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This is a collection of letters and documents tracing the personal and business life of an eastern panhandle West Virginia family. The papers concern a broad range of political, social, financial, and legal topics, particularly focusing on J. Hammond Siler, Jr., his parents, J. Hammond Siler, Sr. and Jessie Castleman Siler (residents of the Town of Bath better known as Berkeley Springs). Also includes correspondence and other papers from related families. Subjects include banking, the Civil War, the Episcopal church, secession of Virginia, Virginia Loyalty Oath, women's diaries, and women's letters and papers. A notable item in the collection is the diary of Anne Doyne Wolff Strother, wife of artist and writer David Hunter Strother, documenting a trip with husband and daughter Emily to New Orleans in 1857 (S2/Box 67, folder 1a).

Series 1: Group A, Acc. 78 T97 and 1992.63: Papers, 1856-1895, of John Tyler, Jr., post Civil War Republican Party activist. Subjects covered by the collection include alcoholism, Republican Party politics, Presidential elections, political patronage, Reconstruction, Methodist Episcopal Church, Florida, Braxton Bragg, and the Fenian Brotherhood. Prominent correspondents include Charles Francis Adams, Chester Alan Arthur, Pierre G. T. Beauregard, James Gillespie Blaine, James Buchanan, Jefferson Davis, Benjamin Stoddert Ewell, Henry Stuart Foote, Nathan Bedford Forrest, James A. Garfield, John Brown Gordon, Horace Greeley, Wade Hampton, Rutherford B. Hayes, Andrew Johnson, Joseph Eggleston Johnston, L. Q. C. Lamar, William Mahone, Raphael Semmes, William Henry Seward, John Sherman, Leroy Pope Walker, and William Lowndes Young. Acc. 1992.63 consists of letters of John Tyler, Jr., son of the President, to Mrs. Laura Holloway, author of a book on the ladies of the White House. Letters written from Washington, D.C.

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.

Correspondence, miscellaneous family papers, nineteenth century school records, ledgers, bank books, and memorabilia of Hugh F. Sayre and family of Parkersburg, Reedy, St. Marys and West Creek, West Virginia. Some material relates to oil and gas leases on the Sayre family farm and Sayre's invention of a scientific alphabet called EBDECORD.

Collection contains 14 albumen photographs, most stamped "Bena F. Harrison," five captioned in pencil. Some images depict locations in Loudon County, including James Monroe's Oak Hill, the Point of Rocks Bridge, and another unidentified home. Other Virginia mansions are depicted, including the "Lutz House. No. Va." Some images depict a church in Petersburg.

This collection holds the historic financial records of the MVLA including accounting ledgers, tax documents, insurance papers, receipts, invoices, payroll lists, annual and quarterly budgets, financial statements and reports, policies, contracts, correspondence, and other miscellaneous items. Records in this collection contain information on the Association's financial accounting, revenue, expenditures, employees and employee benefits, investments, taxes, and other financial concerns. There is a very limited amount pertaining to fundraising efforts and/or private donations, which can be found in the files of Mount Vernon's development department (currently unprocessed). Bulk date 1870s-2000s.