Collections

Scrapbook of Aristotle Smith (1863-1911), doctor, lawyer, teacher, and historian. The scrapbook consists of newspaper clippings (1897-1909) and other ephemera glued onto pages of a book, Report on Population and Resources of Alaska (1893) from the 11th census, published in 1890. The scrapbook also includes handwritten text on the book's pages and regards the history of various West Virginia counties: Calhoun, Clay, Braxton, Roane; the genealogy of the Chenowiths, his wife's family; his own Smith family; other families include Stalnaker, Smith, and Westbrook; some diary-like entries detailing the weather, visitors, and reminiscences; and profiles of individuals, some recounting Civil War stories and accounts of settler skirmishes with Native Peoples.

Papers of Harley M. Kilgore, U.S. Senator from West Virginia. Contains material on the Senate Judiciary Committee and its various subcommittees including the anti-monopoly, internal security, and immigration groups. Other papers deal regard the Special Committee Investigating the National Defense Program (also known as the Truman Committee), West Virginia elections, and the National Guard. There is one box of campaign materials and various speeches.

Correspondence, farm records, legal and financial records, speeches, medical files, photographs, and newspaper clippings of Governor (1913-17) and United States Senator (1929-35) Henry D. Hatfield, who was also chief surgeon and founder of the Huntington Memorial Hospital.

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.

Correspondence, legal papers, speeches, clippings, photographs, and printed material of a Randolph County prosecuting attorney, mayor of Elkins, judge of the Twenty-second Judicial Circuit, Democratic politician, and state governor, 1933-1937. Also features personal correspondence in Series 10.

The official papers of the 17th governor of West Virginia. Gore's career began in World War I when he was assistant food administrator in West Virginia; and in 1921 he went to Washington as a livestock appraiser and specialist in marketing livestock in the Department of Agriculture; he was appointed Assistant Secretary of Agriculture, and upon the Death of Henry C. Wallace, was made Secretary of Agriculture (November 22, 1924- March 4, 1925). In addition to his papers as Governor, other series show his activities in producers' co-ops, the Farm Bureau, the Federal Farm Board, the West Virginia Public Service Commission, the Weston and Union Livestock Sales companies, and West Virginia politics. The collection includes a 1925 scrapbook of photographs documenting the activities of the 4-H camp at Jackson's Mill near Weston, West Virginia.

Papers of the fifteenth governor of West Virginia who was a newspaper publisher in Romney, an orchardman, lawyer, and counsel for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. There are a few papers of W.B. Cornwell. The collection includes: personal and business correspondence, 1896-1953; correspondence as governor, 1916-1922; legal papers, ca.1843-1916; and material relating to "Cornwell Day," 1931; Baltimore and Ohio and other railroads; Romney Orchard Company, ca. 1916-1919; South Branch Development Company, ca.1913-1926; newspaper publishing; and other subjects. Box 100 includes papers regarding women's suffrage, including a proclamation by Governor Cornwell to extend the legislative session of 1920 in order to address the suffrage amendment, among other legislative concerns.

County court records consisting primarily of records of court proceedings including dockets, executions, orders, and fees as well as case papers and public records consisting primarily of land and property records including deeds, land, and personal property books. There are also some records of private businesses, private organizations, Sheriff's records, and voting records. This collection consists of three series and an addendum.

Reverend C. Shirley Donnelly, a Baptist minister and local historian, collected these materials for his own research and interest in West Virginia history. The collection contains various materials pertaining to coal mining and West Virginia history, especially in the New River area and Fayette County. It includes correspondence, land grant and deed records, pamphlets, journals, local histories, records, photographs, and art relating to mining and life in the New River area. One set of correspondence includes recollections, a yearbook, and newspaper clippings by a World War II sailor from the USS West Virginia. Another series of correspondence includes the antebellum, wartime, and postwar letters and personal receipts of Charles Dequasie, a Confederate soldier from Fayette County, West Virginia, and Robert Edward Dequasie's personal and business correspondence. Other ephemera includes West Virginia and mining journals and certificates belonging to Donnelly and others. A scrapbook and notebook of newspaper clippings pertain to early court hangings and executions in West Virginia. Political posters include those for West Virginia Governor William C. Marland and West Virginia Senators Harley Kilgore and Robert Byrd.