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Special Collections, Kegley Library, Wytheville Community College
Special Collections© 2011 By Wytheville Community College. All rights reserved.
Processed by: Cathy Carlson Reynolds
Collection is open to research.
There are no restrictions.
Blair-Howard Family Papers, Mss. Collection 2009.3, Kegley Library, Wytheville Community College, Wytheville, VA
Donated by Burl Lawson in 2009.
The Blair-Howard Family Papers provide information on the families of John Blair, his daughter Lucinda Blair, her husband Thomas J. Blair, and their immediate and extended family of Tennessee, Carroll County, Virginia and Grayson County, Virginia. The collection is arranged into six series.
Much of Series I, Correspondence (1848-1918, undated), deals with the investigation of copper ore fields and potential for mining in Carroll County land owned by Thomas J. Howard and the estate of his father-in-law, John Blair. Other correspondence includes discussion of family illness, marriages, deaths, and other events in the neighborhoods in Carroll County, Grayson County, and Tennessee.
Series II, Financial Records (1820-1906, undated), consists primarily of receipts and tax records. Other records include court witness receipts for persons serving as witnesses in the case State of Tennessee v. Thomas J. Howard in 1850 and John L. Howard v. Norfolk and Western railroad Company in 1891.
Series III, Land Records (1788-1913, undated), include land patents signed by Gov. Edmund Randolph (1788), Gov. Henry Lee (1792), Gov. Robert Brooke (1796), Gov. John Tyler (1809-1810), and others. Also included are various surveys and notes as well as plats from the William Bourne estate.
Series IV, Miscellaneous Records (1827-1900, undated), include legal documents from the case Mrs. E. P. Carter et al v. John Howard et al, and various flyers, recipes, and a 1829 broadsheet by John Blair. Also included are several drafts of patterns for weaving.
Series V, Photographs (undated), contains photographs of railroad construction along the Snake River, unidentified people, and World War I.
Series VI, Books (1860, [1874]), contains a Kyle family Bible, and a Blair-Howard family Bible with birth, marriage, and death records.
Addressed to "Brother. " Re: teaching school at Mount Pleasant seminary, and family.
Re: possible copper vein on Howard's Virginia property, cost for testing, and possible purchase.
Re: small amount of copper on Howard's Virginia property, appointment of Joseph Yarnell as his Virginia agent.
Re: lawsuit of James Waugh, trouble collecting payment for iron and steel hauled to Giles County. M. M. Blair writes postscript to "Sister" re: Asbury Methodist Church Sunday School, Billy Thompson, marriage of Agnes Crockett and Gorden Porter, marriage of Lucinda Roberts and William Bedsaul, courtship of Jonas Frost and Celia Bedsaul, and Elizabeth Stone.
Re: lawsuit regarding division of land and slaves of John Blair, request of "Mother Blair " for instructions on disposal of goods Thomas Howard left in Virginia, Mary Blair, and Martha Blair. Postscript by Polly Blair re: making steel, timber cleaning, sheep, and aunt Polly Dickenson.
Re: illness of Eliza Rosa Blair, delay in division of John Blair estate, and inquires if Howard would sell his share of John Blair estate.
Re: illness of Polly Blair, survey and division of John Blair estate, and his apprehension over assignment of land to heirs by commissioners. Postscript by M. M. Blair re: marriages of Sally Roberts and Elander Hale, Emelia Nuckells to M. Ward, Eliza Chapel to Bartlet Minor, Celisa Bedsaul to Jonas Forst, and Lucinda Roberts to William Bedsaul.
Re: drowning death of daughter Eliza Rosa Blair, news that Thomas Howard leased land to John L. Yarnell, division of John Blair estate. Postscript by Polly Blair re: difficult behavior of "Mother Blair, " slaves Matila, Deema, Amy, Celia, Vile, and Emaline.
Re: "anything that you wish done our company will cheerfully attend to. "
Re: copper mining on his land and request to allow Yarnell Mining Company first refusal should he sell property.
Addressed as "Son and Daughter, " flux epidemic, "copper fever " in county, and request that he return home.
Re: copper mining efforts, digging shaft, and location of copper ore mainly on surface of vein.
Re: disappointing result in mining via tunnel and shaft as copper is mixed with mica.
Re: efforts of Stuart & Company and Buchanan and Company in copper mining in area, and delay in division of John Blair land because of copper vein only in one lot.
Re: success of Early family in copper mining, copper ore on Iron Ridge, and insistence of Thomas Blair to remain on land.
Re: poor quality of copper ore, recommendation for Howard to sell his interest in Yarnell Mining Company as he will do, and work of Captain Gill and Mr. Lyon in development of new copper ore vein.
Re:poor quality of copper on his property.
Re: mining and surveying efforts by Cook and Wistar on land of Howard, Dow Blair, and Stone family.
Re: mining efforts by Cook and Wistar and their entrenchment upon Howard's land.
Re: illness of Polly Blair, Charity Blair, and Thomas Blair; effort of Thomas Blair to nullify the division of land of John Blair.
Re:lessening of "copper fever, " disappointing and expensive copper mining efforts by Yarnell Mining Company and Wood and Jobe; offer to buy Howard's land.
Re: land dispute of Thomas Blair and heirs of John Blair, and sale of Cook and Wistar land to Richardson and Company.
Re: his poor opinion of John L. Yarnell, advice not to sell land of her father, John Blair. Postscript by Abraham W. Howard to Thomas Jackson Howard and Lucinda Blair Howard re: advice not to sell, rent, or lease property and "that old rascal " John L. Yarnell.
Re: three Englishmen examining land in area; offer to purchase Howard's land for $1000.
Re: request that Howard answer letter of 4 August 1856, writing to him at Hillsville, Virginia.
Re: decision to settle John Blair land division with commissioners, report on Howard's copper interests, news of three Englishmen on Iron Ridge property, James Waugh, and J. A. Richardson.
Re: purchase of L. D. Blair land within the Cook and Wistar survey for $500.
Re: request for payment in legal case.
Re: flux epidemic, his broken leg, and L. D. Howard in Kansas.
Re: requests payment on his note as "times are very hard here. "
Re: offer to cancel Howard's note if he pays $55.18.
Re: request for payment on note.
Re: request for payment on note.
Folder contains letters from M. Russell and R. Russell, Campbells Station, Tennessee to Thomas Jackson Howard, Wolf Glade, Carroll County, Virginia regarding payment on his account.
Re: Addressed to "Dear Uncle ", bad weather, livestock, desire to leave Texas, girls of Texas who chew tobacco and use profanity.
Re: his joining the Methodist Church as a "Conference Missionary Agent ".
Re: family, farming, family of C. L. Howard, and illness of Lucinda Howard.
Re: Grangers [National Grange of the Order of Husbandry] in area, and bad economy.
Re: request to let Jim Richerson boys have forty cents worth of goods.
Re: request to let Clay Jones have wheat.
Folder contains letters to and from John L. Howard regarding payment of accounts and purchase of bacon and oak fencing.
Folder contains correspondence to John Howard, Clyde Howard, and Lucinda Blair Howard. A World War I letter from Gladys [unknown] to Clyde Howard, a soldier in the Engineering Corps, is also included.
Series contains receipts, tax receipts, ledgers, and cancelled checks of the Howard and Blair families. Also included are court witness receipts for persons serving as witnesses in the following legal cases: State of Tennessee v. Thomas J. Howard (1850), John L. Howard v. Norfolk and Western Railroad Company (1891).
Land patent for 52 acres in Montgomery County to Matthew Dickey, 10 November 1784/1785. Land patent for 100 acres in Montgomery County to Matthew Dickey, assignee of John Kerr, survey dated 10 November 1785. Both signed by Edmund Randolph, Governor, 8 August 1788.
Land patent for 187 acres in Wythe County to Matthew Dickey by survey 13 December 1774; signed by Henry Lee, Governor, 2 July 1792. Land patent for 150 acres in Grayson County to John Williams by survey 28 April 1783; signed by Robert Brooke, Governor, 27 October 1796.
Land patent for 50 acres in Grayson County to Stephen Jones, assignee of John Hiatt, by survey 15 September 1805. Land patent for 100 in Grayson County to John Haughey, assignee of Russell M. Cain, by survey 9 March 1806. Both signed by John Tyler, Governor, on 12 September 1809 and 13 August 1810, respectively.
Land patent for 95 acres in Grayson County to George Phillips by survey 29 August 1812; signed by James Barbour, Governor, 5 June 1813. Land patent for 5 acres in Grayson County for John Blair by survey 29 June 1834; signed Wyndham Robertson, Lieutenant Governor, 18 August 1836.
Land patent for 200 acres in Grayson County to John Blair by survey 23 April 1838, signed by David Campbell, Governor, 30 November 1838. Land patent for 1 acre in Carroll County to Thomas Howard; signed by John Letcher, Governor, 1 September 1860.
Deed between Jeremiah Clonch and Thomas Blair of Grayson County, 31 October 1789. Deed between Joseph Powell and John Wilks of Grayson County, 16 March 1799
Deed between Joseph Jackson of Grayson County and Alexander Smyth of Wythe County, 20 February 1803. Deed between Thomas Blair and John Blair of Grayson County, 30 June 1804. Deed between Anderson Melton and John Wilks, Grayson County, 1806.
Deed between Alexander Smyth as trustee, Wythe County, and Thomas Wistar and John Cook of Philadelphia, 27 September 1814. Deed between William Melton and Isaac Winesett, 24 January 1832. Deed between Hosea Patton and John Blair of Grayson County, 9 April 1842.
deed between William H. Cook, Carroll County, and Lucinda Howard, Tennessee, 18 November 1857. Deed between P. P. Kinzer, Emma Kinzer, L. A. Kinzer, A. G. Sutherland, Sarah Sutherland and James Wilkinson, 1 April 1884. Deed between Mary J. Howard and John S. Howard, Orithia Howard, Carroll County, 5 November 1888.
Deed between James Wilkinson, L. J. Wilkinson and John L. Howard, Carroll County, 20 June 1889. Deed between S. D. Kyle, Mary J. Kyle, and John L. Howard, Carroll County, 26 February 1891. Deed between G. W. Jones, Eliza M. Jones, and John Howard, Carroll County, 8 March 1892. Deed between John
Includes notes on various deeds and patents: McKinzies land, 1796; G. Bobbett, 1814, William Edward, 1815; David Noblet, 1796; Thomas Blair, 1819; Creed Fulton to Frank Clements, 1861; William T. Kinzer to A. B. Williams, 1890; William T. Kinzer, 1861; Howard and Jones land, 1892.
Included are notes on: deed of A. S. Blair, land of Thomas Jackson Howard; A. Williams land; A. Dixon survey; surveys in Fulton v. Clements.
Includes broadsheet by John Blair dated 1829, agricultural product flyers, recipes, etc.
This folder includes patterns or drafts for weaving including "Double Bow-Not, ""Callee Changed Dimity, ""Worlds Beauty, ""Queens Fancy, ""Laurel Leaf, ""Morning Star, ""Wonders of Kentucky, ""Mountain Cucumber, ""Strait Stripe Dimity, " and "Globe 1851. "
Includes photographs of Snake River, Idaho, including railroad construction camp. Also included are photographs of World War I era France.