Use Restrictions

The copyright interests in this collection have been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collection 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 #], Mrs. John Miller Collection of New Market Documents, 1791-1873, SC 0114, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA.

Acquisition Information

Donated by Mrs. John Miller and Miss Samuella Crim of New Market in September 1987.

Processing Information

The documents in this collection are photocopies; originals were retained by donor. 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 2061.

Bio/Historical Information

The town of New Market, Virginia was established in 1796 after settlers first discovered the area around 1727, finding the fields to be fertile and teeming with wild animals and minerals. In 1785, Peter Palsel procured 32 half-acre lots to be made into the town, including part of his own plantation at the Cross Roads in Shenandoah County. The town was later founded by General John Sevier, a revolutionary patriot, who had served as governor of the state of Franklin, Tennessee, and a four-time member of Congress. The town was officially established in 1796 by a charter of the Virginia General Assembly. Many of the original inhabitants and settlers were German Mennonites and Lutherans, who established a printing and publishing business that founded industry in New Market. By 1835, the town had become a bustling commercial and industrial center with a population of about 700. The town of New Market was very prominent during the Civil War. Stonewall Jackson visited the town four times, and the Battle of New Market was a very significant battle of the war, in which the cadets of the Virginia Military institute successfully delayed the Union army's march to Richmond.

Scope and Content

The Mrs. John Miller Collection of New Market Documents, 1791-1873, consists of three items in one oversize folder. All of the items are photocopies. There is one 1791 plat of New Market, Virginia, an 1806 partial resurvey of Peter Palsel's 1785 plat of New Market by Jacob Rinker, and a 1873 map of New Market, platted by C.K. Urner, by order of the Board of Trustees. The plats also include descriptions of the layout of the town, as well as a brief history about Peter Palsel.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged in one folder.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Cities and towns -- Virginia -- History
• City planning -- Virginia -- History -- 19th century
• Crim, Samuella
• Land use, Rural -- Virginia -- Planning
• Maps (documents)
• Miller, Mrs. John
• New Market (Va.) -- Genealogy
• New Market (Va.) -- History -- 19th century
• New Market (Va.) -- Maps
• Photocopies
• Plats (maps)
• Real property -- Virginia -- New Market -- Maps
• Surveyors