Long/Trail Southeastern West Virginia Historical Records

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.

Researchers may access digitized and born digital materials by visiting the link attached to each item or by requesting to view the materials in person by appointment or remotely by contacting the West Virginia & Regional History Center reference department at https://westvirginia.libanswers.com/wvrhc.

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], Long/Trail Southeastern West Virginia Historical Records, A&M 3762, West Virginia and Regional History Center, West Virginia University Libraries, Morgantown, West Virginia.

Summary

Extent:
117.02 Linear Feet 29 document case, 5 in. each; 20 document cases, 2.5 in. each; 78 record cartons, 15 in. each; 3 small flat storage boxes, 1.5 in. each; 1 small flat storage box, 3 in.; 4 large flat storage boxes, 1.5 in. each; 4 large flat storage boxes, 3 in. each; 1 card file box, 4.5 in.; 1 square roll tube, 3 in.; 1 square roll tube, 4 in.; 1 oversize folder, 2 in.; 1 framed item, 0.25 in.; 1 oversize photograph and 38.2 Gigabytes 14,700 files, formats primarily include .tif, .jpg, .doc
Creator:
Long, Frederick, Trail, Stephen D., and Bagdon, Philip V.
Abstract:
Records and photographs documenting the history of southeastern West Virginia compiled by Summers County residents Fred Long and Stephen Trail. Many of the items were collected by a local newspaper, the Hinton Daily News (later the Hinton News). The collection focuses on the history of Summers County and Hinton from the mid-1700s to 2012, as well as the history of other areas in southeastern Virginia and western Virginia. Subjects include the town of Hinton, Hinton High School and Summers County schools, genealogy and family history, the Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) Railroad, archaeological and geographical features, other Summers County communities, wars, and other topics. Materials include a large quantity of photographs and negatives along with clippings, printed materials, ephemera, oral histories, maps, motion pictures, sound recordings, typescripts, manuscripts, and other types of materials. Many items are facsimiles of photos, documents, and newspapers.
Language:
English .
Preferred citation:

[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], Long/Trail Southeastern West Virginia Historical Records, A&M 3762, West Virginia and Regional History Center, West Virginia University Libraries, Morgantown, West Virginia.

Background

Scope and content:

Records and photographs documenting the history of southeastern West Virginia compiled by Summers County residents Fred Long and Stephen Trail. Many of the items were collected by a local newspaper, the Hinton Daily News (later the Hinton News). The collection focuses on the history of Summers County and Hinton from the mid-1700s to 2012, as well as the history of other areas in southeastern Virginia and western Virginia. Subjects include the town of Hinton, Hinton High School and Summers County schools, genealogy and family history, the Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) Railroad, archaeological and geographical features, other Summers County communities, wars, and other topics. Materials include a large quantity of photographs and negatives along with clippings, printed materials, ephemera, oral histories, maps, motion pictures, sound recordings, typescripts, manuscripts, and other types of materials. Many items are facsimiles of photos, documents, and newspapers.

Records about Hinton include photos and documents related to businesses and buildings. Highlights includes documentation for the Hinton National Historic District nomination; photos, game programs, and other records related to Hinton High School and its sports teams, including football and basketball; and photos, clippings, and ephemera regarding the West Virginia Water Festival, including pageant contestants and winners.

Genealogy and family history materials include genealogy charts, narrative histories, oral histories, and photographs (historic and more recent) of families of southeastern West Virginia.

Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) Railroad materials document activities of the company primarily in Hinton and Summers County, but includes other regions as well. Materials include photographs, clippings, and other documents about trains, railroads, tunnels, and construction. Highlights include historical photographs of railroad buildings, engines, and company employees.

Geographical features are documented by photographs and other material related to the construction of Bluestone Dam, and to the history of the New River, New River Gorge National Park, and other area rivers such as the Greenbrier. There are also records related to bridges and bridge construction, as well as numerous archaeological records, including surveys, maps, and reports.

Summers County communities, including Avis, Greenbrier, Green Sulphur Springs, Pence Springs, Sandstone, and Talcott, are documented by photographs, maps, and other material. Schools and churches in these communities are documented by photographs, school newspapers, bulletins, and other records.

War-related material includes photographs, clippings, and other documents. Highlights include photos of Civil War veterans at reunions, and photos and clippings related to World War I and World War II, including parades and the transportation of troops on the C&O Railroad. Note on Terminology in the Contents List:

Photographs are referred to as "photos", "prints", or the specific photo type (tintype, carte de visite [CDV], cabinet card, or mounted photo). Photographs can also be found, of course, through the term "negatives"; many negatives do not have corresponding prints.

For genealogical information, search for a specific family name, or more generally, search for the terms "genealogy" or "family history". Photographs or negatives of "family members" identify groups of photographs of numerous individuals who share the same last name (or related name).

The Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) Railroad can be both spelled out fully or abbreviated C&O.

Clippings may also be noted as articles or newspapers.

Addendum of 2018/02/27 is located in box 110 through box 116. It includes material relating to Stephen D. Trail's personal career, the history of the Trail family, and the history of Summers County, W. Va. Types of records include photographs, newsletters, correspondence, publications, and other material.

Addendum of 2018/05/31 comprises box 117 through box 128. This material was compiled by Fred Long, who worked at the Hinton Daily News. It includes records relating to Hinton, W. Va., Pence Springs resort and prison, and other subjects related to Greenbrier and Summers counties. Much of this material is foldered by topic; many of these topical folders contain clippings from the Hinton Daily News, as well as related material, such as photographs, publications, and correspondence, etc.

Addendum of 2018/07/03 comprises box 129 through box 131. This addendum includes materials relating to Stephen Trail's life and career, material relating to Summers County History, several issues of the Proceedings of the New River Symposium, bound transcriptions of the Summers County 1880 census and marriage records from 1871-1883, and two books: Greenbrier Pioneers and Their Homes by Ruth Woods Dayton, and A History of Greenbrier County by Otis K. Rice.

Addendum of 2024 September 18 (box 129, folder 36) includes a folder of assorted publications and printed ephemera regarding tourism in southeastern West Virginia and two county historical societies.

Addendum of 2024 December 03 (box 132) includes prints of photographs taken by Philip Bagdon, photocopies of mounted photographs, and assorted printed ephemera regarding Summers County, WV, and other locations in the south West Virginia.

Addendum of 2025 February 10 (box 132) includes the Lower Greenbrier River Byway, Lowell Backway and Wolf Creek Backway Draft Corridor Management Plan and Alderson "French the Friendly Lion" and Riverwise Labyrinth pamphlets.

Addendum of 2025 September 19 (box 132) includes assorted periodicals and other ephemera regarding Monroe County, WV, and other areas in southern West Virginia.

Hinton News, The Register-Herald, The Post-Report, The Monroe Watchman

"People, Places, and Things" column and article on Pipestem public water system.

Several issues of column entitled "Anecdotes in Summers County," mostly discussing Hinton in the late 19th century.

Includes photocopy of book by Lively entitled "Historical Summers County." Also includes clippings and drafts of articles relating to Summers County history.

One page article by Stephen Trail.

Includes two articles: "The Battle at Rich Mountain" by Kenneth L. Carvell, and "The Kanawha Rebel Victory" by Terry Lowry.

Includes articles on Civil War letters by Jeff Gammage and Fred Long, as well as four transcpritions of Civil War soldier letters copied by Fred Long.

Includes articles from several newspapers, including the Hinton Daily News, and magazines pertaining to Elvis, specifically his death and continuing legacy.

Includes one article entitled "A History of Monroe County West Virginia" by Oren F. Morton discussing the construction of Cook's Fort.

Two articles from the Hinton Daily News and one article in Wonderful West Virginia (August 1975).

Includes an article on the genealogy of the Keeney family, a photocopied map of western Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and North Carolina from 1778, and a list of names taken from the Blaken Mill Road Cemetery in Alderson.

Includes entry from "West Virginians in the Revolution" on John and Peter Van Bibber, information on Samuel Gwinn, one page of notes from "Pioneers and their Homes on Upper Kanawha," and two selections from the "West Virginia Heritage Encyclopedia."

Photocopy of article by Roy Bird Cook entitled "Virginia Frontier Defenses, 1719-1795" publixhed in the West Virginia Blue Book, 1936.

Includes a pamphlet for "Hatfields and MacCoys" outdoor drama, a booklet titled "The True Facts About the Famous Hatfield-McCoy Feud," and a newspaper clipping featuring a photo of a statue of Devil Anse Hatfield.

Two-page advertisement for the Hinton Daily News, including history of the paper, distribution information, and a list of distributors.

Includes copies of photographs and newspaper clippings about the school from its founding in 1896 onward. Articles report school's founding, fire at the school, and changes in superintendent, among other topics. Also includes 1970 student handbook and board meeting minutes.

Includes copies of photographs and newspaper clippings about the school from its founding in 1896 onward. Articles report school's founding, fire at the school, and changes in superintendent, among other topics. Also includes issues of the Dart, board meeting minutes, a list of the numbers of white, female students per school year (1880-1910), and a copy of the original deed for the school.

Includes photographs and newspaper clippings relating to Hinton High School.

Includes articles on the Hinton National Historic District, a booklet entitled "Historic Hinton: Ready for the Future," and a folder of materials labeled "Scenic Summers County in souther West Virginia."

Includes photocopies of photographs used as part of the Hinton Historic District Survey in 1983.

Includes mostly columns relating Hinton history. Also includes stories on the flood of 1940, John Henry, a train wreck in 1976, and other topics.

Includes three articles from the "West Virginia Heritage Encyclopedia" and an unidentified book on Pocahontas County discussing early Native American trails and trade networks.

Includes two articles (one by Fred Long) about "Mad Anne" Bailey, a woman soldier and Indian fighter during Lord Dunmore's War and the American War for Independence in Western Virginia.

Includes: Gray's New Map of Hinton (1876, reprint); map of summers county (1933, reprint); Washington's Cahin of Forts (undated, copied from a book); Archaeological Survey of New River Bluestone Reservoir (undated); Botetourt County, Virginia (1778, reprint); "The Springs of Virginia and the Routes leading thereto" (undated, reprint); Map of Hill Crest Cemetery (undated); Map of Section One of East Hill Cemetery (undated).

Includes: General Highway Map Augusta County (1973); Augusta County Primary and Secondary Highway Systems (1963); Map of the Giles, Fayette and Kanawha Turnpike (1840, reprint); Map of Greenbrier County, W. Va. (1887, reprint); West Virginia Official Highway Map (ca. 1980); Map of Alleghany County Virginia (undated, reprint); Map of Augusta County Virginia (1886, reprint); "The Theatre of War in North America, with the Roads and a Table of the Distances" (1776, reprint); The Town of Staunton (1749, reprint); Augusta County (1777, reprint); Welcome to Lewisburg (ca. 1975); Lewisburg, W. Va. Historic Walking Tour (undated); Staunton Virginia (ca. 1960); Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia (1978); Carte de la Virginie et du Maryland (1755, reprint).

Includes notes on the First Christian Church of Hinton, black and white engravings of Hinton scenes, two historic West Virginia postcards, and an article on a large rock carved in 1814 in Beckley, W. Va., among other items.

Includes articles of incorporation and bylaws for The Pipestem Foundation, Inc., a map and brochure for the park, a newspaper article about the Old Time Mountain Music Festival, and a pamphlet by Earl L. Core discussing the history of the pipestem name and plant.

Includes a letter and photocopies of historical material sent to Fred Long relating to W.F. Echols, a C&O railroad conductor in Huntington during the early 1900s.

Includes one photocopy of "A Brief History of the Red Sulphur Springs, Monroe County, West Virginia, 1987" by John W. Dumont.

Includes one copy of an official report addressing a train collision that occurred near Vaughn, Mississippi on April 30, 1900 involving Engineer J.L. (Casey) Jones. This incident later became a folk legend and was the subject of a popular ballad.

Subjects of photos include Hinton High School, John Henry statue, aerial images of Hinton and surrounding areas, unidentified construction photos, First National Bank, Bluestone Dam, Chessie Steam Special, a Hinton parade, the Bluestone Conference Center, Aunt Jane Williams, Low Gap Methodist Church, and a turn-of-the-century a group of men playing pool, among other subjects. Many of the photos are not identified or dated. Some are reprints.

Subjects of photos include Bluestone Dam, the James Graham House, Coney Island (Hinton), Bank of Alderson, Fred Long and wife, Cooper's Mill, and two turn-of-the-century school group photos.

Subjects of photos include Summers County Court House, City of Hinton Fire Department, the James Graham House, Swift and Company, James T. McCreery, the Hinton Hospital, New River, Roses Drug Store (Hinton), Green Sulphur Springs, Confederate monument, Hotel McCreery, Hill Top Cemetery, and Greenbrier School, among other subjects. All photos are reprints and many are unidentified.

One photo of Margaret C. Pennington, mother of Cynthia Pennington, at the Pearl Trail farm in Judson.

Includes six VHS tapes:

TV News
Tree Work City
Hinton Streetscape
Steve Trail, TV News, BOE Meeting
TV News
Reed Ceremony, Nov. 27, '85; Street Lighting Ceremony, Nov. 21, '86

Documents regarding economic development program for Hinton.

Election campaign letter.

Letter regarding loan of two photographs.

Includes a business card and a thank you note for materials loaned by Trail.

List of photos.

One letter from Stephen Trail to Robert Maslowski, US Army Corps of Engineers.

Material regarding 2016 Democratic Convention in Philadelphia; includes membership card, delegate ticket, etc.

Assorted publications and printed ephemera regarding tourism in southeastern West Virginia and two county historical societies.

Assorted periodicals and other ephemera regarding Monroe County, WV, and other areas in southern West Virginia.

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