Records, 1927-1950

Access and use

Location of collection:
Library of Virginia
The Library of Virginia
800 East Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23219
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Archives Reference Services
Phone: (804) 692-3888

Background

Scope and content:

The Department of Conservation and Development, Division of History, Records are housed in 108 boxes, 3 oversize boxes, and 1 oversize map case drawer. The collection is arranged into five (5) series. Series have been designated for: I. Correspondence; II. Virginia War History Project; III. Graves of Distinguished Virginians Project; IV. Records; and V. Historical Material. These records include addresses articles, correspondence, maps, magazines, minutes, newspapers, newspaper clippings, pamphlets, photographs, postcards, programs, radio addresses, reports scrapbooks and telegrams. These records document Virginia state government's development and promotion of the Commonwealth's history and historical resources.

The creation and administration of Virginia's Historical Marker program is well documented in the records (Series I). This series provides a wealth of information on the Division's approach to markers, their construction, inscription, installation and maintenance. Of note to the Civil War Historian, this series also contains records on the creation of the Richmond Battlefield Park. Included are correspondence, maps, pamphlets and aerial photographs taken of the battlefield in the 1930s.

For researchers interested in the life on the home front during World War II, there are some records of note. The Division of History collected reports on home front conditions. Topics include local opinion and reaction to war events and news, rosters of local service men and women, activities of local organizations, economic conditions and religious conditions (Series II).

The Division of History and Archaeology also attempted to locate graves of distinguished Virginians (Series III) and created a reference file on Virginia History and eventually published The Hornbook of Virginia History (Series IV). The Historical Material files is essentially a ready reference collection containing newspaper clippings and historical sketches on historic sites and events. (Series V).

Oversize items are filed in 3 boxes and 2 map case drawers. The oversize records consist primarily of maps and newspapers. Oversize items, which were part of the regular sized filing unit, were removed from their perspective folders. A separation notice listing the item(s) separated and their new location was put in its place. For location and content list of oversize folders, see the listing at the end of the container list.

It is recommended that the researcher read the series level scope and content notes thoroughly before accessing the collection.

Biographical / historical:

The Virginia State Commission of Conservation and Development was created in 1926 to consolidate and coordinate a number of conservation agencies including the Water Power and Development Commission, the State Geological Commission, the State Geological Survey, Office of the State Geologist, Office of the State Forester, and the Division of Parks. Governor Harry F. Byrd appointed his campaign manager William E. Carson (1870-1942) as the Commission's first chairman. Between 1926 and 1950 the Commission changed names several times: Virginia State Commission of Conservation and Development (1926-1938), Virginia Conservation Commission (1938-1948) and Department of Conservation and Development (1948-1985). Chairman of the Commission included: William E. Carson (1926-1935), Wilbur C. Hall (1935-1939), N. Clarence Smith (1939-1942), and William A. Wright (1942-1948). In 1948, the General Assembly, as part of a reorganization of state government abolished the Virginia Conservation Commission and created the Department of Conservation and Development. The new agency took over the function of the Conservation Commission, State Port Authority and the State Planning Board. Governor William Tuck named Wright as director of the new Department of Conservation and Development.

In 1927, Carson created the Division of History and Archaeology within the Commission to preserve and develop the historical resources of the state. The new Division was lead by Dr. H.J. Eckenrode, Director; Colonel Bryan Conrad, Assistant Director; and M.F. Pleasants, Field Assistant. Carson believed that Virginia needed to publicize Virginia's wealth of history and tradition especially to out-of-state travelers. He decided to have markers placed on the states' highways to provide information of historical events that had happened in their vicinity. By the beginning of World War II, the Commission had erected more than 1400 historical markers across Virginia.

In addition to the historical marker program, the Division of History assisted in the development of Virginia history in many other ways. It cooperated with the federal government in studying the battlefield of Yorktown and in the development of the Richmond Battlefield Park. The Division photographed thousands of colonial era houses and other significant structures. The Division sponsored the Federal Writers' Project for Virginia and conducted the WPA's Virginia Historical Inventory.

The Commission suspended the historical marker program during World War II because of rationing of metals. In its place, the Commission inaugurated a War records program including a newspaper reference file and a correspondence program in which a non-salaried correspondent from each locality sent reports about local war time activities and local war activities and reaction to the war. In addition, the Division began a program to locate and mark the graves of distinguished Virginians. Finally in 1949, the Division published The Hornbook of Virginia History that included a brief history of Virginia and other historical information.

Acquisition information:
Accessions 24806a-c transferred from History Division, Virginia State Library on 30 June 1958; Accession 25913 transferred from Historic Publications Division, Virginia State Library on 21 November 1963; Accession 41571 transferred to Archives on 29 November 2004.
Arrangement:

Organized into the following series:

  • I. Correspondence, 1927-1950 (Accession 24806a)
  • II. Virginia War History Project, 1942-1946 (Accession 24806b)
  • III. Graves of Distinguished Virginians Project, 1944-1950 (Accession 24806c)
  • IV. Records, 1929-1950 (Accession 25913)
  • V. Historical Material, 1927-1950 (Accession 41571)
Physical location:
State Records Collection, Department of Conservation and Economic Development (Record Group 18)
Physical description:
49.52 cubic feet