Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

U.S. Board of Geographic Names files of the Virginia State Archivist, [cite specific date and accession used]. State government records collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.

Acquisition Information

Accession 30957 transferred.

Historical Information

The U.S. Board on Geographic Names is a Federal body created in 1890 and established in its present form by Public Law in 1947 to maintain uniform geographic name usage throughout the Federal Government. The original program of names standardization addressed the complex issues of domestic geographic feature names during the surge of exploration, mining, and settlement of western territories after the American Civil War. Inconsistencies and contradictions among many names, spellings, and applications became a serious problem to surveyors, map makers, and scientists who required uniform, non-conflicting geographic nomenclature. President Benjamin Harrison signed an Executive Order establishing the Board and giving it authority to resolve unsettled geographic names questions. Decisions of the Board were accepted as binding by all departments and agencies of the Federal Government.

The Board serves the Federal Government and the public as a central authority to which name problems, name inquiries, name changes, and new name proposals can be directed. In partnership with Federal, State, and local agencies, the Board provides a conduit through which uniform geographic name usage is applied and current names data is promulgated.

Scope and Content

This collection is comprised of many separate accessions of correspondence files created and maintained by the State Archivist documenting his involvement with the U.S. Board on Geographic Names. The files contain limited correspondence, research notes and meeting minutes of the Domestic Names Committee.

Additional Note

These records are part of the Library of Virginia record group (R.G. 35)