WV Collection

The library has always collected material of local interest, however until the last few years, that material was in the general Nonfiction or Reference sections of the collection. Several years back, we began to create a WV Collection to aid people researching local history or genealogy. This section is not limited to Hancock County items. Due to the proximity of two other states, we are also including materials form the adjoining counties in those states and places that served as immigration entry points for this area. Due to the limited availability of some these materials, they are non-circulating, and for now, they are shelved in a locked area. This material can be located using the library catalog. The Reference staff will be glad to retrieve any items that a patron needs for research. Some day we hope to be able to locate these items in a designated history room so that people can browse the material and comfortably work on research.


We have also been actively trying to add materials that will make the collection more useful to those doing research. Our newest additions to the collection include the following titles:

Commemorative Biographical Record of Washington County, Pennsylvania  Vol. 1 - Beers 

Tenmile Country and Its Pioneer Families - Leckey

Washington County, Pa Frontier Rangers 1781-1782 - Myers

Abstracts of the Washington Reporter, 1808-1814 - Malmat

These are records predate the town of Weirton and the state of West Virginia. In these early years the state borders were still in transition, so Pennsylvania records show names of many early settlers in the area that would become West Virginia. 

An interesting side note - The Leckey book includes a list of those who signed a petition to create a new state called Westsylvania between the Laurel Hills and the Ohio River. Westsylvania would have included most of West Virginia, except the Eastern Panhandle, Southwestern Pennsylvania south of the Allegheny River up to Kittanning, and part of Eastern Kentucky.