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Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

Preferred Citation

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [identification of item], [box], [folder], J. Hoge Tyler Family Collection, Ms1967-002, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Source of Acquisition

The J. Hoge Tyler Family Collection was acquired by Newman Library in several installments. The nucleus of the collection, including the early correspondence of the Hammet and Tyler families and the business correspondence and ledgers of J. Hoge Tyler, was donated by Mrs. Sue Tyler Thomas in 1967. In 1972, J. Hoge Tyler Wilson donated approximately two thousand pieces of political and other correspondence dating from 1890 to 1901. Later in 1972, Mr. Wilson withdrew from temporary deposit at the University of Virginia Library a sizeable collection of Tyler papers, including gubernatorial correspondence, and donated them to Virginia Tech. Additions to the collection were made through several dealer purchases in the 1970s and 1980s.

Processing Information

The processing, arrangement and description of the J. Hoge Tyler Family Collection commenced in January 2004 and was completed in August 2007. Some earlier work on the collection had been performed from 1967 to 1969 and 1971 to 1972.

Family History

History of Virginia Governor Tyler's administration was marked by the settlement of the long vexed oyster question, for it was largely through his efforts that the LeCato bill was made effective and the oyster beds of the state made to yield an income to the state instead of an annual deficit. As governor he secured the reduction of taxes and the state debt and the increase of the public school fund and the literary fund. Other measures credited to his administration are the establishment of the Farm Bureau, the reorganization of the agricultural department, a conditional pardon system and the settlement of the Virginia-Tennessee boundary question. Highway Builder Listen to the mockingbird: the life and times of a pioneer Virginia family The family of Hoge: a genealogy

Scope and Content

This collection contains the papers of James Hoge Tyler, Virginia state senator (1877-1879), lieutenant governor (1890-1894), governor (1898-1902), businessman, church elder, genealogist, and resident of Radford, Virginia. The collection includes Tyler's correspondence as governor, including a set of bound letter books. Also among the political correspondence are a set of subject files, largely relating to political appointments directly under the governor's control but also touching on some of the issues with which Tyler's administration was concerned. Complementing this official correspondence is a voluminous collection of incoming political correspondence, spanning the latter 19th and early 20th centuries, much of it devoted to Tyler's 1897 and 1899 campaigns, but also including references to the political atmosphere in Virginia and the national political issues of the day.

Within Tyler's personal papers are files relating to his involvement in the Presbyterian Church, particularly his service on the boards of various church-related institutions and in various church councils, as well as his leadership in Radford's Presbyterian Church. Tyler's interest in genealogy is documented in a small set of correspondence from other researchers, together with two of his own typescript manuscripts and printed materials. Also within the personal papers is a large collection of incoming correspondence to both J. Hoge and Sue Hammet Tyler. Much of this correspondence is from members of his very large extended Hoge and Tyler families and relates to personal matters, though many of the letters also touch on political and business matters. Though housed among the personal papers, a collection of scrapbooks provides an exhaustive chronicle of Tyler's political career, largely through newspaper clippings.

Tyler's business pursuits are well documented in a collection of correspondence, ledgers, and legal papers. Among these records are those of the Belle Hampton Coal Company and the Radford Development Company, together with records of Tyler's agricultural interests. Also among the business papers are documents relating to Tyler's personal financial activities, including such routine documents as personal checks and receipts.

Of the papers of Tyler's children, perhaps the most significant are those of Stockton Heth Tyler, an army paymaster during the Spanish-American War. In addition to S. Heth Tyler's personal papers are paymaster records which he retained after the war. The papers include payroll records for a number of units and individuals.

Also among the papers of Tyler's children are those of Edward H. Tyler, a Pulaski County, Virginia farmer; Belle Tyler McConnell, whose husband, Frank, was a prominent banker and businessman of Arkansas and Virginia; and Lily Tyler Wilson, whose husband, Henry, was a civil engineer and road contractor in Pennsylvania.

The collection also includes the papers of members of the Hammet family of Mississippi and Virginia. Among these papers are a number of items relating to the affairs of Lammermoor Plantation in Mississippi, including materials concerning the ante bellum operation of the plantation, and later, accounts with the freedmen employed there. Also included among the Hammet papers are the account books of James P. Hammet, a physician of Montgomery County, Virginia.

A small collection of papers belonging to the Sifford family of Pulaski County, Virginia, are included as well and relate to the family's personal activities and business/legal interests. Included among the papers is a small notebook providing the names and birth dates of slaves on an unidentified farm.

Completing the collection is a large collection of photos, including both studio portraits and snapshots of the Tylers, extended family members and friends.

Arrangement

Subseries A: Executive Letter Books, 1898-1901. This subseries contains a compiled, bound set of Tyler's correspondence as governor. The correspondence does not seem to follow a strict arrangement. A set of notebooks, arranged in a rough alphabetical order, serves as an index to the letter books, with separate listings for incoming and outgoing correspondence. The numbering on the incoming letters has no relation to that on the outgoing letters. The index books are arranged alphabetically, while the letters themselves are divided between "incoming" and "outgoing," then arranged numerically. (Note: Two books were originally bound in error, creating a mixed set of incoming and outgoing letters, which have been noted in the finding aid.) Subseries B: Subject Files, 1897-1901. Tyler's office seems to have maintained files relating to only a few issues with which he had to contend while governor. The series consists largely of files devoted to political appointments. These appointment files were not part of the original subject files but have been included here for convenience; they contain letters from applicants for appointment (or reappointment) to positions over which the governor had power of appointment, together with endorsements from interested parties. The subseries also contains files devoted to several controversies which arose during Tyler's administration and the use of the Virginia Volunteer Infantry to quell instances of civil unrest. These subject files have been assigned file titles and arranged in an artificial alphabetical order. Subseries C: Gubernatorial Campaign Canvass, 1897. The files in this subseries consist of political correspondence from contacts in various localities, arising from Tyler's 1897 gubernatorial campaign. Correspondents discuss local political activities, contacts, strategies, and outlooks. Arranged alphabetically by locality, with cities and counties inter-filed. Subseries D:l Senatorial Campaign Canvass, 1899. Like Subseries III, this subseries contains correspondence from Tyler's local contacts throughout Virginia. The correspondence relates to Tyler's failed United States Senate campaign of 1899, with letters regarding insight into local political affairs and leaders. Arranged alphabetically by locality, with cities and counties inter-filed. Subseries E: General political correspondence, 1870-1923. This subseries contains an extensive collection of Tyler's political correspondence. The letters originate from contacts throughout Virginia and beyond and relate to political activities and questions of the day (particularly bi-metallism in the late 19th century). The subseries also contains correspondence arising from Tyler's several political campaigns prior to 1897. (In these earlier contests, the correspondence was not sorted according to locality, but like the letters from those campaigns, these provide details on local political sentiments and leaders during the time period.) Letters relating to the 1897 and 1899 campaigns but not tied to any particular Virginia locality may also be found here, as may correspondence originating during Tyler's gubernatorial administration but not, for whatever reason, bound with the executive letter books. Apart from letters addressing the period's political questions, the letters also span the wide range of routine matters which one might expect to occupy the chief executive's time: invitations to address organizations, requests for personal favors, and pleas on behalf of prisoners. The political correspondence continues past Tyler's gubernatorial term, as he remained active in party politics and flirted with the idea of again running for office. Arranged chronologically, with copies of just a few pieces of Tyler's outgoing correspondences inter-filed with the incoming correspondence. Subseries F: Speeches, 1877-1907. Contained in this subseries is a collection of materials relating to political speeches delivered by Tyler. The speech drafts are largely undated and fairly illegible. Drafts of other speeches by Tyler may be found in Series II, Subseries VII and in Series III, Subseries II. Arranged chronologically. Subseries G: Printed Materials, 1874-1922. This subseries contains a number of pamphlets and speech texts relating to numerous state and political issues, particularly Virginia's state debt and the controversy over bi-metallism. Also relating to politics, particularly various political races, is a collection of newspaper clippings. The subseries also includes a few political broadsides and flyers, announcing such things as slates of political speakers. Arranged by document type. Subseries H: General Materials, 1865-1901. Completing the series, this small subseries contains materials relating to the 1889 Virginia Democratic Convention, various voter contact lists from 1899, Tyler's notebook from that same campaign, notebooks containing the names of Virginia notaries public and commissioners of deeds, and some miscellaneous political notes made by Tyler. Arranged by document type, then chronologically. Subseries A: Presbyterian Church, 1866-1925. This subseries contains materials relating to Tyler's involvement in the Presbyterian Church, both locally and nationally, through his service as a church elder and his position on the boards of the Union Theological Seminary and the Synodical Orphans Home in Lynchburg, Virginia. Correspondence within the subseries relates to these activities and to Tyler's involvement with other church-related educational institutions within Virginia, the temperance movement, and participation in various church councils. The subseries also includes drafts of various church-related addresses made by Tyler, as well as printed material and ephemera. Also included are two unidentified church record books, probably from Radford Presbyterian Church. Arranged by document type. Subseries B: Genealogy, 1876-1948. The materials in this subseries relate to J. Hoge Tyler's interest in his family's history, including the Hoge, Tyler and other extended family lines. The subseries includes letters from other genealogists, as well as two genealogy manuscripts by Tyler and a collection of family history-related newspaper clippings and notes. Arranged by document type, then chronologically. Subseries C: General Correspondence, 1860-1924. This subseries contains the uncategorized personal correspondence of J. Hoge Tyler. The correspondence relates to many of Tyler's wide-ranging interests, so many of the letters contain references to politics and business activities. Included among the correspondence are requests for Tyler to use his influence on behalf of relatives and acquaintances, as well letters relating to his involvement with the Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College. A large percentage of the letters here are from members of Tyler's large extended family. (Invitations received by the Tylers may be found in Subseries VII, and letters received from his children may be found in the various series devoted to each offspring.) The subseries contains a relatively small number of drafts of Tyler's outgoing correspondence, arranged chronologically. Incoming correspondence has been arranged alphabetically by surname. Subseries D: Sue Hammet Tyler Papers, 1865-1927. This subseries contains the correspondence of Sue Hammet Tyler, wife of J. Hoge Tyler. The correspondence is overwhelmingly personal in nature, though some of the letters touch upon Governor Tyler's political and business interests. Included here are letters written by Mrs. Tyler to her husband, children and others. Among the incoming letters are letters from extended family members, including the Heths, Prestons, Capertons and others. Also included among the incoming correspondence are the many letters of condolence she received upon the governor's death. (For a set of farm operation reports made to Mrs. Tyler, see Series III, Subseries II.) Subseries E: Scrapbooks, 1871-1925. The first two scrapbooks in this series, devoted entirely to newspaper clippings and covering the years 1871-1900, are invaluable in tracking Tyler's political career, containing as they do articles, editorials, letters to the editor, texts from speeches, and articles about his activities, campaigns and gubernatorial administration. The third scrapbook (1901-1919) details the latter part of Tyler's term as governor, while the remainder is devoted to his later political activities and to personal activities and interests. A fourth scrapbook features newspaper articles and tributes following Tyler's death (pasted in a ledger containing minutes (1896-1898) of the finance committee of an unidentified organization (possibly the Radford Trust Company)). The subseries also contains a number of loose items which were removed from scrapbooks 1-3. The four scrapbooks are arranged chronologically, with the loose materials completing the subseries. Subseries F: Printed Materials, 1887-1929. The printed materials included in this subseries relate to a wide range of Tyler's personal interests. Included are texts of speeches by others; several pamphlets regarding European railways; a booklet from the 1900 reunion of the Army of the Potomac; an 1888 promotional publication for Radford, Virginia; an 1899 issue of The Goodson Gazette (published by the Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind); and a copy of the Radford newspaper detailing Tyler's death. The subseries also contains a collection of newspaper clippings which include poetry, obituaries and articles of general interest. Subseries G: General materials, 1868-1926. Contained within this subseries are other personal papers of the Tylers that did not belong in other subseries. Included here is a file of third-party correspondence belonging to individuals not represented elsewhere in the collection, including letters written by James Hoge, R. S. Hoge, Laura Fitzhugh Preston, Eliza Hoge Tyler, Henry Tyler and others. Also included here are the many invitations and calling cards received by the Tyler family. Tyler's service as food administrator for the Federal Food Administration in Radford and Montgomery County during World War I is represented in a collection of FDA forms and publications. Also included here are drafts of talks delivered by Tyler on a variety of subjects to various schools and organizations. A collection of miscellaneous materials completes the subseries and includes death notices, notes, Tyler's American Red Cross state board certificates, poetry, advertising matter, a broadside announcing the sale of Plumer Memorial Female College, and other ephemera. Subseries A: Business Concerns, 1882-1922. This subseries contains papers originating from the many business ventures in which Tyler engaged but is devoted largely to his Belle Hampton Coal Company and the Radford Development Company. Also of particular interest are a set of ledgers from a store Tyler operated at Belle Hampton. The subseries is arranged alphabetically by name of company, then by document type, then chronologically. (Tyler also recorded business transactions in ledgers that had once belonged to members of the Hammet family. These ledgers may be found in Series XI, Subseries I and III.) Subseries B: Agriculture, 1874-1914. This subseries is devoted to Tyler's short-horn cattle business and other agricultural pursuits. It includes correspondence, cattle pedigrees and registrations. It also includes drafts of speeches delivered before agricultural organizations, business records from his farm, printed materials relating to agriculture and farming implements, and a few miscellaneous documents. (Papers relating to the 1902 Southwest Virginia Livestock Fair, with which Tyler was involved, may be found in Series IX.) Arranged by document type, then chronologically. Subseries C: General Business and Personal Financial Papers, 1862-1923. Within this subseries is correspondence relating to other business activities of J. Hoge Tyler. The correspondence relates to financial transactions, property sales and rentals, the Hammet estate, bank accounts, business proposals (including a proposed railway from Charleston, South Carolina to Radford), letters of introduction, and others arising from Tyler's myriad business interests. The correspondence also includes letters regarding Tyler's household financial matters, including a number of letters regarding renovations to Halwick, the family home. Also relating to routine financial affairs of the household are receipts, account statements, personal checks, and a ledger. Arranged by document type, then chronologically. Sigma Chi Quarterly Subseries A: Personal Papers, 1885-1941. Among the personal papers of Stockton Heth Tyler in this subseries is a collection of his correspondence, largely consisting of letters written to other members of the Tyler family. The subseries also contains letters written by his wife and children to their Tyler relatives. Arranged by correspondent, then chronologically. Subseries B: Spanish-American War Records, 1898-1899. This subseries contains military records retained by Major Stockton Heth Tyler while serving as an additional paymaster in the U. S. Army during the Spanish-American War. The subseries contains various forms relating to pay for individual officers and enlisted personnel in more than 30 different units and includes reimbursement vouchers, pay vouchers, discharge statements, and company payrolls. Also included are records of other paymaster transactions, official correspondence, and a collection of orders from the adjutant general's office. The subseries is arranged by document type, with documents relating to specific individuals or units being arranged alphabetically, while other documents are arranged chronologically. Subseries A: Henry H. and Lily Tyler Wilson Papers, 1889-1954. This subseries includes Lily Tyler Wilson's personal correspondence, largely consisting of letters to other members of the Tyler family. Also among her personal papers are a 1909 diary and a typescript compilation of her poetry. Lily Wilson's interest in the theatre is documented in a scrapbook devoted to the stage stars and productions she had seen, while a second chronicles other general interests. The subseries includes a large number of dance cards, many from events held at Virginia Polytechnic Institute in the early 1900s. Also included here are a file of papers (correspondence and published writings) of Henry H. Wilson, as well as materials relating to Wilson's interest in genealogy and printed materials relating to civil engineering and road construction. Within the subseries may also be found a small set of the couple's legal papers; additional printed materials consisting of religious tracts and newspaper clippings of personal interest; and a folder of miscellaneous materials. Arranged by document type, then chronologically. Subseries B: James Hoge Tyler Wilson Papers, 1918-1950. Comprising this subseries is a small collection of the papers of James Hoge Tyler Wilson (1916-1994), son of Henry H. and Lily Tyler Wilson, graduate of the University of Virginia, World War II Army Air Services pilot, Virginia Tech instructor, and attorney. The subseries consists of two folders of miscellanea, including a devotional book for military personnel and a small selection of correspondence. Subseries C: Lily Norwood Wilson Papers, 1924-1956. This subseries contains the papers of Lily Norwood Tyler, daughter of Henry H. and Lily Tyler Wilson. Included among the papers is a collection of personal correspondence, as well as a baby book and memorabilia from Wilson's school years (at the Seiler School (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania); St. Catherine's School (Richmond, Virginia); and Episcopal High School (Alexandria, Virginia)) and a 1930s European tour. The subseries also contains event invitations and programs, together with papers relating to the British War Relief Society and Wilson's service as secretary of the Radford, Virginia chapter during the 1930s and 1940s. Also included is a folder of miscellaneous materials containing notes, reports, printed materials and ephemera. Subseries A: William Henry Hammet Papers, 1832-1878. Contained within this small subseries are papers of W. H. Hammet, a Washington County, Mississippi plantation owner and congressman. The subseries includes personal and business correspondence, as well as other business papers, including an account book and account statements, estate documents, and lists of slaves on an unidentified plantation. In addition to the papers is a physician's account book, containing entries from Vicksburg and Lammermoor, Mississippi and dating from 1836 to 1851. (The ledger also contains day book account entries of J. Hoge Tyler from 1881 to 1885). Arranged by document type, then chronologically. Subseries B: Edward Hammet Papers, 1832-1892. This subseries contains the papers of Col. Edward Hammet, a prominent landowner of Radford, Virginia, and heir of William H. Hammet's plantation, Lammermoor, in Mississippi. The series contains papers relating to financial affairs of Lammermoor as well as personal and business correspondence together with legal and financial documents (some of which relate to the lands of John Heavin (Haven) on Plum Creek in Montgomery County, Virginia). Also found here are documents retained by J. Hoge Tyler, acting as executor of Hammet's will. Arranged by subject matter, then chronologically. Subseries C: James Preston Hammet Papers, 1856-1879. Within this series may be found the papers of James Preston Hammet (son of Edward and Clementina Craig Hammet), Montgomery County, Virginia physician and heir of William H. Hammet's plantation, Lammermoor, in Mississippi. The papers include correspondence relating to personal matters, medical patients, Lammermoor Plantation, and other financial and legal matters. The subseries also includes two pocket diaries containing miscellaneous notes, some seemingly related to the management of Lammermoor Plantation. A separate ledger contains additional records of Lammermoor and appears to document the daily work of the plantation's slaves and freedmen (much of the information in the ledger has been obscured by newspaper clippings relating to Virginia politics later pasted into the book, probably by J. Hoge Tyler). Other papers within the subseries detail the plantation's accounts, including those with freedmen. The subseries also includes papers relating Hammet's other business, legal and personal financial matters. Hammet's medical practice is detailed in two ledgers and a folder of papers containing account and patient records (including calls on freedmen patients). Arranged by document type, then chronologically. Subseries D: Isabella Hammet Heth Family Papers, 1861-1913. This subseries contains the letters of Isabella Hammet ("Belle") Heth (daughter of Edward and Clementina Craig Hammet) and her husband, Major Stockton Heth. The subseries includes both incoming and outgoing correspondence of both Heths. Divided by correspondent, then arranged chronologically.

Separated Material

An oil painting of J. Hoge Tyler and his daughter Lily (Eliza Tyler Wilson) is part of this collection. See Art-359. Due to its size, it is housed separately in the art collection.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• J. Hoge Tyler family
• Local/Regional History and Appalachian South
• Politicians -- United States
• Tyler, James Hoge, 1846-1925

Rights Statement for Archival Description

The guide to the J. Hoge Tyler Family Collection by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 ( https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/ ).