This subseries is housed in 55 boxes, one oversize box and two oversize map folders and is arranged alphabetically with subdivisions for general correspondence, additional correspondence and topics. This is the larger of the two subseries and contains a variety of letters from individuals across the county interested in Virginia history and the historical marker program. Topics include historical inquiries, historical marker inscriptions, investigation of the historical marker program by other states, and the Richmond Battlefield Park. Other topics include work of the Division during World War II, Shenandoah National Park, birthplace of the Wright Brothers mother, and biographical information on Dr. Hamilton J. Eckenrode and Bryan Conrad.

The History Division responded to general historical questions concerning Virginia history from historians, history buffs and students from every part of the country. Virginia's historical marker program was a model for other states and there are inquiries about the program from individuals from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, and West Virginia. Many of these letters provide detailed information about the marker system (Eckenrode to Douglas Arant, 31 August 1938) and a summary of how to install markers (Pleasants to Arthur Adams, 24 April 1931).

This subseries is a great source of information on the creation of the Richmond Battlefield Park . Included is a booklet by Eckenrode titled "History of the Richmond Battlefield Parks" dated 23 February 1932, aerial photographs of the park taken in the early 1930s by the United States Army Air Corps as well as correspondence, memorandums and reports on the creation of the park. Several maps of the battlefield from the early 1930s are filed under oversized. Additional information on the Richmond Battlefield Park is located with the correspondence of William E. Carson, Douglas Southall Freeman and Branch Spalding (Subseries B, Correspondence, Dead File).

Correspondence with William A. Wright , chairman of the Virginia Conservation Commission (1942-1948) include a report on the work of the History Division during World War II (5 August 1947) and two memorandums from Eckenrode describing the Division's plans and work during the war (12 August 1944 and March 1946). Information on the Shenandoah National Park includes newspaper clippings, the dedication program of the park (3 July 1936), and three pamphlets: "Shenandoah National Park Project" (n.d.), "A Brief History of the Beginning of the Movement for a National Park in Northern Virginia - Now Known as the Shenandoah National Park" (ca. 1934), and "The Shenandoah National Park Travelogue" (1937). Correspondence between Orville Wright and Wilbur Hall (1932-1933 filed under Wright Brothers ) concern the birthplace of Wright's mother in Virginia. Biographical information on Eckenrode ( Rowland Egger ) and Conrad ( P. Tulane Atkinson , 14 July1945) is also included. Other notable topics include the Bell Tower ( John Garland Pollard , 26 February 1931, 11 October 1932), the State Seal (Pollard, 25 August 1931) and the Growth of the Conservation and Development Commission (Box 13, Folder 9) that includes a brief history and newspaper clippings.

Correspondents include William Sumner Appleton, John Stewart Bryan, Harry F. Byrd, Arthur Kyle Davis, Sr., E. Griffith Dodson, Dr. J.D. Eggleston, E.O. Flippen, Douglas Southall Freeman, Richard A. Gilliam, Wilmer L. Hall, Douglas McArthur, John Garland Pollard, Branch Spalding, and William A. Wright.

This subseries is housed in 16 boxes and one oversize box and is arranged alphabetically by correspondent and subject. This subseries consists of incoming and outgoing correspondence from Division of History staff members. Topics include the historical marker program, historical marker inscriptions, installation, and maintenance, published guide to historical markers, Richmond Battlefield Park, and reports of History Division activities.

The most significant correspondence are between William E. Carson , chairman of the Virginia Conservation Commission from 1926 to 1934, and Dr. Hamilton J. Eckenrode. These letters provide insight into the development, administration and problems of the historical marker program. Other topics include the Richmond Battlefield Park. Topics of a personal nature include Carson's fall in 1933 and death in 1942 and Eckenrode's bachelorhood.

Notable correspondence concerning the historical marker program include letter to Carson from Eckenrode asking him to sooth Conrad's hurt feelings over mistakes Carson made in marker inscriptions (29 November 1927); letter to Carson from Eckenrode describing delays in the installation of Lynchburg markers (11 March 1930); correspondence regarding marker orders and delivery problems (23 October 1933, 25 October 1933, 16 February 1934, 24 March 1934, 18 August 1934, and 20 August 1934); correspondence describing problems with marker maintenance (17 February 1933, 10 March 1933, 11 April 1933, 27 September 1933 and 7 October 1933).

Of note within the collection are correspondence describing the development of the Richmond Battlefield Park, especially between 1931 and 1934. Significant correspondence for 1931 include (5 January, 8 July, 9 July, 10 July, 17 July, 21 July, 30 July, 14 August, 18 August, 19 August, 20 August, 4 September, 8 September, 8 December, 11 December, 17 December and 18 December); for 1932 (29 March, 15 April, 21 April, 26 April, 28 April, 2 May, 18 May, 10 August, 12 October, 13 October, 19 November, 21 November, and 14 December); for 1933 (22 May, 7 June, 14 July, 20 July, 24 July, 27 July, 4 August, 23 August, 8 September, 11 September, 15 September, 20 September, 11 October, 23 November, and 25 November); and for 1934 (10-13 January, 17 January, 7 February, 14 February, 15 February, 19 February, 12 March, 15-17 March, 10 April, 14 May, 16 May and 14 July).

Topics of a personal nature in the correspondence include Carson's fall, injury to his arm, and recovery in 1933 (12 August, 13 August, 16 August, 15 September, 18 October, 20 October, 23 October, 24 October, and 27 October) and Carson's poor health shortly before he died in 1942. Throughout their correspondence, Carson teased Eckenrode about being a bachelor and encouraged him to find a wife (10 September 1929, 6 November 1929, 7 November 1929, 27 September 1930, 22 December 1930, and 10 June 1941).

The correspondence of Bryan Conrad , contain both business and personal letters, though most relate to his employment with the Division of History. Almost all of the office correspondence are between Conrad and Eckenrode. Topics include Conrad's employment status (27 June 1927, 28 March 1929) and field work installing markers including weekly reports (1927-1928). Personal letters between Conrad and his sister, Carter Bryan Conrad of Washington, D.C., are also included within Conrad's office correspondence. Topics include Conrad's divorce (19 October 1932), family and politics (8 May 1933, 19 September 1933, 9 January 1934, 6 December 1934). Also included are Conrad's personal correspondence, including a letter to Carter Bryan Conrad regarding the Edith Maxwell case and Franklin D. Roosevelt (17 November 1937), and correspondence with his daughter, Georgia Conrad (15 March 1935, 20 September 1935 and 18 May 1936 newspaper clipping).

Correspondence between Douglas Southall Freeman and Eckenrode include Freeman's comments on marker inscriptions. Additional correspondence discuss the Richmond Battlefield Park (20 June 1933, 21 June 1933, 7 July 1933, 10 July 1933, 21 August 1933, 18 September 1933, 22 September 1933, 23 September 1933, 25 September 1933, 23 November 1933, 15 January 1934, 25 January 1934 and 5 February 1934).

Wilbur C. Hall was chairman of the Conservation Commission from 1935 to 1939. Topics included in correspondence between Hall and Eckenrode are the Richmond Battlefield Park (23 February 1935, 6 April 1935 and 11 June 1935) and the WPA Historical Inventory Project (28 May 1936, 20 August 1937 and 4 December 1937).

The correspondence of M.F. Pleasants , Field Assistant for the Division of History, describe the installation and maintenance of the historical markers. Additional information can be found under the headings Highway Department and Markers .

Also of note is a typed 17 page transcript of the diary of Dr. John Waller Reins describing his ocean voyage from Norfolk, Virginia, to California, between 2 April 1849 and May 1849, filed with the correspondence of Mrs. Harris E. Willlingham and reports of the Division's work during World War II ( Virginia World War II History ).

Additional correspondents include E. Griffith Dodson, Elmer O. Flippin, Dr. H.R. McIlwaine, N. Clarence Smith, Branch Spalding, and Dr. E.G. Swem.

This subseries is housed in 9 boxes and one oversize box and is arranged alphabetically by county. This subseries consists of incoming correspondence and reports from local correspondents and replies from Division of History staff members. A few also include newspaper clippings about local soldiers and events. The bulk of the reports cover portions of 1943 and some 1944. The quality and frequency of the reports varied widely. Notable county reports include Arlington County (clippings from Washington, D.C. newspapers), Bedford County (reports on D-Day, 6-8 June 1944), Buchanan County, Buckingham County (1942-1943 issues of Seabees Buzz), Dinwiddie County (reaction to the war by Camp Lee service men, ca. 1944), Essex County (critical attitude), Fluvanna County, Halifax County, Henry County, Isle of Wight County, Loudoun County, Nelson County, Patrick County, Prince William County, Stafford County (including "Story of Stafford Evacuation" by Elizabeth Russell Powers, describing removal of 650 families for enlargement of Marine Base at Quantico in 1942), and Surry County.

A few localities (Alleghany County, Franklin County, Giles County, Prince George County, Sussex County and Wise County) also gathered biographical information about soldiers often listing the soldiers name, age, physical description, name of parents, residence, education, marital status, and a brief military record. A few records include newspaper clippings and photographs.

This subseries is housed in 1 box and one oversize box and is arranged alphabetically by city. This subseries consists of incoming correspondence and reports from local correspondents and replies from Division of History staff members. Very few localities submitted any reports. Most of the correspondence concerns the collection of "Personal War Service Record of Virginia's Ward Dead".

This subseries is housed in 3 boxes and one oversize box and is arranged alphabetically by correspondent with some correspondence and topics separated out. The series consists primarily of correspondence between Division of History staff members, Dr. Hamilton J. Eckenrode, Bryan Conrad and J.R.V. Daniel and interested citizens concerning the graves of distinguished Virginians. Topics include: tombstone inscriptions and information on the location of graves.

This subseries is housed in 3 boxes and is arranged alphabetically by locality. The series consists of lists of distinguished Virginians buried in each locality and an approximate location of their grave. A few localities include tombstone inscriptions and newspaper clippings about the project.

This subseries is housed in 4 boxes and two oversize folders and is arranged alphabetically by subject or correspondent. The series consists primarily of topical reference files. Notable subjects include: Bell Tower, Covered Bridges in Virginia (including some photographs and WPA Historical Inventory Forms), Division of History and Archaeology (organization and reports), and George Washington. The material on Washington includes several issues of Clip Sheet, published by the United States George Washington Bicentennial Commission. In addition to the subject files, the subseries also consists of correspondence between Division of History staff members, Dr. Hamilton J. Eckenrode, Bryan Conrad and J.R.V. Daniel and individuals concerning the Division's work. It is unknown why these correspondence were separated from the main Correspondence File (Series I.). Notable correspondents include: W. Edwin Hemphill and Alexander Weddell.

This series is housed in 3 boxes and includes information on the publication of The Hornbook of Virginia History by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Development, Division of History in 1949. Notable records include: minutes of the 21 March 1947 meeting of the History Advisory Committee, correspondence, comments and revisions to brief Virginia histories written by Everard Kidder Meade and H.J. Eckenrode, reviews, scrapbook, and requests for copies.