Grove Family Papers, 1884-1932

Browse manuscript collections

Summary Information

Repository:
Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University
Creator:
Grove Family
Title:
Grove Family Papers
Collection No.:
SC 0292
Date:
1884-1932
Extent:
21 boxes, 6.93 Cubic Feet
Language of the Material:
English
Abstract:
The Grove Family Papers, 1884-1932, consists of correspondence and ephemera from the Grove Family of Luray in Page County, Virginia.

Preferred Citation

[identification of item], [box #, folder #], Grove Family Papers, 1884-1932, SC 0292, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA.

^ Top

Bio/Historical Note

John William Grove was born December 16, 1844, in Luray, Page County, Virginia. As an adult, he served as a Corporal with the Confederate Army from 1863-1865 as part of the 35th Battalion of the Virginia Cavalry until being paroled from the army on May 8, 1865. He then married Eliza Jane Koontz (1850-1871) in 1869 and had two children: Ella Grove (1870-1932) and William Wallace Grove (1872-1874). After Eliza's death on October 19, 1871, John William Grove married Laura Ann Brumback (1851-1926), and had four children with her: Arthur Ashby Grove (1883 - 1940), Jessimine "Jessie" Lee Grove (1887 - 1966), Harold Elton Grove (1889 - 1970), and Julia Anita Grove (1892 - 1976). In the mid-1880s, John William Grove opened the Grove and Brothers store with his brother Charles H. Grove (1849 –1925) in Luray. John William Grove's sons Arthur and Harold took over the store after their father's death in August 1924.

Arthur, often addressed as A. A. Grove, was a member of the National Guard and veteran of World War I, having fought in France as part of the 116th Infantry, 29th Division. He was also an active member of the community, participating in the Luray Rotary Club, the Summers-Koontz Camp No. 490, Sons of Confederate Veterans, and others.

After receiving her bachelor's degree in music from Vassar College in 1910, Julia "Anita" Grove became a music teacher and spent several months almost every year traveling throughout the United States visiting relatives (e.g., cousins, extended family) and friends of the family or friends from her time at school.

Jessie Grove married William Pendleton Hershberger on January 28, 1919.

^ Top

Scope and Content

The Grove Family Papers, 1884-1932, consist of 21 boxes, primarily comprising family correspondence. The bulk of the collection is made up of family correspondence and the rest is made up of ephemera collected by the family. The correspondence is mainly letters sent to the group or individual indicated by the series, with the bulk of the correspondence in this collection being letters sent to Arthur and Julia Grove. Most of the letters concern updates concerning other family members and the community. Much of the collection consists of holiday cards sent to all members of the Grove Family over the years.

^ Top

Arrangement

The collection is arranged in nine series, with the first eight series comprising family correspondence, arranged by recipient and chronologically. Series nine consists of ephemera accumulated by the family and is arranged alphabetically.

Series 1: Grove Family Correspondence, 1884-1932

Series 2: Arthur Ashby Grove Correspondence, 1892-1932

Series 3: Julia Anita Grove Correspondence, 1900-1932

Series 4: Jessie Grove Hershberger Correspondence, 1903-1932

Series 5: Harold Elton Grove Correspondence, 1920-1932

Series 6: Laura Brumback Grove Correspondence, 1886-1926

Series 7: John William Grove Correspondence, 1890-1924

Series 8: Charles H. Grove Correspondence, 1891-1930

Series 9: Ephemera, 1887-1932

^ Top

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

Collection open to 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).

Acquisition Information

This collection was acquired at the Large Antiques and Firearms Estate auction held by Green Valley Auctions on January 16, 2018.

Processing Information

Duplicates of brochures in the ephemera were discarded as well as blank envelopes or sheets of paper found amidst the correspondence.

Location

Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University

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

^ Top

Index Terms

Corporate Name

  • Green Valley Auctions

Genre and Form

  • Letters (correspondence)
  • Christmas cards
  • Printed Ephemera
  • Newspaper clippings
  • Photographs
  • Advertisements
  • Pamphlets

^ Top

Bibliography

"Corp John William Grove (1844-1924) - Find A Grave..." Find A Grave. Accessed June 11, 2019. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8423540/john-william-grove.

"Women's College Finals This Week." Times Dispatch (Richmond, VA), May 23, 1910. https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85038615/1910-05-23/ed-1/seq-12/#date1=1900&index=1&date2=1930&searchType=advanced&language=&sequence=0&words=Anita+Grove&proxdistance=5&state=Virginia&rows=20&ortext=&proxtext=Anita+Grove&phrasetext=&andtext=&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1

^ Top

Collection Inventory

Series 1: Grove Family Correspondence, 1884-1932

Series 1: Grove Family Correspondence, 1884-1932, comprises correspondence that is either addressed to the Grove Family or correspondence for which there is no discernable individual family member that is the sender. Correspondence addressed to Elizabeth P. Barry, a friend of Julia and Jessie Grove, is included in this series. Most of the series is made up of correspondence either to the Grove and Brother Store from satisfied customers (thanking them for gifts, discounts, etc) or small holiday cards and wedding invitations from other members of the community.

Title/Description Instances
Correspondence, 1884-1891 box 1 folder 1
Correspondence, 1889-1931 box 1 folder 2
Miscellaneous Grove Correspondence, 1895-1926 box 1 folder 3
Correspondence, 1898-1900 box 1 folder 4
Correspondence, 1901-1902 box 1 folder 5
Correspondence, 1903-1904 box 1 folder 6
Correspondence, 1908 box 1 folder 7
Correspondence, 1909 box 1 folder 8
Correspondence, 1910-1911 box 1 folder 9
Correspondence, 1916 box 1 folder 10
Correspondence, 1919 box 1 folder 11
Correspondence, 1920 box 1 folder 12
Correspondence, 1921 box 1 folder 13
Correspondence, 1922 box 1 folder 14
Elizabeth P. Barry Correspondence, 1923-1930 box 1 folder 15
Correspondence, 1924-1932 box 2 folder 1
Correspondence, undated box 2 folder 2

^ Top

Series 2: Arthur Ashby Grove Correspondence, 1892-1932

Series 2: Arthur Ashby Grove Correspondence, 1892-1932, deals with the correspondence received by Arthur Ashby Grove between 1892 and 1932. Some interesting items in this series include letters sent by family while he was away training with the national guard in Virginia Beach and Richmond, Virginia and in Brownsville, Texas (dropping hints about potential brides in the area), some documents pertaining to military orders,inspections, some letters written in French, a letter from Anita telling Arthur about her first music pupil, letters from former comrades, and a letter written in 1922 from a Bulah Patterson that briefly asks Arthur's opinion on the Ku Klux Klan.

Title/Description Instances
Correspondence, 1892-1898 box 2 folder 3
Correspondence, 1898 box 2 folder 4
Correspondence, 1901 box 2 folder 5
Correspondence, 1902 box 2 folder 6
Correspondence, 1903 box 2 folder 7
Correspondence, 1904 box 2 folder 8
Correspondence, 1905 box 2 folder 9
Correspondence, 1906 box 2 folder 10
Correspondence, 1907 box 2 folder 11
Correspondence, 1908 box 2 folder 12
Correspondence, 1909 box 2 folder 13
Correspondence, 1910 box 2 folder 14
Correspondence, 1911 box 2 folder 15
Correspondence, 1912 box 2 folder 16
Correspondence, 1913 box 3 folder 1
Correspondence, 1914-1915 box 3 folder 2
Correspondence, February-June 1916 box 3 folder 3
Correspondence, July 1916 box 3 folder 4
Correspondence, August 1916 box 3 folder 5
Correspondence, September 1916 box 3 folder 6
Correspondence, October 1916 box 3 folder 7
Correspondence, November 1916 box 3 folder 8
Correspondence, December 1916 box 3 folder 9
Correspondence, January 1917 box 4 folder 1
Correspondence, February 1917 box 4 folder 2
Correspondence, March-April 1917 box 4 folder 3
Correspondence, May-June 1917 box 4 folder 4
Correspondence, July 1917 box 4 folder 5
Correspondence, 1919-1920 box 4 folder 6
Correspondence, 1921 box 4 folder 7
Correspondence, January-March 1922 box 4 folder 8
Correspondence, April-November 1922 box 4 folder 9
Correspondence, December 1922 box 4 folder 10
Correspondence, January-February 1923 box 4 folder 11
Correspondence, April-August 1923 box 4 folder 12
Correspondence, 1924 box 4 folder 13
Correspondence, 1925 box 5 folder 1
Correspondence, December 1925 box 5 folder 2
Correspondence, January-September 1926 box 5 folder 3
Correspondence (Folder 1 of 3), December 1926 box 5 folder 4
Correspondence (Folder 2 of 3), December 1926 box 5 folder 5
Correspondence (Folder 3 of 3), December 1926 box 5 folder 6
Correspondence, January-November 1927 box 5 folder 7
Correspondence (Folder 1 of 3), December 1927 box 5 folder 8
Correspondence (Folder 2 of 3), December 1927 box 5 folder 9
Correspondence (Folder 3 of 3), December 1927 box 5 folder 10
Correspondence, April-November 1928 box 6 folder 1
Correspondence, 1929 box 6 folder 2
Correspondence, January-October 1930 box 6 folder 3
Correspondence (Folder 1 of 3), December 1930 box 6 folder 4
Correspondence (Folder 2 of 3), December 1930 box 6 folder 5
Correspondence (Folder 3 of 3), December 1930 box 6 folder 6
Correspondence, 1931 box 6 folder 7
Correspondence, 1932 box 6 folder 8
Correspondence, undated box 6 folder 9

^ Top

Series 3: Julia Anita Grove Correspondence, 1900-1932

Series 3: Julia Anita Grove Correspondence, 1900-1932, deals with the correspondence received by Julia Anita Grove between the years 1900 and 1932. Most of the correspondence in this series come from family members and friends asking her about her travels and updating her on day-to-day activities in Luray. Examples of updates include a new "Ford shop" being built and their parents buying a new car, and an item of note is a souvenir folder from Rochester, New York that holds drawings of landmarks and facts about the city.

Title/Description Instances
Correspondence, 1900-1920 box 6 folder 10
Correspondence, February-October 1922 box 7 folder 1
Correspondence (Folder 1 of 2), December 1922 box 7 folder 2
Correspondence (Folder 2 of 2), December 1922 box 7 folder 3
Correspondence, January-May 1923 box 7 folder 4
Correspondence, June-November 1923 box 7 folder 5
Correspondence (Folder 1 of 2), December 1923 box 7 folder 6
Correspondence (Folder 2 of 2), December 1923 box 7 folder 7
Correspondence, January-May 1924 box 7 folder 8
Correspondence, June-July 1924 box 8 folder 1
Correspondence, August 1924 box 8 folder 2
Correspondence, September-December 1924 box 8 folder 3
Correspondence, January-April 1925 box 8 folder 4
Correspondence, May-November 1925 box 8 folder 5
Correspondence (Folder 1 of 3), December 1925 box 8 folder 6
Correspondence (Folder 2 of 3), December 1925 box 9 folder 1
Correspondence (Folder 3 of 3), December 1925 box 9 folder 2
Correspondence, January 1926 box 9 folder 3
Correspondence (Folder 1 of 2), February 1926 box 9 folder 4
Correspondence (Folder 2 of 2), February 1926 box 9 folder 5
Correspondence, March 1926 box 9 folder 6
Correspondence, April-May 1926 box 9 folder 7
Correspondence, June 1926 box 9 folder 8
Correspondence, July 1926 box 9 folder 9
Correspondence (Folder 1 of 2), August 1926 box 9 folder 10
Correspondence (Folder 2 of 2), August 1926 box 9 folder 11
Correspondence (Folder 1 of 2), September 1926 box 10 folder 1
Correspondence (Folder 2 of 2), September 1926 box 10 folder 2
Correspondence, October 1926 box 10 folder 3
Correspondence, November 1926 box 10 folder 4
Correspondence, December 1926 box 10 folder 5
Correspondence, January 1927 box 10 folder 6
Correspondence, March 1927 box 10 folder 7
Correspondence, April 1927 box 10 folder 8
Correspondence, May 1927 box 10 folder 9
Correspondence, June 1927 box 10 folder 10
Correspondence, July 1927 box 10 folder 11
Correspondence, August 1927 box 10 folder 12
Correspondence, September 1927 box 10 folder 13
Correspondence, October 1927 box 10 folder 14
Correspondence, November 1927 box 10 folder 15
Correspondence (Folder 1 of 3), December 1927 box 10 folder 16
Correspondence (Folder 2 of 3), December 1927 box 11 folder 1
Correspondence (Folder 3 of 3), December 1927 box 11 folder 2
Correspondence, January 1928 box 11 folder 3
Correspondence, February 1928 box 11 folder 4
Correspondence, March 1928 box 11 folder 5
Correspondence, April 1928 box 11 folder 6
Correspondence, May 1928 box 11 folder 7
Correspondence, June 1928 box 11 folder 8
Correspondence, July 1928 box 11 folder 9
Correspondence, August-September 1928 box 11 folder 10
Correspondence, October 1928 box 11 folder 11
Correspondence, November 1928 box 11 folder 12
Correspondence, December 1928 box 11 folder 13
Correspondence, January 1929 box 11 folder 14
Correspondence, February 1929 box 12 folder 1
Correspondence, March 1929 box 12 folder 2
Correspondence, April 1929 box 12 folder 3
Correspondence, May 1929 box 12 folder 4
Correspondence, June 1929 box 12 folder 5
Correspondence, August 1929 box 12 folder 6
Correspondence, September 1929 box 12 folder 7
Correspondence, October 1929 box 12 folder 8
Correspondence, November 1929 box 12 folder 9
Correspondence, December 1929 box 12 folder 10
Correspondence, January 1930 box 12 folder 11
Correspondence, February 1930 box 12 folder 12
Correspondence, March 1930 box 12 folder 13
Correspondence, April 1930 box 12 folder 14
Correspondence, May-June 1930 box 12 folder 15
Correspondence, July 1930 box 12 folder 16
Correspondence, August 1930 box 13 folder 1
Correspondence, September 1930 box 13 folder 2
Correspondence, November 1930 box 13 folder 3
Correspondence (Folder 1 of 2), December 1930 box 13 folder 4
Correspondence (Folder 2 of 2), December 1930 box 13 folder 5
Correspondence, January 1931 box 13 folder 6
Correspondence, February 1931 box 13 folder 7
Correspondence, March 1931 box 13 folder 8
Correspondence, April 1931 box 13 folder 9
Correspondence, May 1931 box 13 folder 10
Correspondence, June 1931 box 13 folder 11
Correspondence, July 1931 box 13 folder 12
Correspondence, August 1931 box 13 folder 13
Correspondence, September-December 1931 box 14 folder 1
Correspondence, January-March 1932 box 14 folder 2
Correspondence, April-November 1932 box 14 folder 3
Correspondence (Folder 1 of 3), undated box 14 folder 4
Correspondence (Folder 2 of 3), undated box 14 folder 5
Correspondence (Folder 3 of 3), undated box 14 folder 6

^ Top

Series 4: Jessie Grove Hershberger Correspondence, 1903-1932

Series 4: Jessie Grove Hershberger Correspondence, 1903-1932, comprises correspondence received by Jessie Grove Hershberger between the years 1903 and 1932. Most of the correspondence is addressed to "Mrs. William P. Hershberger" or "Jessie Grove." Some interesting items include a small note where Jessie and Harold are invited to a spelling bee and instructed to "impersonate country school-children" in 1907 and a letter from a friend named Lottie in which she recounts interactions with patients in a hospital and asks Jessie for relationship advice (telling Jessie to "destroy the letter" after reading it).

Title/Description Instances
Correspondence, 1903-1918 box 14 folder 7
Correspondence, 1922 box 14 folder 8
Correspondence, 1923 box 14 folder 9
Correspondence, 1924 box 14 folder 10
Correspondence, 1925 box 15 folder 1
Correspondence, 1926 box 15 folder 2
Correspondence, 1927 box 15 folder 3
Correspondence, 1928 box 15 folder 4
Correspondence, 1929 box 15 folder 5
Correspondence, 1930 box 15 folder 6
Correspondence, 1931 box 15 folder 7
Correspondence, 1932 box 15 folder 8
Correspondence, undated box 15 folder 9

^ Top

Series 5: Harold Elton Grove Correspondence, 1920-1932

Series 5: Harold Elton Grove Correspondence, 1920-1932, includes correspondence received by Harold Elton Grove between the years 1920-1932. Much of the correspondence comprises postcards from his relatives, updating him on the weather and sights. Some of the postcards come from Wyoming, New York, and Atlantic City.

Title/Description Instances
Correspondence, 1917-1922 box 15 folder 10
Correspondence, 1923-1924 box 15 folder 11
Correspondence, 1925 box 15 folder 12
Correspondence, 1926 box 15 folder 13
Correspondence, 1927 box 15 folder 14
Correspondence, 1928 box 15 folder 15
Correspondence, 1929 box 15 folder 16
Correspondence, January-September 1930 box 15 folder 17
Correspondence, December 1930 box 16 folder 1
Correspondence, 1931 box 16 folder 2
Correspondence, 1932 box 16 folder 3
Correspondence, undated box 16 folder 4

^ Top

Series 6: Laura Brumback Grove Correspondence, 1886-1926

Series 6: Laura Brumback Grove Correspondence, 1886-1926, deals with correspondence received by Laura Brumback Grove between 1886 and 1926. Much of Laura's correspondence is from her children and step-children. Many of the envelopes are addressed not only to Laura but also to J.W (John William), but the greetings to these letters are always addressed to "Mama" or "Aunt Laura." Most of the correspondence during 1924 are letters of condolences and sympathies after John William Grove's death.

Title/Description Instances
Correspondence, 1886-1903 box 16 folder 5
Correspondence, 1915-1916 box 16 folder 6
Correspondence, 1917-1918 box 16 folder 7
Correspondence, 1919-1920 box 16 folder 8
Correspondence, 1921 box 16 folder 9
Correspondence, 1922 box 16 folder 10
Correspondence, 1923 box 16 folder 11
Correspondence, 1924 box 17 folder 1
Correspondence, 1925 box 17 folder 2
Correspondence (Folder 1 of 3), December 1925 box 17 folder 3
Correspondence (Folder 2 of 3), December 1925 box 17 folder 4
Correspondence (Folder 3 of 3), December 1925 box 17 folder 5
Correspondence, 1926 box 17 folder 6
Correspondence, undated box 17 folder 7

^ Top

Series 7: John William Grove Correspondence, 1890-1924

Series 7: John William Grove Correspondence, 1890-1924, deals with correspondence received by John William Grove between 1890 and 1924. Much of the correspondence comprises marriage and graduation invitations, holiday cards, and two letters written in 1924: one from his wife Laura and the other from his daughter Jessie.

Title/Description Instances
Correspondence, 1890-1896 box 17 folder 8
Correspondence, 1897-1901 box 17 folder 9
Correspondence, 1902 box 17 folder 10
Correspondence, 1903 box 18 folder 1
Correspondence, 1909-1917 box 18 folder 2
Correspondence, 1919-1920 box 18 folder 3
Correspondence, 1922 box 18 folder 4
Correspondence, 1924-1925, undated box 18 folder 5

^ Top

Series 8: Charles H. Grove Correspondence, 1891-1930

Series 8: Charles H. Grove Correspondence, 1891-1930, deals with correspondence received by Charles H. Grove between 1891 and 1930. As with his brother John, Charles's correspondence includes marriage announcements and graduation invitations, some letters from hotels asking for his business, and a couple of postcards from Anita telling him about her travels.

Title/Description Instances
Correspondence, 1891-1899 box 18 folder 6
Correspondence, 1900-1902 box 18 folder 7
Correspondence, 1909-1930 box 18 folder 8

^ Top

Series 9: Ephemera, 1887-1932

Series 9: Ephemera, 1887-1932, includes myriad ephemeral materials that were accumulated the Grove Family. The series is arranged alphabetically. Some items of note within this series include military ephemera (containing some transfer orders and programs to numerous military events); music education ephemera (which include sheet music and small booklets pertaining to the popular songs of the time); some photos of a storefront and two unidentified individuals; and travel brochures, maps, and promotional materials of Virginia and other locations.

Title/Description Instances
Banquet Menus, 1903-1907 box 18 folder 9
Book Catalogs/Libraries, 1925-1932, undated box 18 folder 10
Calendars/Notepads, 1917-1929 box 18 folder 11
Church Pamphlets, 1916-1925 box 18 folder 12
Commencement Programs and Invitations (Folder 1 of 2), 1887-1930 box 18 folder 13
Commencement Programs and Invitations (Folder 2 of 2), 1891-1932 box 19 folder 1
Educational Materials, 1890-1930 box 19 folder 2
Financial and Business Files, 1918-1929 box 19 folder 3
Grove and Brother Store Ephemera, 1905-1932 box 19 folder 4
Handwritten Notes, 1912-1925 box 19 folder 5
Life Insurance Ephemera, 1920-1928 box 19 folder 6
Military Ephemera (Folder 1 of 2), 1906-1923 box 19 folder 7
Military Ephemera, 1919-1929 box 19 folder 8
Miscellaneous Ephemera, 1861-1923 box 19 folder 9
Music Ephemera (Folder 1 of 2), 1919-1929 box 20 folder 1
Music Ephemera, 1920-1933 box 20 folder 2
Newspapers, 1861-1929 box 20 folder 3
Page Valley National Bank Ephemera, 1904-1922, undated box 20 folder 4
Photographs, 1913-1929 box 20 folder 5
Poetry, 1906, undated box 20 folder 6
Postcards and Tags, undated box 20 folder 7
Promotional Materials and Advertisements (Folder 1 of 6), 1890-1930, undated box 20 folder 8
Promotional Materials and Advertisements (Folder 2 of 6), 1901-1929, undated box 20 folder 9
Promotional Materials and Advertisements (Folder 3 of 6), 1904-1929, undated box 21 folder 1
Promotional Materials and Advertisements (Folder 4 of 6), 1906-1920, undated box 21 folder 2
Promotional Materials and Advertisements (Folder 5 of 6), 1925, undated box 21 folder 3
Promotional Materials and Advertisements (Folder 6 of 6), 1926, undated box 21 folder 4
Rotary International Event Programs, 1928 box 21 folder 5
Sewing Patterns, undated box 21 folder 6
Travel Maps, 1910-1928 box 21 folder 7
Travel Ephemera (Folder 1 of 2), 1922-1930 box 21 folder 8
Travel Ephemera, 1929, undated box 21 folder 9
Virginia Promotional Advertisements, 1916-1924 box 21 folder 10

^ Top