Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club Records

Access and use

Location of collection:: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Special Collections, University Libraries (0434)

Newman Library

Virginia Tech

P.O. Box 90001

560 Drillfield Drive

Blacksburg, VA 24062-9001

Contact for questions and access:: Email: specref@vt.edu

Phone: (540) 231-6308

Fax: (540) 231-3694

Web: spec.lib.vt.edu

Restrictions:

The collection is open for research, except Box 22 which contains restricted materials. Restricted folders are identified within the inventory. Contact Special Collections and University Archives for more information.

These minutes were printed on the back of recycled paper with sensitive private information, and these materials are restricted in accordance with legal restrictions and to protect personally identifiable information for 75 years.

These materials are restricted in accordance with legal restrictions and to protect personally identifiable information for 75 years.

Terms of access:

Copyright restrictions may apply. Contact Special Collections and University Archives for assistance in determining the use of these materials.

Reproduction or digitization of materials for personal or research use can be requested using our reproduction/digitization form: http://bit.ly/scuareproduction.

Reproduction or digitization of materials for publication or exhibit use can be requested using our publication/exhibition form: http://bit.ly/scuapublication. Please contact Special Collections and University Archives (specref@vt.edu or 540-231-6308) if you need assistance with forms or to submit a completed form.

Preferred citation:: Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [identification of item], [box], [folder], Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club Records, Ms2024-054, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Summary

Extent:: 27.5 Cubic Feet 23 boxes
Creator:: Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club (Roanoke, Va.)
Abstract:: The Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club (RATC) Records document the management of the club from its founding in 1932. The collection includes the club newsletters, board minutes, former officers' and members' records, NPS and RATC acquisition information, conservation issues, management plans, histories of the club, scrapbooks, and photographs. The RATC continues its original mission to maintain and protect the Appalachian Trail (AT), and the club covers over 120 miles of the AT, including McAfee Knob, Dragon's Tooth, and Tinker Cliffs.
Language:: The materials in the collection are in English.
Preferred citation:: Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [identification of item], [box], [folder], Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club Records, Ms2024-054, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Background

Scope and content:

The Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club (RATC) Records document the management of the club from its founding in 1932. The collection includes the club newsletters, board minutes, former officers' and members' records, National Park Service and RATC acquisition information, conservation issues, management plans, histories of the club, scrapbooks, and photographs.

The collection is divided into two series, I: RATC Management and II: RATC Officers and Members. The first series contains materials created, collected, and maintained by the RATC for its operations. It contains the meeting minutes, primarily about the activities of the Executive Board from 1940 to 1959 and 1968 to 2004. Some of the meeting minutes also record the activities of committees, affiliate organizations, and the annual all-member banquet during those years. There are also by-laws from the 1980s and 1990s and rosters from the 1950s to 1980s. The club newsletters start with the RATC Bulletin from 1939 to 1942 and continue with the Trail Blazer from 1954 to 2010. These document the club's recent activities, including work with the Appalachian Trail Conference (later Appalachian Trail Conservancy), local non-profits, and government entitities, hike schedules and detailed accounts of club hikes on the Appalachian Trail (AT), and reminiscences of and memorials to past and current members.

The Land Tract Files contain legal records of lands acquired by NPS after 1978 Congressional funding. Most of these materials are photocopies of legal records documenting land acquisitions, including legal judgments, land ownership histories, foreclosure documents, leases and contracts with gas and electric companies, deeds and trusts, wills and genealogies regarding inheritance rights, land surveys and inspection records, appraisals and environmental assessments, financial documents and insurance certificates, photographs, maps, and correspondence with land owners, attorneys, court clerks, and others. Other documents about acquisitions and relocations also illuminate the RATC's work with the Appalachian Trail Conference (also Conservancy), U.S. National Park Service, and U.S. Forest Service to acquire and monitor property and to build and relocate trails.

The first series also contains management and conservation plans, general files, and RATC historical materials. The histories discuss the founding and development of the club as well as large trail relocations and the work of past members and officers. There are also several photo albums from the 1930s-1950s.

The second series contains files created, collected, or maintained by people affiliated with the RATC, both officers and individual members, about the history and operation of the RATC. These people include club president Thomas Campbell, the Otey family, president Dick Clark, local journalist Bill Cochran, newsletter editor Zetta Campbell, longtime trail supervisor Charles Parry, hike leaders Sigfried and Ursula Kolmstetter, hike leader Andy Layne, president Roger Holnback, and longtime social chair Linda Akers. Documents include correspondence, handwritten notes, additional meeting minutes and newsletters, photographs, newspaper clippings, and more. They also cover land acquisitions, building trails and shelters, group events and conferences, management and land use, and of course hikes on the AT.

The following are common abbreviations or acronyms found in the collection inventory:

AEP - Appalachian Electric Power Company
APCO - Appalachian Power Company, a subsidiary of AEP
AT - Appalachian Trail
ATC - Appalachian Trail Conference or Appalachian Trail Conservancy
RATC - Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club
NPS - United States National Park Service
USFS or FS - United States Forest Service

This series contains materials created, collected, and maintained by the RATC for its operations. It is divided into eight sub-series based on material type or subject, based on original order provided by the RATC.

These minutes are mostly for the RATC Executive Board meetings, but also include some minutes for the annual all-member banquet and various RATC committees.

The January 16, 1953 annual meeting minutes are labeled "January 16, 1952". Also includes 1940 membership roster. [Removed from Binder]

Also contains 1957 membership roster, treasurer's reports or audits for 1954-1957, several hike schedules and Trail Blazers for 1957-1959, and attendees' information for the 1958 14th Meeting of the ATC. [Removed from binder.]

Also contains newspaper clippings, drafts of minutes, correspondence, reports, and other materials. [Removed from binder.]

Only includes April 1970 minutes, "Copy of Minutes for Charles Headland".

A list at the front of the folder says minutes are missing for January, July, and August 1974. Some of the minutes are handwritten. Also includes typed transcription by Diana Christopulos on October 31, 2022, of the May 1974 minutes.

A list at the front of the folder says minutes are missing for January, June, July, and August 1975. Some of the minutes are handwritten.

A list at the front of the folder says minutes are missing for January, April, May, and August 1976.

Includes minutes for February, March, August, November 1977.

Includes only February and March 1978 minutes, which are handwritten. Also includes typed transcription by Diana Christopulos on October 31, 2022, of the February 1978 minutes with note from Christopulos: "This is the first meeting after landowners have closed the AT between Va. 311 and Tinker Cliffs."

Folder just includes notes that minutes were missing for 1979, and one note was removed from a notebook with minutes for 1974-1983.

Folder just includes a note that minutes were missing for 1974-1979. Looks like the note may have been removed from a notebook with minutes for 1974-1983.

Note from RATC: "Incredible transition to orderly files with Linda Akers as Secretary and Mary Stewart as President".

Includes 1980 roster and "order continues under same leadership", according to notes from RATC.

A list at the front of the folder says minutes are missing for July, August, and September 1982.

A list at the front of the folder says minutes are missing for May, July, or December 1983 minutes.

Note from RATC: "Land Management and special meeting".

There are no minutes after September 1989.

Note from RATC: "Annual meeting moved to March".

February and July 1994 minutes are missing.

December 1995 minutes are missing.

Includes "First annual meeting at Lutheran Church (Linda Akers)".

Also includes organizational documents, notes, and correspondence. [Removed from Binder.]

Also includes 1990 RATC Ann's Cabin Committee meeting minutes.

Original folder was titled "1976 RATC Membership Roster N=68".

This is a draft of the Constitution and By-Laws of the RATC.

Includes proposed and final by-laws for March 6, 1993.

Starting with the Spring 1983 issue, the hike schedules are printed as part of the Trail Blazer newsletters. Prior to that time, the hike schedule was inconsistently included with the newsletters. Some newsletters also include membership rosters.

[Removed from binder.]

Some issues also include membership rosters.

Also includes photos from April 1959 and a membership application from May-June 1959.

Also includes backpacking catalogs.

Also includes the Shenandoah-Rockfish Appalachian Trail Club Bulletin, Vol. 1, No. 2, June 18, 1962.

Also includes hike schedules for June 26-December 18, 1966.

The first 2 issues are No. 1, January 1966 and No. 2, February 1966. Then the publication cycle changes to quarterly publications, and the issue numbering restarts with No. 1, Spring 1966 through No. 4, Winter 1966-67. Also includes Hike Schedules for Summer 1966-Winter 1966-1967.

Also includes Hike Schedules for Spring 1967-Winter 1967-68.

Also includes Hike Schedules for Spring 1968-Winter 1968-69.

Also includes Hike Schedules for Spring 1969-Winter 1969-70.

Also includes Hike Schedules for Summer 1970 and Winter 1970-71.

Also includes Hike Schedules for Spring 1971-Winter 1970-71.

Also includes Hike Schedules for Spring 1972-Winter 1972-73.

Also includes Hike Schedules for Spring 1973-Winter 1973-74.

Also includes Hike Schedules for Spring 1974-Summer 1974.

Also includes Hike Schedules for Spring 1975-Winter 1975-76.

Also includes Hike Schedules for Spring 1975 and Fall 1976.

Also includes Hike Schedules for Spring 1977-Winter 1977-78.

Also includes Hike Schedules for Spring 1978-Winter 1978-79.

Spring 1979 is numbered Vol. 39, No. 1; Summer 1979 is Vol. 40, No. 1; Autumn 1979 is Vol. 40, No. 3; and Winter 1979 is Vol. 40, No. 4. Also includes Hike Schedules for Spring 1979-Winter 1979.

Also includes Hike Schedules for Spring 1980-Winter 1980. [Please note: Vol. 40 seems to have been skipped in the numbering system for the Trail Blazer.]

Also includes Hike Schedules for Fall 1981 and Summer [1981?]. The Winter Hike Schedule is included in the Winter 1981 Trail Blazer.

Hike schedules are included with the Trail Blazer issues for Spring 1982, Fall 1982, and Winter 1982.

Also includes minutes of the executive board meeting on July 18, 1986.

Also includes minutes of the executive board meeting on August 26, 1988, and RATC By-laws revised on November 5, 1988.

The December 1990 issue is the Winter 1990-1991 issue.

Starting with Winter 1995, the winter issues switch to the start of the year instead of the end.

The Land Tract Files are also called RATC Green Books and contain legal records of lands acquired by NPS after 1978 Congressional funding. These are bound by tract number. Most of these materials are photocopies of legal records documenting land acquisitions, including legal judgments, land ownership histories, foreclosure documents, leases and contracts with gas and electric companies, deeds and trusts, wills and genealogies regarding inheritance rights, land surveys and inspection records, appraisals and environmental assessments, financial documents and insurance certificates, photographs, maps, and correspondence with land owners, attorneys, court clerks, and others.

As most of the documents are photocopies, the dates are based on the originals, not on when the photocopies may have been created. Some of the photocopies are also of poor quality and illegible. Some of the legal documents contain social security numbers, and these bound files are restricted.

This series document the RATC's work with the Appalachian Trail Conference (also Conservancy), U.S. National Park Service, and U.S. Forest Service to acquire and monitor property and to build and relocate trails.

Written by Diana Christopulos, RATC Archivist

Also spelled Anne's Cabin.

This is a photocopy.

Includes newspaper clippings and a history of the AT with focus on Virginia and a copy of H 160 approved by the General Assembly of Virginia on March 4, 1971, to allow Virginia to acquire lands and enter into agreements pertaining to the AT.

Mostly relates to the Buhrman Tract.

Contains a handdrawn map by Thomas Campbell from about the 1960s and a transcription and description of the map with history note by Diana Christopulos in 2024.

Also includes the Hiking Schedule for the Southwestern Virginia Relocation.

Includes RATC brochures, 1966 hiking brochure, local management plan maps, a photocopy of the 1997 Memorandum of Understanding for the Appalachian National Scenic Trail between the Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club and the Appalachian Trail Conference, and the RATC 1991 Management Plan for the Appalachian Trail with notes by Diana Christopulos on March 3, 2024.

Includes Spring 1991 Trail Blazer and a phone tree.

The 1996 and 2008 items were printed off the internet in 2022.

Includes letters about donations and gifts.

Probably created by T. J. Kent. Includes list of items in album created in 2023.

Includes list of items in album created in 2023.

[Removed from photograph album.]

Includes press release about the Appalachian Trail Museum's Hall of Fame's class of 2022, including Jim and Molly Denton of Front Royal, Virginia, and interview notes from Diana Christopulos with two of the Denton's three children.

Includes photocopies of documents from 1930s and issues of the Appalachian Trailway News.

Although the histories are from around the 1980s, there are some notes from around the 2020s.

Includes a transcription of a January 24, 1951 history by L. H. Powell, transcribed by Diana Christopulos on March 20, 2020, but not the original 1951 history by Powell.

Includes notes about T. J. Kent's history notes by Diana Christopulos, RATC Archivist, November 11, 2022, and transcription and annotations of 1933 report of RATC by Christopulos, March 20, 2020.

The second series contains files created, collected, or maintained by people affiliated with the RATC, both officers and individual members, about the history and operation of the RATC. It is divided into eight sub-series by person and in chronological order. Each subseries is organized based on topic, and original order is maintained where possible.

Also contains a list of files for box.

Includes a letter from Senator Harry F. Byrd, Jr., about legislation.

Includes organizational charts for the ATC.

Majority is correspondence about trail maintenance and relocation projects or suggestions and related maps.

Contains documents regarding Virginia being "the first state to execute an agreement for the protection and management of the Appalachian Trail."

Some documents pertain to property owners and AT relocations.

Documents discuss purchasing the Buhrman tract of land near Fullhardt Knob and relocation of the AT between Tinker Mountain and Fullhardt Knob, potentially through the Buhrman tract.

Includes admittance of the Virginia Tech Outing Club to the ATC and assignment of a portion of AT for the club to maintain.

Includes William L. Gordge, RATC president's correspondence. Includes admittance of the Virginia Tech Outing Club to the ATC and assignment of a portion of AT for the club to maintain.

Includes organizational charts for the ATC.

Includes documents granting land use for relocating AT on Peters Mountain via land owned by Celanese Corporation, Pocahontas Land Corporation, the National Gypsum Company, and individuals.

Majority of documents regard planning in 1957-1958 for the 14th Meeting of the ATC at Mountain Lake Hotel in Mountain Lake (Giles County), Virginia, in 1958.

Both issues contain articles about AT relocations by RATC.

[Removed from binder.]

Includes shelter log.

Includes agendas, minutes, financial documents, and other supporting documents, including documents from committees, ATC, and NPS.

Also includes ATC's The Register newsletter, Vol. 24, No. 6, Spring 2001.

This is a user survey study carried out by the NPS in partnership with the University of Vermont and Penn State University. [Removed from binder.]

Also includes brochures about NPS and the AT.

Also includes tax-related documents and newsletters for other organizations.

Relates to the Greenbrier Pipeline Project that would cross the AT.

This contains the Memorandum of Agreement for the Management of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail between the NPS and U. S. Forest Service.

Appalachian Trailway News article about Jim and Molly Tabor Denton and Tom and Charlene Campbell

Prepared for NPS by Federal Highway Administration's Eastern Federal Lands Highway Division

Includes some non-biking AT printed materials.

Items discuss naming the Sinking Creek shelter as the Sarver Hollow Shelter and its dedication. There are also some documents related to the Sarver Cabin or Sarver Home Site.

Includes a copy of the RATC's "Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation".

Celebrates the 75th anniversary of the ATC.

Also contains a report about invasive species on the AT.

Includes undated photographs.

The trail diary includes a letter to Katherine Cochran.

Includes article, "National Trail Bill Sent to Congress" by Bill Cochran.

Includes clippings about Audie Murphy's 1972 plane crash and hiking the AT, several relating to Ed Garvey.

Includes 1982 letter to Bill Cochran, a write up on Damascus Trail Days by Bill Cochran, and clippings about trail towns and the RATC celebrating its 50th anniversary.

Includes a letter to Bill Cochran, ca. 1996.

Includes clippings about the McAfee Knob closure from 1978 to 1987, McAfee Knob in general, history of the AT, and AT land acquisition.

Includes clippings about the murders of Susan Ramsey and Robert Mountford in 1981, Molly LaRue and Geoffrey L. Hood in 1990, and the murders of Julianne Williams and Lollie Winans in 1996.

Includes 1970s hike schedules illustrated by Campbell, 1993 article about hike led by Campbell, and a note about Campbell in the RATC from Diana Christopulos, February 16, 2024.

Includes biographical information.

Includes letter and thank you note from 1991.

The Trail Blazer issue contains an article about the Campbell Shelter. The cover is missing, but it is probably the Fall 1989 issue.

Includes Campbell Shelter, Catawba Shelter, New Wilson Creek Shelter, Wapitu Shelter, and Big Pond Shelter Move. The photos in this folder remain in their original groupings.

Includes 1987 ATC Conference at Lynchburg College and Natural Bridge. Please note: there are remnants of a rubberband attached to some photos.

These photos were grouped together but have no identifying information.

The photos in this folder are without identifying information and remain in their original groupings.

Some materials are the papers of Lauren Taylor Holnback and of Eric Nasar from the Trust for AT Lands.

[Removed from binder.]

Also includes management brochures. [Removed from binder.]

[Removed from binder.]

Topics include the Trail and Land Management Committee and Carvins Cove easement. [Removed from binder.]

Includes memoranda about land tracts.

Includes Tract 476-32.

Includes Tract 477-22, Parcels A and B.

Includes Tracts 478-34, 478-35, 478-36, and 478-37.

Includes monument sets.

Documents concern the Chesapeake Bay Program and Agreement related to the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Documents relate to the acquisition of the Shell Tract along the Elk River in Tennessee.

Documents relate to the Turner Tract on North Mountain in Virginia.

Documents relate to the Roy and Tillie Wood's home the Woodshole, where AT hikers were invited to stay.

Documents are about attempting to make Blackwater Canyon a national park.

Documents are about the USFS Forest Legacy Program and Virginia's Forest Legacy program.

Includes reports from Griggs and Mullinix of the ATC Land Trust.

Most materials specifically relate to the Western Virginia Land Trust.

Includes information on Andy Layne Trail.

Includes information on Roanoke Greenways and on laws.

[Removed from binder.]

Biographical / historical:

The Appalachian Trail (AT), a hiking trail along the Appalachian Mountains in the United States, was first proposed by Bernard MacKaye in 1921, and two years later, the first section opened in New York State. In 1925, the Appalachian Trail Conference (ATC) formed to help manage the maintenance and conservation of the AT, and in 2005, the ATC was renamed Appalachian Trail Conservancy. As of 2025, the AT spans almost 2,200 miles in 14 states from Maine to Georgia, with 25% of the trail traversing Virginia and 30 local AT clubs affiliated with the ATC.

Local hiking clubs began organizing to build and maintain the AT and joining the ATC in the 1920s and 1930s. In October 1932, Donald S. Gates, a professor at Roanoke College, gathered several hikers and local groups to discuss forming an AT club in the Roanoke area. At a second meeting in October, Myron H. Avery, the chairman of the ATC, and members from the Potomac and Natural Bridge AT Clubs joined them to explain various aspects of their work.

On November 13, 1932, the Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club (RATC) was officially established with 17 charter members, including the first officers: president Gates, secretary E. B. Coxwell, treasurer Larry Pownall, and trail supervisor David Dick. Grace Pownall was appointed vice president about two (2) weeks later. The ATC initially assigned the RATC 55 miles of the trail to manage, but by the club's first anniversary, the section had expanded to 68.29 miles.

As of 2025, the RATC covers over 120 miles, including McAfee Knob, Dragon's Tooth, and Tinker Cliffs. The organization continues its original mission to maintain and protect the Appalachian Trail; develops and maintains trails, campsites, open shelters, and permanent camps on the AT; collects data about the history, scenery, geology, flora, and fauna of the Appalachian Mountains; prepares maps and guides for hiking, camping, and forest fire prevention; and participates in and advocates for the development of laws and regulations related to the AT and the Appalachian Mountains.

Biographical notes for several RATC members are included in the inventory under Series II.

External Sources:

Box 13, Folder 48, "RATC Histories Written in 1980s," of this collection

Box 13, Folder 52, "RATC Histories Written in 1950s," of this collection

Box 13, Folder 53, "RATC History, 1932-1945," of this collection

Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club, https://www.ratc.org/, accessed May 1, 2024.

By-Laws of the Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club, Inc., Rev. March 12, 2016, https://www.ratc.org/wp-content/uploads/documents/bylaws.pdf, accessed May 1, 2024.

Diana Christopulos, "How Three Hiking Clubs Became the Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club," RATC.org, https://www.ratc.org/how-three-hiking-clubs-became-the-roanoke-appalachian-trail-club/, accessed September 25, 2025.

Appalachian Trail Conservancy, https://appalachiantrail.org/, accessed October 3, 2025.

Thomas Healy "Tom" Campbell (1899-1986) attended the College of William and Mary from 1915 to 1916 and Richmond College (now University of Richmond) from 1917 to 1919. He married Charlene Lunsford (1902-1986) in 1922, and they had a daughter. In 1965, they both left their employers. Tom retired as Chief Investigator in the Auditor's office of the Norfolk and Western Railway, while Charlene left her employer of 20 years, Roanoke-based retail chain Heironimus.

Tom joined the Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club in 1947, and Charlene followed suit several years later. Each served in several offices for RATC, including Tom as President from 1950-1951. He also served on the Appalachian Trail Conference's Board of Managers from 1950-1975, including fourteen (14) years as Vice Chairman (1961-1975). Tom was also a charter member of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail Advisory Committee.

Sources:

Box 12, Folder 3, "[Biographical information about Thomas and Charlene Campbell]," of this collection

"Thomas Healy Campbell," Findagrave.com, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/84378864/thomas-healy-campbell, accessed September 18, 2025.

"Charlene Lunsford Campbell," Findagrave.com, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/84378830/charlene-campbell, accessed September 18, 2025.

The Spider (Richmond College yearbook), Vols. 16-17, 1918-1919, available online from the University of Richmond, https://scholarship.richmond.edu/the-spider/, accessed September 19, 2025.

Biographical note by Diana Christopulos, Feb. 18, 2025: "Marie and John Otey were RATC volunteers in the early 1950s, and they worked on the relocations led by Jimmy Denton near the Blue Ridge Parkway and around Roanoke. They joined in late 1949 and were active 1950-55. John was Assistant Trail Supervisor in 1952, 1953, 1955. He was also active on the Publicity Committee and took numerous photos on the Trail."

John Otway Otey, Jr. (1906-1980) married Goldie Marie Dean Peters (1906-1989) in 1950. John worked as a clerk for Norfolk and Western Railway, while Marie worked as a stenographer or secretary.

Sources:

Box 13, Folder 54, "[Notes and correspondence about the Otey Family Papers]," of this collection

U.S. Federal Census, 1940-1950, accessed online from Ancestry.com on September 19, 2025.

"John Otway Otey Jr.," Findagrave.com, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/185149412/john-otway-otey, accessed September 19, 2025.

"Goldie Marie Dean Otey," Findagrave.com, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/207412197/goldie_marie-otey, accessed September 19, 2025.

"John Otway Otey" in the Virginia, U.S., Marriage Records, 1936-2014, Ancestry.com, https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/search/collections/9279/records/11741905, accessed September 19, 2025.

Dick Clark has served in numerous positions in the RATC from the 1980s to 2010s, including hikemaster (1984-1994), vice president (1998-2000), president (2000-2003), and counselor (2003-2015).

Clark was appointed by the Roanoke City Council to serve on the Mill Mountain Advisory Committee from 1999 to 2014, and he served as vice chair during his tenure.

Sources:

Box 13, Folder 44, "RATC Board Members and Ancillaries, 1932-99 compiled by Diana Christopulos and Pam Wolsey, 2023-24," of this collection

Box 3, Trail Blazer newsletters, of this collection

Trail Blazer newsletters, Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club, https://www.ratc.org/newsletter/, accessed Oct. 2, 2025.

Matt Chittum, "Mountain advisers up for an upgrade," The Roanoke Times, p. B1, April 6, 2014, accessed online from NewsBank on October 2, 2025.

Matt Chittum, "Fancier Franklin bridge suggested," The Roanoke Times, p. B1, June 3, 2014, accessed online from NewsBank on October 2, 2025.

William Neal "Bill" Cochran (1937-2024) was a journalist who focused on the outdoors, writing for The Roanoke Times from 1962 until 2018–two (2) decades after retiring as the newspaper's outdoors editor in 1998. His coverage included many trail hikes with the Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club, conservation issues in Virginia, and outdoor sporting and the Appalachian Trail. Cochran received 10 awards from the Virginia Press Association, was honored by the Virginia General Assembly with the House Joint Resolution 520 "Commending Bill Cochran" in 1999, and was the 2009 media inductee in the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame.

Cochran graduated from Lynchburg College (now University of Lynchburg) with a bachelor's degree in English in 1960, and he served in the Virginia National Guard. He married Katherine Gravett in 1965, and they had a son. They operated the Cross Trails Bed and Breakfast near the Appalachian Trail in Catawba from 1995 to 2003 as well as a Christmas tree farm in West Virginia.

Sources:

Mark Taylor, "Legendary Roanoke outdoors writer Bill Cochran dies," Cardinal News, July 1, 2024, https://cardinalnews.org/2024/07/01/legendary-roanoke-outdoors-writer-bill-cochran-dies/, accessed September 19, 2025.

Obituary for William N. "Bill" Cochran, The Roanoke Times, July 7, 2024, available online from Legacy.com, https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/roanoke/name/william-cochran-obituary?id=55481593, accessed September 19, 2025.

Mark Berman, "Bill Cochran | 1937-2024: Outdoors editor was 'an institution'," The Roanoke Times, July 2, 2024, p. A1 and A6, accessed online from NewsBank on September 19, 2025.

"Bill Cochran," Virginia Sports Hall of Fame, https://vasportshof.com/inductee/bill-cochran/, accessed September 19, 2025.

"Virginia HJ520 Commending Bill Cochran," Policy Engage, https://trackbill.com/bill/virginia-house-joint-resolution-520-commending-bill-cochran/512861/, accessed September 19, 2025.

"William Neal Cochran" in the Virginia, U.S., Marriage Records, 1936-2014, Ancestry.com, https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/search/collections/9279/records/12779996, accessed September 19, 2025.

Zetta Marie Campbell (1930-2024) joined the Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club in 1959. She also served as secretary (1964-1965, 1968-1969, 1983-1984) and editor of the Trail Blazer newsletter (1970-1977). Campbell also illustrated the hike schedules in the 1970s and led hikes until at least 2019. She received the Appalachian Trail Park Office's Silver Service Award in 2002.

Sources:

Box 13, Folder 66, "1970s - Zetta Campbell Drawings/Hike Scheds," of this collection

Box 19, Folder 33, "Sigfried and Ursula Kolmstetter Obituaries," of this collection

Box 13, Folder 44, "RATC Board Members and Ancillaries, 1932-99 compiled by Diana Christopulos and Pam Wolsey, 2023-24," of this collection

Obituary for Zetta Campbell, The Roanoke Times, July 5, 2024, p. A6, available online from Legacy.com, https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/roanoke/name/zetta-campbell-obituary?id=55488335, accessed September 22, 2025.

"Zetta Marie Campbell", Findagrave.com, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/272121036/zetta_marie-campbell, accessed September 22, 2025.

Charles Parry (1942-2010) joined the Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club in 1972, serving as the Trail Supervisor from 1979 until his death. He received the Appalachian Trail Park Office's Silver Service Award in 2002 and was inducted into the Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame in 2017, the first RATC member to receive this honor.

Parry graduated from the State University of New York College at Oswego (now State University of New York at Oswego) and earned a master's and a Ph.D. in mathematics from Michigan State University around 1969 or 1970. He was a professor of mathematics at Virginia Tech from 1971 until his retirement in 2010, establishing a research program in number theory, helping to design mathematics courses for computer science students, and serving as Math Club adviser.

Sources:

Box 13, Folder 44, "RATC Board Members and Ancillaries, 1932-99 compiled by Diana Christopulos and Pam Wolsey, 2023-24," of this collection

Box 13, Folder 67, "Charles Parry AT Hall of Fame," of this collection

Box 19, Folder 33, "Sigfried and Ursula Kolmstetter Obituaries," of this collection

"Charles Parry honored with emeritus status," Virginia Tech News, October 19, 2010, https://news.vt.edu/content/news_vt_edu/en/articles/2010/10/101910-science-parry.html, accessed September 18, 2025.

"In memoriam: Charles Parry, emeritus professor of mathematics," Virginia Tech News, January 10, 2011, https://news.vt.edu/articles/2011/01/011011-science-parry.html, accessed September 18, 2025.

Obituary for Charles John Parry, The Roanoke Times, December 28, 2010, p. A12, accessed online from NewsBank on September 18, 2025.

Mark Taylor, "Math teacher devoted himself to AT," The Roanoke Times, December 28, 2010, accessed online from NewsBank on October 2, 2025.

"Charles J. Parry," Findagrave.com, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/232281708/charles-j-parry, accessed September 18, 2025.

Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame, "2017 Class," Appalachian Trail Museum, https://www.atmuseum.org/2017-class.html, accessed September 18, 2025.

Siegfried and Ursula Kolmstetter joined the RATC in 1971. Siegfried served as vice president (1974) and counselor (1972-1973), while both volunteered as hike leaders for decades. The couple maintained the McAfee Knob section of the AT for over 25 years, until the couple moved out of the area in 1996. Siegfried received the Appalachian Trail Park Office's Silver Service Award in 2002.

At the end of World War II in May 1945, 17-year-old Ursula Edith Walter (1927-2023) was captured by the Russian Army and imprisoned at the Theresienstadt prison camp. Eight (8) months after her imprisonment, she escaped and moved to West Germany, where she met Siegfried J. Kolmstetter (1921-2019). They married in 1952 and had several children. The Kolmstetters immigrated to the U.S. in 1957, settling in Roanoke in 1970. Siegfried was a physician for the Veterans Administration Hospital in Salem from 1970 to 1998. He received the hospital's Hands and Heart Award in 1992.

Sources:

Box 19, Folder 33, "Sigfried and Ursula Kolmstetter Obituaries," of this collection

Box 13, Folder 44, "RATC Board Members and Ancillaries, 1932-99 compiled by Diana Christopulos and Pam Wolsey, 2023-24," of this collection

Obituary for Ursula Edith Kolmstetter, The Roanoke Times, January 3, 2024, available online from Legacy.com, https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/roanoke/name/ursula-kolmstetter-obituary?id=53995534, accessed September 19, 2025.

Dan Casey, "Physician was caretaker for people, trails," The Roanoke Times, March 28, 2019, p. 1-2, accessed online from NewsBank on September 22, 2025.

Andy Layne (1912-1991) joined the Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club in 1978. He led numerous hikes and helped with hike scheduling; attended workhikes and backpacking trips; and oversaw a section of the trail. Layne also served in several positions on the RATC Board, including shelter supervisor (1980), vice president (1981), and counselor (1985-1986). On the 10th anniversary of his death, the Andy Layne Trail in the Tinker Cliffs area was dedicated in his memory.

Source:

Box 19, Folder 46, "[Andy Layne biographical information]," of this collection

Roger Holnback joined the RATC in 1996 and served in numerous positions, including as president (2006-2009, 2015-2016), vice president (2003-2006, 2016-2017), land management supervisor (2009-2013), and conservation supervisor (2013-2015). He also was an ATC Land Trust coordinator and Roanoke Valley Greenways liaison in the 2000s and 2010s. His wife Lauren Taylor Holnback was also an RATC member.

Holnback served as executive director of the Western Virginia Land Trust (2001-2012), which worked with the City of Roanoke and other groups to place over 11,000 acres of Carvins Cove Natural Reserve under a conservation easement in 2008 and 2009. He was given the Roanoke Valley Cool Cities Coalition's Cool Citizens award in 2012. Later, he was chairman of the Blue Ridge Soil and Water Conservation District and president of the Pathfinders for Greenways.

Sources:

Box 3, Trail Blazer newsletters, of this collection

Trail Blazer newsletters, Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club, https://www.ratc.org/newsletter/, accessed Oct. 2, 2025.

Mason Adams, "From land and air, teams work to preserve Carvins Cove's aura," The Roanoke Times, January 6, 2011, accessed online from NewsBank on October 2, 2025.

"Western Virginia Land Trust director steps down," The Roanoke Times, February 10, 2012, accessed online from NewsBank on October 2, 2025.

Danielle Dunaway, "Cool Citizens awards laud energy-efficient efforts," The Roanoke Times, March 16, 2012, accessed online from NewsBank on October 2, 2025.

Sam Wall, "Hinchee Park opens in Roanoke County - Hinchee Park opens in Roanoke County," The Roanoke Times, September 29, 2019, accessed online from NewsBank on October 2, 2025.

"Board and Staff," Blue Ridge Soil and Water Conservation District website, https://www.brswcd.org/team-2, accessed October 2, 2025.

Linda Akers joined the RATC in 1969 or 1970. She served in numerous positions on the board, including secretary (1981-1982), editor of the Trail Blazer (1982-1985), and social chair (1987-1999, 2013-2017). She received the Appalachian Trail Park Office's Silver Service Award in 2002.

Sources:

Box 17, Folder 41, "[Linda Akers Interview notes by Diana Christopulos]," of this collection

Box 19, Folder 33, "Sigfried and Ursula Kolmstetter Obituaries," of this collection

Acquisition information:

The collection was donated to Special Collections and University Archives in several accruals from 2023 to 2025. Future donations are expected.

Appraisal information:

Duplicates, blank notepads, empty envelopes, and binders were removed from collection. Some documents with confidential or private information were returned to the Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club.

Processing information:

The processing, arrangement, and description of the Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club Records was completed in October 2025. Box 16 was completed in March 2026.

Arrangement:

The Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club Records are arranged into series and subseries by subject, based primarily on the descriptions by the RATC. Original order of files provided by the RATC is maintained where possible. Folder titles are original, except text within brackets [].

Series I: RATC Management, [ca. 1840s?], [ca. 1880s]-2024 (bulk 1932-2016)

Subseries A: RATC Meeting Minutes, 1940-1959, 1968-2004, 2022
Subseries B: RATC By-Laws and Rosters, 1955, 1960, 1972-1993
Subseries C: RATC Newsletters and Hike Schedules, 1939-1942, 1954-2010
Subseries D: Monitoring the Appalachian Trail: Land Tract Files, [ca. 1840s?], [ca. 1880s]-2010 (bulk 1980s-2010) - Please note, many of these documents are photocopies, and the dates are based on the originals.
Subseries E: Acquisitions and Relocations, 1949, 1955, [ca. 1960s]-1997, 2024
Subseries F: Management Plans and Conservation Issues, 1964-1982, 1991-2003, 2010, 2016, 2024
Subseries G: General Files, 1952, 1958, 1971-2014
Subseries H: RATC Historical Materials, 1932-1962, 1977-2000, 2020-[ca. 2024]

Series II: RATC Officers and Members, 1939-2025

This series contains files created, collected, or maintained by people affiliated with the RATC, both officers and individual members. It is divided into eight sub-series by person and in chronological order. Each subseries is organized based on topic, and original order is maintained where possible.

Subseries A: Thomas Campbell, 1939-2024 (bulk 1950s-1970s)
Subseries B: Otey Family, 1949-1953, 2024-2025, undated
Subseries C: Dick Clark, 1953-2006 (bulk 1980s-2000s)
Subseries D: Bill Cochran, 1966-2018
Subseries E: Zetta Campbell, 1972-1976, 1993, 2024
Subseries F: Charles Parry, 1972-2024 (bulk 1970s-1990s)
Subseries G: Sigfried and Ursula Kolmstetter, 1972-1996, 2019, 2024
Subseries H: Andy Layne, 1977-1990, undated
Subseries I: Roger Holnback, 1980-2012 (bulk 1990s-2000s)
Subseries J: Linda Akers, [ca. 1983]-1992, 2000-2015, 2022

Physical location:

Please note: This collection is in off-site storage and requires 2-3 days notice for retrieval. Please contact Special Collections and University Archives for more information.

Indexed terms

Subjects:: Environmental protection
Local/Regional History and Appalachian South
Names:: Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club (Roanoke, Va.)
Places:: Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Trail
Roanoke (Va.)
Virginia, Southwest

Collection