Wood County, West Virginia Genealogy

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

Description
Wood County was named for James Wood and is located in the west-central area of the state.

County Courthouse
Wood County Courthouse 1 Court Square Parkersburg, WV 26101 Phone: 304-424-1844 Wood County Website County Clerk has birth, marriage and death records from 1850; probate records and military records from 1900. County Assessor has land records from 1798. Clerk of the Circuit Court has divorce and county records.

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:

Bible Records

 * Wood County Bibles at WVGenWeb
 * Wood County Bibles at USGenWeb Archives

Biographies

 * Sketches of Wood County : its Early History. By S. C. Shaw. Parkersburg, West Virginia : G. Elletson, 1878. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.

Cemeteries

 * West Virginia Cemetery Preservation Association Wood County

Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

Court Records

 * 1785-1875 (*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1799-1850 (*); Circuit Superior Court of Law and Chancery at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1800-1919 (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1801-1833 (*);County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1801-1900 (*); County Clerk at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1802-1803 (*); District Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1803-1830 (*); District Court and Superior Court of Law at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1803-1839 (*); Circuit Superior Court of Law and Chancery at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1806-1826 (*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1812-1831 (*); Superior Court of Chancery at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1822-1831 (*); Superior Court of Law at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1831-1926 (*); Circuit Superior Court of Law and Chancery, Circuit Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1836-1846 (*); Circuit Superior Court of Law and Chancery at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1840-1881 (*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1853-1901 (*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1870-1934 (*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1872-1969 (*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1900-1928 (*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * (*); Historical Records Survey at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Directories

 * 1907 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Funeral Homes

 * Wood County, West Virginia Funeral Homes

Genealogies

 * Agnew - Roberts, Gary Boyd. The Royal Descents of 600 Immigrants to the American Colonies or the United States: Who Were Themselves Notable or Left Descendants Notable in American History. Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2008. ; online at Ancestry ($).
 * Blennerhasset - Roberts, Gary Boyd. The Royal Descents of 600 Immigrants to the American Colonies or the United States: Who Were Themselves Notable or Left Descendants Notable in American History. Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing Co., 2008. ; online at Ancestry ($).
 * Cooke - Welles, Albert. American Family Antiquity. New York: Society Library, 1880. Digital version at Internet Archive - free.
 * Cunningham - Newman, Betty Cunningham. Adam and 500 More Cunninghams of the Valley of Virginia, c.1734-c.1800. Bowie, Md.: Heritage Books, Inc., 2000..
 * Kiger - Pappas, Carolyn H. "Christopher Beeler, 1705-1775," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 43, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1999):243-255; Vol. 44, No. 1 (Jan.-Mar. 2000):18-30; Vol. 44, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 2000):115-125. Digital version at American Ancestors by NEHGS($)..
 * Page - Rutherford, Dolores Crumrine. Page Family Records in Virginia Counties. 2 vols. Carmichael, Calif.: D.C. Rutherford, 1982-2006. Wood County appears in Vol. 2 Part 4
 * Page - Rutherford, Dolores Crumrine. The Page Family in Virginia Personal Property Taxes (1782-1850). 2 vols. Carmichael, Calif.: D.C. Rutherford, 2002. Wood County appears in Vol. 2


 * Gleanings from Wood County, West Virginia: history; and traditions and a little about the lives of some of the people who were called "the pioneers". By Nancy Stout Beckwith. Washington, West Virginia : N. S. Beckwith, 1969. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.

Local Histories

 * Gleanings from Wood County, West Virginia. By Nancy Stout Beckwith. Washington, West Virginia : N. S. Beckwith, 1969. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.
 * Sketches of Wood County : its Early History. By S. C. Shaw. Parkersburg, West Virginia : G. Elletson, 1878. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.

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
 * Wood County, West Virginia Map

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 versions at FamilySearch Digital Library, Internet Archive, Ancestry ($). 1967 reprint: . See Virginia, Western District, Wood County on page 136.
 * Rejected or Suspended Applications for Revolutionary War Pensions. Washington, D.C., 1852. Reprinted by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1969, and 1991. Reprints include "an Added Index to States." ; digital version at Ancestry ($). Includes veterans from this county; Virginia section begins on page 238.

War of 1812

 * Wood County men served in the 113th Regiment.

Civil War

 * - 14th Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Confederate). Company N (Night Hawk Rangers).
 * - 20th Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Confederate). Company G.

Records and histories are available, including:


 * 1861-1865 - How to Use this Collection
 * 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

Naturalization and Citizenship

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

Newspapers

 * Wood County, WV Genealogy News Clippings
 * Wood County, West Virginia Newspapers

Obituaries

 * Wood County WV Genealogy Obituaries
 * Wood 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
 * 1756-1971 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1776-1971 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1789-1865 (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1790-1891 (*); at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1800-1919 (*); Works Progress Administration of West Virginia at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1800-1969 (*); County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * 1807-1899 (*); Works Progress Administration of West Virginia at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * (*); Historical Records Survey and Clerk of the County Court at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * (*); Historical Records Survey at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * (*); Historical Records Survey at FamilySearch Catalog — index & images
 * Wood County, West Virginia Genealogy Wills at RootsWeb
 * Wood County West Virginia Will Book : Books 1-A, 1-B, 1-C, 2 and 3, 1800-1872. Wood County, West Virginia: Wood County, West Virginia, 1800-1878. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library; Also Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library

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 West Virginia tax lists help me?


 * 1802-1822 Wood County, West Virginia Tax Lists 1802-1822 - free.
 * 1815 - Ward, Roger D. 1815 Directory of Virginia Landowners (and Gazetteer). 6 vols. Athens, Georgia: Iberian Pub. Co., 1997-2000. Available at . The source for this publication is the 1815 land tax. Wood County is included in Vol. 6.

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.

The search for tax information can start here

Vital Records

 * West Virginia Vital Records, 1865-1969 (varies) - Includes birth, death, and marriage.

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 ($)

FamilySearch Centers

 * Parkersburg West Virginia FamilySearch Center

Libraries
Parkersburg and Wood County Public Library 3100 Emerson Ave Parkersburg, WV 26104 Phone: 304-420-4587 Email: [mailto:parkwoodref@parkwoodlib.com parkwoodref@parkwoodlib.com] Website Facebook

Societies
Julia-Ann Square Historical Community Association, Inc. PO Box 966 Parkersburg, WV 26102-0966 Phone: 304-422-9861 Facebook West Augusta Historical Society 915 E Main St Mannington, WV 26582 Phone: 304-986-1252 Email: [mailto:westaugustahistorical@gmail.com westaugustahistorical@gmail.com] Facebook Wood County Historical and Preservation Society PO Box 565 Parkersburg, WV 26102 Phone: 304-295-9777 Email: [mailto:wchps.email@gmail.com wchps.email@gmail.com] Website Facebook

Websites

 * Wood County WVGenWeb
 * Wood County, West Virginia Various Records on Microfilm at the Library of Virginia
 * Cyndi's List for West Virginia
 * Parkersburg, West Virginia: A Vintage Portrait
 * West Virginia Archives History Wood County
 * West Virginia Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * - 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

Research Guides

 * "A Guide to the Counties of Virginia: Wood County," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 24, No. 4 (Oct.-Dec. 1976):297-300. ; digital version at American Ancestors by NEHGS ($).