Administrative Information

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open to all researchers.

Conditions Governing Use

Before publishing quotations or excerpts from any materials, permission must be obtained from the Special Collections Research Center, and the holder of the copyright, if not Swem Library.

Preferred Citation

Yeaman and Walker Family Collection, Special Collections Research Center, Swem Library, College of William and Mary.

Acquisition Information

The materials were acquired by Special Collections Research Center on 11/17/2009.

Custodial History

Seller purchased collection from on estate in Ringgold, Pittsylvania County, Virginia.

Processing Information

Accessioned and minimally processed in November 2009 by Ute Schechter, Warren E. Burger Archivist.

Scope and Contents

Family papers and business records mostly relating to tobacco farming, 1840s to 1920s. The predominant locations are Pittsylvania County, Virginia and Kentucky. Names most frequently mentioned are Yeaman and Walker.

The following description was provided by the seller:

"Includes invoice/receipts from various Tobacco Warehouses, handwritten receipts for payment of wages to farm workers (?), invoices from and to local merchants, tax payment receipts and documents, equipment purchases and payment vouchers for freight sent via Railroad, personal letters about schooling, family life, etc. The letters often include information about the expected sale of farm products, the economy, the weather and even family health concerns (smallpox and whooping cough). One letter, in particular, talks about the devastation of the southern farm economy following the Civil War. Most of the items are written in ink and they are generally legible."

Arrangement of Materials

This collection is not yet fully arranged and described and description and date range given are only preliminary. Researchers may wish to consult with a staff member for further information in advance of using the collection.

Index Terms

Genre/Form of Material:

• Financial records
• Letters (correspondence)
• Photographs
• Receipts (financial records)

Topical Term:

• Pittsylvania County (Va.)--History--19th century.
• Tobacco farmers--Virginia
• Tobacco--Virginia--History--19th century.