Collections : [Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University]

The Alexander Farish Robertson Papers contains correspondence, account books, and assorted documents, dating from 1867 to 1931. The majority of the material pertains to the legal practice of Robertson (1853-1938) who as an attorney, made a specialty of chancery and fiduciary matters.

The collection consists of records from the Blacksburg Baptist Church, currently known as Church on Main in Blacksburg. The boxes contain materials related to financial records, minutes, church history, scrapbooks, photographs, ledger books, cassette tapes, correspondence, and more. The collection is organized based on organizations and types of records. This includes the Baptist Young People's Union, Church Building Committee, Church Bulletins, Correspondences, Financials, Leadership, Manuscripts, Membership, Photographs, Women's Missionary Society, and Women's Missionary Union. There are also printed out copies of microfilm pages which have been sorted into the "microfilm copies" and "permanent file copies." Many of the documents in these two series are duplicates of the original materials found in the other series. Some of the materials in the microfilm and permanent file copies are not found in the originals.

The Blake W. Corson, Jr., Papers are comprised of professional and personal files, correspondence, and published materials from 1861-1984 (bulk, 1934-1979), primarily relating to Corson's (1908-1991) career as an engineer at NASA Langley.

The Blue Ridge Springs Correspondence contains two letters, a small note, and seven postcards. The seven postcards dated 1910-1942 are addressed to Elizabeth "Bettie" Gross (1875-1964) of Bedford County and her husband William "Bill" Gross (1865-1946), a merchant from Bedford County. The letters and the note are from Lucy M. Thomas (1865-1933), of Bedford County, Virginia, to Joseph Ferries (1865-1955), a farmer in Blue Ridge Springs, Botetourt County, Virginia. Thomas and Ferries later married in Bedford County, Virginia, in 1907. Bettie Gross and Joseph Ferries were siblings.

The Elliott Johnston Correspondence includes three letters from Sergeant Elliott Johnston to Col. John S. Mosby on the topic of relaying information from General Lee to General Early during the Civil War, some 30+ years prior.

The Henry Clay Deshields Collection contains letters sent to Sarah Deshields from Henry Clay Deshields during his service in the Confederate Army between 1861 and 1865. The collection also contains biographical information on Henry Clay Deshields and the book, Civil War Echoes: Voices from Virginia (1860-1891) by James I. Robertson, Jr. There is also a framed CSA Service Appointment Document dated May 1861.

This collection includes three series of papers of Henry C. Wysor and his family members. The first series comprises personal correspondence sent to Henry C. Wysor, his wife Mary E. Wysor who is sometimes referred to as Mrs. Henry C. Wysor, and his daughter Mary S. Wysor. The second series consists of papers regarding Henry C. Wysor's two businesses, his Apple Orchard and Life Insurance Branch. The Apple Orchard papers include correspondences and ledger paper sheets. The Life Insurance Branch consists of correspondences from the insurance company and clients inquiring about their policy or making payments. The third series consists of personal papers from Henry C. Wysor and his son Henry Wysor. There are two handwritten agreements between Henry C. Wysor and others. Henry C. Wysor Writings contains letters written by him and short stories. His personal invoices and receipts are also included in this series.

The collection consists of four letters, all written while Henry James was in England, one each to Lady Grace Baring, "Mrs. Sheridan," the Society of Authors, and writer George Gissing.

This collection includes the papers of James R. Perdue and his family. Items include a program for the Battle of the Crater reunion, a Sunday School concert flyer, seven obituaries for Perdue, a letter from J. R. Perdue, Jr., and two ledgers. Perdue (1837-1915) was a banker from Manchester, Virginia, and served as a Confederate soldier in the Otey Battery, Virginia Artillery during the American Civil War.

This collection contains 14 letters from John T. (J. T.) Price to his wife, Frances Price, between 1862-1864, while J. T. Price (1841-1864) was fighting in the American Civil War for the Confederacy. The letters contain information about Price's physical health, his regiment's movements, and everyday living conditions. Ten of the letters are accompanied with transcriptions and photocopies. There are also 5 original envelopes and 1 photocopied envelope, all undated, to Frances Price. There is also a photocopy of biographical information about J. T. Price from North Carolina Troops, 1861-1865: A Roster, Vol. II: Cavalry, compiled by Louis H. Manarin (Raleigh, N. C.: State Department of Archives and History, 1968).