Collections

The Armstead L. Robinson papers(1848-2001; 43 cubic feet) consist of audiotapes; book reviews; census material; computer printouts; conference papers; correspondence; biographical information; instructional material; lectures and speeches; manuscripts and original writings by Robinson, his colleagues and students; maps; memorabilia; microfilm; organizational and professional files; photographs; printed items, and research and topical files. Most of the nineteenth century material is in the form of photocopies.

Eugene Edward Chiles papers, (3 cubic feet, 1915-1922) contain love letters from his girlfriend, Eugenie O'Neill who is traveling in European circles with wealthy and or famous acquaintances, while he is working as a realtor in Pittsburgh, PA. and Stephens City, Virginia, after the war. Her letters mostly describe her feelings for him and mention (briefly) famous places, people, and events from the Twenties. Topics consist of post war conditions, unemployment, strikes, feminism, racism, and the Sinn Fein rebellion (newspaper clippings). Included are a few letters from Eugene and letters from his mother, and girlfriends (1915-1922). There are also financial, military, miscellaneous, and personal papers belonging to Eugene Chiles.

The Fernande Gontier papers (1787-2005; 8.6 cubic feet) document Dr. Gontier's scholarship on Simone de Beauvoir; Colette; Etienne Cabet and his followers in Nauvoo, Illinois; Mathilde de Morny; and Comtesse Marie-Catherine d'Aulnoy. The collection includes manuscript drafts, research files, correspondence, and books representing Dr. Gontier's work. Materials also include manuscripts for cookbooks co-written by Dr. Gontier. The papers are arranged into six series.

The Francis H. Fife papers (1947-2015; 168.4 cubic feet) document the personal and professional life of Mr. Fife with an emphasis on his civic and community interests. Types of materials include reports, meeting minutes, correspondence, memoranda, journals, and some family documents. The collection is organized into three series: Oak Lawn 1, Oak Lawn 2, and Westview.

The Gay family papers (1829-1922; 0.5 cubic feet) document the lives of members of the Gay family of Staunton, Virginia. The collection contains approximately 200 letters written by and to family members, with about one-third of the letters written by Private Charles Wyndham Gay (1841-1862) of the Confederate Army to his parents. Other letters include those from Alexandre Etienne de Clouet, a Louisiana Deputy to the Provisional Congress of the Confederate States.

The George Washington Lewis papers consists chiefly of correspondence to and from George Washington Lewis and between other family members, but also includes a few photographs of the Lewis family and the homes of "Claymont", "Shellfield" and "Marmion"; a plat of "Claymont"; newsclippings; notes on Lewis family history and genealogy; and a few financial and legal documents.

Goodykoontz family papers (1895-1960,bulk 1912-1930) focus on Robert Goodykoontz (1884-1970), and his wife "Sara" Nelle Neal Goodykoontz (1926-1930; 0.03 cubic feet).There are 80 or more letters including 13 to Robert Goodykoontz from his sister-in-law Irene; 39 letters from his mother Lucinda Kathering Woolwine Goodykoontz; letters from family at Virginia College for Women, Harris Military Institute, Roanoke, Va., and a few letters from family members in Kansas City, Mo. Also included are several telegrams, and one V-Mail, Dec.5, 1944 from a nephew in the line of duty,and an original deed signed in 1895 by S. W. Jamison, George E. Keene and the Roanoke Stock Yards Company in Roanoke, Virgina. It also contains three report cards, two commencement announcements, invitations,and tuition statements. There are also four hand-written letters from Laura Lee Dorsey, principal of St. Anne's school.

The Goss family papers (1820-2014; 4 cubic feet) contain Civil War letters and documents including a pardon for Ebenezer Walker Goss from President Andrew Johnson in 1865, manuscript receipts of goods sold to the Confederate Army, enslaved person receipts, and papers (mostly correspondence) related to their 19th and early 20th century family in Somerset, Virginia. Business records reflect their apple orchard, farming, and dairy business which was maintained by Charlotte "Lottie" Goss (1861-1914), and her brother Ebenezer "Lee" Goss,(1863-1934). The family papers also contain correspondence with William and Marion du Pont about horses and dogs. There are also letters from suitors, particularly J. Frank Lobingier, pursuing Charlotte "Lottie" Goss (1880-1909), from around the country. Miss Goss lived for a while in Pomona California, and Saltito, Mexico. The family papers also contain photographs and genealogy describing their family history in Virginia.

The Grover family papers (1825-1917; 0.04 cubic feet) also includes papers from the Watts and Harris families. This collection contains receipts, a deed of gift for enslaved people (Dolly, and children Nancy, Elvira, and James from Mary Harris to Rosa M. N. Harris, circa 1845-47), a newspaper clipping of Preston Watt, and ration books of Bettie and William Grover. The papers came in a fabric packet stamped, "The Virginia Fire and Marine Insurance Co. of Richmond, VA" which is included.