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Papers of a Morgantown attorney, genealogist, and antiquarian. There are several series of office files relating to Dille's law practice, and extensive correspondence regarding his historical and genealogical studies. Families for which there are genealogical compilations include Dille, Ray, Stewart, McFarland, Tennant, David Evans, and John Evans. Monongalia County birth and death records; cemetery readings; copies of wills and indexes of will books; names in real estate and appraisement books; Monongalia Academy and Woodburn Female Seminary ledgers, 1858; correspondence; legal papers; newspaper clippings; family papers; and an account book of J.R. Moore, 1837. Collection also contains papers on the West Virginia Historical Society, Morgantown and Wheeling Railroad, Sons of the Revolution and the Evansdale Corporation. Also includes some personal correspondence received by Dille, like mailed promotional/advertising booklets and copies of "The Mohawk Magazine."

This commonplace book of precedents is arranged by subjects and contains citations from English and American sources. Written in more than one hand, apparently over a number of years. The end paper contains a list of law books owned by Fauntleroy on Jaunary 1, 1828.

The collection contains information on plantation life at Taylor's "Needham" and Judith Randolph's "Bizarre;" legal and financial matters; Virginia politics and the Republican Party; the law school maintained at "Needham" by Taylor; the Virginia Literary Fund to support public education; the division of Fincastle County, Va., in 1799; James Monroe's presidential bid of 1808; and cases before the Superior Court of Chancery, including one involving William W. Hening

Chiefly articles, pamphlets, newspaper clippings, photographs, and memorabilia, together with scattered correspondence, bills and receipts pertaining to Abraham Lincoln.

The Thruston family commonplace book (1604-1925; 0.03 cubic feet) documents the family history of the Thruston family of Bristol and Virginia, with early records concerning Martin's Hundred, Virginia, a plantation on the north shore of the James River, first settled in 1638. The manuscript opens with an "Epistle dedicatory" dated 25 October 1628 by Abell Louering, addressed to Robert Rogers, Esq., whose wife was present at the baptism of John Thruston's son John. The manuscript then passes to John Thruston, Chamberlain of Bristol (1606-1675), son of Malachais Thurston of Wellington. Thurston had 16 children with his first wife, Thomasine Rich. Their various births, deaths, and marriages are recorded here, including the birth of son Edward in 1638. Dr. Edward Thurston began writing in the book in 1666, and his entries contain the first reference to Virginia in the manuscript.

The collection includes items which belonged to Vernon Tillar (W&M Class of 1932) and the Pope Family. Included in the collection is an early 20th century photograph of the Kappa Alpha House (Alumni House) and Tillar's wallet. The wallet's contents include his W&M student activity card, his YMCA cards and receipts, and his Medical College of Virginia receipts. Also included is an unidentified mercantile ledger account book from Drewrysville, Va. that was also used as a clippings scrapbook, a Pope Family Bible, and an agreement between A. P. Pope and The Virginian-Pilot Publishing Company. (bulk 1928-1933)

This collection of Timothy Bakken historical letters, 1836-1881, is 0.03 cubic feet and contains twelve letters from Henry A. Wise, Thomas Masters, Alpheus Baker, Austin Willey (to Joseph Palmer Fessenden), J. Allred, William Brown, Edward Downing Barber about slavery, politics, business, church, and family.

A travel diary written by a person from Baltimore, Maryland. They write about touring through western Virginia on horseback and later Niagara Falls on foot. They comment on Virginia locations such as Mount Vernon, Montpelier, Monticello, Warm Springs, Weyer's Cave (now Grand Caverns), Natural Bridge, and the asylum in Staunton (now Western State Hospital) among other places. On the trip to Niagara, the writer mentions the conditions of the roads, the places they stayed, a Tuscarora reservation, and eventually the falls themselves. Content warnings for derogatory language towards, and descriptions of, Indigenous people and enslaved people.