A Guide to the Mary A. Thompson Papers, 1893-1974 SC 0152

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/

Colleen Boyle and Chris Bolgiano, Kate Morris

Repository

James Madison University Libraries Special Collections

Identification

SC 0152

Title

Mary A. Thompson Papers 1893-1974

Quantity

0.4 cubic feet, 1 box

Creator

Thompson, Mary A., 1903-1997

source

Harrisonburg-Rockingham Historical Society

Language

English .

Abstract

This collection documents the life and activities of members of the Thompson family of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County, Virginia, particularly John W. Thompson and his wife Elizabeth F. Thompson, and also contains items relating to the Mt. Zion Church of the Brethren in Dayton, Virginia.

Administrative Information

Use Restrictions

The copyright interests in this collection have not 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 #], Mary A. Thompson Papers, 1882-1974, SC 0152, Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA

Acquisition Information

Deposited by contract with the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Historical Society in 1998.

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 3097.

Bio/Historical Note

John W. Thompson, born in 1874 and died in 1932, lived in the Harrisonburg and Rockingham County area where he operated a small farm. His wife was Elizabeth F. Thompson who was born in 1872 and died in 1958. They had five children, one of which was Mary Anna Thompson, who lived from 1903 to 1997. John W. Thompson and other Thompson family members were involved in the purchase of land for the Mt. Zion Brethren Church of Dayton, Virginia around 1895 and the later sale of the church and land around 1945.

Mary A. Thompson (1903-1997) spent her life in the Harrisonburg area. She went to Pleasant Hill Elementary and Junior High School and then to Dayton High School, graduating in 1925. She was accepted into the Rockingham Memorial Hospital School of Nursing in 1929 and graduated in 1933.

Scope and Content

The Mary A. Thompson Papers, 1882 - 1975, consist primarily of documents and notebooks pertaining to the lives of John W. Thompson and his wife Elizabeth F. Thompson. These materials include notebooks of various household income and expenses from the years 1935 - 1974, including lists of purchases for gasoline and various auto parts from several different stores including Wayne Motor Sales, Standard Oil Co., and Madrid Fil[l]ing Station. Other materials comprise a notebook of church council meeting minutes and legal documents from the Mt. Zion Brethren Church of Dayton, Virginia from 1895 - 1945, various financial and legal papers from 1892 - 1932 that include fire insurance appraisals and policies for the farm, tax receipts, estate debts, land deeds, and a 1930 Farm Census.

Other materials within the collection relate to Mary A. Thompson, daughter of John and Elizabeth Thompson, from the years 1921 - 1945. These papers include temporary nursing permits and a letter from the principal of Dayton High School. There is also a small amount of Thompson family genealogical materials including written birth and death dates, newspaper clippings relating to the Thompson Geological Museum and various Thompson family members from 1921 - 1980, and three photographs. Other genealogical materials relate to the Heatwole and Weaver families and include the pamphlet, "A History of the Heatwole Family" from 1882. Also included is a small folder of schedules and list of staff for the WSVA radio station in Harrisonburg, Virginia.