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Series 1 of this collection primarily covers the period from 1763 through Samuel McDowell Reid's death in 1869. There are also a few later items dealing chiefly with his estate. The bulk of the papers deals with business matters. Documents concern such matters as the James River and Kanawha Company, the North River Navigation Company, Washington College's relationship with the Society of the Cincinnati, slavery, and the financial dealings of John Robinson and the Hare family. Series 2 is comprised of a second set of materials received at a later date. The correspondence supplements that found in Series 1. The other materials consist chiefly of court and other legal records during the 74-year period (1778-1852) in which Andrew and his son, Samuel McDowell Reid, were clerks of the court of Rockbridge County: tavern licenses, taxation lists, apprenticeship deeds, voter lists, militia rolls, invoices, etc. There are also some Washington College papers.

Reverend C. Shirley Donnelly, a Baptist minister and local historian, collected these materials for his own research and interest in West Virginia history. The collection contains various materials pertaining to coal mining and West Virginia history, especially in the New River area and Fayette County. It includes correspondence, land grant and deed records, pamphlets, journals, local histories, records, photographs, and art relating to mining and life in the New River area. One set of correspondence includes recollections, a yearbook, and newspaper clippings by a World War II sailor from the USS West Virginia. Another series of correspondence includes the antebellum, wartime, and postwar letters and personal receipts of Charles Dequasie, a Confederate soldier from Fayette County, West Virginia, and Robert Edward Dequasie's personal and business correspondence. Other ephemera includes West Virginia and mining journals and certificates belonging to Donnelly and others. A scrapbook and notebook of newspaper clippings pertain to early court hangings and executions in West Virginia. Political posters include those for West Virginia Governor William C. Marland and West Virginia Senators Harley Kilgore and Robert Byrd.

This collection is a book of Reverend Paul A. Menzel's records (one item) of the activities within St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church, of which he was pastor. The volume covers the period 1755-1766 and is handwritten in German.

This collection contains a deed, dated August 13, 1747, for a tract of land near the town of Greenville, Augusta County, Virginia, conveyed to Robert Alexander from William Beverley and two legal papers connected with the deed. There is also an authorized English Bible, 1766, with Robert Alexander's signature. Genealogical information by George Diehl is housed in the control folder.

This ledger (16.5" x 14" x 2") contains hand-written recipes for elixers, tonics, medicines, and other cures. Many pages are blank or have been taken out; it is not clear if there was writing on those pages.

Includes letters, chiefly 1793-1848, written to John Robinson from Merit M. Robinson and Ann Robinson of Smithfield, Va. and from his sons Moncure Robinson, Conway Robinson, Eustace Robinson, Alfred Robinson and Cary Robinson. The collection includes notebooks containing copies of letters, 1853, written by Conway Robinson on a tour of the British Isles and copies of letters, 1861-1864, written by Cary Robinson (1843-1864) while serving in the 6th Virginia Infantry Regiment as well as papers, 1881-1882, concerning property in Washington, D. C. belonging to the estate of John Marshall; and genealogical materials on the Leigh, Marshall and Robinson families. Prominent correspondents include Edward Colston, Benjamin Watkins Leigh and Gustavus Adolphus Myers.

This collection includes information on Captain John McDowell's company and Captain John McKittrick's company.