James Madison University Libraries Special Collections
820 Madison Drive MSC 1706 Harrisonburg, Virginia 22807 Telephone: (540) 568-3612 library-special@jmu.edu URL: https://www.lib.jmu.edu/special/
Sandra Joyner and Don Lambert, Cara Lundgren
Repository
James Madison University Libraries Special Collections
Identification
SC 0117
Title
Harrisonburg-Rockingham Historical Society Collection 1740-1950
Quantity
3.0 cubic feet, 6 boxes, 1 flat folder
source
Harrisonburg-Rockingham Historical Society
Language
English
.
Abstract
This collection consists of approximately 1,700 items, in six boxes and one flat folder, and covers the dates 1740-1950. The
collection is comprised of a very wide variety of legal, governmental, business, school, and church records, as well as personal
papers, all primarily from the Central Shenandoah Valley (Rockingham, Shenandoah, Augusta, and Page counties). Most are originals,
but some facsimiles are included.
The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library.
For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu).
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.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], [box #, folder #], Harrisonburg-Rockingham Historical Society Collection, 1740-1950, SC 0117, Special
Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Va.
Acquisition Information
This collection was compiled from many boxes of miscellaneous papers placed on deposit at the library by the Harrisonburg-Rockingham
Historical Society.
Processing Information
In order to streamline the process of applying collection numbers, Special Collections staff completed a large-scale renumbering
campaign in the spring of 2017. This collection was previously cataloged as SC 2095 .
This collection consists of approximately 1,700 items, in six boxes and one flat folder, and covers the dates 1740-1950. The
collection is comprised of a very wide variety of legal, governmental, business, school, and church records, as well as personal
papers, all primarily from the Central Shenandoah Valley (Rockingham, Shenandoah, Augusta, and Page Counties). Most are originals,
but some photocopies are included.
The Legal/Governmental Documents Series includes summonses, road documents, juror lists, delivery bonds, papers from the Sheriff's
Office and the Circuit Courts of Rockingham and Shenandoah Counties, CSA Telegraph Reports, postal accounts, and miscellaneous
other official reports, claims, applications, etc.
The Business/Institutional Documents Series includes church histories and other church documents, school catalogs, slave purchase
documents, records of Cootes' Store, and other miscellaneous business papers which are not related to families, such as the
merger of the News Register Co. and Rockingham Publishing Co. Significantly the collection includes a complete issue of the
Rockingham Weekly Register from April 26, 1828, that is not extant elsewhere.
The Individual/Family Documents Series contains deeds and indentures; letters; receipts; promissory notes and other financial
papers, including those related to family businesses; certificates; and miscellaneous other documents. Of particular interest
are the Harrison and Lincoln family folders, which include several noteworthy deeds; and the Winfield family folder, which
includes several items relating to the Civil War.
Most of the papers were received in no order. A few packets were labeled with family names. Documents are arranged chronologically
within folders, except in the Miscellaneous folders of the Individual/Family series, where they are filed alphabetically.
The collection is arranged in four series: 1. Legal/Governmental Documents; 2. Business/Institutional Documents; 3. Individual/Family
Documents; 3.1. Individual Families; 4. Maps.
Chesapeake & Western Railroad Company: complete issue of Rockingham Weekly Register
April 28, 1828
Mixed Materials [1000897715] Flat File: 1
Chesapeake & Western Railroad Company: 1 page from Bridgewater Herald
September 14, 1895
Mixed Materials [1000898373] box: OV 1 folder: 7
Church documents
2 items
1794
Mixed Materials [1000886561] box: 2 folder: 12
Cootes Store: legal & financial records
1857-1923
Mixed Materials [1000886561] box: 2 folder: 12.5
Cootes Store Horse Co. ledger
1911
Mixed Materials [1000886561] box: 2 folder: 13
Cootes Store: charges, receipts
1839-1898
Mixed Materials [1000886561] box: 2 folder: 14
Cootes Store: Post office records
1866-1895
Mixed Materials [1000886561] box: 2 folder: 15
Cootes Store: Bark business
1890-1892
Mixed Materials [1000886561] box: 2 folder: 16
Currency: Bills issued from banks and counties
2 items
1860-1861
Mixed Materials [1000886561] box: 2 folder: 16.3
Gilbert, Felix. Extracts by Warren Skidmore from Account book
1768-1769
Mixed Materials [1000886561] box: 2 folder: 16.5
Harrisonburg Chamber of Commerce
1925-1944
Mixed Materials [1000886561] box: 2 folder: 17
Mossy Creek Iron Works
1 item
1801
Mixed Materials [1000886561] box: 2 folder: 18
Rawley Springs Tonic Water Co., Rawley Springs Turnpike Co.
4 items
1890, 1896
Mixed Materials [1000886561] box: 2 folder: 18.5
River Bank Bridge Co.
3 items
1867
Mixed Materials [1000886561] box: 2 folder: 18.7
Rockingham Thespian Society
1 item
1866
Mixed Materials [1000886561] box: 2 folder: 19
Telephone companies: Receipts from Harrisonburg Mutual Telephone Co.; by-laws of Page Co. Telephone Company
3 items
1902-1904
Mixed Materials [1000886561] box: 2 folder: 20
General Church documents: Contains undated typed manuscript "Some Old Churches of Rockingham& Neighboring Counties" by Ruebush
& Wayland; M. E. Church S., Rockingham Dist. Steward's Bk. 1884; 1911 Rockingham Sunday School Association Constitution; [Peaked
Mountain Church] list, 1920
4 items
1884-1920, undated
Mixed Materials [1000886562] box: 3 folder: 1
Trustees and officers of churches
1875-1918
Mixed Materials [1000886562] box: 3 folder: 2
Church histories and directories, Cook's Creek Presbyterian, Hebrew Friendship congregation, Methodist Church of Dayton, Mt.
Hebron, Port Republic Methodist Church, New St. Stephen's Reformed Church, Trissels Mennonite Congregation
1927-1952
Mixed Materials [1000886562] box: 3 folder: 3
School documents: Catalogs from Girls' Home School, Prospectus for Industrial School at Massanetta Springs, Program from McGaheysville
H. S., Teacher's District Meeting, Timberville, 1908 program
5 items
1889-1926
Mixed Materials [1000886562] box: 3 folder: 4
Mossy Creek Academy: Lists of subscribers, Constitution (with transcription)
5 items
1850
Mixed Materials [1000886562] box: 3 folder: 5
Slave Purchase Documents
3 items
1794-1825
Mixed Materials [1000886562] box: 3 folder: 6
Miscellaneous business documents; 1901 timber contract; 1816 & other sale notices; 1843 Elk Run tent holders agreement; subscription
form, Golden Horseshoe Tavern, Elkton; 1855 Rockingham Mutual Fire Ins. Co. policy for A. Sprinkel; 1913 (?) merger of News
Register Co. & Rockingham Pub. Co., Account with J.P. Houck; Minute book of Weyers Cave Telephone Exchange, 1898-1952; Receipts
of P.H. Myers
Garber Family. Includes tax data, muster fines, tax paper for the Confederacy, and receipts from shares of stock
5 items
1834-1886
Mixed Materials [1000886562] box: 3 folder: 13
Gibbons Family. Contains letters written by Mary Gibbons, including one dated 20 June 1862 describing battles of Pt. Republic
& Cross Keys
17 items
1838-1895
Mixed Materials [1000886562] box: 3 folder: 14
Harrison Family. Includes an indenture that transferred land from T. Harrison to Rockingham County for a courthouse
3 items
1779-1831
Mixed Materials [1000886562] box: 3 folder: 15
Harnsbarger Family. Indentures, surveys
6 items
1815-1824
Mixed Materials [1000886562] box: 3 folder: 16
Kemper Family. Letters, mostly written to Fanny Kemper before Civil War
34 items
1843-1862
Mixed Materials [1000886562] box: 3 folder: 17
Kite, Joseph H. Bankruptcy papers
30 items
1873-1875
Mixed Materials [1000886562] box: 3 folder: 18
Koontz, John. Includes 1812 grant to land where Koontz built the house later occupied by Lincoln's. See also Oversize Series
24 items
1805-1832
Mixed Materials [1000886562] box: 3 folder: 19
Lincoln Family. Includes land indentures and typescript of genealogy. See also Oversize Series
6 items
1780-1831
Mixed Materials [1000886562] box: 3 folder: 20
Martz Family. Business letters from E. R. Shue, F. H. Bowman, etc. and letter to Hiram Martz commenting on politics and the
recent elections
34 items
1840-1914
Mixed Materials [1000886562] box: 3 folder: 21
McGahey Family. Letters, deed, survey, & appraisal of estate of Tobias R. McGahey, 1845; blacksmithing accounts; 1862 note
from John Letcher; 1884 note from J. R. Jones; churn patents, & misc
45 items
1809-1944
Mixed Materials [1000886563] box: 4 folder: 1
Miller Family
6 items
1837-1882
Mixed Materials [1000886563] box: 4 folder: 2
Morrison Family
12 items
1876-1898
Mixed Materials [1000886563] box: 4 folder: 3
Nicholas Family. See also Oversize Series
5 items
1839-1843
Mixed Materials [1000886563] box: 4 folder: 4
Reherd, William
17 items
1834-1881
Mixed Materials [1000886563] box: 4 folder: 5
Roller, John Edwin. Letters; description of military drill; tax receipts & other business papers
55 items
1846-1908
Mixed Materials [1000886563] box: 4 folder: 6
Senger, Daniel
5 items
1899-1905
Mixed Materials [1000886563] box: 4 folder: 7
Shacklett Family. Letters
65 items
1834-1872
Mixed Materials [1000886563] box: 4 folder: 8
Shacklett & Gibbons. Invoices
16 items
1855-1858
Mixed Materials [1000886563] box: 4 folder: 9
Shacklett & Others. Invoices
57 items
1827-1888
Mixed Materials [1000886563] box: 4 folder: 10
Showalter, Jacob. Includes 1840 indenture of John Showalter; other docs. relevant to estate of Jacob
31 items
1826-1876
Mixed Materials [1000886563] box: 4 folder: 11
Shue, J. H. 3 Confederate bills; docs. relating to Shue estate
15 items
1864-1886
Mixed Materials [1000886563] box: 4 folder: 12
Spader, John, and relatives. Deeds, loan bonds
12 items
1866-1917
Mixed Materials [1000886563] box: 4 folder: 13
Winfield Family. Includes many documents relating to the Civil War, business documents, indenture for servitude of a free
boy of color
37 items
1823-1944
Mixed Materials [1000886563] box: 4 folder: 14
Zirkle, Crawford
11 items
1865-1876
3.2
Miscellaneous Families
Scope and Content
Combined folders in one alphabetical sequence for four or less documents per name. See Cross Index for names.
Mixed Materials [1000886564] box: 5 folder: 1
A-C
Mixed Materials [1000886564] box: 5 folder: 2
D-G
Mixed Materials [1000886564] box: 5 folder: 3
H-K
Mixed Materials [1000886564] box: 5 folder: 4
L-Q
Mixed Materials [1000886564] box: 5 folder: 5
R-Z
Mixed Materials [1000898373] box: OV 1 folder: 8
A-G
Mixed Materials [1000898373] box: OV 1 folder: 9
H-K
Mixed Materials [1000898373] box: OV 1 folder: 10
L-R
Mixed Materials [1000897715] Flat File: 1
L-R
Mixed Materials [1000898373] box: OV 1 folder: 11
S-Z (several large items in map drawer including a March 19, 1777 deed between Michael Bowyer and Sebastian March in Augusta
County, in the Colony of Virginia.)
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