Conditions Governing Use

Permission to publish material from the Charles M. Perry Papers must be obtained from Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech.

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Preferred Citation

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: Charles M. Perry Papers Ms2020-002, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The Charles M. Perry Papers were donataed to Special Collections and University Archives in August, 2019.

Processing Information

The processing, arrangement, and description of the Charles M. Perry Papers commenced and was completed in March, 2020.

Biographical / Historical

Charles Manchester Perry, son of Edward and Frances Edwards Perry, was born in Providence, Rhode Island on April 17, 1868. Soon after graduating from Brown University with a degree in chemistry, Perry was hired by the Mason, Chapin and Company of Providence. From 1892 to 1898, he served as assistant general superintendent of the Mathieson Alkali Works in Saltville, Virginia, his time there coinciding with the plant site's survey, construction, and the first two years of its operation. Leaving Saltville, Perry returned to Rhode Island in 1898. There he worked in the dye manufacturing industry. He married Bertha M. Tempest (1875-1946) the following year, and the couple would have three daughters. Perry continued to work in dye manufacturing until retiring at age 47. He served at least two terms in the Rhode Island General Assembly, representing Coventry in the House of Representatives (1919-1920) and State Senate (1921-1922). Charles Manchester Perry died on March 18, 1959 and was buried in Swan Point Cemetery, Providence, Rhode Island.

Content Description

This collection contains the papers of Charles M. Perry, who served as assistant general superintendent of the Mathieson Alkali Works in Saltville, Virginia from 1892 to 1898. The collection is largely comprised of correspondence and printed materials.

Perry's early correspondence is preserved in two letter copy books. The first of these holds copies of letters commencing on August 28, 1891, while he was working for Mason, Chapin and Company in Johnsonburg, Pennsylvania. Perry's letters from Saltville, Virginia begin on October 23, 1891 and contain both personal and business correspondence; likewise, many of the letters relate both to personal matters and to the establishment and operation of the plant at Saltville. The copied letters end on September 7, 1897. Among Perry's correspondents during this time period was John Howard Appleton, Brown University professor of chemistry. Appleton's letters focus largely on various chemical processes and the chemical business. The collection also contains a large number of letters from William Dye Mount. (Dye worked as an electrical engineer at Mathieson Alkali Works during Perry's time there, became general superintendent in 1898, then moved in 1918 to Lynchburg, Virginia, where he worked as a consulting engineer.) The two men were close friends, so the letters are largely personal in nature but include freqent mentions of the chemical plant's operations. Also among the correspondence is an exchange of letters between Perry and Saltville historian William B. Kent. The letters primarily focus on Perry's recollections of his time in Saltville during the 1890s, mentioning a number of local individuals and homes.

The collection also includes several printed items relating to the history of Saltville, among which are a special anniversary pictorial issue of the Mathieson Alkali Works publication The Alkalite ; the company's 1942 annual report; a copy of Kent's A History of Saltville ; and several magazine and newspaper clippings.

Accompanying these materials is a USB flash drive containing images of Saltville, including digital copies of about 150 photographs of early Saltville, taken by Charles Perry. Also on the flash drive are files compiled by Virginia Tech professor emeritus and Saltville historian Jim Glanville.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged by type.

Separated Material

A second copy of the July 1922 special anniversary issue of The Alkalite was removed from the collection to be cataloged for the rare book collection.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Local/Regional History and Appalachian South
• Saltville (Va.)

Rights Statement for Archival Description

The guide to the Charles M. Perry Papers by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 ( https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/ ).