CENSUS RECORDS

Federal censuses for West Virginia begin in 1870 and continue every ten years thereafter. They are currently available through 1920 (except for the mostly destroyed census of 1890). All are indexed in at least one format. For enumerations prior to 1863, see Virginia. Transcripts of the 1870 census have been published for Barbour, Boone, Braxton, Calhoun, Doddridge, Gilmer, Lewis, Lincoln, McDowell, Mason, Monongalia, Pleasants, Ritchie, Roane, Tyler, Upshur, Wetzel, Wirt, and Wood counties. Indexes, by county, for all individuals listed in the 1880 census have been published for forty-three counties by William A. Marsh in an ongoing project. There are no state sponsored censuses for West Virginia.

West Virginia Research Sources

Brown, Stuart E., Jr. Virginia Genealogical Resources. Detroit: Detroit Society for Genealogical Research, 1980.
McGinnis, Carol. West Virginia Genealogy Sources and Resources. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1988. (This guide provides a county-by-county breakdown of original source material and a thorough list of microfilms available in the state's repositories.)
Stinson, Helen S. A Handbook for Genealogical Research in West Virginia. South Charleston, W.V.: Kanawha Valley Genealogical Society, 1981.
Comstock, Jim. West Virginia Heritage Encyclopedia. 25 vols. Richwood, W.Va.: Jim Comstock, 1976.

Archives, Libraries and Societies
West Virginia State Archives and History Library
West Virginia Division of Culture and History
Cultural Center, Capitol Complex
1900 Kanawha Boulevard, East
Charleston, WV 25305-0300

West Virginia and Regional History Association
West Virginia University Libraries
Colson Hall, WVU
P.O. Box 6464
Morgantown, WV 26506-6464