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Library of Virginia
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Processed by: Jim Greve
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Virginia Place Name Society Records, 1947-1982. Accession 31412. Organization records collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.
Gift of the Virginia Place Name Society, Charlottesville.
The Virginia Place Name Society was organized on 28 June 1960 in order to promote place name research in Virginia and to encourage by appropriate means systematic surveying and publication of place name information and findings. In addition, the Society acted as a clearinghouse for such information and made available place name publications. The administration of the Society was conducted by a board of directors which included a president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer and publications director. The Society's publications included Occasional Papers, which presented findings from a variety of place name related research projects. The Society also published six newsletters during 1972-1979. Due to a lack of funds and a declining interest by persons dedicated to carrying on the work of the Society, the organization dissolved in 1982.
The Place Name Survey of the United States' purpose was to survey, state by state, place name information on United States place names with a view toward making the assembled information available to interested persons. The organization established guidelines for all field work methods to ensure the research was valid. The Place Name Survey of Virginia was a subsidiary and regional branch of the Place Name Survey of the United States. Members of the Virginia Place Name Society were closely affiliated with the Place Name Survey of Virginia. Powell Burwell Rogers was the director of the Place Name Survey of the United States until his death. He was succeeded by Douglas W. Tanner.
Records, 1947-1982, of the Virginia Place Name Society, including of the papers of Raus M. Hanson (1889-1982) and Powell Burwell Rogers (1909-1976), administrative files of the Virginia Place Name Society, and the files of the Place Name Survey of Virginia. The collection contains clippings, correspondence, financial records, membership records, minutes, newsletters, Occasional Papers, publications, and other materials.
This collection is arranged into the following record groups, based on the original order and numbering system:
I. Raus M. Hanson Papers (Part I and II). II. Powell Burwell Rogers Papers. III. Virginia Place Name Society Files. IV. Place Name Survey of Virginia Files.The Raus M. Hanson Papers are divided into two parts. Part I includes research files for place name studies that were conducted after the publication of his book entitled VIRGINIA PLACE NAMES: DERIVATIONS, HISTORICAL USES (1969), including clippings, correspondence, notes, pamphlets and publications. The files are arranged alphabetically by place name and other files are arranged alphabetically by county. Part II contains both typed and handwritten manuscripts of entries and chapters of his book, as well as correspondence with researchers concerning various Virginia place names. This correspondence is arranged by the county containing the place of interest.
The Powell Burwell Rogers Papers include clippings, correspondence, publications, and place name research and card files.
The Virginia Place Name Society Files include general files, correspondence files, workshops and conferences, membership records, Occasional Papers, newsletters, and financial records.
The Place Name Survey of Virginia files include records relating to the National Survey, as well as the Virginia Survey. National survey files contain correspondence, newsletters, an organizational history, and essays. Virginia survey files include bibliographies, correspondence, researchers' contact information, financial records, maps and map indexes, publicity information, interoffice memoranda, printing and publishing materials, and reference sources. There are records relating to the field operations of the Virginia Survey, including correspondence, clippings, maps, notes, publications, and pamphlets concerning the tracing of Virginia place names, arranged alphabetically by county, independent city, or larger area where work was focused. The Virginia Survey files als contain publications and forms, including annual reports, minutes, research guidebooks, handbooks, and newsletters of the Place Name Survey of Virginia and other organizations. Finally, there are also card index files on Virginia place names.