I have not contributed to this blog for almost two years. During that time, however, I have continually been researching and compiling information, updating BLACK RESIDENTS OF GREENBRIER, MONROE, SUMMERS, AND POCAHONTAS COUNTIES by C. Haynes and contributing these Notes to the West Virginia Division of Culture and History Archives and to the Greenbrier Historical Society. A number of important events have happened in these two years. On a trip to Lewisburg a distant cousin handed me a box of about 100 photos that she had retrieved from a family home. Family members were cleaning out a house and the photos were destined for the trash bin. Luckily, she grabbed them. The photos included a tin type. Most were not labeled and so the identities of the people in the photos can not be known. A couple of the photos were identified, however, including one of my grandparents. Also a photo of my grandfather's sister was labeled. The photos are instructive for how people dressed, and how they looked in general. My favorite is of a forlorn looking Santa Claus standing with a child seated on a donkey. Apparently they didn't sit on Santa's lap at that location in those days. Some of the photos have already been included with my Notes which have been sent to the previously mentioned Archives & Historical Society.
I have been able to update much of the information that I have previously posted & I intend to share the new information here as part of the "housekeeping" task. WV Birth, death, and marriages are now on the internet and are accessible by going to the West Virginia Division of Culture and History site. Some counties are still not available but I am sure they will be available in time. Another valuable tool is the World War I and II Draft Registration cards which can be accessed on one of the subscription based genealogical sites. I am currently culling W.V. court cases for information about Black residents of the area. Some of the cases are extremely interesting & give alot of information about how people lived and interacted at a specific point in time.
