Appalachian Studies Commons^™

0770: Carrie Eldridge Collection, Marshall University Special Collections

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Carrie Eldridge is a genealogical researcher in Chesapeake, Ohio. This collection contains photocopies of many county record books of the Appalachian areas of West Virginia, Virginia, Ohio, and Kentucky, ranging from the American Revolution until the end of the Civil War. The collection also contains high quality photographs of one room school houses of Cabell County, West Virginia, an audio cassette oral history, books, and pen nibs.

To view materials from this collection that are digitized and available online, search the Carrie Eldridge Collection here.

0661: Elizabeth Cometti Collection, 1861-1869, Marshall University Special Collections

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This collection consists of a microfilm copy of items selected by Elizabeth Cometti about West Virginia taken from the Southern Historical Collection at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, specifically materials taken from the W. R. Redding Papers, 1861-1865 and the William Thomas Sutherlin Papers, 1842-1892. The Redding materials are from 1861 while Redding was stationed in Virginia, to his wife, Elizabeth M. Redding, in Randolph County, Ga.. He discusses camp life, troop movements and skirmishes, and conditions at home. Sutherlin materials date from 1868 to 1869 and may include correspondence and other papers relate to the varied business …

0625: Mark Freeman Papers, 1934-1969, Marshall University Special Collections

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This collection contains two scrapbooks and several loose photographs documenting Mark Freeman’s personal life and time in the United States Navy in the 1950s. The green scrapbook is composed entirely of unidentified and unlabeled photographs of Freeman’s navy service, mostly of photos taken from his ship. Other notable groups of photographs in the scrapbook include photographs of women and sights in Japan. The brown scrapbook is composed of family photographs (most labelled), photographs of Freeman in Spencer, West Virginia, in the 1960s working with the West Virginia Department of Employment Security, and additional photographs of Freeman’s time in the Navy, …

0645: Beecher R. Burnett Letters, 1943, Marshall University Special Collections

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This collection is composed of letters written daily, sometimes multiple times a day, from Beecher Ray Burnett to his wife Anita between September 3 and October 5, 1943 from Burnett while he was being trained as part of the 47th Army Air Force Training Detachment in Huntington and other cities in West Virginia. Topics mentioned in the letter include what he was learning and doing in training, social events, and personal matters.

0612: Jim Comstock Collection, 1976, Marshall University Special Collections

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This collection is composed of three items: a signed letter to Jim Comstock by Marvin L. Stone, including a request from Comstock for stone to write about Marshall University and Page Pitt, the envelope the letter came in, and a handwritten reminiscence of Huntington in 1940-1945 by John Duncan titled, “We Polished Our Buttons,” which discusses Duncan’s experience in World War II as well as his memories of Huntington during that time.

0541: Huntington Jaycees Scrapbook, 1945-1946, Marshall University Special Collections

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This collection is composed of a scrapbook created by the Huntington, West Virginia Junior Chamber of Commerce, or Jaycees, in application for the Geissenbier Award, an award of excellence distributed for exemplary community works. The scrapbook features the work conducted by the Jaycees on behalf of the war effort during World War II in Huntington, and includes photographs, newspaper clippings, correspondence, ephemera, and some hand drawn illustrations for the various areas in which the Jaycees did work.

0476: Samuel Cabell Papers, 1818-1832, Marshall University Special Collections

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This collection consists of copies of materials related to Samuel Jordan Cabell found in the National Archives in Washington, D.C. These papers include copies of military bounty land warrants and scrip issued in 1832 as well as a will and some correspondence. Materials created after Cabell’s death are primarily by his son Patrick Henry Cabell. Because these materials are copies, legibility can be limited.

0315: Violette Somerville Machir, 1980, Marshall University Special Collections

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This collection contains parts one and two of `Revolutionary war soldiers in Mason County, West Virginia,' which is composed of worksheets prepared for the national headquarters of the Sons of the American Revolution Graves Registry Committee. The manuscript lists all known Revolutionary war soldiers buried in Mason County and approximate place of burial.

0317: Ruth Johnson Collection, 1822-1864, Marshall University Special Collections

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This collection consists of seven nineteenth century documents, including: An 1830 account of goods sold. The two parties are P. Beirne & Co. (spelling uncertain) and Benjamin Lemasters, and it is unclear of who is selling goods to whom. Survey of Lemasters’ plot of 1135 acres in Greenbrier County, West Virginia. The same mylar enclosure includes another copy of a survey from 1788 for Henry Banks. Letter dated 1835 form the War Department’s Pension Office to Lemasters relating to his service in the Revolutionary War.

An anonymously written song or poem from 1864 regarding the Battle of Cedar Crick (also …

0321: Enos Amos Oath, 1864, Marshall University Special Collections

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This collection consists of an oath of allegiance for Enos Amos’ election to the office of second lieutenant, 17th Regiment, 3d Brigade, 1st Division, West Virginia Militia, Marion County, West Virginia on August 22, 1864. It is also signed by John B. Crane, recorder.

0248: James N. Potts Papers, 1861-1906, Marshall University Special Collections

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This collection predominately consists of a Civil War diary by James Potts. Legibility of the copy of the diary is limited given that it is a xeroxed black and white copy.

The cover of the diary says, “Romance of the War by James N. Potts [illegible] Commissary [illegible] Book Commencing Dec. 12th, 1861 Hunter’sville, Va, Pocahontas Co., Virginia”. The first thirty-one pages consist of a ledger tracking provisions for 1861-1862. In order, the contents after are as follows: recipes, ciphers or “enigmas”, journal entries from 1861 to 1867, an 1869 letter to the editor of the “Herald” from Williamsville, VA, …

0134: Clendenning Family Papers, 1850-1955, Marshall University Special Collections

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The collection consists primarily of two groups of letters. The first group were written by Arminda Holiday Clendenning of Freeport, Harrison County, Ohio, to her sister Ann Holliday Winder of Iowa, from 1850 until 1867. She writes of local and family news, life in the country, and later, as a young married woman, of her family and her husband’s business. Several letters mention travels and migrations of family and friends to the West.

The second group of letters were written by Robert Joseph Clendenning, grandson of Arminda Clendenning, to his family during the FirstWorld War. He describes his life in …

0102: Lorene Enochs Dunlap Papers, 1917-1971, Marshall University Special Collections

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Scrapbooks and photographs of Cabell County, West Virginia, family from near Milton; bulk of correspondence dates from the First World War and 1935-1945.

Oral History Interview: Alice Hall, Alice Hall

0064: Marshall University Oral History Collection

Alice Hall was born in December 1897 in Cabell County, WV. She lived with her grandfather on a farm in Putnam County, WV, after the death of her parents. During her interview, she discusses quilting and peddling food items in Huntington, WV, with her grandparents, the lack of supplies during World War I, and the rationing of sugar and coffee during World War II. She also focuses on folk medicine, with emphasis on the herbs and barks her uncle used to make medicines. In the audio clip provided, Mrs. Hall discusses food preservation, specifically making apple butter and preserves.

0148: Monongalia In The Revolution Manuscript, Marshall University Special Collections

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Typescript compiled by Elizabeth Ludington Hagans Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution). `Monongalia in the Revolution,' is a history of the formation of Monongalia County, West Virginia, and of Revolutionary War service of its residents.

Oral History Interview: Forrest Atkinson, Forrest C. Atkinson

0064: Marshall University Oral History Collection

During his interview, Forrest Atkinson reminisces about growing up on a farm in Cabell County, West Virginia. His father was a tobacco farmer and timber cutter. He focuses on food preservation processes and home entertainment, including music and books. He also focuses on changes in technology during his lifetime. In the audio clip provided, Mr. Atkinson discusses raising and selling tobacco.

0054: Aleshire Family Papers, 1862-1889, Marshall University Special Collections

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The Aleshire Family Papers consist mainly of correspondence dating from 1863 to 1888. Many of the letters are written by various members of the family to Joseph Aleshire as he traveled the Midwest, buying wheat for the family flour mill. Most of these letters concern fluctuations of the wheat market and other business matters.

There are a number of letters from Mary Aleshire to her parents and brothers, dating from 1863 to 1878. These describe her life at college in Cincinnati, and later, upon her return to Gallipolis, her involvement with social and family matters.

The letters from Charles Aleshire …

0064: Marshall University Oral History Collection, Marshall University Special Collections

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Tape recordings and transcripts of oral interviews with residents in the West Virginia-Ohio-Kentucky Tri-State region regarding such topics as farming, schools, health care, folk customs, and many others related to life in this Appalachian region.

To view materials from this collection that are digitized and available online, search the Marshall University Oral History Collection here.