Anthony Wright de Hernandez Local/Regional History

Resorts and Relaxation: A Look into Past Vacation Destinations of the Virginias

written by SCUA student library assistant Ella Winterling

A black and white landscape view of a historic resort. In the foreground is a fence with a small building at the center. Long rows of buildings line the base of hills on the left and right, framing a central plaza containing tree-lines paths, grassy lawns, and a central fountain. At the far end of the complex is a large building anchoring the two rows of houses. In the distance are forested hills and a foggy mountain peak.

Throughout the mountains of Virginia, several resorts, some still operational and some only marked by a monument, provide a glimpse into the history of hotels and relaxation and their evolution over time. From the Greenbrier, a hotel that continues to be a luxury destination today, to Montgomery White Sulphur Springs, which now only stands as a monument and relic of the past, these resorts signal a different time, where guests came from far and wide to leisurely spend the whole vacation season.

Earlier this semester, I began work on curating and collecting materials for an exhibit revolving around the past leisure culture of Virginia. Virginia Tech, located in southwest Virginia, is not too far away from some prominent hotels of the past. Montgomery White Sulphur Springs, Yellow Sulphur Springs, and Mountain Lake Lodge are located in the areas immediately surrounding, if not in, Blacksburg, Virginia. Other resorts, like the Greenbrier and Craig Healing Springs are located in the areas surrounding Virginia’s border with West Virginia, but are still relatively close.

Many of the resorts listed above grew in popularity due to their access to mineral-rich water, believed to have healing properties. Dating back from ancient civilizations, mineral rich spring water is believed to have the capability of easing muscle aches and skin conditions, but has not been effective in every ailment. Guests would travel to spas located near springs to not only drink the water, but bathe in the springs as well. Resorts would also provide accommodations, food, and other activities for guests to enjoy for the summer season.

As the leisure class and spring water decreased in prominence, several resorts, like Yellow Sulphur Springs and Montgomery White Sulphur Springs would close their doors. Factors like medical developments, the establishment of income taxes, the Great Depression, global conflicts, and changing travel trends, led to a shift away from springs resorts as a prime vacation destination. However, other resorts like the Greenbrier would add golf courses, casinos and even, in this case, a Cold War-era bunker, and remain popular through the present day.

Another resort still operating today, Mountain Lake Lodge, was first established in 1851. The resort saw the Civil War, was home to one of the first all-girls camps, and most famously was the filming location for the 1987 movie, Dirty Dancing. The lodge currently offers outdoors activities, Dirty Dancing themed events, and more.

In researching resorts to feature in this exhibit, I found that there was a wide range of materials available, from photographs, to letters, to menus. I went back and forth on what aspects of the collections to feature, but I decided that giving an overview of the multiple resorts throughout the area could be both educational and interesting, especially since there was plenty of material to use.

One group of materials I included was correspondence. In utilizing the Yellow Sulphur Springs Hotel Collection (Ms 1940-033) and the Craig Healing Springs [Craig County, Virginia] Letters (Ms 1990-078), I included patron inquires into accommodations and rates, and even a letter detailing a seafood delivery, to not only give the perspective of resort guests, but the business aspect as well.

I also included a guest book, dated from 1887 to 1895, from the Yellow Sulphur Springs Hotel Collection.The large register gives insight into the names of guests, their accommodations, and dates that they stayed. The guest book is also lined with advertisements from Lynchburg, Virginia, providing a look into other historical businesses and activities of the time.

Since the Yellow Sulphur Springs Hotel Collection includes a large range of materials, I decided to dedicate a whole case to the resort and spa. In addition to the letters and guest book, I also added photographs from Special Collection and University Archives’ Montgomery County collection of photos in the Historical Photograph Collection. The photographs provide a visual into how the resort actually looked around the time of its popularity. Overall, using a range of materials can provide insight into the different aspects of how a spa and resort operated in that time period.

Similar to Yellow Sulphur Springs, Montgomery White Sulphur Springs, a resort local to Blacksburg, also had a range of materials in Special Collections and University Archives. Montgomery White Sulphur Springs was another resort and spa, made popular partially due to its mineral rich water. The resort also transitioned into a hospital during the Civil War, then returned to its state as a hotel after the war, until a flood ultimately led to the resort closing its doors.

For the case dedicated to the Montgomery White Sulphur Springs resort, I primarily used materials from the Dorothy H. Bodell Papers (Ms 1988-042), which includes materials from Bodell’s research of the resort and spa. Some materials I used include a newspaper clipping, a copy of her book, Montgomery White Sulphur Springs: A History of the Resort, Hospital Cemeteries, Markers, and Monuments, as well as photographs of the resort. I also used an invitation for a ball held at the resort from the Virginia Ball Invitations collection (Ms 2009-103), which showcases the leisurely lifestyle of the time. In selecting materials for this case, I tried to select items that would showcase the resort’s time as a vacation hub, but that would also point to its transitions through the Civil War and eventually into the 20th century.

For the final case of the exhibit, I included various materials from other resorts across the Virginias, including materials from collections such as the Craig Healing Springs [Craig County, Virginia] Letters, mentioned above, The Greenbrier (Resort), West Virginia, Menus (Ms 2015-002), and photographs from the Mountain Lake Historical Photographs Collection and the Alleghany Springs Album, part of the Montgomery County Historical Photographs Collection.
In curating this exhibit, with the help of Kat Zinn, Project Archivist, I wanted to create an overview of the hospitality history of the Virginias, focusing not only on the resorts themselves, but the culture, business, and inner-workings of the vacation destinations.

Citations:

Craig Healing Springs Letters, Ms1990-078, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Dorothy H. Bodell Papers, 1850-1996, Ms88-042, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Fowler, Gene. (2019, Feb. 28). Taking the Waters: The Fascinating History of Texas’ Mineral-Water Resorts. Texas Highways. https://texashighways.com/culture/history/taking-the-waters-the-fascinating-history-of-texas-mineral-water-resorts/

Gross, Michael. (2024, Aug. 12). The Rise and Fall of Gilded Age Resorts. Palmer. https://palmerpb.com/2024/08/12/gilded-age-resorts/

Historical Photograph Collection, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va

Knudson, Jack. (2024, Mar. 26). Taking the Waters: How Natural Springs Can Have Healing Benefits. Discover Magazine. https://www.discovermagazine.com/taking-the-waters-how-natural-springs-can-have-healing-benefits-46033

Soak in Time: A Journey into the Rich History of Hot Springs. Yellowstone Hot Springs. Retrieved January 23, 2024, from https://yellowstonehotspringsmt.com/rich-history-of-hot-springs/

The Greenbrier (Resort), West Virginia, Menus, Ms2015-002, Special Collections, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Virginia Ball Invitations, Ms2009-103, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Yellow Sulphur Springs Hotel Collection, Ms1940-033, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

LM Rozema African American History, Civil War, Faculty, Local/Regional History, University History

Recently Processed Collections

After a year and a half without student workers onsite due to the pandemic, SCUA finally has a number of students in the department working on a variety of projects! I’m fortunate right now to supervise a couple of them on a number of processing projects in our different collecting areas, including the University Archives, Local/Regional History and Appalachian South, and the American Civil War, among others.

The Records of the Virginia Tech Dean of Students, Henry J. Holtzclaw, RG 8/2a, pertain to the work of Holtzclaw, who was the first person to serve as Dean of Students (also called Dean of Men) at VPI from 1923 to 1924. The collection is predominantly of correspondence between Holtzclaw and others at the university, such as President Julian Burruss, the Athletics Director C.P. Miles, and many other well known names from this time period.

The collection shows the intricacy and detail to which the Dean was involved in the everyday operations of the university. Holtzclaw helped develop the timetable and schedule of classes as well as the annual catalog. He oversaw the students’ attendance, handling requests for resigning from the university and their discipline in relation to hazing, poor grades, and rules violations. Dean Holtzclaw was also involved with the student organizations. One item of particular interest relates an incident when the Corps of Cadets was called to help put out a fire in town.

Letter from Henry F. Holtzclaw to President J. A. Burruss, regarding a hazing incident, October 15, 1923, from the Records of the Dean of Students, Henry F. Holtzclaw, RG 8/2a
Letter from Henry F. Holtzclaw to Dean H.L. Price, regarding the annual catalog curricula, December 14, 1923, from the Records of the Dean of Students, Henry F. Holtzclaw, RG 8/2a
Letter from Henry F. Holtzclaw to President J.A. Burruss, regarding the corps responding to a fire, January 14, 1924, from the Records of the Dean of Students, Henry F. Holtzclaw, RG 8/2a
Letter from Henry F. Holtzclaw to Professor B.H. Van Oot, regarding the potential jobs for students, February 7, 1924, from the Records of the Dean of Students, Henry F. Holtzclaw, RG 8/2a
Letter from Henry F. Holtzclaw to President Julian A. Burruss, regarding the Horticultural Society, May 2, 1924, from the Records of the Dean of Students, Henry F. Holtzclaw, RG 8/2a

The Records of the Lee Literary Society, RG 31/14/11, and the Records of the Maury Literary Society, RG 31/14/12, contain the records and ephemera of the societies from 1873 to 1929. The two student organizations split from the first student group at VAMC, the Virginia Literary Society, and they co-published the Gray Jacket, one of the first student publications.

The Theodore Winthrop Papers, Ms2021-004, contains items by and about Winthrop, who has the distinction of being the first Union officer killed in the American Civil War. Winthrop served on the staff of General Benjamin Butler, when he was killed at the Battle of Big Bethel in Virginia on June 10, 1861.

Signature of Theodore Winthrop from the Theodore Winthrop Papers, Ms2021-004
Signature of Theodore Winthrop from the Theodore Winthrop Papers, Ms2021-004
Draft of poem, p. 1, by Theodore Winthrop from the Theodore Winthrop Papers, Ms2021-004
Draft of poem, p. 2, by Theodore Winthrop from the Theodore Winthrop Papers, Ms2021-004

While only one item, the Virginia Tax Receipt, Ms2021-009, is a unique document from 1859 as it identifies a freedman’s tax payments for Peter Logan of Chesterfield, Virginia. Looking through the records on Ancestry.com, Peter Logan (ca. 1810-1880) is a Black shoemaker from Chesterfield County, Virginia.

Virginia Tax Receipt for Peter Logan, 1859, Ms2021-009
Virginia Tax Receipt for Peter Logan, 1859, Ms2021-009

The Southwest Virginia Photograph Album, Ms2021-014, document a local family’s life in Virginia, including a visit to VPI, and the Danville Photograph Album, Ms2021-015, depict nurses and doctors at a hospital in Danville, Virginia.

The Blacksburg Lions Club Records, Ms2021-022, document the work of the local Lions Club, primarily their charitable work with eye and ear diseases. We also received a number of music books, mostly men’s choral music and a couple Lions Club books, which will be added to the Rare Book Collection.

Some other collections recently processed:

vtspecblogger African American History, Diversity, Feature Items, Local/Regional History, Uncategorized, University History

The Life of Andrew Oliver, Virginia Tech’s Little Known First African American Worker

Guest Post by Juan Pacheco

Virginia Tech’s history is a complicated one that is much more presumed than known due to an early 20th century blaze. In its early years, the institution served as an allegory of the rough, rag-tag, Appalachian spirit we see still embodied through a beaten-up lunch pail at football games and the largely blue-collar valley that envelops us. Tech, unlike its sister institutions William and Mary and the University of Virginia, has never owned any enslaved people by circumstance of its post-antebellum founding in 1872. Even its predecessor institution, the Olin & Preston Institute, has no record of owning any. That is not to say, however, that the grand 2,600-acre Blacksburg campus has never met or benefited from the harsh legacy of slavery. 

Prior to last year, you most likely would not see him listed on the Virginia Tech Black History Timeline. He predates Charles “Uncle Sporty” Owens, Floyd Meade, and even Odd Fellows Hall, all well-known black figures in early Virginia Tech history. If you had the privilege of crawling around the campus of Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College about 148 years ago with Addison Caldwell and other “rats,” you’d most likely refer to him as “Uncle Andrew.” He is Andrew Oliver, and he is the first known African-American worker at what is now Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

Continue reading “The Life of Andrew Oliver, Virginia Tech’s Little Known First African American Worker” →
vtspecblogger African American History, Local/Regional History

Uncovering Hidden Histories: African Americans in Appalachia

One of our many roles in Special Collections is to shed light upon hidden histories, uncovering communities that are traditionally marginalized or forgotten by time. The long history of African-Americans in Appalachia, for example, has traditionally been overlooked. Through the communities of New Town, Wake Forest, and Nellies Cave (among others), Montgomery County has a particularly rich legacy to explore. We work with historians, genealogists, community members, and other institutions to document and preserve these stories for future generations.

Newman Library currently hosts New Town: Across the Color Line, an exhibit documenting a predominantly African-American community that bordered the Virginia Tech campus until the late 20th century. Developed by the Virginia Tech Public History program, the exhibit includes items from the Blacksburg Odd Fellows Records (Ms1988-009) held by Special Collections. The exhibit will be open from October 5 through November 20.

Brochure for New Town Exhibit on display in Newman Library, October 5 - November 20

The Odd Fellows Records help document an important African-American civic institution in early 20th century Blacksburg. Researchers interested in the experiences of African-Americans in Montgomery County and greater Appalachia can find many other resources in Special Collections.Manuscript collections, photographs, oral history interviews, and rare books provide insight into the experiences of African-American communities from antebellum times through the present day. The Christiansburg Industrial Institute Historical Documents (Ms1991-033) represent a collaboration between the Christiansburg Industrial Institute Alumni Association and Special Collections to document the prestigious institutionthat educated generations of Virginia students from the 1860sthrough school integration.

Black and white photograph of Baily-Morris Hall, a building on the campus of Christiansburg Industrial Institute. Several African American teachers stand on a staircase in front of the building.
Baily-Morris Hall on Christiansburg Institute campus with teachers, date unknown.

Another collection, entitled Hidden History: The Black Experience in the Roanoke Valley Cassette Tapes and Transcripts (Ms1992-049), includes approximately forty-six interviews with African-American residents of Roanoke, Virginia about the cultural, social, and political history of their community. The research papers of historian and community activist Richard Dickenson (Richard B. Dickenson Papers, Ms2011-043) include a wealth of information about local African-American history, including the free communities of antebellum Montgomery County and the many civic institutions of Christiansburg. The John Nicolay Papers, (Ms1987-027) include research files and oral histories that provide insight into churches, local institutions, and the historic African-American community of Wake Forest.

These collections represent a small fraction of the primary sources and publications that document African-American history in Special Collections. More importantly, these resources point to an abundant history still waiting to be uncovered.

vtspecblogger African American History, Local/Regional History

Beatrice Freeman Walker Video Interview

Image of Beatrice Freeman Walker
Beatrice Freeman Walker

In a video interview on March 12, 2013, Beatrice Freeman Walker talked about growing up in Blacksburg during segregation, the changes she has observed in the town, and the historical significance of the St. Luke and Odd Fellows Hall. Mrs. Walker, who died on December 31, 2013, was a dynamic community member and cared deeply about the preservation of Blacksburgs African American history.

Born in 1926, the youngest of five siblings, Mrs. Walker grew up in Blacksburg at 202 Jackson Street. Her familys property went all the way to Progress Street where her father, Alonzo Freeman, had his dry cleaning business. Their home was on the border of the towns original grid of 16 blocks, which was laid out by William Black in 1797 and bounded by Draper Road, Jackson Street, Wharton Street, and Clay Street. In the 1970s, the town acquired her family home though eminent domain in order to expand the fire department, and she lived the remainder of her life in Christiansburg.

In the interview she recalled that when she was growing up, the children were unconscious of segregation. There were blacks on one side of the street and whites lived on the other. The problem, she said, It isnt the children. Its the parents.

At various times, her family also owned a beauty salon, an ice cream parlor where they served homemade hand-cranked ice cream, and a recreation place called Paradise View on what was then Grissom Lane, but is now called Nellys Cave. Daddy just owned it because we had croquet, horseshoe, badminton, bands, and sandwiches and sodas, she said. They would go up there for recreation. It was open on Saturdays and Sundays. People as far as Bluefield, West Virginia would come in and down there.

Among other jobs, Bessie (Briggs) Freeman, Mrs. Walkers mother, traveled in order to encourage membership in the St. Luke and Odd Fellows. This organization was important to the African American community because it helped people find opportunities for learning different trades and it sold insurance that people could borrow from when they wanted to send a child to college or when there was a death. The St. Luke and Odd Fellows Hall, built in the early 1900s, provided a gathering place for meetings, social events, and fundraisers.

Junior class, Christiansburg Institute, 1942. Beatrice Freeman, a class officer, is second row, second from the right.
Junior class, Christiansburg Institute, 1942. Beatrice Freeman, a class officer, is second row, second from the right.

After graduating from Christiansburg Institute in 1943, Mrs. Walker did civil service work in Washington, D.C. Later, she returned to Blacksburg and worked for several local businesses including Spudnuts (later called Carol Lee Doughnut Shop) on College Avenue, Litton Poly-Scientific, and in 1975, Volvo White Motor Company in Dublin, Virginia. While at Volvo, she was active in the United Auto Workers (Local 2069) and a strong advocate for her fellow employees.

St. Luke and Odd Fellows Hall
St. Luke and Odd Fellows Hall

Beatrice Freeman Walker was instrumental in the renovation of the Order of St. Lukes and Odd Fellows Museum Hall in Blacksburg. In 2004, Mrs. Walker, Walter Lewis, and Aubrey Mills were appointed as trustees.

Beatrice Freeman Walkers video oral history interview, which was conducted at the St.Luke and Odd Fellows Hall, may be accessed from Virginia Techs institutional repository, VTechWorks, managed by the University Libraries at http://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/handle/10919/24714 Mrs. Walkers granddaughter, Latanya Walker, was present at the interview conducted by Tamara Kennelly. Scott Pennington was the videographer.

To learn more about the St. Luke and Odd Fellows Hall visit http://www.blacksburg.gov/index.aspx?page=73