Research in West Virginia Genealogy, Facts and Records Resources

Welcome to the West Virginia family history research page. Here you'll find record collection links, history, and genealogy resources to help you trace your West Virginia ancestors.

West Virginia is a place of gorgeous scenery and unique culture, but it also has a very long history. Someone may search the records in the state for information about their Native American heritage, their Civil War ancestors, and more. This article is going to briefly address the best methods to use when looking for West Virginia genealogy materials of many different kinds.

Select a West Virginia County Below

Barbour, Berkeley, Boone, Braxton, Brooke, Cabell, Calhoun, Clay, Doddridge, Fayette, Gilmer, Grant, Greenbrier, Hampshire, Hancock, Hardy, Harrison, Jackson, Jefferson, Kanawha, Lewis, Lincoln, Logan, Marion, Marshall, Mason, McDowell, Mercer, Mineral, Mingo, Monongalia, Monroe, Morgan, Nicholas, Ohio, Pendleton, Pleasants, Pocahontas, Preston, Putnam, Raleigh, Randolph, Ritchie, Roane, Summers, Taylor, Tucker, Tyler, Upshur, Wayne, Webster, Wetzel, Wirt, Wood, Wyoming

West Virginia Facts

West Virginia's early history from 1609 until 1863 is largely shared with Virginia, of which it was a part until Virginia seceded from the Union in 1861. The delegates of the 40 western counties who opposed secession formed their own government, which was granted statehood in 1863.

In 1731 Morgan Morgan established the first permanent white settlement on Mill Creek in present-day Berkeley County. Coal, a mineral asset that would figure significantly in West Virginia's history, was discovered in 1742.

West Virginia entered the union as the 35th state on June 20, 1863. It has 55 Counties. The capital is Charleston and the official state website is www.wv.gov.

West Virginia is bordered by Kentucky (southwest), Maryland (northeast), Ohio (west), Pennsylvania (northeast), Virginia (east). It has a land area of 24,231 square miles making it the 41st largest state.

West Virginia's 2010 population was 1,852,994 and the largest cities (2010) are Charleston, 51,400; Huntington, 49,138; Parkersburg, 31,492; Wheeling, 28,486; Morgantown, 29,660; Weirton, 19,746; Fairmont, 18,704; Beckley, 17,614; Clarksburg, 16,578; Martinsburg, 17,227.

Searching for West Virginia Genealogy Materials

A Good Method to Use for West Virginia Genealogy - When doing research you will quickly discover that searching for West Virginia genealogy data is something that can actually be done with many online resources. These are places that can allow you to begin gathering information or even requesting copies of documents you need.

There are also many organizations that have not yet been put their collections online, and this means that you must familiarize yourself with the different “offline” locations that will be of use to you in your search. It is extremely important to master both sets of “research tools” to use for West Virginia genealogy, and to understand how to get the most from them.

Your research will probably begin with public records as they are the most widely available of the online resources for West Virginia genealogy. They are always divided into the following three categories:

  • Local Records – state genealogy research will usually begin with a county clerk’s office or website, and will go on to the local genealogical societies, small local libraries, historical societies, and school or college libraries for West Virginia genealogy materials. These are items that are usually offline and viewable by appointment or special arrangement.
  • Vital Records – these are records for births, marriages, divorces and deaths from county, state, and national archives. They also include military records, immigration and naturalization details, cemetery or obituary information, census records, newspaper items, and passenger lists and records as well. These tend to be available as online or offline resources for West Virginia genealogy.
  • State Records – from probate information to private manuscripts, surname lists, newspapers, state census information, marriage details, military or veterans information, land records, maps, estate information, genealogical folders, death records, deeds, birth certificates, cemetery information and more; these are available as online and offline resources for West Virginia genealogy.

Best Resources for West Virginia Genealogy - By the time you are done with the public records, will need tools for West Virginia genealogy that will provide you with the most information for your particular project. Below we have identified some of the best advanced resources for West Virginia genealogy:

  • Vital Registration Office, Room 165, 350 Capitol Street, Charleston, WV 25301-3701; Website: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/w2w/west_virginia.htm. This is where you can order birth, death, marriage and divorce records via a written request or even online.

Additional state and local records can be found at the:

  • West Virginia Division of Culture and History, WV Division of Culture and History, The Culture Center, Capitol Complex, 1900 Kanawha Boulevard East, Charleston WV 25305-0300; Website: http://www.wvculture.org/history/genealog.html. Their genealogy corner is a treasure trove of links to the many digital archives available, and to basic information for those looking for West Virginia genealogy resources.

The websites below will provide state-specific details to those in search of information for West Virginia genealogy work.

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