This October, throughout the month, the West Virginia Caucus of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference (MARAC) is celebrating the second annual West Virginia Archives month by asking Mountain State Archives to share their events and collections on archivingwestvirginia.org. The mission of Archiving West Virginia, launched in 2016, is to host an online directory of archival repositories around the…
From Camp Lee to the Great War: The Experiences of Two World War I Soldiers Told Through Their Letters Home to West Virginia
About a year ago, Margie Richey contacted Jon-Erik Gilot, the Archivist of the Diocese. She said she had some WWI letters from two relatives to share. Jon-Erik informed me and we met with Margie, who gave us permission to scan the letters and photographs. Jon-Erik then rehoused the collection archivally for Margie and her family.…
Wheeling vs. Charleston: West Virginia’s “Floating Capital/Capitol”
by Sean Duffy As any good West Virginian knows, our state was born of the Civil War, officially joining the Union on June 20, 1863. Our historic break with Richmond is a point of pride and the reason we become so indignant when non-West Virginians still seem to regard us as just another part of…
When Hollywood Came to West Virginia
A Premier Premiere Collection The night was finally here. After months of anticipation and preparation, the streets of Wheeling were packed with more than 12,000 fans awaiting glimpses of their favorite Hollywood stars. [1] Wheeling’s own Court Theatre was hosting the world premiere of The Fool’s Parade, and an elaborate parade had been staged to…
Bethany College, The Upper Ohio Valley Collection
– submitted by Sharon Monigold, Reference, Instruction and Archives Librarian, Bethany College The T.W. Phillips Memorial Library at Bethany College houses numerous archival and special collections including: the Bethany College archives, the Alexander Campbell collection, the James Hazlett Civil War collection, and the local history holdings that comprise the Upper Ohio Valley Collection. The Upper…
Marshall University Special Collections Welcomes Political Consultant’s Papers
by Tiffany Davis, University Communications Office, Marshall University Marshall University has acquired the papers of the late political consultant Matthew A. Reese from the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum in Boston. Reese was a native of Huntington, West Virginia, and a 1950 graduate of Marshall. He came onto the national political scene in 1960 when…
Thousands of Photographs from Senator Rockefeller’s Collection Available Online
West Virginia University Libraries’ West Virginia & Regional History Center has released more than 1,500 digital photographs from the Senator John D. Rockefeller IV archives. Available from the Libraries’ website, the photographs document many significant moments from Rockefeller’s 30 years in the U.S. Senate. The images, taken by the Senate Photographic Studio, begin with the…
Ask An Archivist Day 2016
October 5 is Ask an Archivist Day. Archivists from around the country will respond to questions on Twitter with the hashtag #AskAnArchivist, and it’s a great opportunity to learn more about archives. Questions can range from the silly to the serious, and participants are encouraged to ask about archives generally, specific collections, or preserving personal materials. For…