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Business, political, and official correspondence of the eleventh governor, 1901-1905, of West Virginia. Owner and editor of the State Journal, Parkersburg, 1881-1899, White was associated with many banking and manufacturing enterprises, and was tax commissioner of West Virginia in 1907 and 1908, collector of internal revenues in 1889, 1897, and 1921, and a Republican member of the legislature in 1926. Among the correspondents are G.W. Atkinson, Waitman T. Barbe, Calvin Coolidge, John J. Cornwell, H.G. Davis, Thomas B. Davis, W.M.O. Dawson, Alston G. Dayton, Davis Elkins, Stephen B. Elkins, Guy D. Goff, Howard M. Gore, M.A. Hanna, Henry D. Hatfield, William McKinley, A.W. Mellon, E.F. Morgan, H.C. Ogden, N.B. Scott, Hugh I. Shott, Joseph P. Smith, George C. Sturgiss, and I.C. White.

A four-page letter from the general manager of the Colored National Associated Press (CNAP), William Murrell, to Stephen B. Elkins, on CNAP letterhead, which sheds light on the political mobilization of African Americans in the 1884 election. According to I. Garland Penn's The Afro-American Press and Its Editors (Willey & Co., 1891), Colonel William Murrell was born enslaved in Georgia, fought for the Confederacy, served in the Louisiana State National Guard, founded an African-American newspaper in New Jersey, and, per this letter, was a Republican political operative. Elkins was Republican James Blaine's presidential campaign manager and was a former Congressman and future Senator and Secretary of War. The CNAP letterhead states that it offers "The Latest news furnished by telegraph to weekly papers. Telegraph communication with every State and Territory."

Correspondence of Gordon B. Gibbens of Parkersburg, West Virginia. Subjects discussed include personal and family business, West Virginia Republican Party affairs, and Gibbens' political appointments. Correspondents include Senators Stephen B. Elkins, Nathan B. Scott, and James A. Hughes, as well as numerous Ohio Valley politicians. One letter (1896 December 21) is an endorsement by a group of "colored" voters of Wood County for Gibbens' appointment to political office, and another letter (1898 January 17) is a similar endorsement by a group of Wood County Union veterans.

Correspondence and other papers of politician and industrialist Henry Gassaway Davis (November 16, 1823 - March 11, 1916), a Democrat who served in the West Virginia Legislature, 1866-1871, and the U.S. Senate, 1871-1883. Davis was also the Democratic vice-presidential nominee in 1904. A reel of microfilm includes two private account books (1867-1915) and a letter book (1898-1916), which mentions several state and national Democratic leaders including Stephen B. Elkins and John T. McGraw. There is information on the congressional election of 1900 and the candidacy of Colonel T.B. Davis. The microfilm also includes miscellaneous clippings, newspapers, letters, and printed items relating to Davis' business affairs, the Davis Child Shelter, and the West Virginia Semi-Centennial Celebration. An addendum of 1996/09/27 contains an H.G. Davis letter book (January 4 - March 16, 1914) and three of his scrapbooks of clippings. Scrapbook subjects include railroads and coal trade (1883-1893); WV politics (1868-1883); and railroads, national politics, and national economy (1872-1883).

Correspondence and business papers of Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916), a successful businessman and politician from West Virginia. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1904. The collection largely documents his business and political career, although there are personal papers in the collection as well. His business interests were largely concerned with coal mining, timber, and railroads. Types of documents include letters, reports, account books, and maps, among other material. Much of the correspondence is arranged alphabetically. The scope and content note of each record series provides substantial detail regarding content.