Tag: Research

Research 3

Hello World

I got to explore a entirely new archives and visit a new college in my area!

I arranged with my advisor ages ago to go to Mount Empire Community College and Friday I was finally able to drive over there. I was happy to find that it only took me about twenty minutes. So I can go there more often and not have to worry about ranging gas costs.

Once I arrived there and found my way to the library. (I was hopeless lost for a good bit until I found the Human Resource Department, who nicely pointed me in the right direction). I entered to find that Mount Empire’s library was structured a lot different then UVA-Wise. For one, they have mental detectors. For another, the lighting is kinda of mysterious and old-age.

I waltzed my way over to the front desk and was able to find a student aide who got the main librarian. When he (the main librarian) heard what I was there about—the Wise Historical Society artifacts; he lead me to two very very big filing cabinets and a microfilm room.

He sounded apologetic when he told me I’d have to look through most of the files piece by piece. As he had no idea what all they had acquired. I however assured him, that I wasn’t bothered. I would just have to make sure to come back several times to see what all I could find. He was able to tell me that before I put anything up on Dakota and I’s future site, we would need to get permission from the Wise County Historical Society as they still retained the copyright to all the files. So that was helpful and reassuring.

Yesterday I only got through two drawers. But I was able to find some bonds  awarded to a company in Wise in 1911 and a directory of Historical Societies in Wise County. I wrote the societies down and took pictures of the bonds.

I was happy with those finds. Even if I’m not sure how to work the bonds into the website. At least it showed me that the Wise Historical Society does have some things from the time Dakota and I are looking into.

Thought next time he is coming too, so we can cover ground faster.

Until next time.

-Victoria

Present Findings—

Multiple Newspaper Articles. (From UVA-Wise Library microfilm).

Photos of soldiers (From Dickenson County Historical Society)

Photos from Looking Back at Wise County The Early Years

Information from The Heritage of Wise Volume One and Volume Two

Photo of the memorial featured from Dickenson Memorial High School

Booklet about Wise County during World War One

Booklet about Dickenson County during World War One

Pictures of a Bond from 1911

Future Research—

More research on Mount Empire and the Wise Historical Society artifacts

UVA-Wise special collections

Napoleon Hill Foundation (Sent email; still waiting for a conformation)

Big Stone Gap Public Library

Russell County

Lee County

Washington County

South-west Virginia Museum

Old Dickenson County Newspapers (Microfilm from Library of Virginia)

Microfilm of the muster roll of Wise County from the Library of Virginia

Questionnaires of soldiers from the Library of Virginia

Map

Hello World.

I am updating today to let you know of a little project I was assigned.

My Century America Professors asked me to play around with and create a digital story using either Google map from the Google Map App or a time-line template off of Google drive.

I had created a time-line based off of events in my life. Since I already had the pictures in the public domain anyway on Facebook; I didn’t feel weird about sharing them again. Besides, looking back is always a wonderful thing to do when you’re a college kid and a historian in the making.

However, I had loads of trouble trying to get the pictures to be the right pixel size for the template and I couldn’t get them into the media thumbnail column at all.

Eventually, realizing that I am not a technologically advanced person, I put that aside to be messed with later on.

(I will be asking my IT department to help me out when it comes time to make a time-line for the website so I don’t end up in a world of hurt).

Instead of the time-line, I published a map. It’s of places that I’ve lived so far during my life. There aren’t any pictures, as I didn’t want to use any from the public domain without permission and I didn’t have any pictures on hand, but there is a line connecting the places in order of how I visited them.

I don’t think I’ll be using a map on my website, but the practising was loads of fun and who knows? I may need to know how to use Google Maps for some other kind of project.

Here is the link to my sad pitiful map.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=zuZlWrQ3CGIw.k4H9e0ylptUU

Let me know if there is any changes or corrections that should be made.

Thanks.

-Victoria

Research 2

Hello World.

Sorry for not getting back to you sooner, things have been chaotic here. What with snow and classes along with ROTC events. But I have finally found some time to update you guys on what has been going on in relation to my research.

So last Wednesday, Dakota and I went to the Dickenson Historical Society. I arrived there with high hopes since I had found a booklet detailing Dickenson County’s involvement with the war written by a historian who had started the Dickenson Historical Society.

When first entering the place, I was at first awed by the amount of pictures on the walls of numerous soldiers of different eras. Then I was awed by the pleasant surprise that the women I had previously only been in telephone contact with, was the co-owner of the historical society.

She greeted me and we got to work. Through her I was able to get the names of some old newspapers that she knew for a fact were located at the Library of Virginia on microfilm. I’m going to arrange to have those sent to me tomorrow.

I was also able to see her first hand research on the Dickenson Memorial Plaque of World War One. She was even kind enough to allow me to copy the photos of the soldiers who were featured. Below their photos were short snippets of their lives which will be wonderful to put on the website.

Besides, newspapers and monuments, I was able to catch a glimpse of books that may be of help in our search. Including…wait for it, The Heritage of Dickenson County Volume One (Where does that seem similar…humm).  Other books were Pine Straws: A Collection of Appalachian Stories and The Pioneer Book.

So all in all, I was very happy with the Dickenson Historical Society and its patrons. I want to place a thank you on this blog to them and all the others that have supported Dakota and I so far in our research.

Next Stop- Mount Empire College                                                                                                 (As long as the roads stay good and don’t slick up with ice)

Thanks for reading. Until next time.

-Victoria

Present Findings—

Multiple Newspaper Articles. (From UVA-Wise Library microfilm).

Photos of soldiers (From Dickenson County Historical Society)

Photos from Looking Back at Wise County The Early Years

Information from The Heritage of Wise Volume One and Volume Two

Photo of the memorial featured from Dickenson Memorial High School

Booklet about Wise County during World War One

Booklet about Dickenson County during World War One

Future Research—

Mount Empire and the Wise Historical Society artifacts located there.

UVA-Wise special collections

Napoleon Hill Foundation (Sent email; waiting for conformation)

Big Stone Gap Public Library

Russell County

Lee County

Washington County

South-west Virginia Museum

Old Dickenson County Newspapers (Microfilm from Library of Virginia)

Microfilm of the muster roll of Wise County from the Library of Virginia

Questionnaires of soldiers from the Library of Virginia

 

Research

Hello World.

So going into this project, my partner and I developed a plan of what we both wanted to initially research. The focuses we decided upon will probably change in the future as we progress farther, and get more documents, but for now they are a jumping off point.

My side of the research is two fold– I will be looking into the local organizations that developed or expanded during the Great War and the local soldiers who served. For the local organizations, I want to look into how many members they had, what kinds of activities they sponsored, how prominent they were in the local media, and whither they had any formal documents backing their activities. The organizations are to include the Red Cross, the Boy Scots and the local churches. For the soldiers, I want to see who was called up by the draft, who volunteered, who earned medals and honors, and who died.

My research partner, Dakota will be looking into the economy and agriculture of our county and the towns within it during the war. Specifically how the towns operated on a boom and bust economic cycle that lifted and lowered the standard of living and population for short periods of time. He wants to see how that cycle and the dependence on coal worked during World War One and its aftermath.

To fulfill my part, I went to the Wise Public library and the UVA-Wise library. I also set up meetings with prominent people and businesses within the coming week.

The Wise public library was helpful in some ways and lacking in others. When I went to visit there on Wednesday, I was able to pick up three books.

Looking Back: Wise County In the Early Years 

The Heritage of Wise County and The City of Norton 1856-1993 Volume One

The Heritage of Wise County and The City of Norton 1856-1993 Volume Two

The first book had pictures in it. Ones that I hope to make use if they are found to be relevant. The other two had some articles that could be of help. Most of the articles had a subscript telling where the Wise Historical Society copied them from. So the books were helpful.

However, when I visited the archives this weekend, I was sadly disappointed. The archives in the Public Library were a flop. The documents and magazines that I found were either not in the years needed or not based in my local community. The newspapers on microfilm were also not helpful as they only dated back to 1923.

Feeling a little bit sad, but hopeful I moved on to the UVA-Wise library. As it was now Sunday, I had the place to myself and the peace and quiet to spend hours searching through microfilm.

Those hours paid off as I was able to find a newspaper called the Big Stone Gap Post. A newspaper that had various detailed segments about organizations such as the Red Cross and The Boy Scots of Big Stone Gap.

Wise, called Gladeville at the time was also mentioned several times, as my town joined the Red Cross and helped other towns of Wise County in their efforts to help the troops.

Besides organizations, I was able to find multiple lists of soldiers that signed up during the draft and what town they originated from.

So I plan to call my initial researching into my research agenda a success.

I have a long way to go, but at least I have a start.

-Victoria

Present Findings—

Multiple Newspaper Articles. (From UVA-Wise Library microfilm).

Future Research—

Mount Empire and the Wise Historical Society artifacts located there.

UVA-Wise special collections

Napoleon Hill Foundation

Dickenson Historical Society

Big Stone Gap Public Library