Collections : [West Virginia and Regional History Center]

Two letters from Chestnut Run, near Burning Springs, Wirt Co. to Robert Caldweel and Edward Wright of Thompsonville, Washington Co., PA. Ruble inquires whether Caldwell and Wright desire continue drilling for oil on his land. He mentions it would be safe for them to visit, despite the Civil War, since there are many Pennsylvanians working there who move about freely.

Letter book from the office of Clark & Krebs, Civil and Mining Engineers, the partnership of Charles E. Krebs, James M. Clark, George R. Krebs, and J. Walter Morgan, of Charleston, WV. Included in the letterbox are land deeds, property inventories, lists of unpaid accounts and land leases, land and mine surveys, equipment bills, reports on the working costs of coal mines and oil production, instructions for the construction of bungalows and a water plant, business contracts, and a letter concerning Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad redeemable Tickets and Coupons. There is also mention of Charles E. Krebs, Inc., a blue print company owned by Charles E. Krebs.

Records of drilling contractor Douglas G. Williamson of "Williamson Brothers", including receipts, tax records, and membership cards. Also includes small catalog for drilling equipment (ca. 1914-1924), deed to land in Pleasants County, West Virginia (1915), and road map for southeastern United States, including West Virginia (1923). Receipts are from vendors located in the towns of Charleston and Parkersburg, West Virginia, for drilling equipment, feed and produce, hardware, and stationary. There are also three postcards (ca. 1907-1908), one addressed to Nancy Leonard of Parkersburg, with photo illustrations of Harpers Ferry (Baltimore and Ohio [B&O] Railroad depot and scenic view) and Kimball, West Virginia (scenic view).

Paper ephemera, including: illustrated letterhead titled "Offices of J.W. Wiles" featuring portrait of J.W. Wiles and photo of the "Wiles Block" building in Morgantown, WV; there is also letterhead for the "Star Glass Company" and "Union Realty and Development Co.," both of Morgantown; illustrated envelopes for the "Hotel Morgan" of Morgantown, "The Waldo" of Clarksburg, and "The Ruffner" of Charleston. Signed calling card of J.W. Wiles. There is an extensive collection of greeting cards, including Valentines. There is also a printed invitation card for a luncheon with President and Mrs. Taft (1912). Addendum of 2019/06/17 includes four greeting cards from the Young family of Morgantown, including two large Valentine cards (including windmill and seesaw graphics; undated), one small Valentine card (undated), and one Christmas card (booklet, "One Christmas Back in Grandfather's Time"; 1952).

Manuscript entitled "Early History of Oil & Gas in Calhoun County" by Harry Holliday written ca. 1977. The 10 short chapters are a total of 46 pages of text.

Well leases and records, geologic reports, maps, printed material, photographs, and other papers of McGinnis, an oil and gas operator who owned the Tri-State Oil & Gas Co. of West Virginia, and who, after graduating from Marshall University in 1910, became a leading figure in the oil and gas business. Some of his poetry is included in the collection.

Photographs by James Edwin Green of the Green family from Foxburg, Pennsylvania (PA) and St. Marys, West Virginia (WV). Includes over 500 glass plate negatives and 1 1/2 inches of film negatives documenting subjects from ca. 1900-1918 including: the James Edwin Green family; Foxburg, PA; St. Marys, WV; the Taylor Farm, St. Marys, WV; agriculture; railroads; oil derricks; Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) reunions; the World War I era, and transportation. There are pictures of the Daniel Rupert family and Taylor family as well. Also includes exemplars of commercial packaging of glass plate negatives and film negatives.

Papers of the Kendall Family of Mannington District, Marion County, West Virginia. Family names Hibbs and Cunningham also appear frequently in the collection. Contains the following series: correspondence; financial records; land records; legal records; legal correspondence; election records; funeral records; oil, gas, and coal records; subjects; photograph; and scrapbook. Election records includes a list of voters (1908) and a poll record for a U.S. Presidential election (1928). Oil, gas and coal records contains leases and agreements concerning drilling and mining on Kendall family land in the Mannington District (ca. 1900-1930). The Scrapbook contains pension records regarding Minerva Hibbs, widow of William W. Hibbs who served with the 12th West Virginia Volunteer Infantry during the Civil War; it also contains a printed invitation to a "Mother's Day Service" and two hand-written tributes to mothers, among other items.

The leases in this collection grant oil and gas rights to companies operating in Tyler County.