HOW AND WHERE TO LOOK IT UP
RESOURCES FOR RESEARCHING THE HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA. ©2001
William D. Theriault, Ph.D.
17434 Virginia Ave.
Hagerstown, MD 21740
WMTheriault@myactv.net
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1. Introduction
Jefferson County, West Virginia, has a rich heritage and a wealth of historical information. Unfortunately, much of it is not accessible to people who want to research the county's past. For the scholar who needs to be familiar with this topic (or at least some part of it), there has never been a detailed, extensive overview of primary and secondary sources for writing Jefferson County history. Perhaps this is the reason almost half a century has passed since anyone attempted a comprehensive history of Jefferson County. Maybe it is the sheer magnitude of materials available and their dispersal throughout the nation. Or maybe it is the lack of adequate finding aids that might help put the researcher in touch with the resource.

For the student who wants to write a decent research paper or develop a social studies project, the best bet has been to scan the publications of the Jefferson County Historical Society and the other major works on county history. Yet the Historical Society Magazine is thinly indexed, and most other volumes on local history have been placed in special reference collections. Old histories have become artifacts, kept from general circulation because of their rarity, fragility, and economic value.

For landowners who want to learn about the place they live or the original settler of their property, there has been no straightforward guide to locally available materials. Aspiring genealogists may have the easiest job because of the large number of persons researching family history. Yet they too are often at a loss to locate the closest, most reliable resources. While researching Jefferson County's history, I have asked many of the questions these people might pose, and some of them have asked me how and where to look it up. The present work attempts to provide both general and specific guidance to resources for the study of Jefferson County through the publication of this research guide and the Bibliography CD which accompanies this work.

Although much has been written about Jefferson County, examining only county-related documents will not yield a full understanding of its history. To get a true sense of Jefferson County’s character, you must also examine it in the context of national and state events; explore the contributions from Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia; and understand its evolution from earlier counties. I have tried to include some sources that provide part of this necessary background. However, an extensive description of background sources is beyond the scope of this work.

This research guide includes 23 chapters, each dealing with some special topic or resource relevant to Jefferson County history. I have cited sources in many instances, but not exhaustively. For extensive listings on these and other topics, see the Bibliography on CD. Summaries of the chapters in this work follow.

Libraries and Museums describes the holdings of repositories throughout the country that include resources for the study of Jefferson County history. Where available, collection level descriptions of relevant materials have been included. Individually cataloged items have been included in the Bibliography.

Public Records provides an overview of what federal, state, county, and municipal records are available and where to find them. Present day Jefferson County has a complicated heritage. It was established in 1801 and was previously part of Berkeley County, Virginia (1772 to 1801); Frederick County, Virginia (1738 to 1772); Orange County, Virginia (1734 to 1738); and Spottsylvania County, Virginia (1720 to 1734). The county became part of West Virginia in 1863.

The School Records and Business Records chapters describe available information sources and methods for wringing information from them. Civil War describes the published works on the Civil War in Jefferson County as well as relevant regimental histories, diaries, and lists of local soldiers who served or died during the war. Church Records and Histories attempts to identify the local histories that have been published and where the records for these churches are available.

Newspapers and Periodicals provides a list of the known publications that reported the news for Jefferson County. To date, no systematic abstract of Jefferson County newspapers has been produced, but the Bibliography on CD that accompanies this work contains many newspaper citations. Newspaper abstracts are included in the Explorer Database, a CD of Jefferson County resources published several years earlier.

Personal Papers provides brief descriptions and location information for collections of private papers. Detailed collection descriptions for these resources are available in the Libraries and Museums chapters. Items that have been described individually are also searchable through the Bibliography. Cemetery Records reviews one of the major resources for obtaining information about births, deaths, and marriages, including tombstone inscriptions, cemetery records, public records, and newspapers. Genealogy includes a selective list of Jefferson County genealogies and local works that can be used to find additional information. General works on genealogy are not included.

Materials Related to John Brown provides an overview of the extensive list of John Brown references included in the Bibliography. This resource includes annotated citations for John Brown materials once owned by Boyd Stutler, those in the Boyd Stutler Collection in the West Virginia Archives, and other material of a national or local scope.

Maps describes both published and unpublished maps and surveys for Jefferson County and its predecessors. National Register Sites lists all of the properties currently recorded on the National Register for Historic Places for Jefferson County. More detailed information on these sites is available in the Bibliography.

Pictures and Photographs describes both published sources and repositories for Jefferson County images. Since many researchers may have their own historic photographs, this chapter also includes some basic information on copying and preserving photographs.

Archeology reviews the main reference works relevant to regional and West Virginia archeology and lists specific works that have been published about Jefferson County.

Oral Histories lists the limited number of local interviews that have been professionally conducted and transcribed and that meet technical and ethical criteria established in the field. Since many researchers may wish to use interviews to collect information, this chapter also includes some general guidelines for practicing oral history.

The Arts describes local contributors in the arts and humanities, those who have used Jefferson County as the subject of their work, and autobiographical and biographical materials by or about these contributors. African American Studies provides both primary and secondary resources for the study of local black history. Women’s Studies examines sources that provide information about Jefferson County women’s legal, economic, educational, and social status.

Agriculture reviews the major state and local sources providing information about farming in Jefferson County.

Internet Resources focuses on some of the well established sites that are likely to remain available, use of internet resources, and internet research techniques.

NEXT: 2. Libraries and Museums