West Virginia and Regional History Center
1549 University Ave.P.O. Box 6069
Morgantown, WV 26506-6069
Business Number: 304-293-3536
wvrhcref@westvirginia.libanswers.com
URL: https://wvrhc.lib.wvu.edu
Staff of the West Virginia & Regional History Center
Administrative Information
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.
Conditions Governing Access
No special access restriction applies.
Preferred Citation
[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], Papers regarding Early Settlers of Aurora in Preston County, A&M 0728, West Virginia and Regional History Center, West Virginia University Libraries, Morgantown, West Virginia.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift from Mr. Floyd Spiggle, 1955.
Scope and Contents
Account books, and legal, business, and personal papers of some early settlers at Aurora, Preston County, West Virginia. There are records of a tannery, blacksmith shop, a general merchandise store, and a sawmill, as well as deeds and subscription lists for the Lutheran and German Reformed churches. Also included in the papers are land surveys, wills, deeds, plats, school notebooks, tax receipts, and other items.
Arrangement
The legacy contents list for this collection was very detailed but had no information regarding what folder each item was in, and the order of the list did not match the physical order. The documents had previously been categorized chronologically–-e.g., Folder 1, 1788-1860; Folder 2, 1860-1943; Folder 3, undated. To facilitate use, we placed all the land grants and oversize deeds of land in one oversize folder, then sorted the remaining documents into folders by document type. This seemed most logical because there were many documents of the same category–-for example, many contracts, many ledgers, etc. If there were only a few documents of one type, we foldered them with documents of a similar type/similar subject matter. For example, Folder 5 has birth and death certificates, wills, and related items. We noted and added descriptions of items that were not in the original contents list, added corrections in brackets to misspellings of names, and fixed incorrect dates and other information. A few items from the legacy contents list were not located. If you are having trouble locating an item from an old citation, please contact us for assistance.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
- Account books
- Aurora (W. Va.)
- Churches -- German Reformed
- Churches -- Lutheran
- Churches -- West Virginia -- Preston County
- Country stores.
- Education. SEE ALSO Schools.
- General stores
- Land.
- Mills and mill-work
- Preston County (W. Va.)
Significant Places Associated With the Collection
- Aurora (W. Va.)
- Preston County (W. Va.)
Container List
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 1
Form: Ledger; Persons: Various persons; Places: Preston County, VA [now WV]; Subjects: Leather goodscirca 1821-1832
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 1
Ledger, Could be from tannery. Half sheet papercirca 1825-1832
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 1
Form: Ledger; Persons: Various persons; Places: Preston County, VA [now WV]; Subjects: Blacksmith's account bookcirca 1821-1888
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 1
Form: Ledger; Persons: Various persons; Places: Preston County, VA [now WV]; Subjects: Mostly leather goods, but lists some groceries, toocirca 1832-1838, 1858-1859
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 2
Ledger/account book, Jacob Ridenourcirca 1833-1838
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 2
Form: Ledger; Persons: Various persons; Places: Preston County, VA [now WV]; Subjects: Accountscirca 1832-1859
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 2
Form: Manuscript; Persons: John A. Wotring; Places: Preston County, VA [now WV]; Subjects: "John A. Wotring's Sawing Book"1851
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 2
Multi-color bound ledger bookcirca 1883-1888
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 3
Form: Copybook; Persons: Arnold Bonnifield, schoolmaster; Places: Preston County, VA [now WV]; Subjects: One of two school student's copybooks (leather-bound) belonging to John Wotring, Jr.1820–1821
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 4
Second of two student copybooks belonging to John Wotring, Jr. and a hymnbook (6 pages) belonging to John Wotring Jr. (undated)1819-1820 and undated
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 5
Form: Manuscript; Persons: John Wodring, son of Abraham Wodring and Ann Maria Smiten; Places: Monongalia County, VA [now WV]; Subjects: Baptismal certificate ("Certificate of Birth and Christening")1802
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 5
Form: Manuscript; Persons: Illegible; Places: No place listed; Subjects: List of names (in German) of children and when they were born with translation1803
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 5
Form: Manuscript; Persons: Jacob Ridenour; Places: Preston County, VA [now WV]; Subjects: Will of Jacob Ridenour1819 January 26
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 5
Form: Manuscript; Persons: Henry Hansen [Hauser]; Places: Preston County, VA [now WV]; Subjects: Will1843
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 5
Form: Manuscript; Persons: John A. Wotring; Places: Preston County, VA [now WV]; Subjects: Will1859 February 23
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 5
Form: Printed matter; Persons: Walter C. Spiggle; Places: Preston County, WV; Subjects: Death certificate of Walter C. Spiggle1943
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 5
Form: Printed matter; Persons: George H. Shaffer; Places: Preston County, WV; Subjects: Undertaker's shipping certificate for George H. Shafferundated
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 6
Form: Manuscript; Persons: John Rayne [sic, Rayse] to John Lance; Places: Preston County, VA [now WV]; Subjects: Deed1831
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 6
Form: Manuscript; Persons: John Rayne [sic] to John Wotring; Places: Preston County, VA [now WV]; Subjects: Deed1831
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 6
Form: Manuscript; Persons: John Hay to John S. Hechert, John Shafer, and Henry Hansen; Places: Allegheny County, MD; Subjects: Deed1843
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 6
Form: Manuscript; Persons: George Orr and wife to David H. Fortney; Places: Preston County, VA [now WV]; Subjects: Deed1851
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 6
Form: Manuscript; Persons: Marian D. Hode [sic, Mariam Hoye] to John A. Wootring [sic, Wotring]; Places: Preston County, VA [now WV]; Subjects: Deed1855
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 6
Deed, Henry M. Lantz and Elizabeth Lantz to John A. Wotring, 18591859
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 6
Form: Manuscript; Persons: Isaac Startzman and wife to John Spiggle; Places: Preston County, VA [now WV]; Subjects: Deed1873
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 6
Form: Manuscript; Persons: McCrum and Son to David Wotring; Places: Preston County, VA [now WV]; Subjects: Deed of trust1881
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 6
Form: Manuscript; Persons: Walter C. Spiggle and wife, et al., and Jesse W. Shaffer; Places: Preston County, VA [now WV]; Subjects: Deed1907
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 6
Form: Manuscript; Persons: Rebecca Trickett and husband to Walter C. Spiggle; Places: Preston County, VA [now WV]; Subjects: Deed1912
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 6
Form: Manuscript; Persons: John Spiggle heirs to Walter Spiggle; Places: Preston County, VA [now WV]; Subjects: Sheriff's deed for delinquent land sale1916
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 6
Form: Manuscript; Persons: Lloyd C. Shaffer and wife to W.C. Spiggle; Places: Preston County, VA [now WV]; Subjects: Deed1916
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 7
Receipt for Better Sox Knitting Millsundated
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 7
Receipts (mainly tax receipts) for Henry Howser [Hauser/Houser], Henry Hauser's Hrs [Houser], Eve Houser [Hauser], George Houser [Hauser], John M. Hauser, T H Stuttler (1859;1), Jacob Houser. Total: 34circa 1835-1873
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 7
Tax receipt for Eve Hauser [Houser, alt. spelling], signed by S. Guthrie, "to keep a house of private entertatinment"1860
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 7
Form: Autographed Letter Signed; Persons: Henry Hansen's heirs[sic. Hauser/Houser]; Places: Preston County, VA [now WV]; Subjects: Receipt for entering and assessing 41 acres of land1861
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 7
Form: Autographed Letter Signed; Persons: Ada Wolf [Adam Wolf] to Mrs. Eve Hansen [Hauser]; Places: Preston County, VA [now WV]; Subjects: Receipt1866
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 7
Form: Autographed Letter Signed; Persons: Mrs. E.K. Hansen [Houser/Hauser]; Places: Preston County, VA [now WV]; Subjects: Receipt for license to "keep a house of private entertainment"1866
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 7
Form: Autographed Letter Signed; Persons: Eve Hansen [Houser/Hauser], signed by John C. Wotring (Deputy Commissioner of Internal Revenue); Places: Preston County, VA [now WV]; Subjects: Tax receipt for a county hotel keeper's license1867
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 7
Form: Autographed Letter Signed; Persons: Mrs. C.E. Hansen [Hauser/Houser], signed by A. Wagner; Places: Preston County, VA [now WV]; Subjects: Tax receipt1867
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 7
Form: Autographed Letter Signed; Persons: Eve K. Hansen [sic, Hauser/Houser]; Places: Preston County, VA [now WV]; Subjects: Receipt for a state hotel keeper's license1868
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 7
Form: Printed matter; Persons: James A. Brown, Samuel Wotring; Places: Preston County, WV; Subjects: Bill for newspaper ad1878
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 7
Form: Printed matter; Persons: Samuel Wotring, Jr.; Places: Preston County, WV; Subjects: Bill and itemized statement [2 bills]1879
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 7
Form: Printed matter; Persons: Samuel Wotring, Jr.; Places: Preston County, WV; Subjects: Receipt for transfer of land1877
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 7
Form: Printed matter; Persons: Sarah J. and Syvilla Hansen; Places: Preston County, WV; Subjects: Receipt for transfer of land1875
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 7
Form: Printed matter; Persons: Samuel Wotring, Jr.; Places: Preston County, WV; Subjects: Postal registry receipt1881
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 7
Form: Printed matter; Persons: Samuel Wotring; Places: Preston County, WV; Subjects: Receipt for recording will of Samuel Wotring1916
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 7
Form: Manuscript; Persons: John Spiggle and A. Roy Arnett; Places: Preston County, VA [now WV]; Subjects: Receipt1887
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 7
Form: Printed matter; Persons: Samuel Wotring, Jr. to J.E. Valzian; Places: Preston County, WV; Subjects: Postal registry receipt1884
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 7
Form: Manuscript; Persons: John Spiggle and H.G. Sanders; Places: Preston County, VA [now WV]; Subjects: Receipt1889
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 7
Form: Printed matter; Persons: John Spiggle, redeemed by Walter Spiggle; Places: Preston County, WV; Subjects: Memo of redeemed real estate of John Spiggle, taxes1913
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 7
Tax receipt for L.C. Shaffer1916
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 7
Tax receipts for Isaac Wotring, Samuel Wotring, Samuel Wotring Jr., Isaac and Samuel Wotring, John Wotring Hrs. 13 totalcirca 1867-1909
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 7
Tax receipts for John Spiggle Hrs [Heirs], W.C. Spiggle, John Spiggle. 8 totalcirca 1897-1909
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 7
Form: Autographed Letter Signed; Persons: John M. Hansen [sic, Hauser], signed by Isaac Startzman; Places: Preston County, WV; Subjects: Receiptundated
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 8
Form: Manuscripts; Persons: David Shaffer [Daniel Shafer] (J.P.) to John A. Wotring (Constable); Places: Preston County, VA [now WV]; Subjects: Bonds, summonses, and attachmentscirca 1842-1847
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 9
Form: Autographed Letter Signed; Persons: Thomas Dunn to Thomas Pemberton; Places: Preston County, VA [now WV]; Subjects: [Looks like an I.O.U.]circa 1830
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 9
Court document/settlement[?] between Lennia [?] Stolinberger, Elizabeth McCartney1841–1842
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 9
Form: Autographed Letter Signed; Persons: Agreement on Stephen Losh and John A. Wotring; Places: Preston County, VA [now WV]; Subjects: Contracts and agreements1843
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 9
Form: Autographed Letter Signed; Persons: Joseph M. Cain [sic, Crim[?]; Places: Preston County, VA [now WV]; Subjects: Promissory note1861
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 9
Form: Autographed Letter Signed; Persons: Savilla R. Hauser and Sarah J. Valjean to Samuel Wotring; Places: Scioto County, OH; Subjects: Power of attorney1884
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 9
Form: Autographed Letter Signed; Persons: Sarah Champ to John Spiggle; Places: Preston County, VA [now WV]; Subjects: Promissory note1890
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 9
Form: Autographed Letter Signed; Persons: Jon Fauder [sic, J M Fauder] to John Spiggle; Places: Preston County, VA [now WV]; Subjects: Promissory note1890
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 9
Form: Autographed Letter Signed; Persons: Mary Thayer [sic] to John Spiggle; Places: Preston County, VA [now WV]; Subjects: Promissory noteApproximately 1890s
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 9
Form: Autographed Letter Signed; Persons: Walter C. Spiggle and wife with Coleman Shafer; Places: Preston County, VA [now WV]; Subjects: Contract1940
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 10
Form: Manuscript; Persons: Mary J. Trickett; Places: Preston County, VA [now WV]; Subjects: Surveys and plats1906
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 10
Form: Manuscript; Persons: No identification; Places: Preston County, VA [now WV]; Subjects: Area calculation of a tract1907
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 10
Form: Manuscript; Persons: No identification; Places: Preston County, VA [now WV]; Subjects: Survey (3--one of the Wotrings family land, two others that are not labeled)undated
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 10
Form: Typescript; Persons: Geo. Wotring, Isaac, and John Wotring; Places: Preston County, VA [now WV]; Subjects: Survey and platundated
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 10
Form: Manuscript; Persons: No identification; Places: Preston County, VA [now WV]; Subjects: Survey, bearing and distancesundated
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 10
Form: Typescript; Persons: William Selders; Places: Preston County, VA [now WV]; Subjects: Survey and platundated
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 10
Form: Manuscript; Persons: No identification; Places: Preston County, VA [now WV]; Subjects: Survey and platundated
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 10
Form: Typescript; Persons: Mary S. Shaffer; Places: Preston County, VA [now WV]; Subjects: 3 platsundated
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 10
Form: Manuscript; Persons: E.H. James's Survey -- L.L.H. Saunders (surveyor); Places: Preston County, VA [now WV]; Subjects: Survey and platundated
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 11
Form: Manuscript; Persons: Mrs. Eve Hansen [sic, Hauser/Houser. Doc titled Mrs E Hauser]; Places: Preston County, VA [now WV]; Subjects: Itemized account1855
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 11
Form: Manuscript; Persons: William Benson; Places: Aurora, VA [now WV]; Subjects: Itemized account1859
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 11
Form: Autographed Letter Signed; Persons: Daniel Shaffer and Jesse W. Shaffer; Places: Preston County, VA [now WV]; Subjects: Itemized account1863
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 11
Form: Autographed Letter Signed; Persons: Mrs. Hansen [Hauser[?]; Places: Preston County, WV; Subjects: Itemized accountundated
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 11
"Subscribers Not Paid," 2 pages, itemized listundated
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 11
Small yellowed lined sheet of paper, titled "June 3 92" with itemized listLikely 1892
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 12
Form: Manuscript; Persons: William A. Fander (Constable); Places: Preston County, VA [now WV]; Subjects: Execution on a judgementundated
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 12
Form: Autographed Letter Signed; Persons: Peter Woodring to John Wotring; Places: Union County, KY; Subjects: Personal correspondence1846
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 12
Form: Autographed Letter Signed; Persons: Unknown; Places: Preston County, VA [now WV]; Subjects: Letter to church members soliciting funds1851
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 12
Form: Autographed Letter Signed; Persons: David Wotring to James A. Brown; Places: Carmel, WV; Subjects: Business letter1881
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 12
Form: Autographed Letter Signed; Persons: Samuel Wotring from [?] Barton Payne; Places: Preston County, WV; Subjects: Business letter1881Scope and Contents
Letter does not clearly say "Samuel Wotring, but addressed to Sam from "Mr [?] Barton Payne." Has two other papers related to it following this letter, headlined "McKee + Darrell."
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 12
Form: Autographed Letter Signed; Persons: Barton Payne to Samuel Wotring, Jr.; Places: Kingwood, WV; Subjects: Business letter with envelope1882
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 12
Form: Autographed Letter Signed; Persons: J.A. Brown to Samuel Wotring; Places: Preston County, WV; Subjects: PostcardPossibly 1881
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 12
Letter from Barton Payne to John Spiggle, Kingwood, with envelope1881
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 13
Form: Printed matter; Persons: Eve Hansen [sic, Hauser]; Places: Preston County, WV; Subjects: Hotel Keeper's License, issued by the Bureau of Internal Revenue1863
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 13
Form: Printed matter; Persons: Eve Hansen [sic, Hauser/Houser]; Places: Preston County, WV; Subjects: Hotel Keeper's License, issued by the Bureau of Internal Revenue1865
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 13
Form: Printed matter; Persons: Eve Hansen [sic, Houser/Hauser]; Places: Preston County, WV; Subjects: Hotel Keeper's License, issued by the Bureau of Internal Revenue1866
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 13
Hotel license for Eva K. Houser [alt. spelling Hauser], signed by J.M. Chidester1871
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 13
Form: Printed matter; Persons: Walter C. Spiggle; Places: Preston County, WV; Subjects: WV driver's license1943
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 14
Farm and Fireside agricultural-related newspaper, Springfield, Ohio1886
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 15
Scratch paper with figures, details an election1844
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 15
Scratch paper with figures, list of names, begins "We the undersigned," dated July 4, 18531853 July 4
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 15
Scratch piece of paper with numbers, Jesse Parsonundated
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 15
Lined paper, begins with "Michael Bolfles built the Red House for Joe Casson…" undatedundated
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 15
Form: Printed matter; Persons: No persons listed; Places: No place listed; Subjects: Order of Salvation in questions and answersundated
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 15
Small slip of paper about measurements and "facts and figures" in typed print. On the back is a list of prices for crops in Philadelphiaundated
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 15
Two lined sheets--One titled "Receipt for Cure of Cancer" and the other titled "To Make Sour Cloves Salve"undated
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 15
"Warrens Summer Drinks" recipe instructionsundated
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 15
Paper titled "The Age of Horses"undated
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 15
Religious paper warning against vices of drinking, begins with "Young men give ear to what I say"Undated
- Mixed Materials Box: 1 Folder: 15
"Pomeroy's Elastic Rupture-Belt" PamphletApproximately 1870s
- Mixed Materials Map Case: 10 Drawer: 8
Form: Land grants; Persons: Edmund Randolph (Governor of Virginia) to John Turton Goff, Nathaniel Goff, and Thomas Pierce; Places: Richmond, VA; Subjects: Land grant1788
- Mixed Materials Map Case: 10 Drawer: 8
Form: Land grants; Persons: Henry Lee (Governor of Virginia) to John T. Goff, Thomas Goff, [?] Ashley, and Zacharias Pitz; Places: Richmond, VA; Subjects: Land grant1792
- Mixed Materials Map Case: 10 Drawer: 8
Form: Land grants; Persons: Henry A. Wise (Governor of Virginia) to John A. Wotring; Places: Richmond, VA; Subjects: Land grant1858
- Mixed Materials Map Case: 10 Drawer: 8
Form: Manuscript; Persons: Samuel Wotring and wife to David Wotring; Places: Preston County, VA [now WV]; Subjects: Deed1849
- Mixed Materials Map Case: 10 Drawer: 8
Form: Manuscript; Persons: Farmer H. Hutt [sic, James H. Heitt] to David H. Fortney; Places: Preston County, VA [now WV]; Subjects: Deed1851