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[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], Ruffner Family Papers, A&M 1744, West Virginia and Regional History Center, West Virginia University Libraries, Morgantown, West Virginia.
Letters and copies of eight letters, 1813-1841; pages 5-10 from Kanawha Salines general merchandise account book, 6-9 March 1827; three manuscript volumes by Henry Ruffner: "Notes on a Tour to the West" and "An Expedition to the North," 1815, and "An Account of Amounts Paid to Rev. Nath'l W. Calhoon," 1826-1834; and "Subscription for Church, 1836-1842," by David Ruffner. There is also a printed brief involving Ruffner-Donnally estates, 1875, and information on the Shackelford family.
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Subjects: Itinerary of proposed travel in Kentucky and Tennessee [see History Room "Notes on a Tour to the West" Vol. 3]; churches (Presbyterian [session in Rockbridge, VA], preaching and ministers in Cincinnati, Methodist [number and description of ministers in Cincinnati, OH]); Cincinnati (comparison of moral conduct of citizens to those of Kanawha area, brewery fire, description [number of dwellings inhabited and building, population and expected increase], real estate sale and profit, woolen factory, glue factory); family affairs (health, finances, etc.)
Subjects: Health (family and community, mentions also deaths in Marietta, OH, Parkersburg, VA [now WV], and Wheeling, VA [now WV], 3/4 of inhabitants in Kanawha area "have been or are ill," health conditions in Louisville, KY, yellow fever in Cincinnati, OH); family affairs (Lewis Ruffner in Cincinnati, Ann Putney [sister of H.R.'s wife], finances); churches (need of Presbyterian minister, feeling of people regarding Episcopalian mode of worship); the salt industry (market prices, health of workers)
Subjects: The salt industry (H.R.'s opinion on the plan submitted to him by Lewis R. for the proposed "Trust" by the owners); coal (property of members of the "Trust" designed to be "common stock," H.R.'s lack of share in profits in coal, use of at salt furnace); proposed resignation from the faculty and presidency of college in Lexington, VA [Washington College]; land purchase for retirement residence in Kanawha County; churches (new [Presbyterian] church, use of old building, decision not to accept regular charge on return to Kanawha County); health of wife
Subjects: Family affairs (health, comment and advice regarding disagreement between Henry and Lewis Ruffner); navigation of the Kanawha River (water level, steamboats); health in the Kanawha area (deaths from scarlet fever); the salt industry (shipping, market, quality of salt, inspectors, new furnaces, "white salt," invention of "L"[?], or "C"[?] machine, new manufacturing process described); churches (new members of Presbyterian church, attendance, minister)
Persons: Henry Ruffner (Comments on: John Pope [law lecturer at Transylvania University and former U.S. Senator], Mr. Cunningham, Mr. Bates, Mr. McElwaine, Mr. Vance, Squire McCampbell, Mr. Noland [?], Judge Scott, Major Taylor, Major Hamilton, Mr. Still or Stull, Mr. Vaughn, Mr. McTaggart, Dl[?]. Graham, Mr. Ross, Mr. Drake, Mr. Armstrong, Mr. Cooper, General Harris, Mr. Wilson, Mr. McMurrough, Mr. Kemper, Mr. Wycoff, Mr. Rusk, Mr. VanHorn, Mr. Beaty, Mr. Sutherland, Mary Ludlow, Mr. Wallace, Judge Nesbe[i]tt, Mr. Winter, Mr. McCollum, Mr. Argenbroad, [partial transcription is available, 8 pp.])
Places: Clarksville, IN; Beargrass Creek; Silver Creek; 14 Mile Creek; Laurenceburg, IN; Tanner's Creek; Miami River; Whitewater River; Cincinnati, OH; Indian Creek; Hamilton, OH; Rossville, OH; N. Lexington, OH; Dayton, OH; Mad River; Troy, OH; Staunton, OH
Subjects: Transylvania University (description and statistics, comment on faculty); churches (comment on churches and clergy, Lexington, Pisgah, Bethel); war (comment on celebration in Lexington, KY of defeat of British at New Orleans, small celebration of news of peace); John Pope (description, comment on political views); taverns and inns (Postlethwaite's Inn [Lexington, KY], Sign of the Spread Eagle [Louisville, KY], Vaughn's Tavern [Jeffersonville, IN], Armstrong's Tavern [Shippingport, KY]); comment on the religious practices of the Shakers; comment on new lights; descriptions and statistics of various cities (Lexington, KY, Versailles, KY, Louisville, KY, New Albany, IN, and Cincinnati, OH); descriptions of various cities (Clarksville, IN, Jeffersonville, IN, Hamilton, OH, New Lexington, OH, Dayton, OH, Troy, OH, and Staunton, OH); comments on Charlestown, IN and Urbana, OH
Persons visited or commented on: Mr. McElhenney, Mr. Noyes[?], Mr. and Mrs. Kelly, Mr. Armentrout, Mr. Davidson, Mr. Baxter, Captain Lyle, Dr. Ruddle [?], Mr. McMahon, Mr. and Mrs. Bowman, Mr. Erwin, Mr. Nelson, Mr. Scott, J. Ruffner, Mr. Blackford, C. Forver[?], Mr. Ferrel, Mr. McDaniels, Mr. Duval, Mrs. Coyle, Mrs. Gibson, Orrel [?], Mr. Prater [?], Dr. J., Mr. Patton
Places: Lewisburg, VA [now WV]; Union, VA [now WV]; Massanutten, VA; Monmouth, VA; Staunton, VA; Harrisonburg, VA; New Market, VA; Blackford's Furnace, VA; Thorn's Gap, VA; Washington, VA; Haymarket, VA; Centreville, VA; Fairfax Court House, VA; Bladensburg, MD; Patapsco R., MD; Fell's Point, MD; Fort McHenry, MD; Washington, D.C.
Subjects: Travel (description of countryside, towns, houses, crops); preaching (places and number in congregation, subjects); chattel slavery (proposed sermon on, "circumspection" necessary in remarks to slave holders); charges for toll road; taverns and hotels (Meene's Hotel, Ward's Tavern, Foley's, Washington Tavern, Ross's Tavern, Davis' Tavern, Jones Tavern, Gadsby's Hotel); industry and manufacturing (wool carding machine, coppersmith's shop, mill, banks, flour exports, powder mill); recreation (preparation of grounds for a barbecue and dance); list of expenses at various stopping points; a description of Fort McHenry (number of bastions and guns)