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Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [identification of item], [box], [folder], Montgomery White Sulphur Springs Guest Book, Ms2003-007, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.
The Montgomery White Sulphur Springs Guest Book was donated to the Special Collections in 2003.
The processing and description of the Montgomery White Sulphur Springs Guest Book commenced and was completed in April 2003.
The Montgomery White Sulphur Springs resort, located in Ellett Valley (near Blacksburg), Virginia, was incorporated by a group of local businessmen in 1855. Benefiting from the popular belief in the restorative powers of mineral waters, the Montgomery White catered to a new leisure class seeking healthy and entertaining distractions. In doing so, the resort joined such other nearby establishments as the Greenbrier White, Old Sweet, and Yellow Sulphur springs. The Montgomery White, encompassing several acres of land, boasted a three-story hotel with more than 200 rooms and more than 30 cottages on the grounds.
In 1862 the resort was designated a Confederate general hospital, charged with caring for sick and wounded soldiers. By the end of the summer, the hospital was at capacity, with more than 400 patients. While there is no complete list of those who died in the hospital, the nearby cemetery is said to hold 265 graves.
Following the war and much renovation, the Montgomery White again opened to the public and became a popular summertime destination. In 1872, the resort hosted the first board meeting of the Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College, and in 1874, Jefferson Davis visited for the Southern Historical Society's organizational meeting.
By 1886, George W. Fagg & Company operated the resort, which continued to be a successful enterprise for some years. By the 1890s, however, the Montgomery White and other such resorts were slowly declining in popularity. The economic panic of 1893, together with undocumented instances of fire and flood, may have accelerated the resort's downfall. The Montgomery White property was sold by auction and the remaining structures dismantled in 1904.
Source: Bodell, Dorothy.
The Montgomery White Sulphur Springs Guest Book includes the names of the resort's guests, their place of residence and notes on their meals, rooms and porterage. While the resort played host to guests from all areas of the United States--and a few from foreign countries--a number of guests were local residents. Each alternate register page features an advertisement for either the Hexall Mills or the Southern Fertilizing Company, both of Richmond, Virginia. The register's entries commence on June 30, 1886 and end on July 26, 1890.
The guide to the Montgomery White Sulphur Springs Guest Book by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 (https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/).