PARKERSBURG AND WOOD COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY

GENEALOGY/LOCAL HISTORY COLLECTION

Patrons unable to access our collection in person may send inquiries by mail or EMAIL. Please be aware of the following guidelines.

Our minimum research fee is $1.00 per request (each obit would count as a request) plus $.10/page for photocopies.
There is a limit of 5 requests at a time.
If requesting article/obituary from a newspaper, you must provide us with at least a month and a year for us to initiate a search.
Similarly, if requesting information from our census microfilm reels, you must provide us with at least a state, township/district/borough, and a year.

Selected genealogical resources that are available at the library.

Biographies:Biographies of certain West Virginia natives and of other persons who somehow influenced the development of the state or region.

Birth Records.

Censuses:Listed below are the census microfilm holdings of the library.

1790 3 reels, varied states on each

1800 8 reels – 7 PA, VT

1810 9 reels – 6 PA, 1 VT, 2 VA

1820 9 reels – 4 OH, 1 PA, 1 VT, 3 VA

1830 7 reels – 1 KY, 1 NJ, 2 OH, 1 PA, 2 VA

1840 15 reels – 3 KY, 2 OH, 3 PA, 7 VA

1850 124 reels – 1 IN, 11 KY, 5 MD, 10 NY, 16 OH, 29 PA, 51 VA

1870 23 reels -- 4 DE, 4 KY, 7 MD, 4 NC, 8 OH, 3 PA, 45 VA

1880 23 reels – 5 OH, 18 WV

1890 Union Veterans and Widows of Veterans

2 reels – 1 OH (Includes Athens, Washington)

1 WV(Includes Wood Co.)

1900 22 reels – 22 WV

1910 24 reels – 24 WV

1920 28 reels – 28 WV

Cemetery Lists

Church Records

City Directories: We have Parkersburg 1905, 1907, 1914, 1921, 1924, 1926, 1928, 1930, 1932, 1934, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1942, 1944, 1946, 1948-52, 1954-62, and 1964.

County and Local Histories.

PARKERSBURG:

City Ordinances from 1877 – 1897; 1903 – 2002
City Journals Acts of incorporation 1844-1851
City Journals (City council minutes) 1851 – 1862; 1869-1874; 1881-1997

WEST VIRGINIA: the following counties along with general state sources like the West Virginia Heritage Encyclopedia.

Wood County
Barbour, Berkeley, Brooke, Cabell, Calhoun, Doddridge, Gilmer, Grant, Greenbrier, Hampshire, Hancock, Hardy, Harrison, Jefferson, Kanawha, Logan, McDowell, Marion, Marshall, Mason, Mercer, Monongalia, Monroe, Morgan, Pendleton, Pleasants, Pocahontas, Preston, Randolph, Ritchie, Roane, Summers, Taylor, Tucker, Tyler, Wetzel, Wirt.

OHIO:

Athens, Belmont, Belpre, Columbiana, Gallia, Guernesey, Hancock, Hocking Valley, Marietta, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Noble, Perry, Strongsville, Washington.

VIRGINIA:

Augusta, Bath, Botetourt, Fairfax, Fauquier, Frederick, Prince William, Rockingham, Stafford.

PENNSYLVANIA:

Allegheny, Berks, Bucks, Greene, Washington.

Court Records.

DAR: National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution – v. 1, 13-25, 27-30, 37-40, 43-130, 132-153, and 155-166.

Family Histories:

Genealogical Research Aids(“how to do it” manuals/guidebooks”)

Maps: The library has a collection of relief, topographic, and county highway maps of WV; election precinct maps of Parkersburg and Vienna; the atlas of Washington County, plus index (1875), the atlas of Wood County (1886), the atlas of Noble County (1876) and a few other items.

Military Records.

National Society of the Daughters of Founders and Patrons of America:volumes 1-4, 8-18, 22-24, 34-47 and indexes.

Naturalization/Passenger Lists.

Newspapers:This is a listing of the library’s holdings of newspapers on microfilm.

Daily State Journal	July 1, 1883 – June 30, 1916 (various issues missing)
Dispatch News	March 27, 1909 – April 1, 1913 (includes other titles and dates)
Parkersburg Daily Times	August 12, 1865 – September 6, 1872
Parkersburg Dispatch News	April 1, 1905 – June 29, 1905 Nov. 13, 1912 – Dec. 4, 1914
Parkersburg Gazette	July 1, 1841 – July 11, 1857 July 29, 1869 – May 9, 1872
Parkersburg Morning News	June 28, 1898 – September 1905; (Missing:Apr. & Jun. 1903; Sep. & Oct. 1903; Jan. & Mar. 1905.)
Parkersburg News (microfilm)	1918 –1982; July 1985 – present (Missing: June 1985)
Parkersburg News (microfiche)	1984 – May 1985
Parkersburg Orthopolitan	January 1, 1873 – February 13, 1875
Parkersburg Semi-Weekly Sentinel	March 12, 1895 – February 29, 1875
Parkersburg Sentinel (microfilm)	October 21, 1889 – 1948; 1955 – 1982; July 1985 – present (Missing: June 1985 & April – June 1939)
Parkersburg Sentinel (microfiche)	1984 – May 1985
Parkersburg Weekly Sentinel	July 17, 1875 – March 8, 1895
Weekly State Journal	September 22, 1869 – December 25, 1902 (Missing: Dec. 25, 1890 - Dec. 1892; Nov. 15, 1900 – Dec. 1901)
West Virginia Freeman	February 23, 1881 – December 19, 1888
West Virginia Weekly Times	September 23, 1865 – June 20, 1872

Pamphlets:There is an extensive file of Genealogy/Local History-related pamphlets and newspaper clippings in the Genealogy Room.You are welcome to make photocopies of this material.

Periodicals:These include family newsletters, West Virginia organizations’ newsletters, genealogical societies’ newsletters, and many more.

Tax Records.

Will Indexes.

Yearbooks:Parkersburg High School yearbook (PARHISCHAN) for years 1924, 1926, 1931-35, 1937-41, 1943-1968, 1971-1973, 1974, 1975, 1978, 1982, 1984-1991.PATRIAN 1982 & 1994.