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S. P. Hite Company Daybook

 Collection
Identifier: Ms-1986-005

Scope and Content

This collection consists of a single daybook maintained by S. P. Hite Company, a patent drug manufacturer and distributor operating in Roanoke, Virginia, during the early 20th century. The entries, spanning October 31, 1905 to July 31, 1909, record sales of the company's various products, including Hite's Pain Cure (abbreviated in the daybook as "HPC"), cough syrup, liver pills, asthma and catarrh powders, and others. Among the customers named are grocers and druggists throughout Virginia and the greater mid-Atlantic region.

Dates

  • 1905 - 1909

Creator

Language of Materials

The materials in the collection are in English.

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use

The copyright status of this collection is unknown. Copyright restrictions may apply. Contact Special Collections and University Archives for assistance in determining the use of these materials. Reproduction or digitization of materials for personal or research use can be requested using our reproduction/digitization form: http://bit.ly/scuareproduction. Reproduction or digitization of materials for publication or exhibit use can be requested using our publication/exhibition form: http://bit.ly/scuapublication. Please contact Special Collections and University Archives (specref@vt.edu or 540-231-6308) if you need assistance with forms or to submit a completed form.

Biographical Note

Samuel P. Hite was born in Augusta County, Virginia, in 1843. In 1862, he enlisted as a private in Company D, 5th Virginia Infantry. Hite was wounded in the battles of Malvern Hill and Chancellorsville; on February 6, 1864, he was captured at Morton's Ford. Six weeks later, upon taking the oath of allegiance, Hite was sent to New York.

By 1871, Hite was manufacturing patent medicines on Moffatt's Creek (Augusta County), Virginia. His business a success, Hite in 1887 moved his laboratory to nearby Staunton, where he and his workers manufactured a number of products, with Hite's Pain Cure apparently being the most successful of these.

As Hite's business continued to expand, it was incorporated as the S. P. Hite Company in 1905, with $100,000 in stocks sold to several Roanoke investors. Hite was retained as president and remained in Staunton, but the company's headquarters relocated to Roanoke. Hite himself remained in Staunton, however. Hite died in Radford on March 10, 1917. Unmarried, he bequeathed the bulk of his estate to the Children's Home in Richmond.

Extent

0.6 Cubic Feet (1 box)

Abstract

This collection contains a daybook maintained by S. P. Hite Company, a manufacturer and distributor of patent medicines operating in Roanoke, Virginia, during the early 20th century.

Source of Acquisition

The S. P. Hite Company Daybook was acquired by Special Collections prior to 1987.

Rights Statement for Archival Description

The guide to the S. P. Hite Company Daybook by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 (https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/).

Processing Information

The processing and description of the S. P. Hite Company Daybook commenced and was completed in October 2017.

Title
S. P. Hite Company Daybook, 1905-1909
Status
Completed
Author
John M. Jackson, Archivist
Date
2017 (CC0 1.0)
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech Repository

Contact:
Special Collections and University Archives, University Libraries (0434)
560 Drillfield Drive
Newman Library, Virginia Tech
Blacksburg Virginia 24061 US
540-231-6308