Kanawha County, West Virginia Genealogy

Guide to Kanawha County, West Virginia ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.

Description
The County was named for Kanawha River. The County is located in the central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Kanawha County Courthouse 409 Virginia Street East Charleston, WV 25301 Phone: 304-372-2011 Kanawha County Website County Clerk has birth and death records from 1853, marriage records from 1831, probate records from 1831, and land records from 1786.

Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit Hometown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

History Timeline

 * History of Districts and Towns of Kanawha County
 * Sissonville A Time to Remember

Bible Records

 * 1711-1955 (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — index and images
 * 1833-1931 (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * Kanawha County Bible Records at Roots Web

Biographies

 * Kanawha County Biography at Ancestry ($)
 * Kanawha County Biography Library
 * West Virginia Biographies Project - Kanawha County

Business, Commerce, and Occupations
Occupations
 * Cutten, George Barton. The Silversmiths of Virginia (Together with Watchmakers and Jewelers) from 1694 to 1850. Richmond, Va.: The Dietz Press, Incorporated, 1952. . Includes a section on Charleston silversmiths.

Census Records

 * Kanawha County, West Virginia Census Records

Church Records

 * Churches of Kanawha County, West Virginia

Baptist Early Baptist churches (with years constituted):


 * Cole River (1807)
 * Kenhawa (1796)
 * Peter's Creek (1803)
 * Taze's Valley (1805)
 * Mud River (1807)

Kanawha County fell within the bounds of the Greenbrier Association.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Ward and Branch Records List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * Charleston
 * FamilySearch Places

Court Records

 * 1754-1933 (*); Circuit and County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1773-1875 (*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1776-1971 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1788-1803 (*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1788-1803 (*); County Court and Historical Records Survey at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1803-1880 (*); County Clerk at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1806-1867 (*); Superior Court of Law, Circuit Superior Court of Law and Chancery, Circuit and County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1808-1883 (*); Circuit and County Court, County Sheriff at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1808-1919 (*); Circuit and County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1810-1847 (*); Circuit and County Court, County Sheriff at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1813-1888 (*); Circuit and County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1814-1831 (*); Circuit and County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1825-1831 (*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1831-1863 (*); Circuit and County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1831-1883 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1831-1930 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1842-1868 (*); Circuit and County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1851-1870 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1855-1857 (*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1862-1865 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1865-1920 (*); County Clerk at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1869-1877 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1871-1926 (*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1915-1920 (*); Court of Common Pleas at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1921-1933 (*); County Clerk at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * (*); Historical Records Survey at FamilySearch Catalog — images

African Americans

 * Wolfgang, Meldon J. Kanawha County, Virginia, personal property tax lists, 1806 and 1809. Albany, NY J. Sheppard Enterprises. 1977. 33p.FHL 975.4 A1 no. 57

Funeral Homes

 * Bartlett Funeral Home records, St. Albans, West Virginia 1922-1932, 1951-1995

Genealogies
It is anticipated that this bibliography will eventually identify all known family histories published about residents of this county. Use this list to:


 * Locate publications about direct ancestors
 * Find the most updated accounts of an ancestor's family
 * Identify publications, to quote Elizabeth Shown Mills, about an ancestor's "FAN Club" [Friends, Associates, and Neighbors]
 * Asbury - Holtzclaw, B.C. "Asbury of Westmoreland County, Virginia," Virginia Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 5, No. 3 (Jul. 1967):55-65; Vol. 5, No. 4 (Oct. 1967):77-87; Vol. 6, No. 1 (Jan. 1968):10-26. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * Ashley - Ross, Clara Mae. John Thomas Ashley (1838-1923), His Ancestors of Surry County, North Carolina, His Descendants of Roane County, West Virginia, and Related Families. Colfax, N.C., n.d..
 * Brown - Nichols, Helen Brown. The Brown Connection to Ancient and Royal Families, Ancestry A to Z, Roots Along the Great Kanawha. 2003.
 * Dickinson - "The Dickinson Family," Virginia Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 2, No. 2 (Apr. 1964):31. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * Page - Rutherford, Dolores Crumrine. Page Family Records in Virginia Counties. 2 vols. Carmichael, Calif.: D.C. Rutherford, 1982-2006. Kanawha County appears in Vol. 2 Part 3
 * Page - Rutherford, Dolores Crumrine. The Page Family in Virginia Personal Property Taxes (1782-1850). 2 vols. Carmichael, Calif.: D.C. Rutherford, 2002. Kanawha County appears in Vol. 2.
 * Ruffner - "Rev. Dr. Henry Ruffner," Virginia Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 2, No. 3 (Jul. 1964):43-44. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * Shields - Shields, Carolyn Ann Dean, Shields, Charles Louis, Kanawha County cousins: a history of the history of the families of Dean--Perry--Painter--Ritz.

DNA DNA has been collected from men claiming descent from the following Kanawha County, (West) Virginia residents. Attempts have not been made to verify the lineages of those tested.


 * Fletcher - Descendant of William Fletcher, b. England, resident of Kanawha and Monroe Counties, Virginia. Y-DNA 12 Marker Test, FTDNA. William Fletcher of Accomac County, Virginia/James Fletcher of Brunswick County, Virginia, courtesy: The Fletcher DNA Project.

Land and Property Records

 * Kanawha County Land Owners in 1791
 * Kanawha County Land Grants and Deeds

Local Histories

 * History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia and representative citizens. 1974. By William Sydney Laidley. Tucson, Arizona : W.C. Cox & Co. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive;.
 * History of the Great Kanawha Valley : With Family History and Biographical Sketches.... 1994. By John P. Hale. Gauley, West Virginia : Gauley & New River Pub. Co. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive.
 * History of Kanawha County, From its Organization in 1789 Until the Present Time.... 1994. By Geo. W. Atkinson. Elkview, West Virginia : West Virginia Genealogical Society. Online at: Ancestry ($);.
 * Pioneers and Their Homes On Upper Kanawha, West Virginia. 1947. By Ruth Wood Dayton. Charleston, West Virginia : Education Foundation. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library, Ancestry ($); . Reprinted 1977.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
 * Maps of West Virginia (1617-1995)
 * Map of 1850 Virginia and West Virginia
 * Kanawha County West Virginia 1895
 * Kanawha County, West Virginia Map
 * U.S. Federal Route 119 Kanawha County
 * Districts and Towns of Kanawha County

Military Records

 * West Virginia Military Records

Revolutionary War

 * A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshals of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census. 1841. Digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($). 1967 reprint: . See Virginia, Western District, Kanawha County on page 135.
 * Rejected or Suspended Applications for Revolutionary War Pensions. Washington, D.C., 1852. Reprinted by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1969, and 1991. Reprints include "an Added Index to States." ; digital version at Ancestry ($). Includes veterans from this county; Virginia section begins on page 238.

War of 1812

 * Kanawha County in the War of 1812


 * Kanawha County men served in the 80th Regiment.

Civil War
Confederate


 * - 4th Regiment, Virginia State Line (Cavalry and Infantry) (Confederate). Company E.
 * - 8th Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Confederate). Company I (Kanawha Rangers).
 * - 19th Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Confederate). Company G (Dixie Boys).
 * - 22nd Regiment, Virginia Infantry (1st Kanawha Regiment). Company E (Elk River Tigers) and Company I (Kanawha Riflemen).
 * - 34th Battalion, Virginia Cavalry (Witcher's Battalion, Virginia Mounted Rifles) (Confederate). Company B.

Union
 * - 8th Regiment, West Virginia Infantry.

'''Records and histories are available, including:
 * 1861-1865  at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
 * Kanawha County, West Virginia in the Civil War
 * 1861-1865 U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry — index (free)
 * 1861-1865 U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry — index (free)

World War II

 * 1940-1945 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
 * Kanawha County, West Virginia World War I and World War II

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1814-1991  at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection

Newspapers

 * The Charleston Gazette
 * The Charleston Daily Mail (Charleston, West Virginia) at Ancestry ($)
 * Sunday Gazette-Mail (Charleston, West Virginia) at Ancestry ($)
 * Charleston Mail (Charleston, West Virginia) at Ancestry ($)
 * Charleston Daily Mail (Charlestown, West Virginia) at Ancestry ($)

Obituaries

 * Miscellaneous Kanawha County, West Virginia Obituaries
 * Kanawha County WV Obituaries
 * Charleston Daily Mail Obituaries
 * Obituaries of West Virginia Newspapers
 * Kanawha County, West Virginia Obituaries

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1724-1985 West Virginia, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1724-1985 at Ancestry ($) — index & images
 * 1754-1933 (*); Circuit and County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1756-1971 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1776-1971 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1789-1860 (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1789-1869 (*); Clerk of the Circuit Court and Historical Records Survey at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1808-1919 (*); Circuit and County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1825-1831 (*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1826-1908 (*); Clerk of the Circuit Court and Historical Records Survey at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1832-1902 (*); Clerk of the Circuit Court and Historical Records Survey at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1838-1938 (*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1862-1865 (*); Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1866-1899 (*); Works Progress Administration of West Virginia at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1871-1926 (*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1871-1968 (*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1881-1968 (*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * Kanawha County Will Records at RootsWeb

Social Security Records

 * 1935-2014 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
 * 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.

Tax Records
How can Virginia tax lists help me?

West Virginia real and personal property tax records are managed by the County Assessor in each county. Land and land improvements are considered real property while mobile property is classified as personal property.

Many County Assessors offer an online searchable database, where assessment record searches can be performed by name, account number, year, or mp/parcel number. Where online records are not available, requests for records can be made to the Assessment Office in person, by phone, or in writing.


 * 1792 Kanawha County Tithables in 1792; index online at The WVGenWeb Project
 * 1792 1792 Kanawha County, (West) Virginia Personal Property Tax List; index online at New River Notes.
 * 1792-1850 Kenawha County Personal property tax lists, 1792-1850 at - images.
 * 1793 1793 Kanawha County, (West) Virginia Personal Property Tax List; index online at New River Notes.
 * 1796 1796 Kanawha County, (West) Virginia Personal Property Tax List; index online at New River Notes.
 * 1815 Ward, Roger D. 1815 Directory of Virginia Landowners (and Gazetteer). 6 vols. Athens, Ga.: Iberian Pub. Co., 1997-2000. . The source for this publication is the 1815 land tax. Kanawha County is included in Vol. 6.
 * 1840 Kanawha County Tax Lists; index online at The WVGenWeb Project.

Vital Records

 * Vital Registration Office; State Capitol Complex No 3, Run 516 Charleston, WV 25305 Phone: 304-558-2931 Fax: 304-558-1051
 * West Virginia Vital Records, 1865 - 1969 (varies) - Includes birth, death, and marriage.
 * Kanawha County Birth Records
 * Kanawha County Marriage Records
 * Kanawha County Death Records
 * West Virginia Health Statistics Center

Birth

 * 1853-1914 West Virginia Birth Index, 1853-1914 at MyHeritage - index ($)

Marriage

 * 1776-1971 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1780-1970 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1801-1962 West Virginia, United States Marriages at Findmypast; index $

Death

 * 1804-1999 at FamilySearch — index - How to Use this Collection
 * 1853-1964 West Virginia Death Index & Certificates, 1853-1964 at MyHeritage - index ($)

Archives

 * Episcopal Diocese of West Virginia 1608 Virginia Street East Charleston, WV 25311 Phone: 304-344-3597 Fax: 304-343-3295

FamilySearch Centers

 * Charleston West Virginia FamilySearch Center

Libraries

 * Kanawha County Public Library
 * West Virginia University - Genealogy Resources
 * West Virginia Kanawha County Public Libraries

Societies
Archives and History Library Division of Culture and History The Cultural Center Capital Complex Charleston, WV 25305-0300 Phone: 304-558-0220 Fax: 304-558-2779 Archives and History Library

Kanawha Valley Genealogical Society P.O. Box 8555 South Charleston, WV 25303 Kanawha Valley Genealogical Society

Kanawha Valley Civil War Round Table 317 18th Street Dunbar, WV 25064 Phone: 304-389-8587

Kanawha Valley Historical & Preservation Society, Inc. 507 Peoples Building P. O. Box 2283 Charleston, WV 25328 Phone: 304-342-7676

Kanawha County Public Library 123 Capitol Street Charleston, WV 25301 Phone: 304-343-4646

Saint Albans Historical Society 2745 Lincoln Avenue Saint Albans, WV 25177 mailing address: 919 Lee Street Saint Albans, WV 25177 Phone: 304-727-5972

Websites

 * Kanawha County, WV History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * West Virginia Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * Kanawha County, West Virginia USGENWEB
 * CYNDI'S List West Virginia
 * Kanawha County, West Virginia Microfilms at the Library of Virginia
 * West Virginia Biographies Project of Kanawha County, West Virginia
 * Kanawha County Family Tree (email no longer in use)
 * Early Settlements of Kanawha County
 * Kanawha County West Virginia New River Notes
 * - The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection.  Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records