Collections : [West Virginia and Regional History Center]

Correspondence and business papers of Henry Gassaway Davis (1823-1916), a successful businessman and politician from West Virginia. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for Vice President of the United States in 1904. The collection largely documents his business and political career, although there are personal papers in the collection as well. His business interests were largely concerned with coal mining, timber, and railroads. Types of documents include letters, reports, account books, and maps, among other material. Much of the correspondence is arranged alphabetically. The scope and content note of each record series provides substantial detail regarding content.

Papers of the Ladwig family. They document the professional and personal lives of medical and teaching professionals in West Virginia in the early twentieth century, includng Dr. Otto Ladwig (1875-1968), his wife Calora Hardway Ladwig (1882-1974), and Margaret and Gertrude Hardway, Calora's sisters. The Ladwigs lived in Harrison and Randolph counties and were active in itinerant logging communities such as Evenwood. There are correspondence, publications, deeds, certificates, and photos of the Ladwig and Hardway families.

This collection contains materials of various formats used and created by historian Dr. Ronald Lewis throughout his career. There are records and course materials from classes taught by Dr. Lewis at the University of Delaware and, primarily, at West Virginia University (WVU). It includes other documents relating to his work as a faculty advisor to graduate students in WVU's history department. There is extensive documentation of his research, most of which was done on Appalachian history and West Virginia coal mining, including articles he has written, facsimiles of primary and secondary sources used in his research, and A/V materials like oral histories. Records generated from Dr. Lewis's scholarly activities are included, such as book and article reviews and conference presentations. There are also materials relating to his other professional pursuits, such as his membership in historical organizations and correspondence with other professionals in the field. This collection provides a broad overview of the work of an historian in an academic institution.

The dates provided are reflective of material creation, except within the Welsh Miners and Scott's Run subseries. These dates, listed in folder titles, reflect the content and were determined by the donor when he created and titled these files. Please be aware that the dates may not be accurate for every item within the folder/box but rather reflect the general timeframe of the subject matter.

Born digital and audiovisual materials exist within the collection as floppy disks, CDs, DVDs, VHS tapes, and cassettes.

Addendum of 2024 May 29 includes similar materials but reflects Dr. Lewis's more recent work. There are materials relating to his work as a professor and faculty member, the development of two books and other publications, and documentation of his career. Common formats include lecture notes, facsimiles of research sources, and correspondence; digital materials exist within the addendum as floppy disks, zip disks, and CDs.