Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use

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.

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

Preferred Citation

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [identification of item], [box], [folder], Ray Gaskins Essay, Ms2010-046, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Source of Acquisition

The Ray Gaskins Essay was donated to Special Collections in 2010.

Processing Information

The processing, arrangement, and description of the Ray Gaskins Essay commenced and was completed in June 2010.

Biographical Note

Ray Allen Gaskins received a B.S. in Mathematics and a Ph.D. in Statistics from Virginia Tech in 1964 and 1972 respectively. Upon graduation, Gaskins joined the mathematics and computer science faculty at Hampden Sydney College.

External Source:

"Gaskins DVD Collection", Virginia Tech University Libraries, https://guides.lib.vt.edu/find/collections/ray-gaskins-dvd-collection , accessed May 5, 2023.

Scope and Contents

The collection contains an essay entitled, "The Great Blizzard of 1857" written by Dr. Ray Gaskins. The essay details the conditions faced by Southside, Virginia residents during the snow event of January 17-18, 1857. This blizzard was the largest in the history of Farmville. Gaskins provides vignettes describing the particular challenges Thomas James "T.J." Garden, a schoolteacher, surveyor, and farmer of Buckingham County, Richard Anderson Booker, Eagle Hotel owner of Farmville, and Charles T. "Bose" Edie, a student of Hampden-Sydney College, faced during the event. Edie was stabbed to death by fellow student Edward A. Langhorne, a dispute thought to be brought on by "Cabin Fever."

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Local/Regional History and Appalachian South
• Students and alumni

Rights Statement for Archival Description

The guide to the Ray Gaskins Essay by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 ( https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/ ).