Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

Collection is open to research.

Use Restrictions

Permission to publish material from the New River Investment Company Deeds must be obtained from Special Collections, Virginia Tech.

Preferred Citation

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: New River Investment Company Deeds, Ms2008-073 - Special Collections, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Va.

Acquisition Information

The New River Investment Company Deeds were donated to Special Collections.

Processing Information

The processing, arrangement and description of the New River Investment Company Deeds occurred in September, 2008.

Biographical Information

Due to the promise of the railroad and its concomitant industries, Radford, Virginia underwent a boom in the early 1890s. This boom resulted in the formation of land development companies, land speculation, and increased northern interest in the area

The New River Investment Company was chartered in Virginia in 1889 for the purpose of developing land in Montgomery County. W. C. DeArmond served as president of the company while A. J. Hemphill served as secretary. Connected to the railroad, the company's papers are now housed at the Norfolk Southern Corporation archives.

The Radford Land and Improvement Company was created around 1891, during the land speculation boom. The company developed much of west Radford.

Scope and Content

The New River Investment Company Deeds document land ownership in Radford, Virginia, in the early 1890s. Materials include one signed deed from 1890 and three drafts of a deed from 1892. Corporate contractual parties include: the New River Investment Company, the Radford Land and Improvement Company, and the Radford Investment and Development Company. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, appears on several contracts and indicates outside interest in the area. Restrictions on land development appear in the 1890 deed and prohibit the owner from operating a tavern or slaughterhouse, manufacturing alcohol or gunpowder, breeding pigs, or opening any form of a factory. The 1892 drafts lift a vendor's lien, which is the seller's ability to reclaim property if the buyer neglects payments.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged chronologically.