Collections : [West Virginia and Regional History Center]

Correspondence, deeds, financial and military records, newspaper clippings, and photographs of a Democratic politician, member of the U.S. House of Representatives, 1933-1942, newspaper editor, and businessman from Weston, Lewis County. Subjects covered include the Civil War, World Wars I and II, and the coal and glass industries. Correspondents include David Goff, Charles E. Hodges, Charles Lively, Alfred E. Smith, Harold L. Ickes, Joe L. Smith, Jennings Randolph, Clarence W. Meadows, James A. Farley, William E. Chilton, Arthur B. Koontz, and Harley M. Kilgore.

Correspondence, newspaper clippings, and other papers, of a state senate minority leader, 1899-1901, prominent Fayette County lawyer, and Democratic committeeman. Subjects include Osenton's early life; his law training at Georgetown University; his election to the state senate as a "silver" Democrat; William Jennings Bryan's tour of West Virginia, 1908; the presidential election of 1908; and Champ Clark's battle for the Democratic nomination, 1912. The papers also include a collection of broadsides pertaining to West Virginia, Kentucky, and national politics, 1898-1920; and the business and legal papers, ca.1847-1880, of Osenton's father-in-law, Arthur J. Lansdowne of Grayson, Kentucky. Correspondents include John D. Alderson, William J. Bryan, William E. Chilton, and Champ Clark.

Correspondence, business and legal records, account books, news releases, clippings, and family papers and photographs of a U.S. marshal (1916-1922); editor of the Fairmont TIMES (1925-1959) and Wheeling REGISTER (1933-1935); Democratic politician; member of the National Bituminous Coal Commission (1935-1939); and businessman. Subjects include: Smith's student days at Virginia Military Institute; West Virginia National Guard; Monongah Mine Relief Committee; Associated Press; Association Against the Prohibition Amendment; Eighteenth Amendment; presidential elections and national and state politics, 1916-1956; John W. Davis; Alfred E. Smith; post-World War I radicalism and reaction; Ku Klux Klan; United Mine Workers; National Miners' Union; labor conflict, 1920s; U.S. Railway Administration; New Deal agencies; and Mountain Lake Park, Maryland. Correspondents include Van A. Bittner, William E. Chilton, William G. Conley, John J. Cornwell, John W. Davis, Eugene V. Debs, James A. Farley, William Green, Averell Harriman, Homer Adams Holt, Rush Dew Holt, Hugh S. Johnson, Louis Johnson, Harley M. Kilgore, H.G. Kump, John L. Lewis, William A. MacCorkle, J. Howard McGrath, Clarence W. Meadows, M.M. Neely, Okey L. Patteson, Jennings Randolph, Adlai E. Stevenson, Clarence W. Watson, and James O. Watson. There are also papers of Clarence L. Smith (1850-1905), editor of the Fairmont INDEX (1889) and founder of the Fairmont TIMES (1900), which include a domestic diary of his wife, 1876-1910; minute book of the Fleming Association, 1890-1894; papers of Clarence Edwin Smith, Jr., 1940-1941; papers of Thomas Barns (1750-1836), and his sons, John S. (delegate to Second Wheeling Convention) and James F.; Marion County millers and manufacturers, 1795-1908. There are also papers of Waitman T. Willey and a taped interview with C.E. Smith, 1956. Correspondents include John L. Lewis, Matthew M. Neely, Francis H. Pierpont, and John J. Cornwell. There are also papers, 1917-1950, of Smith's brother, Earl H. (1880-1941), co-founder and editor of the Fairmont TIMES (1900-1925), state legislator, officer in the National Guard, and state commander of the American Legion. Subjects include World War I; Woodrow Wilson; American Legion; and state and national politics, 1918-1940. Correspondents include John J. Cornwell, John W. Davis, Sam T. Mallison, M.M. Neely, Jennings Randolph, and Howard Sutherland. The collection also includes papers, 1908-1940, of Herschel H. Rose, Smith's son-in-law, Fairmont attorney, Democrat politician, and circuit court judge. M.M. Neely is a correspondent. Financial records include account books, 1826-1893, of Thomas Barns, John S. Barns and Company, Barns, Fleming and Company (1857), James R. Fleming, woolen and flour milling, shoe manufacturing, and general merchandise operations in Marion County; account book of Mary Fleming Smith, 1888-1912; Fairmont Newspaper Publishing Company, 1919-1949; Fairmont Broadcasting Company, 1932, 1947-1949; and Jackson Coal Company, 1917-1924; Fairmont Coal Company founding mortgage document, 1901 (box 2, folder 4).

Correspondence, business and legal records, account books, news releases, clippings, and family papers and photographs of a U.S. Marshall (1916-1922); editor of the Fairmont TIMES (1925-1959) and Wheeling REGISTER (1933-1935); Democratic politician; member of the National Bituminous Coal Commission (1935-1939); and businessman. Subjects include: Smith's student days at Virginia Military Institute; West Virginia National Guard; Monongah Mine Relief Committee; Associated Press; Association Against the Prohibition Amendment; Eighteenth Amendment; presidential elections and national and state politics, 1916-1956; John W. Davis; Alfred E. Smith; post-World War I radicalism and reaction; Ku Klux Klan; United Mine Workers; National Miners' Union; labor conflict, 1920s; U.S. Railway Administration; New Deal agencies; and Mountain Lake Park, Maryland. Correspondents include Van A. Bittner, William E. Chilton, William G. Conley, John J. Cornwell, John W. Davis, Eugene V. Debs, James A. Farley, William Green, Averell Harriman, Homer Adams Holt, Rush Dew Holt, Hugh S. Johnson, Louis Johnson, Harley M. Kilgore, H.G. Kump, John L. Lewis, William A. MacCorkle, J. Howard McGrath, Clarence W. Meadows, M.M. Neely, Okey L. Patteson, Jennings Randolph, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Adlai E. Stevenson, Harry S. Truman, Clarence W. Watson, and James O. Watson. There are also papers of Clarence L. Smith (1850-1905), editor of the Fairmont INDEX (1889) and founder of the Fairmont TIMES (1900), which include a domestic diary of his wife, 1876-1910; minute book of the Fleming Association, 1890-1894; papers of Clarence Edwin Smith, Jr., 1940-1941; papers of Thomas Barns (1750-1836), and his sons, John S. and James F.; Marion County millers and manufacturers, 1795-1908. There are also papers of Waitman T. Willey and a taped interview with C.E. Smith, 1956. Correspondents include John L. Lewis, George B. McClellan, Matthew M. Neely, Francis H. Pierpont, John J. Cornwell, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Harry S. Truman. There are also papers, 1917-1950, of Smith's brother, Earl H. (1880-1941), co-founder and editor of the Fairmont TIMES (1900-1925), state legislator, officer in the National Guard, and state commander of the American Legion. Subjects include World War I; Woodrow Wilson; American Legion; and state and national politics, 1918-1940. Correspondents include John J. Cornwell, John W. Davis, Sam T. Mallison, M.M. Neely, Jennings Randolph, and Howard Sutherland. The collection also includes papers, 1908-1940, of Herschel H. Rose, Smith's son-in-law, Fairmont attorney, Democrat politician, and circuit court judge. M.M. Neely is a correspondent. Financial records include account books, 1826-1893, of Thomas Barns, John S. Barns and Company, Barns, Fleming and Company (1857), James R. Fleming, woolen and flour milling, shoe manufacturing, and general merchandise operations in Marion County; account book of Mary Fleming Smith, 1888-1912; Fairmont Newspaper Publishing Company, 1919-1949; Fairmont Broadcasting Company, 1932, 1947-1949; and Jackson Coal Company, 1917-1924.

Twenty letters from various coal interests responding to an inquiry pertaining to the history of early coal development in West Virginia. The survey was conducted by J.S. McWhorter, Attorney for Gauley Coal Land Company, for the Business Historical Society. Respondents include: C.H. Ambler, W.W. Chilton, Brooks Fleming, Jr. B. Laing, and George T. Watson.

Research papers of Festus P. Summers (1895-1971), a historian who served on the faculty of West Virginia University from 1932 to 1965 and as chairman of the history department from 1946 to 1962. Collection includes photocopied correspondence, articles, and typescripts, as well as manuscript notes. Many of the photocopies appear to have been made from Archives and Manuscript collections at the West Virginia and Regional History Center, including A&M 873, A&M 1661, A&M 1824, and A&M 2141. Topics include the West Virginia coal mine wars (1912-1927); West Virginia tax reform and economy (1900s-1950s); and individuals related to coal mining, labor, and legislation (1902-1971). These individuals include Van A. Bittner, W.E. Chilton, Justus Collins (President of Winding Gulf Colliery Company), Walter S. Hallanan, Henry D. Hatfield, M.M. Neely, C.E. Smith, and Walter R. Thurmond. Also included is a copy of a dissertation titled "Rush Dew Holt: The Boy Senator, 1905-1942," by William Ellis Coffey of WVU (1970), and a typescript copy of a manuscript by Dr. James Morton Callahan titled "History of West Virginia University: Problems and Policies." The Callahan typescript also includes annotations by Summers (ca. 1966).

Correspondence, maps, business records and other papers of a U.S. Senator, Democratic politician, and promoter of the oil industry, railroads, and coal and timber resources of West Virginia. The papers regard Camden's purchase of land in the 1850s; his activities in oil production and refining, 1860-1875; his presidency of the Camden Consolidated Oil Company and the Baltimore United Oil Company; the affairs of the Stewart Brick Company of Parkersburg; the Virginia debt controversy; and his development of railroads, including the Ohio River Railroad, the West Virginia and Pittsburgh Railroad, and Monongahela River Railroad, 1879-1892. See the "Scope and Content Note" for more information.

Correspondence and other papers of Kemble White, one-time law partner of A.B. Fleming, specialist in oil and gas law, counsel for the West Virginia subsidiaries of Standard Oil (Hope Natural Gas, South Penn Oil, and Eureka Pipeline), charter member of the West Virginia Oil and Natural Gas Association, veteran of the Spanish-American War, one-time president of the West Virginia Bar Association; and the West Virginia University Alumni Association. Additional items include: White's notebooks from language and accounting classes taken at the University; correspondence dealing with Mrs. White's gardening activities; drafts of White's proposals for constitutional revision in West Virginia; a Spanish-American War Muster-roll for Company M, 2nd West Virginia Volunteers; and two diaries (ca.1868). Subjects include: oil, land titles and leases; Fairmont Coal and Coke Company; Twin Mountain Orchards; Monongahela Valley Traction Company; Twin Mountain and Potomac Railroad; West Virginia political campaigns; and constitutional revision in West Virginia. Correspondents include: Luther Anderson, Carl G. Bachman, Fred Blue, John C. Bond, Linn Brannon, William E. Chilton, J.J. Cornwell, J.S. Darst, Wells Goodykoontz, Howard M. Gore, J.W. Harman, John H. Hatcher, Henry D. Hatfield, Frank C. Haymond, Rush D. Holt, Guy Kump, Howard B. Lee, M.M. Neely, Okey L. Patteson, William H. Sawyers, E.B. Stephenson, Robert Taft, and L. Judson Williams.

Papers of the Rush Dew Holt family relating to Matthew S. Holt, Andrew E. Holt, Ralph K. Chase, and Helen Jane (Holt) Seale. The collection includes correspondence, publications, photographs, and clippings, among other material that documents the personal and business activities of the Holt family. The collection is divided into five series as follows: Dr. Matthew S. Holt Papers (1837-1943), Andrew E. Holt Papers (1926-1958), Ralph K. Chase Papers (1918-1947), Helen Jane Holt Seale Papers (ca. 1930-2008), and Mixed (ca. 1820-2013 and undated).