Arts and Humanities Commons^™

The First Fifty Years Of Professional Baseball In Richmond, Virginia : 1883-1932, Scott P. Mayer

Master's Theses

A detailed history of Richmond, Virginia's relationship with professional baseball has never been chronicled, especially the turbulent, early years of its development. This study explores Richmond's relationship with baseball from 1883-1932. It includes information about the men who played on the field, the team owners, and also comments on the relationship shared by the team and the city.

The most reliable source of information regarding early baseball is the local newspaper. A detailed reading of the Richmond Daily Dispatch, and the successive Richmond Dispatch and Richmond Times-Dispatch, was undertaken for this project. While several newspapers have existed in Richmond's history, …

A Tale Of Two Houses, Transported : Virginia House And Agecroft Hall, Heather Lynn Skilton

Master's Theses

This thesis examines why and how two couples in Richmond, Virginia came to purchase and transport from England to America two ancient English manor homes. A brief overvie\v of the backgrounds and ideas of Alexander and Virginia Weddell and Thomas C. and Elizabeth Williams, Jr. is offered, along with a look at the Richmond of the 1920s into which they brought these homes. As with any major undertaking such as this, the press and public had opinions to share, both in England and America, many of which are found in newspapers of the day. Articles, editorials, and letters to the …

Prohibition In Richmond, Joseph George Era

Master's Theses

The effort to abolish Virginia's liquor trade was a failed experiment in Richmond. The city's liquor industry prospered at the turn of the century, as anti-liquor forces gradually drove saloons from the rural areas of the state. From 1916 until 1933, the political influence of groups like the Anti-Saloon League of Virginia and the Women's Christian Temperance Union led to state-wide prohibition. For seventeen years, various state and federal laws were enacted to stop the flow of ardent spirits. Despite tremendous costs for enforcement, and constant pressure by prohibitionists on the city's courts and juries, many Richmonders flouted the liquor …

Immigrants In Richmond After The Civil War : 1865-1880, Rudolph H. Bunzl

Master's Theses

Richmond's foreign-born inhabitants in 1860 represented about twenty percent of the white population. The Irish and German communities were particularly influential. This thesis examines whether immigration resumed after the Civil War, where immigrants came from, and what role they played in the community. Research included examination of naturalization and census records, church records, newspapers of the period, records of German organizations, and the records of the Virginia legislature. The conclusions are: Immigration resumed on a very small scale. Government efforts to attract more immigrants were unsuccessful. The majority of newcomers were Germans; others came from Scotland, Italy, Ireland, England, and …

The African-American Community Of Richmond, Virginia : 1950-1956, Michael Eric Taylor

Master's Theses

This thesis offers a topical narrative of the history of the African American camrunity of Richmond, Virginia, during the early 1950s.A number of areas are explored including demographics, econcmic issues, housing, the black business camrunity, the church, social life, education, politics and the battle against segregation.Despite the hardships inposed by segregation, blacks in Richmond forrned a vigorous camrunity and during the period 1950 to 1956 won sane victories and suffered setbacks in their quest for a better life.

Newspaper accounts fran both black and white newspapers in Richmond were the major source for this paper.Government reports, city directories, church documents, …

Richmond's Taverns In The Years 1775 - 1810 : Their Role In The City's Development From Frontier Town To Capital City, Anne Rachel Hedges

Master's Theses

Richmond's taverns provided food, drink and lodging to travelers. They also served as vital community links for various pastimes, such as gambling, but also expanded their sphere of influence during the nineteenth century by providing spaces for auctions and sales, as well as theatrical and musical performances. An examination of contemporary travelers' accounts, as well as newspapers, wills, insurance reports and legislative documents provided an in-depth portrait of the taverns' importance to the city. The development of numerous taverns in Richmond paralleled the city's prominence as the new capital city of Virginia, and preceded the rapid growth Richmond would experience …

The Richmond Slave Market, 1840-1860, Robert H. Gudmestad

Master's Theses

On the eve of the Civil War, Richmond had developed into the largest market in the Upper South for the purchase of slaves. This thesis examines the individuals responsible for putting the city into such a pre-eminent position. Many of them gravitated to the business because of the opportunity to amass a significant amount of wealth. Those who became most successful were among the city's wealthiest residents, while traders as a whole became a close knit and well defined group within the city. They relied upon one another to foster the trade, while a few of their number assumed prominent …

I'Ve Been Working On The Railroad : The Saga Of The Richmond, Fredericksburg And Potomac Railroad Company, C. Coleman Mcgehee

Master's Theses

The Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad Company (RF&P) is the only American railroad that has operated for over a century and a half under its original name and charter without reorganization. It is also the last remaining company in which the Commonwealth of Virginia held stock that was purchased in 1834 to encourage the development of transportation within the State.

This thesis covers the history of this company with major emphasis on the period 1955-1991. It was during this time that the RF&P was transformed from a "pure railroad" to a corporation that not only owned a strategic 113 mile …

The German Immigrant Community Of Richmond, Virginia : 1848-1852, Michael Everette Bell

Master's Theses

This thesis explores the community of German immigrants in Richmond, and Henrico County, Virginia, prior to the influx of the political refugees of the Revolutions of 1848 in the German states. The arrival and adjustment of the immigrants to their new home, occupations, social organization and political activities are discussed, as well as their impact upon the growth and development of the city of Richmond in general. Information on Richmond's German community was obtained from the 1850 census, memoirs, church and synagogue registers, city directories, newspapers, and tax records. The data gathered were sorted by computer, offering a detailed statistical …

The Irish Community In Antebellum Richmond, 1840-1860, Kathryn Lynn Mahone

Master's Theses

The purpose of this paper was to investigate the Irish immigrants experienc e in antebellum Richmond, Virginia. Their journey to America and the various reasons for migrating south were also included in the study. The neighborhoods and occupations of the Irish were described as well as the immigrant's role in Richmond's antebellum society. The Catholic church, benevolent groups and militias were reviewed in order to understand how Irish helped fellow immigrants adjust and prosper in their new home.

The paper was based on information from the census records of 1850/1860, and from various city directories. Personal property and death records …

Immigrants In Richmond, Virginia : Lebanese, Armenians And Greeks, 1900-1925, Kaye Brinkley Spalding

Master's Theses

In most of the published histories and memoirs of the city of Richmond there is little or no mention of its post Civil War immigrant population. If any ethnic group is referred to, it is almost invariably either the Germans, the Irish or the Jews, in spite of the fact that it is evident from even the most casual perusal of the Richmond city directory or the telephone directory that there are many city residents whose ancestors were not the traditional Anglo-Saxons, their slaves, or members of the three above mentioned groups.

Richmond And The Sturdy Beggar : A Local Study Of Unemployment Relief 1929-1935, Dorothy Herin Brinkley

Master's Theses

While studying the Great Depression's impact on the United States in a graduate se.minar, the period of 1933 and Roosevelt 's New Deal programs for the unemployed appeared to mark a major dividing point in attitude toward public treatment of the unemployed. Searching for a way to investigate this idea, I began a study of Richmond, Virginia, to determine whether Richmond's experience with unemployment during the depression had resulted in any lasting changes in its view of unemployment relief. The method chosen was a chronological study of unemployment relief in Richmond from 1929 to 1935 to accomplish the following purposes: …

The Participation Of The Richmond Negro In Politics, 1890-1900, Joe B. Wilkins

Master's Theses

This short treatise on one aspect of Negro history is the result of the author's pro'ound interest in United States history. The author's personal interest in the history of the Negro in the New South contributed to the selection of this topic.

The Richmond Negro by the end of the decade,1890-1900, was Virtually powerless politically and was ostracized from white society. All Negro Councilmen and Aldermen had been defeated in the May 1896 municipal elections and had been unsuccessful in regaining their seats. Thus in ten years the Negro had lost almost all political rights and witnessed the paternalistic attitude …

History Of Richmond Baptists, 1780-1860, Roland Stuart Carlton

Master's Theses

Organized Baptist work began in Richmond in June, 1780. Several families belonging to the Boar Swamp Baptist Church in Henrico County had moved into the Richmond area. The distance, the road conditions, and the modes of travel made it difficult for these people to worship regularly at their church. Their pastor, Joshua Morris, also realized their problem, During the month of June, 1780, he met with these folks at the home of Mr. John Franklin, located on the northeast corner of Carrington and Pink Streets in the east end of Richmond. There were fourteen in attendance. Together they had prayer …

The Military Occupation Of Richmond, 1865-1870, Richard M. Duggan

Master's Theses

It has been my hope to present this paper as a part of the historical portrayal of the U. S. Amy's experience with ''military government and civil affairs." With this view in mind, I have devoted the first chapter to a brief history of the army's occupation experiences, especially through the Civil War. Additionally, I have attempted to define and clarify several terms used to differentiate the use of military authority.

More specifically, the purpose of this thesis is to determine the extent of military control affecting the govermant of Richmond during the 1865-1870 period following the Civil War. l …

An Investigation Of The Attitudes Expressed By Richmond's Press Toward Thomas Jefferson In The Presidential Elections Of 1800, 1804, And 1808, Edward Allison Brown

Master's Theses

This paper is an investigati on of the attitudes expressed toward Thomas Jefferson by Richmond's press in the presidential elections of 1800, 1804, and 1808. Jefferson, revered and venerated today, as a controversial figure during these years and was attacked most severely by bis political opponents and defended staunchly by his political friends. This investigation covers only the newspapers of Richmond during these election years, and no attempt has been made to deal with the multitudinous tracts, pamphlets, and other circulars printed in these years.

Principal reliance has been placed upon Richmond 's three largest and most enduring newspapers of …

The Richmond Transit Strike Of 1903, Thomas Jefferson Headlee Jr.

Master's Theses

A general history of the American Labor movement introduces the reader to the mainstream of trade unionism in the United States. It is the purpose of this paper however, to record the events of only one of the less important incidents in the twentieth century. That this experiment of labor in Richmond, Virginia in the year 1903 should have failed, does not detract from its value to the historian, for the study of even an unsuccessful strike may add to our knowledge of the various unions and anti-unionism. In addition, it certainly behooves us, as Richmond's, to learn something further …

A History Of The Richmond, Virginia, Fire Department, Donald Lee Morecock

Master's Theses

Firefighting has become a potentially dangerous profession one and one which has become more and more scientific as the years have passed. In early, days, when more of the human element was involved in those organizations devoted to fire protection, the fire house was a gathering place for town politicians, retired workers, and for those who, while not firemen themselves, were continually fascinated by the deeds of daring performed by those who manned the hose. In this paper, the author has attempted to give a picture of fire fighting in Richmond from the very earliest tiems up to the Fire …