WEST VIRGINIA Archives and History NEWS From the Editor: VOLUME XIII, No. 5 Always remember there is a difference between history and historical JULY 2012 dramatization, and within history itself, often a difference between interpretations of primary source records and extrapolation of possible events and actions implied by those records or the known personal Archives and History News natures of the subjects, but not actually recorded. Even the best is available on the historian will have personal prejudices and theories that consciously or subconsciously shape the choice of what part of a topic to write, and what Archives and History Web site http://www.wvculture.org/history/ evidence to use and what to discard as unreliable. Unless a production is ahnews/ahnews.html billed as a documentary or the book classified as non-fiction, authors and scriptwriters are free to invent dialogue never spoken, describe events that never occurred, and even to ignore proven fact in favor of improving their storyline and action. Enjoy the movies, television programs and novels, but do not accept them as history. Archives Photo Gallery Online Since September 2009 West Virginia wvculture.org/history/picoftheweek/ exhibit is about to be replaced, so the Archives and History has been picsoftheweek1.html. Some have outgoing exhibit images are already displaying themed selections from been chosen for their humor, some online. Please direct questions and the Archives Photograph Collection for historic significance, and others comments about the Photo Gallery in an exhibit area off the Great Hall for their striking photography. images by e-mail to photo archivist in the Culture Center. The displays Additional displays will be made Debra Basham, debra.a.basham@ may also include reproductions of available online as time nears for a wv.gov, or to archival photographer relevant documents held in the change in the physical gallery. For Ed Hicks, [email protected], or Archives. Now the images displayed instance, the current Civil War 1862 call them at (304) 558-0230. in the Archives and History Photo Gallery are available to everyone in July 10 Library Program to Look at online exhibits. Visit our Web site at Hatfield-McCoy Feud http://www.wvculture.org/history/ gallery/photogallery.html to view On July 10, 2012, Randy Marcum Vance family members using a variety the following displays: John Brown, will present “Hatfield and McCoy of historical sources. He plans to Schools, 1960 Primary, Civil War Feud: Complex Individuals, Complex examine the role of some lesser 1861, Pic of the Week, Mountain Events” at the Tuesday evening known characters associated with State Forest Festival, and Civil War lecture in the Archives and History the feud: Valentine Hatfield (elder 1862. The editor’s personal favorite Library in the Culture Center in brother of Devil Anse), Alexander is Pic of the Week, an entertaining Charleston. The program will begin Messer (Hatfield supporter), and variety of photographs once featured at 6:00 p.m. and is free and open to William Dyke Garrett (Devil Anse’s as Archives Pic of the Week on our the public. friend and preacher). Other topics Web site. To view additional Pic Marcum will briefly describe the to be covered briefly will be various of the Week photos not included timeline of feud events and discuss court proceedings, land dealings, in the exhibit, go to http://www. the legal troubles of both Hatfield and Continued on the next page WEST VIRGINIA Archives and History NEWS JULY 2012 More about Continued from page 1 president of the Wayne County and timber operations of Devil Anse Genealogical and Historical Society. Photographs Hatfield. West Virginia Archives On July 10, the library will All online photo collections as well as and History photographs, books, close at 5 p.m. and reopen at 5:45 other information about photographs and legal documents will be used to p.m. for participants only. For and the Archives Photograph illustrate the events discussed. planning purposes, participants Collection are available through links Marcum has lived most of his are encouraged to register for the posted at http://www.wvculture.org/ life in West Virginia; his family has lecture, but advance registration is history/photographs.html. Online lived in the Tug River valley since not required to attend. To register collections can be searched through the early 1800s. He is a graduate in advance, contact Robert Taylor, the West Virginia Memory Project of the University of Rio Grande, library manager, by e-mail at database, http://www.wvculture.org/ Rio Grande, Ohio, and presently [email protected] or at (304) history/wvmemory/index.html. If works at West Virginia Archives and 558-0230, ext. 163. Participants you don’t find what you want online, History, where he assists in county interested in registering by e-mail click the links for “Cabinet Files” records preservation for the Records should send their name, telephone and “Portrait Files” to see a list of Management and Preservation number and the name and date of the topics/people represented in a small Board. His hobbies include motor- session. For additional information, portion of the Photograph Collection cycle riding, woodworking, and West contact the Archives and History known as “Archives Collection.” Virginia history. He is the current Library at (304) 558-0230. There are thousands of other items [This article originally was prepared by Mary Johnson for the Archives and in the photo collections, however. History Web site based on information provided by Randy Marcum.] Not all are actual photographs--some are drawings, some have been copied from print publications or paintings, Evening Workshops and Lecture Schedule or other type of image. If you are Date Conducted by: Subject seeking an image of an event or person before the era of photography, August 7 Jeff Pierson They’re from Here?: Artists from the we still may have something you Tuesday Mountain State can use. Images printed or digitally lifted August 9 Susan Scouras West Virginia Cookbooks from the Web site are “watermarked” Thursday as property of the West Virginia September 4 Dean Six American Glass State Archives and may only be Tuesday copied for personal use. If you find a photo you would like to have October 2 Stan Postcards of West Virginia unmarked for your personal use, Tuesday Bumgardner copies can be purchased as prints or November 13 Dr. Kenneth R. “Scratch ‘em and Sue ‘em” as digital files. Images may also be Tuesday Bailey purchased for commercial business or non-profit organizational use Registration for these free workshops is helpful but not required. Call our office at (304) 558-0230, or e-mail [email protected]. under signed agreements. Fees and conditions for use can be found at Workshops are held 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the West Virginia Archives and http://www.wvculture.org/history/ History Library, The Culture Center, Charleston, West Virginia. rules/rulesmain.html. Agreements may be made for non-profit and educational use. Check out Archives and History’s If you have photographs you YouTube and Facebook Pages would like to donate to West Virginia Archives and History, please e-mail http://www.youtube.com/user/wvarchivesandhistory photo archivist Debra Basham, http://www.facebook.com/pages/West-Virginia-Archives- [email protected], or and-History/168933289812323 Continued on page 4 Page 2 WEST VIRGINIA Archives and History NEWS JULY 2012 Learn about FamilySearch and Searching the by e-mail should send their name, telephone number and the name and 1940 Census at July 12 Library Program date of the session. For additional in- On July 12, 2012, Mary Glass will or at (304) 558-0230, ext. 163. Par- formation, contact the Archives and present “Getting the Most Out of ticipants interested in registering History Library at (304) 558-0230. FamilySearch.org and Searching [This article originally was prepared by Mary Johnson for the Archives and the 1940 Census” at the Thursday History Web site based on information provided by Mary Glass] evening lecture in the Archives and History Library in the Culture Center in Charleston. The program Clarification of Family Tree Magazine Statement will begin at 6:00 p.m. and is free and about Early W. Va. Birth Records open to the public. In the “Now What?” column by David register. Each time a person was Glass will discuss accessing and A. Fryxell, Family Tree Magazine, entered in the record as having utilizing information available in the May/June 2012, a reader asked the been accepted into the “poor farm” recently released 1940 United States question: “How can I find birth to live, a birth year as given by the census and tips on accessing the records in West Virginia before applicant was recorded. Indexers vast resources pertaining to West 1850?” As most of you know, the entered these all as birth records, Virginia that are available at http:// correct response is that there are no some of them multiple times for the www.familysearch.org. Free and official birth records before 1853 for same person, as people came and left public access to the 1940 census Virginia (including the counties that and then returned to the institution. and other documents are online later formed West Virginia), because Because a number of these people at the FamilySearch site and are that was when the law was passed were born before 1853, these years rapidly being indexed. These include mandating county clerks to collect show on the index. original federal documents, as well birth and death records for the first Other records, interestingly, as original documents housed within time. No clerk in a western Virginia were submitted for persons born the state of West Virginia, books, county had recorded any births or before 1853 by their children or genealogies of families and free deaths up to that time.