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These materials are available on microfilm and should be served instead of the originals:
Series I: Copies of deeds, etc., c. 1812-1925, Misc. reel 2562.
Series I: Corporate holdings, 1866, Misc. reel 2562.
Series I: Minute books, 1837-1947, Misc. reel 2642.
Series II: Notes and bills payable and receivable, 1856-1864, Misc. reel 2699.
Series III: Foundry record of guns cast, 1861-1865, Misc. reel 2689.
Series III: Guns tested for the US, 1857-1858, Misc. reel 2689.
Series III: Payroll ledger, 1863 Aug. - 1864 Aug., Misc. reel 543.
Series VII: Correspondence, Outgoing: 1861 May-August (Box 886); 1861 August-December (Box 886); 1864 August-December (Box 889); 1864 December-1865 February (Box 890); 1871 June-October (Box 914); and 1875 May-June (Box 949) have been photocopied and bound. Serve bound photocopy instead of originals.
There are no use restrictions.
Tredegar Iron Works Records, 1801-1957. Accession 23881, 24808. Business records collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.
This collection came to the Library of Virginia in five accessions. The bulk of the collection came from the Tredegar Company as two accessions: Gift of the Tredegar Company, Richmond, Virginia, October 1952 (Accession 23881), and Gift of the Albemarle Papers Manufacturing Company (successors to Tredegar), Richmond, Virginia, 1958 (Accession 24808). THESE TWO ACCESSIONS, 23881 and 24808, ARE USED TO DESCRIBE AND IDENTIFY THE ENTIRE COLLECTION, WHICH ALSO INCLUDES 22989, 24297, AND 24809.
At later dates other intergral Tredegar records were donated to the Library of Virginia and are interfiled within the larger collection.
Stock transfer account book, 1837-1849. Transferred to the library from the office of Dr. H.J. Eckenrode, Director of History, Department of Conservation, 1949 (Accession 22989).
Minute book, 1867-1899, photostat copy of original in custody of Tredegar Company, 1955 March (Accession 24297).
Drawing of a rifled field gun, photoprint. Lent for duplication by Charles H. Robertson, Albemarle Papers Manufacturing Company, Richmond, Virginia, 1958 April (Accession 24809). The drawing is filed with the oversize collection, folder 92. (See Appendix A for a complete listing of oversize materials).
Although not interfiled within the collection listed below are related company records located in the Business records collection:
Tredegar Iron Works Records, 1845-1865 (Accession 25744).
Tredegar Iron Works Records, 1845-1864 (Accession 26393).
Tredegar Iron Works Records, 1857-1935 (Accession 26601).
Tredegar Iron Works Minutes, 1876- 1879 (Accession 33052).
The following is a brief outline of Tredegar's 120-year history. The history of Tredegar pre-Civil War to 1880 has been the subject of several publications, which should be consulted for more in-depth presentations: Kathleen Bruce, Virginia iron manufacture in the slave era. (New York: A.M. Kelley, 1968); Charles B. Dew, Ironmaker to the Confederacy: Joseph R. Anderson and the Tredegar Iron Works. (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1966); and Dennis Maher Hallerman, The Tredegar Iron Works: 1865-1876. (Thesis: University of Richmond, 1978). Another publication which includes a detailed analysis of the Tredegar site and structures, including its water power system is: Michael S. Raber, Patrick M. Malone, and Robert B. Gordon: Historical and Archaeological Assessment, Tredegar Iron Works Site, Richmond Virginia. September, 1992. (LVA Accession # 40407)
The Tredegar Iron Company was organized in 1836 by Francis B. Deane, Jr., an experienced Virginia blast furnace operator, and a group of Richmond businessmen, interested in expanding the local market for railroad iron. The company was chartered in 1837 and the following year acquired the Virginia Foundry Company. The earliest products were, for the most part, railroad construction, including axles, wheels, and gears. By 1841 though, the company was incurring great debts and the investors moved to reorganize the firms management. The most significant change made was the naming of Joseph R. Anderson (1813-1892), as the companys new agent.
In 1842, Deane resigned as superintendent and John Tanner was hired as his replacement. The company, through Anderson, soon secured U.S. Navy contracts for chain cable, shot, and shell. In 1843, Anderson leased the property for five years and worked on expanding the market into ordnance and railroad sales, producing angle iron, axles, rails, and shells. In 1848 Anderson purchased the Tredegar property and did business in his own name, Joseph R. Anderson and Company. The foundry operations were enlarged and a cotton factory on the land was converted to a spike factory. The high cost of transporting goods to Northern markets and competition from the British iron industry led Anderson to expand into the Southern market. Anderson also entered into a number of partnerships to manage the rolling mill and an enlarged locomotive operation. The locomotive partnership, begun with John Souther, led to the 1852 construction of a new boiler works and a finishing shop. Under a new partnership, Matthew Delaney managed the machine shop and locomotive operations. His son, Alexander Delaney revived locomotive sales with better designs and Tredegar became the largest antebellum Southern locomotive maker. Anderson also leased land on the site to Lewis D. Crenshaw for a new flour milling operation, and to A.J. Bowers and Asa Snyder for a stove works. Tredegar also owned several coal mines and blast furnaces, including Cloverdale, Grace, Catawba, and Rebecca in Botetourt County; the Australia in Allegheny County; and Mt. Torry in Augusta County, Virginia.
By the beginning of the Civil War, Tredegar was the largest ironworks in the Confederacy, with almost 700 black and white workers. The ironworks was virtually the sole source of heavy guns, projectiles, gun carriages, plates for iron-clad vessels, wheels and axles for railroad rolling stock, furnace machinery, and a variety of other products for Confederate munitions factories and navy yards. Although heavily damaged during the evacuation fire in April 1865, Tredegar made a swift transition back to peacetime production. The company was reorganized in 1867 as a new corporation, the Tredegar Company, whose assets were the Tredegar works, including the Armory rolling mill. Joseph R. Anderson and Company continued to hold interests in the remaining furnace properties.
In 1868 Tredegar received a major contract to supply the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad with rails and bridgework for the entire line. A national sales office in New York City was established, with John Tanner dispatched to run it, and a network of agents were positioned across the country. Foundry, rolling mill, blacksmith, carpenter, and boiler shop facilities were expanded by 1869, and a new puddling mill was erected. The rail rolling facilities were upgraded and new chair mills, spike machines, and horseshoe machines were introduced. The company made some non-railroad products, including engines, boilers, cast-iron pipes, nails, marine plates, bar and angle iron, decorative iron building fronts, and structural bridge iron. By 1873 Tredegar had more than twice its prewar capacity and employment that exceeded its highest antebellum totals. During this period the company supplied iron bridges, rails, and thousands of kegs of spike which were used to rebuild southern railroads. The company survived the panic of 1873 but was forced into receivership in 1876 when several northern railroads with which it had contracts and agreements were forced into bankruptcy.
As iron gave way to steel in the 1870s and 1880s, Tredegar found it did not have the capital necessary to make the production conversion. The companys financial footings had been rebuilt by the 1890s but the works then produced for a local market. Tredegar continued to make iron products, producing ammunition for the Spanish American War, World War I, and World War II. Spikes, horseshoes, rail fastenings, and car wheels were constant sellers, and led to expanded facilities for their production. The period between the two world wars was one of low profits, although the rail fastenings continued to be the primary market products.
In 1957 the company sold its Richmond plant to the Albemarle Paper Manufacturing Company, and moved some of its rolling mill equipment to Chesterfield County, where operations persisted until 1986. In 1987 the rolling mill was sold to Cleveland Track Material in Cleveland, Ohio. The Albemarle Paper Manufacturing Company, in 1962, purchased the Ethyl Corporation, including the name, and so in turn, the Tredegar property in Richmond became Ethyl Corporation property. In 1973 Ethyl Corporation paid for the restoration of the gun foundry and its chimney.
The Valentine Museum/Richmond History Center established a museum at the site of the ironworks in 1992. The Valentine Riverside Museum restored the outdoor machinery and structures, as well as the Pattern Building, Office Building and Carpenters shop. Unfortunately the museum was not a success and closed on 4 September 1995. In 2003 the Tredegar National Civil War Center was created to operate a museum at the site. Plans are underway to add an interpretive center by 2007 and a library, research center, and offices by 2010.
BIOGRAPHIES
Archer Anderson (1838-1918), eldest of twelve children of Joseph Reid Anderson and Sally Eliza Archer Anderson, was born at Old Point Comfort, Virginia. He served with the 21st Virginia Infantry, Company F, 1st Brigade, Aquia District, and as chief of staff to General Joseph E. Johnston during the Civil War. On 9 August 1859 he married Mary Anne Mason, daughter of John Young Mason, U.S. minister to France. They had seven children including, Archer Anderson, Jr., J.R.J. Anderson, and St. George Mason Anderson. He was president of Tredegar Iron Works from 1892 to 1918. He died 4 January 1918 and was buried at Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond.
Archer Anderson, Jr. (1866-1942), third of seven children of Archer Anderson and Mary Anne Mason Anderson, was born in Richmond, Virginia. He graduated from the University of Virginia with a masters of arts and practiced law in Virginia. Upon his fathers death in 1918, he became president of Tredegar Iron Works. He died 30 January 1942 and was buried at Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond.
Joseph Reid Anderson (1813-1892), was the youngest of nine children of William and Anna Thomas Anderson of Botetourt County, Virginia. He graduated West Point in 1836 and worked as an engineer in Virginia. He married Sally Archer in 1837, daughter of Dr. Robert and Frances Williamson Archer. By 1841, he had acquired an interest in the Tredegar Iron Works in Richmond, which supplied iron products to railroads and the U.S. government, and he became owner of the company in 1848. When the South seceded, Anderson offered his services to the Confederate Government as an infantry officer and was commissioned a brigadier-general in September 1861, serving in North Carolina and Virginia. After being wounded at the battle of Frazier's Farm in 1862, Anderson resigned in mid-July to return to Tredegar Iron Works where his talent was needed more than on the battlefield. The company operated throughout the war, but after the surrender of Richmond, the U.S. government confiscated Tredegar Iron Works. Upon Anderson's request to President Johnson for a pardon in the fall of 1865, the Works were returned to him. Anderson continued to head Tredegar Iron Works and remained active in state, city, and local affairs until his death in 1892.
Edward Richard Archer (1834-1918), son of Robert Archer and Mary Silvester Wormington Archer, was born in Old Point Comfort, Virginia. He served with the Confederate Navy during the Civil War. After the war he became the chief engineer at Tredegar Iron Works and held that position until his death on 13 March 1918. He never married and was buried at Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia.
Robert Archer (1794-1877), oldest of four children of Edward R. Archer and his second wife, Mary Silvester Wormington Archer, was born in Norfolk, Virginia. He became a physician and in 1813 enlisted in a local artillery company and was commissioned as a lieutenant and surgeons mate. He spent the next twenty-five years as an army physician, stationed at Fort Monroe, Virginia, and, for a short while, at Fort King, Florida. On 28 March 1816 he married Frances Williamson in Norfolk, Virginia. They had five sons and seven daughters. In 1839 Archer retired from the army and took up farming near Fort Monroe. In January 1848 Joseph Reid Anderson, Archers son-in-law and head of Tredegar Iron Company, persuaded Archer to move to Richmond to become superintendent of the Armory Iron Company. By May 1848 Archer had risen to presidency of the company. In 1859 the Armory mill and Tredegar works merged into the newly formed Joseph R. Anderson and Company. While Anderson served in the army during the first year of the Civil War, Archer and John F. Tanner ran the company. After the war Robert Archer and his son Robert Samuel Archer both sat on the board of directors of Tredegar Company. Robert Archer died 19 May 1877 in Richmond, Virginia, and was buried in Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond.
Presidents of Tredegar: 1843-1892 Joseph Reid Anderson, 1892-1918 Archer Anderson, 1918-1942 Archer Anderson, Jr., 1942-1947 Paul E. Miller, and 1948-1957 Raymond W. Krise
The Tredegar Company Records are housed in 1345 boxes, 490 volumes on shelf, 7 oversize boxes, 6 oversize map case drawers, and one rolled tube. The collection is arranged into eight (8) series. Series have been designated for: I. Administrative records; II. General Accounts; III. Production and Labor records; IV. Purchase and Receiving records; V. Sales and Shipping records; VI. Correspondence: Incoming; VII. Correspondence: Outgoing; and VIII. Anderson family papers. These records include balance books, cashbooks, contract books, correspondence, daybooks, estate accounts, family papers, insurance policies, invoices, journals, ledgers, minute books, patents, payroll ledgers, real estate files, sales books, stock certificates, suit papers, tax returns, vouchers, and war department contracts. The records document the history of one of the most important and largest iron making factories in Virginia and the Confederacy.
Following is a brief overview and some highlights of the collection. A more in-depth description of the collection can be found in the Series and Sub-series level description. It is recommended that the researcher read the Series level scope and content notes thoroughly before accessing the collection.
The finances and sales of Tredegar products are well documented in the records and included are daybooks, ledgers, and salesbooks from the earliest days of the company (Series II and Series V). The records include an almost complete run of payroll ledgers, 1852-1957, and are a good source for researchers interested in labor and wages (Series III). The correspondence series include an immense amount of materials, over 980 boxes and 171 volumes on shelf, and a large date range, 1841 to 1957 (Series VI and VII). These two series provide a wealth of information on the types of materials Tredegar produced throughout its history, as well as the types of raw materials that it purchased. Included are letters from companies, including banks, ordnance departments, railroads, and shipping companies, from across the country, although mainly the southeastern states.
Of note to the Civil War historian, the collection includes records relating to the production of munitions, the C.S.S. Virginia, slave labor, and the role of Tredegar during the war. Included are cashbooks, correspondence, daybooks, ledgers, minutes, reminiscences, and sales books from the Civil War era. In regards to munitions, also of note are the correspondence, drawings, receipts, sales books, and war department contracts. Tredegar manufactured munitions for every major conflict including the Civil War, Spanish-American War, World War I, and World War II.
For researchers interested in the use of slave labor, there are some noteworthy records. A volume titled, Copies of letters, etc., contains information on the use of slave labor (Series I); A volume entitled, Notes and bills payable and receivable, 1856-1859, contains lists of slaves who worked at Tredegars blast furnaces (Series II); Payroll ledgers, note the race of workers, free or slave (Series III); Contract books contain contracts with slave owners and list slaves hired (Series V); and also included are bills of sale for slaves purchased (Series VIII, Subseries 1). Researchers should also study the minute books and correspondence series for additional information.
Unfortunately there are few, if any, internal memoranda regarding employees and there are not any files on employees and employee-managerial relationships in the collection. The outgoing correspondence occasionally contains letters regarding employees, changes in wage levels, or accidents at the mill, but these are not prevalent and require in-depth research to uncover (Series VII). The production and labor series contain the most information on employees, and these records relate more to wages and production levels (Series III).
Of note are the numerous agreements and deeds that can be found in the collection. A number of agreements and deeds can be found in Series I: Administrate records, Real Estate files, and also in Series VIII: Anderson family papers, Subseries 6: Estate of Joseph R. Anderson. The deeds may duplicate one another but researchers should check both series for all pertinent information. A complete listing of all agreements and deeds can be found in Appendix B at the end of the finding aid.
Tredegar maintained one of the most extensive waterpower systems in the country to supply power for its factories. In 1933 Tredegar became involved in a lawsuit with Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad, which owned the James River and Kanawha Canal, over the rights to the water supply. Papers, including correspondence, depositions, drawings, exhibits, and reporters transcripts, relating to this lawsuit can be found in Series I: Administrative records. Researchers should also check, Michael S. Raber, Patrick M. Malone, and Robert B. Gordon: Historical and Archaeological Assessment, Tredegar Iron Works Site, Richmond Virginia. September, 1992. (LVA Accession # 40407), for additional information on the water system.
Around 1952-1958, when the collection first arrived at the Library of Virginia, an itemized container listing was prepared by a staff member. The collection was organized into Administrative records, General accounts, Purchasing and receiving records, Production and labor records, Sales and shipping records, Correspondence, and Anderson family papers. When the archivist undertook to process the collection in 2001, it was decided that these groupings would remain. It is unknown if that was how the papers originally came to the Library of Virginia, but since 50 years had passed since they arrived at the library, it was decided that these groupings were the most logical. The original finding aid incorporated some type of Arabic and Roman numbering system which was eliminated, as it was deemed unnecessary. A key to the old finding aid is available in Appendix C at the end of this finding aid for researchers looking for materials that were linked to the old numbering system.
Whenever size permitted, volumes were housed in boxes for better protection. Volumes that are placed directly on the shelves are interfiled with the boxes, following the order of the container listing. General materials were arranged to the front of each series.
Oversize items are filed in 7 boxes, 6 map case drawers, and one rolled tube. There are a total of 93 oversize folders, containing about 1,000 drawings. These include drawings of angle plates, axles, cast iron posts, chairs, fish plates, gears, horse shoes, joint bars, land, munitions, rails, and wheels, c. 1880-1957. Of note is a drawing of an iron rifled field gun, 1861. Oversize items, which were part of a regular sized filing unit, were removed from their respective folders. In their place, removal notices list the item(s) separated and the oversize folder number to which they have been removed. For location and content list of oversize folders see Appendix A. (Boxes 1227-1233)
Several items of the collection were in need of restoration, which was performed by Etherington Conservation Center, either in the in-house lab, or in the North Carolina main office. The conservation work consisted mainly of repairs of broken, torn, and glued pages, damaged bindings, the cleaning and unbinding of moldy volumes, and the preparation of custom boxes to house fragile volumes and those without bindings.
SERIES DESCRIPTION
SERIES I: ADMINISTRATIVE RECORDS (1801-1957) (bulk 1870-1957)
The Administrative records are housed in 56 archival boxes and 14 volumes on shelf and arranged alphabetically by folder title, with general materials arranged to the front. This series consists of Albemarle and Tredegar merger data, corporate holdings, copies of deeds and agreements relating to the company, insurance policies, inventories, minutes, patents, real estate files, reports, stock files, suit papers, tax returns, and wage adjustment papers.
The general materials include a circular issued by the company in 1867; copies of Tredegar bylaws, 1871; history of Tredegar by Joseph R. Anderson, 1890; wage adjustment papers concerning the salaries of employees and officers during World War II; codes of fair competition issued by the National Recovery Administration, 1934-1936; photograph of Tredegar iron workers, c. 1910; report on a fire at the horseshoe department, 1926; and a resolution by the Richmond Chamber of Commerce commemorating the death of Joseph R. Anderson, 1892.
The two volumes entitled, Copies of deeds, agreements, etc., and, Copies of letters, clippings, etc. involving the company, include a wide variety of papers relating to the history of Tredegar. These volumes were created by Archer Anderson Jr. and they include documents which he felt related to the history of the company. The volume, Copies of deeds, agreements, etc., includes copies of deeds relating to the land surrounding Tredegar and the Grace and Rebecca Furnaces in Botetourt County, Virginia. Many of the original deeds may be found in this series under, Real Estate Files. Also included are letters relating to the Kanawha canal, Tredegar Street, and the death of Joseph R. Anderson in 1892; copies of the original act of incorporation of Tredegar in 1866; and copies of the notes on the survey of Rebecca Tract, 1907.
Topics in the, Copies of letters, etc., include an account of the early history of Tredegar, employee strikes and the use of slave labor, production of armor plates for the steamer C.S.S. Virginia (Merrimac), and the Civil War. Includes an agreement, 23 December 1837, between John A. Cunningham, Edward Cunningham, and Francis Deane, for the establishment of Tredegar Iron Company; a pamphlet entitled, Proposals for uniting the Virginia Foundry Company with the property owned by Deane & Cunninghams, 1837; a typed copy of Joseph R. Andersons letter, 26 May 1847, to Tredegar employees in response to their objection of Andersons use of slave labor; and advertisements for the company from 1857 and 1869. Relating to the Civil War are an order of seizure, 26 July 1865, by the United States Marshals Office, to take all right, title, interest, and estate of Joseph R. Anderson, Robert Archer, William E. Tanner, and John J. Tanner; a letter, 6 July 1865, signed by heads of various railroad companies, to President Andrew Johnson, asking that the government allow Tredegar to operate again; letter, 29 April 1865, from D.W. Flagler, Captain of Ordnance, United States Army, describing the condition and buildings at Tredegar, after the Civil War; and a letter from Edward R. Archer, 29 November 1902, describing some of the munitions made during the Civil War. Also includes a memorandum from Charles J. Bonaparte, 1906 September 7, documenting the history of the monitor Montauk, its major battles, and commanding officers, 1862-1898; photographs and blueprint of a grilled tread wheel cast by Tredegar in 1880; statement, 24 February 1929, by Charles Wade, describing the armor plates that Tredegar made for the C.S.S. Virginia; and a letter, 10 January 1927, from Archer Anderson, Jr. also about the C.S.S. Virginia.
Included are minutes of the Board of Directors, 1838-1850; 1867-1930; and 1930-1947, which contain copies of acts of incorporation, agreements, bylaws, correspondence, lists of shareholders, financial statements, an obituary for Archer Anderson, and resolutions. (Available on microfilm Miscellaneous Reel 2642). Additional minutes from the stockholders can also be found in Series VIII: Anderson family papers, Subseries 1. Also included are stock records, which provide a good insight into the financial status and ownership of the company at different points in history. These records include annual reports, correspondence, lists of stockholders, proxies, stock certificates, and stock transfer ledgers, 1867-1957. Occasionally included within the stock transfer ledgers are wills from stockholders relating to the transfer of Tredegar stock. The tax returns include a full run of federal tax returns, 1909-1956, and state tax returns from 1916-1956. Included are balance sheets, correspondence, lists of salaries of officers, and profit and loss statements.
Of note are the suit papers, 1933-1937, concerning a lawsuit brought by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company against Tredegar, in the Richmond City Courts in 1933. The lawsuit involved water usage rights on the James River and a study of numerous water privileges issued, dating back to the late 1790s. The papers include an enormous volume of primary research and historical compilations on almost every industrial enterprise on the site of Tredegar. Well documented is the ironworks waterpower system, one of the most extensive ever operated in the United States. Much of this material was compiled by Tredegars principal local consultant, engineer R. D. Trimble. The suit papers include correspondence, deeds, depositions, exhibits, maps, reporters transcripts, reports, and surveys of the land surrounding Tredegar, 1801-1930, along with drawings of turbines, the Tredegar plant, and the James River and Kanawha Canal. Additional correspondence regarding the lawsuit can be found in Series VI, Subseries 5.
Also of note within the series are the real estate files. Included are abstracts of titles, correspondence, deeds, reports, and surveys. These files are of particular importance because they contain numerous deeds, 1812-1955, relating to the property surrounding Tredegar in Richmond and land surrounding the Cloverdale Iron Property and Grace Furnace Property in Botetourt County, Virginia. Included are deeds from the James River Company regarding water rights, 1812-1838; an 1843 deed leasing Tredegar to Joseph Anderson for five years at an annual rent of $8,000; an 1848 deed selling Tredegar to Joseph Anderson for $125,000; and partnership agreements, including an 1855 agreement selling interest in the rolling mill to John Tanner and Charles Morriss; March 1859 deed in which Anderson bought back the interests he had sold in the rolling mill; and a 1854 deed establishing the partnership of Anderson, Delany, and Company. Additional deeds relating to the ownership and real estate of Tredegar may also be found in Series VII: Anderson Family Papers. A listing of individual deeds may be found in Appendix B at the end of the finding aid.
SERIES II: GENERAL ACCOUNTS (1836-1957) (bulk 1860-1900)
The General Accounts series is housed in 98 boxes and 179 volumes on shelf and is arranged alphabetically by title. The financial records are virtually intact for Tredegar through the years 1836-1957. Included are account copying and payable books, balance books, cashbooks, checkbooks, daybooks, journals, ledgers, monthly financial statements, notes and bills payable and receivable, operating expense ledgers, and vouchers.
The balance books include balance sheets and financial analysis. The checkbooks, daybooks, journals, ledgers, and vouchers document the ongoing financial dealings and activities of Tredegar. The monthly financial statements list assets and liabilities and contain inventory balances, balance sheets, and statements of investment securities. This series is a good resource for researchers interested in the financial aspects of Tredegar. Included are expenses for foundry construction, rail mill construction, prices paid for pig iron and forge wages, accounts with rail road and coal mining companies, and prices paid for rolling mill, foundry, and shoe supplies. Because Tredegar was dependent upon the railroads to sell and transport their products, there is considerable information about railroads and their relationships with Tredegar.
Daybooks and journals record transactions on a daily basis as they occurred and contain detailed information regarding transactions, i.e. customer name, items sold, amount owed and paid. The daybooks and journals are related to the ledgers. Included in each daybook and journal entry is a page number of an individual account found in a corresponding ledger. Similarly, the ledgers contain page numbers that correspond to entries found in the daybooks and journals. Ledgers contain individual accounts such as, customer accounts and controlling accounts. Each account lists transactions chronologically and contains general information regarding each transaction. Each ledger is fully indexed. Five additional journals and ledgers containing information on Tredegar may be found in Series VIII: Anderson family papers, Subseries 5.
Of note within the collection is the note and bills payable and receivable volume, 1856-1859. The volume also includes lists of slaves who worked at Tredegars blast furnaces (Catawba, Cloverdale, Glenwood, Grace, Mt. Torry, and Rebecca) from 1863 to 1864. Included in the volume are the names of slave, owner, address, and the amount paid for labor. Tredegar paid the owners rent for the use of their slaves, but the slaves could also work overtime and earn money for themselves. The names of whites and convicts who worked at the blast furnace from 1863 to 1864 are also included. The volume also includes a register of stock certificates of the Armory Iron Company, 1847-1849; letters from Tredegar furnaces, 1863; and statements of shipments of pig iron to the Confederate States Nitrate and Mining Bureau, 1863-1864. The letters, 1863 January-July, were written to J.R. Anderson from F.T. Glasgow, chief Tredegar furnace agent, and concern the daily operation and use of slaves and convicts at the furnaces. (Available on microfilm Miscellaneous Reel 2699).
Also of note within the series are the vouchers, 1872-1904, which contain bills of lading, employee accounts, promissory notes, and receipts. Included are receipts for coal, steel, pig iron, scrap metal, clothing, groceries, taxes, gas and water bills, cement, subscriptions, and freight transportation costs (railroad, shipping, and towing). Receipts are included for many Richmond area businesses, as well as Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia companies, such as Binswanger & Co., Carnegie & Co., Carter and Christian, Chesapeake & Ohio Railway Co., Old Dominion Iron and Nail Works, Philipps & Co., Powhatan Iron Co., Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Potomac Railway Co., and Southern Planter and Farmer Co. Also included are monthly salary statements and receipts for cash advances for employees and for members of the Anderson and Archer families. Some of the salary statements note the race of the employee and include the type of work, time worked, and wage rate.
The vouchers, 1872-1904, were maintained in their original order, arranged chronologically and then alphabetically within each year, although there is much overlapping within each section. The vouchers were either arranged alphabetically by the name of the company or by the name of the person who had signed the voucher, so items bought from the same store might be found in two or more separate places. Therefore, a thorough search of the vouchers may be necessary to yield all the information. Currently, a database is being created to include a list of all the names of companies for which there are vouchers. There are vouchers for many Richmond area companies and the database will offer some insights into companies which are no longer extant and for which no other records probably exist.
SERIES III: PRODUCTION AND LABOR RECORDS (1843-1957) (bulk 1870-1930)
The Production and Labor Records series is housed in 134 boxes and 26 volumes on shelf and is arranged alphabetically by title. This series consists of clearance sheet books, company store books, foundry records of guns cast, guns tested for the U.S., payroll ledgers, time books, units produced, and weighers returns. This series is a good source for information on labor during the late nineteenth century. Included are figures for wages paid and items produced, along with information on different job types that were found in the iron industry.
Of note within the collection is the foundry record of guns cast volume and guns tested for the United States volume. The volume of guns cast includes a detailed list of guns Tredegar produced for the Confederate military between 1861 January 11 and 1865 February 20th. Listed is the type of gun or cannon produced and the date when completed. This is an excellent resource for researchers interested in munitions of the Confederate Army. The volume also includes an inventory of articles in the foundry department on 1869 January 1st; a list of scrap wood purchased from 1870 to 1871; a list of coke purchased 1871; and payroll for work done on the upper canal, including employees name, race, occupation, and wage, undated. (Available on microfilm Misc. Reel 2689).
Also of note within the collection is a volume entitled, Record of guns tested for the United States from 1857 May to 1858 May 5, kept by Julian M. McAllister, First Lieutenant, Ordnance Department. The volume includes inspection notes taken by McAllister during visits to Tredegar Foundry in Virginia and West Point Foundry in New York. Included are detailed notes on the processes used to cast guns and cannons, including thermometer readings, ingredients, flaws, weight, and time, and how the guns tested after they were cast. Also included are extracts of letters from Major Wade at the Fort Pitt Foundry in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Colonel Huger of the Ordnance Office, Washington, D.C.; from C. Alger and Company, South Boston Foundry to Colonel Huger; from Robert B. Parrott of West Point Foundry in Cold Springs, New York, to Colonel Huger; and from Alger and Company, to Colonel H. Craig, 1857 November, regarding the Parrot gun and Rodman cannon. (Available on microfilm Misc. Reel 2689).
The company pay roll ledgers, 1852 to 1957, contain a wealth of information on the personnel of Tredegar and cover nearly the entire history of the company. The early years from 1837 to 1880 are sparse, although included is one payroll ledger from the Civil War, dated 1863 August 24 to 1864 August 27. (Available on microfilm Misc. Reel 543). This volume includes information on free and slave labor force in the foundry, gun mill, machine, boiler, patternmaking, blacksmith, and carpentry departments. The ledgers display both free wage rates and overtime compensation for slaves. Starting in 1882, the payroll ledgers include an almost complete run until 1957. The ledgers include employee names, job positions, time worked, and pay received. Included are payroll ledgers for the bar mill, foundry, horseshoe factory, and spike mill, intermixed in each year. (Note: The payroll ledgers are housed in boxes 152-171 and 1234-1337.This is because the volumes were unbound and boxed after the collection had been processed and boxes were already numbered in order. The volumes are clearly marked with their box number, so this odd numbering system should not cause any confusion.)
The times books, 1854 to 1900, are similar to the payroll ledgers in that they contain a record of each employee and includes job positions, dates, and time worked, although salary is not included in the time books. The company store books, 1868-1870, contains a daily list of items purchased by employees at Tredegars company store, including items such as beef, cloth, cologne, coffee, sugar, and tobacco. The books list employee names, date, items bought, and price paid.
The units produced ledgers, 1843-1918, include daily records of the amount of work done, for example, the number of shoes punched for each week, and the weighers returns ledgers, 1889-1938, contain daily notations on items shipped by different railroads to Tredegar. Included is the date of receipt, the railroad car number, name of railroad company that shipped the materials, a description of the material, gross weight of the material, and department that received the shipment. Materials shipped include scrap car wheels, coal, scrap iron, scrap car axles, boiler tubes, pig iron, wire, sand, fire brocks, railroad ties, and coke. Researchers can use this volume to disseminate the types of materials that Tredegar was using in its iron production, especially for the years 1889-1900 and 1923-1938.
SERIES IV: PURCHASING AND RECEIVING RECORDS (1860-1917) (bulk 1860-1885)
The Purchasing and Receiving Records series is housed in 3 boxes and is arranged alphabetically by title. This series consists of invoice books and receipt books. The invoice books, 1867-1911, contain names of numerous firms or individuals with whom Tredegar filled and placed orders. Included are accounts with Ambrose E. Burnside, M.K Jessup and Company, Calvert Iron and Nail Works, Erie Railroad Company, Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad Company, etc. The 1909-1911 invoice book records an accounting of cords of pine and oak wood sawed by Tredegar for individuals.
Of note within this series are the receipt books. The pig iron receipt book, 1861 January 2 to 1864 November 9, contains a list of pig iron Tredegar purchased, including from whom received, place delivered, weight, brand, and remarks. The coal receipt book, 1879 January 20-1885 June 15, includes company name, weight, and type of coal received. The pig and scrap iron receipt book, 1879 January 20-1885 September 17, includes shippers name, material received, pounds, and freight charges. The receiving book, 1862 April 25-1865 March 31, includes a list of materials received at Tredegar, mostly wood, but also ash, guns and shells from the Confederate States Artillery shop and Laboratory, bolts, steel, and groceries.
SERIES V: SALES AND SHIPPING RECORDS (1843-1956) (bulk 1873-1925)
The Sales and Shipping Records series is housed in 32 boxes and 97 volumes on shelf and is arranged alphabetically by title, with volumes arranged to the front. This series consists of consignment books, contract books, foundry, horseshoe, and rolling mill sales books, order books, railroad loadings books, shipment of sash weights books, ticket books, sales bids and correspondence, and war department contracts. This series is an excellent source for information on the sale of Tredegar horseshoes, munitions, and railroad supplies.
For researchers interested in munitions, the contract books are a great source to investigate the number of guns and cannons Tredegar manufactured for the Confederate States of America. In the book, 1859 July- 1865 April, beginning on page 131, are orders for Tredegar to furnish Confederate states, such as Georgia, Mississippi, and North Carolina, guns, cannons, and other munitions; and page 142 includes a contract, 7 March 1861, between Tredegar and L.P. Walker, Secretary of War, Confederate States of America, to manufacture guns for the Confederate States of America. These are followed by numerous other contracts with the Confederate States for cannons, carriages, shell, and other munitions, 1861-1865. The contracts include specific details on the amount of munitions to be produced and prices. Prior to the Civil War, Tredegar manufactured gun carriages and shells for armories in many states, including Georgia, New York, and Virginia. On page 80 (1859 July-1865 April ) are specifications for the manufacturer of 5,000 rifle muskets per year and pages 113-126 include orders for shot, shell, gun carriages, cannon, and other munitions for state armories in Georgia, New York, North Carolina, Virginia, and Washington (D.C.).
Contracts are also included for the purchase of coal, pig iron, and timber, to fuel the factory. Included is a list of insurance policies that Tredegar had in 1861 (pages 120-123) and 1863 (pages 207-217) and a copy of a partnership contract between Charles Morriss and J.R. Anderson, 19 March 1859, in which Morriss offers to sell Anderson his half of the Tredegar Rolling Mills property. Included are contracts with companies such as Alabama and Florida Railroad Company, Pensacola and Georgia Railroad Company of Florida, Richmond and York River Railroad Company, Rogersville and Jefferson Railroad Company of Tennessee, and Virginia Central Railroad Company, to supply axles, bridge bolts, castings, chairs, engines, freight cars, rails, spikes, and wheels. The contracts list delivery date, price, description of items, and payment methods.
Also included are contracts with employees, such as managers, superintendents, and blacksmiths, and with slave owners for the hiring of slaves to work at Tredegar foundries and furnaces. Included on page 239- 245 (1859 July-1865 April) is a detailed list of slaves hired, owners names, price paid, physicians names, and where employed. After the Civil War, the contract books include contracts to provide iron for the rebuilding of bridges and railroads and for the purchase of scrap metal and rails. There are also contracts for horseshoes, iron mining, and furnishing decorative iron work. Also included is a contract regarding the sale of stock in the Virginia Porcelain and Earthenware Company, 1866; inventory of the rolling mills, 28 July 1865; list of insurance policies, 1865-1866; list of Confederate claims from slaveholders, 1865; sale of wheels, axles, and car frames to Cuba, 21 September 1868; and agreements with iron furnaces for land and supplies.
The order books, 1853-1908, are another good source for details on the products Tredegar produced and sold throughout the years. The order books include the name of the company, type of product sold (bars, rail, spikes, chairs, munitions), dimensions and amounts sold, and dates. Of note for the Civil War historian, the order book, 1861-1862, lists munitions sold to the Confederate States Army and copies of letters requesting munitions for the Ordnance department in Richmond.
The sales books, 1844-1924, are separated into foundry, horseshoe, rolling mill, and spike mill sales books. These books record the name of the purchaser, how the items were transported (ship or rail), exact amounts of items produced, contract number, prices, and sales account totals. The foundry sales books, 1854-1924, includes sales of bar iron, bolts, boxes, brake shoes, castings, chairs, grate bars, hinges, munitions, pipes, plates, and wheels. Included in some of the foundry sales books are listings of expenses incurred at the Tredegar mill shops. Of note are the foundry sales books for the Civil War period, 1858 February-1865 September and 1860 November-1867 November. For researchers interested in munitions sales, the foundry sales books are a good source. For example, the foundry sales book, 1854 September-1860 September, and 1919 March -1921 July, contains items produced for the U.S. Bureau of Ordnance. The rolling mill sales books, 1843-1924, consist of the sale of bars, angle and fish plates. There are not any rolling mill sales books for the time period of the Civil War, 1861-1865.
The ticket books, 1847-1908, are volumes that contain short entries listing items produced by Tredegar, amount, price, and date. Possibly these served as receipts, with Tredegar maintaining the stub, while another section was torn off and used as a receipt. The ticket book, 1859 September-1863 June 18, includes numerous entries for the Confederate States of America. The ticket books also include references to the purchase of meals, shirts, and shoes.
The war department contracts, 1907-1941, include agreements between Tredegar and the US Army and Navy Ordnance Department, to produce shells, projectiles, cast iron caps, and other munitions for the government. Included are affidavits, blueprints, bonds, booklets of instructions, calculations, contracts, correspondence, drawings, reports, specifications, and wage statements. The contracts include information on the price and amount of munitions to be produced. Also included are correspondence, notes, statistics, telegrams, reports, and specifications for contracts on which Tredegar bid, 1920-1956. Included are memoranda from the U.S. government regarding safety and security regulations in regards to the production of the munitions.
SERIES VI: CORRESPONDENCE, INCOMING, 1872-1957
The Incoming Correspondence series is housed in 656 boxes and is arranged alphabetically into ten subseries. Subseries have been designated for General; Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Company; A.J. Beatty; Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad Company; Christian, Barton & Parker; George Layman and Others; The Rail Joint Company and Poor & Company; Southern Railroad Company; U.S. Government; and Miscellaneous. This series comprises a large and important section of the Tredegar company records. In this series, researchers have a very complete view, from 1872-1957, of all the correspondence received by Tredegar. These letters provide insight into the types of materials produced, prices, amounts, availability, shipping capabilities, and Tredegars relationships with the business world.
This series contains incoming correspondence, bills of lading, orders, telegrams, and blueprints from railroad companies, merchandise brokers, coal companies, hardware stores, lumber yards, U.S. government, construction companies, shipping companies, lawyers, suppliers, banks, and purchasing agents. Includes correspondence regarding orders for angle plates, axles, braces, box cars, bolts, car wheels, fish plates, gondola cars, horseshoes, nails, munitions, iron work, rails, spikes, and other rail equipment. Also includes correspondence regarding coal, scrap iron, pig iron, and other raw materials Tredegar purchased. Often the correspondence was accompanied by a blueprint of the specific item requested. These blueprints were often quite large and were separated out into the oversize collection. A separation notice was provided for each item, which notes the oversize folder location of the material. A complete listing of all oversize materials can be found in Appendix A.
It is unknown why some company letters were separated out from the general section of letters (Subseries 1) and grouped together separately, because there is much overlap between the subseries. Researchers should check the separate subseries and also Subseries 1 to find all pertinent information. There were also some miscellaneous boxes of letters which were unmarked and filed under Subseries 10: Miscellaneous. It is unknown why they were not interfiled with the general subseries of letters. The archivist strove to maintain the original order as much as possible and kept the original groupings of the letters.
SUBSERIES 1: GENERAL (1872-1957)
This subseries is housed in 557 boxes and is arranged chronologically by year. This is the largest subseries in the series and contains a variety of letters from coal and coke suppliers, purchasing agents, railway companies, lumber yards, shipping companies, hardware stores, decorative iron makers, U.S. government, steel companies, bankers, and insurance agencies. Topics include orders for Tredegar products, price quotes, purchases of raw materials and products by Tredegar, and shipping contracts. Other topics include employees seeking higher wages and employment, information on the National Exposition in Chicago (1883) and Pan American Exposition (1900), the Anderson family, a pension for Mrs. Jefferson Davis (1892), reports from Grace Iron Works, business at the Tredegar office in New York, listing in the Directory of Iron and Steel Works in the U.S., charitable contributions to the YMCA and local institutions such as the Richmond Chamber of Commerce, and munitions orders by the U.S. government.
This subseries is a great source of information on companies which existed throughout this long period of history, many of who are no longer extant. There can be found letters from hundreds of companies in the Virginia region and also from surrounding states such as, Alabama, Delaware, Georgia Illinois, North Carolina, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia. A list of some of the companies includes: the American Manufacturing Co. (NY), Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Co. (MD), Black Diamond Steel Works (PA), Camden Iron Works (NJ) Carnegie Steel (PA), Charlotte, Columbia & Augusta Railroad (SC), Crerar, Adams & Co. (IL), John A. Roebling Sons Co. (NJ), Merchants and Mechanics Insurance Co. (VA), Michigan Bolt and Nut Co. (MI), National Bank of Commerce (NY), Norfolk and Western Railway Co. (VA), Odell Hardware Co. (NC), Old Dominion Iron & Nail Works (VA), Old Dominion Steamship Co. (VA), Otis Brothers & Co. (NY), Petersburg Iron Works (VA), Piedmont Hardware Co. (VA), Powhatan Iron Co. (VA), Pullman Co. (GA), Red Springs Lumber Co. (NC), Republic Iron & Steel Co. (OH), Richmond & Danville Railroad Co. (VA), Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac Railroad Co. (VA), Richmond Iron Works (VA), S.A. Woods Machine Co. (MA), Shockoe Machine Works (VA), Smokeless Fuel Co. (VA), South Carolina Railroad Co. (SC), Southern Iron & Equipment Co. (GA), Southern Stove Works (VA), Sumter Machinery Co. (SC), Thomas Branch & Co. (VA), Union Car Spring Manufacturing Co. (NY), Virginia Equipment & Supply Co. (VA), Virginia Iron & Metal Co. (VA), Virginia Railway & Power Co. (VA), Vulcan Iron Works (VA), West Virginia Rail Co. (W.VA), and Wilmington, Charlotte & Rutherford Railroad Co. (NC).
The correspondence was maintained in its original order, although for the earlier letters this leads to some confusion. The early letters, ca. 1872-1888, were arranged somewhat haphazardly by the original compiler, assumed to be an employee of Tredegar. The letters were filed alphabetically each year, but often by conflicting values. Sometimes the letters were filed alphabetically by the name of the company, while other times the letters were filed alphabetically by the author of the letter. This can cause for some confusion for a letter from Petersburg Iron Works might be filed under, P, one year, but then another year filed under, S, for the author of the letter, John Smith, although he is writing on behalf of Petersburg Iron Works. There is also another slight difference in how the letters, pre 1888, were arranged. Correspondence from 1872 until 1887 is arranged by year, month, then alphabetical letter. Correspondence from 1888 to 1957 is arranged by year, alphabetical letter, then month. Therefore, a thorough search of the letters is sometimes necessary to find all pertinent information.
Sometimes photographs of the various equipment was also included, for example a photograph of a railroad front cab (1906 June-August), ornamental iron works (1911-1912 Re), munitions machinery (1924 C), and workers (1923-1924 S). Starting in 1919 many of the letters include not only the incoming letter but also a copy of Tredegars responding letter.
SUBSERIES 2: ATLANTIC COAST LINE RAILROAD COMPANY (1900-1957)
This subseries is housed in 32 boxes and is arranged chronologically by year. The subseries consists of correspondence, telegrams, blueprints, bills of lading, and orders regarding items purchased and sold between Atlantic Coast Line Railroad and Tredegar. Includes orders placed by ACLR for bar iron, tie bars, bolts, key plates, center pins, braces, angle plates, spikes, railroad car wheels, rail fastenings, fish plates, angle bars, tie straps, turnbuckles, arch bars, and horse shoes. The letters and orders include price quotes, purchase price and amount, and often notes when the order was completed. The letters also often included blueprints of the various rails, plates, pins, and horse shoes to be made by Tredegar. (The blueprints were often separated out due to size and are listed in Appendix A: Oversize). Also included are bills, telegrams, and correspondence regarding scrap metal purchased by Tredegar and shipped by ACLR. Tredegar purchased large quantities of scrap iron, axles, and wheels, for reuse at their mills.
The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad was a product of numerous mergers of smaller lines in the last three decades of the nineteenth century. It began with the Wilmington & Raleigh Railroad (later renamed Wilmington & Weldon), constructed between 1834 and 1840 in northeastern North Carolina. After the Civil War, the railroad's owners acquired the Wilmington & Manchester which they quickly reorganized as the Wilmington, Columbia & Augusta. In 1871, they began using the name Atlantic Coast Line as a market name for the two lines. In 1897-98, the various South Carolina lines were consolidated into a new company, the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Company of South Carolina. The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Company of Virginia was established in early 1898 and the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Company of North Carolina in 1899. In 1900 the ACL of Virginia absorbed the other companies and dropped the Virginia part of its name to become the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Company. In 1967 ACL merged with Seaboard Air Line Railroad.
As noted above, there may be some overlap between this subseries and Subseries I: General. Researchers should complete a thorough search of both subseries to find all the appropriate records of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Company.
SUBSERIES 3: A.J. BEATTY (1910-1915)
This subseries is housed in 1 box and is arranged chronologically by year. The subseries consists of correspondence from Alfred J. Beatty to Tredegar, 1910-1915. Alfred Beatty represented Tredegar in its sale of Piedmont horse and mule shoes across the southern states, including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. The letters include his travel itinerary, information on orders placed, suggestions on how to improve sales, and information on competitors, for example Cincinnati Horse Shoe and Iron Company (Cincinnati, OH) and Old Dominion Iron and Nail Works (Richmond, Va.).
SUBSERIERS 4: CHESAPEAKE AND OHIO RAILWAY COMPANY (1905-1956)
This subseries is housed in 17 boxes and is arranged chronologically by year. The subseries contains correspondence, telegrams, freight bills, blueprints, bills of lading, and orders regarding items purchased and shipped between Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company and Tredegar. Includes orders placed by C & O for angle bars, ladder irons, arch bars, spikes, brackets, key plates, all steel flat cars, railroad car wheels, and chairs. The letters and orders include price quotes, purchase price and amount, and often notes when the order was completed. The letters also often included blueprints of the various grates, wheels, and splices to be made by Tredegar. (The blueprints were often separated out due to size and are listed in Appendix A: Oversize). Included are blueprints of waiting benches for C & O railroad stations, including Natural Bridge (Rockbridge Co., Va.) and the passenger station at Covington, Kentucky. Also included are bills, telegrams, and correspondence regarding scrap metal, limestone, brick, and coal purchased by Tredegar and shipped by C & O. There are few, if any, letters regarding the lawsuit over water rights between C & O and Tredegar. Correspondence regarding the lawsuit can be found in Series I, Suit papers, and Series VI, Subseries 5.
The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company was founded as the Louisa RR Company in Virginia in 1836. In 1850 the railroad changed its name to the Virginia Central Company. It served the Confederate armies during the Civil War and was severely damaged by Union raids. In 1869 financier Collis P. Huntington purchased the line and it became the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway in 1878. The railway merged with the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in 1965 and in 1980 the combined company became part of the newly formed CSX Corporation.
SUBSERIES 5: CHRISTIAN, BARTON, & PARKER (1930-1937)
This subseries is housed in 1 box and is arranged chronologically by year. The subseries contains correspondence regarding the lawsuit over water usage rights between Tredegar and Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad Company. Most of the correspondence is from the law offices of Andrew Christian, Robert Barton & Alexander Parker, and Murray McGuire, Henry Reily, & John Eggleston, of Richmond, Virginia. Includes letters regarding research on the case, agreements, testimony, evidence, memoranda and reports, and motions to dismiss. Includes correspondence with R.D. Trimble, an engineer hired by Tredegar to prepare exhibits for the defense, Robert E. Horton, a hydraulics consultant engineer hired by Tredegar, and W.S. Lee Engineering Company. Included is a letter, 7 October 1930, from R.P. Eubank, General real estate agent for the C & O Railway, accusing Tredegar of taking more water from the canal than had been agreed upon. Also included is a copy of the final agreement, 1 January 1937, between C & O and Tredegar. Researchers should consult Series I, Suit papers, for more in-depth information, including depositions, evidence, reporters transcripts, and reports.
In 1933, the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad company asserted that the ironworks had been using more water from the James River and Kanawha Canal than allowed by its grants. The issue apparently came to a head after the ironworks complained about the deterioration of the canal and the railroad responded by asking the court for a restraining order, permanent injunction, and damages. At issue were the numerous grants issued, prior to 1870, by the James River Company, regarding the number of inches of water Tredegar had purchased to use. It was difficult to determine the exact measurement of water and the case was finally settled out of court in 1936. The court case was expensive and the settlement costly, but the expense was probably less than a full conversion to electric motor drive would have entailed.
SUBSERIES 6: GEORGE W. LAYMAN AND OTHERS (1909-1948)
This subseries is housed in 2 boxes and is arranged chronologically by year. The subseries consists of correspondence regarding Tredegars land properties, including Cloverdale, Grace, Jane, and Rebecca furnaces, in Botetourt County, Virginia. Most of the letters are from George W. Layman and E.V. Barley, attorneys and managing agents for Tredegar. Topics include permits to hunt on the land, lumber rights, boundaries of the land, forest fires, surveys, and land assessments.
Tredegar owned numerous blast furnaces, including Cloverdale, Grace, Catawba, Rebecca, Australia, and Mt. Torry. Most of these furnaces were closed by the 1870s, although Tredegar maintained the land and timber on the sites for many years.
SUBSERIES 7: THE RAIL JOINT COMPANY AND POOR & COMPANY (1925-1957)
This subseries is housed in 24 boxes and is arranged chronologically by year. The subseries contains correspondence, orders, telegrams, and vouchers regarding rail joints and rails purchased from Tredegar by the Rail Joint Company. Tredegar was subcontracted by the Rail Joint Company to manufacture rail products for numerous companies, including the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Company, Central of Georgia Railway, Central Vermont Railway, Charleston & Western Carolina Railway Company, Chesapeake & Ohio Railway Company, Erie Railroad Company, New York, New Haven & Hartford Railway Company, Norfolk & Western Railway Company, Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad, Seaboard Air Line Railway Company, Southern Railway Company, Virginian Railway Company, and Weir Kilby Corporation. The letters also often included blueprints of the various rails and joints to be made by Tredegar. (The blueprints were often separated out due to size and are listed in Appendix A: Oversize).
In 1904 the Continuous Rail Joint Company was founded in Canada. In 1905 Continuous Rail Joint Company merged with Weber Rail Joint Company and Independent Supply Company of Chicago to form the Rail Joint Company of New York. The Rail Joint Company was a manufacturer of iron rails and other railroad products in South Troy, New York. In 1929 the company was purchased by former Rail Joint Company employee, Fred Poor, and renamed Poor and Company. In 1968 Poor and Company changed its name to Portec, Inc.
SUBSERIES 8: SOUTHERN RAILWAY COMPANY (1901-1957)
This subseries is housed in 14 boxes and is arranged chronologically by year. The subseries contains correspondence, orders, and telegrams regarding items purchased and sold between Southern Railway Company and Tredegar. Includes orders placed by Southern Railway Company for track spikes, forgings, angle bars, fish plates, cast iron car wheels, arch bars, brake lever pins and shoe keys, and boat spikes. The letters and orders include purchase price and amount, and arrangements for inspectors to look at the materials. Also included are bills, correspondence, and telegrams regarding scrap metal purchased by Tredegar from Southern Railway Company. Tredegar purchased large quantities of scrap iron and steel, including angle bars, rails, car wheels, pipe, and rope, for reuse at their mills.
The Southern Railway Company, headquartered in Washington, D.C., was organized in 1894 from the bankrupt Richmond and Danville Railroad Company, incorporated in Virginia in 1847, and several other railroad companies. Samuel Spencer was Southerns first president and served from 1894-1903. Southern and its predecessors were responsible for many firsts in the industry. Its predecessor, the South Carolina Canal & Rail Road Co., was the first to carry passengers, U.S. troops and mail on steam-powered trains, and it was the first to operate at night. In 1953, Southern Railway became the first major railroad in the United States to convert totally to diesel-powered locomotives, ending its rich history in the golden age of steam. The Southern Railroad eventually became the product of nearly 150 predecessor lines that were combined, reorganized, and recombined since the 1830s. In 1982 the Norfolk and Western Railway combined with the Southern Railroad creating the Norfolk Southern Railway.
SUBSERIES 9: U.S. GOVERNMENT (1917-1957)
This subseries is housed in 5 boxes and is arranged chronologically by year. The subseries consists of brochures, correspondence, memoranda, certificates of inspection, photographs, receipts, specifications, and blueprints. Correspondence is from the War Department Ordnance Office and Procurement Division for the U.S. Army and Navy and relates to munitions produced by Tredegar for the government. Topics include the sale and shipment of munitions, specifications, bid requests, and transfer of ordnance property. Also included are memoranda regarding Tredegars attempts to have its employees exempt from the draft, identification of visitors, war emergency courses in employment management, and schedules of wages.
SUBSERIES 10: MISCELLANEOUS (1900-1919)
This subseries is housed in 4 boxes and was maintained in its original order. These papers were housed in eight separate binders originally and since the relationship between the binders was undeterminable, it was decided that they would not be interfiled. The numeric system for the binders (called Binders 1-8) was artificial, created as a means to distinctly label each binder.
This subseries consists of correspondence, receipts, telegrams, and vouchers regarding materials bought from, sold and shipped to Tredegar. It is unknown why these materials were not originally with Subseries 1, since many of the manuscripts duplicate materials found in the general letter collection. It was decided by the archivist to keep this subseries together to maintain its original provenance.
Of note is Binder 5, 1916-1917, which includes letters and progress reports on the production of Howitzer shells by Tredegar for the Crucible Steel Company of America (NY). Also of note is Binder 6, 1918- 1919, which includes reports on the number of employees working in the machine shop, along with monthly production cost reports. Also included is correspondence between Tredegar and the District Board for the Eastern District of Virginia, regarding the exemption of employees from the draft.
SERIES VII: CORRESPONDENCE, OUTGOING LETTERBOOKS (1841-1942)
The Outgoing Correspondence series is housed in 326 boxes and 171 volumes on shelf and is arranged into three subseries. Subseries have been designated for General and Special letterbooks, Foundry letterbooks, and Horse shoe letterbooks. The letterbooks from 1852-1901, are onionskin copies and are often very fragile, faded, and quite difficult to read. Special care must be taken when using these letterbooks. The more fragile letterbooks are in such bad condition that they are not available for use by researchers. These letterbooks are currently undergoing conservation work and will be made available at a later date. It is noted on the finding aid which letterbooks are unavailable for use. It is hoped that all of the letterbooks will be microfilmed in the near future to prevent any further deterioration.
This series includes correspondence mostly regarding the sale of iron products made by Tredegar, transported to various companies in Virginia, and sold throughout the south and northeast. The correspondence includes information on prices, quantity sold, shipment, and customer satisfaction. These letters are similar to the incoming correspondence series and contain letters to many of the same companies. This series is a good source for information on products Tredegar produced and sold throughout its history, as well as its relationships with other companies, and its shipping practices. Also included are many letters regarding raw and scrap materials purchased.
Unfortunately for the researcher, these letterbooks do not include many references to the internal workings of the company, nor do they include information on employee-employer relationships. These letterbooks are mainly concerned with the sale of Tredegar wares. Sometimes a letter to the insurance company might crop up containing information on an employee who was injured or had their wages garnished. Mostly though Series VI and VII deal with the production and sale of Tredegar products.
There is much overlapping between the letterbooks, although it is not known why this occurred. For example there are three letterbooks, May 1873-September 1873, May 1873-April 1877, and May 1873-July 1873, to cover the same time period. The reasoning for all of this overlap is unknown. Sometimes there were letterbooks from both the Tredegar office in Richmond and the office in New York. It is therefore necessary for the researcher to check all volumes for the time period in which they are interested. Of note, many of the letterbooks include full name indexes which can be very useful.
SUBSERIES 1: GENERAL LETTERBOOKS (1841-1942)
This subseries is housed in 316 boxes and 126 volumes on shelf and is arranged chronologically. The letterbooks from 1841-1851 are handwritten copies of letters on sturdy ledger paper and are in fairly good condition. The letterbooks from 1852-1900, are onionskin copies and are very fragile, faded, and sometimes quite difficult to read. Special care must be taken when using these letterbooks. Some of the more fragile letterbooks were in such bad condition that they are not available for use by researchers and cannot be served. Starting in 1888, some of the letters are typed, rather than handwritten, and therefore easier to read. Beginning in 1918 the letterbooks consists of typewritten copies of letters glued into the letterbook volumes.
The letterbooks include an immense amount of information on what and to whom Tredegar sold its products. Included are orders for rails, spikes, horseshoes, angle plates, fish plates, axles, box cars, bolts, car wheels, gondola cars, nails, munitions, braces, iron work, and other rail equipment. Also included is correspondence regarding coal, scrap iron, pig iron, and other raw materials Tredegar purchased. Other topics include efforts to drum up new business, employment at Tredegar, account balances, shipment of orders, sale of Tredegar stock, finances, condition of scrap iron purchased, the panic of 1873, sale of Tredegar furnace properties, purchases of lumber (entire letterbook 29 November 1881-24 April 1882), proposal for work done to the plant and surrounding streets, bills of lading for products sent, and insurance claims for injuries to employees. Included are correspondence to railroad companies, banks, coal, copper, and lumber suppliers, and insurance companies. Included are letters from the managers at Tredegar throughout the years, including Archer Anderson, Joseph Anderson, Robert Archer, Matthew Delaney, F.T. Glasgow, and John F. Tanner.
Included in some of the letterbooks are copies of agreements for orders and reports on the mineral resources of land in Botetourt County, Virginia, and Mitchell County, North Carolina (see 4 November 1880-17 November 1892). Also included is correspondence regarding the sale of box cars to the United Railroads of Havana (Cuba). The letterbook, 1898 April 9 to 1901 November 23, includes correspondence and progress reports on the inspection, production, and shipment of munitions made at Petersburg Iron Works, Virginia, to the Fort Monroe Arsenal, Virginia. Most of the letters were written to Lieutenant Colonel W.A. Marye, Fort Monroe Arsenal Commander, from the inspectors at Petersburg Iron Works. Included are letterbooks from Tredegars New York offices, 1868-1875. John F. Tanner, vice president of Tredegar, ran the office from 1868 until January 1870. E.A. Wickes was then appointed head of the office until 1875, when the office was closed. After the office was closed, Tredegar still maintained agents in New York including, John Fey and C. Foote. Their letterbooks are also included. Many of these letterbooks seem to be the most fragile and are unavailable to researchers at the present time.
Included at the beginning of the subseries are three boxes of note cards containing an index to seven volumes of letter books, from March 1860 to December 1861. These cards were indexed by Burke Thompson in 1947. According to a memo by Burke Thompson (Box 861), the note cards were indexed based on the subject of Tredegars contribution during the Civil War. Topics include caissons, cannons, muskets, and projectiles sold, raw materials purchased for the manufacture of munitions, the railroad system, views of succession and the war, labor, prices, prisoners of war, Confederate bonds, and battles near Richmond. Volumes indexed include: Volume I. 12 March 1860-31 May 1860; Volume II. 31 May 1860-21 August 1860; Volume III. 15 August 1860-27 November 1860; Volume IV. 28 November 1860-16 January 1861; Volume V. 16 January 1861-1 May 1861; Volume VI. 1 May 1861-24 August 1861; and Volume VII. 24 August 1861-1 December 1861. (Note: The letterbooks 1 May 1861-24 August 1861 and 24 August 1861-1 December 1861 are very badly damaged and cannot be served).
Of note, the letterbooks, 1860-1865, are of special interest to researchers interested in the Civil War. Included are letters relating to the munitions sold, including statistics on items sold and prices, munitions sold to the U.S. government before the war, problems with purchasing and shipping raw materials during the war, furnaces owned by Tredegar, the 1863 fire at Tredegar, government contracts, list of men employed at Tredegar rolling mill suspect to the conscription act of 1863, list of men between the ages of 18 and 45 working at Tredegar in 1863, and issues relating to the draft and employment of men at Tredegar. Includes correspondence to James A. Seddon (Sec. of War), William Fontaine, John W. Mosby, Stephen R. Mallory (Sec. of Navy), Thomas O. Moore (Gov. of Louisiana), John J. Pettus (Gov. of Mississippi), John Letcher (Gov. of Virginia), along with numerous other officers.
At the end of the series are two letterbook, labeled, Special letterbook 1902 June 30-1918 December 31, and, Special letterbook 1918 December 12-1944 January 26. These letterbooks are of note because they include internal memoranda and correspondence regarding employees, board meetings, and finances of Tredegar, rather than sale of its products. Topics include loans and stocks, reminders for board meetings, taxes, accounting practices of Tredegar, contributions to the Jewish War Relief Fund and Liberty Loans, payroll accounts, changes to the rolling mills, help wanted advertising, job offers, and employee wage scales, hourly rates, raises, and bonus. Of note is letter to John Souther from Archer Anderson, regarding his father, Joseph Reid Anderson, and Tredegar during the Civil War (1910 July 29) and a letter to Senator Claude Swanson regarding the eight hour work day (1911 December 21). Also includes correspondence to U.S. Bureau of Ordnance regarding orders for munitions.
SUBSERIES 2: FOUNDRY LETTERBOOKS (1905-1942)
This subseries is housed in 4 boxes and 29 volumes on shelf and is arranged chronologically. These letterbooks contains correspondence from the foundry department regarding orders for products such as, axles, sash weights, and wheels. Included is correspondence with the U.S. Bureau of Ordnance regarding munitions produced by Tredegar. Also included are lists of employees sent to the U.S. Bureau of Ordnance, 1917-1918, requesting exemption from military duty or classification. These lists often include the employees name, race, and job title. Most of the letterbooks are indexed.
SUBSERIES 3: HORSESHOE LETTERBOOKS (1907-1942)
This subseries is housed in 6 boxes and 16 volumes on shelf and is arranged chronologically. These letterbooks contain correspondence and invoices for horseshoes made by Tredegar. Topics include prices, amount, method of shipment, and confirmation telegrams. On some of the letterbooks front and back covers is a drawing with different types of horseshoes. Most of the letterbooks are indexed.
SUBSERIES VIII: ANDERSON FAMILY PAPERS (1841-1936) (bulk 1865-1920)
The Anderson Family Papers is housed in 40 boxes and 3 volumes on shelf and is arranged into seven subseries. Subseries have been designated for Anderson family, Archer Anderson, Estate of Archer Anderson Sr., Edward R. Archer, Joseph R. Anderson, Estate of Joseph R. Anderson, and Estate of St. George M. Anderson. The series consists of accounts, account books, agreements, bills, cancelled checks, correspondence, deeds, estate accounts, insurance policies, inventories, journals, ledgers, letter books, notebooks, promissory notes, receipts, stock certificates, suit papers, and taxes.
The series was maintained in its original order, although there is much overlapping between this series and the rest of the collection. It is unknown why some deeds, insurance policies, journals, letterbooks, and ledgers were placed with the Anderson family papers. Much of the information in this series relates more to the general operations of Tredegar, rather than of a family and personal nature. Therefore researchers should check all series for pertinent information. For example, researchers should note that there are numerous agreements and deeds in Subseries 4: Estate of Joseph R. Anderson, concerning the organization and purchase of land surrounding Tredegar. There are also numerous agreements and deeds in Series I: Administrative records. See Appendix B for a complete listing of agreements and deeds found in the collection.
SUBSERIES 1: ANDERSON FAMILY (1841-1919) (bulk 1860-1898)
This subseries is housed in 4 boxes and is arranged alphabetically by folder title. The series consists of accounts, bills of sale for slaves, certificates, correspondence, journals, ledgers, legal records, minutes, promissory notes, receipts, and taxes.
The accounts include a receipt from Hollywood Cemetery Company, L.T. Christian Funeral Home, and Virginia Hospital, all of Richmond, Virginia, for the care of Mrs. John F.T. Anderson, 1897-1898. The accounts also include notes from a meeting of the stockholders, 7 January 1851, containing a distribution of shares to stockholders due for the sale of property; an account of payments due J.R. Anderson from the Monteview Mining and Manufacturing Company, 1857; and receipts for supplies purchased for the Anderson family home.
The brochures include pamphlets for Bayley & Crowell Improved turbine water wheel (Wilmington, De), 1872; P. H. & F. M. Roots Rotary blowers (Connersville, In), 1864; Gillespies Rotary hydraulic governors for water wheels (Boston, Ma), 1869; Stout, Mills & Temple (Dayton, Oh) American turbine water wheel, 1872; and Greenwood Iron works Brysons turbine turret case water wheel (Cincinnati, Oh), 1869.
Of note are bills of sale for slaves purchased by Joseph R. Anderson, 1842-1865. The bills of sale include the name of the slaves, age, owner, date, and price paid. Although it is not noted on the receipts, the slaves were most likely for work at Tredegar and not for personal use. The slaves were men, women, and children purchased from Petersburg and Richmond, Virginia.
Topics included in the correspondence, 1851-1917, pertain to various estate and land settlements in Maryland, Nebraska, and Virginia; purchases from the Navy Department; debts; letters from Gustavus V. Fox, Assistant Secretary of the Navy, extolling the capabilities of Tredegar in 1866; purchase of bonds; will of Mary Jane Anderson, 1899; and a report to the Interstate Commerce Commission, dated 1908, describing the railroad tracks at Tredegar. Correspondents include Francis Thomas, James C. Dobbin, Lewis E. Mason, Joseph R. Anderson, W.E. Dodge, Charles Marshall, Gustavus V. Fox, O.F. Moore, C.M. Miller, Archer Anderson, and L.V.T. Randolph.
The legal records contain stockholder meeting minutes, 4 April 1848, regarding the sale of Tredegar to Joseph R. Anderson; a list of balances from J. R. Anderson & Companys books, 1 January 1860, and 1 October 1861; a statement of bonds belonging to J. R. Anderson deposited in the Farmers Bank of Virginia, 1863; agreement between James River and Kanawha Company and Tredegar, for the rent charge on water use, 11 July 1853; legal opinion, 9 August 1865, regarding the purchase of land in Buchanan County, Virginia, by J. R. Anderson from Edward Valentine and the issue of the devalued Confederate money; list of Tredegar bonds belonging to J. R. Anderson, 1882; receipts, petitions, correspondence, accounts, and statements regarding the sale of Monteview Mining and Manufacturing Company (Allegany County, Virginia) from Jacob M. Kunkel to J. R. Anderson, 1859; abstracts of titles and agreements for land in Duluth, Minnesota, 1891-1897; and correspondence regarding a lawsuit over the tax paid by Tredegar, 1916-1917.
The notebooks include drawings and calculations of water wheels and turbines, and promissory notes and receipts for work done on Archer Andersons home on Franklin Street (Richmond, Va.) in 1881 by George Gibson, W.W. Wingo, and other contractors. Included are stock certificates from Iron Car Equipment Company, Mobile and Montgomery Railroad Company, Monteview Mining and Manufacturing Company, Richmond and St. Paul Land and Improvement, and the Valley Turnpike Company, among others. Also included are tax receipts for land in Duluth, Minnesota and Omaha, Nebraska, 1866-1919, and correspondence, reports, constitution and by- laws, and minutes of the United States Association of Spike Manufacturers, 1885-1899.
Also included are journals and ledgers from the various incorporations of Tredegar, including Anderson Association, Anderson Association-Bacon Syndicate Purchase, Jessup Purchase Association, and J.R. Anderson and Company, 1876-1884.
SUBSERIES 2: ARHCER ANDERSON (1860-1917)
This subseries is housed in eleven boxes and contains correspondence and letter books, 1860-1917. Topics included in the loose correspondence are debts, ongoing lawsuits and court proceedings, finances, sale of property in Virginia, membership in the Union Library Association, purchases of purebred dogs, and taxes. Correspondents include Joseph R. Anderson, George Drovin, Malcolm Bruce, Camm Patteson, Solomon Heath, John A. Gum, C.W. Chapman, E.A. Semple, Kirkwood Mitchell, and Murray McGuire.
The letterbooks, 1860-1917, contain both personal and business correspondence, and although marked, private letters of Archer Anderson, most relate to Tredegar business. Almost all of the letters are from Archer Anderson, although included are letters from Joseph R. Anderson, during the 1860-1880 period. The letterbooks are very fragile, faded, and quite difficult to read, so care must be taken when using them. The letterbook marked, 1860-1870, includes correspondence from 1860-1861 and 1867-1870, but none for the period of the Civil War, 1861-1865.
Topics of a personal matters in the letterbooks include the settlement of estates for which Anderson was executor; recommendations of jobs for friends; correspondence with lawyers regarding financial affairs; correspondence with Joseph E. Johnston regarding the Civil War, 21 June 1872; biographical information on Archer Anderson, Sr., by his grandson, Archer Anderson, 20 May 1873; correspondence with Thomas J. Munford (1831-1918) regarding a manuscript written about the Civil War, 1910; travel arrangements; donation of a section of the C.S.S. Virginia to the Confederate Museum (Richmond, Va.), 1910; correspondence with historians and researchers writing articles on Civil War generals, events, and Tredegar; correspondence and payments to stores for personal purchases; correspondence regarding his appointment by the Grand Camp of Confederate Veterans of Virginia to make a recommendation to the legislature to establish a uniform symbol of the seal of the commonwealth, 1910-1912; campaign contributions to Woodrow Wilson; correspondence regarding repairs to the family home, including issues of lighting and repavement of the roads; correspondence regarding boards he was on, for example the Central Lunatic Asylum and the committee to raise money for a statue of Robert E. Lee; and school tuitions for his children.
Business correspondence includes inquiries regarding the purchase of lumber for the manufacturing of railroad cars, 1860; list of stockholders shares, 1867; land holdings in Minnesota; relating to the depression of 1873 and Tredegars financial assets; agreements between Chesapeake and Ohio Railway and Tredegar, 1873; correspondence from Joseph R. Anderson, including correspondence with John F. Tanner, 1867 April 22, regarding the organization of Tredegar; bank loan payments; sale of Tredegar stocks and bonds; purchasing of scrap metal; letters to shareholders regarding their profits; and iron ore properties in Virginia and West Virginia.
Correspondents include James K. Campbell, William Duvall, Heros von Borcke (1835-1895), Augustus Hill Garland (1832-1899), Alexander Hamilton, E.L. Hobson, William Johnston, James L. Patton, James A. Roberts, James Robb, Joseph E. Johnston (1807-1891), Crerar, Adams & Co., John F. Winston, William Scott, John Sharp, W.W. Woodruff, J.E. Wadley, Robert L. Pierrepont, E.L. Hobson, Jubal A. Early (1816-1894), Henry Morton, Alexander J. Bondurant, and John McAverney.
SUBSERIES 3: ESTATE OF ARCHER ANDERSON, SR. (1918-1921)
This subseries consists of one folder of papers, 1918-1921, including statement of taxes, correspondence, and accounts for land in Duluth, Minnesota, and a receipt for turfing graves in Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia.
SUBSERIES 4: EDWARD R. ARCHER (1867-1918)
This subseries is housed in two boxes and includes the private notebooks of Edward R. Archer, 1894-1918, and some loose papers, 1867-1910. The loose papers include miscellaneous letters to Joseph and Archer Anderson regarding meetings of stockholders, orders for iron bars, wheels, spikes, and axles, sale of scrap iron, and price quotes. Correspondents include the Dover Company (NY), Dickson Manufacturing Company (Pa.), Virginia and Tennessee Railroad Company (Va.), South Side and Norfolk and Petersburg Railroad Companies (Va.), Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad Company (Va.), Ohio and Mississippi Railway Company (OH), Petersburg Railroad Company (Va.), and W.S. Donnan and Company (Va.).
The notebooks, contain daily notations, 1894-1918, regarding business and family life. These notebooks are a good source for the day to day operations at Tredegar during this period, especially regarding the expansions to the water power system and maintenance of buildings at the company. The notebooks also contain information on local events in Richmond, such as new roads and buildings, politics, deaths, social events, and weather. Included are reports on driving the horse shoe factory by water power; estimates of the value of Tredegar buildings; notes on the railroad strike and riot in Richmond 1903 June; repairs and expansions to the buildings, furnaces, and water systems at Tredegar; weather observations; noting deaths of prominent Richmond citizens; important events in Richmond and surrounding counties, such as the electrocution of Floyd and Claud Allen in 1913; bids for work won by Tredegar and competitors; general notes on what mills were working and which were in repair; architectural use of iron in buildings; dividends received from Tredegar stock; fire in the spike mill in 1903; purchase of the U.S.S. Monitor Montauk for scrap metal in 1904; and local political elections. National and international events noted include the coal strike of 1902 and railroad strikes; the Panama Canal; the Chicago (Ill.) fire of 1903; trial of Standard Oil in 1911; commission of a memorial for the USS Maine; loss of the Titanic in 1912; World War I; and prohibition. Drawings are included next to some of his notations, of turbine wheels, bridge repairs, layout of the buildings, and a sketch of the Richmond Horse Show in 1902.
SUBSERIES 5: JOSEPH R. ANDERSON (1865-1892)
This subseries is housed in 7 boxes and 2 volumes and contains journals, ledgers, and letterbooks. The journals and ledgers, 1865-1892, relate mostly to Andersons private expenses, such as tolls, taxes, food, telegrams, household purchases, value of Confederate currency after the Civil War, servants salaries, stock, and land properties in Maryland, Minnesota, and Virginia. Some expenses are included relating to Tredegar, such as building repair costs, gas bills, stock payments, interest, and miscellaneous sundries. Also contained are expenses for Tredegar farm land in Goochland County, including Beaverdam, Forest, Lewis, and Pleasant Green farms. Researchers interested in journals and ledgers from Tredegar should also check Series II: General Accounts.
Includes accounts with Edward R. Archer, E.L. Hobson, John F.T. Anderson, Robert Archer, George Scott, R.W. Winston, Henry Rowland, Fannie A. Hobson, William Talley, Mary F. Goodwin, Minnesota Iron Car Company, J.R. Anderson & Co., Anderson Association, Jessup-Purchase Association, and Joseph R. Anderson and Company. Ledgers A and B are indexed, while the journals are not.
The letter books, 1867-1892, are in relatively good condition, although some have water damage and have faded. The exception is the letterbook dated 1882 June 10-1886 March 12, which is too fragile and cannot be served. As with all of the letterbooks in the collection, extra care must be taken when using the books. All of the letterbooks are indexed.
Topics include stocks and bonds, selling shares of Tredegar to investors to secure capital for the company, purchases of lumber, building of a bridge and railroad track connecting Belle Isle to the northern bank of the James River, payment of taxes, loan agreement between James River and Kanawha Company and the Dover Company, repairs to personal homes, Andersons service on the Board of Visitors for Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), establishment of a scholarship at the University of Virginia, and a brief sketch of products and types of foundries at Tredegar, written by Anderson for a publication (1876 Sept. 3-1878 June 10, page 245-248). Also includes information on the sale and rent of land and farms, both personal and Tredegar property, including the Cloverdale and Catawba furnace properties, in Maryland, Texas, and Virginia.
Correspondents include Thomas J. Boyd, Charles Marshall, T.A. Baylor, James H. Blake, Thomas H. West, Thomas H. Ellis, John F. Winslow, Joel Parker, John F. Tanner, John Netherland, James W. Henderson, Joseph Dilworth, C.P. Huntington, R. Tomlinson, William H. Aspinwall, Nathaniel Thayer, H.D. Whitcomb, John B. Garden, William W. Patton, Alexander H. Rutherford, Charles M. Miller, Joseph Wolfolk, James H. Young, D.H. Gordon, C.M. Jordan, William A. Glasgow, Charles H. Harrison, Charles C. Dwight, Jed Hotchkiss, Claiborne Watkins, and John Fey.
SUBSERIES 6: ESTATE OF JOSEPH R. ANDERSON (1848-1930) (bulk 1892-1910)
This subseries is housed in 17 boxes and 1 volume and is arranged alphabetically by folder title. Includes account books, correspondence, contracts, checks, deeds, estate accounts, ledgers, letter books, promissory notes, receipts, vouchers, and suit papers regarding the estate of Joseph R. Anderson (1813-1892) and administered by Archer Anderson, Jr.
Of note within the collection are the agreements and deeds, 1848-1930. Included are deeds relating to the early Tredegar partnership agreements between Joseph R. Anderson, Charles Morriss, Matthew Delany, Francis Glasgow, Robert Archer, Robert S. Archer, John Tanner, and William Steptoe. Also included are contracts to supply the United States Navy with steam engines for the U.S. Steamer Roanoke, 1854, and deeds for furnaces and land in Botetourt and New Kent Counties, and Richmond, Virginia; and Maryland and Minnesota. After 1892, most of the deeds and agreements relate to the financial and contractual settlements by the heirs of the estate of Joseph R. Anderson. Many of the deeds and agreements in this subseries correlate to the Real Estate Files in Series I: General Administrative Records. Researchers should consult both series to find all related deeds. An itemized listing of agreements and deeds in Series I and Series VIII can be found in Appendix B.
The main section of the subseries is the estate accounts. The estate accounts consist of account books, inventories, promissory notes, receipts, and vouchers for the settlement and division of the estate. Included are receipts to pay off personal purchases, bank loans, and interest to the heirs of Joseph R. Anderson, and taxes and repayment of loans from Tredegar. The inventories contain an itemized listing of the disbursements of the estate of Joseph R. Anderson. The estate was divided among the five children of Joseph R. Anderson: Fannie A. Hobson, Mary Anderson Bruce, Joseph R. Anderson, Jr., John F.T. Anderson, and Archer Anderson, Jr. The correspondence and letter books, 1867-1922, concern the division of the estate of Joseph R. Anderson, and include letters between the heirs of the estate, along with correspondence among lawyers, banks, and debtors, to Archer Anderson. Jr. Also included is correspondence with E.P. Alexander, president of Duluth Banking Company, regarding property Joseph R. Anderson acquired in Duluth, Minnesota. The special summaries and suit papers relate to legal proceedings regarding the division of the estate. Included is a copy of the last will of Joseph R. Anderson; stock and bond agreements; papers relating to the lawsuit of Henry A.V. Post against The Atlantic Trust Company, the Railroad Equipment Company and the Iron Car Equipment Company, 1897; and a pamphlet entitled, Car Trusts in the United States, 1894.
SUBSERIES 7: ESTATE OF ST. GEORGE M. ANDERSON (1908-1936)
This series is housed in 1 box and arranged alphabetically by folder title. Includes bank books, checks, correspondence, insurance, receipts, and tax receipts for the estate of St. George M. Anderson (d. 1936), administered by Archer Anderson, Jr. Includes personal property, state, and real estate taxes paid by St. George M. Anderson in Henrico County, Virginia, 1908-1936; real estate and personal insurance policies; and correspondence and drawings regarding land on Three Chopt Road in Henrico County, Virginia.
The records are arranged into eight series. Series have been designated for: Series I: Administrative records; Series II: General accounts; Series III: Production and labor records; Series IV: Purchasing and receiving records; Series V: Sales and shipping records; Series VI: Correspondence, Incoming; Series VII: Correspondence, Outgoing; and Series VIII: Anderson family papers.
General materials arranged to the front, followed by records arranged alphabetically by title. See Appendix B for an itemized listing of real estate deeds, 1801-1955.
Arranged alphabetically by title.
Also includes letters from furnaces, 1863; a list of Negroes and rations at Catawba Furnace, 1863; register of stock certificates of the Armory Iron Company, Dec. 1847-July 1849; statement of shipments and receipts of pig iron, including shipments to the Confederate States Nitrate and Mining Bureau, 1863-1864. Misc. Reel 2699- DO NOT SERVE ORIGINAL
Arranged alphabetically by title.
Arranged alphabetically by title.
Volumes are alphabetically arranged to the front, followed by loose papers arranged alphabetically by title.
Arranged alphabetically into ten subseries: 1. General, 1872-1957; 2. Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Co., 1900-1957; 3. A.J. Beatty, 1910-1915; 4. Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad Co., 1905-1956; 5. Christina, Trimble and Lee, 1930-1937; 6. George Layman, 1909-1948; 7. The Rail Joint Co. and Poor and Co., 1925-1956; 8. Southern Railroad Co., 1901-1957; 9. U.S. Government, 1917-1957; and 10. Miscellaneous, 1900-1919.
The General subseries was maintained in its original order. Correspondence from 1872 until 1887 is arranged by year, month, alphabetical letter. Correspondence from 1888 to 1957 is arranged by year, alphabetical letter, month.
Arranged chronologically.
Arranged chronologically.
Arranged chronologically.
Arranged chronologically.
Arranged chronologically.
Arranged chronologically.
Arranged chronologically.
Arranged chronologically.
Arranged chronologically.
Arranged alphabetically into three subseries: 1. General letterbooks, 1841-1951, and Special letterbook, 1918 December 12-1944 January 26; 2. Foundry letterbooks, 1905-1942; and 3. Horse shoe letterbooks, 1907- 1942.
Arranged chronologically. Most of the letterbooks from 1841-1900 are in boxes, after 1900 most of the volumes are on the shelf. Some volumes are fragile and un-servable. They are noted as such on the finding aid.
Volume I. 12 March 1860-31 May 1860. Volume II. 31 May 1860-21 August 1860. Volume III. 15 August 1860-27 November 1860. Volume IV. 28 November 1860-16 January 1861. Volume V. 16 January 1861-1 May 1861.
Indexed, Volume I, See Box 862
Indexed, Volume II, See Box 862
Indexed, Volume III, See Box 862
Indexed, Volume IV, See Box 862
Indexed, Volume V, See Box 862
Indexed, Volume VI, See Box 863
Indexed, Volume VII, See Box 864
DAMAGED- DO NOT SERVE
Arranged alphabetically into 7 subseries: 1. Anderson family, 1841-1919; 2. Archer Anderson, 1860-1917; 3. Estate of Archer Anderson, Sr., 1918-1921; 4. Edward R. Archer, 1867-1918; 5. Joseph R. Anderson, 1865- 1895; 6. Estate of Joseph R. Anderson, 1848-1930; 7. Estate of St. George M. Anderson, 1908-1936.
Arranged alphabetically.
Arranged alphabetically.
Arranged chronologically.
Arranged alphabetically.
DAMAGED- DO NOT SERVE
Arranged alphabetically. See Appendix B for an itemized listing of agreements and deeds.
Arranged alphabetically.
Note to Archives Reference: For oversize folders in drawers, search by folder number using three numerals, e.g. for Oversize Folder 81, search "f081". If the folder is in a box, search by box number.
Detailing each buildings, materials used in floor/roof/walls, number of water wheels, amount of horse power used (2 drawings), not dated
Eight blueprints: 5 in. cast iron shell model of 1911; 8 in. gun shell model 1911; 10 in. shell model 1907;10 in. shell model 1911; 12 in. gun shell model 1911; 12 in. mortar shell model 1911; 12 in. mortar shell model 1911; 12 in. mortar shell model 1910
- Blueprints: 4.7 in. 60 lb. shrapnel (3 copies); Common shrapnel for 6 in. Howitzer (2 copies); 3.8 in. common steel shell model of 1905 (2 copies); 4.7 in. common steel shell model of 1905 ( 2 copies); 6 in. common steel shell siege Howitzer model of 1907 (2 copies)
Blueprint by Tredegar of 5 in. cast iron target projectile (No. 38705), 1911
10 in. shell, 604 lbs. cast iron model of 1907; 12 in. rifle shell, 1046 lbs., cast iron model of 1907; Experimental bands for projectiles; 12 in. mortar shells, 824 lbs., cast iron model of 1910; 12 in. mortar shells, 700 lbs., cast iron model of 1910
Flow diagram for T-15 E 1 (No. 55-18175, Sheet 1), 3 copies; Flow diagram for T-16 E1 (No.55-18175, Sheet 2), 3 copies; Blueprint of plant layout 120 mm. shell line (No. C-R18174), 2 copies, 1953
and French & Hecht Division of Kelsey-Hayes Wheel Co.- Blueprint of hub bearing disc halves and tire assembly (No. 103807), 1953
Itemized listing of agreements and deeds
Real estate files, Deeds,
Subseries 6: Estate of Joseph R. Anderson
Relates to the division of the estate of Joseph R. Anderson by the heirs and Archer Anderson, administrator of the estate of Joseph R. Anderson. Concerns land in Duluth, Minnesota; Washington, D.C.; Maryland; and Virginia, and financial matters. Also includes information on the estate of Matthew B. Harrison, by Lucy Gray Harrison, administrator of his estate.
Items listed under old system of numbers and Roman numerals can be found in the corresponding series of the new finding aid
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