Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club Records

Access and use

Location of collection:
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Special Collections, University Libraries (0434)
Newman Library
Virginia Tech
P.O. Box 90001
560 Drillfield Drive
Blacksburg, VA 24062-9001
Contact for questions and access:
Phone: (540) 231-6308
Fax: (540) 231-3694
Restrictions:

The collection is open for research, except Box 22 which contains restricted materials. Restricted folders are identified within the inventory. Contact Special Collections and University Archives for more information.

Terms of access:

Copyright restrictions may apply. Contact Special Collections and University Archives for assistance in determining the use of these materials.

Reproduction or digitization of materials for personal or research use can be requested using our reproduction/digitization form: http://bit.ly/scuareproduction.

Reproduction or digitization of materials for publication or exhibit use can be requested using our publication/exhibition form: http://bit.ly/scuapublication. Please contact Special Collections and University Archives (specref@vt.edu or 540-231-6308) if you need assistance with forms or to submit a completed form.

Preferred citation:

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [identification of item], [box], [folder], Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club Records, Ms2024-054, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Summary

Extent:
27.5 Cubic Feet 23 boxes
Creator:
Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club (Roanoke, Va.)
Abstract:
The Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club (RATC) Records document the management of the club from its founding in 1932. The collection includes the club newsletters, board minutes, former officers' and members' records, NPS and RATC acquisition information, conservation issues, management plans, histories of the club, scrapbooks, and photographs. The RATC continues its original mission to maintain and protect the Appalachian Trail (AT), and the club covers over 120 miles of the AT, including McAfee Knob, Dragon's Tooth, and Tinker Cliffs.
Language:
The materials in the collection are in English.
Preferred citation:

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [identification of item], [box], [folder], Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club Records, Ms2024-054, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Background

Scope and content:

The Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club (RATC) Records document the management of the club from its founding in 1932. The collection includes the club newsletters, board minutes, former officers' and members' records, National Park Service and RATC acquisition information, conservation issues, management plans, histories of the club, scrapbooks, and photographs.

The collection is divided into two series, I: RATC Management and II: RATC Officers and Members. The first series contains materials created, collected, and maintained by the RATC for its operations. It contains the meeting minutes, primarily about the activities of the Executive Board from 1940 to 1959 and 1968 to 2004. Some of the meeting minutes also record the activities of committees, affiliate organizations, and the annual all-member banquet during those years. There are also by-laws from the 1980s and 1990s and rosters from the 1950s to 1980s. The club newsletters start with the RATC Bulletin from 1939 to 1942 and continue with the Trail Blazer from 1954 to 2010. These document the club's recent activities, including work with the Appalachian Trail Conference (later Appalachian Trail Conservancy), local non-profits, and government entitities, hike schedules and detailed accounts of club hikes on the Appalachian Trail (AT), and reminiscences of and memorials to past and current members.

The Land Tract Files contain legal records of lands acquired by NPS after 1978 Congressional funding. Most of these materials are photocopies of legal records documenting land acquisitions, including legal judgments, land ownership histories, foreclosure documents, leases and contracts with gas and electric companies, deeds and trusts, wills and genealogies regarding inheritance rights, land surveys and inspection records, appraisals and environmental assessments, financial documents and insurance certificates, photographs, maps, and correspondence with land owners, attorneys, court clerks, and others. Other documents about acquisitions and relocations also illuminate the RATC's work with the Appalachian Trail Conference (also Conservancy), U.S. National Park Service, and U.S. Forest Service to acquire and monitor property and to build and relocate trails.

The first series also contains management and conservation plans, general files, and RATC historical materials. The histories discuss the founding and development of the club as well as large trail relocations and the work of past members and officers. There are also several photo albums from the 1930s-1950s.

The second series contains files created, collected, or maintained by people affiliated with the RATC, both officers and individual members, about the history and operation of the RATC. These people include club president Thomas Campbell, the Otey family, president Dick Clark, local journalist Bill Cochran, newsletter editor Zetta Campbell, longtime trail supervisor Charles Parry, hike leaders Sigfried and Ursula Kolmstetter, hike leader Andy Layne, president Roger Holnback, and longtime social chair Linda Akers. Documents include correspondence, handwritten notes, additional meeting minutes and newsletters, photographs, newspaper clippings, and more. They also cover land acquisitions, building trails and shelters, group events and conferences, management and land use, and of course hikes on the AT.

The following are common abbreviations or acronyms found in the collection inventory:

  • AEP - Appalachian Electric Power Company
  • APCO - Appalachian Power Company, a subsidiary of AEP
  • AT - Appalachian Trail
  • ATC - Appalachian Trail Conference or Appalachian Trail Conservancy
  • RATC - Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club
  • NPS - United States National Park Service
  • USFS or FS - United States Forest Service

Biographical / historical:

The Appalachian Trail (AT), a hiking trail along the Appalachian Mountains in the United States, was first proposed by Bernard MacKaye in 1921, and two years later, the first section opened in New York State. In 1925, the Appalachian Trail Conference (ATC) formed to help manage the maintenance and conservation of the AT, and in 2005, the ATC was renamed Appalachian Trail Conservancy. As of 2025, the AT spans almost 2,200 miles in 14 states from Maine to Georgia, with 25% of the trail traversing Virginia and 30 local AT clubs affiliated with the ATC.

Local hiking clubs began organizing to build and maintain the AT and joining the ATC in the 1920s and 1930s. In October 1932, Donald S. Gates, a professor at Roanoke College, gathered several hikers and local groups to discuss forming an AT club in the Roanoke area. At a second meeting in October, Myron H. Avery, the chairman of the ATC, and members from the Potomac and Natural Bridge AT Clubs joined them to explain various aspects of their work.

On November 13, 1932, the Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club (RATC) was officially established with 17 charter members, including the first officers: president Gates, secretary E. B. Coxwell, treasurer Larry Pownall, and trail supervisor David Dick. Grace Pownall was appointed vice president about two (2) weeks later. The ATC initially assigned the RATC 55 miles of the trail to manage, but by the club's first anniversary, the section had expanded to 68.29 miles.

As of 2025, the RATC covers over 120 miles, including McAfee Knob, Dragon's Tooth, and Tinker Cliffs. The organization continues its original mission to maintain and protect the Appalachian Trail; develops and maintains trails, campsites, open shelters, and permanent camps on the AT; collects data about the history, scenery, geology, flora, and fauna of the Appalachian Mountains; prepares maps and guides for hiking, camping, and forest fire prevention; and participates in and advocates for the development of laws and regulations related to the AT and the Appalachian Mountains.

Biographical notes for several RATC members are included in the inventory under Series II.

External Sources:

Box 13, Folder 48, "RATC Histories Written in 1980s," of this collection

Box 13, Folder 52, "RATC Histories Written in 1950s," of this collection

Box 13, Folder 53, "RATC History, 1932-1945," of this collection

Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club, https://www.ratc.org/, accessed May 1, 2024.

By-Laws of the Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club, Inc., Rev. March 12, 2016, https://www.ratc.org/wp-content/uploads/documents/bylaws.pdf, accessed May 1, 2024.

Diana Christopulos, "How Three Hiking Clubs Became the Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club," RATC.org, https://www.ratc.org/how-three-hiking-clubs-became-the-roanoke-appalachian-trail-club/, accessed September 25, 2025.

Appalachian Trail Conservancy, https://appalachiantrail.org/, accessed October 3, 2025.

Acquisition information:
The collection was donated to Special Collections and University Archives in several accruals from 2023 to 2025. Future donations are expected.
Appraisal information:

Duplicates, blank notepads, empty envelopes, and binders were removed from collection. Some documents with confidential or private information were returned to the Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club.

Processing information:

The processing, arrangement, and description of the Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club Records was completed in October 2025. Box 16 was completed in March 2026.

Arrangement:

The Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club Records are arranged into series and subseries by subject, based primarily on the descriptions by the RATC. Original order of files provided by the RATC is maintained where possible. Folder titles are original, except text within brackets [].

Series I: RATC Management, [ca. 1840s?], [ca. 1880s]-2024 (bulk 1932-2016)

This series contains materials created, collected, and maintained by the RATC for its operations. It is divided into eight sub-series based on material type or subject, based on original order provided by the RATC.

  • Subseries A: RATC Meeting Minutes, 1940-1959, 1968-2004, 2022
  • Subseries B: RATC By-Laws and Rosters, 1955, 1960, 1972-1993
  • Subseries C: RATC Newsletters and Hike Schedules, 1939-1942, 1954-2010
  • Subseries D: Monitoring the Appalachian Trail: Land Tract Files, [ca. 1840s?], [ca. 1880s]-2010 (bulk 1980s-2010) - Please note, many of these documents are photocopies, and the dates are based on the originals.
  • Subseries E: Acquisitions and Relocations, 1949, 1955, [ca. 1960s]-1997, 2024
  • Subseries F: Management Plans and Conservation Issues, 1964-1982, 1991-2003, 2010, 2016, 2024
  • Subseries G: General Files, 1952, 1958, 1971-2014
  • Subseries H: RATC Historical Materials, 1932-1962, 1977-2000, 2020-[ca. 2024]

Series II: RATC Officers and Members, 1939-2025

This series contains files created, collected, or maintained by people affiliated with the RATC, both officers and individual members. It is divided into eight sub-series by person and in chronological order. Each subseries is organized based on topic, and original order is maintained where possible.

  • Subseries A: Thomas Campbell, 1939-2024 (bulk 1950s-1970s)
  • Subseries B: Otey Family, 1949-1953, 2024-2025, undated
  • Subseries C: Dick Clark, 1953-2006 (bulk 1980s-2000s)
  • Subseries D: Bill Cochran, 1966-2018
  • Subseries E: Zetta Campbell, 1972-1976, 1993, 2024
  • Subseries F: Charles Parry, 1972-2024 (bulk 1970s-1990s)
  • Subseries G: Sigfried and Ursula Kolmstetter, 1972-1996, 2019, 2024
  • Subseries H: Andy Layne, 1977-1990, undated
  • Subseries I: Roger Holnback, 1980-2012 (bulk 1990s-2000s)
  • Subseries J: Linda Akers, [ca. 1983]-1992, 2000-2015, 2022

Physical location:
Please note: This collection is in off-site storage and requires 2-3 days notice for retrieval. Please contact Special Collections and University Archives for more information.