A Guide to the Executive Papers of Governor E. Lee Trinkle, 1919-1929 [bulk 1922-1926] Trinkle, E. Lee, Records of Virginia Governor 21567b

A Guide to the Executive Papers of Governor E. Lee Trinkle, 1919-1929 [bulk 1922-1926]

A Collection in
the Library of Virginia
Accession Number 21567b


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Processed by: Renee M. Savits

Repository
The Library of Virginia
Accession Number
21567b
Title
A Guide to the Executive Papers of Governor E. Lee Trinkle, 1919-1929 [bulk 1922-1926]
Extent
38.65 cu. ft. (103 boxes)
Creator
Trinkle, E. Lee, Records of Virginia Governor
Language
English

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Virginia. Governor (1922-1926 : Trinkle). Executive Papers of Governor E. Lee Trinkle, 1919-1929 [bulk 1922-1926]. Accession 21567b, State government records collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.

Acquisition Information

Transferred from the Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth, 18 May 1939.

Biographical Information

Governor Elbert Lee Trinkle was born in Wytheville, Virginia, in 1876. Trinkle attended Hampden-Sydney College and studied law at the University of Virginia. He returned to Wytheville in 1898 to practice law. He entered politics as Wythe County Democratic Chairman and was elected to the Virginia State Senate in 1915. Trinkle ran for governor in 1921 and easily defeated former congressman St. George Tucker in the Democratic primary and Republican Henry Watkins Anderson in the general election. He served as governor of Virginia from 1922 until 1926. After his governorship, Trinkle accepted a position as Vice-President of the Shenandoah Life Insurance of Roanoke. In 1930 Governor John Pollard appointed Trinkle chairman of the State Board of Education, a post he held until his death from a heart attack on 25 November 1939.

Scope and Content

Governor E. Lee Trinkle Executive Papers, 1919-1929 (bulk 1922-1926), are organized into two series. Series have been designated for I. Subject Files; and II. Extraditions, Pardons, and Prison Affairs. These papers mainly consist of incoming and outgoing correspondence during E. Lee Trinkle's four-year term as governor between 1 February 1922 and 1 February 1926. The largest and most significant series is the Subject Files Series. This series provides an in-depth look into the major concerns confronting Trinkle as governor. The Extraditions, Pardons, and Prison Affairs Series includes applications, correspondence, extraditions, pardons and requisitions.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged into the following series:

Series I. Subject Files, 1919-1929 [bulk 1922-1926] Series II. Extraditions, Pardons, and Prison Affairs, 1922-1926

Contents List

Series I: Subject files , 1919-1929 [bulk 1922-1926] .
Boxes Boxes 1-78
Extent: 27.3 cu. ft. (78 boxes).

The Subject files series, 1919-1929 (bulk 1922-1926) is housed in seventy-eight archival boxes and is arranged alphabetically by subject. This series documents correspondence received and sent by Governor Trinkle during his four-year term as governor of Virginia. In addition to correspondence, there are reports, proclamations, telegrams, orders, resolutions, acts, publications, news clippings, invitations, proceedings, financial statements, invoices, and other sundry items. Topics include Agriculture, Atlantic Deeper Waterways Association, Budget appropriations, State Board of Censors, Coal conferences and contracts, Confederate reunions, Deaf and Blind school in Staunton, Education, Gasoline tax, General Assembly sessions, Highways, State Hospitals, Illiteracy Conferences, Judgeships, Monticello Association, Mount Vernon Board of Visitors, National Guard, National Prison Conference, expansion of the Virginia State Office Building, Penitentiary, Southern Exposition, State Board of Education, State Corporation Commission, Virginia Industrial schools, Virginia Military Institute, War Memorial Commission, and Yorktown General Committee, among others.

Included are lists of censored film as well as censorship rules and regulations; coal and railroad strikes; information on the trial of Robert and Larkin Garrett charged with murdering Baptist preacher E.S. Pierce; redecorating of the Governor's Mansion; racial issues at Hampton Institute; request to President Harding for Virginia Highway Department to purchase the U.S. South Richmond Air Depot; and correspondence from Penitentiary inmates including a copy of "The Beacon," an inmate newspaper, and a Special Furniture Bulletin displaying furniture made by inmates. Also included are various proclamations made by the Governor for Armistice day, Mothers day, Thanksgiving, American Education Week, Fire Prevention Week, and Arbor Day, among others. Included are programs from various events the Governor attended; staff appointments and applications for jobs at the Governor's office; and numerous invitations to events.

Included is information on the carving at Stone Mountain, Georgia, including suggestions as to what Confederate generals to put on the monument, brochures, fund raising, Gutzon Borglum's removal, and Trinkle's address at the memorial. Included are State Institutions Special Reports, which contain a variety of information, from the number of veterans at the R.E. Lee Camp Soldiers Home, to the number of students at the Virginia Industrial School for Colored Girls, and information on fisheries and the oyster beds in Virginia. The Rewards folders includes information regarding threats by the KKK and a kidnapping case. Also included are appointments to various boards such as the Censorship Board, State Board of Dairy and Food Commissioners, Commissioner of Fisheries, Forest warden, Highway Commissioners, Industrial Commission, Judges, Labor Commissioner, National Rivers and Harbor Congress, Notaries Public, State Board of Optometry, State Geologist, Superintendents of Public Schools, State Veterinarian, Virginia War History Commission, and West Point appointments.

Of note, are the papers relating to Highways and the United States Good Road Association. Trinkle wanted to reorganize and fund the state highway system through issuing bonds. Trinkle's bond plan was obstructed by Harry Byrd and other Democratic leaders who preferred raising taxes on gasoline to fund the project. A special session of the General Assembly was called in February 1923 and the competing plans were debated, with the gas tax plan winning out in the end and effectively ended Trinkle's political career.

This series was maintained in its original order and is not completely chronological. At some point the pins holding together the incoming and outgoing letters were removed and the archivist did not rearrange the folder items for fear of loosing the relationships between the incoming and outgoing letters.

Arranged alphabetically by folder title.

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Series II: Extraditions, Pardons, and Prison Affairs , 1922-1926 .
Boxes Boxes 79-101
Extent: 10.35 cu. ft. (23 boxes)

The Extraditions, Pardons, and Prison Affairs series, 1922-1926, is housed in twenty-three archival boxes and is arranged into three subseries. Subseries have been designated for: A. Extraditions, B. Pardons, and C. Prison Affairs.

Included are arrest warrants, correspondence, court orders, extradition requisitions, pardon applications, petitions, prison records, telegrams, and newspaper clippings. Subseries A: Extraditions, is arranged alphabetically by last name and includes correspondence, telegrams, and extradition requisitions to and from Virginia. Subseries B: Pardons is arranged alphabetically by last name and includes letters from family members asking for pardons of relatives; letters from prisoners asking for pardons; letters from politicians on behalf of prisoners; and petitions asking for pardons of prisoners. The records include the name of prisoner, date committed, age, occupation, court, crime, and term information. Unlike his predecessor, Governor Westmoreland Davis, Governor Trinkle was a firm believer in Prohibition, campaigned promising to uphold prohibition laws, and consistently denied pardons for any alcohol related crimes. Also included are requests for the removal of political disabilities, requests to have driving rights restored, and regain forfeited automobiles.

Subseries C: Prison Affairs includes correspondence from citizens asking the Governor to waive local fines imposed and from prisoners regarding their cases. Also included is correspondence relating to the State Board of Charities, Corrections, and Probations, and the State Board of Public Welfare, both mostly relating to the welfare of children and children that were placed in Industrial Schools and reform schools.

Arranged into three subseries : Subseries A: Extraditions, Subseries B: Pardons, and Subseries C: Prison Affairs.

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Oversize
Boxes Boxes 102-103
Extent: 1 cu. ft. (2 boxes).

These two boxes include materials separated from Series I and II due to their size. Removal notices were placed in the folders from which the items were originally located and should lead researchers to the correct oversize folder and box locations.

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