James Rumsey and the Rumseian Society, 1985-1989 and undated (includes facsimiles)

In 1987, the Rumseian Society hosted a symposium in honor of the bicentennial anniversary of the launching of the first steamboat. Kemp helped to organize the seminar, suggesting speakers and topics. Kemp later published the article “James Rumsey and His Role in the Internal Improvements Movement” in the West Virginia History journal based on his research. He also reviewed a grant proposal to the West Virginia Humanities Foundation requesting funds to host the event and to publish a booklet on James Rumsey, inventor of the first steamboat. The box includes materials related to the symposium, as well as transcribed interviews Kemp conducted with members of the USACE, Mobile District about the engineering of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway (these appear unrelated to the Rumseian Society materials). The box includes correspondence, interview transcripts, conference papers, brochures, event programs, newsletters, clippings, and catalog records. The box also includes facsimiles of the following: grant applications and clippings. Subjects include James Rumsey; steamboat technology; the Rumseian Foundation; the Berkeley Springs Museum in Berkeley Springs, Morgan County, West Virginia; and Shepherdstown, Jefferson County, West Virginia. This box also contains the transcripts from oral histories Kemp conducted with engineers at the USACE, Mobile District, in relation to the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway (see Box 309).