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The papers received from Mr. Brinkman in 1938 include manuscripts, typescripts, and printed items, and general merchandise account books. The manuscript items are mainly letters, receipts, account statements, and certificates concerning the general merchandise business of George Brinkman in Grafton, Grafton Gas Works, Charles Brinkman's History of Grafton, history of the first memorial service and the location of the National Cemetery in Grafton (Box 13), and stock in the Grafton & Greenbrier Railroad Company.

The papers include 36 volumes of business and other records, such as the ledgers of the George W. Brinkman merchandising firm, the Mutual Building Company, minutesof the Grafton Rotary Club; journal and statistical report of the Grafton Baptist Church, 1897-1906; and a mas. history of Taylor County in various American wars, and extracts from the Civil War diary of Fabricius A. Cather. Also included are 2 boxes of financial records, miscellaneous newspaper clippings, a partial index to scrapbooks, and a family genealogy. There are also 49 volumes of clipping scrapbooks dealing with Grafton and Taylor County subjects covering the period 1868-1938.

Papers of David Goff (ca. 1804-1878) of Beverly, West Virginia, an attorney and land promoter for Harrison, Randolph, and Tucker Counties. Goff became prosecuting attorney in 1835, served as a Colonel in the Virginia militia in 1844, was superintendent of Randolph County schools in 1853, served as a member of the Virginia Assembly, and was a West Virginia State Senator from Randolph County (1875-1877). The papers include manuscript letters and other papers concerning land transactions, slave sales, and miscellaneous legal business for various clients. Included are papers of the Peter Buckey, Solomon Sturmer, James M. Marshall and Baldwin Dade estates; a copy of that part of the proceedings of the Board of Public Works, 1853, which concerns the payment of Lemuel and Eli Chenoweth for construction of the bridges crossing the Tygart River at Philippi, and the West Fork River; and an ALS (autograph letter signed) from George H. Moffett regarding a convention of delegates from Greenbrier, Monroe, Barbour, Pocahontas and Randolph Counties to secure the routing of a railroad from Pittsburgh through Pocahontas County.

Business and personal papers, pamphlets, clippings, and photographs of Benjamin Fleming (1806-1891), and his son Thurston Worth (b.1846), relating to various business enterprises carried on by the family in Fairmont. These included a large trade in manufacturing, importing and selling hats and furs, general merchandising, fertilizer and hardwood sales.

Historical and genealogical typescripts, clipping scrapbooks, copies of family and court records, and personal recollections of the Guyandotte Valley area of Cabell, Wayne, and Lincoln counties compiled by F.B. Lambert. Several typescripts deal with the religious institutions of the area, the development of road, river, and rail transportation, and the spread of education in the valley. Other materials deal with the frontier and Indian history of the Guyandotte country and the collection includes a school commissioner's book for 1819. Barbourville school record book, 1863, and a minute book of the Barboursville Common Council, 1950-1911.