A Guide to the Snyder Family Papers, ca. 1850-1901 SC 0204

A Guide to the Snyder Family Papers, ca. 1850-1901 SC 0204


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James Madison University Libraries Special Collections

880 Madison Drive
MSC 1704
Harrisonburg, Virginia 22807
Telephone: (540) 568-3612
library-special@jmu.edu
URL: https://www.lib.jmu.edu/special/

Angela L. Walthall, Tiffany Cole

Repository
James Madison University Libraries Special Collections
Identification
SC 0204
Title
Snyder Family papers circa 1850-1901
Quantity
0.3 cubic feet, 3 boxes
source
Whetzel, Charlie, 1940-2021
Creator
Snyder family
Language
English .
Abstract
The Snyder Family Papers, ca. 1850-1901, comprise two account books and photographs documenting the John Snyder family of Augusta County, Virginia.

Administrative Information

Use Restrictions

The copyright interests in this collection have been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections 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 #], Snyder Family Papers, ca. 1850-1901, SC 0204, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Va.

Acquisition Information

The ledgers and photo album were purchased September 17, 2011 at the Mt. Solon, Virginia estate sale of Charles Weekley. Weekley's real estate and personal property were sold by auctioneer Charley Whetzel.

Processing Information

In order to streamline the process of applying collection numbers, Special Collections staff completed a large-scale renumbering campaign in 2017-2019. The Snyder Ledger Collection was previously cataloged as SC 5026. The Snyder Family Photograph Collection was previously cataloged as P 0004

As part of renumbering, the two Snyder collections were combined in an attempt to reestablish original order. Both collections were acquired from the same estate sale and have shared provenance, but during initial processing in 2011 the materials were inexplicably separated by format (photographs and ledgers) and arranged into two collections. The photographs were originally housed in a photo album, but were removed and placed in individual paper envelopes. The photographs were assigned unique identifiers and filed according to their original order in the photo album. Three newspaper clippings containing Snyder family obituaries were affixed to the inside covers of the photo album. The clippings were photocopied and originals discarded. The biographical note was not significantly updated during reprocessing.


Biographical Information

The ledgers provide very little concrete information about John Snyder except for that he was a blacksmith most likely living in the Augusta County area during the 1850s and 1860s. The 1860 census lists a J. Snyder living in Augusta County who is married to S. Snyder, with two children: W. H. and J. A. Snyder. The 1860 census, along with the 1899 Augusta County Business Directory, also lists J. Snyder as a blacksmith. Additionally, a genealogy site documenting the Sheets family of Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Iowa references a John Snyder who was born in 1824 and died after 1900 in Augusta County. This John Snyder was married to his cousin, Sarah Sheetz, in March 1849, and together they had four children: William H. Snyder (b. 1849), Joseph A. Snyder (b. 1851), Martin Snyder (b. 1861), and Lewis J. Snyder (b. 1863). The genealogy site also mentions that John worked as a blacksmith as well as a farmer. All of this information is consistent with the business directory, census records, and dates of the ledgers.

The Snyder family photo album originally included a sheet of paper that records the date of death of a John Snyder on February 7, 1901, a date that correlates with the information above. This document is retained in the collection. A few of the photographs inside of the album contain captions such as "Uncle John," "Lewis Snyder," and "Cousin Martin Snyder," indicating that the album may have been owned by a sibling or cousin of John or Sarah Snyder.

Scope and Content

The Snyder Family Papers, ca. 1805-1901, comprise two account books and photographs documenting the John Snyder (variously spelled Snider) family of Augusta County. Snyder was a blacksmith operating out of Parnassus in Augusta County, Virginia. Surnames recorded in the ledgers include Showalter, Moyer, Miller, Shumate, and Huffman.

The 46 photographs in the collection include albumen prints, collodion prints, gelatin developing-out paper, and tintypes. All of the photos are black and white or sepia in color, and most are accompanied by a matte frame or a decorative paper sleeve. The photographs are housed individually and are arranged in the original order they were found in upon removal from the photo album. There are presumably images of John Snyder and two of his children in this collection. Notations by said photograph refer to him as "Uncle John." There is also an obituary for John A. Marshall, whose children are included in the images and are referred to as cousins. From the little amount of information available, it is possible that the album was owned by a sister of John Snyder who married into the Marshall family, or perhaps a child of said sister.

Arrangement

The ledgers are housed in a custom box and arranged chronologically. During initial processing in 2011, the photographs were each assigned a unique identification number based on their original collection number P0004 and according to their original order in the now discarded photo album. They are arranged accordingly. Three photographs are housed in a separate folder due to their larger size.

Subjects and Indexing Terms


Bibliography

1860 United States Census, Augusta County, Virginia. http://www.shambaugh.org/1860VA.htm (Accessed 14 Nov. 2011).

Directory of the Representative Business and Professional Men of Augusta County and Staunton. Rohrer & Diamond, 1899. http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/augusta/misc/1899biz-m-z.txt (Accessed 14 Nov. 2011).

"Sheets Family of Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Iowa." http://annasheets.brinkster.net/sheets.htmljohn (Accessed 14 Nov. 2011).

Significant Persons Associated With the Collection

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Significant Places Associated With the Collection

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Container List

Mixed Materials [1000886151] box: 1
Ledger
1849-1859
Mixed Materials [1000886152] box: 2
Ledger
1858-1865
Mixed Materials [1000886153] box: 3 folder: 1
Photographs
circa 1850-1900
Mixed Materials [1000886153] box: 3 folder: 2
Photographs
circa 1885-1900
Mixed Materials [1000886153] box: 3 folder: 3
Loose papers
1880-circa 1901, undated