West Virginia & Regional History Center University Libraries Newsletters

Spring 2001 WVRHC Newsletter, Spring 2001 & Regional History Center

Follow this and additional works at: https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/wvrhc-newsletters Part of the History Commons West Virginia and Regional History Collection NEWSLETTER

Volume 16, No. 2 West Virginia University Libraries Spring 2001

WARD ENGINEERING G UIDE B ooN TO STUDY OF humble Little , not much more than a trickle W EST VIRGINIA MARITIME H ISTORY in some places today, experienced an age of navigational The early decades of the twentieth century have been glory that is just a dim memory (see WVRHC Newsletter referred to as the "The Barge Age" in America by some Fall 1987). historians, due to the immense traffic in natural resources Considering the above, it really should be no surprise and other freight that moved along the nation's inland wa- that a small West Virginia engineering firm played a lead- terways during the period. Though rarely thought of today ing role in developing the technology that powered this as a maritime state, West Virginia's rivers were among the era. Based in Charleston, the Ward Engineering Company most crowded in the nation at the time. In fact, according revolutionized river navigation in America during the late to Charles Ambler, the Monongahela River was the busi- nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The company's est river in the world during the 1920s. The Ohio and achievements are documented in detail in the Ward Engi- Kanawha rivers were no doubt close behind. Even the neering Company archives at the Regional History Col- lection. An inventory and guide to the collection, which contains voluminous correspondence, business records, photographs, and nearly 5,000 technical draw- ings of boats and barges built by the company between the 1880s and 1930s, was recently com- pleted under the supervision of Assistant Curator Michael Ridderbusch. The work was sup- ported by a grant from the Sons and Daughters of Pioneer Rivermen. A shoemaker's son, Charles Ward grew up in Leamington, England, where he was appren- ticed to a pipe fitter at age six- teen. After working for gas and iron companies in Leamington and Liverpool, he emigrated to America during the early 1870s. The James Rumsey, ca. 1903. Nicknamed the "Little Giant," this famous towboat made history by proving the superiority of screw propulsion over the paddlewheel in a 1903 duel against the most Settling in Charleston, he re- renowned stern wheeler on the Kanawha River, the D.T. Lane. ceived employment supervising a new gas works and also opened a store that sold gas fit- tings and provided plumbing services. Ward soon left the gas company to concentrate his ef- forts upon designing and manufacturing steam boilers for transportational use. Rather than relying on traditional boiler design in which coils of hot air were used to bring drums of water to a boil, Ward developed a method in which Charles Ward coils of water were heated in a chamber of hot air. The (1841-1915), result represented a dramatic increase in heat production maritime engineer and founder of per unit of water. Ward tested his new design on a steam Ward Engineering, packet called the Wild Goose with mixed success during ca./890. the late 1870s. When he finally patented the Ward Water Tube Boiler in 1879, his new invention was met with skep- ticism by most riverboatmen who were accustomed to the old "Scotch Boiler" design. Yet, gradually over the next two decades, water tube boilers built by Ward and his com- petitors came to dominate the industry. Ward faced similar skepticism when he advocated the launched in 1902, the U.S. Government had every inten- elimination of the bulky, if picturesque, paddle wheel as a tion of holding him at his word. In response to ridicule by means of propulsion in favor of the screw propeller during veteran rivermen, an inspector from the Engineering the 1890s. After testing screw propulsion on small family Service's Pittsburgh Office was brought in to pass judg- yachts, Ward offered to build a towboat for the U.S. Engi- ment on the slender craft, which Ward had named the James neering Service that he claimed would be the equal of any Rumsey after the Shepherdstown steamboat pioneer. When boat then in government service. When the boat was the inspector pronounced it inferior to a sternwheeler, a (Continued on page 9)

The U.S. Lighthouse Tender, Greenbrier, was reportedly "the most beautiful steamboat ever built" in the Kanawha Valley. Launched on October 13, 1923, the boat's passengers included President and Mrs. Herbert Hoover.

2 A BRIEF GUIDE TO PUBLISHED R ESEARCH (3 vols., 1958). These are significant sources for brief RESOURCES IN THE WEST VIRGINIA AND biographies and family histories of West Virginians of state REGIONAL HISTORY COLLECTION and local prominence.

Harold Malcolm Forbes Of particular importance are the 51 volumes of the West Virginia Heritage Encyclopedia (Richwood, W.Va.: Jim Editor's note: Comstock, 1974-78). The first 25 volumes are a traditional To assist the many researchers who visit the Regional encyclopedia of names, places, and topics presented al- History Collection each year, Associate Curator Harold phabetically. Numerous entries in these first 25 volumes Forbes recently compiled the following guide to published refer to the second 25 volumes, which contain fuller treat- research resources available in the West Virginia Collec- ment of selected subjects and reprints of important works tion. The guide is a useful tool for embarking upon of West Virginia history. Volume 51 is an oversized "cof- research in literally any field ofWest Virginia history. As it fee-table book" of West Virginia pictures and portraits. references many publications, and also internet sites, that The published histories of West Virginia's communi- are accessible across the country, the guide is reprinted ties, counties, and regions include historical, biographical, here for the convenience of our readers. and genealogical data from the earliest settlements to the period immediately preceding the book's publication. Such STATE AND LOCAL HISTORY PUBLICATIONS local histories have been published in West Virginia since the 1870s. Citations to these histories may be found in The most comprehensive listing of published West Forbes' West Virginia History and in the online catalog. Virginia local histories, state histories, and biographies, For accessing these materials in either the card catalog or including books, pamphlets, and articles is: the online catalog, search by author or title, or perform a Harold M. Forbes. West Virginia History: A Bibliogra- subject headings search using the following formats: phy and Guide to Research. (Morgantown: West Brooke County Virginia University Press, 1981.) Jefferson County W Va This work includes bibliographies of each county and Kanawha County W Va-History region as well as sources for both common topics and spe- An excellent starting place for searching state history cial interest topics including Blennerhassett's Island, the on the World Wide Web is the West Virginia Archives and Mason-Dixon Line, mound builders, the Hatfield-McCoy History site: Feud, ghosts, folk music, the John Brown Raid on Harpers Ferry, religion, the salt industry, mineral springs and http://www. wvculture.org/history/index .htrnl others. When using the West Virginia Collection's card The following are useful sources for brief introductions catalog or MountainLynx online catalog to search for any to the history and geography of West Virginia's counties topic, users may construct subject searches according to and regions: the Library of Congress Subject Headings, the large red E. Lee North. The 55 West Virginias: A Guide to the volumes found near the computers. These volumes list the State 's Counties. Revised edition. (Morgantown: West precise headings that are used in the Libraries' catalogs. VIrginia University Press, 1998.) When a term in these volumes is followed by (May Subd Writers' Program. West Virginia. West Virginia, A Guide Geog), add -West Virginia to that subject heading in to the Mountain State. (New York: Oxford University order to narrow the search to entries concerning West Press, 1941. Reprinted: Richwood, W.Va., 1974; Virginia. St. Clair Shores, Mich., 1974.) The best general surveys of West Virginia state history include those written by Charles H. Ambler, James Morton Eminent West Virginia historians describe and exam- Callahan, Phil M. Conley, Oscar D. Lambert, Otis K. Rice, ine the available historical resources concerning politics, and John Alexander Williams. Many of the multi-volume education, economic history, labor, immigration and state histories also include extensive coverage oflocal his- ethnicity, women's history, African Americans, and envi- tory, biography, and family history; notable works in this ronmental issues in: category include those by: Bernard L. Butcher (3 vols., West Virginia History: Critical Essays on the Literature. 1912), Thomas C. Miller (3 vols., 1913), Sylvester Myers Edited by Ronald L. Lewis and John C. Hennen, Jr. (2 vols., 1915), James Morton Callahan (3 vols., 1923), (Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Pub. Co., 1993.) Morris P. Shawkey (5 vols., 1928), and Oscar D. Lambert

3 GENEALOGICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL REsouRcEs Val D. Greenwood. The Researcher's Guide to Ameri- A wide assortment of works with compilations of brief can Genealogy. 3rd edition. (Baltimore: Genealogical biographies of West Virginians of state and local promi- Publishing Co., 2000.) nence include: The Source: A Guidebook ofAmerican Genealogy. Bench and Bar of West Virginia (1919) Edited by Arlene Eakle and Johni Cerny. (Salt Lake Prominent Men of West Virginia (1890) City: Ancestry Publishing Co., 1984.) West Virginia Women (1974) Raymond S. Wright. The Genealogist's Handbook: Missing Chapters: West Virginia Women in History Modern Methods for Researching Family History. (2 volumes, 1983, 1986) (Chicago: American Library Association, 1995.) Encyclopaedia of Contemporary Biography of Milton Rubincam. Pitfalls in Genealogical Research. West Virginia (1894) (Salt Lake City: Ancestry Publishing, 1987.) Who's Who on the and Its (1931) Excellent guides to research resources available on the World Wide Web include the following: West Virginia: Special Limited Supplement (1928) Elizabeth Powell Crowe. Genealogy Online. Millen- Men of West Virginia (1903) nium edition. (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2000.) Outstanding West Virginians of 1969-1970 (1969) Cherri Melton Flinn. Genealogy Basics Online. Pioneer Leaders of Western Virginia (1935) (Cincinnati, Ohio: Muska & Lipman, 2000.) Talent and Courage: Outstanding West VIrginia Cyndi Howells. Cyndi's List: A Comprehensive List Women in the 1990s (1992) of 40,000 Genealogy Sites on the Internet. (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1999.) Progressive West Virginians (1905, 1923) Christina K. Schaefer. Instant Information on the West Virginia Today (1941) Internet! (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., A Reminiscent History of Northern West Virginia (1895) 1999.) West Virginians: A Work of Biography (1928) Barbara Renick and RichardS. Wilson. The Internet West Virginians of 1934-1935 ( 1935) for Genealogists: A Beginner's Guide. (La Habra, CA: Compuology, 1998.) Who's Who in West Virginia (1916, 1939, 1983) Thomas Jay Kemp. Virtual Roots: A Guide to Geneal- Additional printed sources for biography include the ogy and Local History on the World Wide Web. Personal Name Index, a card index for 50 works of West (Wilmington, Del.: Scholarly Resources, 1997.) Virginia history, and the West Virginia Civil War Union Soldiers Index. Both are located in the West Virginia http://www.libraries. wvu.edu/wvcollection Collection's Robert C. Byrd Reading Room. The West Vir- http://rootsweb.com/-wvgenweb/ ginia Heritage Encyclopedia is also an excellent source http://rootsweb.com/-hcpd/ for biographical sketches of hundreds of West Virginians. Individual works of family history can be identified http://cyndislist.com/wvhtm by searching for the family name in the card catalog, http://wvculture.org/history/genealog.html the online catalog, and the various guides to manuscripts. When conducting genealogical research into West Vir- When searching, users should treat the family name as a ginia historical resources, the following will provide es- subject heading, for example, Chapman Family, or sential information: Morgan Family. Genealogy at the West Virginia and Regional History The West Virginia Collection holds numerous guides Collection. (West Virginia and Regional History and bibliographies to assist researchers in conducting ge- Collection, 1986.) nealogical or biographical searches. Researchers without previous knowledge or training in genealogical research Carol McGinnis. West Virginia Genealogy: Sources would find it useful to consult introductory guides, such & Resources. (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing as the following, before starting research: Co., 1988.)

4 HelenS. Stinson. A Handbook for Genealogical Christina K. Schaefer. The Center: A Guide to Genea- Research in West Virginia (initial volume, 1981; three logical Research in the National Capital Area. (Balti- volumes, 1994.) more: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1996.) Rebecca H. Good and Rebecca A. Ebert. Finding Your John J. Newman. American Naturalization Records, People in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. 3rd edition. 1790-1990: What They Are and How to Use Them. (Bowie, MD: Heritage Books, 1993.) Includes four 2nd ed. (Bountiful, Utah: Heritage Quest, 1998.) West Virginia counties. Eric G. Grundset and Steven B. Rhodes. American Patrick G. Wardell. Timesaving Aid to Virginia-West Genealogical Research at the DAR, Washington, D.C. Virginia Ancestors. 4 volumes. (Athens, Ga.: Iberian (Washington, D.C.: National Society, Daughters of the Press, 1985-1990.) American Revolution, 1997.) Bertram H. Groene. Tracing Your Civil War Ancestor. James C. Neagles. U.S. Military Records: A Guide to 4th edition. (Winston-Salem, N.C.: John F. Blair, 1995.) Federal and State Sources, Colonial America to the Present. (Salt Lake City: Ancestry, 1994.) George K. Schweitzer. Civil War Genealogy: A Basic Research Guide for Tracing Your Civil War Ancestors. The Handy Book for Genealogists: United States (Knoxville, TN: G.K. Schweitzer, 1980.) of America. 9th edition. (Logan, Utah: Everton The numerous guides and handbooks that deal with spe- Publishers, 1999.) cialized aspects of genealogical research can provide Elizabeth Petty Bentley. County Courthouse Book. essential guidance to the novice researcher as well as the 2nd edition. (Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1995.) experienced family historian: Genealogical and Local History Books in Print. 5th Elizabeth Shown Mills. Evidence! Citation & Analysis edition. (Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1996-1997.) for the Family Historian. (Baltimore: Genealogical Pub Genealogical researchers can find much helpful advice Co., 1997.) in the numerous specialized guides for researching ances- Noel C. Stevenson. Genealogical Evidence: A Guide tors of a particular national or ethnic background, such as to the Standard of Proof Relating to Pedigrees, Ancestry, Irish-Americans, Hispanic, Italian-Americans, Polish, Heirship and Family History. Revised edition. (Laguna African-Americans, English, Native Americans, etc. Hills, Calif.: Aegean Park Press, 1989.) Barbara Jean Evans. A to Zax: A Comprehensive WEST VIRGINIA NEWSPAPERS Dictionary for Genealogists & Historians. (Alexandria, The West Virginia and Regional History Collection VA: Hearthside Press, 1995.) maintains an extensive collection of West Virginia news- Ancestry's Concise Genealogical Dictionary. Compiled papers dating from 1790 to the present. West Virginia News- by Maurine and Glen Harris. (Salt Lake City: Ancestry, papers, 1790-1990: A Union List describes specific 1989.) holdings for about 1200 West Virginia newspapers that are available on microfilm at the Collection. The West Genealogical research in the West Virginia Collection Virginia University Libraries receives and preserves almost inevitably leads researchers to other archives and on microfilm all the newspapers that are currently pub- research libraries across the country. Included among lished in the state. Current issues of state newspapers the published guides to important sources of American are held at the Periodicals Department in Wise Library. records are: The list of currently received titles is available at The Source: A Guidebook ofAmerican Genealogy. http://www.libraries.wvu.edu/wvcollectionlnewspapers. Edited by Arlene Eakle and Johni Cerny. (Salt Lake Newspapers are microfilmed after the daily or weekly City: Ancestry Publishing Co., 1984.) issues have accumulated for one to two years, and the United States. National Archives and Records Service. microfilm is available at the West Virginia and Regional Guide to Genealogical Research in the National History Collection. Archives. 3 volumes. (Washington: National Archives Information about the holdings of a particular newspa- Trust Fund Board, 1997.) per can be located in the MountainLynx online catalog by James C. Neagles. The Library of Congress: A Guide to searching the title of the newspaper. To determine which Genealogical and Historical Research. (Salt Lake City: newspapers are available for a particular West Virginia city Ancestry Publishing, 1990.) or town, perform a Guided Keyword search. Enter the name of the town in the first "Search for" box. In the second

5 "Search for" box enter the words daily weekly newspaper West Virginia Gazetteer of Physical and Cultural Place and then change all of these to any of these. Click on Names. (Morgantown: West Virginia Geological and "Search." Economic Survey, 1986.) Several newspaper indexes are also available. The West Virginia Geographic Names. (Reston, Va.: Charleston Newspaper Index from 1973 to 1988 is avail- U.S.G.S. Topographic Division, 1981.) ..: able .in book format. The searchable web site for the A Guide to Pronunciation of Place Names in West CharlestonNewspapers' News Library beginning with Janu- Virginia. 5th edition. (Morgantown: West Virginia ary 1985 is accessible online at http:/!library.cnpapers.com./ University, Office of Publications, 1995.) Published indexes also exist for Clarksburg newspapers for the years 1810 to 1825, Kanawha Valley newspapers from Henry Gannett. A Gazetteer of Virginia and West 1855 to 1865, the Martinsburgh Gazette published from Virginia. (Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co., 1975.) 1810 to 1855, and Mannington newspapers from Hamill Kenny. West Virginia Place Names, Their 1890 to 1899. Origin and Meaning. (Piedmont, W.Va.: The Place Name Press, 1945.) MArs, ATLAsEs, AND GAZETTEERS

Sources for West Virginia maps include atlases, history DOCUMENTARY SOURCES books, and the extensive collection of individual maps The following historical document compilations con- which are available at the West Virginia and Regional His- sist of reprinted and annotated manuscripts, early publica- tory Collection. In addition to statewide, regional, and tions, excerpts from government reports, and selected ar- county atlases, local histories frequently include detailed ticles from early newspapers and periodicals. Such re- maps. Atlases are a good place to start in the search for sources are valuable because they provide contemporary specific counties, towns, districts, mountains, rivers, and documentation of important people, places, and events in other geographical locations. the history of West Virginia from 1609 to 1990. White's New County and District Atlas of the State of The Thirty-Fifth State: A Documentary History of West Virginia. (Philadelphia: S. A. Mitchell, 1873.) West Virginia. Edited by Elizabeth Cometti and Sam E. Clagg and Robert L. Britton. West Virginia Festus P. Summers. (Morgantown: West Virginia Atlas. (Huntington: Marshall College, 1955.) University Library, 1966.) West Virginia Atlas & Gazetteer. (Yarmouth, Maine: Chronology and Documentary Handbook of the DeLorme, 1997.) State of West Virginia. Robert I. Vexler, State Editor. New Descriptive Atlas ofWest Virginia. (Clarksburg: (Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.: Oceana Publications, 1978.) Clarksburg Publishing Co.,1933.) West Virginia: Documents in the History ofa Rural- C. J. Puetz. West Virginia County Maps. (Lyndon Industrial State. 2nd edition. Editors, Ronald L. Lewis Station, WI: Puetz Place, 1988.) and John C. Hennen, Jr. (Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Co., 1996.) Edgar B. Sims. Making a State: Formation of West Virginia, including Maps, Illustrations, Plats, Grants, and the Acts ... Creating the Counties. (Charleston: State CouNTY CouRT RECORDS of West Virginia,l956.) County records are essential resources for historical and genealogical research. Records from the offices of county Fire Insurance Maps from the Sanborn Map Company clerks and circuit clerks include deeds, surveys, property Archives, late 19th Century to 1989: West Virginia. tax lists, business licenses, voter registration, election re- Original maps (A&M 1307) and 10 microfilm reels turns, school reports, naturalizations, road maintenance, (W 1526). births and deaths, marriages, wills, estate settlements, crimi- Peter Lessing and Nora L. Simcoe. Catalog of West nal trials, and various other types of official court func- Virginia Maps. ([Morgantown] West Virginia Geological tions. Many of the court records from the 18th, 19th, and and Economic Survey, 1988.) 20th centuries are preserved at the West Virginia and In addition to maps, useful sources listing and locating Regional History Collection. Others are still held in the geographical features include gazetteers, place name di- state's court houses. rectories, history books, and post office directories, such as the following:

6 The earliest court records in published form are from Hampshire, Harrison, and Monongalia. These were Augusta County, the District of West Augusta, Yohogania published as: County, and Ohio County. Augusta County records (1745- United States Bureau of the Census. Heads of Families 1800) were abstracted by Lyman Chalkley. Records for at the First Census of the United States Taken in the Year southwestern Pennsylvania and northwestern West Virginia 1790-Records of the State Enumerations: 1782-1785, for the years prior to 1785, when both Virginia and Penn- Virginia. (Washington: Government Printing Office, sylvania claimed the region, are in the books edited by 1908. Reprinted: Baltimore, 1966 and 1970; Bountiful, Boyd Crumrine and Richard W. Loveless. Kenneth Fischer Utah, 1978.) Craft is currently issuing a series of indexes for the court records of Ohio County and Brooke County. Seven vol- The counties not included in that publication were sub- umes of the Ohio County index and nine volumes of the sequently covered in the following book: Brooke County index have been published so far. Augusta B. Fothergill and John Mark Naugle. Virginia In a continuing series of volumes, Melba Pender Zinn Tax Payers, 1782-87. (Richmond, 1940. Reprinted: has transcribed and indexed the records of the district, su- Baltimore, 1966.) perior, and county courts of Monongalia County, chrono- Beginning with the 1810 census, census takers collected logically covering the years 1776-1822. Court records of social and economic statistics, including data on manufac- Greenbrier County, including surveys, deeds, tax lists, court tures, agriculture and industry, along with the names and minutes, marriages, deaths, and wills, have been abstracted numbers of people. and indexed by Larry G. Shuck. Several books of the early Census returns for Virginia from 1810 through 1860 and 19th century court records of Cabell County have being for West Virginia from 1870 to 1920 are available on mi- abstracted by Carrie Eldridge. crofilm. Published indexes are available for all counties Numerous other publications provide transcriptions, froml810 through 1850 and for 1870 and 1880. Indexes abstracts, or indexes for the information found in county for some but not all counties, from 1860 through 1920 are court records, including births, marriages, deaths, wills, also available in printed form. Indexes for the 1880, 1900, public service claims, and naturalizations. These may be 1910, and 1920 census returns, known as the Soundex, are located by searching appropriate subject headings in available on microfilm and computer disk. Most MountainLynx: of the 1890 census was destroyed by a fire, and only the Court records special census of Civil War veterans and widows survives for that enumeration. Registers of births, etc. Census returns through 1840 include the name of only Marriage records the head of the household and the number of other family Naturalization records members, which are enumerated according to sex and age groups. Beginning with 1850, the name of each free per- Wills son in the household is recorded with his or her age, race, Land grants sex, and place of birth. Separate slave schedules for 1850 Add -West Virginia or-Virginia to any of these subject and 1860 include the name of the slave owner, but not the headings to geographically focus the search. names of the slaves. For the census years from 1850 to 1880, records of persons who died during the preceding year (called mortality schedules) are available on micro- CENSUS RECORD film and in printed form. In order to protect the privacy of The federal government has enumerated the population those whose names appear in the census records, popula- of the United States every ten years since the first time in tion schedules are closed to researchers for 72 years after 1790. Census records provide various types of informa- the census is taken. tion depending upon the data that was collected. Different In searching the card catalog or the MountainLynx online information was recorded in every census count. Additional catalog for references to census records and census indexes, types of information were gathered with each new census. perform subject searches using these subject heading Although the 1790 and 1800 census were strictly popu- formats: lation counts, the returns for Virginia have not survived. West Virginia-Census 1880 A substitute for the 1790 census was constructed from the 1782-1785 state tax enumerations of the following Harrison County W Va-Census 1850 counties that are now part of West Virginia: Greenbrier,

7 Statistics and statistical analysis based upon the data West Virginia Business & Economic Review. collected during the census enumerations from 1910 (Morgantown: West Virginia University College of through 1990 may be found using the following subject Business and Economics, Bureau of Business and heading formats: Economic Research) West Virginia-Census 1990 West Virginia County Profiles. (Charleston: West West Virginia-Population Virginia Bureau of Employment Programs, Office of Labor and Economic Research) West Virginia-Population-Statistics West Virginia Economic-Statistical Profile. (Charleston: West Virginia Chamber of Commerce) SOURCES FOR STATISTICS West VIrginia Economic Summary: A Monthly Listed here are selected statistical reports that are is- Newsletter on Economic Activity in West Virginia. sued on a periodic basis. In addition to these, the annual (Charleston: West Virginia Bureau of Employment reports of state agencies, federal agencies, and businesses Programs, Office of Labor and Economic Research) are valuable sources for statistics. Annual Report, Vital Health Statistics of West Virginia. West Virginia Higher Education Report Card. (Charleston: West Virginia Bureau for Public Health, (Charleston: State College and University Systems of Health Statistics Center) West Virginia) County Business Patterns: West Virginia. (Washington, West Virginia Report Cards: State, County, & School DC: U.S. Bureau of the Census) Data. (Charleston: West Virginia Department of Education) Crime in West Virginia. Formerly: Annual Uniform Crime Report. (South Charleston: West Virginia West Virginia Statistical Abstract. (Morgantown: Department of Public Safety, Uniform Crime West Virginia University Bureau of Business Research) Reporting Section) West VIrginia University Statistical Profiles. Hourly Precipitation Data: West Virginia. (Asheville, (Morgantown: West Virginia University Office of NC: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Institutional Analysis and Planning) National Climatic Data Center) Local Climatological Data: Elkins, WV. (Asheville, NC:

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, VISITING COMMITTEE, WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES National Climatic Data Center) Statistical Handbook. (Charleston: West Virginia John E. Stealey, III, Chairman, Shepherdstown Research League) Amanda Cox, Charleston Statistical Profile of Higher Education in West Virginia. (Charleston: State College and University Systems of J. Hornor Davis, IV, Charleston West Virginia) William Maxwell Davis, Charleston Statistics. Formerly: Human Services Statistics. (Charleston: West Virginia Department of Health and Elizabeth H. Guiher, New York, N.Y. Human Resources, Office of Audit, Research and Analysis) James M. Guiher, New York, N.Y. West Virginia Agricultural Statistics. (Charleston: Beth Hager, Harrisburg, P.a. West Virginia Agricultural Statistics Service, U. S. Department of Agriculture, and West Virginia Joseph C. Jefferds, Jr., Charleston Department of Agriculture) Vaughn L. Kiger, Morgantown

Brooks McCabe, Charleston

Merle Moore, Webster Springs

Richard R. Strother, Washington, D.C. (Ward Engineering from page 2) With the failing of Ward's health, Charles Ward's son, Edwin, assumed stewardship of the company in 1909. duel was arranged between the Rumsey and the When Charles Ward died on January 7, 1915, he left an stem wheeler D. T. Lane, one of the most powerful boats on admirable legacy-from humble beginnings his company the Kanawha. had achieved a position of leadership in marine engineer- Thousands of spectators lined the banks of the Kanawha ing recognized around the world. as the Rumsey and the Lane were lashed together on Satur- Continuing in his father's footsteps, in the ensuing day, March 7, 1902, on the Charleston riverfront. To many decades Edwin Ward developed Ward Engineering into a it appeared to be a battle between David and Goliath, as major supplier of "shallow draught" boats capable of func- indeed it proved to be. Despite a poor start, the Rumsey tioning in as little as two feet of water. The times were ripe was soon pushing the Lane about at will as the throng for such craft as this was truly the heyday of the barge age. looked on in amazement. In the words of a Pittsburgh From 1920 to 1930 Ward Engineering produced about 80 Gazette correspondent who was in attendance, the sight of hulls and many more boilers for vessels such as barges, the powerful "Little Giant" manhandling the majestic D. T. ferries, lighthouse tenders, packet boats, and towboats for Lane was one that "broke old hearts and changed a river service throughout the United States and beyond. axiom" forever. Among the most impressive boats built by the com- Though the advantages of screw propulsion were con- pany during this period was the immense ferryboat Sainte vincingly demonstrated in this and subsequent trials, Genevieve. Constructed to transport railroad cars across acceptance came slowly, compelling Ward Engineering to the , the craft was 360 feet in length and continue manufacturing stem wheel vessels while simulta- could carry as many as 21 freight cars in a single trip. The neously developing and building propeller-powered craft. Vicksburg (1921) and the Indiana (1930) were the most

The 720 H.P. Diesel Towboat Duncan Bruce, July 1927. Due to irregularities in its operation, this craft was nicknamed the "Drunken Brute."

9 powerful boats ever built by Ward, each with 2500 horse- and masts and pilot houses. The types of vessels docu- power. The U.S. Lighthouse Tender Greenbrier was re- mented are diverse, including barges, derrick boats, portedly "the most beautiful steamboat ever built" in the dredges, ferries, inspection boats, lighthouse tenders, packet Kanawha Valley. President and Mrs. Hoover rode the boats, snag boats, survey boats, towboats, and assorted Greenbrier during a regatta celebrating the completion of other crafts. In their scope and diversity, the Ward draw- the canalization of the Ohio River by the Ohio Valley ings have much to contribute to an understanding of the Improvement Association in 1929. history of marine technology. With the onset of the Great Depression, declining Also included in the Ward Engineering Collection are health, resistance to unionization, and increasing govern- more than 60 feet of business correspondence and finan- ment regulation combined to induce Edwin Ward to close cial records, primarily for the period 1917-1931, regard- the Ward Engineering plant in December 1931. Thus ended ing all aspects of the company's operations. Since many a notable chapter in the history of maritime technology. of the clients represented in these documents were located in Charleston, the records afford much insight into the city's THE GUIDE TO THE WARD ENGINEERING COLLECTION economy and industry during the early 20th century. An The Guide to the Ward Engineering Collection repre- additional quantity of Ward family and business records sents a detailed finding aid to one of the premier collec- include title papers, real estate documents, insurance tions in "barge age" American navigational history, a field records, deeds, leases, and title reports, dating from 1871 in which there is a surprising dearth of information. The to the 1940s. Last but not least, the Collection contains a largest component of the Guide consists of an item level wealth of photographic documentation of boats and boil- inventory to some 4600 technical drawings, most dating ers manufactured by Ward Engineering between the 1890s from 1910 to 1930. The drawings provide thorough docu- and 1930s. mentation of the innovative marine technology developed To learn more about the Ward Engineering Company by Ward Engineering, including plans for boilers, diesel readers are referred to: George Parkinson and Brooks engines, fuel oil systems, gear drives, generators, paddle McCabe's "Charles Ward and James Rumsey: Regional wheels, propellers, rudders, and so forth. Other drawings Innovation in Steam Technology on the West Rivers" in include plans for bulkheads, cabins, decks, engine rooms, West Virginia History, 39 (January-April1978), 143-180.

General Arrangement Plan of the Diesel Towboat Duncan Bruce, reprint from Marine Engineering and Shipping Age, October 1927.

Have you ever wondered what the future holds for the West Virginia and Regional History Collection? If so, perhaps you've thought of helping out through a gift in your will. The WVU Foundation would be pleased help you explore the many different options that exist to turn your wish into a reality. Call 1-800-847-3856 to learn more!

10 SELECTED RECENT ACCESSIONS:

Morgan Shirtmakers. Records, ca. 1937-1994. 1 ft, gift, 2000. A&M 3370. Records of the Morgan Shirtmakers, a shirt manufacturer located in Marilla Park of Morgantown, W.Va. The com- pany was originally a plant of the Raritan Shirt Company of New Brunswick, N.J. The Morgantown factory began operating in 1937. During World War II the plant assisted the war effort by making shirts for the military. Primarily, though, the factory produced men's high fashion semi-cus- tom shirts for major labels including Brooks Brothers and Saks Fifth Avenue. For a period beginning in the late 1940s it also produced ladies shirts and opened a second plant in Grafton, W.Va. With corporate ownership changes in the 1980s and 1990s, it was by 1994 the company's last remaining U.S. plant in which only men's shirts were made. Records include a corporate profile, plant inventory, financial records, personnel records, equipment manuals and general sewing data.

Velma Miller, owner of Miller's Wallpaper and Paint Co., and member of the Morgantown Chamber of Commerce, dons a hard hat at a Chamber function on site at the Morgantown Energy Center in May 1976.

workplace pay to domestic violence. There are several items of the WVU Women's Centenary Project. These include scrapbooks such as that of Carrie Kathryn Fleming (Class of 1920), the constitution and by-laws of the 1899 formation of the WVU sorority, Phi Pi Alpha, and a project time capsule. Local history resources include the papers of the Morgantown Glassware Guild, the Velma Miller papers, and those of J. Guthrie. The J. Guthrie papers (1938- 1975) concern Home Economics and consist primarily of photographs and guest registers. The Velma Miller papers are those of a local interior decorator who owned Miller's Wallpaper & Paint Co. and who was a prominent member

West Virginia and Regional History Collection NEWSLETTER. Employees at work in the Morgan Shirt Factory, ca. 1950. The A publication of the West Virginia and Regional History Collection, factory made high fashion shirts for major labels inclduing Brooks Special Collections, West Virginia University Libraries, Colson Hall, Brothers and Saks Fith Avenue from 1946-1996. P.O. Box 6464, Morgantown, WV 26506-6464. (304) 293-3536.

West Virginia University Women's Centenary. STAFF: David Bartlett, John Cuthbert, Harold Forbes, Archives, 1893-1998, 15ft. Gift, 2001. A&M 3376. Kathleen Kennedy, Michael Ridderbuscb, Delilah Scritchfield, Judy Sirk, Michael Thobois, Francisco Tovar, Christelle Venham. West Virginia University Women's Studies papers, par- ticularly local women's history collected by Lillian Waugh. EDITOR: John Cuthbert Copyright 2001 by WVU Libraries There are conference papers of the WVU Women's Stud- ISSN 1041-8695 ies Department covering a range of issues from female

11 of the Morgantown Chamber of Com- merce, presiding over the latter during the U.S. Bicentennial. The Morgantown Glassware Guild papers are mainly busi- ness correspondence and company audits. In existence from the early years to the middle of the twentieth century, it was partly owned and managed by Mrs. Arthur Mayer.

Hill Family. Papers, 1975-1995,2 ft. Gift, 2000. A&M 3367. Genealogical research papers document- ing the Hill Family in West Virginia and elsewhere from approximately the 1700s to 1800s. Included are correspondence, clippings, photocopies of original docu- ments and other manuscripts. Members of WVU's Phi Epsilon Omicron pose at a rural retreat, location unknown, ca. 1925.

West Virginia and Regional History Collection NEWSLETTER Nonprofit Organization Colson Hall U.S. Postage PO Box 6464 PAID Morgantown, WV Morgantown WV 26506-6464 Permit No. 34

The Duncan Bruce, a.k.a. "Drunken Brute," see story, p. 1. 4919

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