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], Vaiden A. Thornton Collection, Ms2010-049, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Source of Acquisition

The Vaiden A. Thornton Collection was purchased by Special Collections in 2010.

Processing Information

The processing, arrangement, and description of the Vaiden A. Thornton Collection were commenced and completed in June 2010.

Biographical Note

Dr. Vaiden A. Thornton, M.D., ran a diary operation at Miling Farm, located in Stony Creek, Virginia, from 1936 to 1953. He also had his own ice business and worked as a medical examiner for several insurance companies, including Connecticut Life Insurance Company.

Thornton's wife was named Bessie C. Thornton and the couple had three children, including Mary V. and J. Douglas Thornton. Their other son, William Carr, was born on June 22, 1911 and died on November 17, 2005.

Scope and Content

The collection contains two blueprints drafted by the Agricultural Engineering Department of Virginia Polytecnic Institute in Richmond, Virginia. One of the blueprints depicts a dairy house with a capacity for 10-20 cows, designed by H.H.G. in December of 1935. The other blueprint shows a milking shed designed by Bryne Wheary in September 1938.

There are thirty-nine work-related papers, mostly receipts, advertisements, and order forms created between 1930 and 1952; some items are undated. Notable items include a pay stub dated in 1952 for working in the medical division of Connecticut Life Insurance Company; a September 23, 1936 groceries receipt for Lunsford and Wootton; two 1952 prescriptions from Blackwell Smith's for Aureomycin, Penicillin, and Duracillin; and a letter detailing the 37th Annual Christmas Seal Sale for the Sussex County Tuberculosis Society.

The collection includes eight account books relating to Thornton's diary business, created between 1935 and 1953. A few of these account books contain slips of paper covered with scribbled equations, including a blank Piedmont Sanatorium admission application form in the 1935-137 account book.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged by material type. Within each material type, materials are arranged chronologically.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Local/Regional History and Appalachian South
• University Archives
• University History
• Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College and Polytechnic Institute (1896-1944)

Rights Statement for Archival Description

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