SUMMER IN THE WV ARCHIVES
From the Editor:
Summer is always an especially busy time for the West Virginia
Archives for several reasons. More people are traveling and
visiting the Archives Library for anywhere from an hour's visit as
they pass through town on the interstate, to a week's intensive
research. Many professional and amateur historians use their
summers between school semesters to research the original documents
and special collections available here. Last year one gentleman was
working his way across the country by bus investigating the effect
of third parties in local and state elections over the years.
Cousins, both close kin and "kissing cousins" who have connected
over the internet, schedule their vacations together and meet here
in the Archives Library to do their research together. Occasionally
we discover that they are our relatives, too! (If you are descended
from Roane County natives, then you are probably related to Bobby
Taylor or Elaine Gates!) Summer family reunions spark interest in
genealogy and draw more patrons to us. Increased visitation at the
Veterans Memorial brings requests for information about individual
names inscribed on the Memorial, or requests for a name to be
added. As usual, we have several young people working with us for
the summer, whom we will introduce to you in this issue. In other
news, all of our library chairs have now been re-upholstered. Those
of you who have been library patrons in the last year or so will be
happy to learn that new padding was added to the seats! In addition
to our gratitude for increased comfort for patrons, we are pleased
that the tastefully colorful fabric used to recover the cushions
has brightened up the room considerably.
The Lighter Side of Life in the West Virginia Archives
One of the more interesting aspects of working in the Archives is watching projects in progress and knowing that our staff and our collection have contributed to the final outcome in a positive way. Businesses, private individuals and tourism organizations often come to the Archives seeking information to preserve and restore buildings of all types, or to develop tourism sites. We supply them with histories, photographs, maps and occasionally videotapes to assist them in determining the original appearance or uses of the structures. Engineers, historians and archaeologists use Archival resources to research their options for the path of new roadways or highway improvements. Television and film documentary researchers from all over the country (and sometimes overseas, too) call upon our resources. We supply them with both video and print resources. For example, Archives and History supplied ESPN2 with video clips of Jerry West as a WVU basketball star and photocopies of newspaper clippings we had saved about his career and his visits back to West Virginia over the years. (The museum allowed them to photograph or tape the West memorabilia in that collection, also.)
And then there was the gentleman from a Scandinavian country who had been surfing the net seeking photographs of "real flappers," had discovered Charleston, West Virginia, and was certain that this was where the popular 1920's dance, "The Charleston," had started. He had first called the Charleston Gazette newspaper office and had been referred to the Archives. After finally convincing him that he needed to shift his research to Charleston, South Carolina, he divulged the reason for his search: he wanted an authentic model for the new tattoo he desired!
Some of our favorite findings which have given us nice breaks from the routine of researching the census, vital statistics records, old newspapers, etc.: The aged gentleman who gave his occupation for the 1860 census as "gentleman of leisure"; the eleven-year old boy whose name was listed in the 1880 census as "Fearless Fred" (Wonder what he was doing while the census taker was there?); a very dehydrated dandelion found pressed between the leaves of a tome of American history from the Boyd Stutler collection (What child or grandchild dared to do that?!); the front-page newspaper article from the turn of the century about the West Virginia man who was certain he was going to get rich by catching stray cats, breeding them and making coats from their pelts; the 100-year-old Civil War veteran who sliced his birthday cake with his Confederate saber; the West Virginia Union soldier "discharged on account of worthlessness" and for being "lost for 60 days"; the underage Union soldier who was discovered, discharged, and "taken home by his mother"; occupation given as "Drunk"; cause of death for an elderly person listed as "wore out"; and many others. One of the most touching has been the "will" found in the back of one of the notebooks of county records and Bible records for Mineral County transcribed by the WPA in the 1930's. (We have included it in this issue.)
A source of both amusement and frustration is the surprisingly large number of Confederate veterans' descendants who can not understand why West Virginia did not issue medals and grant pensions to their ancestors. Americans as a whole over the last century may have patched up or chosen to ignore many of the moral and spiritual wounds of the Civil War, but West Virginia in the 1860's was certainly not the place for Confederate veterans to find sympathy and support! Other situations that provoke both headaches and laughter are the "impossible" schoolwork assignments and the newspaper trivia contests that pop up every year. It is not at all unusual for the offices of the Attorney General, the Governor and of individual legislators to refer to the Archives their constituents' requests for help with students' assignments that have stumped everyone else. We can't always answer them either, but we can sometimes point out a flaw in the question that makes it unanswerable. Regarding public contests, particularly those with prizes, we have a general policy that we will not give out answers to contest questions, but we will direct patrons to sources in the library or elsewhere to find the answers for themselves. There are always a few persistent folks who call repeatedly, phrasing their request in different ways each time to try to trick us into giving them the answer!! The last time the Charleston Gazette had a West Virginia-based trivia contest, librarians from all over the state called us for help because they had been unable to assist their own patrons, not knowing that the questions came from a newspaper contest.
Never think of the Archives as a dull and humorless workplace. During Public Employee Appreciation Week this year, the Administrative Section of the Division of Culture and History provided the Archives and History staff with gummy candy tarantulas and snakes, and buttons reading "Raiders of the Lost Archives." We kinda like that image!
IMAGES FROM THE ARCHIVES
Readers of the Charleston Sunday Gazette-Mail may have noted "The Way We Were" feature by local historian Richard Andre. Some of the photos and postcard images were copied from the Archives photograph or postcard collections maintained by archivist Debra Basham, and/or were identified with assistance from the Archives staff.
SUMMER REUNION ALERT
The Will of Charles Lounsberry Made While He was in the Asylum at Dunning
I, Charles Lounsberry, being of sound and disposing mind and memory, do hereby make and publish this, my last will and testament in order, as justly as may be, to distribute my interests in the world among succeeding men.
That part of my interest, which is known in law and recognized in the sheep-bound volumes as my property, being inconsiderable and none account, I make no disposition in this, my will. My right to live, being but a life estate, is not at my disposal, but these things excepted, all else in the world I now proceed to devise and bequeath.
ITEM: I give to good fathers and mothers in trust for their children all good little words of praise and encouragement, and all quaint pet names and endearments, and I charge said parents to use them justly, as the needs of their children shall require.
ITEM: I leave to children inclusively, but only for the term of their childhood, all and every, the flowers of the field, and the blossoms of the woods, with the right to play among them freely according to the customs of children warning them at the same time against thistles and thorns. And I devise to children the banks and brooks and the golden sands beneath the water thereof, and the odors of the willows, that dip therein and the white clouds that float high over the giant trees. And I leave to children the long, long days, to be merry in, in a thousand ways, and the night, and the moon, and the train of the Milky Way to wonder at, but subject, nevertheless, to the rights hereinafter given to Lovers.
ITEM: I devise to boys all the usual, idle fields and commons where ball may be played; all pleasant waters where one may swim; all snow-clad hills where one may coast; and all streams and ponds where one may fish, or where, when grim winter comes, one may skate, to have and to hold these same for the period of their boyhood. And all meadows, with the clover blossoms and butterflies thereof; the woods with their appurtenances, the squirrels and the birds and echoes and strange noises, and all distant places which my be visited, together with the adventures there found. And I give to said boys each his own place at the fireside at night, with all the pictures that may be seen in the burning wood, to enjoy without let or hindrance, and without any encumbrance or care.
ITEM: To lovers, I devise their imaginary world with whatever that may need, as the stars of the sky, the red roses by the wall, the bloom of the hawthorn, the sweet strains of music and aught else they may desire to figure to each other the lastingness and beauty of their love.
ITEM: To young men, jointly, I devise and bequeath all boisterous, inspiring sports of rivalry, and I give them the disdain of weakness and undaunted confidence in their own strength. Though they are rude, I leave to them the power to make lasting friendships, and of possessing companions and to them exclusively, I give all merry songs and brave choruses to sing with lusty voices.
ITEM: And to those who are no longer children, or youths, or lovers, I leave memory, and I bequeath to them the volume of the poems of Burns and Shakespeare and of other poems, if there be others to the end that they may live the old days over again, freely and fully without title or diminution.
ITEM: To our loved ones with snowy crowns, I bequeath the happiness of old age, the love and gratitude of their children until they fall asleep.
MEET OUR STAFF:
SUMMER INTERNS
MEET OUR STAFF:
SUMMER VOLUNTEERS
DON'T THROW IT AWAY!!
We would like to express our gratitude to Shirley Parsons of Charleston who has donated a large number of excellent titles to the Archives in the past two months. Ms. Parsons found great books in second-hand book stores and yard sales that she was kind enough to pass on to our collection.
WEST VIRGINIA HISTORY
COLLECTORS EDITION
VOLUME 47
Regular price: $12.00
Special Sale Price: $3.00
This special 1988 volume of the Mountain State's history journal presents the Statehood and Civil War period of West Virginia's past in articles written by some of the state's most prominent and prolific historians. In addition, the journal features 146 pages of photographs relating to West Virginia history. This Commemorative Issue is an excellent gift for West Virginia and/or Civil War history buffs. Out-of-state patrons to the Archives Library have been snatching them up, indicating that the volume would be a thoughtful gift for family members and friends who do not live in-state. Other back issues of West Virginia History are available on request at the regular price. Additional information is available through the "What's New" category on our Web site, or you may call Joe Geiger, Archives and History.
If you are unable to visit the Archives to pick up a copy, you may order by mail for an additional $1.50 postage and handling. Send payment, mailing information, number of copies and volume number to:
West Virginia Archives and History
The Cultural Center
1900 Kanawha Boulevard East
Charleston, WV 25305-0300
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
CHECK OUR WEB SITE (http://www.wvculture.org/history) FOR GENEALOGICAL and HISTORICAL SOCIETY MEETING ANNOUNCEMENTS, AND FOR MORE COMPLETE INFORMATION ON ACTIVITIES LISTED BELOW:
A SLAVE SHIP SPEAKS: THE WRECK OF THE HENRIETTA MARIE. NOW EXTENDED UNTIL THE END OF JULY. State Museum, Cultural Center.
ROUNDHOUSE RAIL DAY, JULY 1. Martinsburg.
INDEPENDENCE DAY, JULY 4. Archives Library will be closed.
2ND ANNUAL COL. GEORGE S. PATTON CIVIL WAR WEEKEND, AUG. 12-13. Craik- Patton House, Charleston.
LABOR DAY, SEPT. 4. Archives Library will be closed.
BERKELEY COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY ANNUAL HISTORIC HOUSE TOUR, SEPT. 9-10.
"MILITARY CLAIMS AND PENSIONS," OCT. 17. John Lavery, KYOWVA Genealogical Society, Huntington.
"1910 CABELL COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA CENSUS," NOV. 21. Sheri Pettit, KYOWVA Genealogical Society, Huntington.
ARCHIVES AND HISTORY STAFF
Contract employees working on special projects:
Constance Baston and Allen Fowler.
Summer volunteers:
Brady Blevins and Lindsay Kiser.
Summer interns:
Vickie Pleska, Lenora Kenwolf and Leah Stover
**WE NEED VOLUNTEERS**
If you or your organization would like to donate service time to the Archives, we have several projects needing volunteers. Please call Archives and History for more information.