Series 2: Paper Materials, 1774-1934

Series 2 contains 341 boxes of court record papers from 1774-1934. These papers consist primarily of case related papers, and include various types of records such as orders, commitments, bills, warrants, and transcripts. There are many records relating to early families in Monongalia County. The material in this series is completely indexed, and the card index can be used to locate records for a specific person/family, in a specific year or court (County, Circuit, Circuit Superior), or by subject. Please note that a copy of the Alphabetical and Subject indexes, including a list of the subjects on each reel, can be found on MON 293-MON 350, in Series 2. No copy of the chronological index exists, ask for assistance using this section. Boxes 324-341 at the end of this series contain envelopes T1-T148, which hold similar records to the rest of the paper materials. There is a separate drawer of the card index for the “T” envelopes, but it has not been microfilmed.

Series two includes roughly 80 court records relating to slaves and enslavement, including an affidavit of Frederic March of his intention not to sell Marcelus, an enslaved man (env. 116, 1800) and Court record concerning Rose, an enslaved African, in the case of Michael Henry vs. John Pierpont (7 September 1790, env. 29-A). To locate records relating to enslavement, look in the subject index section under “negro.”

Highlights for this series include records of, early settlement, early law enforcement, and education.

Highlights of early settlement include: Jacob Youngman at the Decker’s Creek settlement (1774, env. 310-A); early records establishing Wood County (1798, env. 69-B); Articles of agreement between John Stealy and Joseph Kerr in partnership for a Tan Yard (1795, env. 25-B); and Articles of agreement for establishment of Pleasant Furnace (1797, env. 25-B).

Early law enforcement includes specifications of a jail (1799, env. 69-B), use of whipping post (env. 149-A, August 1807), constructing stock and pillory (env. 135, 1804), for ironing prisoners (May 1810, env. 101), and a case against Justices of Monongalia County for failure to build a secure jail (env. 170-A, 1811). Also, an order for the sheriff to “summon a guard of 50 men and if necessary to call the whole force of the county.” to prevent possible escape of a prisoner (1796, env. 29) and an order for a strong guard to allow for feeding of M. R. Chalfant, committed to jail by a mob (env. 648, 1861).

Highlights of early education include a letter to the court concerning an Act and Amendment passed concerning a Literary Fund to educate poor children (env. 216, 1814) and an agreement to lay the foundation of Monongalia Academy (env. 353, 1829).

Other highlights include: Regarding “the Monongalian” ceasing to be issued (env. 405-A, 1833); regarding temperance activities (env. 598, 1855); a tally sheet from 27 June 1933 election on Constitutional Amendment to repeal 18th Amendment (Env. 933); and a presentment by the Grand Jurors of Monongalia County explaining their disapproval of a bill raising salaries for congressmen (1816, env. 4456).