Virginia Historical Society
Department of Manuscripts and Archives

Tate Thompson Brady Papers, 1971-1992
Mss1 B7297 a FA2

Description & Guide

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

Box 2

Box 3

Box 4

Box 5

Box 6

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

Tube 2

Tube 3

Tube 4

Tube 5

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

Box 7

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

Box 8

Box 9

Box 10


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Last updated: June 8, 2000

For further information, please contact: Eileen Parris, Archivist
email: eparris@vahistorical.org