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L. Henry Smith (b. circa 1805) was an attorney in Bruceton Mills, Preston County, West Virginia, in the mid-nineteenth century. He and his wife, Martha, had nine children, including Lucian H. Smith (b. circa 1830) and William W. Smith (b. circa 1848). Papers of the L. Henry Smith family chiefly include receipts, bills, notes, and letters from 1823 to 1878 and primarily concern Henry Smith, Lucian Smith, and William Smith, though materials from other family members are included. Box 1 contains financial materials for Jacob Smith from the 1830s and 1840s; receipts for purchases made by Henry Smith between the 1850s and 1870s (mostly for sewing supplies such as fabric, trimmings, and lace); promissory notes; and other financial items. Box 2 contains letters to various members of the Smith family from the 1850s to the 1870s. Topics chiefly include merchandising; Henry Smith's legal and financial matters in Preston County; and news of friends and family in the Bruceton Mills and Uniontown, Pennsylvania, areas. Several letters from the 1860s relate to buying blue cloth to make Civil War uniforms and substitutes in the Union army. Letters from the late 1860s related to West Virginia University, where William Smith was a student. Box 3 contains miscellaneous items primarily related to West Virginia politics in the 1870s and West Virginia Governor John Jeremiah Jacob.

Papers of Dr. Margaret Byrnside Ballard (1900-1991), regarding the history of Monroe County, West Virginia, and the Ballard family. As a genealogist and author of local history, she was an avid collector of the historical materials contained in this collection, most of which relate to her family and Monroe County. The collection includes personal papers, business records, historical and genealogical research material, scrapbooks, bibles, memorabilia, artifacts, photographs, broadsides, paintings, and postage stamps. See the Historical Note for more information about Dr. Ballard.

Minutes of the meetings of the Trustees dealing with raising and disbursing of funds, the establishment of rules and regulations and the hiring of personnel to supervise and to instruct at the Academy. Special mention is made of site location and awarding and payment of contracts for the erection of a new building. The new building was completed in 1831, located at the northeast corner of Spruce and Walnut Streets. Also mentioned are the trustee boards' decisions on acquiring property and funding for the Female Seminary and on expanding the Academy by establishing separate departments such as the library. This book is a record of the establishment and expansion of those institutions which became the basis for West Virginia University.

Miscellaneous papers collected by R. L. Hays include promissory notes from 1827, 1842, 1844, and 1865; a letter by H. N. Ogden to Peregrine Hays, 27 October 1890, regarding instruction in English being given by Ogden at West Virginia University and the number of students allowed in his courses; and a printed list of the courses offered by Ogden with a brief description of each course.

Historical and contemporary photographs and records collected by Vaughn L. Kiger, resident of Morgantown. The bulk of the collection pertains to Morgantown, West Virginia and the surrounding area. Includes correspondence, photographs, clippings, ephemera, printed material, artifacts, scrapbooks, artwork, architectural drawings, maps, broadsides, and other materials. Subjects include the history of businesses and individuals in Morgantown and the surrounding area, including the Lemley, Ley, and Robison/Robinson families; West Virginia University (WVU) history; Kiger's real estate career; political campaigns; and Morgantown High School, among others. See Historical Note for more information on Vaughn L. Kiger.

Papers of Alexander Smith and George W. Brown. The Smith papers are letters and receipts, 1794-1814, and include a letter from N. Suter commenting on a naval battle of the War of 1812, current prices, government, and business conditions and receipts for the payment for slaves. The Brown letters, 1870-1886, concern a gift to West Virginia University, marriage, and payment of land taxes. Correspondents or persons mentioned include Alexander Martin and John W. Mason. Receipts, 1881-1894, are for taxes paid by the Brown, Miller and Co. Also included are certificates of appointment and commissions, 1858-1921, for Virginia Militia, Quartermaster General and Adjutant General of the state of West Virginia, the Collector of Internal Revenue, the U.S. Army Officers' Reserve Corps, the National Guard, and a membership certificate for the Society of the Army of West Virginia.