Thomas, Leri M. Papers, 1926-1995 (bulk 1988-1992)
Descriptive Summary
Repository: Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University
Title: Leri Melissa Thomas Papers, 1926-1995 (bulk 1988-1992)
Collection No.: SC 0156
Creator: Leri Melissa Thomas
Extent: 1 box; .33 cubic feet
Language: English
Abstract: The Leri Melissa Thomas Papers, 1926-1995 (bulk 1988-1992), consists of one box of files documenting the relationship between Shenandoah National Park (SNP) and residents and officials in several counties adjoining the park, especially Madison, Augusta, and Rockingham counties, Virginia.
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 been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk. (library-special@jmu.edu).
Preferred Citation: [identification of item], [box #, folder #], Leri Melissa Thomas Papers, 1926-1995 (bulk 1988-1992), SC 0156, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Va.
Acquisition Information: Leri Thomas donated the collection to Special Collections in September 1998.
Processing Information: In order to streamline the process of applying collection numbers, Special Collections
staff completed a large-scale renumbering campaign in 2017-2018. This collection was
previously cataloged as SC 4015.
Bio/Historical Note:
In 1979, Leri Melissa Thomas moved to Madison County within five miles of Shenandoah National Park. In the late 1980s, when the park inaugurated a study of its surrounding lands, she became a leader in the private property rights movement that protested the potential expansion of the park. She contacted government officials at all levels and publicized the public concern over the park's Related Lands Study (also known as Adjacent Lands Study) and other activities. Among her neighbors were descendants of people who had been dispossessed by the park in the 1920s and 1930s, when the park was first established.
Scope and Content:
This collection is composed of one box of files documenting the relationship between Shenandoah National Park (SNP) and residents and officials in several counties adjoining the park, especially Madison, Augusta, and Rockingham Counties, 1926-1995. The documents, which are mostly photocopies, constitute a wide variety of materials, including newspaper clippings, newsletters, correspondence, memos, reports, maps, minutes of meetings, and surveys. Some materials were obtained from SNP and other federal agencies by Ms. Thomas through Freedom of Information Act requests. She has made notes on and/or highlighted many of the materials.
Arrangement:
This collection is arranged topically into thirteen folders.
Location of Originals:
Some originals are retained by the donor.
Related Material:
Shenandoah Park Oral History Collection, 1964-1999, SdArch SNP, Carrier Library, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Va.
Contents:
| Folder Title |
Box : Folder
|
| Related Lands Study, 1926-1992
Letters, memos, laws, minutes of meetings, newsletters, reports, and other documents on the adjacent lands study conducted by SNP. |
1:1
|
| Adjacent Lands Surveys, 1980s-1990s
Forms containing survey information for Madison and Rockingham counties. |
1:2
|
| SNP Acquisitions, 1979-1992
Letters and other documents concerning SNP acquisitions, and the role of The Conservation Fund in securing those acquisitions. |
1:3
|
| Gore Tract, 1989-1992, undated
Letters, memos, surveys, maps, etc., related to SNP interest in the Gore Tract in Madison County. |
1:4
|
| Rose River Tract, 1991, undated
Documents related to SNP interest in the Rose River Tract in Madison County. |
1:5
|
| Light tract, 1981-1990
Documents related to SNP interest in the Light property in Madison County. |
1:6
|
| Page County, 1988-1992, undated
Documents concerning the Park's interest in several tracts of land in Page County. |
1:7
|
| Park Jurisdiction, 1969-1992, undated
Documents concerning Park boundaries and concurrent jurisdiction. |
1:8
|
| Property Rights and Anti-Park Expansion, 1979-1992, undated
Newsletters and other documents concerned with private property issues in general and specifically as related to SNP, including the pamphlet Us vs. NPS, co-authored by L. Thomas. |
1:9
|
| Blue Ridge Committee on SNP Relations, 1992-1993, undated
Documents concerning formation of an advisory committee to SNP of the eight bordering counties. |
1:10
|
| Newspaper articles, 1978-1991
Miscellaneous articles related to SNP. |
1:11
|
| Hunting/Poaching, 1977-1992
Letters describing several incidents in or near SNP. |
1:12
|
| Report of Floods, 1995
A 15 p. report by L. Thomas entitled, "The floods of 1995: a case study of Madisonian attitudes and experiences in the wake of flood relief efforts," which links attitudes and behaviors in response to floods to those concerning SNP. Includes some biographical information on L. Thomas. |
1:13
|
Compiled by: Lindsay Mannell and Chris Bolgiano, December 1998; Tara Mastrangelo, October 2010