Tate Thompson Brady

A Guide to the Tate Thompson Brady Papers, 1971-1992
Call Number Mss1 B7297 a FA2


Abstract

Main Entry:Brady, Tate Thompson, 1911-1993
Title: Papers, 1971-1992
Size:Ca. 8,000 items (10 archives boxes; 5 archival tubes)
Biographical Note:Tate Thompson Brady (1922-1993), a native of Glasgow, Virginia, and resident of Richmond was a long-time employee of Virginia Power (formerly the Virginia Electric & Power Company). Brady, a 1944 graduate of Virginia Tech with a B.A. in Agricultural Engineering, joined VEPCO in 1952. Before that he served for three years in the U. S. Army, during which time he saw action as an infantryman in World War II. For thirty-five years Brady held several different positions with VEPCO. In 1987 he retired after serving as a division manager in Richmond. Along with his job he engaged in activities that reflected his deep interest in Virginia History. He was an active member in both the Henrico County Historical Society and the Archeological Society of Virginia. Most important, for over twenty years he pursued research relating to the charcoal iron industry that existed in Virginia in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
Scope Note: Concerns the research of Tate Thompson Brady (of Richmond, Va.) On the history of the charcoal iron industry in Virginia. Includes site surveys, photographs, maps, research notes, oversized charts and drawings, correspondence, and materials concerning the Archeological Society of Virginia and the Henrico County Historical Society.
Provenance:Gift of the estate of Tate Thompson Brady through the courtesy of Mrs. Bonnie Fillingane Brady, Richmond, Va., in 1993. Accessioned 5, September 1994.
Restrictions:None.

Collection Description

Brady's fascination with the iron furnace industry dated back to 1971 when he inherited a desk containing papers that belonged to his great-great-great uncle William Weaver (1780-1863). Weaver was a highly successful iron master in Rockbridge County, Virginia. Brady himself lived, as a child, in the house Weaver had resided in at Buffalo Forge. Initially, he became interested in Weaver's iron operations in Rockbridge County at the Buffalo Forge and Bath Iron Works. Before long, Brady expanded his "hobby" to include the charcoal iron industry throughout Virginia. For more than twenty years he searched for and identified over 200 sites of furnaces, forges, and foundries across the state. At each site he photographed any remnants, located it on U.S.G.S. maps, and prepared a data sheet describing the site. In addition, he generated large amounts of research notes and correspondence related to the sites and the industry in general. Brady's systematic approach to his research resulted in a very well- organized collection of papers. For the most part, Brady's own system of organization has been maintained throughout the cataloging process.

The collection consists of fifteen boxes; ten archival boxes and five archival tubes. The papers have been divided into five series. The first series contains lists of sites arranged using different formats that are beneficial in identifying sites in terms such as names, dates of operation, and geographic locations. Each format is considered a subseries within the first series. The second series, by far the largest in the collection, consists of Brady's research notes, photographs, and maps filed alphabetically by individual site (see appendix for complete list). The third series, broken down into two subseries, contains miscellaneous maps with hand-drawn annotations and oversized charts, drawings, and maps related to the iron industry. The items in this series are located in five archival tubes. The fourth series consists of miscellaneous personal correspondence arranged alphabetically. A vast majority of the letters in this series concern Brady's ongoing iron industry research. The fifth and final series contains folders of miscellaneous materials regarding the iron industry in general, family genealogy, and some materials pertaining to Brady's involvement with the Archeological Society of Virginia and the Henrico County Historical Society.


Guide

Series I: Site listings

Box 1: 1a, Site surveys (arranged alphabetically in 14 folders); 1b, Sites listed by county (arranged alphabetically in 3 folders); 1c, Sites listed by date of establishment (arranged chronologically in 1 folder); id, Chart of sites' dates of operation (arranged alphabetically in 1 folder); 1e, Catalog of sites by U.S.G.S. quadrangle location (arranged alphabetically by county in 7 folders).

Series II: Site folders

Research notes, correspondence, photographs, and U.S.G.S. quadrangle maps of individual forges, furnaces and foundries (arranged alphabetically in 308 folders)

Box 1

  • Abingdon Tilt Hammer
  • Accokeek Furnace
  • Albemarle County
  • Albemarle Furnace
  • Amherst Furnace
  • Amsterdam Tilt Hammer
  • Antientam Furnace
  • Arcadia Furnace
  • Armentrout's Foundry
  • Auburn Forge
  • Augusta County
  • Australia Furnace
  • Barksdale Forge
  • Barren Springs Furnace
  • Barrett's Foundry
  • Bateman Foundry
  • Bath County
  • Bath Ironworks (5 folders)

Box 2

  • Bear Garden Furnace
  • Beaver Creek Ironworks (Tn.)
  • Beckeley Furnace (Conn.)
  • Bedford County
  • Beechenbrook Ironworks
  • Bellona Arsenal
  • Bellona Foundry
  • Belvedere Forge (Yilt Hammer)
  • Beverly Furnace
  • Big Cedar Creek Ironworks
  • Blair & Dickey's Ironworks
  • Bloomery Furnace
  • Boom Furnace
  • Botetourt County
  • Bowling Green Bloom Foundry
  • Breckenridge Forge
  • Bristol Iron Works
  • Broadway Foundry
  • Broce's Forge
  • Brown Hill Furnace
  • Brunswick County Sites
  • Brunswick Forge
  • Buena Vista Furnace - Irish Creek
  • Buckingham County
  • Buffalo Forge (4 folders)
  • Bullard Foundry
  • Burke Foundry
  • Byrd's Foundry
  • Byrd Iron & Pt. of Forks
  • Caldwell Foundry
  • California Furnace
  • Callie Furnace
  • Calloway Furnace
  • Campbell County
  • Capon Furnace
  • Caroline Furnace
  • Carroll County
  • Carter Forge
  • Catawba Furnace

Box 3

  • Catherine Furnace (Page co.)
  • Catherine Furnace (Spotsylvania co.)
  • Catoctin Furnace
  • Cave Hill Furnace
  • Cedar Run Furnace
  • Chatham Hill Forges
  • Chesterfield Forge
  • Chiswell Furnace
  • Clifton Forge
  • Clifton Furnace
  • Cloverdale #1 Furnace
  • Cloverdale #2 Furnace
  • Columbia Furnace
  • Cotopaxi Furnace
  • Crockett's Forge
  • Cumberland Gap Furnace
  • David Ross Furnace
  • Davis' Forge
  • Deane's Foundry
  • Dolly Ann Furnace
  • Dougherty Forge
  • Dowell Furnace
  • Eagle Furnace
  • Eckard Forge
  • Edmund's Foundry
  • Elizabeth Furnace (2 folders)
  • Elk Forge
  • Estaline Furnace
  • Etna Furnace (3 folders)
  • Exchange Forge
  • Falling Creek Furnace (2 folders)
  • Fine Creek Foundry
  • Finney & Jones Foundry
  • Floyd County
  • Forbes Furnace (Conn.)
  • Foster Falls Furnace
  • Fox Creek Forge
  • Franklin County
  • Frederick County
  • Fredericksburg
  • Fredericksville Furnace
  • Garber Foundry
  • Georgetown
  • Gibraltar Forge
  • Glenwood Furnace
  • Globe Forge
  • Grace Furnace

Box 4

  • Graham's Forge
  • Grant's Furnace
  • Grayson County
  • Green Spring Furnace
  • Gryme's Bloomery
  • Gryme's Forge
  • Gryme's Furnace
  • Harmony Forge
  • Harvey's Forge
  • Harvey's Ironworks
  • Haw's Foundry
  • Henrietta Furnace
  • Henry County
  • High Rock Forge
  • Hill & Company Forge
  • Holbrook's Forge
  • Holand Iron Works
  • Hopewell Forge
  • Hopewell Village
  • Howard Bloom Forge
  • Hunter's Iron Works
  • Isabella Furnace
  • Invahoe Furnace
  • Ivy Creek Ironworks
  • Jamestown Forge
  • Jane Furnace
  • Johns Creek Bloomery
  • Johns Creek Furnace
  • Johnsons Forge
  • Jones' Foundry
  • Keep Tryst Fujrnace
  • Kennedy Furnace
  • Kincannons Iron Works
  • King's Bloomery Forge
  • La Grange Furnace
  • Lebanon Forge
  • Leighton's Tilt Hammer
  • Liberty Furnace
  • Limerock Furnace (Conn.)
  • Lockett Furnace
  • Lucy Selina Furnace
  • Lydia Furnace
  • Madison's Forge
  • Maho Furnace
  • Manakin Furnace
  • Margaret Jane Furnace
  • Marlboro Iron Works
  • Marshall Furnace
  • Martha Furnace
  • Massaponax Furnace
  • Matthews Forge
  • Mayo Forge
  • McCartney Foundry
  • McCluer's Furnace
  • McCowen Iron Works
  • McDonald Foundry
  • McWane Foundry
  • Menefie's Forge
  • Milam Bloomery Forge
  • Millwood Tilt Hammer
  • Mine Hill Furnace
  • Mine Run Furnace
  • Moccasin Bloom Forge
  • Moore's Forge (2 folders)
  • Moore's Furnace
  • Mossy Creek Furnace
  • Mossy Creek Forge
  • Mount Vernon Forge
  • Mt. Hope Furnace
  • Mt. Torrey Furnace
  • Nassawango Furnace (2 folders)

Box 5

  • Neabsco Furnace
  • New Kent County
  • Noble Furnace
  • Northampton Furnace (Md.)
  • Nottoway Foundry
  • Oakland Furnace
  • Occoquan Forge
  • Occoquan Furnace
  • Old's Forge
  • Oxford Furnace
  • Paddy Furnace
  • Page & Warren counties
  • Panther Gap #1 Furnace
  • Panther Gap #2 Furnace
  • Patrick County
  • Paulina Furnace
  • Peak Creek Ironworks
  • Pennington Gap Forge
  • Petersburg Foundries
  • Philips Foundry
  • Pierce's Forge
  • Pine Forge
  • Piney Cliff Bloom Forge
  • Point Hope Furnace
  • Poplar Camp Forge
  • Poplar Camp Furnace
  • Port Republic Foundry
  • Porter Forge
  • Potomac Iron Co.
  • Pott's Creek Ironworks
  • Potts-Wilson Forge
  • Principio Iron Works
  • Providence Forge
  • Pulaski County
  • Radford Furnace
  • Raven Cliff Furnace
  • Rebecca Furnace
  • Retreat Furnace
  • Richmond Foundries
  • Roanoke County
  • Roaring Run Furnace
  • Rockbridge County
  • Roaring Run Furnace
  • Rockbridge County
  • Rockcastle Forge
  • Rockett's Furnace
  • Rockingham County
  • Rough & Ready Furnace
  • Rumble Furnace
  • Rumsey Furnace
  • Salisbury Furnace
  • Salisbury Furnace (Conn.)
  • Scranton Furnace (Pa.)
  • Shannondale Furnace
  • Shay Foundry
  • Shenandoah Furnace
  • Shenandoah Furnace #2
  • Shenandoah Valley
  • Shickel Foundry
  • Siberton Furnace & Works
  • Sinking Creek Furnace
  • Skeen's Forge
  • Smithers & Shunett Foundry
  • Smyth County
  • Snow's Bloomery
  • Snowville Foundry
  • South Bend Forge (W. Va.)
  • Southwestern Virginia

Box 6

  • Speedwell Forge #1
  • Speedwell Forge #2
  • Speedwell Forge (Roanoke)
  • Speedwell Furnace
  • Speedwell Furnace (Roanoke)
  • Spotswood Furnace
  • Spring Forge
  • Stagland Forge
  • Staunton Ironworks
  • Stonewell Furnace #1
  • Tannehill Furnace (Ala.)
  • Tayloe's Slitting Mill
  • Taylor's Furnace
  • Taylor's Ironworks
  • Tilt-Hammer Forge
  • Toneray Forge
  • Tredeger Ironworks
  • Trout Run Furnace
  • Union Forge
  • Union Forge B
  • Union Furnace
  • Valley Forge A
  • Valley Forge B
  • Valley Foundry
  • Valley Mills
  • Van Buren #1 Furnace
  • Van Buren #2 Furnace
  • Vestal's Iron Works
  • Vesuvius Foundry
  • Vesuvius Furnace
  • Victoria Furnace
  • Walton Furnace
  • Walton's Tilt-Hammer Forge
  • Washington County
  • Washington Furnace
  • West Fork Furnace
  • Westham Furnace
  • White Rock Furnace
  • White's Forge No. 2
  • White's Furnace
  • Wilkinson Foundry
  • Williams' Forge
  • William's Tilt Hammer
  • Wilson's Ironworks
  • Wolf Creek Ironworks
  • Woodstock Foundry
  • Wythe County (2 folders)
  • Wythe Furnace
  • Wytheville Foundry
  • Yeatman's Furnace
  • Zane's Furnace
  • Zinks Foundry

Series III: Maps, Charts, and Drawings

Box 6: 3a, Annotated U.S.G. S. quadrangle and photocopied historical maps (arranged alphabetically in 4 oversize archival tubes); 3b, Miscellaneous charts, drawings, and maps (arranged alphabetically in 1 archival tube).

Tubes 1-5 Series 3: 3a, Annotated U.S.G.S. quadrangle and photocopied historical maps (arranged alphabetically); 3b, Miscellaneous charts, drawings, and maps pertaining to the iron industry (arranged alphabetically).

Tube 1

  • Bath County Quadrangle Maps
  • Bluefield Topographic Map
  • Botetourt County Quadrangle Maps (3 maps)
  • Bristol Topographic Map
  • Campbell County Quadrangle Maps

Tube 2

  • Carroll County Quadrangle Maps
  • Craig County Highway Dept. Map
  • Craig County Quadrangle Maps
  • Franklin County Quadrangle Maps (2 maps)
  • Floyd County Highway dept. Map
  • Galax Topographic Highway dept. Map
  • Giles County Highway Dept. Map
  • Grayson County Quadrangle Maps (2 maps)
  • Middlesboro, Ky. Topographic Map
  • Montgomery County Highway Dept. Map

Tube 3

  • Patrick County Quadrangle Maps (3 maps)
  • Pulaski County Highway Dept. Maps (2 maps)
  • Radford Topographic Map
  • Rockbridge County Highway Dept. Maps (2 maps)
  • Rockbridge County Quadrangle Maps
  • Smyth County Quadrangle Maps

Tube 4

  • Smyth County Highway Dept. Map
  • "Valley" Counties Highway Dept. Maps
  • Wythe County Highway Dept. Map
  • Wythe County Quadrangle Maps (2 maps)
  • Wythe County 1888 Maps (2 photocopies)
  • Wytheville Topographic Map

Tube 5

  • Aerial photograph of unidentified region
  • Elizabeth Furnace Map by Hotchkiss (1869)
  • G. W. N. P. Posters on Iron Manufacturing
  • Nassawango Iron Furnace Drawings
  • New River-Cripple Creek Regions of Wythe and Pulaski Counties
  • Plat of South River Lumber Company of Sunbury, Pa.
  • William Weaver 1854 Survey copies

Series IV. Miscellaneous Personal Correspondence

Correspondence with individuals and institutions relating mostly to iron industry research (arranged alphabetically in 19 folders). Some individual correspondents include Douglas Ellinipsco Brady, Jr. (1916- ), Charles Burgess Dew (1937- ), Royster Lyle (1933- ), Ralph C. Meima, and William W. Reynolds.

Box 6

  • American Iron and Steel Institute - Bush
  • Brady, Pat (letters, 1985-1991)
  • Cabell - Curtis
  • Daniel - Dunn
  • Dw, Charles (letters, 1973-1990)
  • Egloff - Hazelett
  • Heater - Hudson
  • Jackson - Kruse
  • Landau - Lewis
  • Library of Congress - Love
  • Lyle, Royster (letters, 1989-1991)

Box 7

  • Mann - National Archives
  • Meima, Ralph (letters, 1982-1991)
  • National Park Service - Pierce
  • Riddle - Rutherford
  • Reynolds, William (letters, 1981-1991)
  • Sanera - Sunderland
  • Tanner - Updike
  • Vance - Young

Series V. Miscellaneous Materials

Folders containing information on miscellaneous topics related to the charcoal iron industry, family genealogy (Brady, Sterrett, Thompson, and Weaver), the Archeological Society of Virginia, and the Henrico County Historical Society (arranged alphabetically by subject in 62 folders).

Box 7

  • Archeological Society of Virginia
  • Brady family ancestry
  • Congressional Correspondence
  • Connecticut Materials
  • Connecticut Quadrangle Maps (2 folders)
  • Constitutional Commemoration Materials
  • Diderot Drawings
  • Furnaces - General Materials (7 folders)
  • General Assembly Acts
  • Henrico Historical Society
  • Henrico County Historical Society
  • Henricus
  • Holden - Field Notes
  • Holden - History
  • Industry Census 1820-1850
  • Industrial Census 1860
  • "Iron Valley"
  • Ironworks - Scotland
  • Ironworks - Tennessee
  • Jordan Family Genealogy
  • Lake Anna Park
  • The Lexington Gazette
  • Manufacture of Iron
  • Maury River Atlas
  • M.E.S.D.A.
  • Mills & Dams
  • Mineral Resources
  • Mineral Resources & State Parks
  • Miscellaneous Materials (4 folders)

Box 8

  • Miscellaneous Materials (contd.)
  • Mission San Juan, California
  • Mississippi Quadrangle Map
  • North carolina Records
  • Ohio Sites
  • Phoenix Quarterly, 1976
  • Preservation Materials
  • Prince William County Deeds
  • Rockbridge County Stream Name Origins
  • Rockbridge Historical Society
  • Society for Industrial Archeology
  • South River Lumber Co. Plats
  • Sterrett Family Genealogy
  • Sterrett-Thompson-Brady Genealogy
  • Tilt-Hammer Information

Box 9

  • Thompson Genealogy
  • U.S.G.S.
  • Virginia Canals and Navigation Society
  • W.G.L.C.
  • War Operations
  • Weaver Ancestry Correspondence
  • West Virginia Materials
  • Appomattox River Atlas

Box 10

  • Denis Diderot Sketches of Forge Diagrams
  • Copies of sections from Diderot's Encyclopedia of Industry (French)
  • Typed translations of Diderot's Encyclopedia

Last updated: June 8, 2000