Collections : [West Virginia and Regional History Center]

West Virginia and Regional History Center

West Virginia & Regional History Center
West Virginia University
P.O. Box 6069
1549 University Avenue
Morgantown, WV 26506
Primary Collecting Areas:
West Virginia and Appalachia History and Culture
Description:
The West Virginia & Regional History Center preserves and provides access to the records that document the history and culture of the state and the central Appalachian region. The Center is part of West Virginia University Libraries.
POC: Lori Hostuttler
Phone: (304) 293-3536
Start Over Repository West Virginia and Regional History Center Places Kanawha River (W. Va.)

A.M. Scott Correspondence, 1874/1882 0.1 Linear Feet Summary: 1 in. (3 folders)

Scott, A. M.
Correspondence, receipts and invitations all pertaining to Addison M. Scott, resident engineer in the U.S. Government, Ohio River Department, at Charleston, WV. Scott worked with the Great Kanawha River improvement project sponsored by the U.S. from 1873 until his retirement in 1901. Correspondence covers the years 1874-1882, with one letter dated 1912. Two letters to Scott are undated. Collection contains forty-two items addressed to Scott in Charleston, with one letter written by Scott. The majority of correspondence discusses personal and/or family matters. Correspondents include Theo. Schoonmaker, engineer on the Chicago & North Western R.R., G.H. Boynton, engineer, Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific R.R., J.M. Vandergrift and William Weston, civil engineers.
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Bradford Noyes (b.1860) Typed Document, 1948 0 Linear Feet Summary: 46 pages

Noyes, Bradford (b. 1860)
Various subjects discussed include Indian attacks, turnpikes and taverns, the first telegraph system, natural gas illumination, Civil War manufacture of saltpeter, schools and economy in post-Civil War Charleston, salt and chemical industries, carrier pigeons, steamboats on the Kanawha River, and the coming of the railroad to Charleston. Persons mentioned include M.F. Maury, Jr., J.P. Hale, and J.Q. Dickinson.
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Emory L. Kemp Papers regarding Industrial History, 1735/2021 154.83 Linear Feet 152 document cases, 5 in. each; 92 document cases, 4 in. each; 68 document cases, 2.5 in. each; 32 record cartons, 15 in. each; 1 flat storage box, 1.5 in.; 7 flat storage boxes, 3 in. each; 4 flat storage boxes, 4 in. each; 1 small storage box, 6.5 in.; 1 index card box, 12 in.; 2 oversized items, 1.5 in. total; 2 microfilm reels, 1.75 in. each; 146 oversized folders, 18 in. 6.31 Gigabytes 678 files, formats include ASC, BK!, CAP, CHP, CIF, DOC, DOCX, ED, ELK, JPG, FRM, M4A, MON, MOV, MP4, PAP, PDF, PPT, PPTX, R2D, RTF, TIF, TRE, TXT, VGR, W51, WMA, WP, WPD, WPS, XLSX.

Kemp, Emory L.

This collection includes materials from Dr. Emory L. Kemp's career of researching, documenting, and preserving historic structures. Kemp was a practicing civil engineer from 1952-1959, then taught civil engineering, historic preservation, and the history of technology from 1962-2003 at West Virginia University. He served as an expert consultant for the preservation of many historic engineering structures, including bridges, waterways, and mills. He also published regularly and remained active in several professional organizations.

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Felix G. Hansford Papers, 1790/1862 0.1 Linear Feet 1/2 in. (1 folder)

Hansford, Felix G.

Correspondence, business and legal papers, and Justice of the Peace documents of Felix G. Hansford, Kanawha County J.P., entrepreneur, and President of the Giles, Fayette, and Kanawha Turnpike.

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Felix G. Hansford Papers, 1790/1875 0.1 Linear Feet Summary: 1 in. (1 folder)

Hansford, Felix G.

These are the land and mercantile papers of Felix Hansford, a large land owner along the banks of Pain[t] Creek and the Great Kanawha River, near the town of Clifton in [Kanawha] County. The collection is primarily account statements, receipts and buisness notes.There are a few land surveys, entries and deeds dating back to the 1790. Some of the papers shed light on the Hansford's activities as a falt boat builder, sawmill and grist mill operator, and justice of the peace. A few letters and bank statements deal with his term as president of the Giles, Fayette and Kanawha Turnpike Company.

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Felix G. Hansford Papers, 1796/1876 0.25 Linear Feet Summary: 3 in. (1 small flat storage box)

Hansford, Felix G.

The papers of the President of Giles, Fayette and Kanawha Turnpike, charted in 1837, consist of land grants, deeds, and indentures; legal papers; turnpike correspondence, stock, books, contracts, and reports to the Board of Public Works, the Virginia Legislature, and stockholders.

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John Ewing, Soldier, Civil War Letter, 1862 0.01 Linear Feet Summary: 1 item (8 pages in 1 folder)

Ewing, John
Letter of John Ewing, Corporal of the 16th Ohio Infantry, to his wife and children, written from the Kanawha Valley in the vicinity of Charleston, (West) Virginia (2 November 1862). Ewing writes that he is in good health and describes recent encounters with Confederate troops. He describes in detail his experience as a Confederate prisoner, including a time he saw a "Company" of Indians with the Confederates. He also remarks on the opinions, mood, and character of the Confederate soldiers he met while in captivity. Ewing writes about conditions and happenings at the Union camp where he was currently stationed. The collection includes a transcript of the letter.
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J.Q. Dickinson and Company, Papers and Photographs, 1887/1957 33.15 Linear Feet Summary: 33 ft. 1 3/4 in. (38 document cases, 5 in. each); (4 records cartons, 15 in. each); (2 large flat storage boxes, 3 in. each); (1 small flat storage box, 3 in.); (3 large flat storage boxes, 5 in. each); (80 unboxed ledgers, 6 ft. 6 1/2 in.); (unboxed loose papers, 8 1/2 in.); (21 reels of microfilm, 1.75 in. each)

Dickinson, J. Q. and Company
Miscellaneous papers concerning the history of the Kanawha Valley salt industry, including correspondence, newspaper clippings and photographs which pertain to the Dickinson Salt Works and Malden, West Virginia. There are a list of salt works on the Kanawha River, clippings on the destruction of the Dickinson Salt Works by fire, and a historical sketch of the Kanawha Valley salt industry.
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Martin Browne, Copy Books of a Putnam County Resident, 1805/1833, bulk 1810/1833 0.1 Linear Feet Summary: 1/2 in. (1 folder)

Browne, Martin
Two copy books and two loose leaves by Martin Browne, a land owner who lived near Red House Shoals on the north bank of the Kanawha River in Union District, Putnam County, Virginia (now West Virginia). Martin Browne was a native of Leeds, York County, England, and immigrated to America around 1785 to 1787. He operated a tavern near Winchester, Virginia until about 1808, when he moved to Red House Shoals. The copy books in this collection date from 1810 to 1833 when he was living in western Virginia and include primarily correspondence; the main correspondents are family members and his friend Thomas Stribling of Winchester, Virginia; topics include business transactions involving land, money, and slaves, as well as personal matters involving his family. Entries are detailed and literate. Copy book 1 (28 pages) dates from 1810 to 1814; copy book 2 (25 pages) dates from 1817 to 1833 (the pages of copy book 2 are not in clear chronological order). There are also two loose leaves regarding a slave sale in Frederick County, Virginia (1805), and a land sale in Mason County, Virginia (1806) respectively.
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Steamboats Records, 1877/1939 0.25 Linear Feet Summary: 3 in. (1 small flat storage box)

Cooper, Edward B.

Letters of a West Virginia River Captain to his daughter, 1877-1885; papers of Captain Edward B. Cooper, 1879-1891, Master of the Steamer Sonoma operating between Ravenswood and Parkersburg; bills of lading and miscellaneous papers, 1891-1930, 1955; log book of the Steamer Victor, 1932, operating out of Ashland, Kentucky for the Ashland Oil Company; and a log book of the Steamer Greenbrier, 1939, operating on the Ohio and Kanawha rivers.

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