James Madison University Libraries Special Collections
820 Madison Drive MSC 1706 Harrisonburg, Virginia 22807 Telephone: (540) 568-3612 library-special@jmu.edu URL: https://www.lib.jmu.edu/special/
Jere Suter
Repository
James Madison University Libraries Special Collections
Identification
SC 0129
Title
Varner Family Papers 1774-1933
Quantity
0.4 cubic feet, 1 box
Creator
Varner family
source
Harrisonburg-Rockingham Historical Society
Language
English
.
Abstract
The Varner Family Papers, 1774-1933, documents the Varner family of Page County, Virginia with particular emphasis on correspondence,
legal and financial documents, and documents relating to their distillery business.
The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collection Library.
For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu).
Access Restrictions
Collection is open for research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection.
Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the James Madison University Special Collections Library to use this
collection.
Preferred Citation
[identification of item], [box #, folder #], Varner Family Papers, 1774-1933, SC 0129, Special Collections, Carrier Library,
James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Va.
Acquisition Information
This collection is on deposit from the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Historical Society.
Processing Information
In order to streamline the process of applying collection numbers, Special Collections staff completed a large-scale renumbering
campaign in the spring of 2017. This collection was previously cataloged as SC 3035.
The Varner family of Page County, Virginia was of German descent, and their name appears as early as 1801 on records of the
Antioch Christian Church near Stony Man Creek, Virginia.
Despite wide-spread anti-liquor sentiment in the Shenandoah Valley in the nineteenth century, the Varners operated a distillery.
Documentary evidence of the business begins in 1869 and includes state permits to distill, Internal Revenue "Distillery Gauger"
forms, and several orders for brandy.
The Varner Family Papers, 1774-1933, document the Varner family of Page County, Virginia with particular emphasis on correspondence,
legal and financial documents, and documents relating to their distillery business.
Series 1: Letters, 1816-1910, contains documents from relatives of the Varners in the Midwest and from other family members
within Virginia. Most of these documents date from the latter half of the nineteenth century. In general these letters discuss
health, the weather and farming; however, there are several accounts relating to the Civil War and its devastating effects
on the family.
Series 2: Legal Documents, 1774-1931, contains a thorough collection of tax receipts dating from 1803-1930; several papers
pertaining to John Varner's duties as an executor; a folder of receipts for various financial transactions; and, among other
papers in the miscellaneous folder, a Confederate States of America Bond.
Series 3: Distillery Papers, 1869-1893, contains documents related to the Varner's distillery business in Luray, Virginia.
Despite wide-spread anti-liquor sentiment in the Shenandoah Valley in the nineteenth century, the Varners operated a distillery.
Documentary evidence of the business begins in 1869 and includes state permits to distill, Internal Revenue "Distillery Gauger"
forms and several orders for brandy.
Lambert, Darwin S. The Undying Past of Shenandoah National Park . Boulder, CO: Roberts Rinehart, Inc., 1989.
Strickler, Harry M. A Short History of Page County Virginia . Richmond, VA: Dietz Press, Inc., 1952.
![[logo]](https://cdn1.lib.jmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/JMU-Logo_ASpace2VAHeritage.png){kind=logo}