Wayne County, West Virginia Genealogy

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

County Courthouse
County Clerk has birth and death records from 1853 Marriage records from 1854 Probate and Land Records

History


The county is named after Revolutionary War General "Mad" Anthony Wayne (1745-1796).

Parent County
1842--Wayne County was created 18 January 1842 from Cabell County. County seat: Wayne

Boundary Changes
For animated maps illustrating West Virginia county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation West Virginia County Boundary Maps" (1617-1995) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Record Loss
1921 Fire burned the courthouse in 1921, but no records were lost.

Neighboring Counties

 * Boyd County, Kentucky
 * Cabell
 * Lawrence County, Kentucky
 * Lawrence County, Ohio
 * Lincoln
 * Martin County, Kentucky
 * Mingo

Cemeteries

 * Queen's Ridge Cemetery
 * Morris Funeral Home
 * Random Acts WV Cemetery Records Research Guide

Land
Wayne County, Transactions West Virginia Deeds

Local Histories
West Virginia Archives

A Brief History of Buffalo Creek Community, Wayne County ,West Virginia. Morgantown, West Virginia, Agricultural Extension Division, 1925. (On-line version) Xwv 1. Agr 3. 2: B78. Comstock, Jim. ''Historical and Geographical Encyclopedia. Richwood, West Virginia'', Jim Comstock, 1973. 975.4003 H259 v.7. Darby, Erasmus Foster. App Queen Day: Being an Eyewitness Account of How This Great Schoolmaster is Honored Each Year in Wayne County, West Virginia. Chillicothe, Ohio, Dave Webb, 1955. 398.22 D24a Pam. _________________. Spot the Great Red Nosed Hound of Sugar Tree Hollow. Chillicothe, Ohio, Dave Webb, 1954. 636.7 D34s Pam. Kirby, Wesley D. History of Wayne Community Wayne County West Virginia. Morgantown, West Virginia, Agricultural Extension Division, 1926. (On-line version) Xwv 1. Agr 3. 2: K5. McClintic, Elizabeth Knight. Ceredo: An Experiment in Colonization. s. l., n. p., 1937. 917.5447 M126. Osborn, Lucian W. History of East Lynn Community Wayne County West Virginia. Morgantown, West Virginia, Agricultural Extension Division, 1927. (On-line version)Xwv 1. Agr 3. 2: O8. ''A Pictorial History of Wayne County. Kenova, West Virginia, Wayne County Historical Publications Inc.'', 1988. 975.447 W359p. Taylor, Mildred. ''History of Wayne County, West Virginia. Wayne, West Virginia,'' n. p., 1963. 975.447 T244. Thomas C. W.History of Ceredo and Kenova. s. l., n. p., @1958. 975.447 T482 Pam. Varney, Carl E. Birch Bark and Sassafras Tea. Crum, West Virginia, @1976. 917.5447 V318. Williams, John Alexander. "A Note and Documents on the Wayne County Shooting Incident During the Election Campaign of 1894." West Virginia History, Charleston, West Virginia, Department of Archives and History, 1971-72. Arc 1. 4:33.

Maps

 * Maps of West Virginia (1617-1995)
 * 1850 Map of Virginia and West Virginia
 * Wayne County, West Virginia Map

Civil War
Union


 * - 1st Regiment, West Virginia Light Artillery, Battery B Light Artillery.

Confederate


 * - 1st Regiment, Virginia State Line (Cavalry) (Confederate). Companies A, C, and G.
 * - 2nd Regiment, Virginia State Line (Cavalry) (Confederate). Company H.
 * - 4th Regiment, Virginia State Line (Cavalry and Infantry) (Confederate). Company G.
 * - 8th Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Confederate). Company K (Fairview Rifle Guards aka Sandy Rangers).
 * - 16th Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Confederate). Companies E, G, and H.
 * - 34th Battalion, Virginia Cavalry (Witcher's Battalion, Virginia Mounted Rifles) (Confederate). Company A (Witcher's Company Virginia Mounted Rifles).
 * - 45th Battalion, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company F (K).

Records and histories are available, including:


 * Wayne County, West Virginia Civil War
 * 1861 - 1865 West Virginia, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers, 1861-1865
 * 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)
 * 8th Virginia Calvary

Naturalization

 * 1814 - 1991 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Probate
Online Probate Records


 * 1724 - 1978 West Virginia Wills and Probate Records 1724-1978 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1756 - 1971 at [https:/familysearch.org/ FamilySearch] — index and images

Wayne County, West Virginia Will Books 1843 - 1968

West Virginia Will Books

Online West Virginia Tax site
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

 * . Includes marriages 1854-1862, 1865-1970 - free.

Marriage

 * 1853-1863 - Virginia Marriages 1853-1863 (Ancestry) ($).

Societies and Libraries
See also a List of West Virginia Archives, Libraries, Publications, Historical &amp; Genealogical Societies

Historical Societies
  Wayne County, West Virginia Public Library

Ceredo-Kenova Memorial Public Library

Fort Gay Public Library

Wayne County Geenalgoical and Historical Society

Cabell - Wayne County Historical Society PO Box 9412 Huntinton, WV 25704

KYOWVA Genealogical Society P O Box 1254 Huntington, WV 25715

Kentucky Ohio West Virginia Genealogical Society

Family History Centers

 * Huntington West Virginia Family History Center
 * Introduction to LDS Family History Centers

Websites

 * Wayne County, WV History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * West Virginia Genealogy Network Community on Google+
 * West Virginia Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * Wayne County, West Virginia Communities
 * Wayne County, West Virginia Wikipedia
 * CYNDI'S List West Virginia
 * Wayne County, West Virginia Biographies
 * Wayne County, West Virginia Biographies