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West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey, Records

 Collection
Collection Number: A&M 2277

Overview

The West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey, or WVGES, was established in 1897 by the West Virginia state legislature, and has published numerous maps, bulletins, and guides related to the state's geological and physical resources. Records are grouped into three primary series: Letter Books, 1898-1930; Correspondence, 1923-1949; and WVU Department of Geology Materials, 1919-1927. Letter books date from 1898 to 1930 and are arranged in chronological order. Topics include foundries, natural gas, railroads, the geological survey, the coal, lumber, and glass industries, supplies, World War I war production, and Dr. Israel C. White. Correspondence from 1923 to 1949 is arranged in chronological order by year and then in alphabetical order by correspondent. Topics include the U.S. Department of the Interior, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, soils, surveys, topographic maps, and electric power. Materials from the WVU Department of Geography include financial papers (bills, salaries, field expenses) from 1919 to 1929 and departmental correspondence from 1921 to 1926. This correspondence is arranged in alphabetical order.

Dates

  • Creation: 1898-1949

Creator

Language of Materials

English

Conditions Governing Access

No special access restriction applies.

Conditions Governing Use

Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. For more information, please see the Permissions and Copyright page on the West Virginia and Regional History Center website.

Biographical / Historical

The West Virginia Geological Survey, now the West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey, or WVGES, was established in 1897 by an act of the state legislature in order to investigate the state's geological and physical resources. When the WVGES was formed, Dr. Israel C. White, who had previously served as the head of the WVU Department of Geology, was appointed the state geologist. The offices of the WVGES and the geology department were both housed in Clark Hall and then the Mineral Industries Building (now White Hall) from the early 1900s to the late 1970s, and the two organizations had a close relationship.

Extent

24.6 Linear Feet (Summary: 24 ft. 7 in. (59 document cases, 5 in. each))

Physical Location

West Virginia and Regional History Center / West Virginia University / 1549 University Avenue / P.O. Box 6069 / Morgantown, WV 26506-6069 / Phone: 304-293-3536 / Fax: 304-293-3981 / URL: https://wvrhc.lib.wvu.edu/

Title
West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey, Records, 1898-1949
Author
Staff of the West Virginia & Regional History Center
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Code for undetermined script
Language of description note
English

Repository Details

Part of the West Virginia and Regional History Center Repository

Contact:
1549 University Ave.
P.O. Box 6069
Morgantown WV 26506-6069 US
304-293-3536