John J. Carter Diaries
Ms79-038

Descriptive Summary

JOHN J. CARTER DIARIES
1876-1916

Accession Number: Ms79-038
Repository: West Virginia State Archives, Charleston WV
Creator: John J. Carter
Title: John J. Carter Diaries
Date: 1876-1916
Extent: Two flip-top archival boxes containing 47 journals and diaries.
Name of Creator's: John J. Carter
Language: English
Citation: [item, collection number], [collection title], West Virginia Archives and History, Charleston, WV.
Processing Information: Processed by Kimberlyn Dyer, April 2026
Conditions on Use and Access: This collection is open for research use.
Copyright: Copyright restrictions may apply.

Administrative Information

PROVENANCE
The John J. Carter diaries were first received by the Carter Oil Company in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by the Carter family, then given to the University of Wyoming's Petroleum History and Research Center on a permanent loan. The diaries were later acquired by the director of Public Relations for Standard Oil of New Jersey in Denver, "Jack Howard". It was either miscommunicated to, or misinterpreted by the University of Wyoming that he would present the collection to the West Virginia University Library Archives at the request of the Carter Oil Company. In actuality, the collection was given to the West Virginia State Archives. Exact dates of collection transfers are unknown.

PROCESSING NOTES
Collection accessioned by the West Virginia State Archives on January 29, 1979, and processed by Kimberlyn Dyer, May 2026. Past accessions and processing information is unknown.

SOURCES OF INFORMATION
John J. Carter Papers, 1871-1916, 01295, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming. https://archiveswest.orbiscascade.org/ark:80444/xv151883

HISTORICAL NOTE
John J. Carter (June 16, 1842 - January 3, 1917) immigrated with his family from Ireland to the United States when he was young. He lived in New York State where he pursued his education. Following the outbreak of the American Civil War, he joined the 33rd New York Volunteer Infantry and rose through the ranks to leadership roles. In 1893, following the war, he founded the Carter Oil Company in Sisterville, West Virginia, and became a wealthy oilman. These are many of the diaries he maintained between 1876 and 1916, a decade after the war, and up until the end of his life in 1917.

SCOPE AND CONTENT The John J. Carter Diaries includes 47 of John Carter's personal journals and diaries.

ARRANGEMENT
Original order not intact. Diaries in a given numerical order from past processing efforts. File=item

Sample:
Box 1:
File 1=Item 1

45: Diary "John J. Carter" "no 8" 1907 accounts book
46: Diary "The Carter Oil Company Lifting Expense" 1911-1912
47: Diary "Houston Brothers Company" No Entries
48: Miscellaneous newspaper clippings misplaced from diaries.

Box 2: Flip-Top ½ Legal
11: Diary "1906"
12: Diary "Excelsior Diary" "1904"
*13: Diary "The Excelsior Diary 1904"
14: Diary "1905 Houston Brothers Company"
*15: Diary "Houston Brothers Company" 1908
16: Diary "1908"
17: Diary "1908" May 1908
18: Diary "1907"
19: Diary "Sundry Journal Accounts" 1907
20: Diary "September 20, 1909 - October 11, 1909"
21: Diary "Compliments of the Second National Bank" 1909
22: Diary 1909
23: Diary "August 1909"
*24: Diary "May 28, 1909 to Sept. 20, 1909"
25: Diary "July + Aug. 1910"
26: Diary "Aug. 1910 to Sept. 1910"
27: Diary 1911
28: Dairy "Aug. 1911 + Sept. 1911"
29: Diary "Sept. 8, 1911 - Oct. 11, 1911"
30: Diary "Sept. 1912 to Oct. 1912"
31: Diary "Aug. to Sept. 1912"
32: Diary "June 22-28, 1911 - March 25, 1911 to May 21, 1912"
33: Diary 1912
34: Diary 1906
35: Diary "Phoenix Mutual Life Insurance Company" 1914
36: Diary "1912"
37: Diary 1911-1912
38: Diary "Feb. 1913"
39: Diary "March 1913"
40: Diary "June 1913"
41: Diary April 1913
*42: Diary 1913
43: Diary "Insure with the New Hampshire" May-June 1913
44: Diary "Aug. to Sept. 1913"

* Indicates items that are particularly fragile.

Manuscript Collections