Welcome to the home of the Barbour County WVGenWeb project. You will find queries, lists of published resources, links to other genealogy sites and other items of interest to Barbour County genealogy researchers.

2020 marks the 24nd year on the WWW! Please come back often and share your knowledge or research questions with us.


We are part of the USGenWeb Project!

BarbourCounty

Search and find anything on any page of this site.

*In the Barbour Family Album

Men in Gray, Confederate Soldiers of Central West Virginia
Photos: Belington Methodist Episcopal Church, 1908, Franklin P. Rease Home, 1913
Keller Family of Barbour County, with 2 photos
Teter Family of Barbour County
Belington School 8th grade photo, 1941
The Mystery of Jacob S. Bennett
19 old Photographs and postcard views of Barbour County including Belington, Junior, Philippi
1895 Photograph of Junior School

Barbour County Wills

Barbour County Local History:

Barbour County Genealogy E-mail Discussion List

Index

About Barbour County


Barbour County Published Resources and Lookup Volunteers


Barbour County Queries


New Queries added: 30 January 2020

Barbour County Surnames


Updated 30 January 2020

Barbour County Family Album


A sampling of articles in the Album:

Men in Gray, Confederate Soldiers of Central West Virginia
Photograph of the Franklin P. Rease Home in Belington c.1911
Photograph of Belington Methodist Episcopal Church c.1911
1937 Belington 5th grade class photograph
1895 Junior School Photograph -- some students identified.
1941 Belington 8th grade class
Photo of sons of Labon Moore of Junior c. 1908
1937-38 Belington 4th grade class
c.1903-1932 Photos and postcard views of Belington, Philippi, Philippi High School, more
Photos of Chestnut Flats, Overfield and Watercamp Schools
Ashable Clevenger family
Edward & Catherine Digman Hill family
A Boggs Family Cemetery in Clay County
Belington Directory 1893-1894
The Final Resting Place of John Minear
"Lost" families of Barbour County: Allen, Hand, Howell, McClaskey, Moore, Townsend & Others
Addie Wince Zinn's Scrapbook - news clippings from the 20's to the 60's
Farm Bureau Membership List, 1933


Barbour County Vital Statistics

These are compiled lists from several sources including public records, family histories and Bible records. You are invited to add to the lists from your research.

Barbour County Birth List


Barbour County Marriage List


Barbour County Death List


Marriages in Randolph County


Marriages of Barbour County families from the records of Randolph County.

List of Barbour County Cemeteries


Barbour County Cemetery Readings

Readings of over 30 Barbour County cemeteries.

Barbour County Wills

Wills of some Barbour County citizens.

New Will added December 2017
You are invited to add to the list from your research.

Barbour County Local History

New queries added 2017

Barbour County Genealogy Archives

The Barbour County Genealogy Archives in the USGenweb Archives contain Biographies, Births, Cemeteries, Census, Deaths, History, Land Records, Marriages, Obituaries and School Records. The Archives records do not duplicate those found on the Barbour County WV Genealogy Web page.

The 1850 Barbour County WV Census images are now on-line in the USGenWeb Archives. In addition there is an index to 1860 Federal Census Online Images and a link to the 1860 Federal Census page images at SDK Publications. A 1 percent Sample of the 1880 Census is also available. Barbour County Census.

Volunteers are needed to transcribe the Federal Census Records for the USGenweb Census Project and there are records for Barbour County awaiting transciption. Want to volunteer? See how at: USGenweb Census Project - Barbour County WV

More Barbour County Resources


About the USGenWeb Project


About the WVGenWeb Project


GENDEX - Gene Stark's WWW Gedcom Index

Formation of Barbour County

On March 3, 1843 the General Assembly of Virginia passed the bill establishing the County of Barbour out of parts of the Counties of Harrison, Lewis and Randolph . The county was named in honor to and in memory of Philip P. Barbour of Virginia. The first court was held at the home of William F. Wilson on the first Monday of April, 1843. The bill described the boundary lines forming the new county:
Beginning opposite the mouth of Sandy Creek, on the east side of Valley River, with the several meanders thereof, to McDaniel's Ferry, thence a straight line to the dividing ridge of the waters of Simpson's Creek and Bartletts Run (so as to include Reuben Davisson's farm in the new county); thence a straight line to the old farm now occupied by Samuel Bartlett; thence to the head of Goodwins run; thence a straight line to William Beans on Gnatty Creek; thence a straight line to the head of Pecks Run; thence with the dividing ridge between the head of Pecks Run and Hackers Creek to the gap of said ridge, where the road crosses, leading down to Hackers Creek; thence a straight line to Samuel Black's residence including the farm of the said Black within the new county) on Buckhannon River; thence a straight line to the mouth of Sarvis Run, on the middle fork of the Valley River; thence a straight line to the gap of the Laurel Hill mountain where the widow Corley's corner tree stands; thence with the top of the said mountain until where it comes to the Preston County line; thence with the Preston and Randolph County line to the beginning.
The County Seat is Philippi.
From: West Virginia Heritage Encyclopedia, compiled by Hardesty.

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Published Resources and Lookup Volunteers

According to the Handy Book for Genealogists the following records exist for Barbour County: Birth and death records from 1853; marriage records from 1843; Land records from 1845; the Clerk of the Circuit Court has Divorce, Probate and Civil Court Records. For records of events prior to the date of the formation of Barbour County try the parent counties Monongalia, Harrison, Lewis and Randolph.

West Virginia became a state in June 1863. Records that were of interest to the state government (tithables, military records, assessor's records, etc.) prior to 1863 may be on file in the county or at the Virginia State Library. Similar records after West Virginia statehood will be found at Archives and History, the Cultural Center, 1900 Kanawha Boulevard East, Charleston, West Virginia 25305-0300. Archives and History recently acquired the tax records for most West Virginia counties pre-1863.

We will be collecting information about other sources for published records, county histories and other references about Barbour County families and adding it to this page for you.

To the Barbour County Resources
Lookup Page
Publications Information Page

Queries

Please send me your Barbour County VA/WV query.

Submit a New Query

To make your query work harder for you remember the old rules of news reporting and include as many of the following things possible:

I hope that we can help you to fill in the blanks in your family stories.

Go to:Current Queries
See also:
2014 & 2015 Queries
2013 Queries
2012 Queries
2011 Queries
2010 Queries
2009 Queries
2008 Queries
2007 Queries
2006 Queries
2005 Queries
2004 Queries
2003 Queries
2002 Queries
2001 Queries
2000 Queries
1999 Queries
1998 Queries
1997 Queries
1996 Queries and
Barbour County Surname Page to find connections to your lines.

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Barbour County Surnames

Click here Surname Page to see Barbour County families and those who are researching them. Send me your Barbour County Surnames for inclusion on this page.

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More Barbour County Resources

Barbour County Courthouse
PO Box 310
Philippi, WV 26416-0310
Phone: (304) 457-2232
Barbour County Historical Society
Main and Depot
Philippi, WV 26416
Belington Public Library
PO Box 878
Belington, WV 26250
Phone: (304) 823-1026
Librarian: Janice Coontz
Philippi Public Library
110 North Main Street
Philippi, WV 26416
Phone: (304) 457-3495
Librarian: Mary Ellen Weekly
Pickett Library Media Center
Alderson-Broadus College
Philippi, WV 26416
Phone: (304) 457-1700, ext. 258

Federal Census Records for Barbour County
Barbour County 1850

Images of the Federal Census 1860 pages are available online. See the Index first to locate the pages you want to view. Then see the original records at: Barbour County 1860 Census Images

Volunteers are needed to transcribe the Federal Census Records for the USGenweb Census Project. Want to volunteer? See how at: USGenweb Census Project
Hening's Laws of Virginia
An online transcription of the laws of Virginia from 1619 to 1792.
Chalkley's Abstracts of Scotch Irish Settlers from Augusta County Records
All three volumes of this wonderful collection of entries from records of the early settlement of Augusta County, Virginia are now online! In spite of its title, there are records of many non Scots-Irish settlers.
700 West Virginia Families
These records, compiled by Don Norman, can provide you many clues to identify your West Virginia ancestors.
Hacker's Creek Pioneer Descendants
Members research all the counties once comprising Harrison County. You will find numerous resources on this page.
Allegheny Regional Family History Society
This society focuses on Randolph, Barbour, Pendleton, and Tucker Counties in West Virginia and some Maryland counties. Randolph and Barbour were part of Harrison County at one time.
Marriages Performed by the Reverend Simeon Harris in Barbour and Randolph Counties This additional source for Barbour County area marriages (1809-1846) can be found on the Allegheny Regional Family History Society Web page.
Guide To Virginia Historical Resources
A listing of Virginia libraries, museums and other historical, cultural and genealogical resources.
Beyond Germanna
If you have early German lines from Orange Co. VA or from the Virginia Piedmont, east of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the modern counties of Culpeper, Fauquier, Madison and Rappahannock you must see John Blankenbaker's website and newsletter.
West Virginia Division of Culture and History
Included on this web site are:Archives and History, Arts, Historical Preservation, Museums with many links and databases to explore. See resources for Barbour County here.
WV Division of Culture and History Vital Research Records Search
The birth, marriage and death records for WV counties are available for 6 counties (Calhoun, Gilmer, Hardy, Harrison, Mineral and Pendleton) additional counties have been added. The latest records available are for events 100 years ago ie, for 2011 -- records from 1910 or earlier. An exception in the case of the original 6 counties surveyed permits access to records as late as 1930.
West Virginia Encyclopedia
West Virginia Collection
Special Collections, Morrow Library, Marshall University
Archived Obituaries:
The Parsons Advocate
Elkins Intermountain
These archives are stored on the Tucker County WV Genealogy page.
West Virginians in the Military
WVGenWeb Military Research Site:
Information about West Virginians in the military service from colonial times to the present. This page, at the new WVGenWeb location, is for ALL of West Virginia. It includes links to county military information on other web sites too. Coordinated by Linda Fluharty.
West Virginia Wills
FamilySearch.org is a treasure trove if your ancestor left a will in West Virginia. Read the will as it is recorded on the pages of the county will books. In addition, if your ancestor had his/her estate probated in one of these counties, there may be other papers in the probate, sales, appraisals etc.
Civil War: West Virginia
Civil War: West Virginia
Linda Fluharty's Civil War site with information on:
First WV Cavalry, First WV Infantry, 12th WV Infantry, and 5th WV Cavalry
Richmond Daily Dispatch
Through support from an IMLS grant and in collaboration with Project Perseus at Tufts University, the University of Richmond has digitized the Richmond Daily Dispatch newspaper for the Civil War years. The project is not yet complete. However the newspaper is now available for use and exploration. We hope this will be useful to a broad audience encompassing scholars, students, genealogists, Civil War buffs, re-enactors, and more.
Documenting the American South
First-Person Narratives of the American South, Library of Southern Literature, North American Slave Narratives, The Southern Homefront, 1861-1865, The Church in the Southern Black Community

Documenting the American South (DAS) is a collection of sources on Southern history, literature and culture from the colonial period through the first decades of the 20th century. The Academic Affairs Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill sponsors DAS, and the texts come primarily from its Southern holdings. An editorial board guides its development.

American Memory.
At the Library of Congress Web site, American Memory, Historical Collection for the National Digital Library contains hundreds of digital images including George Washington's Papers. The contents can be searched online
Maps of West Virginia Counties
These detailed maps show landmarks, dwellings, cemeteries and more. They are inexpensive and easy to annotate. Order from:

WV Department of Transportation
Division of Transportation Planning
Map Sales
1900 Kanawha Boulevard I Building 5
Charleston, WV 25305-0430
Tel: 304-558-2868
Hours: 7:30am - 4:00pm (lunch 12-12:30)

Maps, Charts, & Atlases: The Alan M. Voorhees Collection at the Library of Virginia
The permanent on-line exhibition allows easy access to images of the maps and information about the maps and cartographers. To view the on-line exhibition on the Library of Virginia's web site: http://www.lva.lib.va.us
click Spotlight What's New in the left margin or, click Site Index, click the letter E, and click Exhibitions.
U.S. Geological Survey
National Mapping Information
Geographic Name Info System Query Form
Visit the USGS and the Geographic Name Information System online for maps and information.
Land Record Research
Taking the Mystery Out of Land Records
Where to Obtain a Land Patent
Help for your research in these important resources, by Linda Haas Davenport lhaasdav@cox.net
1860 Barbour County Census Surname Index
online tool offered by John F. Schunk of S-K Publications.
CensusTools
35 free electronic spreadsheets for archiving federal, state and international census data! Designed and offered by Gary Minder.
Barbour County Genealogy Mailing List
This list is maintained by Margaret Lew for the discussion of families in Barbour County. To subscribe, send regular e-mail to WVBarbou-L-request@rootsweb.com. In the body of the message type Subscribe. Instructions for posting will arrive in the e-mail confirmation of your request to subscribe.
Harrison-Monongalia Mailing List
This list is maintained by Sue Moore. It is for discussion of families in Harrison, Marion, and Monongalia Counties. To subscribe, send regular e-mail to listserv@svis.org and in the body of the message type < SUB harrison-monongalia.va your e-mail address>. You will receive instructions for posting via e-mail.
Asturian Genealogy
Does your family have roots in Asturia? Learn more about Spanish emigrants from Asturia to WV; many to work in the mining industry. Managed by Bob Martinez, Suronda Gonzalez and Art Zoller Wagner, this page offers a mailing list and much of interest, including family histories of emigrants.
Families of Barbour County
Post your webpage link or family association address here. Send information to me Margaret C. Lew
Brady Trilogy Page
There is much interesting information on Barbour County on Robert M. Brady's Web site. It features a detailed ancestry of the following surnames: BRADY, COPELAND, CRISLIP, CURRY, HENDERSON, KNAGGS , LEMON, LOBBAN, MATHEWS, MURPHY, PRICE, ROW, SHOMO, SQUIRES, THRASH, UMSTOT, VIQUESNEY, WARE and WINGFIELD.
Christlieb - Chrislip - Crislip Family Association
Web site maintained by Jeff Christlieb, includes several photos of the family cemetery near Elk City, WV.
William K. Fisher's Genealogy Pages
Fisher, Holsberry families and more.
Carole Ann Heaster's Page
Read about Barbour in the 16 Mile Story and bibliography by Georgia Golden Heater and see Carole Ann Heaster's Cunningham Family Tree.
FamilyHart Online Database
Don and Jeanine Hartman's FamilyHart Online Database recently updated with a total of over 405,000 linked names online contains thousands from Barbour County. Families such as Sturm, Gainer, Ryan, Stemple, Poling, Nestor, Bennett, Stalnaker, and many more are found in it.
WVReed Family Blog and Photo Collection
David Williams's photo blog for the Reed family has photos of Ida L. Reed, the hymn writer and other Reed family members.
The Reger Family Page
Dan Hyde's page devoted to the genealogy and history of the Hans Jacob and Barbara (Crites) Reger family of Virginia and West Virginia: genealogy, articles, images and links.
Diana Taylor's Page
Diana Taylor's family page has DeLauders (and variant spellings), Murphy, Nestor, Phillips, Bennett, etc. - lots of Barbour County names.
Amy Bolton's Page
Amy Bolton's family page has information on the Biller's, Bolton's, Ketchem's and McDaniels and other Barbour County names.
Marshall Lucas's Page
Marshall Lucas collects information and links connected with his families: Mayle, Mail, Male, Norris, Goins, Gowins, Croston, Hill and others from Barbour County.
Nancy McKane's Page
Many Barbour County ancestors. Use password to access it: "Longfellow"
Harry Skidmore's Web Page
Harry Skidmore has information on his Skidmore and Ball ancestors from Barbour County and some data on the Hovatter line.
Donna Summers's Web Page
Another site for Donna Summers
For information on the Colebank, Dadisman, Stewart, Smith and other Barbour County names. The second site has a searchable family tree.
Walter Family Web Page
Dale Walter's family settled in the Barbour County area around 1805. Dale invites you to visit his two web pages The second site is: The Walter Family and Religion http://members.cox.net/dwalter1/religion.html
The Four Goff Brothers of Western Virginia
Phillip Goff presents this site devoted to the study of the ancestors and descendants of James Goff (1735-1834), John Turton Goff (d. 1803), Thomas Goff (1747-1824) and Salathiel Goff (c1748-1791). This site includes information on the history and genealogy book published on this family in 2003, a DNA study of the Goff surname and links to Goff forums.
Proudfoot Family
Martin Lewis Proudfoot has begun a genealogy site devoted to his Proudfoot family in the Talbott Community of Barbour County. The Proudfoot family has lived in Barbour County since 1808.

Announcements - Reunions

Please notify me of Barbour County Family reunions or other events of interest to genealogists and local historians. Margaret Lew

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About the USGenWeb Project

The USGenWeb Project is a loosely organized group of volunteers working to create a center for genealogical research for every county in the United States. USGenWeb Project is not a commercial enterprise and information found on the pages is freely available to the public.

About the WVGenWeb Project

In June of 1996, a group of genealogists organized the WVGenWeb Project. The idea was to provide a single entry point for all counties in West Virginia, where collected databases would be stored and queries and lookup volunteers could be posted. If you wish to host a county page, please contact Les Shockey, sponsor of the West Virginia state page. Thanks.

West Virginia History Hero

Each year since 1997 the WV Division of Culture and History recognizes History Heros, members of organizations who have made significant contributions to the preservation and dissemination of West Virginia's history and historical resources. Les Shockey was selected as one of the 2011 History Heros to be honored on 24 February 2011 Les was nominated by the Jackson County Historical Society for his work with the society, the Jackson County WVGenWeb page, and most importantly, his work with the WVGenWeb Project.

Les joins a large group of dedicated West Virginians with this fantastic honor. See all the History Heros for the years 1997-2013 History Heros.

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Advice to Readers

Material furnished for this page in the form of queries or other submissions remains the property and copyright of the contributor. No guarantee of accuracy for information and data found on this page is given or implied by the page manager. It is offered as a guide or incentive for your own research. Always strive to consult or obtain primary documentation for proof.



© 1996-2020 Margaret C. Lew
Installed 8 October 1996.
Last Updated: 30 January 2020.
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