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Samuel G. Clark Liberty Iron Furnace Collection

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: 2017-0005

Scope and Contents

The Liberty Iron Furnace Collection consists of approximately 34.5 linear feet of materials. This includes 224 folders of documents, 74 folders of documents previously stored in ledger books, a collection of technical drawings related to the furnace's machinery, maps and plat drawings of the company's land holdings, surveys of the company's rail line, and approximately 51 ledgers, checkbooks, day books, and other bound record books. They are stored in 29 boxes, 8 rolled storage boxes, and 19 oversized folders. The collection is organized into the following twelve series.

Series 1, Letter Box, March 31 1918 includes correspondence found in a letter box labeled March 31, 1918. The correspondence covers the 1909-1910 period and is sorted alphabetically as found in the letter box.

Series 2, Letter Box, Receiver L.S. Company, 1891-1892 includes correspondence found in a letter box labeled Receiver L.S. Company, 1891. The documents cover the 1909-1912 time period and are sorted as found in the letter box.

Series 3, Receivership Documents, July 1891-February 1892 includes receipts and documents related to the time period when the Liberty Iron Company was placed in receivership. It is sorted chronologically as originally found.

Series 4, Dedford Company Correspondence, 1901-1911 includes reports and receipts for bark shipped by the Shenandoah Iron and Coal Company to various businesses during that period. These are sorted chronologically and were found together. There is no Folder 4.5 in Box 4.

Series 5, Bark Reports and Receipts, 1905-1917 includes a wide array of records, correspondence, and other documents related to the operations of the Shenandoah Iron and Coal Company and its successor from 1909-1917. These are sorted chronologically and were found stored together.

Series 6, Correspondence, 1909-1917 includes a wide array of bound record books including ledgers, employment logs, day books, account books, checkbooks, receipt books, and other journals. It covers the operation of the Wissler furnaces, the Liberty Iron Company, and the Shenandoah Iron and Coal Company and is stored as size permits.

Series 7, Ledger, 1874-1913 includes a variety of documents and records found from ledger books from the time period 1874-1913, sorted as originally found.

Series 8, Maps and Plats, 1891-1899 includes maps of the company's rail line, surverys of company land holdings, and maps related to the company's operation. The bulk appears to have been created sometime around 1900, but most of the items are undated.

Series 9, Technical Drawings, undated includes a single folder with technical drawings related to the company's machinery. While most of the items have identifying labels, they are undated.

Series 10, Payroll Records, 1905-1910 includes payroll sheets retained by the company between 1905 and 1910. They list employees and the amount they were paid by month. They are sorted chronologically and were found stored together.

Series 11, Letter Box, the documents cover the 1907-1909 time period and is sorted as found in the letter box.

Series 12, Letter Box, the documents cover the time period of 1909 and is sorted as found in the letter box.

Dates

  • Creation: 1809-1917

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open to researchers without restrictions. Researchers must register and agree to all copyright laws and archives policies before using the collection. Please contact the Shenandoah County Library before visiting to use this collection.

Biographical / Historical

In 1822, Walter Newman began operating a furnace on a 900-acre piece of property he owned along Stony Creek, west of Edinburg. Newman called this site Liberty Furnace, a name that is retained today.

Extent

34.5 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

The Liberty Iron Furnace Collection is comprised of 29 boxes of materials relating to the three companies that operated the Liberty Iron Furnace during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Approximately one half of the boxes contain correspondence and financial documents and the remaining boxes contain ledgers, day books, letter books, and other bound materials. The subject of the material is primarily business related and encompasses transactions, employment records, reports related to the railroad line, and other items.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged in twelve (12) series:

Series I: Letter Box, March 31 1918

Series II: Letter Box, Receiver L.S. Company, 1891-1892

Series III: Receivership Documents, July 1891-February 1892

Series IV: Dedford Company Correspondence, 1901-1909

Series V: Bark Reports and Receipts, 1905-1911

Series VI: Correspondence, 1909-1917

Series VII: Ledgers, 1874-1913

Series VIII: Maps and Plats

Series IX: Technical Drawings

Series X: Payroll Records

Series XI: Letter Box, 1907-1909

Series XII: Letter Box, 1909

Physical Location

Shenandoah County Library, Truban Archives

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Placed on long term, 10-year loan in 2017. Loan made in memory of Samuel G. Clark of Liberty Furnace, Virginia.

Bibliography

Walls, Susan. Liberty Furnace. Unpublished, Compiled April 2015. Shenandoah Room, Shenandoah County Library, Edinburg, Virginia, USA.

Processing Information

This collection was stored in a structure near the site of the original Liberty Furance. Most letters, receipts, and loose documents were stored in a large desk. These items have been processed and archived together. Ledgers and other bound items were stored in open shelves. Loose items from these bound volumes have been stored in a document box with notations detailing their original location. Items too large for document storage have been placed in oversize folders and stored in the archives map case and noted in the inventory.

Title
A Guide to the Samuel G. Clark Liberty Iron Furnace Collection
Author
Marlee Smith and Rachael Friedenberg
Date
December 20, 2024
Language of description
English
Script of description
Arabic

Repository Details

Part of the Shenandoah County Library: Truban Archives Repository

Contact:
514 Stoney Creek Blvd.
Edinburg VA 22824 United States
540-984-8200