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.
The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collection Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu).
[identification of item], [box #, folder #], John V. Coxe Papers, 1933 - 1987, SC 0153, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA.
JMU Special Collections received this collection on deposit from the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Historical Society in February 1998.
This material was originally in a three ring binder, with photos attached to black construction paper and captions typed on separate slips of paper. Approval was secured from Scott Suter, Historical Society Curator, for purposes of long-term preservation, to remove photos from the black paper and reaffix on acid-free bond paper with captions typed as they appeared in the original scrapbook. In the original scrapbook, some photographs were placed behind other photographs; in the new arrangement all photographs are affixed individually. Newspaper clippings were reproduced on acid-free paper.
In order to streamline the process of applying collection numbers, Special Collections staff completed a large-scale renumbering campaign in the spring of 2017.
The Civilian Conservation Corps was created as a part of Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal in 1933 and operated until 1942 to provide employment during the Depression to young, unmarried men ages 18-25. All work related to the conservation of natural resources and resulted in the creation of the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. Camp NIRA, named after the National Industrial Recovery Administration, was established on June 20, 1933 and was the third camp created in the Shenandoah National Park along Skyline Drive. It was located near Spotswood, one of the main entrances to the Park, along a south slope and protected by Bald Face Mountain. John V. Coxe, known as "Jack," was a part of Company 1387 at Camp NIRA during the years 1933-1934. Some of the projects completed by Company 1387 include the creation of parking overlooks, development of the South River Picnic Grounds, construction of the Dean Mountain reservoir, and the creation of trails and roads for fighting fires.
The John V. Coxe Papers, 1933 – 1987, consist of one disbound scrapbook of materials separated into three folders. The collection includes captioned photographs, newspaper clippings, and a few documents consisting of camp reports and letters. The collection provides considerable evidence relating to the history of the C.C.C., particularly that of Camp #3 in the Shenandoah National Park. The scrapbook was created by John Coxe, known as Jack, and documents daily life and work within Camp NIRA, Civilian Conservation Corps (C.C.C.) Camp #3, Company 1387, from 1933-1934. The newspaper clippings date primarily from the 1980s and feature interviews from former C.C.C. members, including John Coxe. Other clippings include information relating to various aspects of the C.C.C. and C.C.C. members from the 1930s through the 1980s. Photographs document daily life in the camp, and show men working on various projects within the Shenandoah National Park. A few photographs document a C.C.C reunion in the 1980s. Also included are a few pictures of President Roosevelt on a tour of inspection of the C.C.C. camps. Documents include camp reports from Camp NIRA and correspondence to and from John Coxe regarding employment after his time in the C.C.C.
The collection is arranged in three folders.
Shenandoah National Park Oral History Collection, 1964-1999, SdArch SNP, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA
The original C.C.C. patch formerly located at the beginning of the binder was withdrawn by the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Historical Society on May 16, 2000 for display by the Society.