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Personal correspondence written to members of the Hiram and Mary Henshaw family of Mill Creek, Berkeley County, West Virginia, from their relatives between 1825 and 1876. Letters from the 1820s to 1840s are chiefly written from Sarah McConnell and William McConnell in Washington County, Virginia, to their sister, Mary Henshaw, and her children, Martha Henshaw Silver and James Henshaw. Topics include news about family activities, health issues, finances, education, gardening, and other household chores. Several letters from the late 1840s and early 1850s are from David Miller to his sister, Nancy Henshaw, and contain news about family relationships, deaths and family estates, and moving to California. Three letters from James McConnell to Martha Henshaw Silver in 1861 discuss the beginning of the Civil War and concern for family in the northern part of what will become West Virginia. Several letters from the late 1860s and 1876 are from Sarah McConnell, Rebecca Park, and Peter and Ellen Black. Topics chiefly include health, financial issues, household arrangements, and news of family and friends. Other correspondents include Isabella Henshaw, Sarah McKown, and D.C. McConnell. Collection also includes undated and unsigned letters; a 1786 land patent for Samuel Beall and an 1826 executor's account of an estate settlement.

Daybooks, ledgers, journals, letter books and reports. Primarily concern the various business enterprises of the Salt Sulphur Springs Company including general store, hotel, stage line, telegraph company and farm. Also a letter book of the Oriental Powder Mills, Charleston, W.Va, of which John W.M. Appleton was agent; general store daybooks of E.D. Ballard; hotel and general store cash and daybooks of Erskine and Caruthers from Lexington and Salt Sulphur Springs. Records of the M.C.C.C. and O. Company of Waldingfield and Mill Creek, W.Va., and Mill Creek School records and Sweet Springs Gristmill and hotel records.