The collection is open for research.
The copyright status of this collection is unknown. 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.
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [identification of item], [box], [folder], Roanoke, Virginia, Scrapbook, Ms1932-001, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.
The Roanoke, Virginia, Scrapbook was acquired by Newman Library prior to 1933.
The processing and description of the Roanoke, Virginia, Scrapbook commenced and was completed in February 2011.
The city now known as Roanoke was founded as the town of Big Lick in 1852 and chartered under that name in 1874. Growth of the community was spurred when it became the the site of the Norfolk & Western Railway's junction with the Shenandoah Valley Railroad. Big Lick grew with the success of the railroad; the town's name was changed to Roanoke in 1882, and it was chartered as an independent city in 1884. By 1930, the city's population had reached sixty-nine thousand; by 2000, the population of Roanoke had reached ninety-six thousand.
This collection consists of a single scrapbook, apparently compiled by officials of the city of Roanoke to promote Roanoke as the site of a proposed new Veterans Administration hospital in Southwest Virginia. The scrapbook, bearing the title "Roanoke, Virginia: Exhibits," describes the city's cultural, social, and economic advantages through descriptive essays, photographs, city reports, maps, and ephemera. It is divided into the following sections: Transportation, Climate, History and geography, Population, [Living conditions], Recreational facilities, Sanitation, [Costs], Hotels, Social services, Medical and hospital inventory, [City services], Utilities, [Schools and churches], and Locations. Among the printed materials assembled for the scrapbook are railroad timetables, restaurant menus, travel brochures, a VPI vs. VMI football program, a Roanoke College catalog, and the city's annual report and comprehensive plan. Photographs within the scrapbook include images of hotels, hospitals, parks, a theater, and other city scenes.
The guide to the Roanoke, Virginia, Scrapbook by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 (https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/).