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Captain Henry Brown had many interests in his long life apart from the purely commercial activities upon which his considerable fortune was built. Included in this box are the papers relating to his other interests: Papers of Captain Henry Brown as Sheriff of Bedford County, Treasurer of the New London Academy Meeting House and of the New London Agricultural Society, and as executor of the estates of his brother, Daniel Brown, and father-in-law, John Thompson.

John Thompson Brown (1802-1836) was born at Otter Hills, near Bedford, Virginia and was the son of Henry Brown (1760-1841). He attended the New London Academy, 1816; studied at Princeton, 1817-1820; traveled to the South and the West Indies, 1821; and studied law with Judge Creed Taylor in Cumberland County, Virginia, 1822-1823. He began his law practice in Clarksburg, Virginia (later West Virginia), in 1824, and represented Harrison County in the House of Delegates, 1827-1830. He was a member of the Virginia Constitutional Convention of 1829-1830. He married Mary E. Willcox June, 1830, and moved to Petersburg, where he again was elected to the General Assembly, 1831-1836. He was a delegate to the national convention of the Republican (now Democratic) Party, but died on 20 November 1836, at his father's home, Otter Hills, after a brief illness. The first two letters in Box 14 date from the period of his attendance at New London Academy; then follow the papers relating to Princeton, where he matriculated in 1817 at the age of 19. He was placed in the Sophomore Class on the basis of an examination before the faculty, and received the highest mark given at the College, in each of the three years he spent at the College. His report sheets show the requirements for entrance, lists of courses, and contain a resolution passed by the trustees which condemned the sharp practices of the merchants in town. Some of the correspondence of John Thompson Brown with his brother-in-law Dr. William B. Steptoe in this period is interesting for the comments it contains on the Missouri question and other matters then being debated in the U.S. Senate. The remarks made by John Thompson Brown in letters from his collegiate period may be compared with his statements on the subject of slavery later made on the floor of the House of Delegates. After graduating from Princeton, John Thompson Brown traveled to the South, and made a brief trip to the West Indies, keeping notes on his impressions. Upon his return he took up the study of law with Judge Taylor. From this period come interesting musings on such subjects as "the family fireside," "youthful recollection," "friendship," and "behavior of a lawyer if he is to succeed." His license to practice law, dated 7 March 1824, is included in the collection. He journeyed to Clarksburg, Virginia, to set up his law practice, and kept a notebook on the trip West which reveal his first impressions of the Clarksburg area. At the end of this box is a scrapbook containing some of his published writings, speeches, and newspaper articles.

This subseries includes memorabilia, sheet music, newspapers, and images related to T.J. Jackson, the Civil War, and Jackson's Mill. For additional T.J. Jackson material, see also Series 6, Thomas J. (Stonewall) Jackson Papers; Series 8, Bound Notebooks; and Series 14, Glass Plate Negatives.

This subseries includes oversize manuscripts, most of which pertain to West Virginia. West Virginia materials include pre- and post-statehood indentures, land grants, other legal documents, letters, certificates, and other formats pertaining to Barbour, Berkeley, Fayette, Hampshire, Hardy, Marshall, Ohio, Raleigh, and Tyler Counties. Additional indentures and land grants pertain to England (1650-1671, 1720-1721, 1833), and to Maryland, Virginia, and Texas.

This sub-series includes the materials Kemp collected and produced while researching, documenting, and preserving bridges. Kemp demonstrated that bridges almost entirely determined the successful transportation of goods and people across bodies of water. He collected an abundance of material about the history and preservation of wooden covered bridges and wire suspension bridges, especially in West Virginia.

This sub-series includes the materials Kemp collected and produced while researching major individuals in the history of engineering. It also includes Kemp's study of eighteenth, nineteenth, and early-twentieth century trends in civil engineering. Finally, the series includes miscellaneous materials from Kemp's study of historical topics that are not associated with engineering at all.

This sub-series includes the materials that Kemp and the IHTIA collected and produced while studying, documenting, and preserving historic buildings. Kemp mostly studied the engineering principles behind buildings, and primarily focused on non-ornate industrial buildings.

This sub-series includes the materials Kemp collected and produced while researching, documenting, and preserving other major industries and their associated structures. These industrial structures fall outside the realm of bridges, buildings, or waterways. This series also includes Kemp's research on industrial archaeology.

This sub-series includes the materials Kemp collected and produced while researching, documenting, and preserving waterways. He studied the effect of structures such as canals, lock systems, and dams on flood control and commercial navigation. The series includes his research and drafts from two major book projects: The Great Kanawha Navigation and Taming the Muskingum .