Lois' List o' Links:
The Easy Part of All This!
Chances are, since you found my page, you're familiar with the "biggie" general genealogy sites, so I won't list those. I'll focus instead on less-well known sites that I have come across and found useful. Some are just for fun, but they have their own category!
West Virginia/Virginia Genealogy
- Frontier Forts of Southwest Virginia
- From the Russell Co., VA, GenWeb site. Includes an account of Chadwell's Station, established by ancestor and Revolutionary War Capt. David Chadwell.
- West Virginia GenWeb
- THE best place to start your WV internet research...
- Hacker's Creek Pioneer Descendants
- Another great site. Lots of good information here for anyone researching central/north-central WV families.
- West Virginia History Database
- Page produced by the WV State Archives. This is a great history and general reference site. Check out the Genealogy Surname Exchange, the list by county of repositories and historical societies, and the online version of "West Virginia History".
- New River Notes
- This is a fabulous site covering the SW VA-NW NC area, including Greenbrier and Kanawha Cos. Jeffrey C. Weaver has put together a very large collection of transcriptions of primary sources, covering about 200 years of the area's history. Don't miss this one!
- Virginia GenWeb
- Since many, if not most, of us with WV roots also have VA roots, this is a great place to start.
- Chalkley's Chronicles of the Scotch-Irish Settlement in Virginia
- A transcription of huge proportions. This has the proceedings of the Augusta Co., VA, Court from 1745-1800. The site is still "under construction", but what a gem!
- The Library of Virginia Digital Collections
- This is a good reference to the holdings in the LoV and how to access them. There is also a useful guide to the county court records, and a great index to the War of 1812 Payrolls and Muster Rolls.
- Genealogy Personal Home Pages
- Tired of using search engines to try to find sites pertaining to your surnames? This site, in its infancy, intends to make it easier to find pages for your surnames. I think it's a good idea!
Geography/Tools/Tips
- 1895 United States Atlas
- Here's a good place to look for all those defunct place names
- Oddens's Bookmarks
- Links to (probably) every online map there is!
- Shirley Hornbeck's This and That Genealogy Tips
- A big collection of really, really useful general genealogy information. This is a good place to go when you're stuck and looking for ideas!
- Ancestry.com's online, searchable Social Security Death Index
- This is very useful tool for information on people who died 1932 to present.
- Here is a handy online birthdate-from-deathdate calculator, created by Ben Buckner.
West Virginia - Past and Present
- West Virginia
Archaeological Research Library
- A good introductory site about the state's prehistory.
- History of Native Americans in West Virginia
- Compiled by the WV State Archives, a survey of early cultures and the arrival of European sttlers.
- The Shawnee
- A brief history.
- Almost Level West Virginia
- A serious look at mountaintop removal mining.
- Jeff Miller's West Virginia Page
- Lots of interesting information and trivia about the state, with a focus on Beckley and Raleigh Co.
- The Official Mike Morningstar Web site
- Gilmer Co. musician Mike Morningstar's site.
Appalachian Culture
- My Appalachia
- Here's a site with a real "down-home" feel. Photographs, stories, poems, humor and more!
"Fun Stuff"
- The Mystery of the Mothman (Revisited)
- West Virginia's Mothman legend, explored in great detail!
- Flatwoods Monster
- Can't forget Braxton County's famous monster!
- Brown Mountain Lights
- Ghost lights on Brown Mountain, North Carolina.
- Elmer's Glue-All Museum, Sawmill and Boutique
- Home of alt.appalachian's illustrious GuvBob, I'll let this site speak for itself. You'll find some great bluegrass and "old-timey" music links here, too. Bring your Moon Pies and Arcee Coler!
- South Talkin': The Southern Slang Home Page
- Self-explanatory. Fun!
- Questions, comments, additions, corrections? I'd love to hear from you...
lcruz@rtol.net
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Graphics by Bimsan