{"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources","last":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources\u0026page=1"},"meta":{"pages":{"current_page":1,"next_page":null,"prev_page":null,"total_pages":1,"limit_value":10,"offset_value":0,"total_count":2,"first_page?":true,"last_page?":true}},"data":[{"id":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_466","type":"collection","attributes":{"title":"Chesapeake Western Railway Company Records","creator":{"id":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog/vihart_repositories_4_resources_466#creator","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":"Chesapeake Western Railway","label":"Creator"}},"abstract_or_scope":{"id":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog/vihart_repositories_4_resources_466#abstract_or_scope","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":"The Chespeake Western Railway Company Records, 1916-1982, are comprised of 24.36 cubic feet of records pertaining to the administrative and business activities of a small Shenandoah Valley railroad through the period of America's Great Depression and up to the CW's eventual acquisition by the Norfolk Southern Railway Corporation.","label":"Abstract Or Scope"}},"breadcrumbs":{"id":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog/vihart_repositories_4_resources_466#breadcrumbs","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":{"id":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_466","ead_ssi":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_466","_root_":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_466","_nest_parent_":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_466","ead_source_url_ssi":"data/oai/JMU/repositories_4_resources_466.xml","title_ssm":["Chesapeake Western Railway Company Records"],"title_tesim":["Chesapeake Western Railway Company Records"],"unitdate_ssm":["1916-1982"],"unitdate_inclusive_ssm":["1916-1982"],"level_ssm":["collection"],"level_ssim":["Collection"],"unitid_ssm":["SC 0154","/repositories/4/resources/466"],"text":["SC 0154","/repositories/4/resources/466","Chesapeake Western Railway Company Records","Elkton (Va.) -- History","Harrisonburg (Va.) -- History","Bridgewater (Va.) -- History","Mt. Solon (Va.) -- History","Stokesville (Va.) -- History","Rockingham County (Va.) -- Industries -- Sources","Augusta County (Va.) -- Industries -- Sources","Virginia -- Economic conditions -- History -- Sources","Virginia -- Industries -- History","Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.) -- Transportation -- History -- Sources","Railroads -- Southern States -- History","Coal -- Transportation -- Southern States -- Sources","Bark -- Transportation -- Southern States -- Sources","Timber -- Transportation -- Southern States -- Sources","Poultry -- Feeding and feeds -- Transportation -- Southern States -- Sources","Railroads -- Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.) -- History","Railroads -- Virginia -- History","Letters (correspondence)","Account books","Reports","Blueprints (reprographic copies)","Personnel records","Publications (documents)","Business records","Collection is open to 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.","The collection is arranged in seven series with the largest first; then arranged further chronologically:","Personnel Records, 1929-1982 Reports, 1953-1981 Account Books, 1916-1974 Correspondence, 1976-1979 Miscellaneous Documents, 1928-1976 Publications, 1963-1977 Blueprints and Schematics, 1951-1979","Cooper, Mason Y.   Norfolk and Western's Shenandoah Line . Forest, Virginia:  Norfolk and Western Historical Society, Inc., 1998.","Cooper, Mason Y.   Norfolk and Western's Shenandoah Line .  Forest, Virginia:  Norfolk and Western Historical Society, Inc., 1998.","Hawkins, Leighman.  \"The Shortline Railroads of Virginia.\"   Virginia and the Virginia County , January 1951.","Murray, Michael S.  \"Rails Through Rockingham County:  The Chesapeake Western Story.\"   Railpace Newsmagazine , January 1985.","\"Norfolk and Western to buy Chesapeake Western.\"   Daily News-Record , July 29, 1954.","Price, Charles Grattan Jr.  The Crooked and the Weedy: A History of Virginia's Chesapeake Western Railway . Harrisonburg, Virginia: Don Mills, Inc., 1992.","Thompson, Tommy. \"Shortline.\"  Daily News-Record , April 3, 1971.","The origins of the Chesapeake Western Railway Company date back at least to 1871, when the Washington, Cincinnati \u0026 St. Louis Railroad was chartered in Virginia as a narrow-gauge railroad to run from Washington, D.C., through Elkton, Harrisonburg, and Bridgewater, Virginia to Cincinnati, Ohio. Virginians bought stock in the coporation, including many people in Rockingham County; rights of way were purchased and railbed grading began.  Like similar ventures of the time, the goals of the company never bore fruit, and work halted in 1874.","In 1892, a group of promoters including Jedediah Hotchkiss incorporated to build a railway to carry coal from West Virginia mines to Gloucester Point, Virginia. Initially called the Chesapeake, Shendun, and Western Railroad, the name was quickly changed to Chesapeake \u0026 Western Railroad. Using part of the old WC\u0026StL right-of-way, and with $150,000 from the city of Harrisonburg to ensure that the railroad would pass through it, a 26-mile single-track, standard-gauge line was completed from Elkton to Bridgewater and began operating on March 23, 1896. In the next few years, substantial C\u0026W stock was purchased by New York investor Thomas Stokes, who hoped to develop the coal mines in western Rockingham County but became mired in financial difficulties. His brother, W.E.D Stokes, purchased control of the C\u0026W and also organized a new railroad, the Tidewater and West Virginia, in 1900. The Tidewater changed its name in 1901 to the Chesapeake Western Railway, leased the CW line for 99 years, and in 1902 completed 13 miles of rail from Bridgewater to the new town of Stokesville in North River Gap. Trains carried passengers as well as freight between Elkton and Stokesville. Plans were drawn up to continue the line into West Virginia but were not implemented.","For just over a decade, Stokesville boomed as timber, tanbark, and to a much more limited extent, coal, in the area were exploited. Stokes operated the CW with offices in Harrisonburg until his death in 1926. His estate continued to operate the railway until 1938. In 1928, the line from Mount Solon to North River Gap was abandoned for financial reasons. In 1933, the nine miles from Bridgewater to Mount Solon were also dropped.  When the Stokes' heirs put the CW up for sale in 1938, Don W. Thomas, a former Norfolk \u0026 Western Railroad employee who had been the general manager of the CW since 1926, fought a bid from Japanese scrap metal buyers and bought the line. In 1943, Thomas also bought the Baltimore \u0026 Ohio's Valley Road of Virginia line which rean between Harrisonburg and Lexington. The line south of Staunton was taken up and sold for scrap, but the road between Harrisonburg and Staunton was improved and became an important link in the CW system because of the connection with the Chesapeake \u0026 Ohio Railroad at Staunton. The CW linked with the Norfolk \u0026 Western at Elkton.","In 1954, the Norfolk \u0026 Western Railroad purchased CW, but the name was retained and was operated as a separate corporation. By about 1980, however, little or no rolling stock carried the CW logo any longer. Norfolk \u0026 Western and the Southern Railway Company merged as Norfolk Southern Corporation on June 1, 1982. Not long after that merger, a five-alarm fire burned the CW office located at Chesapeake Drive in Harrisonburg on July 28, 1982, and company offices and operations were eventually absorbed by the NS. Five miles of track east of Bridgewater were removed in 1988. The CW under the control of NS serves as the Harrisonburg area's poultry feed supplier passing through the campus of James Madison University daily. ","Records represent the day to day business operation of the Chesapeake Western Railway Company through 1982. After a fire that year, records were left in the CW building on Chesapeake Drive in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and remained in that facility until 1997.","Due to the unwieldy nature of virtually off the bound ledgers, pages were removed from their covers and parceled into folders as both an aid to researchers and as a practical means to consolidate space.  The condition of some boards was also questionable with evidence of mold and pest damage. 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 4010.","The Chesapeake Western Railway Company Records, 1916-1982, consist of 24.36 cubic feet of business records pertaining to the employees, assets, and business transactions of the company. The collection is topically arranged in seven series with the largest series first; then further arranged chronologically . Series consist of Personnel Records, Reports, Account Books, Correspondence, Blueprints and Schematics, Publications, and Miscellaneous Documents.","Series 1: Personnel Records, 1929-1982, includes payrolls and time sheets with names of employees, occupations, hours, rates, payments, and dates of employment. Also included in this series are Railroad Retirement Board forms primarily from 1930 to 1973, containing employee biographical and genealogical information.","Series 2: Reports, 1953-1981, primarily is comprised of Dispatcher and Conductor reports, with information about specific trains, routes, departure times, distances and engine numbers. Dispatchers' Record of Movement of Trains, 1973-1979, and Time Return and Delay Reports, 1975-1981, list information such as:  engineers' names, train departure times, type of service, etc. Conductor Car Records and tonnage Reports include engine number, weight of trains, cargo, as well as identification of conductors and engineers on each train.  Entries for Shipping logs, 1970-1977; Traffic Analyses and other shipping records, 1973-1981, are followed by Per Diem/Mileage and Transfer Books, 1953-1970, which appear to be freight and transfer records written in abbreviated code and organized alphabetically by company name.","Series 3: Account Books, 1916-1974, contains: Interline Freight Balances; Car Services Balances; Amounts Due From and To Foreign Companies on Interline Freight Accounts; Operating Expenses and REvenues and other information including shops, engine house, bridges, agents, conductors, donations, etc.; Per Diem Reclaim Records, 1952-1973; Income Statements, 1968-1971; Records of Vouchers Released, 1955-1967; Freight Car Hires, 1943-1975, summarizing car hire, passenger and freight car mileage; and Miscellaneous accounts, 1934-1951, containing detailed information of topics organized chronologically and categorically under the following headings:  Operating Revenues, Freight Revenues, Rent from Locomotives, Miscellaneous Income, Maintenance, Transportation Improvements, and Statements for Depreciation for railway structures.  Balance in Interline Freight Accounts, 1932-1935, lists date, items, folio number, and debits with yearly balances, organized alphabetically by account name.  Car Services Balance Books, 1944-1971, record balance and payment information for interline car service accounts.  Record of Amounts Due From and To Foreign Companies on Interline Freight Accounts Journals, 1930-1944, comprise both operating expenses and revenues as well as other information.","Label on front cover of bound volume reads: Returns to Valuation Orders 7, 8, and 16, Chesapeake \u0026 Western Railroad Co., Chesapeake Western Railway, Cheswick and Harmar Railroad Co., Clarendon \u0026 Pittsford Railroad Co., Connellsville \u0026 Monongahela Railway Co.","Series 4: Correspondence, 1976-1979, is comprised of a variety of topics which include land leases, shipments, track upgrades, expense reports, and business agreements in chronological order.","Series 5: Miscellaneous Documents, 1928-1982, is comprised of eclectic pieces--many relating to previous series that would be lost among more substantial predecessors.  Headings under Miscellaneous include:  Financial notes and documents, many handwritten, 1935-1938 and undated; a conductor's balance sheet from September 1935; Operating expenses, undated; Per Diem Reclaim Mileage Records and Record of Amounts Due From and To Foreign Companies on Interline Freight Accounts, September 1935; Reports of Interline Passenger Traffic, August 1935 [one of which contains a note in the \"Remarks\" column stating \"CCC\" perhaps indicating a one way trip to Bridgewater Station for members of the Civilian Conservation Corps.]; Documents and invoices for parts and repair, indemnity releases, etc., 1955-1976; Forms from printing companies, 1928-1968; Records of purchase for forms from local printers; Receipt books, Carload Traffic Received, Automobile Expenses Records, Forecast Statement, N\u0026W strike letter, 3.5 acre lease letter to Virginia Electric and Power Company, 1975-1980; Staunton Textile Corporation and Celanese Corporation, 1934-1955; Miscellaneous Correspondence, freight bills, account information, etc. and Exxon records, 1974-1976.","Series 6: Publications, 1963-1977, include copies of  Bullinger's Postal and Shipper's Guide for the US and Canada , 1963, which lists shipping rates, distances, etc. and  Standard Transportation Commodity Code Tariff No. 1-E , November 15, 1977.","Series 7: Blueprints and Schematics, 1951-1979, contains the oversize materials:  a blueprint of the railway line from 1951 and diagrams of electircal gates and signal wiring, 1961-1979.","The copyright interests in this collection have been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collection Library. Privacy protected information may be revealed during use of this collection. Researchers agree to make no notes or other recordation of privacy protected information if found within this collection, and further agree not to publish or disclose such information for any purpose. Researchers agree to alert Special Collections staff if potentially privacy protected information is found within this collection. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu).","The Chespeake Western Railway Company Records, 1916-1982, are comprised of 24.36 cubic feet of records pertaining to the administrative and business activities of a small Shenandoah Valley railroad through the period of America's Great Depression and up to the CW's eventual acquisition by the Norfolk Southern Railway Corporation.","James Madison University Libraries Special Collections","Chesapeake Western Railway","Chesapeake Beach Railway Museum","Norfolk Southern Corporation","Geier, Clarence R., 1944-","Hyser, Raymond M., 1955-","Stokes, W. E. D. (William Earl Dodge), 1852-1926","English"],"unitid_tesim":["SC 0154","/repositories/4/resources/466"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Chesapeake Western Railway Company Records"],"collection_title_tesim":["Chesapeake Western Railway Company Records"],"collection_ssim":["Chesapeake Western Railway Company Records"],"repository_ssm":["James Madison University"],"repository_ssim":["James Madison University"],"geogname_ssm":["Elkton (Va.) -- History","Harrisonburg (Va.) -- History","Bridgewater (Va.) -- History","Mt. Solon (Va.) -- History","Stokesville (Va.) -- History","Rockingham County (Va.) -- Industries -- Sources","Augusta County (Va.) -- Industries -- Sources","Virginia -- Economic conditions -- History -- Sources","Virginia -- Industries -- History","Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.) -- Transportation -- History -- Sources"],"geogname_ssim":["Elkton (Va.) -- History","Harrisonburg (Va.) -- History","Bridgewater (Va.) -- History","Mt. Solon (Va.) -- History","Stokesville (Va.) -- History","Rockingham County (Va.) -- Industries -- Sources","Augusta County (Va.) -- Industries -- Sources","Virginia -- Economic conditions -- History -- Sources","Virginia -- Industries -- History","Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.) -- Transportation -- History -- Sources"],"creator_ssm":["Chesapeake Western Railway","Chesapeake Beach Railway Museum","Geier, Clarence R., 1944-","Hyser, Raymond M., 1955-"],"creator_ssim":["Chesapeake Western Railway","Chesapeake Beach Railway Museum","Geier, Clarence R., 1944-","Hyser, Raymond M., 1955-"],"creator_persname_ssim":["Geier, Clarence R., 1944-","Hyser, Raymond M., 1955-"],"creator_corpname_ssim":["Chesapeake Western Railway","Chesapeake Beach Railway Museum"],"creators_ssim":["Geier, Clarence R., 1944-","Hyser, Raymond M., 1955-","Chesapeake Western Railway","Chesapeake Beach Railway Museum"],"places_ssim":["Elkton (Va.) -- History","Harrisonburg (Va.) -- History","Bridgewater (Va.) -- History","Mt. Solon (Va.) -- History","Stokesville (Va.) -- History","Rockingham County (Va.) -- Industries -- Sources","Augusta County (Va.) -- Industries -- Sources","Virginia -- Economic conditions -- History -- Sources","Virginia -- Industries -- History","Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.) -- Transportation -- History -- Sources"],"access_terms_ssm":["The copyright interests in this collection have been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collection Library. Privacy protected information may be revealed during use of this collection. Researchers agree to make no notes or other recordation of privacy protected information if found within this collection, and further agree not to publish or disclose such information for any purpose. Researchers agree to alert Special Collections staff if potentially privacy protected information is found within this collection. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu)."],"acqinfo_ssim":["D.A. Brown, II Superintendent, VA Division of Norfolk Southern in Roanoke gave permission in April 1997 for JMU professors Raymond Hiser and Clarence Geier from the History and Anthropology Departments respectively to salvage records from the CW building on Chesapeake Drive in Harrisonburg, Virginia which suffered a five-alarm fire at the site on July 28, 1982. After the fire, operating records remained in the building in disarray on the floor and suffered damage by fire or water or both. Following their initial cleaning and inventory by students in History and Anthropology, the materials were transferred to Carrier Library in February 1998. In September 2018, the Chesapeake Beach Railway Museum in Chesapeake Beach, Maryland, donated one bound book: \"Returns to Valuation Orders 7, 8, and 16.\""],"access_subjects_ssim":["Railroads -- Southern States -- History","Coal -- Transportation -- Southern States -- Sources","Bark -- Transportation -- Southern States -- Sources","Timber -- Transportation -- Southern States -- Sources","Poultry -- Feeding and feeds -- Transportation -- Southern States -- Sources","Railroads -- Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.) -- History","Railroads -- Virginia -- History","Letters (correspondence)","Account books","Reports","Blueprints (reprographic copies)","Personnel records","Publications (documents)","Business records"],"access_subjects_ssm":["Railroads -- Southern States -- History","Coal -- Transportation -- Southern States -- Sources","Bark -- Transportation -- Southern States -- Sources","Timber -- Transportation -- Southern States -- Sources","Poultry -- Feeding and feeds -- Transportation -- Southern States -- Sources","Railroads -- Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.) -- History","Railroads -- Virginia -- History","Letters (correspondence)","Account books","Reports","Blueprints (reprographic copies)","Personnel records","Publications (documents)","Business records"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"extent_ssm":["24.36 cubic feet 35 boxes, 1 rolled storage container"],"extent_tesim":["24.36 cubic feet 35 boxes, 1 rolled storage container"],"genreform_ssim":["Letters (correspondence)","Account books","Reports","Blueprints (reprographic copies)","Personnel records","Publications (documents)","Business records"],"date_range_isim":[1916,1917,1918,1919,1920,1921,1922,1923,1924,1925,1926,1927,1928,1929,1930,1931,1932,1933,1934,1935,1936,1937,1938,1939,1940,1941,1942,1943,1944,1945,1946,1947,1948,1949,1950,1951,1952,1953,1954,1955,1956,1957,1958,1959,1960,1961,1962,1963,1964,1965,1966,1967,1968,1969,1970,1971,1972,1973,1974,1975,1976,1977,1978,1979,1980,1981,1982],"accessrestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eCollection is open to 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.\u003c/p\u003e"],"accessrestrict_heading_ssm":["Access Restrictions"],"accessrestrict_tesim":["Collection is open to 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."],"arrangement_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe collection is arranged in seven series with the largest first; then arranged further chronologically:\u003c/p\u003e","\u003clist numeration=\"arabic\" type=\"ordered\"\u003e\n      \u003citem\u003ePersonnel Records, 1929-1982\u003c/item\u003e\n      \u003citem\u003eReports, 1953-1981\u003c/item\u003e\n      \u003citem\u003eAccount Books, 1916-1974\u003c/item\u003e\n      \u003citem\u003eCorrespondence, 1976-1979\u003c/item\u003e\n      \u003citem\u003eMiscellaneous Documents, 1928-1976\u003c/item\u003e\n      \u003citem\u003ePublications, 1963-1977\u003c/item\u003e\n      \u003citem\u003eBlueprints and Schematics, 1951-1979\u003c/item\u003e\n    \u003c/list\u003e"],"arrangement_heading_ssm":["Arrangement"],"arrangement_tesim":["The collection is arranged in seven series with the largest first; then arranged further chronologically:","Personnel Records, 1929-1982 Reports, 1953-1981 Account Books, 1916-1974 Correspondence, 1976-1979 Miscellaneous Documents, 1928-1976 Publications, 1963-1977 Blueprints and Schematics, 1951-1979"],"bibliography_html_tesm":["\u003cbibref\u003eCooper, Mason Y.  \u003cemph render=\"italic\"\u003eNorfolk and Western's Shenandoah Line\u003c/emph\u003e. Forest, Virginia:  Norfolk and Western Historical Society, Inc., 1998.\u003c/bibref\u003e","\u003cbibref\u003eCooper, Mason Y.  \u003cemph render=\"italic\"\u003eNorfolk and Western's Shenandoah Line\u003c/emph\u003e.  Forest, Virginia:  Norfolk and Western Historical Society, Inc., 1998.\u003c/bibref\u003e","\u003cbibref\u003eHawkins, Leighman.  \"The Shortline Railroads of Virginia.\"  \u003cemph render=\"italic\"\u003eVirginia and the Virginia County\u003c/emph\u003e, January 1951.\u003c/bibref\u003e","\u003cbibref\u003eMurray, Michael S.  \"Rails Through Rockingham County:  The Chesapeake Western Story.\"  \u003cemph render=\"italic\"\u003eRailpace Newsmagazine\u003c/emph\u003e, January 1985.\u003c/bibref\u003e","\u003cbibref\u003e\"Norfolk and Western to buy Chesapeake Western.\"  \u003cemph render=\"italic\"\u003eDaily News-Record\u003c/emph\u003e, July 29, 1954.\u003c/bibref\u003e","\u003cbibref\u003ePrice, Charles Grattan Jr. \u003cemph render=\"italic\"\u003eThe Crooked and the Weedy: A History of Virginia's Chesapeake Western Railway\u003c/emph\u003e. Harrisonburg, Virginia: Don Mills, Inc., 1992.\u003c/bibref\u003e","\u003cbibref\u003eThompson, Tommy. \"Shortline.\" \u003cemph render=\"italic\"\u003eDaily News-Record\u003c/emph\u003e, April 3, 1971.\u003c/bibref\u003e"],"bibliography_heading_ssm":["Bibliography"],"bibliography_tesim":["Cooper, Mason Y.   Norfolk and Western's Shenandoah Line . Forest, Virginia:  Norfolk and Western Historical Society, Inc., 1998.","Cooper, Mason Y.   Norfolk and Western's Shenandoah Line .  Forest, Virginia:  Norfolk and Western Historical Society, Inc., 1998.","Hawkins, Leighman.  \"The Shortline Railroads of Virginia.\"   Virginia and the Virginia County , January 1951.","Murray, Michael S.  \"Rails Through Rockingham County:  The Chesapeake Western Story.\"   Railpace Newsmagazine , January 1985.","\"Norfolk and Western to buy Chesapeake Western.\"   Daily News-Record , July 29, 1954.","Price, Charles Grattan Jr.  The Crooked and the Weedy: A History of Virginia's Chesapeake Western Railway . Harrisonburg, Virginia: Don Mills, Inc., 1992.","Thompson, Tommy. \"Shortline.\"  Daily News-Record , April 3, 1971."],"bioghist_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe origins of the Chesapeake Western Railway Company date back at least to 1871, when the Washington, Cincinnati \u0026amp; St. Louis Railroad was chartered in Virginia as a narrow-gauge railroad to run from Washington, D.C., through Elkton, Harrisonburg, and Bridgewater, Virginia to Cincinnati, Ohio. Virginians bought stock in the coporation, including many people in Rockingham County; rights of way were purchased and railbed grading began.  Like similar ventures of the time, the goals of the company never bore fruit, and work halted in 1874.\u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eIn 1892, a group of promoters including Jedediah Hotchkiss incorporated to build a railway to carry coal from West Virginia mines to Gloucester Point, Virginia. Initially called the Chesapeake, Shendun, and Western Railroad, the name was quickly changed to Chesapeake \u0026amp; Western Railroad. Using part of the old WC\u0026amp;StL right-of-way, and with $150,000 from the city of Harrisonburg to ensure that the railroad would pass through it, a 26-mile single-track, standard-gauge line was completed from Elkton to Bridgewater and began operating on March 23, 1896. In the next few years, substantial C\u0026amp;W stock was purchased by New York investor Thomas Stokes, who hoped to develop the coal mines in western Rockingham County but became mired in financial difficulties. His brother, W.E.D Stokes, purchased control of the C\u0026amp;W and also organized a new railroad, the Tidewater and West Virginia, in 1900. The Tidewater changed its name in 1901 to the Chesapeake Western Railway, leased the CW line for 99 years, and in 1902 completed 13 miles of rail from Bridgewater to the new town of Stokesville in North River Gap. Trains carried passengers as well as freight between Elkton and Stokesville. Plans were drawn up to continue the line into West Virginia but were not implemented.\u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eFor just over a decade, Stokesville boomed as timber, tanbark, and to a much more limited extent, coal, in the area were exploited. Stokes operated the CW with offices in Harrisonburg until his death in 1926. His estate continued to operate the railway until 1938. In 1928, the line from Mount Solon to North River Gap was abandoned for financial reasons. In 1933, the nine miles from Bridgewater to Mount Solon were also dropped.  When the Stokes' heirs put the CW up for sale in 1938, Don W. Thomas, a former Norfolk \u0026amp; Western Railroad employee who had been the general manager of the CW since 1926, fought a bid from Japanese scrap metal buyers and bought the line. In 1943, Thomas also bought the Baltimore \u0026amp; Ohio's Valley Road of Virginia line which rean between Harrisonburg and Lexington. The line south of Staunton was taken up and sold for scrap, but the road between Harrisonburg and Staunton was improved and became an important link in the CW system because of the connection with the Chesapeake \u0026amp; Ohio Railroad at Staunton. The CW linked with the Norfolk \u0026amp; Western at Elkton.\u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eIn 1954, the Norfolk \u0026amp; Western Railroad purchased CW, but the name was retained and was operated as a separate corporation. By about 1980, however, little or no rolling stock carried the CW logo any longer. Norfolk \u0026amp; Western and the Southern Railway Company merged as Norfolk Southern Corporation on June 1, 1982. Not long after that merger, a five-alarm fire burned the CW office located at Chesapeake Drive in Harrisonburg on July 28, 1982, and company offices and operations were eventually absorbed by the NS. Five miles of track east of Bridgewater were removed in 1988. The CW under the control of NS serves as the Harrisonburg area's poultry feed supplier passing through the campus of James Madison University daily. \u003c/p\u003e"],"bioghist_heading_ssm":["Administrative History"],"bioghist_tesim":["The origins of the Chesapeake Western Railway Company date back at least to 1871, when the Washington, Cincinnati \u0026 St. Louis Railroad was chartered in Virginia as a narrow-gauge railroad to run from Washington, D.C., through Elkton, Harrisonburg, and Bridgewater, Virginia to Cincinnati, Ohio. Virginians bought stock in the coporation, including many people in Rockingham County; rights of way were purchased and railbed grading began.  Like similar ventures of the time, the goals of the company never bore fruit, and work halted in 1874.","In 1892, a group of promoters including Jedediah Hotchkiss incorporated to build a railway to carry coal from West Virginia mines to Gloucester Point, Virginia. Initially called the Chesapeake, Shendun, and Western Railroad, the name was quickly changed to Chesapeake \u0026 Western Railroad. Using part of the old WC\u0026StL right-of-way, and with $150,000 from the city of Harrisonburg to ensure that the railroad would pass through it, a 26-mile single-track, standard-gauge line was completed from Elkton to Bridgewater and began operating on March 23, 1896. In the next few years, substantial C\u0026W stock was purchased by New York investor Thomas Stokes, who hoped to develop the coal mines in western Rockingham County but became mired in financial difficulties. His brother, W.E.D Stokes, purchased control of the C\u0026W and also organized a new railroad, the Tidewater and West Virginia, in 1900. The Tidewater changed its name in 1901 to the Chesapeake Western Railway, leased the CW line for 99 years, and in 1902 completed 13 miles of rail from Bridgewater to the new town of Stokesville in North River Gap. Trains carried passengers as well as freight between Elkton and Stokesville. Plans were drawn up to continue the line into West Virginia but were not implemented.","For just over a decade, Stokesville boomed as timber, tanbark, and to a much more limited extent, coal, in the area were exploited. Stokes operated the CW with offices in Harrisonburg until his death in 1926. His estate continued to operate the railway until 1938. In 1928, the line from Mount Solon to North River Gap was abandoned for financial reasons. In 1933, the nine miles from Bridgewater to Mount Solon were also dropped.  When the Stokes' heirs put the CW up for sale in 1938, Don W. Thomas, a former Norfolk \u0026 Western Railroad employee who had been the general manager of the CW since 1926, fought a bid from Japanese scrap metal buyers and bought the line. In 1943, Thomas also bought the Baltimore \u0026 Ohio's Valley Road of Virginia line which rean between Harrisonburg and Lexington. The line south of Staunton was taken up and sold for scrap, but the road between Harrisonburg and Staunton was improved and became an important link in the CW system because of the connection with the Chesapeake \u0026 Ohio Railroad at Staunton. The CW linked with the Norfolk \u0026 Western at Elkton.","In 1954, the Norfolk \u0026 Western Railroad purchased CW, but the name was retained and was operated as a separate corporation. By about 1980, however, little or no rolling stock carried the CW logo any longer. Norfolk \u0026 Western and the Southern Railway Company merged as Norfolk Southern Corporation on June 1, 1982. Not long after that merger, a five-alarm fire burned the CW office located at Chesapeake Drive in Harrisonburg on July 28, 1982, and company offices and operations were eventually absorbed by the NS. Five miles of track east of Bridgewater were removed in 1988. The CW under the control of NS serves as the Harrisonburg area's poultry feed supplier passing through the campus of James Madison University daily. "],"custodhist_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eRecords represent the day to day business operation of the Chesapeake Western Railway Company through 1982. After a fire that year, records were left in the CW building on Chesapeake Drive in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and remained in that facility until 1997.\u003c/p\u003e"],"custodhist_heading_ssm":["Provenance"],"custodhist_tesim":["Records represent the day to day business operation of the Chesapeake Western Railway Company through 1982. After a fire that year, records were left in the CW building on Chesapeake Drive in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and remained in that facility until 1997."],"prefercite_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003e[identification of item], [box #, folder #], Chesapeake Western Railway Company Records, 1916-1982, SC 0154, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Va.\u003c/p\u003e"],"prefercite_tesim":["[identification of item], [box #, folder #], Chesapeake Western Railway Company Records, 1916-1982, SC 0154, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Va."],"processinfo_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eDue to the unwieldy nature of virtually off the bound ledgers, pages were removed from their covers and parceled into folders as both an aid to researchers and as a practical means to consolidate space.  The condition of some boards was also questionable with evidence of mold and pest damage. In order to streamline the process of applying collection numbers, Special Collections staff completed a large-scale renumbering campaign in the spring of 2017. \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eThis collection was previously cataloged as SC 4010.\u003c/emph\u003e\u003c/p\u003e"],"processinfo_heading_ssm":["Processing Information"],"processinfo_tesim":["Due to the unwieldy nature of virtually off the bound ledgers, pages were removed from their covers and parceled into folders as both an aid to researchers and as a practical means to consolidate space.  The condition of some boards was also questionable with evidence of mold and pest damage. 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 4010."],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe Chesapeake Western Railway Company Records, 1916-1982, consist of 24.36 cubic feet of business records pertaining to the employees, assets, and business transactions of the company. The collection is topically arranged in seven series with the largest series first; then further arranged chronologically . Series consist of Personnel Records, Reports, Account Books, Correspondence, Blueprints and Schematics, Publications, and Miscellaneous Documents.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eSeries 1: Personnel Records, 1929-1982, includes payrolls and time sheets with names of employees, occupations, hours, rates, payments, and dates of employment. Also included in this series are Railroad Retirement Board forms primarily from 1930 to 1973, containing employee biographical and genealogical information.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eSeries 2: Reports, 1953-1981, primarily is comprised of Dispatcher and Conductor reports, with information about specific trains, routes, departure times, distances and engine numbers. Dispatchers' Record of Movement of Trains, 1973-1979, and Time Return and Delay Reports, 1975-1981, list information such as:  engineers' names, train departure times, type of service, etc. Conductor Car Records and tonnage Reports include engine number, weight of trains, cargo, as well as identification of conductors and engineers on each train.  Entries for Shipping logs, 1970-1977; Traffic Analyses and other shipping records, 1973-1981, are followed by Per Diem/Mileage and Transfer Books, 1953-1970, which appear to be freight and transfer records written in abbreviated code and organized alphabetically by company name.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eSeries 3: Account Books, 1916-1974, contains: Interline Freight Balances; Car Services Balances; Amounts Due From and To Foreign Companies on Interline Freight Accounts; Operating Expenses and REvenues and other information including shops, engine house, bridges, agents, conductors, donations, etc.; Per Diem Reclaim Records, 1952-1973; Income Statements, 1968-1971; Records of Vouchers Released, 1955-1967; Freight Car Hires, 1943-1975, summarizing car hire, passenger and freight car mileage; and Miscellaneous accounts, 1934-1951, containing detailed information of topics organized chronologically and categorically under the following headings:  Operating Revenues, Freight Revenues, Rent from Locomotives, Miscellaneous Income, Maintenance, Transportation Improvements, and Statements for Depreciation for railway structures.  Balance in Interline Freight Accounts, 1932-1935, lists date, items, folio number, and debits with yearly balances, organized alphabetically by account name.  Car Services Balance Books, 1944-1971, record balance and payment information for interline car service accounts.  Record of Amounts Due From and To Foreign Companies on Interline Freight Accounts Journals, 1930-1944, comprise both operating expenses and revenues as well as other information.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eLabel on front cover of bound volume reads: Returns to Valuation Orders 7, 8, and 16, Chesapeake \u0026amp; Western Railroad Co., Chesapeake Western Railway, Cheswick and Harmar Railroad Co., Clarendon \u0026amp; Pittsford Railroad Co., Connellsville \u0026amp; Monongahela Railway Co.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eSeries 4: Correspondence, 1976-1979, is comprised of a variety of topics which include land leases, shipments, track upgrades, expense reports, and business agreements in chronological order.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eSeries 5: Miscellaneous Documents, 1928-1982, is comprised of eclectic pieces--many relating to previous series that would be lost among more substantial predecessors.  Headings under Miscellaneous include:  Financial notes and documents, many handwritten, 1935-1938 and undated; a conductor's balance sheet from September 1935; Operating expenses, undated; Per Diem Reclaim Mileage Records and Record of Amounts Due From and To Foreign Companies on Interline Freight Accounts, September 1935; Reports of Interline Passenger Traffic, August 1935 [one of which contains a note in the \"Remarks\" column stating \"CCC\" perhaps indicating a one way trip to Bridgewater Station for members of the Civilian Conservation Corps.]; Documents and invoices for parts and repair, indemnity releases, etc., 1955-1976; Forms from printing companies, 1928-1968; Records of purchase for forms from local printers; Receipt books, Carload Traffic Received, Automobile Expenses Records, Forecast Statement, N\u0026amp;W strike letter, 3.5 acre lease letter to Virginia Electric and Power Company, 1975-1980; Staunton Textile Corporation and Celanese Corporation, 1934-1955; Miscellaneous Correspondence, freight bills, account information, etc. and Exxon records, 1974-1976.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eSeries 6: Publications, 1963-1977, include copies of \u003cemph render=\"italic\"\u003eBullinger's Postal and Shipper's Guide for the US and Canada\u003c/emph\u003e, 1963, which lists shipping rates, distances, etc. and \u003cemph render=\"italic\"\u003eStandard Transportation Commodity Code Tariff No. 1-E\u003c/emph\u003e, November 15, 1977.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eSeries 7: Blueprints and Schematics, 1951-1979, contains the oversize materials:  a blueprint of the railway line from 1951 and diagrams of electircal gates and signal wiring, 1961-1979.\u003c/p\u003e"],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Content","Scope and Content","Scope and Content","Scope and Content","Scope and Content","Scope and Content","Scope and Content","Scope and Content","Scope and Content"],"scopecontent_tesim":["The Chesapeake Western Railway Company Records, 1916-1982, consist of 24.36 cubic feet of business records pertaining to the employees, assets, and business transactions of the company. The collection is topically arranged in seven series with the largest series first; then further arranged chronologically . Series consist of Personnel Records, Reports, Account Books, Correspondence, Blueprints and Schematics, Publications, and Miscellaneous Documents.","Series 1: Personnel Records, 1929-1982, includes payrolls and time sheets with names of employees, occupations, hours, rates, payments, and dates of employment. Also included in this series are Railroad Retirement Board forms primarily from 1930 to 1973, containing employee biographical and genealogical information.","Series 2: Reports, 1953-1981, primarily is comprised of Dispatcher and Conductor reports, with information about specific trains, routes, departure times, distances and engine numbers. Dispatchers' Record of Movement of Trains, 1973-1979, and Time Return and Delay Reports, 1975-1981, list information such as:  engineers' names, train departure times, type of service, etc. Conductor Car Records and tonnage Reports include engine number, weight of trains, cargo, as well as identification of conductors and engineers on each train.  Entries for Shipping logs, 1970-1977; Traffic Analyses and other shipping records, 1973-1981, are followed by Per Diem/Mileage and Transfer Books, 1953-1970, which appear to be freight and transfer records written in abbreviated code and organized alphabetically by company name.","Series 3: Account Books, 1916-1974, contains: Interline Freight Balances; Car Services Balances; Amounts Due From and To Foreign Companies on Interline Freight Accounts; Operating Expenses and REvenues and other information including shops, engine house, bridges, agents, conductors, donations, etc.; Per Diem Reclaim Records, 1952-1973; Income Statements, 1968-1971; Records of Vouchers Released, 1955-1967; Freight Car Hires, 1943-1975, summarizing car hire, passenger and freight car mileage; and Miscellaneous accounts, 1934-1951, containing detailed information of topics organized chronologically and categorically under the following headings:  Operating Revenues, Freight Revenues, Rent from Locomotives, Miscellaneous Income, Maintenance, Transportation Improvements, and Statements for Depreciation for railway structures.  Balance in Interline Freight Accounts, 1932-1935, lists date, items, folio number, and debits with yearly balances, organized alphabetically by account name.  Car Services Balance Books, 1944-1971, record balance and payment information for interline car service accounts.  Record of Amounts Due From and To Foreign Companies on Interline Freight Accounts Journals, 1930-1944, comprise both operating expenses and revenues as well as other information.","Label on front cover of bound volume reads: Returns to Valuation Orders 7, 8, and 16, Chesapeake \u0026 Western Railroad Co., Chesapeake Western Railway, Cheswick and Harmar Railroad Co., Clarendon \u0026 Pittsford Railroad Co., Connellsville \u0026 Monongahela Railway Co.","Series 4: Correspondence, 1976-1979, is comprised of a variety of topics which include land leases, shipments, track upgrades, expense reports, and business agreements in chronological order.","Series 5: Miscellaneous Documents, 1928-1982, is comprised of eclectic pieces--many relating to previous series that would be lost among more substantial predecessors.  Headings under Miscellaneous include:  Financial notes and documents, many handwritten, 1935-1938 and undated; a conductor's balance sheet from September 1935; Operating expenses, undated; Per Diem Reclaim Mileage Records and Record of Amounts Due From and To Foreign Companies on Interline Freight Accounts, September 1935; Reports of Interline Passenger Traffic, August 1935 [one of which contains a note in the \"Remarks\" column stating \"CCC\" perhaps indicating a one way trip to Bridgewater Station for members of the Civilian Conservation Corps.]; Documents and invoices for parts and repair, indemnity releases, etc., 1955-1976; Forms from printing companies, 1928-1968; Records of purchase for forms from local printers; Receipt books, Carload Traffic Received, Automobile Expenses Records, Forecast Statement, N\u0026W strike letter, 3.5 acre lease letter to Virginia Electric and Power Company, 1975-1980; Staunton Textile Corporation and Celanese Corporation, 1934-1955; Miscellaneous Correspondence, freight bills, account information, etc. and Exxon records, 1974-1976.","Series 6: Publications, 1963-1977, include copies of  Bullinger's Postal and Shipper's Guide for the US and Canada , 1963, which lists shipping rates, distances, etc. and  Standard Transportation Commodity Code Tariff No. 1-E , November 15, 1977.","Series 7: Blueprints and Schematics, 1951-1979, contains the oversize materials:  a blueprint of the railway line from 1951 and diagrams of electircal gates and signal wiring, 1961-1979."],"userestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe copyright interests in this collection have been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collection Library. Privacy protected information may be revealed during use of this collection. Researchers agree to make no notes or other recordation of privacy protected information if found within this collection, and further agree not to publish or disclose such information for any purpose. Researchers agree to alert Special Collections staff if potentially privacy protected information is found within this collection. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu).\u003c/p\u003e"],"userestrict_heading_ssm":["Use Restrictions"],"userestrict_tesim":["The copyright interests in this collection have been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collection Library. Privacy protected information may be revealed during use of this collection. Researchers agree to make no notes or other recordation of privacy protected information if found within this collection, and further agree not to publish or disclose such information for any purpose. Researchers agree to alert Special Collections staff if potentially privacy protected information is found within this collection. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu)."],"abstract_html_tesm":["\u003cabstract id=\"aspace_57e226aed1de81b0112cfbe25b7f1b76\"\u003eThe Chespeake Western Railway Company Records, 1916-1982, are comprised of 24.36 cubic feet of records pertaining to the administrative and business activities of a small Shenandoah Valley railroad through the period of America's Great Depression and up to the CW's eventual acquisition by the Norfolk Southern Railway Corporation.\u003c/abstract\u003e"],"abstract_tesim":["The Chespeake Western Railway Company Records, 1916-1982, are comprised of 24.36 cubic feet of records pertaining to the administrative and business activities of a small Shenandoah Valley railroad through the period of America's Great Depression and up to the CW's eventual acquisition by the Norfolk Southern Railway Corporation."],"names_coll_ssim":["Norfolk Southern Corporation","Chesapeake Western Railway","Chesapeake Beach Railway Museum","Stokes, W. E. D. (William Earl Dodge), 1852-1926","Geier, Clarence R., 1944-","Hyser, Raymond M., 1955-"],"names_ssim":["James Madison University Libraries Special Collections","Chesapeake Western Railway","Chesapeake Beach Railway Museum","Norfolk Southern Corporation","Geier, Clarence R., 1944-","Hyser, Raymond M., 1955-","Stokes, W. E. D. (William Earl Dodge), 1852-1926"],"corpname_ssim":["James Madison University Libraries Special Collections","Chesapeake Western Railway","Chesapeake Beach Railway Museum","Norfolk Southern Corporation"],"persname_ssim":["Geier, Clarence R., 1944-","Hyser, Raymond M., 1955-","Stokes, W. E. D. (William Earl Dodge), 1852-1926"],"language_ssim":["English"],"descrules_ssm":["Describing Archives: A Content Standard"],"total_component_count_is":461,"online_item_count_is":0,"component_level_isim":[0],"sort_isi":0,"timestamp":"2026-05-21T00:24:20.538Z","collection":{"numFound":1,"start":0,"numFoundExact":true,"docs":[{"id":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_466","ead_ssi":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_466","_root_":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_466","_nest_parent_":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_466","ead_source_url_ssi":"data/oai/JMU/repositories_4_resources_466.xml","title_ssm":["Chesapeake Western Railway Company Records"],"title_tesim":["Chesapeake Western Railway Company Records"],"unitdate_ssm":["1916-1982"],"unitdate_inclusive_ssm":["1916-1982"],"level_ssm":["collection"],"level_ssim":["Collection"],"unitid_ssm":["SC 0154","/repositories/4/resources/466"],"text":["SC 0154","/repositories/4/resources/466","Chesapeake Western Railway Company Records","Elkton (Va.) -- History","Harrisonburg (Va.) -- History","Bridgewater (Va.) -- History","Mt. Solon (Va.) -- History","Stokesville (Va.) -- History","Rockingham County (Va.) -- Industries -- Sources","Augusta County (Va.) -- Industries -- Sources","Virginia -- Economic conditions -- History -- Sources","Virginia -- Industries -- History","Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.) -- Transportation -- History -- Sources","Railroads -- Southern States -- History","Coal -- Transportation -- Southern States -- Sources","Bark -- Transportation -- Southern States -- Sources","Timber -- Transportation -- Southern States -- Sources","Poultry -- Feeding and feeds -- Transportation -- Southern States -- Sources","Railroads -- Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.) -- History","Railroads -- Virginia -- History","Letters (correspondence)","Account books","Reports","Blueprints (reprographic copies)","Personnel records","Publications (documents)","Business records","Collection is open to 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.","The collection is arranged in seven series with the largest first; then arranged further chronologically:","Personnel Records, 1929-1982 Reports, 1953-1981 Account Books, 1916-1974 Correspondence, 1976-1979 Miscellaneous Documents, 1928-1976 Publications, 1963-1977 Blueprints and Schematics, 1951-1979","Cooper, Mason Y.   Norfolk and Western's Shenandoah Line . Forest, Virginia:  Norfolk and Western Historical Society, Inc., 1998.","Cooper, Mason Y.   Norfolk and Western's Shenandoah Line .  Forest, Virginia:  Norfolk and Western Historical Society, Inc., 1998.","Hawkins, Leighman.  \"The Shortline Railroads of Virginia.\"   Virginia and the Virginia County , January 1951.","Murray, Michael S.  \"Rails Through Rockingham County:  The Chesapeake Western Story.\"   Railpace Newsmagazine , January 1985.","\"Norfolk and Western to buy Chesapeake Western.\"   Daily News-Record , July 29, 1954.","Price, Charles Grattan Jr.  The Crooked and the Weedy: A History of Virginia's Chesapeake Western Railway . Harrisonburg, Virginia: Don Mills, Inc., 1992.","Thompson, Tommy. \"Shortline.\"  Daily News-Record , April 3, 1971.","The origins of the Chesapeake Western Railway Company date back at least to 1871, when the Washington, Cincinnati \u0026 St. Louis Railroad was chartered in Virginia as a narrow-gauge railroad to run from Washington, D.C., through Elkton, Harrisonburg, and Bridgewater, Virginia to Cincinnati, Ohio. Virginians bought stock in the coporation, including many people in Rockingham County; rights of way were purchased and railbed grading began.  Like similar ventures of the time, the goals of the company never bore fruit, and work halted in 1874.","In 1892, a group of promoters including Jedediah Hotchkiss incorporated to build a railway to carry coal from West Virginia mines to Gloucester Point, Virginia. Initially called the Chesapeake, Shendun, and Western Railroad, the name was quickly changed to Chesapeake \u0026 Western Railroad. Using part of the old WC\u0026StL right-of-way, and with $150,000 from the city of Harrisonburg to ensure that the railroad would pass through it, a 26-mile single-track, standard-gauge line was completed from Elkton to Bridgewater and began operating on March 23, 1896. In the next few years, substantial C\u0026W stock was purchased by New York investor Thomas Stokes, who hoped to develop the coal mines in western Rockingham County but became mired in financial difficulties. His brother, W.E.D Stokes, purchased control of the C\u0026W and also organized a new railroad, the Tidewater and West Virginia, in 1900. The Tidewater changed its name in 1901 to the Chesapeake Western Railway, leased the CW line for 99 years, and in 1902 completed 13 miles of rail from Bridgewater to the new town of Stokesville in North River Gap. Trains carried passengers as well as freight between Elkton and Stokesville. Plans were drawn up to continue the line into West Virginia but were not implemented.","For just over a decade, Stokesville boomed as timber, tanbark, and to a much more limited extent, coal, in the area were exploited. Stokes operated the CW with offices in Harrisonburg until his death in 1926. His estate continued to operate the railway until 1938. In 1928, the line from Mount Solon to North River Gap was abandoned for financial reasons. In 1933, the nine miles from Bridgewater to Mount Solon were also dropped.  When the Stokes' heirs put the CW up for sale in 1938, Don W. Thomas, a former Norfolk \u0026 Western Railroad employee who had been the general manager of the CW since 1926, fought a bid from Japanese scrap metal buyers and bought the line. In 1943, Thomas also bought the Baltimore \u0026 Ohio's Valley Road of Virginia line which rean between Harrisonburg and Lexington. The line south of Staunton was taken up and sold for scrap, but the road between Harrisonburg and Staunton was improved and became an important link in the CW system because of the connection with the Chesapeake \u0026 Ohio Railroad at Staunton. The CW linked with the Norfolk \u0026 Western at Elkton.","In 1954, the Norfolk \u0026 Western Railroad purchased CW, but the name was retained and was operated as a separate corporation. By about 1980, however, little or no rolling stock carried the CW logo any longer. Norfolk \u0026 Western and the Southern Railway Company merged as Norfolk Southern Corporation on June 1, 1982. Not long after that merger, a five-alarm fire burned the CW office located at Chesapeake Drive in Harrisonburg on July 28, 1982, and company offices and operations were eventually absorbed by the NS. Five miles of track east of Bridgewater were removed in 1988. The CW under the control of NS serves as the Harrisonburg area's poultry feed supplier passing through the campus of James Madison University daily. ","Records represent the day to day business operation of the Chesapeake Western Railway Company through 1982. After a fire that year, records were left in the CW building on Chesapeake Drive in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and remained in that facility until 1997.","Due to the unwieldy nature of virtually off the bound ledgers, pages were removed from their covers and parceled into folders as both an aid to researchers and as a practical means to consolidate space.  The condition of some boards was also questionable with evidence of mold and pest damage. 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 4010.","The Chesapeake Western Railway Company Records, 1916-1982, consist of 24.36 cubic feet of business records pertaining to the employees, assets, and business transactions of the company. The collection is topically arranged in seven series with the largest series first; then further arranged chronologically . Series consist of Personnel Records, Reports, Account Books, Correspondence, Blueprints and Schematics, Publications, and Miscellaneous Documents.","Series 1: Personnel Records, 1929-1982, includes payrolls and time sheets with names of employees, occupations, hours, rates, payments, and dates of employment. Also included in this series are Railroad Retirement Board forms primarily from 1930 to 1973, containing employee biographical and genealogical information.","Series 2: Reports, 1953-1981, primarily is comprised of Dispatcher and Conductor reports, with information about specific trains, routes, departure times, distances and engine numbers. Dispatchers' Record of Movement of Trains, 1973-1979, and Time Return and Delay Reports, 1975-1981, list information such as:  engineers' names, train departure times, type of service, etc. Conductor Car Records and tonnage Reports include engine number, weight of trains, cargo, as well as identification of conductors and engineers on each train.  Entries for Shipping logs, 1970-1977; Traffic Analyses and other shipping records, 1973-1981, are followed by Per Diem/Mileage and Transfer Books, 1953-1970, which appear to be freight and transfer records written in abbreviated code and organized alphabetically by company name.","Series 3: Account Books, 1916-1974, contains: Interline Freight Balances; Car Services Balances; Amounts Due From and To Foreign Companies on Interline Freight Accounts; Operating Expenses and REvenues and other information including shops, engine house, bridges, agents, conductors, donations, etc.; Per Diem Reclaim Records, 1952-1973; Income Statements, 1968-1971; Records of Vouchers Released, 1955-1967; Freight Car Hires, 1943-1975, summarizing car hire, passenger and freight car mileage; and Miscellaneous accounts, 1934-1951, containing detailed information of topics organized chronologically and categorically under the following headings:  Operating Revenues, Freight Revenues, Rent from Locomotives, Miscellaneous Income, Maintenance, Transportation Improvements, and Statements for Depreciation for railway structures.  Balance in Interline Freight Accounts, 1932-1935, lists date, items, folio number, and debits with yearly balances, organized alphabetically by account name.  Car Services Balance Books, 1944-1971, record balance and payment information for interline car service accounts.  Record of Amounts Due From and To Foreign Companies on Interline Freight Accounts Journals, 1930-1944, comprise both operating expenses and revenues as well as other information.","Label on front cover of bound volume reads: Returns to Valuation Orders 7, 8, and 16, Chesapeake \u0026 Western Railroad Co., Chesapeake Western Railway, Cheswick and Harmar Railroad Co., Clarendon \u0026 Pittsford Railroad Co., Connellsville \u0026 Monongahela Railway Co.","Series 4: Correspondence, 1976-1979, is comprised of a variety of topics which include land leases, shipments, track upgrades, expense reports, and business agreements in chronological order.","Series 5: Miscellaneous Documents, 1928-1982, is comprised of eclectic pieces--many relating to previous series that would be lost among more substantial predecessors.  Headings under Miscellaneous include:  Financial notes and documents, many handwritten, 1935-1938 and undated; a conductor's balance sheet from September 1935; Operating expenses, undated; Per Diem Reclaim Mileage Records and Record of Amounts Due From and To Foreign Companies on Interline Freight Accounts, September 1935; Reports of Interline Passenger Traffic, August 1935 [one of which contains a note in the \"Remarks\" column stating \"CCC\" perhaps indicating a one way trip to Bridgewater Station for members of the Civilian Conservation Corps.]; Documents and invoices for parts and repair, indemnity releases, etc., 1955-1976; Forms from printing companies, 1928-1968; Records of purchase for forms from local printers; Receipt books, Carload Traffic Received, Automobile Expenses Records, Forecast Statement, N\u0026W strike letter, 3.5 acre lease letter to Virginia Electric and Power Company, 1975-1980; Staunton Textile Corporation and Celanese Corporation, 1934-1955; Miscellaneous Correspondence, freight bills, account information, etc. and Exxon records, 1974-1976.","Series 6: Publications, 1963-1977, include copies of  Bullinger's Postal and Shipper's Guide for the US and Canada , 1963, which lists shipping rates, distances, etc. and  Standard Transportation Commodity Code Tariff No. 1-E , November 15, 1977.","Series 7: Blueprints and Schematics, 1951-1979, contains the oversize materials:  a blueprint of the railway line from 1951 and diagrams of electircal gates and signal wiring, 1961-1979.","The copyright interests in this collection have been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collection Library. Privacy protected information may be revealed during use of this collection. Researchers agree to make no notes or other recordation of privacy protected information if found within this collection, and further agree not to publish or disclose such information for any purpose. Researchers agree to alert Special Collections staff if potentially privacy protected information is found within this collection. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu).","The Chespeake Western Railway Company Records, 1916-1982, are comprised of 24.36 cubic feet of records pertaining to the administrative and business activities of a small Shenandoah Valley railroad through the period of America's Great Depression and up to the CW's eventual acquisition by the Norfolk Southern Railway Corporation.","James Madison University Libraries Special Collections","Chesapeake Western Railway","Chesapeake Beach Railway Museum","Norfolk Southern Corporation","Geier, Clarence R., 1944-","Hyser, Raymond M., 1955-","Stokes, W. E. D. (William Earl Dodge), 1852-1926","English"],"unitid_tesim":["SC 0154","/repositories/4/resources/466"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Chesapeake Western Railway Company Records"],"collection_title_tesim":["Chesapeake Western Railway Company Records"],"collection_ssim":["Chesapeake Western Railway Company Records"],"repository_ssm":["James Madison University"],"repository_ssim":["James Madison University"],"geogname_ssm":["Elkton (Va.) -- History","Harrisonburg (Va.) -- History","Bridgewater (Va.) -- History","Mt. Solon (Va.) -- History","Stokesville (Va.) -- History","Rockingham County (Va.) -- Industries -- Sources","Augusta County (Va.) -- Industries -- Sources","Virginia -- Economic conditions -- History -- Sources","Virginia -- Industries -- History","Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.) -- Transportation -- History -- Sources"],"geogname_ssim":["Elkton (Va.) -- History","Harrisonburg (Va.) -- History","Bridgewater (Va.) -- History","Mt. Solon (Va.) -- History","Stokesville (Va.) -- History","Rockingham County (Va.) -- Industries -- Sources","Augusta County (Va.) -- Industries -- Sources","Virginia -- Economic conditions -- History -- Sources","Virginia -- Industries -- History","Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.) -- Transportation -- History -- Sources"],"creator_ssm":["Chesapeake Western Railway","Chesapeake Beach Railway Museum","Geier, Clarence R., 1944-","Hyser, Raymond M., 1955-"],"creator_ssim":["Chesapeake Western Railway","Chesapeake Beach Railway Museum","Geier, Clarence R., 1944-","Hyser, Raymond M., 1955-"],"creator_persname_ssim":["Geier, Clarence R., 1944-","Hyser, Raymond M., 1955-"],"creator_corpname_ssim":["Chesapeake Western Railway","Chesapeake Beach Railway Museum"],"creators_ssim":["Geier, Clarence R., 1944-","Hyser, Raymond M., 1955-","Chesapeake Western Railway","Chesapeake Beach Railway Museum"],"places_ssim":["Elkton (Va.) -- History","Harrisonburg (Va.) -- History","Bridgewater (Va.) -- History","Mt. Solon (Va.) -- History","Stokesville (Va.) -- History","Rockingham County (Va.) -- Industries -- Sources","Augusta County (Va.) -- Industries -- Sources","Virginia -- Economic conditions -- History -- Sources","Virginia -- Industries -- History","Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.) -- Transportation -- History -- Sources"],"access_terms_ssm":["The copyright interests in this collection have been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collection Library. Privacy protected information may be revealed during use of this collection. Researchers agree to make no notes or other recordation of privacy protected information if found within this collection, and further agree not to publish or disclose such information for any purpose. Researchers agree to alert Special Collections staff if potentially privacy protected information is found within this collection. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu)."],"acqinfo_ssim":["D.A. Brown, II Superintendent, VA Division of Norfolk Southern in Roanoke gave permission in April 1997 for JMU professors Raymond Hiser and Clarence Geier from the History and Anthropology Departments respectively to salvage records from the CW building on Chesapeake Drive in Harrisonburg, Virginia which suffered a five-alarm fire at the site on July 28, 1982. After the fire, operating records remained in the building in disarray on the floor and suffered damage by fire or water or both. Following their initial cleaning and inventory by students in History and Anthropology, the materials were transferred to Carrier Library in February 1998. In September 2018, the Chesapeake Beach Railway Museum in Chesapeake Beach, Maryland, donated one bound book: \"Returns to Valuation Orders 7, 8, and 16.\""],"access_subjects_ssim":["Railroads -- Southern States -- History","Coal -- Transportation -- Southern States -- Sources","Bark -- Transportation -- Southern States -- Sources","Timber -- Transportation -- Southern States -- Sources","Poultry -- Feeding and feeds -- Transportation -- Southern States -- Sources","Railroads -- Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.) -- History","Railroads -- Virginia -- History","Letters (correspondence)","Account books","Reports","Blueprints (reprographic copies)","Personnel records","Publications (documents)","Business records"],"access_subjects_ssm":["Railroads -- Southern States -- History","Coal -- Transportation -- Southern States -- Sources","Bark -- Transportation -- Southern States -- Sources","Timber -- Transportation -- Southern States -- Sources","Poultry -- Feeding and feeds -- Transportation -- Southern States -- Sources","Railroads -- Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.) -- History","Railroads -- Virginia -- History","Letters (correspondence)","Account books","Reports","Blueprints (reprographic copies)","Personnel records","Publications (documents)","Business records"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"extent_ssm":["24.36 cubic feet 35 boxes, 1 rolled storage container"],"extent_tesim":["24.36 cubic feet 35 boxes, 1 rolled storage container"],"genreform_ssim":["Letters (correspondence)","Account books","Reports","Blueprints (reprographic copies)","Personnel records","Publications (documents)","Business records"],"date_range_isim":[1916,1917,1918,1919,1920,1921,1922,1923,1924,1925,1926,1927,1928,1929,1930,1931,1932,1933,1934,1935,1936,1937,1938,1939,1940,1941,1942,1943,1944,1945,1946,1947,1948,1949,1950,1951,1952,1953,1954,1955,1956,1957,1958,1959,1960,1961,1962,1963,1964,1965,1966,1967,1968,1969,1970,1971,1972,1973,1974,1975,1976,1977,1978,1979,1980,1981,1982],"accessrestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eCollection is open to 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.\u003c/p\u003e"],"accessrestrict_heading_ssm":["Access Restrictions"],"accessrestrict_tesim":["Collection is open to 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."],"arrangement_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe collection is arranged in seven series with the largest first; then arranged further chronologically:\u003c/p\u003e","\u003clist numeration=\"arabic\" type=\"ordered\"\u003e\n      \u003citem\u003ePersonnel Records, 1929-1982\u003c/item\u003e\n      \u003citem\u003eReports, 1953-1981\u003c/item\u003e\n      \u003citem\u003eAccount Books, 1916-1974\u003c/item\u003e\n      \u003citem\u003eCorrespondence, 1976-1979\u003c/item\u003e\n      \u003citem\u003eMiscellaneous Documents, 1928-1976\u003c/item\u003e\n      \u003citem\u003ePublications, 1963-1977\u003c/item\u003e\n      \u003citem\u003eBlueprints and Schematics, 1951-1979\u003c/item\u003e\n    \u003c/list\u003e"],"arrangement_heading_ssm":["Arrangement"],"arrangement_tesim":["The collection is arranged in seven series with the largest first; then arranged further chronologically:","Personnel Records, 1929-1982 Reports, 1953-1981 Account Books, 1916-1974 Correspondence, 1976-1979 Miscellaneous Documents, 1928-1976 Publications, 1963-1977 Blueprints and Schematics, 1951-1979"],"bibliography_html_tesm":["\u003cbibref\u003eCooper, Mason Y.  \u003cemph render=\"italic\"\u003eNorfolk and Western's Shenandoah Line\u003c/emph\u003e. Forest, Virginia:  Norfolk and Western Historical Society, Inc., 1998.\u003c/bibref\u003e","\u003cbibref\u003eCooper, Mason Y.  \u003cemph render=\"italic\"\u003eNorfolk and Western's Shenandoah Line\u003c/emph\u003e.  Forest, Virginia:  Norfolk and Western Historical Society, Inc., 1998.\u003c/bibref\u003e","\u003cbibref\u003eHawkins, Leighman.  \"The Shortline Railroads of Virginia.\"  \u003cemph render=\"italic\"\u003eVirginia and the Virginia County\u003c/emph\u003e, January 1951.\u003c/bibref\u003e","\u003cbibref\u003eMurray, Michael S.  \"Rails Through Rockingham County:  The Chesapeake Western Story.\"  \u003cemph render=\"italic\"\u003eRailpace Newsmagazine\u003c/emph\u003e, January 1985.\u003c/bibref\u003e","\u003cbibref\u003e\"Norfolk and Western to buy Chesapeake Western.\"  \u003cemph render=\"italic\"\u003eDaily News-Record\u003c/emph\u003e, July 29, 1954.\u003c/bibref\u003e","\u003cbibref\u003ePrice, Charles Grattan Jr. \u003cemph render=\"italic\"\u003eThe Crooked and the Weedy: A History of Virginia's Chesapeake Western Railway\u003c/emph\u003e. Harrisonburg, Virginia: Don Mills, Inc., 1992.\u003c/bibref\u003e","\u003cbibref\u003eThompson, Tommy. \"Shortline.\" \u003cemph render=\"italic\"\u003eDaily News-Record\u003c/emph\u003e, April 3, 1971.\u003c/bibref\u003e"],"bibliography_heading_ssm":["Bibliography"],"bibliography_tesim":["Cooper, Mason Y.   Norfolk and Western's Shenandoah Line . Forest, Virginia:  Norfolk and Western Historical Society, Inc., 1998.","Cooper, Mason Y.   Norfolk and Western's Shenandoah Line .  Forest, Virginia:  Norfolk and Western Historical Society, Inc., 1998.","Hawkins, Leighman.  \"The Shortline Railroads of Virginia.\"   Virginia and the Virginia County , January 1951.","Murray, Michael S.  \"Rails Through Rockingham County:  The Chesapeake Western Story.\"   Railpace Newsmagazine , January 1985.","\"Norfolk and Western to buy Chesapeake Western.\"   Daily News-Record , July 29, 1954.","Price, Charles Grattan Jr.  The Crooked and the Weedy: A History of Virginia's Chesapeake Western Railway . Harrisonburg, Virginia: Don Mills, Inc., 1992.","Thompson, Tommy. \"Shortline.\"  Daily News-Record , April 3, 1971."],"bioghist_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe origins of the Chesapeake Western Railway Company date back at least to 1871, when the Washington, Cincinnati \u0026amp; St. Louis Railroad was chartered in Virginia as a narrow-gauge railroad to run from Washington, D.C., through Elkton, Harrisonburg, and Bridgewater, Virginia to Cincinnati, Ohio. Virginians bought stock in the coporation, including many people in Rockingham County; rights of way were purchased and railbed grading began.  Like similar ventures of the time, the goals of the company never bore fruit, and work halted in 1874.\u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eIn 1892, a group of promoters including Jedediah Hotchkiss incorporated to build a railway to carry coal from West Virginia mines to Gloucester Point, Virginia. Initially called the Chesapeake, Shendun, and Western Railroad, the name was quickly changed to Chesapeake \u0026amp; Western Railroad. Using part of the old WC\u0026amp;StL right-of-way, and with $150,000 from the city of Harrisonburg to ensure that the railroad would pass through it, a 26-mile single-track, standard-gauge line was completed from Elkton to Bridgewater and began operating on March 23, 1896. In the next few years, substantial C\u0026amp;W stock was purchased by New York investor Thomas Stokes, who hoped to develop the coal mines in western Rockingham County but became mired in financial difficulties. His brother, W.E.D Stokes, purchased control of the C\u0026amp;W and also organized a new railroad, the Tidewater and West Virginia, in 1900. The Tidewater changed its name in 1901 to the Chesapeake Western Railway, leased the CW line for 99 years, and in 1902 completed 13 miles of rail from Bridgewater to the new town of Stokesville in North River Gap. Trains carried passengers as well as freight between Elkton and Stokesville. Plans were drawn up to continue the line into West Virginia but were not implemented.\u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eFor just over a decade, Stokesville boomed as timber, tanbark, and to a much more limited extent, coal, in the area were exploited. Stokes operated the CW with offices in Harrisonburg until his death in 1926. His estate continued to operate the railway until 1938. In 1928, the line from Mount Solon to North River Gap was abandoned for financial reasons. In 1933, the nine miles from Bridgewater to Mount Solon were also dropped.  When the Stokes' heirs put the CW up for sale in 1938, Don W. Thomas, a former Norfolk \u0026amp; Western Railroad employee who had been the general manager of the CW since 1926, fought a bid from Japanese scrap metal buyers and bought the line. In 1943, Thomas also bought the Baltimore \u0026amp; Ohio's Valley Road of Virginia line which rean between Harrisonburg and Lexington. The line south of Staunton was taken up and sold for scrap, but the road between Harrisonburg and Staunton was improved and became an important link in the CW system because of the connection with the Chesapeake \u0026amp; Ohio Railroad at Staunton. The CW linked with the Norfolk \u0026amp; Western at Elkton.\u003c/p\u003e\n","\u003cp\u003eIn 1954, the Norfolk \u0026amp; Western Railroad purchased CW, but the name was retained and was operated as a separate corporation. By about 1980, however, little or no rolling stock carried the CW logo any longer. Norfolk \u0026amp; Western and the Southern Railway Company merged as Norfolk Southern Corporation on June 1, 1982. Not long after that merger, a five-alarm fire burned the CW office located at Chesapeake Drive in Harrisonburg on July 28, 1982, and company offices and operations were eventually absorbed by the NS. Five miles of track east of Bridgewater were removed in 1988. The CW under the control of NS serves as the Harrisonburg area's poultry feed supplier passing through the campus of James Madison University daily. \u003c/p\u003e"],"bioghist_heading_ssm":["Administrative History"],"bioghist_tesim":["The origins of the Chesapeake Western Railway Company date back at least to 1871, when the Washington, Cincinnati \u0026 St. Louis Railroad was chartered in Virginia as a narrow-gauge railroad to run from Washington, D.C., through Elkton, Harrisonburg, and Bridgewater, Virginia to Cincinnati, Ohio. Virginians bought stock in the coporation, including many people in Rockingham County; rights of way were purchased and railbed grading began.  Like similar ventures of the time, the goals of the company never bore fruit, and work halted in 1874.","In 1892, a group of promoters including Jedediah Hotchkiss incorporated to build a railway to carry coal from West Virginia mines to Gloucester Point, Virginia. Initially called the Chesapeake, Shendun, and Western Railroad, the name was quickly changed to Chesapeake \u0026 Western Railroad. Using part of the old WC\u0026StL right-of-way, and with $150,000 from the city of Harrisonburg to ensure that the railroad would pass through it, a 26-mile single-track, standard-gauge line was completed from Elkton to Bridgewater and began operating on March 23, 1896. In the next few years, substantial C\u0026W stock was purchased by New York investor Thomas Stokes, who hoped to develop the coal mines in western Rockingham County but became mired in financial difficulties. His brother, W.E.D Stokes, purchased control of the C\u0026W and also organized a new railroad, the Tidewater and West Virginia, in 1900. The Tidewater changed its name in 1901 to the Chesapeake Western Railway, leased the CW line for 99 years, and in 1902 completed 13 miles of rail from Bridgewater to the new town of Stokesville in North River Gap. Trains carried passengers as well as freight between Elkton and Stokesville. Plans were drawn up to continue the line into West Virginia but were not implemented.","For just over a decade, Stokesville boomed as timber, tanbark, and to a much more limited extent, coal, in the area were exploited. Stokes operated the CW with offices in Harrisonburg until his death in 1926. His estate continued to operate the railway until 1938. In 1928, the line from Mount Solon to North River Gap was abandoned for financial reasons. In 1933, the nine miles from Bridgewater to Mount Solon were also dropped.  When the Stokes' heirs put the CW up for sale in 1938, Don W. Thomas, a former Norfolk \u0026 Western Railroad employee who had been the general manager of the CW since 1926, fought a bid from Japanese scrap metal buyers and bought the line. In 1943, Thomas also bought the Baltimore \u0026 Ohio's Valley Road of Virginia line which rean between Harrisonburg and Lexington. The line south of Staunton was taken up and sold for scrap, but the road between Harrisonburg and Staunton was improved and became an important link in the CW system because of the connection with the Chesapeake \u0026 Ohio Railroad at Staunton. The CW linked with the Norfolk \u0026 Western at Elkton.","In 1954, the Norfolk \u0026 Western Railroad purchased CW, but the name was retained and was operated as a separate corporation. By about 1980, however, little or no rolling stock carried the CW logo any longer. Norfolk \u0026 Western and the Southern Railway Company merged as Norfolk Southern Corporation on June 1, 1982. Not long after that merger, a five-alarm fire burned the CW office located at Chesapeake Drive in Harrisonburg on July 28, 1982, and company offices and operations were eventually absorbed by the NS. Five miles of track east of Bridgewater were removed in 1988. The CW under the control of NS serves as the Harrisonburg area's poultry feed supplier passing through the campus of James Madison University daily. "],"custodhist_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eRecords represent the day to day business operation of the Chesapeake Western Railway Company through 1982. After a fire that year, records were left in the CW building on Chesapeake Drive in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and remained in that facility until 1997.\u003c/p\u003e"],"custodhist_heading_ssm":["Provenance"],"custodhist_tesim":["Records represent the day to day business operation of the Chesapeake Western Railway Company through 1982. After a fire that year, records were left in the CW building on Chesapeake Drive in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and remained in that facility until 1997."],"prefercite_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003e[identification of item], [box #, folder #], Chesapeake Western Railway Company Records, 1916-1982, SC 0154, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Va.\u003c/p\u003e"],"prefercite_tesim":["[identification of item], [box #, folder #], Chesapeake Western Railway Company Records, 1916-1982, SC 0154, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Va."],"processinfo_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eDue to the unwieldy nature of virtually off the bound ledgers, pages were removed from their covers and parceled into folders as both an aid to researchers and as a practical means to consolidate space.  The condition of some boards was also questionable with evidence of mold and pest damage. In order to streamline the process of applying collection numbers, Special Collections staff completed a large-scale renumbering campaign in the spring of 2017. \u003cemph render=\"bold\"\u003eThis collection was previously cataloged as SC 4010.\u003c/emph\u003e\u003c/p\u003e"],"processinfo_heading_ssm":["Processing Information"],"processinfo_tesim":["Due to the unwieldy nature of virtually off the bound ledgers, pages were removed from their covers and parceled into folders as both an aid to researchers and as a practical means to consolidate space.  The condition of some boards was also questionable with evidence of mold and pest damage. 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 4010."],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe Chesapeake Western Railway Company Records, 1916-1982, consist of 24.36 cubic feet of business records pertaining to the employees, assets, and business transactions of the company. The collection is topically arranged in seven series with the largest series first; then further arranged chronologically . Series consist of Personnel Records, Reports, Account Books, Correspondence, Blueprints and Schematics, Publications, and Miscellaneous Documents.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eSeries 1: Personnel Records, 1929-1982, includes payrolls and time sheets with names of employees, occupations, hours, rates, payments, and dates of employment. Also included in this series are Railroad Retirement Board forms primarily from 1930 to 1973, containing employee biographical and genealogical information.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eSeries 2: Reports, 1953-1981, primarily is comprised of Dispatcher and Conductor reports, with information about specific trains, routes, departure times, distances and engine numbers. Dispatchers' Record of Movement of Trains, 1973-1979, and Time Return and Delay Reports, 1975-1981, list information such as:  engineers' names, train departure times, type of service, etc. Conductor Car Records and tonnage Reports include engine number, weight of trains, cargo, as well as identification of conductors and engineers on each train.  Entries for Shipping logs, 1970-1977; Traffic Analyses and other shipping records, 1973-1981, are followed by Per Diem/Mileage and Transfer Books, 1953-1970, which appear to be freight and transfer records written in abbreviated code and organized alphabetically by company name.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eSeries 3: Account Books, 1916-1974, contains: Interline Freight Balances; Car Services Balances; Amounts Due From and To Foreign Companies on Interline Freight Accounts; Operating Expenses and REvenues and other information including shops, engine house, bridges, agents, conductors, donations, etc.; Per Diem Reclaim Records, 1952-1973; Income Statements, 1968-1971; Records of Vouchers Released, 1955-1967; Freight Car Hires, 1943-1975, summarizing car hire, passenger and freight car mileage; and Miscellaneous accounts, 1934-1951, containing detailed information of topics organized chronologically and categorically under the following headings:  Operating Revenues, Freight Revenues, Rent from Locomotives, Miscellaneous Income, Maintenance, Transportation Improvements, and Statements for Depreciation for railway structures.  Balance in Interline Freight Accounts, 1932-1935, lists date, items, folio number, and debits with yearly balances, organized alphabetically by account name.  Car Services Balance Books, 1944-1971, record balance and payment information for interline car service accounts.  Record of Amounts Due From and To Foreign Companies on Interline Freight Accounts Journals, 1930-1944, comprise both operating expenses and revenues as well as other information.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eLabel on front cover of bound volume reads: Returns to Valuation Orders 7, 8, and 16, Chesapeake \u0026amp; Western Railroad Co., Chesapeake Western Railway, Cheswick and Harmar Railroad Co., Clarendon \u0026amp; Pittsford Railroad Co., Connellsville \u0026amp; Monongahela Railway Co.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eSeries 4: Correspondence, 1976-1979, is comprised of a variety of topics which include land leases, shipments, track upgrades, expense reports, and business agreements in chronological order.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eSeries 5: Miscellaneous Documents, 1928-1982, is comprised of eclectic pieces--many relating to previous series that would be lost among more substantial predecessors.  Headings under Miscellaneous include:  Financial notes and documents, many handwritten, 1935-1938 and undated; a conductor's balance sheet from September 1935; Operating expenses, undated; Per Diem Reclaim Mileage Records and Record of Amounts Due From and To Foreign Companies on Interline Freight Accounts, September 1935; Reports of Interline Passenger Traffic, August 1935 [one of which contains a note in the \"Remarks\" column stating \"CCC\" perhaps indicating a one way trip to Bridgewater Station for members of the Civilian Conservation Corps.]; Documents and invoices for parts and repair, indemnity releases, etc., 1955-1976; Forms from printing companies, 1928-1968; Records of purchase for forms from local printers; Receipt books, Carload Traffic Received, Automobile Expenses Records, Forecast Statement, N\u0026amp;W strike letter, 3.5 acre lease letter to Virginia Electric and Power Company, 1975-1980; Staunton Textile Corporation and Celanese Corporation, 1934-1955; Miscellaneous Correspondence, freight bills, account information, etc. and Exxon records, 1974-1976.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eSeries 6: Publications, 1963-1977, include copies of \u003cemph render=\"italic\"\u003eBullinger's Postal and Shipper's Guide for the US and Canada\u003c/emph\u003e, 1963, which lists shipping rates, distances, etc. and \u003cemph render=\"italic\"\u003eStandard Transportation Commodity Code Tariff No. 1-E\u003c/emph\u003e, November 15, 1977.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eSeries 7: Blueprints and Schematics, 1951-1979, contains the oversize materials:  a blueprint of the railway line from 1951 and diagrams of electircal gates and signal wiring, 1961-1979.\u003c/p\u003e"],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Content","Scope and Content","Scope and Content","Scope and Content","Scope and Content","Scope and Content","Scope and Content","Scope and Content","Scope and Content"],"scopecontent_tesim":["The Chesapeake Western Railway Company Records, 1916-1982, consist of 24.36 cubic feet of business records pertaining to the employees, assets, and business transactions of the company. The collection is topically arranged in seven series with the largest series first; then further arranged chronologically . Series consist of Personnel Records, Reports, Account Books, Correspondence, Blueprints and Schematics, Publications, and Miscellaneous Documents.","Series 1: Personnel Records, 1929-1982, includes payrolls and time sheets with names of employees, occupations, hours, rates, payments, and dates of employment. Also included in this series are Railroad Retirement Board forms primarily from 1930 to 1973, containing employee biographical and genealogical information.","Series 2: Reports, 1953-1981, primarily is comprised of Dispatcher and Conductor reports, with information about specific trains, routes, departure times, distances and engine numbers. Dispatchers' Record of Movement of Trains, 1973-1979, and Time Return and Delay Reports, 1975-1981, list information such as:  engineers' names, train departure times, type of service, etc. Conductor Car Records and tonnage Reports include engine number, weight of trains, cargo, as well as identification of conductors and engineers on each train.  Entries for Shipping logs, 1970-1977; Traffic Analyses and other shipping records, 1973-1981, are followed by Per Diem/Mileage and Transfer Books, 1953-1970, which appear to be freight and transfer records written in abbreviated code and organized alphabetically by company name.","Series 3: Account Books, 1916-1974, contains: Interline Freight Balances; Car Services Balances; Amounts Due From and To Foreign Companies on Interline Freight Accounts; Operating Expenses and REvenues and other information including shops, engine house, bridges, agents, conductors, donations, etc.; Per Diem Reclaim Records, 1952-1973; Income Statements, 1968-1971; Records of Vouchers Released, 1955-1967; Freight Car Hires, 1943-1975, summarizing car hire, passenger and freight car mileage; and Miscellaneous accounts, 1934-1951, containing detailed information of topics organized chronologically and categorically under the following headings:  Operating Revenues, Freight Revenues, Rent from Locomotives, Miscellaneous Income, Maintenance, Transportation Improvements, and Statements for Depreciation for railway structures.  Balance in Interline Freight Accounts, 1932-1935, lists date, items, folio number, and debits with yearly balances, organized alphabetically by account name.  Car Services Balance Books, 1944-1971, record balance and payment information for interline car service accounts.  Record of Amounts Due From and To Foreign Companies on Interline Freight Accounts Journals, 1930-1944, comprise both operating expenses and revenues as well as other information.","Label on front cover of bound volume reads: Returns to Valuation Orders 7, 8, and 16, Chesapeake \u0026 Western Railroad Co., Chesapeake Western Railway, Cheswick and Harmar Railroad Co., Clarendon \u0026 Pittsford Railroad Co., Connellsville \u0026 Monongahela Railway Co.","Series 4: Correspondence, 1976-1979, is comprised of a variety of topics which include land leases, shipments, track upgrades, expense reports, and business agreements in chronological order.","Series 5: Miscellaneous Documents, 1928-1982, is comprised of eclectic pieces--many relating to previous series that would be lost among more substantial predecessors.  Headings under Miscellaneous include:  Financial notes and documents, many handwritten, 1935-1938 and undated; a conductor's balance sheet from September 1935; Operating expenses, undated; Per Diem Reclaim Mileage Records and Record of Amounts Due From and To Foreign Companies on Interline Freight Accounts, September 1935; Reports of Interline Passenger Traffic, August 1935 [one of which contains a note in the \"Remarks\" column stating \"CCC\" perhaps indicating a one way trip to Bridgewater Station for members of the Civilian Conservation Corps.]; Documents and invoices for parts and repair, indemnity releases, etc., 1955-1976; Forms from printing companies, 1928-1968; Records of purchase for forms from local printers; Receipt books, Carload Traffic Received, Automobile Expenses Records, Forecast Statement, N\u0026W strike letter, 3.5 acre lease letter to Virginia Electric and Power Company, 1975-1980; Staunton Textile Corporation and Celanese Corporation, 1934-1955; Miscellaneous Correspondence, freight bills, account information, etc. and Exxon records, 1974-1976.","Series 6: Publications, 1963-1977, include copies of  Bullinger's Postal and Shipper's Guide for the US and Canada , 1963, which lists shipping rates, distances, etc. and  Standard Transportation Commodity Code Tariff No. 1-E , November 15, 1977.","Series 7: Blueprints and Schematics, 1951-1979, contains the oversize materials:  a blueprint of the railway line from 1951 and diagrams of electircal gates and signal wiring, 1961-1979."],"userestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe copyright interests in this collection have been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collection Library. Privacy protected information may be revealed during use of this collection. Researchers agree to make no notes or other recordation of privacy protected information if found within this collection, and further agree not to publish or disclose such information for any purpose. Researchers agree to alert Special Collections staff if potentially privacy protected information is found within this collection. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu).\u003c/p\u003e"],"userestrict_heading_ssm":["Use Restrictions"],"userestrict_tesim":["The copyright interests in this collection have been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collection Library. Privacy protected information may be revealed during use of this collection. Researchers agree to make no notes or other recordation of privacy protected information if found within this collection, and further agree not to publish or disclose such information for any purpose. Researchers agree to alert Special Collections staff if potentially privacy protected information is found within this collection. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu)."],"abstract_html_tesm":["\u003cabstract id=\"aspace_57e226aed1de81b0112cfbe25b7f1b76\"\u003eThe Chespeake Western Railway Company Records, 1916-1982, are comprised of 24.36 cubic feet of records pertaining to the administrative and business activities of a small Shenandoah Valley railroad through the period of America's Great Depression and up to the CW's eventual acquisition by the Norfolk Southern Railway Corporation.\u003c/abstract\u003e"],"abstract_tesim":["The Chespeake Western Railway Company Records, 1916-1982, are comprised of 24.36 cubic feet of records pertaining to the administrative and business activities of a small Shenandoah Valley railroad through the period of America's Great Depression and up to the CW's eventual acquisition by the Norfolk Southern Railway Corporation."],"names_coll_ssim":["Norfolk Southern Corporation","Chesapeake Western Railway","Chesapeake Beach Railway Museum","Stokes, W. E. D. (William Earl Dodge), 1852-1926","Geier, Clarence R., 1944-","Hyser, Raymond M., 1955-"],"names_ssim":["James Madison University Libraries Special Collections","Chesapeake Western Railway","Chesapeake Beach Railway Museum","Norfolk Southern Corporation","Geier, Clarence R., 1944-","Hyser, Raymond M., 1955-","Stokes, W. E. D. (William Earl Dodge), 1852-1926"],"corpname_ssim":["James Madison University Libraries Special Collections","Chesapeake Western Railway","Chesapeake Beach Railway Museum","Norfolk Southern Corporation"],"persname_ssim":["Geier, Clarence R., 1944-","Hyser, Raymond M., 1955-","Stokes, W. E. D. (William Earl Dodge), 1852-1926"],"language_ssim":["English"],"descrules_ssm":["Describing Archives: A Content Standard"],"total_component_count_is":461,"online_item_count_is":0,"component_level_isim":[0],"sort_isi":0,"timestamp":"2026-05-21T00:24:20.538Z"}]}},"label":"Breadcrumbs"}}},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog/vihart_repositories_4_resources_466"}},{"id":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_502","type":"collection","attributes":{"title":"Wetsel Seed Company oral histories","creator":{"id":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog/vihart_repositories_4_resources_502#creator","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":"Rennyson, David James","label":"Creator"}},"abstract_or_scope":{"id":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog/vihart_repositories_4_resources_502#abstract_or_scope","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":"The Wetsel Seed Company Oral Histories, 1971, 1990, is comprised of interview transcripts, audio recordings, a pamphlet, and background papers, documenting the history of the Wetsel Seed Company, of Harrisonburg, Virginia.","label":"Abstract Or Scope"}},"breadcrumbs":{"id":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog/vihart_repositories_4_resources_502#breadcrumbs","type":"document_value","attributes":{"value":{"id":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_502","ead_ssi":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_502","_root_":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_502","_nest_parent_":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_502","ead_source_url_ssi":"data/oai/JMU/repositories_4_resources_502.xml","title_ssm":["Wetsel Seed Company oral histories"],"title_tesim":["Wetsel Seed Company oral histories"],"unitdate_ssm":["1971","1990"],"unitdate_other_ssim":["1971","1990"],"level_ssm":["collection"],"level_ssim":["Collection"],"unitid_ssm":["SdArch 0001","/repositories/4/resources/502"],"text":["SdArch 0001","/repositories/4/resources/502","Wetsel Seed Company oral histories","Rockingham County (Va.) -- History","Harrisonburg (Va.) -- History","Rockingham County (Va.) -- Industries -- Sources","Agricultural industries -- Virginia -- Rockingham County","Farm supply industries -- Virginia -- Rockingham County","Garden centers (Retail trade)","Seed industry and trade -- History","Seed industry and trade -- Equipment and supplies","Seed industry and trade -- Personnel management","Distributors (Seed industry and trade)","Family-owned business enterprises -- Virginia -- Harrisonburg","oral histories (literary works)","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.","Oral history is open for research. The transcript and recording were reviewed and edited by the narrator.","Oral history is open for research.","Materials are arranged chronologically.","Wetsel Seed Company was founded in 1911 by Daniel M. Wetsel and his eldest son, Arnold W. Wetsel in Harrisonburg, Virginia. It was originally called D.M. Wetsel and Son, and was the Shenandoah Valley's first seed, feed and plant business. In 1915 it changed names to become Wetsel Seed Company, Inc. Daniel Wetsel was known to experiment and develop various seed products, notably those associated with corn and tomatoes. The business eventually developed mail order catalogs and truck delivery services, opened up additional stores in Waynesboro and developed a garden center. Wetsel Seed Company has involved four generations of family members, including Earl H., Robert E., Nelson T., and Thomas M. Wetsel. The company was purchased by BFG Supply Company in 2011.","Audiocassettes were transferred from original audiocassettes to MAMA-R 700MB gold cd-r using Tascam cc-222 mkII in 2006 by Cindy Minter. Audio was converted to mp3 and wav files on July 11, 2018 by Digital Projects Specialist, Kirsten Mlodynia of JMU Libraries Innovation Spaces and Services. Interviews were cataloged at the item level in 1994; The descriptive metadata was adapted to the Finding Aid in July 2019.","The Wetsel Seed Company Oral Histories, 1971, 1990, is comprised of interview transcripts, audio recordings, a pamphlet, and background papers, documenting the history of the Wetsel Seed Company, Inc. of Harrisonburg, Virginia, from its beginnings as the Shenandoah Valley's first seed/feed/plant business in 1911 to its status as a multi-state seed/plant/lawn-garden firm in 1971. It includes an interview with Nelson T. Wetsel, former president and consultant for the Wetsel Seed Company; an interview with Maxine Thomas, former employee (mostly in payroll accounting) at the Wetsel Seed Company in Harrisonburg, Va; a pamphlet, written by Russell Stultz, which gives a history of Wetsel Seed Company, Inc., from 1911 to 1971; and background papers written by interviewer, and JMU history undergraduate student, David James Rennyson.","Records the growth and development of the Wetsel Seed Company, Inc. of Rockingham County, Va., from its beginnings as the Shenandoah Valley's first seed/feed/plant business in 1911 to its status as a multi-state seed/plant/lawn-garden firm in 1971. Gives biographical information about the founder, Daniel M. Wetsel, who experimented and developed various seed products, notably those associated with corn (and also tomato). Mentions his contributions, beginning in 1896, with the marketing of seeds and plants produced by the \"Green Island Seed Farm at Port Republic, Va., with expansion/distribution to Harrisonburg and surrounding areas (cont.) Records important dates and changes in the development of the business (ex. in 1911, known as D.M. Wetsel \u0026 Son, with a store located in Harrisonburg; in 1915, it became known as the Wetsel Seed Company, Inc., with the eldest son, Arnold W., as co-founder). Refers to contributions made during World War I (victory gardens); 1929 depression, drought of 1930; exports (ex. grass seeds) during and following World War II, to various states and countries. Mentions development of mail order catalogs, delivery schedule calendars; seed cleaning/processing/packaging/storing service; truck delivery service; Waynesboro, Va. branch store; and development of the garden center. Mentions acquisitions of various buildings, etc. Relates contributions of four generations of family members, besides D. M. and A. W., including Earl H., Robert E., Nelson T., and Thomas M. Wetsel.","Records the reminisces and viewpoints of Nelson Wetsel, former president, now consultant for the Wetsel Seed Company, recently bought out by Southern States. Includes a brief history of the company, which began as a family-owned business in 1911 and now employs close to 200 workers. Discusses the development/diversification of the firm over the years from primarily a local (Shenandoah Valley) seed business to a multi-state, etc. wholesale distributor of lawn and garden supplies, and supplier for the professional grower (greenhouses, nurseries) and turf grass industry. Gives biographical information about various family members, their contributions, and the general sense of what it was like to be part of a family-owned business (the company's policies, philosophy, employees). Reflects on recent developments with the Southern States association; gives views on the future. More specifically, discusses the following: diversity of products (including grass seeds such as varieties of bluegrass, orchard grass; lawn/indoor and outdoor garden/professional grower supplies such as fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides, herbicides, gardening tools, soils, containers; supplies specifically for greenhouses/nurseries, such as cuttings and rooted plugs; hydroseed turf industry). Describes various aspects/percentage of business trade and market: primarily wholesale/distributor; some middleman relations; retailer; associations with dealers and growers. Discusses Harrisonburg and Waynesboro stores; also warehouse branches.","Records the reminisces and viewpoints of Maxine Thomas, a forty-two year employee (mostly in payroll accounting) at the Wetsel Seed Company in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Describes experiences and standpoints from the perspective of a non-family member, women and long-time employee at Wetsel's. Gives brief descriptions of various aspects of her work; some recollections concerning employee-employer relations, the growth of the company over the years, and memories of family members (Arnold W., Earl, Nelson, Bob (Robert), Tom, and Jeff Wetsel). Mentions growth in number of employees from around ten in 1949 to close to 200 in 1990. Briefly describes technological changes, such as the advent of computers; hiring practices; fringe benefits, etc. Mentions the number of salesmen; truck drivers; a few long-standing employees. Names the various states which are a part of the company's delivery/distribution service area.","The copyright interests in this collection have been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu).","The copyright interests were transfered to Carrier Library.","The copyright interests were transferred to Carrier Library.","The Wetsel Seed Company Oral Histories, 1971, 1990, is comprised of interview transcripts, audio recordings, a pamphlet, and background papers, documenting the history of the Wetsel Seed Company, of Harrisonburg, Virginia.","Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University","James Madison University Libraries Special Collections","Wetsel Seed Co","Rennyson, David James","Wetsel, Nelson T. (Nelson Thomas), 1922-2004","Thomas, Maxine B., 1926-2018","English"],"unitid_tesim":["SdArch 0001","/repositories/4/resources/502"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Wetsel Seed Company oral histories"],"collection_title_tesim":["Wetsel Seed Company oral histories"],"collection_ssim":["Wetsel Seed Company oral histories"],"repository_ssm":["James Madison University"],"repository_ssim":["James Madison University"],"geogname_ssm":["Rockingham County (Va.) -- History","Harrisonburg (Va.) -- History","Rockingham County (Va.) -- Industries -- Sources"],"geogname_ssim":["Rockingham County (Va.) -- History","Harrisonburg (Va.) -- History","Rockingham County (Va.) -- Industries -- Sources"],"creator_ssm":["Rennyson, David James"],"creator_ssim":["Rennyson, David James"],"creator_persname_ssim":["Rennyson, David James"],"creators_ssim":["Rennyson, David James"],"places_ssim":["Rockingham County (Va.) -- History","Harrisonburg (Va.) -- History","Rockingham County (Va.) -- Industries -- Sources"],"access_terms_ssm":["The copyright interests in this collection have been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu)."],"acqinfo_ssim":["Collection was donated on April 23, 1990 by David James Rennyson."],"access_subjects_ssim":["Agricultural industries -- Virginia -- Rockingham County","Farm supply industries -- Virginia -- Rockingham County","Garden centers (Retail trade)","Seed industry and trade -- History","Seed industry and trade -- Equipment and supplies","Seed industry and trade -- Personnel management","Distributors (Seed industry and trade)","Family-owned business enterprises -- Virginia -- Harrisonburg","oral histories (literary works)"],"access_subjects_ssm":["Agricultural industries -- Virginia -- Rockingham County","Farm supply industries -- Virginia -- Rockingham County","Garden centers (Retail trade)","Seed industry and trade -- History","Seed industry and trade -- Equipment and supplies","Seed industry and trade -- Personnel management","Distributors (Seed industry and trade)","Family-owned business enterprises -- Virginia -- Harrisonburg","oral histories (literary works)"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"extent_ssm":["0.51 cubic feet 3 folders, 4 audiocassettes, 7 cds"],"extent_tesim":["0.51 cubic feet 3 folders, 4 audiocassettes, 7 cds"],"genreform_ssim":["oral histories (literary works)"],"date_range_isim":[1971,1990],"accessrestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eCollection 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.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eOral history is open for research. The transcript and recording were reviewed and edited by the narrator.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eOral history is open for research.\u003c/p\u003e"],"accessrestrict_heading_ssm":["Access Restrictions","Access Restrictions","Access Restriction"],"accessrestrict_tesim":["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.","Oral history is open for research. The transcript and recording were reviewed and edited by the narrator.","Oral history is open for research."],"arrangement_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eMaterials are arranged chronologically.\u003c/p\u003e"],"arrangement_heading_ssm":["Arrangement"],"arrangement_tesim":["Materials are arranged chronologically."],"bioghist_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eWetsel Seed Company was founded in 1911 by Daniel M. Wetsel and his eldest son, Arnold W. Wetsel in Harrisonburg, Virginia. It was originally called D.M. Wetsel and Son, and was the Shenandoah Valley's first seed, feed and plant business. In 1915 it changed names to become Wetsel Seed Company, Inc. Daniel Wetsel was known to experiment and develop various seed products, notably those associated with corn and tomatoes. The business eventually developed mail order catalogs and truck delivery services, opened up additional stores in Waynesboro and developed a garden center. Wetsel Seed Company has involved four generations of family members, including Earl H., Robert E., Nelson T., and Thomas M. Wetsel. The company was purchased by BFG Supply Company in 2011.\u003c/p\u003e"],"bioghist_heading_ssm":["Bio/Historical Note"],"bioghist_tesim":["Wetsel Seed Company was founded in 1911 by Daniel M. Wetsel and his eldest son, Arnold W. Wetsel in Harrisonburg, Virginia. It was originally called D.M. Wetsel and Son, and was the Shenandoah Valley's first seed, feed and plant business. In 1915 it changed names to become Wetsel Seed Company, Inc. Daniel Wetsel was known to experiment and develop various seed products, notably those associated with corn and tomatoes. The business eventually developed mail order catalogs and truck delivery services, opened up additional stores in Waynesboro and developed a garden center. Wetsel Seed Company has involved four generations of family members, including Earl H., Robert E., Nelson T., and Thomas M. Wetsel. The company was purchased by BFG Supply Company in 2011."],"prefercite_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003e[identification of item], [box #, folder #], Wetsel Seed Company Oral Histories, SdArch 0001, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University.\u003c/p\u003e"],"prefercite_tesim":["[identification of item], [box #, folder #], Wetsel Seed Company Oral Histories, SdArch 0001, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University."],"processinfo_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eAudiocassettes were transferred from original audiocassettes to MAMA-R 700MB gold cd-r using Tascam cc-222 mkII in 2006 by Cindy Minter. Audio was converted to mp3 and wav files on July 11, 2018 by Digital Projects Specialist, Kirsten Mlodynia of JMU Libraries Innovation Spaces and Services. Interviews were cataloged at the item level in 1994; The descriptive metadata was adapted to the Finding Aid in July 2019.\u003c/p\u003e"],"processinfo_heading_ssm":["Processing Information"],"processinfo_tesim":["Audiocassettes were transferred from original audiocassettes to MAMA-R 700MB gold cd-r using Tascam cc-222 mkII in 2006 by Cindy Minter. Audio was converted to mp3 and wav files on July 11, 2018 by Digital Projects Specialist, Kirsten Mlodynia of JMU Libraries Innovation Spaces and Services. Interviews were cataloged at the item level in 1994; The descriptive metadata was adapted to the Finding Aid in July 2019."],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe Wetsel Seed Company Oral Histories, 1971, 1990, is comprised of interview transcripts, audio recordings, a pamphlet, and background papers, documenting the history of the Wetsel Seed Company, Inc. of Harrisonburg, Virginia, from its beginnings as the Shenandoah Valley's first seed/feed/plant business in 1911 to its status as a multi-state seed/plant/lawn-garden firm in 1971. It includes an interview with Nelson T. Wetsel, former president and consultant for the Wetsel Seed Company; an interview with Maxine Thomas, former employee (mostly in payroll accounting) at the Wetsel Seed Company in Harrisonburg, Va; a pamphlet, written by Russell Stultz, which gives a history of Wetsel Seed Company, Inc., from 1911 to 1971; and background papers written by interviewer, and JMU history undergraduate student, David James Rennyson.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eRecords the growth and development of the Wetsel Seed Company, Inc. of Rockingham County, Va., from its beginnings as the Shenandoah Valley's first seed/feed/plant business in 1911 to its status as a multi-state seed/plant/lawn-garden firm in 1971. Gives biographical information about the founder, Daniel M. Wetsel, who experimented and developed various seed products, notably those associated with corn (and also tomato). Mentions his contributions, beginning in 1896, with the marketing of seeds and plants produced by the \"Green Island Seed Farm at Port Republic, Va., with expansion/distribution to Harrisonburg and surrounding areas (cont.) Records important dates and changes in the development of the business (ex. in 1911, known as D.M. Wetsel \u0026amp; Son, with a store located in Harrisonburg; in 1915, it became known as the Wetsel Seed Company, Inc., with the eldest son, Arnold W., as co-founder). Refers to contributions made during World War I (victory gardens); 1929 depression, drought of 1930; exports (ex. grass seeds) during and following World War II, to various states and countries. Mentions development of mail order catalogs, delivery schedule calendars; seed cleaning/processing/packaging/storing service; truck delivery service; Waynesboro, Va. branch store; and development of the garden center. Mentions acquisitions of various buildings, etc. Relates contributions of four generations of family members, besides D. M. and A. W., including Earl H., Robert E., Nelson T., and Thomas M. Wetsel.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eRecords the reminisces and viewpoints of Nelson Wetsel, former president, now consultant for the Wetsel Seed Company, recently bought out by Southern States. Includes a brief history of the company, which began as a family-owned business in 1911 and now employs close to 200 workers. Discusses the development/diversification of the firm over the years from primarily a local (Shenandoah Valley) seed business to a multi-state, etc. wholesale distributor of lawn and garden supplies, and supplier for the professional grower (greenhouses, nurseries) and turf grass industry. Gives biographical information about various family members, their contributions, and the general sense of what it was like to be part of a family-owned business (the company's policies, philosophy, employees). Reflects on recent developments with the Southern States association; gives views on the future. More specifically, discusses the following: diversity of products (including grass seeds such as varieties of bluegrass, orchard grass; lawn/indoor and outdoor garden/professional grower supplies such as fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides, herbicides, gardening tools, soils, containers; supplies specifically for greenhouses/nurseries, such as cuttings and rooted plugs; hydroseed turf industry). Describes various aspects/percentage of business trade and market: primarily wholesale/distributor; some middleman relations; retailer; associations with dealers and growers. Discusses Harrisonburg and Waynesboro stores; also warehouse branches.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eRecords the reminisces and viewpoints of Maxine Thomas, a forty-two year employee (mostly in payroll accounting) at the Wetsel Seed Company in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Describes experiences and standpoints from the perspective of a non-family member, women and long-time employee at Wetsel's. Gives brief descriptions of various aspects of her work; some recollections concerning employee-employer relations, the growth of the company over the years, and memories of family members (Arnold W., Earl, Nelson, Bob (Robert), Tom, and Jeff Wetsel). Mentions growth in number of employees from around ten in 1949 to close to 200 in 1990. Briefly describes technological changes, such as the advent of computers; hiring practices; fringe benefits, etc. Mentions the number of salesmen; truck drivers; a few long-standing employees. Names the various states which are a part of the company's delivery/distribution service area.\u003c/p\u003e"],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Content","Scope and Contents","Scope and Contents","Scope and Contents"],"scopecontent_tesim":["The Wetsel Seed Company Oral Histories, 1971, 1990, is comprised of interview transcripts, audio recordings, a pamphlet, and background papers, documenting the history of the Wetsel Seed Company, Inc. of Harrisonburg, Virginia, from its beginnings as the Shenandoah Valley's first seed/feed/plant business in 1911 to its status as a multi-state seed/plant/lawn-garden firm in 1971. It includes an interview with Nelson T. Wetsel, former president and consultant for the Wetsel Seed Company; an interview with Maxine Thomas, former employee (mostly in payroll accounting) at the Wetsel Seed Company in Harrisonburg, Va; a pamphlet, written by Russell Stultz, which gives a history of Wetsel Seed Company, Inc., from 1911 to 1971; and background papers written by interviewer, and JMU history undergraduate student, David James Rennyson.","Records the growth and development of the Wetsel Seed Company, Inc. of Rockingham County, Va., from its beginnings as the Shenandoah Valley's first seed/feed/plant business in 1911 to its status as a multi-state seed/plant/lawn-garden firm in 1971. Gives biographical information about the founder, Daniel M. Wetsel, who experimented and developed various seed products, notably those associated with corn (and also tomato). Mentions his contributions, beginning in 1896, with the marketing of seeds and plants produced by the \"Green Island Seed Farm at Port Republic, Va., with expansion/distribution to Harrisonburg and surrounding areas (cont.) Records important dates and changes in the development of the business (ex. in 1911, known as D.M. Wetsel \u0026 Son, with a store located in Harrisonburg; in 1915, it became known as the Wetsel Seed Company, Inc., with the eldest son, Arnold W., as co-founder). Refers to contributions made during World War I (victory gardens); 1929 depression, drought of 1930; exports (ex. grass seeds) during and following World War II, to various states and countries. Mentions development of mail order catalogs, delivery schedule calendars; seed cleaning/processing/packaging/storing service; truck delivery service; Waynesboro, Va. branch store; and development of the garden center. Mentions acquisitions of various buildings, etc. Relates contributions of four generations of family members, besides D. M. and A. W., including Earl H., Robert E., Nelson T., and Thomas M. Wetsel.","Records the reminisces and viewpoints of Nelson Wetsel, former president, now consultant for the Wetsel Seed Company, recently bought out by Southern States. Includes a brief history of the company, which began as a family-owned business in 1911 and now employs close to 200 workers. Discusses the development/diversification of the firm over the years from primarily a local (Shenandoah Valley) seed business to a multi-state, etc. wholesale distributor of lawn and garden supplies, and supplier for the professional grower (greenhouses, nurseries) and turf grass industry. Gives biographical information about various family members, their contributions, and the general sense of what it was like to be part of a family-owned business (the company's policies, philosophy, employees). Reflects on recent developments with the Southern States association; gives views on the future. More specifically, discusses the following: diversity of products (including grass seeds such as varieties of bluegrass, orchard grass; lawn/indoor and outdoor garden/professional grower supplies such as fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides, herbicides, gardening tools, soils, containers; supplies specifically for greenhouses/nurseries, such as cuttings and rooted plugs; hydroseed turf industry). Describes various aspects/percentage of business trade and market: primarily wholesale/distributor; some middleman relations; retailer; associations with dealers and growers. Discusses Harrisonburg and Waynesboro stores; also warehouse branches.","Records the reminisces and viewpoints of Maxine Thomas, a forty-two year employee (mostly in payroll accounting) at the Wetsel Seed Company in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Describes experiences and standpoints from the perspective of a non-family member, women and long-time employee at Wetsel's. Gives brief descriptions of various aspects of her work; some recollections concerning employee-employer relations, the growth of the company over the years, and memories of family members (Arnold W., Earl, Nelson, Bob (Robert), Tom, and Jeff Wetsel). Mentions growth in number of employees from around ten in 1949 to close to 200 in 1990. Briefly describes technological changes, such as the advent of computers; hiring practices; fringe benefits, etc. Mentions the number of salesmen; truck drivers; a few long-standing employees. Names the various states which are a part of the company's delivery/distribution service area."],"userestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe copyright interests in this collection have been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu).\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThe copyright interests were transfered to Carrier Library.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThe copyright interests were transferred to Carrier Library.\u003c/p\u003e"],"userestrict_heading_ssm":["Use Restrictions","Use Restrictions","Use Restriction"],"userestrict_tesim":["The copyright interests in this collection have been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu).","The copyright interests were transfered to Carrier Library.","The copyright interests were transferred to Carrier Library."],"abstract_html_tesm":["\u003cabstract id=\"aspace_73b76146cf91892b99100d43cf6c3260\"\u003eThe Wetsel Seed Company Oral Histories, 1971, 1990, is comprised of interview transcripts, audio recordings, a pamphlet, and background papers, documenting the history of the Wetsel Seed Company, of Harrisonburg, Virginia.\u003c/abstract\u003e"],"abstract_tesim":["The Wetsel Seed Company Oral Histories, 1971, 1990, is comprised of interview transcripts, audio recordings, a pamphlet, and background papers, documenting the history of the Wetsel Seed Company, of Harrisonburg, Virginia."],"physloc_html_tesm":["\u003cphysloc id=\"aspace_10679faa2008424376e91180eed2db9c\" label=\"Repository\"\u003eSpecial Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University\u003c/physloc\u003e"],"physloc_tesim":["Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University"],"names_coll_ssim":["Wetsel Seed Co","Rennyson, David James"],"names_ssim":["James Madison University Libraries Special Collections","Wetsel Seed Co","Rennyson, David James","Wetsel, Nelson T. (Nelson Thomas), 1922-2004","Thomas, Maxine B., 1926-2018"],"corpname_ssim":["James Madison University Libraries Special Collections","Wetsel Seed Co"],"persname_ssim":["Rennyson, David James","Wetsel, Nelson T. (Nelson Thomas), 1922-2004","Thomas, Maxine B., 1926-2018"],"language_ssim":["English"],"descrules_ssm":["Describing Archives: A Content Standard"],"total_component_count_is":5,"online_item_count_is":0,"component_level_isim":[0],"sort_isi":0,"timestamp":"2026-05-21T00:20:55.421Z","collection":{"numFound":1,"start":0,"numFoundExact":true,"docs":[{"id":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_502","ead_ssi":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_502","_root_":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_502","_nest_parent_":"vihart_repositories_4_resources_502","ead_source_url_ssi":"data/oai/JMU/repositories_4_resources_502.xml","title_ssm":["Wetsel Seed Company oral histories"],"title_tesim":["Wetsel Seed Company oral histories"],"unitdate_ssm":["1971","1990"],"unitdate_other_ssim":["1971","1990"],"level_ssm":["collection"],"level_ssim":["Collection"],"unitid_ssm":["SdArch 0001","/repositories/4/resources/502"],"text":["SdArch 0001","/repositories/4/resources/502","Wetsel Seed Company oral histories","Rockingham County (Va.) -- History","Harrisonburg (Va.) -- History","Rockingham County (Va.) -- Industries -- Sources","Agricultural industries -- Virginia -- Rockingham County","Farm supply industries -- Virginia -- Rockingham County","Garden centers (Retail trade)","Seed industry and trade -- History","Seed industry and trade -- Equipment and supplies","Seed industry and trade -- Personnel management","Distributors (Seed industry and trade)","Family-owned business enterprises -- Virginia -- Harrisonburg","oral histories (literary works)","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.","Oral history is open for research. The transcript and recording were reviewed and edited by the narrator.","Oral history is open for research.","Materials are arranged chronologically.","Wetsel Seed Company was founded in 1911 by Daniel M. Wetsel and his eldest son, Arnold W. Wetsel in Harrisonburg, Virginia. It was originally called D.M. Wetsel and Son, and was the Shenandoah Valley's first seed, feed and plant business. In 1915 it changed names to become Wetsel Seed Company, Inc. Daniel Wetsel was known to experiment and develop various seed products, notably those associated with corn and tomatoes. The business eventually developed mail order catalogs and truck delivery services, opened up additional stores in Waynesboro and developed a garden center. Wetsel Seed Company has involved four generations of family members, including Earl H., Robert E., Nelson T., and Thomas M. Wetsel. The company was purchased by BFG Supply Company in 2011.","Audiocassettes were transferred from original audiocassettes to MAMA-R 700MB gold cd-r using Tascam cc-222 mkII in 2006 by Cindy Minter. Audio was converted to mp3 and wav files on July 11, 2018 by Digital Projects Specialist, Kirsten Mlodynia of JMU Libraries Innovation Spaces and Services. Interviews were cataloged at the item level in 1994; The descriptive metadata was adapted to the Finding Aid in July 2019.","The Wetsel Seed Company Oral Histories, 1971, 1990, is comprised of interview transcripts, audio recordings, a pamphlet, and background papers, documenting the history of the Wetsel Seed Company, Inc. of Harrisonburg, Virginia, from its beginnings as the Shenandoah Valley's first seed/feed/plant business in 1911 to its status as a multi-state seed/plant/lawn-garden firm in 1971. It includes an interview with Nelson T. Wetsel, former president and consultant for the Wetsel Seed Company; an interview with Maxine Thomas, former employee (mostly in payroll accounting) at the Wetsel Seed Company in Harrisonburg, Va; a pamphlet, written by Russell Stultz, which gives a history of Wetsel Seed Company, Inc., from 1911 to 1971; and background papers written by interviewer, and JMU history undergraduate student, David James Rennyson.","Records the growth and development of the Wetsel Seed Company, Inc. of Rockingham County, Va., from its beginnings as the Shenandoah Valley's first seed/feed/plant business in 1911 to its status as a multi-state seed/plant/lawn-garden firm in 1971. Gives biographical information about the founder, Daniel M. Wetsel, who experimented and developed various seed products, notably those associated with corn (and also tomato). Mentions his contributions, beginning in 1896, with the marketing of seeds and plants produced by the \"Green Island Seed Farm at Port Republic, Va., with expansion/distribution to Harrisonburg and surrounding areas (cont.) Records important dates and changes in the development of the business (ex. in 1911, known as D.M. Wetsel \u0026 Son, with a store located in Harrisonburg; in 1915, it became known as the Wetsel Seed Company, Inc., with the eldest son, Arnold W., as co-founder). Refers to contributions made during World War I (victory gardens); 1929 depression, drought of 1930; exports (ex. grass seeds) during and following World War II, to various states and countries. Mentions development of mail order catalogs, delivery schedule calendars; seed cleaning/processing/packaging/storing service; truck delivery service; Waynesboro, Va. branch store; and development of the garden center. Mentions acquisitions of various buildings, etc. Relates contributions of four generations of family members, besides D. M. and A. W., including Earl H., Robert E., Nelson T., and Thomas M. Wetsel.","Records the reminisces and viewpoints of Nelson Wetsel, former president, now consultant for the Wetsel Seed Company, recently bought out by Southern States. Includes a brief history of the company, which began as a family-owned business in 1911 and now employs close to 200 workers. Discusses the development/diversification of the firm over the years from primarily a local (Shenandoah Valley) seed business to a multi-state, etc. wholesale distributor of lawn and garden supplies, and supplier for the professional grower (greenhouses, nurseries) and turf grass industry. Gives biographical information about various family members, their contributions, and the general sense of what it was like to be part of a family-owned business (the company's policies, philosophy, employees). Reflects on recent developments with the Southern States association; gives views on the future. More specifically, discusses the following: diversity of products (including grass seeds such as varieties of bluegrass, orchard grass; lawn/indoor and outdoor garden/professional grower supplies such as fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides, herbicides, gardening tools, soils, containers; supplies specifically for greenhouses/nurseries, such as cuttings and rooted plugs; hydroseed turf industry). Describes various aspects/percentage of business trade and market: primarily wholesale/distributor; some middleman relations; retailer; associations with dealers and growers. Discusses Harrisonburg and Waynesboro stores; also warehouse branches.","Records the reminisces and viewpoints of Maxine Thomas, a forty-two year employee (mostly in payroll accounting) at the Wetsel Seed Company in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Describes experiences and standpoints from the perspective of a non-family member, women and long-time employee at Wetsel's. Gives brief descriptions of various aspects of her work; some recollections concerning employee-employer relations, the growth of the company over the years, and memories of family members (Arnold W., Earl, Nelson, Bob (Robert), Tom, and Jeff Wetsel). Mentions growth in number of employees from around ten in 1949 to close to 200 in 1990. Briefly describes technological changes, such as the advent of computers; hiring practices; fringe benefits, etc. Mentions the number of salesmen; truck drivers; a few long-standing employees. Names the various states which are a part of the company's delivery/distribution service area.","The copyright interests in this collection have been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu).","The copyright interests were transfered to Carrier Library.","The copyright interests were transferred to Carrier Library.","The Wetsel Seed Company Oral Histories, 1971, 1990, is comprised of interview transcripts, audio recordings, a pamphlet, and background papers, documenting the history of the Wetsel Seed Company, of Harrisonburg, Virginia.","Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University","James Madison University Libraries Special Collections","Wetsel Seed Co","Rennyson, David James","Wetsel, Nelson T. (Nelson Thomas), 1922-2004","Thomas, Maxine B., 1926-2018","English"],"unitid_tesim":["SdArch 0001","/repositories/4/resources/502"],"normalized_title_ssm":["Wetsel Seed Company oral histories"],"collection_title_tesim":["Wetsel Seed Company oral histories"],"collection_ssim":["Wetsel Seed Company oral histories"],"repository_ssm":["James Madison University"],"repository_ssim":["James Madison University"],"geogname_ssm":["Rockingham County (Va.) -- History","Harrisonburg (Va.) -- History","Rockingham County (Va.) -- Industries -- Sources"],"geogname_ssim":["Rockingham County (Va.) -- History","Harrisonburg (Va.) -- History","Rockingham County (Va.) -- Industries -- Sources"],"creator_ssm":["Rennyson, David James"],"creator_ssim":["Rennyson, David James"],"creator_persname_ssim":["Rennyson, David James"],"creators_ssim":["Rennyson, David James"],"places_ssim":["Rockingham County (Va.) -- History","Harrisonburg (Va.) -- History","Rockingham County (Va.) -- Industries -- Sources"],"access_terms_ssm":["The copyright interests in this collection have been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu)."],"acqinfo_ssim":["Collection was donated on April 23, 1990 by David James Rennyson."],"access_subjects_ssim":["Agricultural industries -- Virginia -- Rockingham County","Farm supply industries -- Virginia -- Rockingham County","Garden centers (Retail trade)","Seed industry and trade -- History","Seed industry and trade -- Equipment and supplies","Seed industry and trade -- Personnel management","Distributors (Seed industry and trade)","Family-owned business enterprises -- Virginia -- Harrisonburg","oral histories (literary works)"],"access_subjects_ssm":["Agricultural industries -- Virginia -- Rockingham County","Farm supply industries -- Virginia -- Rockingham County","Garden centers (Retail trade)","Seed industry and trade -- History","Seed industry and trade -- Equipment and supplies","Seed industry and trade -- Personnel management","Distributors (Seed industry and trade)","Family-owned business enterprises -- Virginia -- Harrisonburg","oral histories (literary works)"],"has_online_content_ssim":["false"],"extent_ssm":["0.51 cubic feet 3 folders, 4 audiocassettes, 7 cds"],"extent_tesim":["0.51 cubic feet 3 folders, 4 audiocassettes, 7 cds"],"genreform_ssim":["oral histories (literary works)"],"date_range_isim":[1971,1990],"accessrestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eCollection 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.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eOral history is open for research. The transcript and recording were reviewed and edited by the narrator.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eOral history is open for research.\u003c/p\u003e"],"accessrestrict_heading_ssm":["Access Restrictions","Access Restrictions","Access Restriction"],"accessrestrict_tesim":["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.","Oral history is open for research. The transcript and recording were reviewed and edited by the narrator.","Oral history is open for research."],"arrangement_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eMaterials are arranged chronologically.\u003c/p\u003e"],"arrangement_heading_ssm":["Arrangement"],"arrangement_tesim":["Materials are arranged chronologically."],"bioghist_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eWetsel Seed Company was founded in 1911 by Daniel M. Wetsel and his eldest son, Arnold W. Wetsel in Harrisonburg, Virginia. It was originally called D.M. Wetsel and Son, and was the Shenandoah Valley's first seed, feed and plant business. In 1915 it changed names to become Wetsel Seed Company, Inc. Daniel Wetsel was known to experiment and develop various seed products, notably those associated with corn and tomatoes. The business eventually developed mail order catalogs and truck delivery services, opened up additional stores in Waynesboro and developed a garden center. Wetsel Seed Company has involved four generations of family members, including Earl H., Robert E., Nelson T., and Thomas M. Wetsel. The company was purchased by BFG Supply Company in 2011.\u003c/p\u003e"],"bioghist_heading_ssm":["Bio/Historical Note"],"bioghist_tesim":["Wetsel Seed Company was founded in 1911 by Daniel M. Wetsel and his eldest son, Arnold W. Wetsel in Harrisonburg, Virginia. It was originally called D.M. Wetsel and Son, and was the Shenandoah Valley's first seed, feed and plant business. In 1915 it changed names to become Wetsel Seed Company, Inc. Daniel Wetsel was known to experiment and develop various seed products, notably those associated with corn and tomatoes. The business eventually developed mail order catalogs and truck delivery services, opened up additional stores in Waynesboro and developed a garden center. Wetsel Seed Company has involved four generations of family members, including Earl H., Robert E., Nelson T., and Thomas M. Wetsel. The company was purchased by BFG Supply Company in 2011."],"prefercite_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003e[identification of item], [box #, folder #], Wetsel Seed Company Oral Histories, SdArch 0001, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University.\u003c/p\u003e"],"prefercite_tesim":["[identification of item], [box #, folder #], Wetsel Seed Company Oral Histories, SdArch 0001, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University."],"processinfo_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eAudiocassettes were transferred from original audiocassettes to MAMA-R 700MB gold cd-r using Tascam cc-222 mkII in 2006 by Cindy Minter. Audio was converted to mp3 and wav files on July 11, 2018 by Digital Projects Specialist, Kirsten Mlodynia of JMU Libraries Innovation Spaces and Services. Interviews were cataloged at the item level in 1994; The descriptive metadata was adapted to the Finding Aid in July 2019.\u003c/p\u003e"],"processinfo_heading_ssm":["Processing Information"],"processinfo_tesim":["Audiocassettes were transferred from original audiocassettes to MAMA-R 700MB gold cd-r using Tascam cc-222 mkII in 2006 by Cindy Minter. Audio was converted to mp3 and wav files on July 11, 2018 by Digital Projects Specialist, Kirsten Mlodynia of JMU Libraries Innovation Spaces and Services. Interviews were cataloged at the item level in 1994; The descriptive metadata was adapted to the Finding Aid in July 2019."],"scopecontent_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe Wetsel Seed Company Oral Histories, 1971, 1990, is comprised of interview transcripts, audio recordings, a pamphlet, and background papers, documenting the history of the Wetsel Seed Company, Inc. of Harrisonburg, Virginia, from its beginnings as the Shenandoah Valley's first seed/feed/plant business in 1911 to its status as a multi-state seed/plant/lawn-garden firm in 1971. It includes an interview with Nelson T. Wetsel, former president and consultant for the Wetsel Seed Company; an interview with Maxine Thomas, former employee (mostly in payroll accounting) at the Wetsel Seed Company in Harrisonburg, Va; a pamphlet, written by Russell Stultz, which gives a history of Wetsel Seed Company, Inc., from 1911 to 1971; and background papers written by interviewer, and JMU history undergraduate student, David James Rennyson.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eRecords the growth and development of the Wetsel Seed Company, Inc. of Rockingham County, Va., from its beginnings as the Shenandoah Valley's first seed/feed/plant business in 1911 to its status as a multi-state seed/plant/lawn-garden firm in 1971. Gives biographical information about the founder, Daniel M. Wetsel, who experimented and developed various seed products, notably those associated with corn (and also tomato). Mentions his contributions, beginning in 1896, with the marketing of seeds and plants produced by the \"Green Island Seed Farm at Port Republic, Va., with expansion/distribution to Harrisonburg and surrounding areas (cont.) Records important dates and changes in the development of the business (ex. in 1911, known as D.M. Wetsel \u0026amp; Son, with a store located in Harrisonburg; in 1915, it became known as the Wetsel Seed Company, Inc., with the eldest son, Arnold W., as co-founder). Refers to contributions made during World War I (victory gardens); 1929 depression, drought of 1930; exports (ex. grass seeds) during and following World War II, to various states and countries. Mentions development of mail order catalogs, delivery schedule calendars; seed cleaning/processing/packaging/storing service; truck delivery service; Waynesboro, Va. branch store; and development of the garden center. Mentions acquisitions of various buildings, etc. Relates contributions of four generations of family members, besides D. M. and A. W., including Earl H., Robert E., Nelson T., and Thomas M. Wetsel.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eRecords the reminisces and viewpoints of Nelson Wetsel, former president, now consultant for the Wetsel Seed Company, recently bought out by Southern States. Includes a brief history of the company, which began as a family-owned business in 1911 and now employs close to 200 workers. Discusses the development/diversification of the firm over the years from primarily a local (Shenandoah Valley) seed business to a multi-state, etc. wholesale distributor of lawn and garden supplies, and supplier for the professional grower (greenhouses, nurseries) and turf grass industry. Gives biographical information about various family members, their contributions, and the general sense of what it was like to be part of a family-owned business (the company's policies, philosophy, employees). Reflects on recent developments with the Southern States association; gives views on the future. More specifically, discusses the following: diversity of products (including grass seeds such as varieties of bluegrass, orchard grass; lawn/indoor and outdoor garden/professional grower supplies such as fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides, herbicides, gardening tools, soils, containers; supplies specifically for greenhouses/nurseries, such as cuttings and rooted plugs; hydroseed turf industry). Describes various aspects/percentage of business trade and market: primarily wholesale/distributor; some middleman relations; retailer; associations with dealers and growers. Discusses Harrisonburg and Waynesboro stores; also warehouse branches.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eRecords the reminisces and viewpoints of Maxine Thomas, a forty-two year employee (mostly in payroll accounting) at the Wetsel Seed Company in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Describes experiences and standpoints from the perspective of a non-family member, women and long-time employee at Wetsel's. Gives brief descriptions of various aspects of her work; some recollections concerning employee-employer relations, the growth of the company over the years, and memories of family members (Arnold W., Earl, Nelson, Bob (Robert), Tom, and Jeff Wetsel). Mentions growth in number of employees from around ten in 1949 to close to 200 in 1990. Briefly describes technological changes, such as the advent of computers; hiring practices; fringe benefits, etc. Mentions the number of salesmen; truck drivers; a few long-standing employees. Names the various states which are a part of the company's delivery/distribution service area.\u003c/p\u003e"],"scopecontent_heading_ssm":["Scope and Content","Scope and Contents","Scope and Contents","Scope and Contents"],"scopecontent_tesim":["The Wetsel Seed Company Oral Histories, 1971, 1990, is comprised of interview transcripts, audio recordings, a pamphlet, and background papers, documenting the history of the Wetsel Seed Company, Inc. of Harrisonburg, Virginia, from its beginnings as the Shenandoah Valley's first seed/feed/plant business in 1911 to its status as a multi-state seed/plant/lawn-garden firm in 1971. It includes an interview with Nelson T. Wetsel, former president and consultant for the Wetsel Seed Company; an interview with Maxine Thomas, former employee (mostly in payroll accounting) at the Wetsel Seed Company in Harrisonburg, Va; a pamphlet, written by Russell Stultz, which gives a history of Wetsel Seed Company, Inc., from 1911 to 1971; and background papers written by interviewer, and JMU history undergraduate student, David James Rennyson.","Records the growth and development of the Wetsel Seed Company, Inc. of Rockingham County, Va., from its beginnings as the Shenandoah Valley's first seed/feed/plant business in 1911 to its status as a multi-state seed/plant/lawn-garden firm in 1971. Gives biographical information about the founder, Daniel M. Wetsel, who experimented and developed various seed products, notably those associated with corn (and also tomato). Mentions his contributions, beginning in 1896, with the marketing of seeds and plants produced by the \"Green Island Seed Farm at Port Republic, Va., with expansion/distribution to Harrisonburg and surrounding areas (cont.) Records important dates and changes in the development of the business (ex. in 1911, known as D.M. Wetsel \u0026 Son, with a store located in Harrisonburg; in 1915, it became known as the Wetsel Seed Company, Inc., with the eldest son, Arnold W., as co-founder). Refers to contributions made during World War I (victory gardens); 1929 depression, drought of 1930; exports (ex. grass seeds) during and following World War II, to various states and countries. Mentions development of mail order catalogs, delivery schedule calendars; seed cleaning/processing/packaging/storing service; truck delivery service; Waynesboro, Va. branch store; and development of the garden center. Mentions acquisitions of various buildings, etc. Relates contributions of four generations of family members, besides D. M. and A. W., including Earl H., Robert E., Nelson T., and Thomas M. Wetsel.","Records the reminisces and viewpoints of Nelson Wetsel, former president, now consultant for the Wetsel Seed Company, recently bought out by Southern States. Includes a brief history of the company, which began as a family-owned business in 1911 and now employs close to 200 workers. Discusses the development/diversification of the firm over the years from primarily a local (Shenandoah Valley) seed business to a multi-state, etc. wholesale distributor of lawn and garden supplies, and supplier for the professional grower (greenhouses, nurseries) and turf grass industry. Gives biographical information about various family members, their contributions, and the general sense of what it was like to be part of a family-owned business (the company's policies, philosophy, employees). Reflects on recent developments with the Southern States association; gives views on the future. More specifically, discusses the following: diversity of products (including grass seeds such as varieties of bluegrass, orchard grass; lawn/indoor and outdoor garden/professional grower supplies such as fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides, herbicides, gardening tools, soils, containers; supplies specifically for greenhouses/nurseries, such as cuttings and rooted plugs; hydroseed turf industry). Describes various aspects/percentage of business trade and market: primarily wholesale/distributor; some middleman relations; retailer; associations with dealers and growers. Discusses Harrisonburg and Waynesboro stores; also warehouse branches.","Records the reminisces and viewpoints of Maxine Thomas, a forty-two year employee (mostly in payroll accounting) at the Wetsel Seed Company in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Describes experiences and standpoints from the perspective of a non-family member, women and long-time employee at Wetsel's. Gives brief descriptions of various aspects of her work; some recollections concerning employee-employer relations, the growth of the company over the years, and memories of family members (Arnold W., Earl, Nelson, Bob (Robert), Tom, and Jeff Wetsel). Mentions growth in number of employees from around ten in 1949 to close to 200 in 1990. Briefly describes technological changes, such as the advent of computers; hiring practices; fringe benefits, etc. Mentions the number of salesmen; truck drivers; a few long-standing employees. Names the various states which are a part of the company's delivery/distribution service area."],"userestrict_html_tesm":["\u003cp\u003eThe copyright interests in this collection have been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu).\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThe copyright interests were transfered to Carrier Library.\u003c/p\u003e","\u003cp\u003eThe copyright interests were transferred to Carrier Library.\u003c/p\u003e"],"userestrict_heading_ssm":["Use Restrictions","Use Restrictions","Use Restriction"],"userestrict_tesim":["The copyright interests in this collection have been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu).","The copyright interests were transfered to Carrier Library.","The copyright interests were transferred to Carrier Library."],"abstract_html_tesm":["\u003cabstract id=\"aspace_73b76146cf91892b99100d43cf6c3260\"\u003eThe Wetsel Seed Company Oral Histories, 1971, 1990, is comprised of interview transcripts, audio recordings, a pamphlet, and background papers, documenting the history of the Wetsel Seed Company, of Harrisonburg, Virginia.\u003c/abstract\u003e"],"abstract_tesim":["The Wetsel Seed Company Oral Histories, 1971, 1990, is comprised of interview transcripts, audio recordings, a pamphlet, and background papers, documenting the history of the Wetsel Seed Company, of Harrisonburg, Virginia."],"physloc_html_tesm":["\u003cphysloc id=\"aspace_10679faa2008424376e91180eed2db9c\" label=\"Repository\"\u003eSpecial Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University\u003c/physloc\u003e"],"physloc_tesim":["Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University"],"names_coll_ssim":["Wetsel Seed Co","Rennyson, David James"],"names_ssim":["James Madison University Libraries Special Collections","Wetsel Seed Co","Rennyson, David James","Wetsel, Nelson T. (Nelson Thomas), 1922-2004","Thomas, Maxine B., 1926-2018"],"corpname_ssim":["James Madison University Libraries Special Collections","Wetsel Seed Co"],"persname_ssim":["Rennyson, David James","Wetsel, Nelson T. (Nelson Thomas), 1922-2004","Thomas, Maxine B., 1926-2018"],"language_ssim":["English"],"descrules_ssm":["Describing Archives: A Content Standard"],"total_component_count_is":5,"online_item_count_is":0,"component_level_isim":[0],"sort_isi":0,"timestamp":"2026-05-21T00:20:55.421Z"}]}},"label":"Breadcrumbs"}}},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog/vihart_repositories_4_resources_502"}}],"included":[{"type":"facet","id":"repository_ssim","attributes":{"label":"Repository","items":[{"attributes":{"label":"James Madison University","value":"James Madison University","hits":2},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources\u0026f%5Brepository%5D%5B%5D=James+Madison+University"}}]},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog/facet/repository_ssim.json?f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources"}},{"type":"facet","id":"collection_ssim","attributes":{"label":"Collection","items":[{"attributes":{"label":"Chesapeake Western Railway Company Records","value":"Chesapeake Western Railway Company Records","hits":1},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bcollection%5D%5B%5D=Chesapeake+Western+Railway+Company+Records\u0026f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources"}},{"attributes":{"label":"Wetsel Seed Company oral histories","value":"Wetsel Seed Company oral histories","hits":1},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bcollection%5D%5B%5D=Wetsel+Seed+Company+oral+histories\u0026f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources"}}]},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog/facet/collection_ssim.json?f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources"}},{"type":"facet","id":"date_range_isim","attributes":{"label":"Date range","items":[{"attributes":{"label":"1916","value":"1916","hits":1},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bdate_range%5D%5B%5D=1916\u0026f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources"}},{"attributes":{"label":"1917","value":"1917","hits":1},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bdate_range%5D%5B%5D=1917\u0026f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources"}},{"attributes":{"label":"1918","value":"1918","hits":1},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bdate_range%5D%5B%5D=1918\u0026f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources"}},{"attributes":{"label":"1919","value":"1919","hits":1},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bdate_range%5D%5B%5D=1919\u0026f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources"}},{"attributes":{"label":"1920","value":"1920","hits":1},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bdate_range%5D%5B%5D=1920\u0026f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources"}},{"attributes":{"label":"1921","value":"1921","hits":1},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bdate_range%5D%5B%5D=1921\u0026f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources"}},{"attributes":{"label":"1922","value":"1922","hits":1},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bdate_range%5D%5B%5D=1922\u0026f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources"}},{"attributes":{"label":"1923","value":"1923","hits":1},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bdate_range%5D%5B%5D=1923\u0026f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources"}},{"attributes":{"label":"1924","value":"1924","hits":1},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bdate_range%5D%5B%5D=1924\u0026f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources"}},{"attributes":{"label":"1925","value":"1925","hits":1},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bdate_range%5D%5B%5D=1925\u0026f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources"}},{"attributes":{"label":"1926","value":"1926","hits":1},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bdate_range%5D%5B%5D=1926\u0026f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources"}}]},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog/facet/date_range_isim.json?f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources"}},{"type":"facet","id":"creator_ssim","attributes":{"label":"Creator","items":[{"attributes":{"label":"Chesapeake Beach Railway Museum","value":"Chesapeake Beach Railway Museum","hits":1},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bcreators%5D%5B%5D=Chesapeake+Beach+Railway+Museum\u0026f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources"}},{"attributes":{"label":"Chesapeake Western Railway","value":"Chesapeake Western Railway","hits":1},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bcreators%5D%5B%5D=Chesapeake+Western+Railway\u0026f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources"}},{"attributes":{"label":"Geier, Clarence R., 1944-","value":"Geier, Clarence R., 1944-","hits":1},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bcreators%5D%5B%5D=Geier%2C+Clarence+R.%2C+1944-\u0026f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources"}},{"attributes":{"label":"Hyser, Raymond M., 1955-","value":"Hyser, Raymond M., 1955-","hits":1},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bcreators%5D%5B%5D=Hyser%2C+Raymond+M.%2C+1955-\u0026f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources"}},{"attributes":{"label":"Rennyson, David James","value":"Rennyson, David James","hits":1},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bcreators%5D%5B%5D=Rennyson%2C+David+James\u0026f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources"}}]},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog/facet/creator_ssim.json?f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources"}},{"type":"facet","id":"names_ssim","attributes":{"label":"Names","items":[{"attributes":{"label":"Chesapeake Beach Railway Museum","value":"Chesapeake Beach Railway Museum","hits":1},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bnames%5D%5B%5D=Chesapeake+Beach+Railway+Museum\u0026f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources"}},{"attributes":{"label":"Chesapeake Western Railway","value":"Chesapeake Western Railway","hits":1},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bnames%5D%5B%5D=Chesapeake+Western+Railway\u0026f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources"}},{"attributes":{"label":"Geier, Clarence R., 1944-","value":"Geier, Clarence R., 1944-","hits":1},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bnames%5D%5B%5D=Geier%2C+Clarence+R.%2C+1944-\u0026f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources"}},{"attributes":{"label":"Hyser, Raymond M., 1955-","value":"Hyser, Raymond M., 1955-","hits":1},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bnames%5D%5B%5D=Hyser%2C+Raymond+M.%2C+1955-\u0026f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources"}},{"attributes":{"label":"James Madison University Libraries Special Collections","value":"James Madison University Libraries Special Collections","hits":2},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bnames%5D%5B%5D=James+Madison+University+Libraries+Special+Collections\u0026f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources"}},{"attributes":{"label":"Norfolk Southern Corporation","value":"Norfolk Southern Corporation","hits":1},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bnames%5D%5B%5D=Norfolk+Southern+Corporation\u0026f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources"}},{"attributes":{"label":"Rennyson, David James","value":"Rennyson, David James","hits":1},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bnames%5D%5B%5D=Rennyson%2C+David+James\u0026f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources"}},{"attributes":{"label":"Stokes, W. E. D. (William Earl Dodge), 1852-1926","value":"Stokes, W. E. D. (William Earl Dodge), 1852-1926","hits":1},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bnames%5D%5B%5D=Stokes%2C+W.+E.+D.+%28William+Earl+Dodge%29%2C+1852-1926\u0026f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources"}},{"attributes":{"label":"Thomas, Maxine B., 1926-2018","value":"Thomas, Maxine B., 1926-2018","hits":1},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bnames%5D%5B%5D=Thomas%2C+Maxine+B.%2C+1926-2018\u0026f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources"}},{"attributes":{"label":"Wetsel Seed Co","value":"Wetsel Seed Co","hits":1},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bnames%5D%5B%5D=Wetsel+Seed+Co\u0026f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources"}},{"attributes":{"label":"Wetsel, Nelson T. (Nelson Thomas), 1922-2004","value":"Wetsel, Nelson T. (Nelson Thomas), 1922-2004","hits":1},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bnames%5D%5B%5D=Wetsel%2C+Nelson+T.+%28Nelson+Thomas%29%2C+1922-2004\u0026f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources"}}]},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog/facet/names_ssim.json?f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources"}},{"type":"facet","id":"geogname_ssim","attributes":{"label":"Places","items":[{"attributes":{"label":"Augusta County (Va.) -- Industries -- Sources","value":"Augusta County (Va.) -- Industries -- Sources","hits":1},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources\u0026f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Augusta+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources"}},{"attributes":{"label":"Bridgewater (Va.) -- History","value":"Bridgewater (Va.) -- History","hits":1},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources\u0026f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Bridgewater+%28Va.%29+--+History"}},{"attributes":{"label":"Elkton (Va.) -- History","value":"Elkton (Va.) -- History","hits":1},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources\u0026f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Elkton+%28Va.%29+--+History"}},{"attributes":{"label":"Harrisonburg (Va.) -- History","value":"Harrisonburg (Va.) -- History","hits":2},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources\u0026f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Harrisonburg+%28Va.%29+--+History"}},{"attributes":{"label":"Mt. Solon (Va.) -- History","value":"Mt. Solon (Va.) -- History","hits":1},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources\u0026f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Mt.+Solon+%28Va.%29+--+History"}},{"attributes":{"label":"Rockingham County (Va.) -- History","value":"Rockingham County (Va.) -- History","hits":1},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources\u0026f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+History"}},{"attributes":{"label":"Rockingham County (Va.) -- Industries -- Sources","value":"Rockingham County (Va.) -- Industries -- Sources","hits":2},"links":{"remove":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources"}},{"attributes":{"label":"Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.) -- Transportation -- History -- Sources","value":"Shenandoah River Valley (Va. and W. Va.) -- Transportation -- History -- Sources","hits":1},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources\u0026f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Shenandoah+River+Valley+%28Va.+and+W.+Va.%29+--+Transportation+--+History+--+Sources"}},{"attributes":{"label":"Stokesville (Va.) -- History","value":"Stokesville (Va.) -- History","hits":1},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources\u0026f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Stokesville+%28Va.%29+--+History"}},{"attributes":{"label":"Virginia -- Economic conditions -- History -- Sources","value":"Virginia -- Economic conditions -- History -- Sources","hits":1},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources\u0026f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Virginia+--+Economic+conditions+--+History+--+Sources"}},{"attributes":{"label":"Virginia -- Industries -- History","value":"Virginia -- Industries -- History","hits":1},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources\u0026f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Virginia+--+Industries+--+History"}}]},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog/facet/geogname_ssim.json?f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources"}},{"type":"facet","id":"access_subjects_ssim","attributes":{"label":"Subjects","items":[{"attributes":{"label":"Account books","value":"Account books","hits":1},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Baccess_subjects%5D%5B%5D=Account+books\u0026f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources"}},{"attributes":{"label":"Agricultural industries -- Virginia -- Rockingham County","value":"Agricultural industries -- Virginia -- Rockingham County","hits":1},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Baccess_subjects%5D%5B%5D=Agricultural+industries+--+Virginia+--+Rockingham+County\u0026f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources"}},{"attributes":{"label":"Bark -- Transportation -- Southern States -- Sources","value":"Bark -- Transportation -- Southern States -- Sources","hits":1},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Baccess_subjects%5D%5B%5D=Bark+--+Transportation+--+Southern+States+--+Sources\u0026f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources"}},{"attributes":{"label":"Blueprints (reprographic copies)","value":"Blueprints (reprographic copies)","hits":1},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Baccess_subjects%5D%5B%5D=Blueprints+%28reprographic+copies%29\u0026f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources"}},{"attributes":{"label":"Business records","value":"Business records","hits":1},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Baccess_subjects%5D%5B%5D=Business+records\u0026f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources"}},{"attributes":{"label":"Coal -- Transportation -- Southern States -- Sources","value":"Coal -- Transportation -- Southern States -- Sources","hits":1},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Baccess_subjects%5D%5B%5D=Coal+--+Transportation+--+Southern+States+--+Sources\u0026f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources"}},{"attributes":{"label":"Distributors (Seed industry and trade)","value":"Distributors (Seed industry and trade)","hits":1},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Baccess_subjects%5D%5B%5D=Distributors+%28Seed+industry+and+trade%29\u0026f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources"}},{"attributes":{"label":"Family-owned business enterprises -- Virginia -- Harrisonburg","value":"Family-owned business enterprises -- Virginia -- Harrisonburg","hits":1},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Baccess_subjects%5D%5B%5D=Family-owned+business+enterprises+--+Virginia+--+Harrisonburg\u0026f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources"}},{"attributes":{"label":"Farm supply industries -- Virginia -- Rockingham County","value":"Farm supply industries -- Virginia -- Rockingham County","hits":1},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Baccess_subjects%5D%5B%5D=Farm+supply+industries+--+Virginia+--+Rockingham+County\u0026f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources"}},{"attributes":{"label":"Garden centers (Retail trade)","value":"Garden centers (Retail trade)","hits":1},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Baccess_subjects%5D%5B%5D=Garden+centers+%28Retail+trade%29\u0026f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources"}},{"attributes":{"label":"Letters (correspondence)","value":"Letters (correspondence)","hits":1},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Baccess_subjects%5D%5B%5D=Letters+%28correspondence%29\u0026f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources"}}]},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog/facet/access_subjects_ssim.json?f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources"}},{"type":"facet","id":"level_ssim","attributes":{"label":"Level","items":[{"attributes":{"label":"Collection","value":"Collection","hits":2},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Blevel%5D%5B%5D=Collection\u0026f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources"}}]},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog/facet/level_ssim.json?f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources"}},{"type":"search_field","id":"all_fields","attributes":{"label":"All Fields"},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources\u0026search_field=all_fields"}},{"type":"search_field","id":"keyword","attributes":{"label":"Keyword"},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources\u0026search_field=keyword"}},{"type":"search_field","id":"name","attributes":{"label":"Name"},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources\u0026search_field=name"}},{"type":"search_field","id":"place","attributes":{"label":"Place"},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources\u0026search_field=place"}},{"type":"search_field","id":"subject","attributes":{"label":"Subject"},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources\u0026search_field=subject"}},{"type":"search_field","id":"title","attributes":{"label":"Title"},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources\u0026search_field=title"}},{"type":"search_field","id":"container","attributes":{"label":"Container"},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources\u0026search_field=container"}},{"type":"search_field","id":"identifier","attributes":{"label":"Identifier"},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources\u0026search_field=identifier"}},{"type":"sort","id":"score desc, title_sort asc","attributes":{"label":"relevance"},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources\u0026sort=score+desc%2C+title_sort+asc"}},{"type":"sort","id":"date_sort asc","attributes":{"label":"date (ascending)"},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources\u0026sort=date_sort+asc"}},{"type":"sort","id":"date_sort desc","attributes":{"label":"date (descending)"},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources\u0026sort=date_sort+desc"}},{"type":"sort","id":"creator_sort asc","attributes":{"label":"creator (A-Z)"},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources\u0026sort=creator_sort+asc"}},{"type":"sort","id":"creator_sort desc","attributes":{"label":"creator (Z-A)"},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources\u0026sort=creator_sort+desc"}},{"type":"sort","id":"title_sort asc","attributes":{"label":"title (A-Z)"},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources\u0026sort=title_sort+asc"}},{"type":"sort","id":"title_sort desc","attributes":{"label":"title (Z-A)"},"links":{"self":"https://arvasarchive.org/catalog.json?f%5Bplaces%5D%5B%5D=Rockingham+County+%28Va.%29+--+Industries+--+Sources\u0026sort=title_sort+desc"}}]}