Invoices (57 items), 1827-1888 box 4 folder 9
Showalter, Jacob. Includes 1840 indenture of John Showalter; other docs. relevant to estate of Jacob (31 items), 1826-1876 box 4 folder 10
Shue, J. H. 3 Confederate bills; docs. relating to Shue estate (15 items), 1864-1886 box 4 folder 11
Spader, John, and relatives. Deeds, loan bonds (ca. 12 items), 1866-1917 box 4 folder 12
Winfield Family. Includes many documents relating to the Civil War, business documents, indenture for servitude of a free boy of color (37 items), 1823-1944 box 4 folder 13
Zirkle, Crawford (11 items), 1865-1876 box 4 folder 14

Series 3.2: Miscellaneous Families

Combined folders in one alphabetical sequence for four or less documents per name. See Cross Index for names.

Title/Description Instances
A-C box 5 folder 1
D-G box 5 folder 2
H-K box 5 folder 3
L-Q box 5 folder 4
R-Z box 5 folder 5

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Series 4: Oversize

Series 4.1: Legal/Governmental Documents
Title/Description Instances
Assessments of clerks of the Court (8 items), 1880-1914 box OV 1 folder 1
Public road papers (4 items) [MISSING], 1794-ca.1870 box OV 1 folder 2
Reports of business of the Courts (35 items), 1883-1914 box OV 1 folder 3
Tax Data (1 items), 1833 box OV 1 folder 4
Miscellaneous legal documents: Juror list, list of Rockingham county officers; lists of county pensioners 1920, '21 (5 items), 1874-1921 box OV 1 folder 5

Series 4.2: Business/Institutional Documents
Title/Description Instances
Chesapeake & Western Railroad Company: complete issue of Rockingham Weekly Register, April 28, 1828 box OV 1 folder 6
Chesapeake & Western Railroad Company: 1 page from Bridgewater Herald, September 14, 1895 case Map 1:3 folder Flat Folder 1
Church documents (2 items), 1794 box OV 1 folder 7

Series 4.3: Individual/Family Documents
Title/Description Instances
A-G box OV 1 folder 8
H-K box OV 1 folder 9
L-R box OV 1 folder 10
L-R case Map 1:3 folder Flat Folder 1
S-Z (several large items in map drawer including a March 19, 1777 deed between Michael Bowyer and Sebastian March in Augusta County, in the Colony of Virginia.) box OV 1 folder 11
Conrad Family land grants and indentures box OV 1 folder 12

Series 4.4: Maps
Title/Description Instances
Plat of Hall lands, Harrisonburg (1 item), 1883 case Map 1:3 folder Flat Folder 1
Himmelsbrief, Rockingham County (1 item), ca. 1800 box OV 1 folder 13

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