A Guide to the Hampton (Va.) "The New City of Hampton, VA", 1952 July 1

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

Hampton (Va.) "The New City of Hampton, VA," the 1952 live broadcast audio recording of the city's first city council meeting is digitally available through the Library of Virginia's Digital Collections Discovery on the Library of Virginia website. Please use digital collection.

Use Restrictions

Reproduction may only be done with written permission from the current copyright holder, WXTG radio station in Hampton, Va., owned by Terry Suggs (TL Broadcasting LLC)

Preferred Citation

Hampton (Va.) "The New City of Hampton, VA," 1952 July 1. Local government records collection, Hampton City Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va.

Acquisition Information

Original LP records came to the Library of Virginia in a transfer of court records from the city of Hampton in 2011 under the accession number 45562.

Alternative Form Available

"The New City of Hampton, VA" is also available on original four LP records [007897893]. These should not be served. Use MP3 files.

Processing Information

Original four LP records consisting of the audio recording of the live broadcast of the first Hampton city council meeting came to the Library of Virginia in a transfer of court records from the city of Hampton in 2011. After the accessioning of the LP records, Library staff transferred the audio from the four records to one DVD disc in October 2011.

Additional legacy information for the LP Records and DVD: LP records are four double sided 16-inch records. The cd contains eight .wav files, one for each record side. Duration: 95 min., 07 sec. The LPs of which the DVD is a copy, were produced in 1952 by WVEC, Peninsula Broadcasting Corp., Hampton, VA. Reformatted from 16-inch LPs (33 1/3 rpm) to digital .wav file in October 2011. The .wav files were created at a sampling rate of 44.1 kHz, 16-bit depth, in mono. Digital files burned onto DVD in October 2011.

In November 2024, Library Digital Infinitives staff worked to convert the audio from the DVD disc to a digital MP3 file. Local Records staff choose to make this conversion to make the audio available through the library's digital collections, as well as to help preserve the original audio by migrating the content to modern file standards. Local Records manager as this time in 2024 made the decision to destroy the DVD disc as they only served as a derivative format; however, the original LP records are retained.

Encoded by S. Nerney, November 2011; Updated by M. Mason, November 2024.

Historical Information

Hampton was located in Elizabeth City County, which is now extinct. It takes its name from the Hampton Creek, earlier called Southampton River in honor of the earl of Southampton, an important figure in the Virginia Company of London. An Indian village stood on the site in 1607, when John Smith visited the area. The English established a village there in 1601 and a trading post in 1630. Hampton was established by an act of assembly in 1680 and was designated as a port in 1708. It was first incorporated as a town in 1849, then it was incorporated again in 1852, but the act of incorporation was repealed in 1860. The General Assembly again incorporated the town of Hampton in 1887, and it became a city by court order in 1908. It was greatly enlarged in 1952 by a merger with Elizabeth City County and the town of Phoebus; the county and town thereby became extinct.

Scope and Content

"The New City of Hampton, VA" is a recording produced by Hampton radio station WVEC of the live broadcast of the first Hampton, Va., city council meeting held in the Elizabeth City County courtroom on 1952 July 1. The recording does not capture the entire meeting due to prior commitments that the radio station had to other programming broadcasts.

The city of Hampton recently expanded by the absorption of the town of Phoebus and Elizabeth City County with new city council members consisting of James G. Crenshaw, E. F. (Ned) Hewins, E. C. (Ned) Bloxom, George C. Bentley, and John F. Mittlemaier.

Business conducted at the first council meeting includes congratulations from various persons on the new city and the election of council clerk, mayor, vice mayor, city manager, city attorney, and trial justices.

Other business items present on the recording includes:

the decision of when and where to hold future council meetings

which banks will hold city funds

the continuation of all current employees of the three localities until further council consideration

rebonding of the city treasurer

continuation of state highway funds

continuation and compensation for all constitutional officers of the three localities

continuation of funding for projects previously committed to by the three localities with the exception of school funds

beginning of discussion about other committees the council had to create

Contents List

Series I: Hampton (Va.) "The New City of Hampton, VA," 1952 July 1

MP3 file 45562_1 - 45562_8

audio files converted from four LP Records [1 DVD disc]

The audio recording of the 1952 July 1 Hampton, Va., City Council meeting is divided into eight parts. These parts are based on the conversion of the original LP record into digital wav. files, which resulted in eight files. Each part denotes the legacy file name, the run time [minute : seconds], and a list of contents found in the section. Please note that this is not the full meeting and the audio cuts off in Part 8 due to prior commitments on the part of WVEC at the time of recording in 1952.

Audio files available here: Hampton (Va.) City Council meeting recording through the Library of Virginia's Digital Collections Discovery

Series I: Part 1

File number: 45562_1

Run time: 14 :11

Contents

Opening Prayer

Nominations for mayor's office

Election of mayor James G. Crenshaw

Address to council of new mayor James G. Crenshaw

Nominations for vice mayor's office

Election of vice mayor John F. Mittlemaier
Series I: Part 2

File number: 45562_2

Run time: 15: 35

Contents

Nominations for city manager

Election of city manager William S. Coburn

Nominations for clerk of city council
Series I: Part 3

File number: 45562_3

Run time: 14 : 36

Contents

Election of clerk of city council Stewart M. Gibson

Discussion and decision when and where to hold future council meetings

Asides from WVEC about city tax rates, estimated property values, population, and estimated annual income

Appointment of city attorney

Decision on which banks will hold city funds
Series I: Part 4

File number: 45562_4

Run time: 14 : 59

Contents

Address to council of new city manager William S. Coburn

Resolution to continue all current employees of the three former localities at current salary until further consideration of the council
Series I: Part 5

File number: 45562_5

Run time: 9 : 49

Contents

Further discussion about continuing all employees

Rebonding of city treasurer
Series I: Part 6

File number: 45562_6

Run time: 15 : 13

Contents

Election of trial and substitute trial justices

Resolution for continuation of state highway funds to the three former localities but all paid to the new city treasurer

Resolution about compensation of constitutional officers of the three former localities and their continuation in office until their terms expire
Series I: Part 7

File number: 45562_7

Run time: 16 :02

Contents

Discussion of city charter and constitutional officers and the payment of their salaries

Resolution for continuation of funding for projects previously committed to by the three localities with the exception of school funds
Series I: Part 8

File number: 45562_8

Run time: 12 : 04

Contents

Motion to continue decisions about committees and new members until the next meeting

Discussion by a member of the public about crab plants [note: audio difficult to hear]

Discussion of Welfare Advisory Board

Meeting contents summary by radio announcers Duff Cleaver and Lewis T. Jester