Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

Collection is open to research.

Use Restrictions

Permission to publish material from the Jacob Cassel Papers must be obtained from Special Collections, Virginia Tech.

Preferred Citation

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: Jacob Cassel Papers, Ms2008-086 - Special Collections, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Va.

Acquisition Information

The Jacob Cassel Papers were purchased by Special Collections.

Processing Information

The processing and description of the Jacob Cassel Papers occurred in November, 2008.

Biographical Information

Jacob Cassel (variously written Cassell and Castle) lived in Marion Township, Smyth County, Virginia, during the nineteenth century. Cassel was a wealthy landowner who dabbled in beekeeping and horse tending, among others activities. A Jacob Cassel appears as a captain on the list of home guards for Smyth County during the Civil War. A Confederate, Cassel signed an oath of allegiance, devoting himself to the Union, in Tennessee on August 9, 1865. After the Civil War, Cassel remained active in Smyth County, acting as a member of his church's building committee and as a trustee for the Female College [Marion College].

Scope and Content

The Jacob Cassel Papers stem from the business, social, and ideological activities of a landowner from Smyth County, Virginia, in the nineteenth century. Materials include various tax/compensatory receipts, contracts, an account concerning the board of a horse, the specifications for a church, and an oath of allegiance signed after the Civil War. An interesting document allowing Cassel the use of a patented beehive also appears.