West Virginia Historic Records Survey
Ms79-211

Descriptive Summary

West Virginia Historic Records Survey
1936-1941

Accession Number: Ms79-211
Repository: West Virginia State Archives, Charleston WV
Creator: United States' Works Progress Administration (WPA)
Title: West Virginia Historical Records Survey
Date: 1936-1941
Extent: 5 Linear Feet, 4 cubic boxes, and 1 half flip-top legal box.
Name of Creator(s): United States' Works Progress Administration (WPA)
Language: English
Citation: [item, collection number], [collection title], West Virginia Archives and History, Charleston, WV.
Processing Information: Processed by Kimberlyn Dyer, May 2026
Conditions on Use and Access: This collection is open for research use.
Physical Access: Paper records are brittle. Handle with care and do not remove staples.
Copyright: Copyright restrictions may apply.

Administrative Information

PROVENANCE
Unknown

PROCESSING NOTES
Accessioned August 18, 1979.
Processed by Kimberlyn Dyer, May 2026.

SOURCES OF INFORMATION
Thomas, Jerry Bruce. "Works Progress Administration (WPA)." e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia. 08 February 2024. https://www.wvencyclopedia.org/entries/1302 Web. Accessed: 23 May 2026.

WVU Libraries. "News | WVU Libraries." Wvu.edu, 2020, news.lib.wvu.edu/2020/02/19/documented-history-of-the-wvrhc/. Accessed 29 May 2026.

HISTORICAL NOTE
"In 1935, responding to a request by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Congress established the Works Progress Administration to provide work for the unemployed of the Great Depression. Based on the belief that direct relief payments to the able-bodied unemployed were demoralizing, the WPA sought to provide government jobs at wages higher than the dole but lower than prevailing wages in the private economy" (Thomas, 2024).

Surveys and imprints were also collected from libraries, including the Kanawha County State Library, the West Virginia State University Libraries, and the Ohio County Library. The West Virginia University Libraries was previously called the Monongalia County Division of Documents as it is referred to in these records (WVU Libraries).

SCOPE AND CONTENT
This collection contains records collected by the Works Progress Administration from West Virginia Counties and libraries, which includes surveys of historical records, manuscripts, marriage bonds, and law imprints.

RELATED MATERIALS
U.S. Works Progress Administration, West Virginia Historic Records Survey, Records, A&M 0046, West Virginia and Regional History Center, West Virginia University Libraries, Morgantown, West Virginia. https://archives.lib.wvu.edu/repositories/2/resources/2378 Accessed May 23, 2026.

ARRANGEMENT
Folders for counties arranged in alphabetical order.
Series I: WV Historical Records Surveys and Misc. WPA Documents
Subseries I: West Virginia County Surveys
(Folders 1.4-1.17; 1.26-1.32; 2.9-2.26)
Subseries II:Kanawha County State Library
(Folders 1.18-1.25)
Subseries III: Monongalia County Division of Documents & WVU Libraries
(Folders 2.1-2.8)
Series II: Manuscripts (Folders 2.27; 3.1-3.2)
Series III: Marriage Bonds (Folders 3.3-3.16)
Series IV: Imprints
Subseries I: West Virginia County Imprints
(Folders 3.17-3.24; 4.1-4.11; 4.15-4.16)
Subseries II: Ohio County Library Law Imprints
(Folders 4.12-4.14)
Series V: Miscellaneous WPA Documents (Folders 1.1-1.3)

Box 2: West Virginia Historical Records Surveys Miscellaneous Manuscripts
Folders:
2.1: Monongalia County Division of Documents & WVU Libraries I
2.2: Monongalia County Division of Documents & WVU Libraries II
2.3: Monongalia County Division of Documents & WVU Libraries III
2.4: Monongalia County Division of Documents & WVU Libraries IV
2.5: Monongalia County Division of Documents & WVU Libraries V
2.6: Monongalia County Division of Documents & WVU Libraries VI
2.7: Monongalia County Division of Documents & WVU Libraries VII
2.8: Monroe County Historical Records Surveys I
2.9: Monroe County Historical Records Surveys II
2.10: Monroe County Historical Records Surveys III
2.11: Monroe County Historical Records Surveys IV
2.12: Morgan County Historical Records Surveys
2.13: Ohio County Historical Records Surveys
2.14: Pleasants County Historical Records Surveys
2.15: Pocahontas County Historical Records Surveys
2.16: Preston County Historical Records Surveys
2.17: Putnam County Historical Records Surveys
2.18: Randolph County Historical Records Surveys
2.19: Ritchie County Historical Records Surveys
2.20: Summers County Historical Records Surveys
2.21: Taylor County Historical Records Surveys
2.22: Tucker County Historical Records Surveys
2.23: Upshur County Historical Records Surveys
2.25: Webster County Historical Records Surveys
2.26: Wood County Historical Records Surveys
2:27: Miscellaneous Manuscripts I

Box 3: Manuscripts, Marriage Bonds, & Imprints
Folders:
3.1: Miscellaneous Manuscripts II
3.2: Miscellaneous Manuscripts III
3.3: Hampshire County Marriage Bonds
3.4: Hardy County Marriage Bonds
3.5: Harrison County Marriage Bonds I
3.6: Harrison County Marriage Bonds II
3.7: Harrison County Marriage Bonds III
3.8: Harrison County Marriage Bonds IV
3.9: Lewis County Marriage Bonds
3.10: Monongalia County Marriage Bonds
3.11: Monroe County Marriage Bonds I
3.12: Monroe County Marriage Bonds II
3.13: Monroe County Marriage Bonds III
3.14: Monroe County Marriage Bonds IV
3.15: Monroe County Marriage Bonds V
3.16: Monroe County Marriage Bonds VI
3.17: Miscellaneous Imprints
3.18: Cabell County Imprints
3.19: Gilmer County Imprints
3.20: Greenbrier County Imprints
3.21: Jefferson County Imprints
3.22: Kanawha County Imprints I
3.23: Kanawha County Imprints II
3.24: Lewis County Imprints

Box 4: Imprints
Folders:
4.1: Mineral County Imprints I
4.2: Mineral County Imprints II
4.3: Mineral County Imprints III
4.4: Monongalia County Imprints I
4.5: Monongalia County Imprints II
4.6: Monongalia County Imprints III
4.7: Ohio County Imprints I
4.8: Ohio County Imprints II
4.9: Ohio County Imprints III
4.10: Ohio County Imprints IV
4.11: Ohio County Library Law Imprints I
4.12: Ohio County Library Law Imprints II
4.13: Ohio County Library Law Imprints III
4.14: Randolph County Imprints I
4.15: Randolph County Imprints II

Manuscript Collections