Old Photos of G. H. P. and Lena (Honea) Showalter?

            A few weeks ago, a thoughtful stranger emailed me to say that photographs of George Henry Pryor Showalter as a baby and of his wife Lena Estelle Honea as a girl were offered for sale on eBay. I was sure from the images on eBay that the infant was not G. H. P. Showalter, but the pictures were in a very beautiful case, and I was curious about the identification, so I bought them anyway.

            The identification of the subjects was based on two slips of paper, tucked in behind one of the photos.

 The information, in itself and as far as it goes, is accurate. Lena Honea was born 24 August 1879, in Johnson County, Texas, and died 25 June 1943, in Austin Texas. She married G. H. P. Showalter on 1 August 1900. It is obvious, however, that the identification must have been supplied long after the pictures were taken, some time after 17 October 1954.

            It is also obvious that this picture of an infant cannot be George Henry Pryor Showalter, because the subject is a girl. She is wearing a dress and a bow in her hair, and appears to be about one year old, able to sit up, although a supporting adult hand is visible on the left. The photo is printed on paper, a process that was not common in 1880, when Lena Honea would have been the age of the subject, so I doubt that she was the sitter either.

Lena Honea and Ann Dixon (Poole) Honea

             The picture of the two women is a ferrotype, a photographic print made on a thin sheet of iron, often inaccurately called a tintype. Ferrotypes were the predominant form of photography for most of the late 1800s. In the 1860s they replaced daguerrotypes and ambrotypes, which were similar in that in all three a positive image was produced onto a rigid plate of metal or glass. Ferrotypes were less expensive and less fragile, however, and faster to produce, qualities that made the process very suitable for professional portrait photographers.

            The younger woman in the picture appears to be six to eight years old. If it is Lena Honea, the picture would have been taken in the mid 1880s, a plausible date. The other woman is probably her mother, Ann Dixon Poole, born 9 July 1859, died 30 November 1924; on 22 April 1877 she married Thomas Jefferson Honea, born 23 July 1854, died 15 February 1941. Lena was the couple’s first child, of nine. Click to see a genealogy of the Honea family. 

George Henry Pryor Showalter and Lena (Honea) Showalter

 This photo shows G. H. P. Showalter and Lena Honea in 1900, around the time of their wedding. She looks to me like the same person as the girl in the ferrotype of the two women, so I think the identification was at least partly right.

Union Case, "Beehive, Grain and Farm Tools" design

             The case in which the pictures are mounted is called a Union Case. Union Cases were first introduced in 1853, and were intended to protect daguerrotypes, which were easily broken, as were ambrotypes. The cases were made of a thermoplastic compound, containing gum shellac and woodfibres. The substance was heated and then molded, and it hardened into a rigid and very durable material.

            The manufacturer’s name is printed inside, behind one of the pictures. Littlefield, Parsons & Company was in business from 1858 to 1866. It was formed by the merger of earlier companies and continued its operations after 1866 under a new name. According to Paul K. Berg’s “History of the Miniature Case”, 1,179 different Union Case models have been recorded, of which 390 were produced by Littlefield, Parsons & Company. This design is known as “Beehive, Grain and Farm Tools”. By 1866, however, ferrotypes had largely replaced the earlier photographic techniques, and demand for Union Cases declined sharply.

            The first owners, probably the Honea family, must have removed the original pictures from this case, and replaced them with later ones. There was, in fact, a third picture in the case, hidden behind the infant picture.

It is another ferrotype, in very poor condition, with parts of the plate broken off, and the image itself very dim. One can nonetheless distinguish the picture of an infant in a white baby dress, no more than six months old, posed before a backdrop of cloths with floral patterns. It seems very likely that this infant was Lena Honea, and that the photograph was made in late 1879 or early 1880.

            Who then is the infant on the paper print? My guess is that she is Thelma Showalter, born 18 September 1904, died 4 June 1995. She was the second child and first daughter of George Henry Pryor and Lena Estelle (Honea) Showalter.

            The eBay seller could not tell me anything about the provenance of these pictures. My hypothetical history is that the case first contained two daguerrotypes or ambrotypes of the Honea or the Poole family, made between 1858 and 1866. After Thomas Jefferson Honea married Ann Dixon Poole in 1877, the couple reused the case, replacing the older pictures with ferrotypes of their daughter Lena. After Lena’s marriage to G. H. P. Showalter in 1900, the case was again reused, and Lena’s baby picture was replaced by her child Thelma’s picture. The older picture was perhaps damaged in making the change, or was perhaps already in poor condition. After Lena’s death in 1943, her husband lived for another eleven years. Because his death date is recorded but not hers on the identification slips, it seems probable that he kept the case and pictures. He remarried in 1945 to Mrs. Winifred Moore, born 14 Feb 1885, died 9 Apr 1956, who had been twice widowed in previous marriages. She would have inherited his personal effects on his death in 1954, but she might not have known the history of these pictures. G. H. P. and Lena Showalter had six children, all of whom were living when their stepmother died in 1956; but the youngest was 40 years old, and it is probable that they no longer recalled the details of these old family photos.

            Lena Honea and G. H. P. Showalter had at least a dozen grandchildren, many of whom are still living, and some have grandchildren of their own by now. I hope that perhaps one of the descendants will recognize these pictures, and provide more authoritative information about their history.

Watts Collection, documents 281-300

Checklist of documents in the Watts Collection at the Historical Society of Western Virginia, Roanoke, Virginia. To consult these documents, go to http://www.vahistorymuseum.org/ and click on “Visit HMWV's Virtual Collection!” The documents can be found by a keyword search, or by catalog number using “Click and Search”.

The 20 documents in this group all date from 1839 to 1843. The first two, dated 1840, pertain to the estate of James Breckinridge, which has been a recurrent topic. Most of the others are routine items of legal business, many addressed to James Breckinridge Watts, who was practicing law in Roanoke at this time. A few are account statements or receipts for household purchases from local merchants, or sales statements for products like tobacco. Three items stand out as exceptions: two garrulous letters, dated 1839 and 1840, from Edward Watts’s brother-in-law Fleming Saunders, with family news and strong opinions on politics and other matters; and a letter of condolence to Edward Watts following the death of his daughter Elizabeth in 1843, at the age of 20 or 21, less than six months after her marriage to Thomas Lewis Preston.

doc #

date

abstract

1998.26.281

December 1, 1840

Statement of the account of Cary Breckinridge, executor of the estate of James Breckinridge, with the legatees, who were Cary Breckinridge and John Selden Breckinridge, sons of the deceased; Edward Watts and Henry Winston Bowyer, husbands of Elizabeth Breckinridge and Matilda Breckinridge respectively, daughters of the deceased, and Letitia (Breckinridge) Gamble, daughter of the deceased; the account itemizes the assets, notably the land and slaves, the amounts already paid to each legatee, and the amount still due to them or from them

1998.26.282

November 18, 1840

Letter  from John Roote Thornton in Paris, Kentucky, to Cary Breckinridge in Fincastle, Virginia, regarding the collection of a note on Robert Trabue, deceased; the debt was owed to James Breckinridge, deceased, of whose estate Cary Breckinridge was executor. He had written to Thomas Towles Thornton, also recently deceased, nephew of John Roote Thornton, seeking to collect the debt. The letter explains that the Trabue heirs are contesting the claim, but the case against them is solid, except that in the delay rats have destroyed some of the documents, which must be sent again

I find among Thos. T. Thornton's papers a record of your qualification regularly done, but he left it in his office untill the case was to come on and owing to his death and other circumstances, it has been exposed and the rats have so injured the paper, that the name of the clerk and date and some material words are obliterated or eat out. You will therefore have to supply it. You ought to enclose to me also ten dollars to defray costs, because some are already due and I shall have to go the security for costs. T. T. Thornton was security but now additional security will be required. Whether you ever left anything with T. T. T. or not I do not know. The heirs of Robert Trabue are good. I hope to hear from you very soon. Yours respectfully, Jno R. Thornton

John Roote Thornton (1786-1873) was born in Caroline County, Virginia, and died in Bourbon County, Kentucky; his nephew Thomas Towles Thornton (1812-1839) was born and died in Bourbon County.

1998.26.283

January 5, 1840

Letter from Fleming Saunders at Flat Creek, Campbell County, Virginia, to Edward Watts at Oaklands, Roanoke County, Virginia, hoping to arrange a meeting, but reporting a delay caused by sickness in his brother Samuel's household in Franklin County, Virginia; expressing strong opinions about the death of a woman because of ill treatment, leading him to argue against hiring out unneeded slaves and separating their families; expressing disgust about the upcoming election, especially John Tyler and the Whig party, for whom he will nonetheless vote, and contempt for Congress. There is also a brief note from his wife, Alice (Watts) Saunders, sister of the addressee, asking for a copy of a medical manual

            I shall vote the Whig ticket, but the pill is a disagreeable one, particularly as to Tyler, who is too fond of that slang which is destroying all respect for office and law. I cannot bear to hear so much boasting of the freedom of the people, when I know the English to be that the people won't be governed. Look to the freedom of Congress. What must be the contempt felt by foreign nations, and by all orderly and moral people among us, for the members of Congress. The people ought never to elect a [man] who is given to drink, or who has not the feelings, fully of a Gent and of correct manners. Remember me to your family, all & individually. I am yr friend, Fleming Saunders

            [in another handwriting] Please send us one volume of Ewel, if you have it to spare. Your affectionate Sister.

            Fleming Saunders (1778-1858), a judge and farmer, married Alice Watts (c. 1793-1867), a sister of Edward Watts; they lived at Flat Creek in Campbell County, Virginia, which had been the home of William Watts. Alice wrote the post script to this letter, asking for a copy of James Ewell’s The medical companion, or family physician.

            John Tyler (1790-1862) was elected vice president as a Whig in 1840, after having been a Democrat. He succeeded to the presidency in 1841 on William Henry Harrison's death after only a month in office. Tyler served as president from 1841 to 1845. The legitimacy of his administration was questioned, because the Constitution was unclear about the role of the vice president; and he clashed with the great Whig senator Henry Clay over many issues, notably the federal bank and the annexation of Texas. Tyler ran unsuccessfully for the presidency in 1844 on a third-party ticket.

1998.26.284

February 1840

Account statement of Isaac Hudson with the clerk of Bedford County, Virginia, for 75 cents, for documents relating to the estate of Gabriel Miner

1998.26.285

October 4, 1841

Receipt to William Watts for Cheltenham fabric and trimming bought from John Cochran for $10.12, receipt signed by William H. Patterson

1998.26.286

August 22, 1841

Letter to James Breckinridge Watts at Salem, Virginia, from N. Taliaferro at Rocky Mount, Virginia, regretting that he cannot come on a visit to Roanoke because the judge in Franklin County, Virginia, has ordered him to attend a court session in Floyd County, Virginia, involving a counterfeiter named Stuart and two attorneys, John Preston Phlegar and Edmundson; also mentions some current news topics

1998.26.287

February 10, 1840

Order from the County Court of Roanoke, Virginia, to the Sheriff of Roanoke County, Elijah McClanahan, to summon Marcus D. Blankenship and Pleasant Blankenship to appear as witnesses in a case between the Commonwealth of Virginia, plaintiff, represented by James Breckinridge Watts, and Thomas Golden, defendant

 James Breckinridge Watts (1812-1846), a son of Edward Watts, was commonwealth's attorney for Roanoke County from 24 May 1838 to 20 Jan 1845. The witnesses and defendant have not been identified.

1998.26.288

August 13, 1839

Letter from Fleming Saunders at Flat Creek, Campbell County, to Edward Watts at Oaklands, Roanoke County, sending news of weather and crops – rain has ended a drought, expected corn, oat and tobacco crops; his health and that of others in the family – he has asthma, his brother Samuel very ill; a lawsuit brought by a would-be overseer; travel plans – friends are en route from Flat Creek to Oaklands, Fleming would like to go but must visit his brother in Franklin County, Virginia, possible hunting trip to Greasy Creek, Floyd County, Virginia, in the fall; comments probably relating to the estate of Mary (Scott) Watts; and general family news

I hear from my Brother, he is quite sick, very feeble and suffers much. I am as anxious to see him, and so soon as I can leave home, I will visit him. I do not know at present whether I can later the usual hunt this fall. Will you go? I want to do so very much. I think [some] of the young people will [go] to Greasy. I have the asthma [every] day, the paroxism not as [violent?] as formerly, I feel some [stronger?] and I have some more flesh upon my bones. I have been sued by a most worthless fellow ...

On Fleming Saunders, see 1998.26.283 above. On the depredation of documents by rodents, see 1998.26.282 above. Fleming’s brother Samuel Saunders (1783-1852) lived in Franklin County, Virginia.

1998.26.289

May 18, 1842

Letter from Lewis Rogers, in Richmond, Virginia, to Edward Watts, in Big Lick, Virginia, seeking an arrangement about a property conveyed to Rogers by Temple Gwathmey, upon which Watts has a prior lien, pointing out that the property has no value to either of them unless it can be rented or sold

1998.26.290

March 31, 1842

Account statement of Edward Watts with Powell H. and A. E. Huff for purchases of dry goods, including cloth, sewing materials and some clothing, with a total value of $189.90

1998.26.291

1842

Account statement of sales of the home crop of tobacco for Edward Watts by Richard Tyree in Lynchburg, Virginia, and Robert Gwathmey in Richmond, Virginia, for $2068.98 after deducting expenses

1998.26.292

May 5, 1842

Letter from Thomas H. Ellis, in Richmond, Virginia, to James Breckinridge Watts, in Big Lick (Roanoke), Virginia, regarding a claim of the estate of Charles Ellis, deceased, against Samuel Stoner, and a suit filed by Watts which Ellis approves; also mentions other claims by Stoner, and bonds of Dr Thomas Goode and Dr John B. Lewis, and sends thanks for kindness in the case of Nininger

Dr Sir: Your favor of the 19th ulto., advising me that you had brought suit at common law on our claims vs Samuel Stoner, one of $335.43 and the other of $230, has been recd, and the proceeding, under the circumstances stated by you, meets our entire approbation.

This letter suggests that Samuel Stoner was in financial difficulty some time before his death in 1845; see 1998.26.280.

1998.26.293

May 22, 1842

Draft of a letter from Edward Watts, in Roanoke County, Virginia, to Lewis Rogers, in Richmond, Virginia, replying to a letter (1998.26.289) concerning deeds of trust on a property belonging to Temple Gwathmey, stating that Watts has no intention of letting his prior deed serve as a shield to prevent Rogers from collecting a just debt, noting that Gwathmey has other debts to Watts and has given him as security a deed on a bond of his son William Watts Gwathmey, and asking Rogers to decide whether to have Gwathmey pay rent or compel him to sell the property

 The debts secured by this deed of trust are not all Mr G. owed me. He assignd to me in December so much of a deed executed by his son Wm W. for his benefit as would pay me $3000, the remainder I inferd from what he said he intended to assign to you. Very respectfully, Your mo[st] ob[edien]t &c, Edwd Watts

Letter to Lewis Rogers corrected a little but substantially the same sent to him

Deeds of trust were used to convey the right to sell property used as collateral. Temple Gwathmey had apparently signed two deeds of trust on the same property, one to his brother-in-law Edward Watts, the other to Lewis Rogers, a prominent New York merchant.

1998.26.294

December 9, 1843

Letter from Townsend Sharpless and Sons, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to James Breckinridge Watts, in Roanoke County, Virginia, forwarding a transfer dated February 22, 1843, of a claim by Hunn and Remington against David Fenton Kent of New Bern, Virginia, and asking for collection and payment of the proceeds; Watts noted that he answered the letter on December 20, 1843, but neither the amount nor the nature of the claim is specified

James B. Watts Esqr, Va

Dear Sir, You will please pay the proceeds of our Judgment (when obtained) against D. F. Kent, of Newbern to T. Sharpless & Sons or their order. Yours Resp[ectfull]y, Hunn & Remington

Philadelphia, 22 Feb[ruar]y 1843

Townsend Sharpless (1793-1863) was a prominent Quaker and merchant in Philadelphia. His sons were Samuel Jones Sharpless (1816-1904) and Charles Leeds Sharpless (1821-1882). His daughter, Lydia Jones Sharpless (1818-1911), married in 1836 Ezekiel Hunn (1810-1902), one of the partners in Hunn and Remington. The Hunns were also Quakers, and very active in the abolitionist movement. David Fenton Kent (1807-1850) was a prominent and respected businessman in Pulaski County, Virginia, but this debt proved very difficult to collect, and correspondence about it continued until 1846.

1998.26.295

April 4, 1844

Account statement of Edward Watts with J. Bonsack for services provided in production of cloth and clothing, receipted as paid in full for $8.30

1998.26.296

November 22, 1843

Account statement of Edward Watts in Big Lick (Roanoke), Roanoke County, Virginia, with Richard Tyree, merchant in Lynchburg, Virginia, for services provided in the sale and shipment of tobacco, including to Robert Gwathmey; for various purchases, including nails, cloth, clothes, and sugar; and for money transfers to others, including a doctor, a saddle maker, a beer seller, and a millstone supplier. Includes a letter explaining the charges, and quoting prices on flour, wheat, tobacco and pork

1998.26.297

December 28, 1843

Letter from Bouldin and Yancey in Lynchburg, Virginia, to James Breckinridge Watts in Big Lick (Roanoke), Virginia, informing him that they have collected and deposited to his credit $30.50 from an execution of Tosh and McClanahan against Edwin Matthews, and declining to accept any fee for their services

1998.26.298

March 4, 1843

Letter from Thomas Atkinson in Lynchburg, Virginia, to Edward Watts in Big Lick (Roanoke), Virginia, expressing condolences for the death of his daughter Elizabeth (Watts) Preston, and urging him to turn to religion; he remarks on having seen the deceased, and discussed religion with her, and passes along comments by Bishop William Reade, who had also known her

 On the morning we left Abingdon, Bishop Meade had a long and interesting conversation with Miss Preston of Montgomery and herself and told me that he hoped soon to see them both professing their faith in Christ their Redeemer. I trust then that she whom you so loved is with a better, a tenderer, even a heavenly Father. And now, my dear sir, will you not think me presumng too much when I take the liberty of entreating you to direct your own thoughts more entirely in future towards God ...

The writer of this letter, Thomas Atkinson (1807-1881), practiced law for several years before becoming a priest. At this date, he was rector of St. Paul's Church in Lynchburg, Virginia; he was elected bishop of North Carolina in 1853. William Meade (1789-1862) became bishop of Virginia in 1841. Elizabeth Watts (1822-1843), a daughter of Edward Watts,  married on 13 September 1842 Thomas Lewis Preston (1812-1903) of Abingdon, Virginia; she died unexpectedly less than six months later.

1998.26.299

December 19, 1843

Letter from Townsend Sharpless and Sons in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to James Breckinridge Watts in Big Lick (Roanoke), Virginia, asking about a recent letter enclosing a transfer of a claim by Hunn and Remington against David Fenton Kent; the missing letter is 1998.26.294

1998.26.300

December 19, 1843

Account statement of John M. Petty with Edward Watts for 1835 to 1843, involving amounts paid and owed by both parties, mainly for beef, bacon and pork, but also other products, including flour, oats, tobacco and hemp; materials, including salt, timber and lime; articles including tilling hoes and equipment for horses; and services, including temporary hires; as well as sums paid to numerous third parties

Watts Collection, documents 256-280

Checklist of documents in the Watts Collection at the Historical Society of Western Virginia, Roanoke, Virginia. To consult these documents, go to http://www.vahistorymuseum.org/ and click on “Visit HMWV's Virtual Collection!” The documents can be found by a keyword search, or by catalog number using “Click and Search”.

This set of 25 documents is a relatively coherent group centered on the sale of Oaklands to Cornelius O’Leary’s Oaklands Improvement Company in 1890, but there are a significant number of other items that are apparently randomly located here. The Oaklands documents include the first three, one of which is only an envelope, one a letter from William Joseph Robertson to John Allen Watts about the payment of William Watts’s debt, and one a receipt to O’Leary for his first payment to John Allen Watts. Then follows an unrelated list of hirelings from 1846. The next five items relate to the Oaklands Improvement Company, and include stock certificates in the company dated 1892 and a letter about them dated 1895. Then follows a letter from Micajah Woods, dated 1898, inquiring about a matter of genealogy. The next ten items are notes from O’Leary to John Allen Watts, signed in 1890, promising to pay $10,000 a year for the purchase of Oaklands. The last five items appear quite unrelated: a petition of 1910 to have Williamson Road paved; a letter of 1890 from a colleague reporting on the situation in Roanoke to John Allen Watts, who was on vacation at Virginia Beach; a letter from an attorney in 1903 stating that the Watts family had the prior title to a contested piece of land; a clipping from a Fincastle newspaper of 1874 about the McClanahan family; and finally a legal document of 1845 about a piece property involving Fleming James and Samuel Stoner. This last is one of many documents relating to the efforts by James to collect a debt or else to take possession of land used by Stoner as collateral.

doc #

date

abstract

1998.26.256

around 1890

Envelope with the printed return address "Watts, Robertson & Robertson, Attorneys at Law, Roanoke, Va" and labeled "J. Allen Watts / certificates of stock / various companies"; the envelope is now empty, but probably contained the certificates in 1998.26.247-255; the partners were John Allen Watts, William Gordon Robertson, and Edward Watts Robertson

1998.26.257

July 21, 1890

Letter from William Joseph Robertson in Charlottesville, Virginia, to John Allen Watts in Roanoke, Virginia, enclosing a receipted bond and power of attorney, the final repayment of a debt owed by the addressee’s father William Watts, and family news about his aunt Alice (Watts) Robertson and their children

1998.26.258

July 17, 1890

Draft of agreements between Cornelius O'Leary and John Allen Watts concerning the sale of the Oaklands farm in Roanoke County, Virginia, and the delivery of a stone house on Jefferson Street in Roanoke, Virginia, as part payment; also mentions cash payments, Gertrude Lee Watts, Peyton Leftwich Terry, and J. F. Christian

 Received of C. O'Leary a deed in fee simple for the stone house now being erected by him on the East side of Jefferson Street just north of the Moomaw Building and a check for five thousand dollars which with the five thousand dollars heretofore paid constitutes the cash payment upon the Oaklands farm.

This receipt concerns the first in a series of payments from Cornelius O’Leary to John Allen Watts for the Oaklands land. See 1998.26.261-264 and 267-275 below.

1998.26.259

1846

List of hirelings for 1846, slaves belonging to Edward Watts hired to other employers, giving names of the hirelings and employers and amounts paid for their services

            List of hirelings for the year 1846

1      +       Peggy        To        Gideon Jeter                                  $29

2      x        Rebecca & child    Wm Yancey                                     11

3      +       Prisey                    Saml Coffman                                 29

4                Rose                      Dr Barnes                                       23

5      +       Matilda                  Abram Buhrsman                            25

1998.26.260

June 13, 1895

Letter from Thomas W. Miller, attorney at law in Roanoke, Virginia, to Edward Watts Robertson, attorney at law in Roanoke, Virginia, regarding stock certificates in Oaklands Improvement Company to be held as security for debts owed by Miller to clients of Robertson and others

1998.26.261

November 9, 1892

Stock certificate (#86) issued by The Oaklands Improvement Company for 100 shares, issued to Cornelius O'Leary on November 9, 1892, for fifteen hundred dollars, being the first installment of 15 percent upon his subscription to one hundred shares. "Par value of One Hundred Dollars each." The certificate is notarized, and signed by the company president, James B. Stephenson, and A. D. Rice, Secretary. On the back, also on November 9, 1892, is an acknowledgment signed by A. D. Rice for $8500, payment in full

The Oaklands Improvement Company was created by Cornelius O’Leary as part of the boom in real estate development in Roanoke in the 1880s. The company bought the Oaklands plantation and planned to build housing on it. The enterprise apparently failed quickly, probably because of the recession of 1893. See 1998.26.258 above and 267-275 below.

1998.26.262

November 10, 1892

Stock certificate (#88) issued by The Oaklands Improvement Company for 50 shares, issued to Cornelius O'Leary on November 10, 1892, for seven hundred fifty dollars, being the first installment of 15 percent upon his subscription to fifty shares. "Par value of One Hundred Dollars each." The certificate is notarized, and signed by the company president, James B. Stephenson, and A. D. Rice, Secretary. On the back, also on November 10, 1892, is an acknowledgment signed by A. D. Rice for $4250, payment in full

1998.26.263

November 10, 1892

Stock certificate (#89) issued by The Oaklands Improvement Company for 50 shares, issued to Cornelius O'Leary on November 10, 1892, for seven hundred fifty dollars, being the first installment of 15 percent upon his subscription to fifty shares. "Par value of One Hundred Dollars each." The certificate is notarized, and signed by the company president, James B. Stephenson, and A. D. Rice, Secretary. On the back, also on November 10, 1892, is an acknowledgment signed by A. D. Rice for $4250, payment in full

1998.26.264

November 10, 1892

Stock certificate (#90) issued by The Oaklands Improvement Company for 50 shares, issued to Cornelius O'Leary on November 10, 1892, for seven hundred fifty dollars, being the first installment of 15 percent upon his subscription to fifty shares. "Par value of One Hundred Dollars each." The certificate is notarized, and signed by the company president, James B. Stephenson, and A. D. Rice, Secretary. On the back, also on November 10, 1892, is an acknowledgment signed by A. D. Rice for $4250, payment in full

1998.26.265

September 22, 1898

Letter from Micajah Woods in Charlottesville, Virginia, to Letitia Gamble (Watts) Sorrel in Roanoke, Virginia, concerning the genealogy of the Watts, Scott and Morris families, for the purpose of the writer's sisters-in-law applying for membership in the Daughters of the American Revolution

 Dear Mrs. Sorrel, The wife of Mr. Richard Morris of Hanover Co. was née Mary Watts. She was the grand-mother of my wife. She died at Taylor's Creek on 7th Nov 1835. She was the daughter of Wm Watts and Mary Scott, his wife.

Micajah Woods (1844-1911) was Commonwealth's Attorney in Charlottesville, Virginia, for 41 years, and president of the Virginia Bar Association; he married on 9 June 1874 Matilda Minor Morris (born c. 1849), a daughter of Edward Watts Morris (1821-1890), who was a son of Richard Morris (1784-1831) and Mary (Watts) Morris (1784-1835)

1998.26.266

around 1890

Envelope with the printed return address "Watts, Robertson & Robertson, Attorneys at Law, Roanoke, Va" and labeled "J. Allen Watts / Notes / Oaklands Imp Co / C. O'Leary / and others"; the envelope is now empty, but probably contained the certificates in 1998.26.267-275; the law partners were John Allen Watts, William Gordon Robertson, and Edward Watts Robertson; Cornelius O’Leary was head of the Oaklands Improvement Company

1998.26.267

June 1, 1890

Note from Cornelius O'Leary to John Allen Watts for $10,000, tenth part payment for the purchase of the tract of land known as Oaklands, due June 1, 1900

1998.26.268

June 1, 1890

Note from Cornelius O'Leary to John Allen Watts for $10,000, ninth part payment for the purchase of the tract of land known as Oaklands, due June 1, 1899

1998.26.269

June 1, 1890

Note from Cornelius O'Leary to John Allen Watts for $10,000, eighth part payment for the purchase of the tract of land known as Oaklands, due June 1, 1898

1998.26.270

June 1, 1890

Note from Cornelius O'Leary to John Allen Watts for $10,000, seventh part payment for the purchase of the tract of land known as Oaklands, due June 1, 1897

 On or before the first day of June, Eighteen hundred and Ninety-seven, I bind myself, my heirs and personal representatives to pay unto J. Allen Watts, his personal representatives or assigns, the sum of Ten thousand dollars ($10,000\00) with interest from this date, payable annually, this being the seventh deferred payment on the tract of land known as Oaklands,

This is one of nine notes, identical except for the dates, by which Cornelius O’Leary committed himself to purchase the Oaklands tract. See 1998.26.258 and 261-264 above, and 267-275.

1998.26.271

June 1, 1890

Note from Cornelius O'Leary to John Allen Watts for $10,000, sixth part payment for the purchase of the tract of land known as Oaklands, due June 1, 1896

1998.26.272

June 1, 1890

Note from Cornelius O'Leary to John Allen Watts for $10,000, fifth part payment for the purchase of the tract of land known as Oaklands, due June 1, 1895

1998.26.273

June 1, 1890

Note from Cornelius O'Leary to John Allen Watts for $10,000, fourth part payment for the purchase of the tract of land known as Oaklands, due June 1, 1894

1998.26.274

June 1, 1890

Note from Cornelius O'Leary to John Allen Watts for $10,000, third part payment for the purchase of the tract of land known as Oaklands, due June 1, 1893

1998.26.275

June 1, 1890

Note from Cornelius O'Leary to John Allen Watts for $20,000, second part payment for the purchase of the tract of land known as Oaklands, due June 1, 1892

1998.26.276

March 10, 1910

Petition from about fifty citizens and businesses, with subscriptions for $5832 in funds, addressed to the Board of Supervisors of Roanoke County, Virginia, requesting the construction of a macadamized road from the Roanoke City line to the Hershberger Road, following the course of Williamson Road, and agreeing to pay the subscribed funds in three stages, at the beginning of the work, after the completion of one mile, and after the completion of two miles. Hand written additions suggest that the total amount subscribed may have been $6252

 Helen R. Prillaman tells the history of the Williamson Road in A Place Apart (privately published, Roanoke, VA, 1982). In the early 1900s, the large farms north of Roanoke City, including the Watts estate, began to be broken up into smaller tracts and residential developments. There was, however, no direct road into the city, and residents petitioned the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors to create one. The first unpaved road was built by the residents on a right of way donated by the landowners, assisted by “a team of mules, two men and road scrapers” furnished by the County (114). Its existence led to further population growth, and the residents then submitted the petition in this document to have it paved. Although this petition is again addressed to the County, it calls for state help, and Prillaman says that “the state agreed and used convict labor to build it. The convicts started work on the road in 1912” (114).

1998.26.277

June 26, 1890

Letter from D. S. Good, attorney, in Roanoke, Virginia, to John Allen Watts, in Virginia Beach, Virginia, giving news of his business, including some bills sent out, and of household matters, especially the garden, during his absence

1998.26.278

June 22, 1903

Letter from Frank G. Woodson, attorney, in Fincastle, Virginia, to David W. Patterson in Hollins, Virginia, concerning the title of a tract of land of 100 acres called the Crawford land, which Woodson traced back through John Trucksell, William and Sarah Coleman, and Thomas Newell to a warrant of 1817, but found that William Watts held an earlier patent dated 1795, which gave him prior title

 Therefore, if the Patent was ever granted, it of necessity was <after> granted after 1817, and as you say Watts patent bears date 1795 <it> he has a prior title. I am very sorry indeed that this is the state of facts, but the records so show them. I herewith return the deeds you left with me. With best wishes, I am your friend, F. G. Woodson (over)

David W. Patterson (1857-1927) raised livestock in the Hollins area; neither his name, nor that of any of the other title claimants mentioned except for Watts, appears on the maps of early landowners in Roanoke County and Roanoke County farms 1825-1875.

1998.26.279

April 1874

Clipping from the Fincastle Herald of an article by Frederick Johnston, with personal reminiscences about the McClanahan family and others from Botetourt County, Virginia, including the Anderson, Betts, Cook, Langhorne, Lewis and Oliver families

 The McClanahan family owned large tracts of land in the Roanoke Valley, including the area now called South Roanoke, and Crystal Spring. They were kin through marriage to the Breckinridge family, and thus to the Watts family.

1998.26.280

1845

Deed of release from Edward Watts, James Breckinridge Watts and Peachy Ridgway Grattan as the party of the first part, to Samuel Stoner as the party of the second part, and with F. & J. S. James & Co of Richmond as a party of the third part, for 46.5 acres of land, part of a tract of land in Roanoke County, Virginia, of which Watts and Grattan were trustees; the deed describes the boundaries of the tract by a metes and bounds survey

 Witnesseth, that for and in consideration of the sum of five dollars ($5) to them in hand paid at and before the ensealing and delivery of these presents and for other good and sufficient considerations, the said Edward Watts, Peachy R. Grattan and James B. Watts, Trustees as aforesaid (with the consent and approbation of the said F. & J. S. James & Co, signified by their being parties to these presents), and F. & J. S. James & Co have granted bargained and released and by these presents do grant bargain and release unto the said Samuel Stoner, his Heirs & assigns forever all their right title and interest whether legal or equitable in and to forty-six and one half (46½) acres of Land, being a portion of the tract conveyed in the Indenture of Trust mentioned in the premises and which is situated on the northern side of said Tract adjoining the lands now in the possession of Benjamin Moomaw, and which is bounded as follows,

Samuel Stoner (1805-1845) and his family owned a large tract of land near Bonsack, Virginia, and operated a store there. Fleming James (1792-c. 1863), with other members of his family, ran a wholesale dry goods company based in Richmond, Virginia, under the name F. & J. S. James and Company. The Stoners defaulted on a large debt to James, which led to a long lawsuit in the late 1840s. Fleming James eventually took over the Stoners’ land, and lived on it for a time. This document is undated and unsigned; it may be that Samuel Stoner’s death on 29 August 1845 prevented it from being completed and taking effect. His death also probably contributed to the financial problems of the store and his family, and the settlement of his estate certainly complicated James’s efforts to recover his loan. There are many more documents on this matter in the Watts Collection.

Watts Collection, documents 241-255

Checklist of documents in the Watts Collection at the Historical Society of Western Virginia, Roanoke, Virginia. To consult these documents, go to http://www.vahistorymuseum.org/ and click on “Visit HMWV's Virtual Collection!” The documents can be found by a keyword search, or by catalog number using “Click and Search”.

Except for the first two items, which relate to a legal matter in 1873 that had been raised in the previous set, the 15 documents in this group are closely related. Two of them concern a bond given by William Watts in 1873 to his brother-in-law William Joseph Robertson, which was paid by William’s son John Allen Watts in 1890. The source of the money was the sale of Oaklands, which will be documented in forthcoming series. The remaining documents in this set are stock certificates for shares, owned by John Allen Watts or others in his family, in companies that were established in Roanoke in the 1880s and 1890s. These were boom years, following the decision to locate in Roanoke the junction of the Atlantic, Mississippi and Ohio Railroad with the Shenandoah Valley Railroad. The company was renamed the Norfolk and Western Railroad, and it led the way in developing new industries and new residential areas in the city.

doc #

date

abstract

1998.26.241

March 22, 1873

Deed from James Humphries and Eliza Jane Lore, his wife, to William Watts, trustee for John Dabney's widow Lavinia Langhorne and their children, regarding the sale to Watts of a piece of property in Big Lick (Roanoke), Virginia, which he had previously sold to Humphries and Humphries sold to Charles Elisha Pobst, who has apparently not paid his bonds; the land adjoins tracts of land belonging to Watts, Robert B. Moorman and Clack R. Campbell, and was originally bought from John A. Sowers; includes acknowledgment of signature by Humphries and admission to record of the deed in Roanoke County

1998.26.242

March 22, 1873

Agreement between William Watts, John Dabney and Lavinia Dabney, his wife, George Plater Tayloe, and James Humphries, regarding the water grist mill and land in Montgomery County, Virginia, held in trust by Watts to insure payment of John Dabney's debt, which is to be sold to Humphries without a public auction; Humphries is paying with bonds from Charles Elisha Pobst, issued in payment for a house and lot in Old Lick, Roanoke County, Virginia, and from John A. Sowers, issued in payment for the Company Mills in Roanoke County, with a modification regarding the signing of bonds and deeds of conveyance; document incomplete, begins in 1998.26.235

1998.26.243

November 22, 1873 to July 19, 1890

Bond from William Watts to his brother-in-law William Joseph Robertson for a loan of $6500, with receipts for partial payments by his son John Allen Watts, administrator, in 1881, 1886, 1887 and 1889, and final payment in full in 1890

$6500  On demand, for money this day borrowed, I promise to pay to William J. Robertson, the sum of six thousand five hundred dollars, with interest thereon, from this date, payable annually at the rate of eight per centum, per annum, until paid. As witness my hand and seal this 22d day of November in the year one thousand eight hundred and seventy three. Wm Watts {seal}

[vertically in the left margin] Received this 19th July 1890, from J. Allen Watts, administrator c.t.a. of William Watts deceased, six thousand nine hundred and thirty nine dollars, being balance in full due on this bond. Wm J. Robertson

            c.t.a.: an administrator c.t.a. (cum testamento annexo, Latin for "with the will annexed") is appointed by the court where the testator had made an incomplete will without naming any executors or had named incapable persons, or where the executors named refuse to act.

            William Watts (1817-1877) had borrowed from his brother-in-law William Joseph Robertson (1817-1898) in 1873. Robertson was a distinguished lawyer living in Charlottesville, Virginia, where he taught law at the University of Virginia. In 1863 he married as his second wife Alice Matilda Watts. Through her, he became owner of a part of the original Oaklands.

            John Allen Watts (1855-1904), the only child of William Watts, attended school in Charlottesville, and later the University of Virginia Law School; he then practiced law in Roanoke, Virginia, in partnership with sons of William Joseph Robertson. At about the time of the settlement of this debt, J. Allen Watts sold the plantation to the Oaklands Improvement Company, and moved into the city.

1998.26.244

July 19, 1890

Account statement of a bond from William Watts to his brother-in-law William Joseph Robertson for a loan of $6500, showing partial payments by his son John Allen Watts, administrator, in 1881, 1886, 1887 and 1889, and final payment in full in 1890

1998.26.245

August 30, 1887

Stock certificate (#77) issued by Pocahontas Coal Company for 1 share, issued to John Allen Watts on August 30, 1887. The certificate is notarized, and signed by the company president, whose signature is illegible (probably S. W. Jamison), and A. J. Demphill, Secretary.

 The Pocahontas Coal Company was formed in 1881 by E. W. Clark & Company, owner of the newly created Norfolk & Western Railroad, to develop coal mines in the northern tip of Tazewell County, Virginia. A company town was built and named Pocahontas.

1998.26.246

September 30, 1890

Stock certificate (#56) issued by Roanoke Iron Company for 5 shares, issued to John Allen Watts on September 30, 1890. The certificate is notarized, and signed by the company president, Joseph H. Sands, and Olin Beall, Secretary. "Par Value of One Hundred Dollars Each"

The Roanoke Iron Company was one of many industries that opened in Roanoke, Virginia, in the 1880s, attracted by the railroad.

1998.26.247

September 30, 1890

Stock certificate (#53) issued by Roanoke Iron Company for 5 shares, issued to John Allen Watts on September 30, 1890. The certificate is notarized, and signed by the company president, Joseph H. Sands, and Olin Beall, Secretary. "Par Value of One Hundred Dollars Each"

 1998.26.248

August 25, 1890

Stock certificate (#39) issued by The Virginia Land Company for 50 shares, issued to John Allen Watts on September 30, 1890, on payment of five hundred dollars, the first installment of ten percent upon his subscription to fifty shares. The certificate is notarized, and signed by the company president, John Allen Watts, and E. A. Moomaw, Secretary. "Par Value of One Hundred Dollars Each"

 The Virginia Land Company was one of many real estate companies created in Roanoke, Virginia, in the 1880s, to take advantage of the economic boom created by the railroad.

1998.26.249

October 25, 1890

Stock certificate (#184) issued by Roanoke Development Company for 10 shares, issued to John Allen Watts on October 25, 1890, on payment of one hundred dollars, being ten percent of his subscription to ten shares, with a second payment of $100 recorded on the back December 15, 1890. The certificate is notarized, and signed by the company vice president, S. W. Jamison, and W. S. McClanahan, Secretary. "Par Value of One Hundred Dollars Each"

 

 The Roanoke Development Company was one of many real estate companies created in Roanoke, Virginia, in the 1880s, to take advantage of the economic boom created by the railroad.

1998.26.250

February 25, 1891

Stock certificate (#36) issued by The Mountain View Land Company for 10 shares, issued to Mrs. Mary (Lee) Chandler on February 25, 1891. The certificate is notarized, and signed by the company president, Charles G. Eddy, and William F. Winch, Secretary. "Authorized Capital, $35,000. Shares $100 Each"

 The Mountain View Land Company was one of many real estate companies created in Roanoke, Virginia, in the 1880s, to take advantage of the economic boom created by the railroad. It was originally headed by Robert H. Woodrum. This certificate is in the name of Mrs. Mary Lee Chandler, née Mary Marsh Criss, mother-in-law of John Allen Watts; after her first husband's death, she remarried to Rev. Charles N. Chandler.

 1998.26.251

February 25, 1891

Stock certificate (#37) issued by The Mountain View Land Company for 10 shares, issued to Mrs. John Allen Watts on February 25, 1891. The certificate is notarized, and signed by the company president, Charles G. Eddy, and William F. Winch, Secretary. "Authorized Capital, $35,000. Shares $100 Each"

1998.26.252

May 2, 1887

Stock certificate (#138) issued by Roanoke Rolling Mill Company for 4 shares, issued to John Allen Watts on May 2, 1887. The certificate is notarized, and signed by the company president, Samuel Bryson Haupt, and N. D. Maher, Secretary. "Capital Stock $90,000"

 The Roanoke Rolling Mill Company was one of many industries that opened in Roanoke, Virginia, in the 1880s, attracted by the railroad.

1998.26.253

January 26, 1891

Stock certificate (#3) issued by Shenandoah Investment Company for 10 shares, issued to John Allen Watts on January 26, 1891, for ten dollars, the first installment of 10 percent upon subscription to ten shares. The certificate is notarized, and signed by the company president, C. J. Stevens, and F. M. Truslow, Secretary

1998.26.254

January 26, 1891

Stock certificate (#4) issued by Shenandoah Investment Company for 10 shares, issued to Mrs. Gertrude (Lee) Watts on January 26, 1891, for ten dollars, the first installment of 10 percent upon subscription to ten shares. The certificate is notarized, and signed by the company president, C. J. Stevens, and F. M. Truslow, Secretary

The Shenandoah Investment Company was one of many real estate companies created in Roanoke, Virginia, in the 1880s, to take advantage of the economic boom created by the railroad. Gertrude (Lee) Watts was the wife of John Allen Watts.

1998.26.255

June 20, 1872

Stock certificate (#602) issued by Atlantic Mississippi and Ohio Rail Road Company for four shares, issued to George Watson Carr trustee for Emma Gilmer Carr on June 20, 1872. The certificate is notarized, and signed by the company president, William Mahone, and James E. Cuthbert, Treasurer

            The Atlantic, Mississippi & Ohio Rail Road Company was created 1870 by the consolidation of Virginia’s three major railways: the Norfolk & Petersburg, the Southside, and the Virginia & Tennessee; the new line, run by William Mahoney, defaulted on loans in the 1873 depression and was placed in receivership in 1875. It was bought in 1881 by Enoch W. Clark & Co., the Philadelphia investment company that owned the still incomplete Shenandoah Valley Railroad. Clark renamed it the Norfolk & Western Railroad and selected the location for the junction of the two lines at Big Lick. This decision quickly led to Big Lick’s incorporation as Roanoke, and to several decades of very rapid growth.

            George Watson Carr (1822-1899) married in 1860 Emma Gilmer Watts (1835-1872), a daughter of Edward Watts; they had five children, ages 2 to 11 in 1872. Emma was deceased at the time this certificate was issued, and Carr made the investment as trustee for her estate.