Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

Collection is open to research.

Use Restrictions

See the University of Virginia Library’s use policy.

Preferred Citation

Heth Family Papers, Accession 10986, Special Collections Department, University of Virginia Library

Acquisition Information

This collection was purchased by the Library on October 24, 1990 .

Funding Note

Funded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities

Biography

Biographical Appendix: Heth Family

This collection consists mainly of the papers of the Family of Stockton Heth and Isabella Hammett Heth . Stockton Heth, Sr. was born in 1839; Isabella Heth died in 1916 . These are the only available dates for the two parents. Their children were:

1. Stockton Heth, Jr. , 1892 - 1917

2. Clement Craig Heth , ?- 21 July 1930 (age "about 49" from obituary), m. Jeannette Cowan Heth

3. S. Pickett Heth , ?- 28 December 1951

4. Virginia Heth , ?-15 June 1946

Clement Craig Heth and Jeannette Cowan Heth 's son was Henry Heth , born in the latter 1920 's .

Archer Phlegar was the cousin of Isabella Norwood Hammet ; Hunter Phlegar was his son.

Sue Wharton may have been the sister of Stockton Heth, Sr. ; she was married to William Wharton, Sr. , and their son was William Wharton, Jr. The relationship between Stockton Heth, Sr. and Sue Wharton is, however, an enigmatic one.

For further genealogical information refer to S. Pickett Heth 's application to the Daughters of the American Revolution , held in the Miscellaneous Papers, which traces her selective ancestry for four generations ( January 1904 ).

Scope and Content

This collection consists of the papers of the Heth Family of Montgomery County, Virginia , 1,018 items (3 Hollinger boxes, ca. 1 linear foot), 1794-1959, and contains financial papers, legal papers, a diary, personal correspondence, military papers, school records, photographs, and miscellaneous papers.

The Heth family descends from Captain and Major Henry Heth of the First Virginia Regulars of the American Revolution (see accession number 38 -114) and from Captain John Montgomery , an officer in the French and Indian, signer of the Holston Declaration of Independence , and member of Clark's expedition to the Northwest Territories . S. Pickett Heth , niece of Confederate General Henry Heth and cousin of General George Pickett , founded the New River Grays Chapter of the Daughters of the Confederacy . Stockton Heth, Sr. , was President   of the Exchange Bank of Radford and owner of White Thorn , a 1500-acre farm approximately three miles west of Blacksburg , Virginia , originally purchased by his wife, Isabella Hammet Heth , from James F. Preston in 1891. After the deaths of Stockton Heth, Sr. , and his sons Stockton Heth, Jr. , and Clement Craig Heth , parcels of White Thorn and other Heth family holdings in the region were leased and sold to the cities of Blacksburg and Radford and to Virginia Polytechnic Institute . The family was closely related to the Phlegar family of Virginia . The Heth family were prominent bankers, businesspeople, farmers and socialites from the turn of the century through the end of this collection.

The Financial Papers include six folders of accounts and receipts; two folders of financial papers; and one folder of financial papers concerning the estate of S. Pickett Heth . The accounts and receipts, 1889-1954, include bank statements, hotel register accounts, and bills and receipts for farm machinery, automotive repair, and grocery and mercantile accounts.

The Financial Papers contain correspondence concerning farm, business and personal transactions, undated budget worksheets, numerous bills for services rendered, and various correspondence and reports concerning stock and real estate holdings and transactions. Notable documents in these folders include: letters from the caretaker of the Heth family house at 1409 Massachusetts Ave., Washington, D.C. . (4 August 1894 and 15 August 1894); a mining engineer's report concerning a land sale to the Norfolk and Western Rail Road (4 February 1899); a letter regarding the price of shipping coal to Washington, D.C. (3 September 1894); a letter regarding the financial status of the U.S. Capital Mining Company (1 August 1905); a letter regarding purchase of a site for a school, Merrimac, Virginia (25 May 1911); a letter regarding financial status of the Radford-Willis Southern Railway (1 October 1915); a letter regarding purchase of stock in General Graphite Company , with clipping attesting to the stability of the post-war graphite market (29 December 1917); a letter recommending specific usage and disposal of White Thorn farm property, from T.B. Hutchenson , Agronomist, Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station (14 April 1926); a list of field seed prices (11 January 1936); an unsigned list of "Partial Expenses" (9 August 1939); a letter from the American Genealogical Society (14 March 1952).

The Financial Papers concerning the estate of S. Pickett Heth include newspaper announcements of the auction of her personal possessions (15 March 1952), the auction records with items and prices, bank statements of the estate (1951-1954), life insurance papers (1954), and letters (1952-1953) concerning the disposal and sale of various real estate holdings.

The Miscellaneous Papers include: invitations (1889-1944) to dances, clubs, parties and weddings; a christmas card of 1942 from Jeannette Cowan Heth , with a lithographed wood cut of White Thorn ; newspaper obituaries of S. Pickett Heth (d. 28 December 1951), Clement Craig Heth (d. 19 July 1930); an undated clipping regarding the contract of S. Pickett Heth 's land to the city of Radford ; a draft of the charter of the New River Grays Chapter of the Daughters of the Confederacy (19 September 1901); S. Pickett Heth 's application to the Daughters of the American Revolution (January 1904); Christmas and calling cards (1892-1930); Sweet Briar College brochures of 1941; a daguerreotype photograph of a young male of the Heth family , probably Stockton Heth, Sr. ; black and white photographs of Clement Craig Heth upon the horse Annie Montgomery which caused his death; an unidentified photograph of a male of the Heth family , probably Clement Craig Heth or Stockton Heth, Jr. ; Stockton Heth, Jr. 's or Clement Craig Heth 's "Summer Reading List 1914"; a pedigree and other papers concerning the horses of Clement Craig Heth ; a flier endorsing Archer Phlegar for State Senate (19 September 1903).

The Legal Papers include: correspondence concerning real estate transactions in Montgomery County (1889-1952); insurance policies (1926-1952); indentures between AbramTrigg and Susanna Trigg and James Craig for specified parcels of land in Montgomery County (1794 and 1804); a deed between Robert Crockett , who inherited said land (the " Saunders tract ", on which White Thorn was built) through his wife, and Edward Hammet , father of Isabella Hammet Heth (1834); an indenture between S.T. Atkin , trustee of Moffett Shields , and John Knox , for land in Knoxville, Tennessee , which Jeannette Cowan Heth inherited (1860); an agreement to rent the Heth family house in Washington, D.C. , to B.R. Mason (18 November 1899); a letter regarding a loan for repairs to the Washington. D.C. house (28 November 1900); a letter from the Brush Mountain Coal Company regarding the surveying of the Bruce Tract in Montgomery County (12 February 1901); a letter acknowledging Stockton Heth, Sr. 's wish to sell the Washington, D.C. house (14 August 1902); a letter from G.A. Sullivan regarding the sale of lots in East Radford , including a brief assessment of the region's economic condition (1 February 1911); a letter from A.L. Boulware proposing sale of pieces of White Thorn tract adjacent to Smithfield (28 June 1911); a letter laying off one acre of White Thorn tract for sale to Harvey Linkous (2 September 1911); a letter from Hal Tyler concerning the witness fee of Dr. J.C. King in the murder trial of Stockton Heth, Jr. (23 November 1917); a Deed of Trust regarding a land parcel in Blacksburg sold by Theodosia Hickman to Clement Craig Heth (1926); a letter regarding rent of White Thorn to W.J. Shelburne (4 March 1933); a bill of sale selling the horse Annie Montgomery to Dr. Herbert Howard (3 April 1933); a letter regarding status of Cohee Country Club (6 November 1934); a letter requesting removal of Virginia Polytechnic Insitute fences obstructing public road to White Thorn (11 December 1934); a letter from T.B. Hutchenson , Agronomist, to Julian A. Burruss , president   of Virginia Polytechnic Institute , regarding rent of White Thorn (3 September 1935); a letter regarding fencing on White Thorn (20 October 1938); a letter regarding Jeannette Cowan Heth 's Gay Street property in Knoxville, Tennessee (25 October 1939); a letter regarding Virginia Polytechnic Institute use of White Thorn (15 March 1941); letters regarding Jeannette Cowan Heth 's Knoxville properties and litigation with the Knoxville Utilities Board (1942-1948); letters regarding Marion Dodson from John Preston (1943-1948); a letter to Harry F. Byrd regarding campaign contributions of Jeannette Cowan Heth and regional sentiment toward Harry F. Byrd 's campaign (16 May 1946); letters regarding estate of Virginia Heth (1946-1947); letter regarding Virginia Polytechnic Institute 's disposal of White Thorn (6 May 1947); letters regarding gas and oil speculation on White Thorn (23 July 1947 and 25 July 1947); a statement regarding the income, expense and distribution of the Robert Redd Swepson estate (30 June 1947); two deeds concerning the estate of Virginia Heth (12 April 1948); a deed regarding estate of Virginia Heth (11 April 1949); schedules (undated) of White Thorn holdings; suit of Isabella Heth v. City of Radford .

The Legal Papers of the Estate of S. Pickett Heth consist of legal correspondence, insurance documents, and real estate transactions of Heth 's holdings in Montgomery County . This section covers 1949-1954.

The Legal Papers regarding Heth v. Heth concern a suit between S. Pickett Heth and Clement Craig Heth over the division of the Estate of Stockton Heth, Sr. . This section consists of correspondence and legal documents of 1923-1929.

The Military Papers of Clement Craig Heth consist of U.S. Army correspondence giving orders for his movements, 1919.

The Miscellaneous Correspondence includes: a letter from Martha Hammet to Edward Hammet , marked "Olive Branch" (n.y., 30 September; probably written before 1850); letters to Henry Heth ; letters from Jeannette Cowan Heth (11 January 1940 and 21 December 1941); a copy of a letter to Heth Lorton regarding membership in the Society of the Cincinnati ; a letter to "Charlotte" from "Bob" ( Robert Cowan ?) (21 March 1928); numerous other unplaceable letters and fragments thereof.

The School Records include: St. Albans for Stockton Heth, Jr. , 1897; Clay-Hill Academy> for Clement Craig Heth , 1900; Virginia Polytechnic Institute for Clement Craig Heth , 1900 and 1902; Virginia Polytechnic Institute Honor List 1903-1904 mentioning Clement Craig Heth ; a brochure from the Deerfield Academy re. Henry Heth , 1 September 1936.

The Correspondence is arranged according to its recipients. The correspondence of Clement Craig Heth , Isabella Hammet Heth , Stockton Heth, Sr. , Stockton Heth, Jr. , Virginia Heth and S. Pickett Heth consists of personal letters, the majority from family members and friends. The letters discuss social and family matters and include letters of condolence on the deaths of Isabella Hammet Heth (1916) and Stockton Heth, Jr. (1917).

The letters of Clement Craig Heth to Jeannette Cowan Heth cover 1917-1920 but the majority are undated. Topics discussed include the progress of World War I, Clement Heth 's troop movements, and family and personal matters. The letters were sent from a number of camps in the United States , from Italy , and possibly from France or Germany .

The Letters of Clement Craig Heth include letters regarding membership in the Society of the Cincinnati in the state of Virginia (2 January and 27 March 1909).

The Letters of Stockton Heth, Sr. , occupy two folders and include two letters from his brother Henry Heth , a former Confederate general (18 August 1892 and 10 September 1898), and a letter from William A. Bell (13 March 1899).

The letters of Jeannette Cowan Heth occupy two folders and include: a letter of condolence from Joseph Twitty (5 September 1930); letters of condolence 1934; letters from G.M. Preston (1934-1936); a letter from Virginia Batson (10 September 1937); a letter from Julian A. Burruss , president   of Virginia Polytechnic Institute , regarding visit to Blacksburg of Margaret Speaks (15 March 1938); a letter from Margaret Speaks (4 April 1938); a letter from John Preston regarding campaign contributions (24 July 1938); a letter from A.R. Hoxton , President of Virginia Episcopal School , regarding recommendation for an applicant, with draft attached of letter advising refusal of admission on grounds of Nazi sympathies (20 May 1943); letters from Harry F. Byrd Sr. , (21 May and 30 July 1946); an undated letter of condolence on death of brother Robert Heth .

The diary of Stockton Heth, Sr. , covers 1908 and discusses family matters, travel, farm business, social visits, and much weather.