Ruffner Family Papers

Access and use

Location of collection:
West Virginia and Regional History Center
West Virginia & Regional History Center
West Virginia University
P.O. Box 6069
1549 University Avenue
Morgantown, WV 26506
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Lori Hostuttler
Phone: (304) 293-3536
Restrictions:

No special access restriction applies.

Terms of access:

Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. For more information, please see the Permissions and Copyright page on the West Virginia and Regional History Center website.

Preferred citation:

[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.

Summary

Extent:
0.1 Linear Feet Summary: 1 in. (1 folder)
Creator:
Ruffner family
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

[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.

Background

Scope and content:

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.

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)

Physical location:
West Virginia and Regional History Center / West Virginia University / 1549 University Avenue / P.O. Box 6069 / Morgantown, WV 26506-6069 / Phone: 304-293-3536 / URL: https://wvrhc.lib.wvu.edu/
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard