Collections : [West Virginia and Regional History Center]

West Virginia and Regional History Center

West Virginia & Regional History Center
West Virginia University
P.O. Box 6069
1549 University Avenue
Morgantown, WV 26506
Primary Collecting Areas:
West Virginia and Appalachia History and Culture
Description:
The West Virginia & Regional History Center preserves and provides access to the records that document the history and culture of the state and the central Appalachian region. The Center is part of West Virginia University Libraries.
POC: Lori Hostuttler
Phone: (304) 293-3536
Start Over Repository West Virginia and Regional History Center Date range 1973 Subjects World War, 1914-1918

201st National Guard Regiment Histories, 1949/1991 0.1 Linear Feet Summary: 1 in.

201st National Guard Regiment
Histories of the 201st National Guard Regiment. This regiment dates back to colonial times, beginning as Captain Morgan Morgan's company of militia, and has served with merit in nearly every war in which the United States has engaged. Specific details of this unit's deployment are included in an index.
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Charleston Gazette Publishing Company Records and Chilton Family Papers, 1884/2018 18.75 Linear Feet 18 ft. 9 in. (5 document cases, 5 in. each); (2 document case, 2 1/2 in.); (8 records cartons, 15 in. each); (3 records carton, 17 in. each); (4 flat storage boxes, 3 in. each); (2 flat storage boxes, 4 in. each); (1 flat storage box, 1 in.); (1 clamshell box, 3 in.)

Chilton, William E. (William Edwin), 1858-1939

Scrapbooks, correspondence, business papers, and memorabilia of a prominent Charleston family that were long time owners of the Charleston Gazette. There are papers of W. E. Chilton, Sr., and for his son and grandson, W. E. Chilton, Jr. and W. E. Chilton, III. The papers of Chilton senior include some correspondence, but mostly land papers documenting the coal mining district in Webster and Braxton Counties. There are also scrapbooks, and contracts pertaining to the family newspaper business; and volumes on the education of W. E. Chilton, Jr. at Woodberry, VA Forest School, and at Yale. The military service of the Chiltons is documented by the service papers, photographs, and other material for W. E. Chilton, Jr. and W. E. Chilton, III in World War (WWI) I and World War II (WWII) respectively.

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Earl Ray Zinn Papers, 1910/1975 2.1 Linear Feet Summary: 2 ft. 1/2 in. (3 document cases, 5 in. each); (3 small flat storage boxes, 3 in. each); (1 oversize folder, 1/2 in.)

Zinn, Earl Ray
Correspondence, photos, postcards and memorabilia of a school teacher of White Days Creek and of his wife, Mary Corrothers Zinn. Most of the collection consists of correspondence and photos of Zinn's career in the U. S. Army during World War I. Zinn worked as a math school teacher and as a census taker in the Fetterman District of Taylor County. He spent the war in training at Camp Knox, West Point, KY in Battery E., 70th. Field Artillery Brigade, and he discusses in the letters the daily activities of his unit. There are also photos in uniform and copies of the military records of Earl Zinn and of his grandfather, Sailor Michael Zinn. Sailor Zinn was a member of the 14th. WV Inf. during the Civil War. He was captured and died in the infamous Confederate prison camp in Georgia of Andersonville. There is also a 19th century photo album and loose pictures of the Steele, Arnett & Sanders families of Monongalia County who are related to Mrs. Earl R. Zinn.
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Frances Packette Todd Papers, 1800/1985 20.67 Linear Feet Summary: 20 ft. 8 in. (44 document cases, 5 in. each); (4 document cases, 2 1/2 in. each); (1 small flat storage box, 3 in.); (3 large flat storage boxes, 3 in. each); (1 large box, 6 in.)

Todd, Frances Packette, 1901-1987
Correspondence, photographs, post cards, newspapers, pamphlets (regarding typical antebellum and postbellum topics such as slavery, states rights, etc.), official records including the 1793 marriage license for Lund Washington (George Washington's cousin) and Susanna Grayson, a 1732 shipping order for items, including gold and silver, to be transported from Delaware to London, a 1837 document authorizing payment of a navy pension to the children of Lt. John Packette, and memorabilia of a prominent Jefferson County family, the Davenport-Gibson-Packette-Todds. The bulk of the correspondence is that of Mrs. Frances Packette Todd, Braxton Davenport (Port) Gibson, Susan G. (Zan) Gibson and Mrs. Anne Gibson Packette. Mrs. Todd was an heiress who travelled much in her youth and she was married to a distant cousin, Augustine J. Todd, who, like her, also claimed descent from George Washington's family. Her aunt, Zan Gibson, was an active local historian and genealogist. Her uncle B. D. (Port) Gibson was a lawyer who was a state legislator at the turn of the century. There are letters and artifacts of his days as a student at the University of Virginia where he was quite popular and an esteemed member of the rowing team. There are also several letters of his sisters, Anne and Zan, from a private French school in Canada. There is a shell jacket of a Confederate uniform belonging to Mrs. Todd's grandfather, John Thomas Gibson. He was a non-commissioned officer serving in an engineering unit of the CSA Army which was stationed around Richmond near the end of the Civil War. Gibson also commanded militia units during John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry in 1859. There are letters of his concerning the hiring out of slaves before and during the war. After the war he once again became successful in business and built a mansion in Charles Town upon the site where John Brown was executed. One other prominent family member was Capt. James Gibson who served in a Virginia infantry regiment stationed at Norfolk during the War of 1812. Subjects covered include family matters, politics, land, slavery, education and warfare.
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Fridley and Ripoll Family Papers, 1890/1989 11.89 Linear Feet 11 ft. 10.75 in. (5 record cartons, 15 in. each); (8 document cases, 5 in. each); (3 document cases, 2.5 in. each); (4 flat storage boxes, 3 in. each); (2 flat storage boxes, 1.5 in. each); (1 storage box, 5.25 in.)

This collection contains twentieth century papers pertaining to the history of the Fridley and Ripoll (pronounced "Ripple") families of Fayette, Boone and McDowell counties of West Virginia and their descendants, including the Thompson and Sarver families. Topics include the family homestead, finances, religion, travel, education, careers and military service. The collection features a variety of materials such as photographs, certificates, military artifacts, financial records and correspondence.

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John Johnston, English Professor, Collection of David Jones Letters and Other Material, 1962/2017, bulk 1962/1967 0.4 Linear Feet 5 in. (1 document case)

Johnston, John H.

Correspondence between WVU professor John H. Johnston and British World War I poets, including David Jones, Herbert Read, and Siegfried Sassoon. There are fourteen letters authored by David Jones, a British World War I poet widely regarded as one of the greatest poets of the twentieth century by his contemporaries. The letters include a "discussion" between Johnston and Jones, mostly regarding Johnston's critique and analysis of the World War I poets, and also the thoughts and philosophies that influenced Jones's work (especially "In Parenthesis"). There are also two letters authored by Siegfried Sassoon and one authored by Sassoon's son, George, upon his father's death. Siegfried Sassoon was a British World War I poet best known for his critical view of the war following his service. Also includes publications by and about David Jones, and one piece of published greeting card artwork by David Jones with signature and note.

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John W. Davis, Lawyer, Papers, 1842/1978 3.54 Linear Feet 3 ft. 6.5 in. (4 document cases, 5 in. each); (1 small flat storage box, 3 in.); (1 large flat storage box, 3 in.); (1 large flat storage box, 3.5 in.); (1 box, 4 in.); (2 boxes, 4 1/2 in. each); (5 reels of microfilm, 1.75 in. each)

Davis, John W. (John William), 1873-1955

Scrapbooks, diaries, correspondence and papers of the noted lawyer and 1924 presidential aspirant for the Democrats, John W. Davis, kept by his daughter, a famous author, Julia (McDonald) Davis Adams. Noteworthy is a 1948 official publication in tribute to Davis' career as Solicitor General of the United States (1913-1918). There is a typescript copy of his diary recounting his wartime and post-war tenure (1918-1921) as the U.S. ambassador to Great Britain. His letters include some of his candid feelings about the political events of his day such as the New Deal and tributes to his scholarly approach to practicing law from Supreme Court Justices Robert H. Jackson and Felix Frankfurter.

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Joseph Ozanic, Labor Leader, Papers, 1932/1974 5.1 Linear Feet Summary: 5 ft. 1 in. (7 document cases, 5 in. each); (1 records carton, 15 in. each); (1 framed item, 1 in.)

Ozanic, Joseph
Joe Ozanic went to work in the coal mines of Mt. Olive, joining in 1909, UMW Local 728. After serving briefly in the army during World War I, Ozanic returned to work in the mines at Mt. Olive. In 1932, Ozanic joined the Progressive Mine Workers of America, a rival organization to the United Mine Workers, serving both as president of PMWA District 1 and as national president. During the 1940s, Ozanic was an organizer for the American Federation of Labor. These papers reflect Ozanic's involvement with the Progressive Mine Workers and the American Federation of Labor. Material from his career as a union leader includes correspondence, financial records, speeches, certificates, newspaper clippings, photographs, broadsides, scripts for plays, union convention proceedings, contracts, bylaws, constitutions, and miscellaneous publications. Subjects include the National Labor Relations Board, American labor unions during World War II, the Union Miners' Cemetery at Mt. Olive, Illinois, AFL organizing drives, miners' marches in Illinois, Mother Jones, and John L. Lewis. Among the correspondents are Joe Pecik, John Fancher, and Vivian Pleska. Ozanic's personal papers include family correspondence, receipts, certificates, memorabilia, and photographs. The correspondence includes postcards from Ozanic to his wife and son from various places in the United States and Ozanic's certificate of competency as a coal miner, issued by the Illinois Miners Examining Board in 1917.
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Louis A. Johnson Papers, 1890/1980 52.6 Linear Feet 52 ft. 7 in. (15 document cases, 5 in. each); (4 document cases, 2 1/2 in. each); (21 record cartons, 15 in. each); (5 record cartons, 17 in. each); (4 small flat storage boxes, 1 1/2 in. each); (7 small flat storage boxes, 3 1/2 in. each); (2 small flat storage boxes, 4 in. each); (3 large flat storage boxes, 1 1/2 in. each); (12 large flat storage boxes, 3 in. each); (12 large flat storage boxes, 3 1/2 in. each); (1 large flat storage box, 5 in.); (1 card file box, 6 in.); (1 card file box, 3 in.); (2 artifact trays, 1 in. each); (1 roll storage box, 4 in.); (1 roll storage box, 5 in.); 1 oversize folder, 2 flag stands, 1 submarine model, 1 wooden box, 1 trunk 0.04 Gigabytes 13 .jpg files

Papers of Louis Arthur Johnson, (1891-1966), Clarksburg lawyer, and Washington, D.C. politician who co-founded the law office of Steptoe & Johnson. Johnson studied law at the University of Virginia and upon graduation immediately took up residence in the booming oil and gas town of Clarksburg, W. Va. and began the firm with Philip P. Steptoe. He served in France and Germany during and immediately after the First World War, and upon his return married Ruth Maxwell from Clarksburg. From 1937-1940 Johnson was the Assistant Secretary of War under President Roosevelt and later served as the second United States Secretary of Defense under President Truman from March 1949 to September 1950. Asked to resign by President Truman, Johnson returned to his law practice in Clarksburg until his death in 1966. This collection is minimally processed.

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Maxwell Family Papers, 1845/2017, bulk 1845/1950 10.1 Linear Feet Summary: 10 ft. 1/2 in. (20 document cases, 5 in. each); (2 document cases, 2 1/2 in. each); (1 large flat storage box, 3 in.); (2 wrapped scrapbooks, 1 in. each); (1 wrapped diary, 2 1/2 in.); (wrapped galley proofs, 1 in. ); (wrapped diplomas, 2 items); (3 wrapped ledgers, 1 in. each); (1 card file box, 4 in.) 0.01 Gigabytes 1 .pdf file

Maxwell family
Papers of Hu Maxwell (1860-1927), historian, editor, and author of several county histories of West Virginia, along with papers and records of other family members. There are manuscripts of fiction, verse, and local history written by Maxwell, as well as a number of his manuscripts and publications dealing with forestry which were prepared while he was a member of the Forest Service of the United States Department of Agriculture. Maxwell kept a diary during the years 1901-1919 while residing in Morgantown, Chicago, Illinois, and Washington, D.C., which is extensive for the period of World War I and which contains notes on the diary of Rufus Maxwell (1855-1907). See scope and content note for more detail.
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