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 1983 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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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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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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Sallie Bennett Papers regarding World War I Flying Ace Louis Bennett, Jr., 1873/2009, bulk 1904/1926 4.75 Linear Feet 4 ft. 8 1/2 in. (9 document cases, 5 in. each); (3 document cases, 2 1/2 in. each); (1 artifact box, 4 in.)

Bennett, Sallie Maxwell, 1857-1944
Personal correspondence, legal and financial papers, diary, and newspaper clippings of Mrs. Sallie Maxwell Bennett of Weston, wife of Louis Bennett, Sr., the Democratic gubernatorial candidate in 1908. The collection concerns the career of her son, Louis Bennett, Jr., particularly his student days at Yale, his pioneer efforts to organize the West Virginia Flying Corps, his service in the Royal Air Force [RAF], and his subsequent death in World War I. Additional topics include Mrs. Bennett's effort to memorialize her son, family affairs, and a South American trip in 1915. Correspondents include Louis Bennett, Sr. and Jr., and John W. Davis.
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USS West Virginia Papers, 1967/1988 0.25 Linear Feet Summary: 2 1/2 in. (1 document case)

Alpha Phi Omega

Materials concerning the dedication of the bell of the armored cruiser U.S.S. West Virginia, December 7, 1967. Items include program, invitation, diagram of proceedings, and newspaper clippings of dedication.

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West Virginia University, War Dead Honor Roll, 1917/1991 0.2 Linear Feet Summary: 1 1/2 in. (1 flat storage box)

West Virginia University
A roll of honor containing a listing of those students of West Virginia University who were killed during U.S. involved conflicts in the twentieth century. There are listings for World War I, World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. There is also a biographical insert for Joseph P. Bongiorni, the lone University fatal casualty of Operation Desert Storm.
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