A Guide to the Honaker Family Papers, 1859-1920
A Collection in
Special Collections, Kegley Library
Collection Number 2006.4
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Special Collections, Kegley Library, Wytheville Community College
Special CollectionsKegley Library
Wytheville Community College
Wytheville, Virginia 24382-3308
USA
Phone: (276) 223-4744
Fax: (276) 223-4745
Email: gmattis@wcc.vccs.edu
URL: http://kegleylibrary.wcc.vccs.edu/
© 2011 By Wytheville Community College. All rights reserved.
Processed by: Cathy Carlson Reynolds
Administrative Information
Access Restrictions
Collection is open to research.
Use Restrictions
There are no restrictions.
Preferred Citation
Honaker Family Papers, Mss. Collection 2006.4, Kegley Library, Wytheville Community College, Wytheville, VA
Acquisition Information
Donated by Ruth Ann Chitwood in 2001 as part of the W. R. Chitwood Collection.
Biographical Information
Peter Cline Honaker, son of early settlers Abraham Honaker and Sarah Ann Cline Honaker, was born on 10 October 1812. He established his home in Rocky Gap, Bland County, and married Mary Ann Haven Davidson in North Carolina. Honaker died on 21 January 1887 in Rocky Gap and is buried in the Tuggle-Honaker Cemetery there. He and his wife raised nine children.
One of those offspring was John Robert Honaker (usually known as J. R. Honaker) who was born on 22 November 1858. He married Mary Jane Scott (1861-1951), daughter of Andrew Porter Scott and Ann Jane Newland, on 25 February 1885. They had seven children including Ada Ann Honaker (m. Shaffer) (b. 1885), Lelia Mae Honaker (m. Rives) (b. 1887), Lombe Scott Honaker (b. 1888), Ethel Rebecca Honaker (b. 1890), Stuart French Honaker (Frank) (b. 1891), Virginia Elsimore Honaker (m. Umberger) (b. 1893), and Andrew Peter Honaker. (b. 1896).
John Robert Honaker settled first in the Cedar Springs section of Wythe County, Virginia and had business interests in mineral deposits and hog management. He moved to Wytheville in the 1900s and served as Clerk of the Wythe County Court from 1906 to 1911. He died on 2 July 1935 and is buried in St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery in Wytheville, Virginia.
Scope and Content
The Honaker Family Papers contain seven folders consisting of correspondence between John R. Honaker of Wythe County and various mineral exploration, realty, and meat packing companies in Richmond and Roanoke. Also included are two mid-1800s land deeds of Peter G. Honaker and an 1918 letter from Stuart French Honaker during his World War I service.
Contents List
This folder contains a survey dated 12 July 1859 by Rufus Brittain as ordered by Circuit Court of Tazewell County as part of case, Peter C. Honaker vs. Roland Fletcher. Also included is a deed between Peter C. Honaker of Bland County and P. R. Spracher, Commissioner of Tazewell County, dated 15 June 1874. The deed resulted from the chancery case, Peery Whitten vs. Roland Fletcher, heirs, and gave Honaker fifty acres on Rich Mountain in Bland County previously owned by Fletcher.
- Folder-item 2:1
Letter. J. R. Honaker, Cedar Springs, Virginia to E. Price, Vicar Switch, Virginia. 6 December 1896.2 p.
Re: questions how to prepare lamp oil to burn in miner's lamp. Price responds on reverse of letter, 8 December 1896, to mis 8 pounds lard and 1/2 gallon kerosene.
- Folder-item 2:2
Letter. D. S. Forney, Allisonia, Virginia to J. R. Honaker. 20 January 1897.2 p.
Re: report on samples Honaker sent him for analysis that contain good carbonate.
- Folder-item 2:3
Letter. George M. Holstein, Vice President, Bertha Mineral Company, Pulaski, Virginia to J. R. Honaker, Cedar Springs, Virginia. 3 April 1897.1 p.
Re: value of minerals on his property and proposed visit of Mr. McKee to further investigate potential for mineral mining.
- Folder-item 2:4
Letter. Henry Froehling, Analytical and Consulting Chemist, Richmond, Virginia to J. R. Honaker, Cedar Springs, Virginia. 20 May 1897.
Re: request for larger sample for an assay for silver and asks if Honaker owns the zinc property if he would consider selling to Southern Gold Mines Exchange, "a company composed of some prominent business men of Richmond."
- Folder-item 2:5
Letter. R. H. Rose, President, Southern Gold Mines Exchange, Richmond, Virginia to J. R. Honaker, Cedar Springs, Virginia. 27 May 1897.2 p.
Re: possibility of selling his property with potential silver vein.
- Folder-item 2:6
Letter. Henry Froehling, Analytical and Consulting Chemist, Richmond, Virginia to J. R. Honaker, Cedar Springs, Virginia. 17 June 1897.1 p.; enclosure.
Re: proposed visit to Honaker's property, results of assay of sample no. 1 that revealed only traces of silver. Enclosure, report of sample from Thomas Whitehead, Commissioner of Agriculture for Virginia.
- Folder-item 2:7
Letter. Ernest A. Hoen, Southern Gold Mines Exchange, Richmond, Virginia to J. R. Honaker, Cedar Springs, Virginia. 23 June 1897.1 p.
re: request for sample of zinc ore for examination and preparations for closing sale on Honaker's property.
- Folder-item 2:8
Letter. Ernest A. Hoen, Southern Gold Mines Exchange, Richmond, Virginia to J. R. Honaker, Cedar Springs, Virginia. 25 June 1897.1 p.
re: amended contract and preliminary plat of his property.
- Folder-item 3:1
Letter. Henry Froehling, Analytical and Consulting Chemist, Richmond, Virginia to J. R. Honaker, Cedar Springs, Virginia. 10 July 1897.1 p.
re: samples and optimism of R. H. Rose for the sale of Honaker's property.
- Folder-item 3:2
Letter. R. H. Rose, Southern Gold Mines Exchange, Richmond, Virginia to J. R. Honaker, Cedar Springs, Virginia. 16 July 1897.2 p.
Re: obstacle to sale of his zinc properties because of mineral rights issues.
- Folder-item 3:3
Letter. F. V. Baldwin, Secretary, Southern Gold Mines Exchange, Richmond, Virginia to J. R. Honaker, Cedar Springs, Virginia. 17 July 1897.2 p.
Re: queries is he has answered letter of R. h. Rose.
- Folder-item 3:4
Letter. S. H. Mitchell, Elk Creek, Virginia to J. R. Honaker, Cedar Springs, Virginia. 16 August 1897.2 p.
Re: debt that Mastin Hale owes Mitchell and promise that Honaker would pay balance if Mitchell reneged.
- Folder-item 3:5
Letter. Henry Froehling, Analytical and Consulting Chemist, Richmond, Virginia to J. R. Honaker, Cedar Springs, Virginia. 8 November 1897.1 p.
Re: sample that contains barytes of good quality and prospective buyer for property.
- Folder-item 3:6
Letter. Henry Froehling, Analytical and Consulting Chemist, Richmond, Virginia to J. R. Honaker, Cedar Springs, Virginia. 16 November 1897.1 p.
Re: inquiry about barytes property.
- Folder-item 3:7
Letter. Henry Froehling, Analytical and Consulting Chemist, Richmond, Virginia to J. R. Honaker, Cedar Springs, Virginia. 2 December 1897.1 p.
Re: expediency in barytes property matter.
This folder contains correspondence relating to insurance issues; correspondents include A. W. Harman Jr., Treasurer of Virginia; A. O. Swink, Atlantic Life Insurance Company; and S. Hazen Bond, American Surety Company of New York regarding coverage for C. N. Otey, postmaster. Also included is advertisement for the Keeley Institute, a firm specializing in substance and alcohol abuse services.
This folder contains a letter regarding hog production from Griggs Packing Company of Roanoke, Virginia. Also included is a letter from H. M. Starke of the Baraca-Philathea Union for young adults and a letter from C. D. Cunningham of the Keeley Institute asking for names of potential patients.
This folder contains correspondence between C. M. Griggs of Griggs Packing Company, Roanoke, Virginia, and J. R. Honaker regarding shipment of hogs.
This folder contains two letters from C. M. Griggs of Griggs Packing Company regarding hog shipments and a letter from A. W. Gatewood of Pulaski Iron Company regarding mineral map and sale of Honaker's property. Also included is a letter dated 13 August 1918 from Lt. Stuart French Honaker (Frank) to Mary Jane Scott Honaker regarding his naval service during World War I.