Welcome to the West Virginia - Reference Books

A History of Pleasants County, West Virginia - Robert L. Pemberton. This book encompasses all aspects of the settlement of the area now known as Pleasants County, including: geographical description, rival discoveries and claims between England and France, first settlers, the Revolution, the Civil War, early industries, schools, newspapers, railroads, the oil boom, religious activities and more. The book is brimming with names of Pleasants County citizens, and includes 20 pages of biographical information about the oldest families in the area. (1929) reprint, 294 pp., illus., fullname index, paper, $24.50 #ZP150

Monongalia County, (West) Virginia, Records of the District, Superior, and County Courts, Vol. 10: 1815-1819 - Melba Pender Zinn. This tenth book in a popular series transcribes Monongalia County, (West) Virginia, court records from 1815-1819. The court records presented in this book involve land disputes; crimes such as theft or assault; inheritance disputes; appointment of officials such as surveyors or overseers of the poor; granting of business licenses; adoptions; debts; incidents of drunkenness, harlotry or rape; executions of writs; and more. 1999, c382 pp., surname index, paper, $33.00 #ZZ364

Ohio County (WV) Index Volume 3: Index to County Court Order Books (Part 3) 1777-1881 - Kenneth Craft. Volume Three continues the Ohio County Index series by publishing more records from the index of Ohio County (then Virginia), West Virginia, County Court Order Books from 1777 to 1881 as originally extracted during the 1930s. Searching for names and possible family relationships is made much easier by the "Personal Time Line" Index in which more than 16,000 entries, almost all personal names, are included. Easy to read 8.5x11 size. 1999, 309 pp., 8.5x11, maps, fullname plus subject index, paper, $55.00 #C703

History of Summers County, West Virginia, From the Earliest Settlement to the Present Time - James H Miller. Includes aspects of the pre-colonial habitation by the aboriginal peoples, early settlement and pioneer times, geography and topography, conflict with hostile Indians, the Spanish-American War and the Civil War, growth and development of the county, railroad disasters, churches, schools, elections, courts, hotels, businesses and industries, roads and railroads, murders, lynchings and celebrated court actions. More than half the book comprises biographical sketches. (1908) reprint, 855 pp., 2 vols., illus., new surname index, paper, $62.50 #ZM359

History of the Pan-Handle; Being Historical Collections of the Counties of Ohio, Brooke, Marshall and Hancock, West Virginia - J.H. Newton, G.G. Nichols and A.G. Sprankle. An opening section details American history; then follow sections on each of the four counties found in West Virginia's pan-handle. All the usual topics are covered as the county histories are detailed, including extensive sections of biographical sketches. About 40 illustrations of significant people and places enrich the work. This volume was originally published in an unwieldy 11x13.5 inch format, but has been reprinted in a much more convenient size with an everyname index added. This work is quite rare, and copies of the original sell for upwards of $175 when they can be found. (1879) reprint, 538 pp., 8.5x11, illus., new index, paper, $66.50 #N187

Historical Sketches of Pocahontas County, West Virginia - William T. Price. Begins with about 100 pages on the county's geography and history; the bulk of the volume consists of genealogical material on the pioneer settlers and descendants. (1901) reprint, 660 pp., illus., new index, paper, $41.50 #ZP631

Capon Valley [West Virginia]: Its Pioneers and Their Descendants 1698 to 1940 Volumes I and II - Maud Pugh. This two-volume set "contains information and names of thousands of people" who have a connection to the Capon Valley of West Virginia. As the title suggests, the author often focuses on one pioneer at a time and then follows the family line through to the time of the books' original printings. During the process, much genealogical information is given about many different branches of the pioneer's family tree. Notes or brief sketches are included about the lives of those mentioned. A large amount of historical information is given about the region, not only by county, but occasionally by town. (1946, 1948) reprint, 396 pp. & 446 pp., 2 vols., illus., index, paper, $51.50 #ZP823

A History of Seventh Day Baptits in West Virginia, Including the Woodbridgetown and Salemville churches in Pennsyvania and the Shrewsbury Church in New Jersey - Corliss Fitz Randolph. Covers the histories of 16 churches; biographies of 12 ministers and several other important men including William Davis; sketches of several schools and lists of students; a selection of tombstone inscriptions; rosters of soldiers who fought in wars from the Revolution through the Civil War; and brief treatments on subjects including slavery, marriages, wills and missionary work. Chapters are replete with dates and names of people, and frequently have a selection of transcribed documents. (1905) reprint, 504 pp., illus., maps, original fullname plus subject index, $41.50 #ZR052

History of Lewis County, West Virginia - Edward C. Smith. Lewis Co. is located in what is now upper central West Virginia. This book traces the economic, social, and political lives of the people of Lewis Co. from the first settlers in Hacker's Creek Valley in the 1700's up to the early 1900's. There are chapters on individual settlements such as the Collins Settlement, Freeman's Creek district, and Weston. (1920) reprint, 439 pp., illus., maps, append., index, paper, $32.50#S542

Pendleton County, (West) Virginia, Deedbook Records, 1788-1813 - Rick Toothman. The standard information in this collection of deed record abstracts includes such things as the buyer and the seller of the land, the price paid (in pounds), the date of sale, and where to find the information in the original source. Many of the early settlers of Pendleton Co. were of German birth or ancestry, and a German dialect continued in use there into the twentieth century. The book includes two appendices. The first is a lengthy 1789 election poll from one of the original deedbooks. The second is a narrative sketch of the European ancestry and connections of the Mallo and Voltz families, early settlers in Pendleton. 1995, 255 pp., appendices, index, paper, $21.00 #T571

Monongalia County, (West) Virginia: Records of the District, Superior, and County Courts - Melba Pender Zinn. Abstracts of the only surviving court records for the early years of Monongalia County derived from the District Court which served Monongalia, Harrison, Randolph, and Ohio counties, and the surrounding counties. The cases deal predominantly with civil matters such as bad debts, slander, trespass, and disputes over land and the settlement of estates.

Vol. 1, 1776-1799, 1990, 333 pp., index, paper, $27.50 #Z355

Vol. 2, 1800-1803, 1990, 325 pp., index, paper, $27.50 #Z356

Vol. 4, 1800-1802 & 1810, 1992, 359 pp., index, paper $29.00 #Z358

Vol. 6, 1805-1808, 1993, 395 pp., paper, index, $32.00 #Z360

Vol. 7, 1808-1814, 1994, c440 pp., index, paper, $33.50 #Z361