Blue Ridge Springs Correspondence
Scope and Content
This collection contains seven postcards to Elizabeth "Bettie" Gross and her husband William "Bill" Gross in Blue Ridge Springs, Botetourt County, Virginia. These postcards dated 1910-1942 are from various family members on general topics of health and vacations. One undated postcard that addressed Bettie as "Sister" mentions a fear of travelling due to the flu. This collection also contains two letters and a smaller note from Lucy M. Thomas of Bedford County, Virginia, to Joseph Ferries(?), a farmer in Blue Ridge Springs. The letters dated 1895 and 1905 also discuss general topics of health. In the 1895 letter, Lucy tells Joseph Ferries that she heard small pox was in Blue Ridge. Also included in the 1895 letter and in the smaller note are romantic newspaper clippings.
Dates
- Majority of material found within 1895 - 1942
Creator
- Gross, Bettie, 1875-1964 (Person)
- Gross, Bill, 1865-1946 (Person)
- Ferries, Joseph, 1865-1955 (Person)
- Thomas, Lucy M., 1865-1933 (Person)
Language of Materials
The materials in this 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
Elizabeth "Bettie" Virginia Ferries (also Ferris) Gross (1875-1964) of Bedford County, Virginia, married William "Bill" Gross (1865-1946), a grocery store merchant from Bedford County. They lived in Blue Ridge Springs for a time before they moved to Troutville, where they later died. Bettie had an older brother named Joseph Ferries (also Ferris) (1865-1955), a farmer originally from Bedford County. Joseph married Lucy M. Thomas (1865-1933) in Bedford County in 1907. Joseph owned a farm in Blue Ridge Springs, Botetourt County, Virginia, and he lived there until his death in 1955.
External Sources:
1880 United States Federal Census
Joseph L. Farrissin entry, The Virginia, U.S., Select Marriages, 1785-1940, online https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/discoveryui-content/view/3970051:60214, accessed on September 6, 2024.
William M Gross entry, The Virginia, U.S., Death Records, 1912-2014, online https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/discoveryui-content/view/2293012:9278, accessed on September 6, 2024.
Joseph Lee Ferris entry, The Virginia, U.S., Death Records, 1912-2014, online https://www.ancestrylibrary.com/discoveryui-content/view/1871648:9278, accessed on September 6, 2024.
"Lucy M Thomas" entry, findagrave.com, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/62066298/lucy_m_ferries, accessed on September 6, 2024.
"Elizabeth Virginia 'Bettie' Ferris Gross" entry, findagrave.com, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/62086440/elizabeth-virginia-gross, accessed on September 6, 2024.
Extent
0.1 Cubic Feet (1 folder)
Abstract
The Blue Ridge Springs Correspondence contains two letters, a small note, and seven postcards. The seven postcards dated 1910-1942 are addressed to Elizabeth "Bettie" Gross (1875-1964) of Bedford County and her husband William "Bill" Gross (1865-1946), a merchant from Bedford County. The letters and the note are from Lucy M. Thomas (1865-1933), of Bedford County, Virginia, to Joseph Ferries (1865-1955), a farmer in Blue Ridge Springs, Botetourt County, Virginia. Thomas and Ferries later married in Bedford County, Virginia, in 1907. Bettie Gross and Joseph Ferries were siblings.
Source of Acquisition
The Blue Ridge Springs Correspondence was purchased by Special Collections and University Archives in April 2017.
Rights Statement for Archival Description
The guide to the Blue Ridge Springs Correspondence 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, arrangement, and description of the Blue Ridge Springs Correspondence was completed in September 2024.
- Title
- Blue Ridge Springs Correspondence, 1895-1942
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Zoe Brooks, Graduate Assistant
- Date
- 2024 (CC0 1.0)
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech Repository
Special Collections and University Archives, University Libraries (0434)
560 Drillfield Drive
Newman Library, Virginia Tech
Blacksburg Virginia 24061 US
540-231-6308
specref@vt.edu