Long/Trail Southeastern West Virginia Historical Records

Access and use

Location of collection:
West Virginia and Regional History Center
West Virginia & Regional History Center
West Virginia University
P.O. Box 6069
1549 University Avenue
Morgantown, WV 26506
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Lori Hostuttler
Phone: (304) 293-3536
Restrictions:

No special access restriction applies.

Researchers may access digitized and born digital materials by visiting the link attached to each item or by requesting to view the materials in person by appointment or remotely by contacting the West Virginia & Regional History Center reference department at https://westvirginia.libanswers.com/wvrhc.

Terms of access:

Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. For more information, please see the Permissions and Copyright page on the West Virginia and Regional History Center website.

Preferred citation:

[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], Long/Trail Southeastern West Virginia Historical Records, A&M 3762, West Virginia and Regional History Center, West Virginia University Libraries, Morgantown, West Virginia.

Summary

Extent:
117.02 Linear Feet 29 document case, 5 in. each; 20 document cases, 2.5 in. each; 78 record cartons, 15 in. each; 3 small flat storage boxes, 1.5 in. each; 1 small flat storage box, 3 in.; 4 large flat storage boxes, 1.5 in. each; 4 large flat storage boxes, 3 in. each; 1 card file box, 4.5 in.; 1 square roll tube, 3 in.; 1 square roll tube, 4 in.; 1 oversize folder, 2 in.; 1 framed item, 0.25 in.; 1 oversize photograph and 38.2 Gigabytes 14,700 files, formats primarily include .tif, .jpg, .doc
Creator:
Long, Frederick, Trail, Stephen D., and Bagdon, Philip V.
Abstract:
Records and photographs documenting the history of southeastern West Virginia compiled by Summers County residents Fred Long and Stephen Trail. Many of the items were collected by a local newspaper, the Hinton Daily News (later the Hinton News). The collection focuses on the history of Summers County and Hinton from the mid-1700s to 2012, as well as the history of other areas in southeastern Virginia and western Virginia. Subjects include the town of Hinton, Hinton High School and Summers County schools, genealogy and family history, the Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) Railroad, archaeological and geographical features, other Summers County communities, wars, and other topics. Materials include a large quantity of photographs and negatives along with clippings, printed materials, ephemera, oral histories, maps, motion pictures, sound recordings, typescripts, manuscripts, and other types of materials. Many items are facsimiles of photos, documents, and newspapers.
Language:
English .
Preferred citation:

[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], Long/Trail Southeastern West Virginia Historical Records, A&M 3762, West Virginia and Regional History Center, West Virginia University Libraries, Morgantown, West Virginia.

Background

Scope and content:

Records and photographs documenting the history of southeastern West Virginia compiled by Summers County residents Fred Long and Stephen Trail. Many of the items were collected by a local newspaper, the Hinton Daily News (later the Hinton News). The collection focuses on the history of Summers County and Hinton from the mid-1700s to 2012, as well as the history of other areas in southeastern Virginia and western Virginia. Subjects include the town of Hinton, Hinton High School and Summers County schools, genealogy and family history, the Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) Railroad, archaeological and geographical features, other Summers County communities, wars, and other topics. Materials include a large quantity of photographs and negatives along with clippings, printed materials, ephemera, oral histories, maps, motion pictures, sound recordings, typescripts, manuscripts, and other types of materials. Many items are facsimiles of photos, documents, and newspapers.

Records about Hinton include photos and documents related to businesses and buildings. Highlights includes documentation for the Hinton National Historic District nomination; photos, game programs, and other records related to Hinton High School and its sports teams, including football and basketball; and photos, clippings, and ephemera regarding the West Virginia Water Festival, including pageant contestants and winners.

Genealogy and family history materials include genealogy charts, narrative histories, oral histories, and photographs (historic and more recent) of families of southeastern West Virginia.

Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) Railroad materials document activities of the company primarily in Hinton and Summers County, but includes other regions as well. Materials include photographs, clippings, and other documents about trains, railroads, tunnels, and construction. Highlights include historical photographs of railroad buildings, engines, and company employees.

Geographical features are documented by photographs and other material related to the construction of Bluestone Dam, and to the history of the New River, New River Gorge National Park, and other area rivers such as the Greenbrier. There are also records related to bridges and bridge construction, as well as numerous archaeological records, including surveys, maps, and reports.

Summers County communities, including Avis, Greenbrier, Green Sulphur Springs, Pence Springs, Sandstone, and Talcott, are documented by photographs, maps, and other material. Schools and churches in these communities are documented by photographs, school newspapers, bulletins, and other records.

War-related material includes photographs, clippings, and other documents. Highlights include photos of Civil War veterans at reunions, and photos and clippings related to World War I and World War II, including parades and the transportation of troops on the C&O Railroad. Note on Terminology in the Contents List:

Photographs are referred to as "photos", "prints", or the specific photo type (tintype, carte de visite [CDV], cabinet card, or mounted photo). Photographs can also be found, of course, through the term "negatives"; many negatives do not have corresponding prints.

For genealogical information, search for a specific family name, or more generally, search for the terms "genealogy" or "family history". Photographs or negatives of "family members" identify groups of photographs of numerous individuals who share the same last name (or related name).

The Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) Railroad can be both spelled out fully or abbreviated C&O.

Clippings may also be noted as articles or newspapers.

Addendum of 2018/02/27 is located in box 110 through box 116. It includes material relating to Stephen D. Trail's personal career, the history of the Trail family, and the history of Summers County, W. Va. Types of records include photographs, newsletters, correspondence, publications, and other material.

Addendum of 2018/05/31 comprises box 117 through box 128. This material was compiled by Fred Long, who worked at the Hinton Daily News. It includes records relating to Hinton, W. Va., Pence Springs resort and prison, and other subjects related to Greenbrier and Summers counties. Much of this material is foldered by topic; many of these topical folders contain clippings from the Hinton Daily News, as well as related material, such as photographs, publications, and correspondence, etc.

Addendum of 2018/07/03 comprises box 129 through box 131. This addendum includes materials relating to Stephen Trail's life and career, material relating to Summers County History, several issues of the Proceedings of the New River Symposium, bound transcriptions of the Summers County 1880 census and marriage records from 1871-1883, and two books: Greenbrier Pioneers and Their Homes by Ruth Woods Dayton, and A History of Greenbrier County by Otis K. Rice.

Addendum of 2024 September 18 (box 129, folder 36) includes a folder of assorted publications and printed ephemera regarding tourism in southeastern West Virginia and two county historical societies.

Addendum of 2024 December 03 (box 132) includes prints of photographs taken by Philip Bagdon, photocopies of mounted photographs, and assorted printed ephemera regarding Summers County, WV, and other locations in the south West Virginia.

Addendum of 2025 February 10 (box 132) includes the Lower Greenbrier River Byway, Lowell Backway and Wolf Creek Backway Draft Corridor Management Plan and Alderson "French the Friendly Lion" and Riverwise Labyrinth pamphlets.

Addendum of 2025 September 19 (box 132) includes assorted periodicals and other ephemera regarding Monroe County, WV, and other areas in southern West Virginia.

Physical location:
West Virginia and Regional History Center / West Virginia University / 1549 University Avenue / P.O. Box 6069 / Morgantown, WV 26506-6069 / Phone: 304-293-3536 / URL: https://wvrhc.lib.wvu.edu/
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard