Honaker Family Papers 1859-1920

Access and use

Location of collection:
Wytheville Community College
F.B. Kegley Library
Wytheville Community College
Smyth Hall, Room 103
1000 East Main Street
Wytheville, VA 24382
Contact for questions and access:
POC: William A. “Bill” Veselik
Phone: (276) 223-4876
POC: George Mattis
Phone: (276) 223-4744
Fax: (276) 223-4745

Summary

Language:
English

Background

Scope and content:

The Honaker Family Papers contain seven folders consisting of correspondence between John R. Honaker of Wythe County and various mineral exploration, realty, and meat packing companies in Richmond and Roanoke. Also included are two mid-1800s land deeds of Peter G. Honaker and an 1918 letter from Stuart French Honaker during his World War I service.

Biographical / historical:

Peter Cline Honaker, son of early settlers Abraham Honaker and Sarah Ann Cline Honaker, was born on 10 October 1812. He established his home in Rocky Gap, Bland County, and married Mary Ann Haven Davidson in North Carolina. Honaker died on 21 January 1887 in Rocky Gap and is buried in the Tuggle-Honaker Cemetery there. He and his wife raised nine children.

One of those offspring was John Robert Honaker (usually known as J. R. Honaker) who was born on 22 November 1858. He married Mary Jane Scott (1861-1951), daughter of Andrew Porter Scott and Ann Jane Newland, on 25 February 1885. They had seven children including Ada Ann Honaker (m. Shaffer) (b. 1885), Lelia Mae Honaker (m. Rives) (b. 1887), Lombe Scott Honaker (b. 1888), Ethel Rebecca Honaker (b. 1890), Stuart French Honaker (Frank) (b. 1891), Virginia Elsimore Honaker (m. Umberger) (b. 1893), and Andrew Peter Honaker. (b. 1896).

John Robert Honaker settled first in the Cedar Springs section of Wythe County, Virginia and had business interests in mineral deposits and hog management. He moved to Wytheville in the 1900s and served as Clerk of the Wythe County Court from 1906 to 1911. He died on 2 July 1935 and is buried in St. John's Lutheran Church Cemetery in Wytheville, Virginia.

Acquisition information:
Donated by Ruth Ann Chitwood in 2001 as part of the W. R. Chitwood Collection.
Physical description:
7 folders.