Cabell County, West Virginia Genealogy

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United States
West Virginia
Cabell County

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

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County Facts
County seat: Huntington
Organized: January 2, 1809
Parent County(s): Kanawha[1]
Neighboring Counties
Gallia  • Lawrence  • Lincoln  • Mason  • Putnam  • Wayne
See County Maps
Courthouse
Cabell County, West Virginia Courthouse.JPG
Location Map
Wv-cabell.png
Adoption

County Information

Description

The County was named for William H. Cabell. The County has Huntington as its seat and the County was created January 2, 1809. The County is located in the southwest area of the state.[2]

County Courthouse

Cabell County Courthouse
8th St and 4th Avenue
Huntington, WV 25701
Phone: 304-526-8625
Cabell County Website

County Clerk has birth and death records from 1853; marriage records from 1809; land records from 1808 and probate records from 1809.
Clerk of the Circuit Court has records from 1809.[3]

Cabell County, West Virginia Record Dates

Information for this chart was taken from various sources, often containing conflicting dates. This information should be taken as a guide and should be verified by contacting the county and/or the state government agency.

Known Beginning Dates for Major County Records[4]
Birth* Marriage Death* Court Land Probate Census
1853 1809 1853 1809 1808 1809 1870
Statewide registration for births and deaths began in 1917. General compliance by 1925.

Record Loss

Some records have been damaged by flood water and are not very legible. Transcripts of many of these records are available as an aid in deciphering them.

For suggestions about research in places that suffered historic record losses, see:

Boundary Changes

  • 1809--Cabell County was created 2 January 1809 from Kanawha County.
  • County seat: Huntington, as of 1887.[5] Previous seats include Guyandotte and Barboursville.
  • Wayne County was carved from Cabell in 1842, while still part of Virginia.
  • Boone County was created in 1847 from parts of Cabell, Kanawha and Logan.
  • In 1867, parts of Cabell, Boone, Kanawha and Putnam were used to create Lincoln County, West Virginia.

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.

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:[6]

Cities
Towns
Villages
Unincorporated communities
Census-designated places


History Timeline

Resources

Bible Records

Biographies

Business, Commerce, and Occupations

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Cabell County, West Virginia online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)
List of Cemeteries in the County
See West Virginia Cemeteries for more information

Census Records

For tips on accessing Cabell census records online, see: West Virginia Census.

Historical populations
Census Pop.  %±
1810 2,717 —
1820 4,789 76.3%
1830 5,884 22.9%
1840 8,163 38.7%
1850 6,299 −22.8%
1860 8,020 27.3%
1870 6,429 −19.8%
1880 13,744 113.8%
1890 23,595 71.7%
1900 29,252 24.0%
1910 46,685 59.6%
1920 65,746 40.8%
1930 90,786 38.1%
1940 97,459 7.4%
1950 108,035 10.9%
1960 108,202 0.2%
1970 106,918 −1.2%
1980 106,835 −0.1%
1990 96,827 −9.4%
2000 96,784 −0.0%
2010 96,319 −0.5%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

Church Records

LDS Ward and Branch Records

  • Huntington

Court Records

Directories

Emigration and Immigration

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups

Funeral Homes

  • The Heck Funeral Home, located in Milton, Cabell County, West Virginia, has served many individuals in Cabell County and surrounding counties. Thousands of alphabetically arranged abstracts of records are available online and may include age, birth, death, and burial dates and locations. Some records also include parents' names.

Genealogies

  • Greenwood - Greenwood, Frederick and Brown Thurston. Greenwood Genealogies, 1154-1914: The Ancestry and Descendants of Thomas Greenwood, of Newton, Massachusetts; Nathaniel and Samuel Greenwood, of Boston, Massachusetts; John Greenwood, of Virginia, and Many Later Arrivals in America, Also the Early History of the Greenwoods in England, and the Arms They Used. New York: Lyons Genealogical Co., 1914. Digital version at Internet Archive - free.

Guardianship

Land and Property Records

Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. Land records include: deeds, abstracts and indexes, mortgages, leases, grants and land patents.

See West Virginia Land and Property for additional information about early West Virginia land grants. After land was transferred to private ownership, subsequent transactions were usually recorded at the county courthouse and where records are currently housed.

Local Histories

Local histories are available for Cabell County, West Virginia Genealogy. County histories may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories see the wiki page section West Virginia Local Histories.

Birt, William A. "Historical Sketch of Milton, Cabell County West Virginia," West Virginia History, Charleston, WV, vol. 23 (1961-1962).
Arc 1. 4:23. Blankenship, James T. A Brief History of Davis Creek Community. Morgantown, Agricultural Extension Division, 1925. (On-line version)
Xwv 1. Agr 3. 2: B4. Burdette, Frank Lee. History of Ona.Community. Morgantown, Agricultural Extension Division, 1925. (On-line version)
Xwv 1. Agr 3. 2: B8. ________________. Manuscript Collection of Cabell County History, 1927-1939.
MS 79-203. Comstock. Jim. Hardesty's Historical and Geographical Encyclopedia. Richwood, West Virginia, 1973.
975.4003 H259 v.6, 12. Dickinson, Jack L. Historical Survey of Greenbottom, Cabell County, WV. Barboursville, West Virginia Jack L. Dickinson, 1988.
975.442 D553. Eldridge, Carrie. A Gazetteer of Extinct Towns of Cabell County, WV. Chesapeake, Ohio, C. Eldridge, 1992.
R 917.5442 E37. Geiger, Joe. Civil War in Cabell County, WV, 1861-1865. Charleston, West Virginia, Pictorial Histories Publishing, 1991.
975.442 G312. Geiger, Joe. "Tragic Fate of Guyandotte,"West Virginia History, Volume 54. Guyandotte Civil War Days and Raid on Guyandotte Inc. Thunder in the Village: 137th Anniversary of the Raid on Guyandotte. Huntington, West Virginia, 1998.973.442 G986 1998.'.
Johnson, Mary. Representative Men and Women of Cabell County, West Virginia. Parkersburg, West Virginia, 1929. 920.0754 J68

Kyle, Mrs. John. Early History of Little Seven Mile Community, Cabell County, West Virginia'. Morgantown, West Virginia, Agricultural Extension Division, n.d. (On-line version)
Xwv 1. Agr 3. 2:K8. KYOWVA Genealogical Society. Cabell County Heritage, 1809-1996. Huntington, West Virginia, 1996.
975.442 C114. Love, Charles. History of Martha Community, Cabell County, West Virginia. Morgantown, West Virginia, Agricultural Extension Division, 1925. (On-line version)
Xwv 1. Agr 3. 2:L6. Miller, Doris C. A Centennial History of Huntington West Virginia, 1870-1971. Huntington, West Virginia, Huntington Centennial Commission, 1971. 975.442 M647.

Miller, J. W. History of Barboursville Community, Cabell County, West Virginia. Morgantown, West Virginia, Agricultural Extension Division, 1925. (On- line version)
Xwv 1. Agr 3. 2:M5 Mitchell, Mrs. Walter. History of Cabell Creek Community Cabell County, West Virginia Morgantown, West Virginia, Agricultural Extension Division, 1925. (On-line version)
Xwv 1. Agr 3. 2:M57. Odell, Mrs W. Cabell County, West Virginia and the Agriculture Extension Program. n.p., 1967.
630.715 O23c. Smith, Wiatt. Honor Roll of Cabell County, West Virginia. An Illustrated Historical and Biographical Record of Cabell County's Part in the World War, 1914-1918. Severinghaus Printing Company, 1920.940.9 Sm5.

___________ Program, Guyandotte Centennial, 1810-1910, Cabell County Homecoming Celebration. Huntington, West Virginia, Guyandotte Centennial and Cabell County Homecoming Association, 1910.
975.442 S663.

Wallace, George Selden. Cabell County Annals and Families. Richmond, Virginia, Garrett and Massie, 1935.
975.442 W189.

___________________. Cabell County Courthouse, 1809-1940, Record of Cost and Financing Prepared by W. Gregory Crawford and R. S. Douthat. n.p., 1940.975.442 W189c.

___________________. Huntington Through Seventy-five Years. Huntington, West Virginia, George Seldon Wallace, 1947.975.442 W189h.

Wolfe, Matt. The History of Pea Ridge. Huntington, West Virginia, 1979. 975.442 W855 Pam.

A very rare and valuable resource, little known to those not from this area, are the papers of Fred Lambert, housed at the Special Collections of Morrow Library, Marshall University in Huntington.
Lambert wrote down oral family histories of hundreds of local families and the collection includes several boxes of his notebooks. Some, but not all, are indexed.

Maps and Gazetteers

Lawrence CountyMason CountyGallia CountyPutnam CountyLincoln CountyWayne CountyWV CABELL.PNG
About this image
Click a neighboring county
for more resources


Migration

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 Marshalls of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census. 1841. Digital versions at U.S. Census Bureau and Google Books et. al. 1967 reprint: FHL Collection 973 X2pc 1840. See Virginia, Western District, Braxton County on page 134.

War of 1812

Cabell County men served in the 120th Regiment.[7]

Civil War

Regiments. Service men in Cabell served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed in Cabell County:

- 1st Regiment, Virginia State Line (Cavalry) (Confederate). Companies F and I.
- 2nd Regiment, Virginia State Line (Cavalry) (Confederate). Company H.
- 4th Regiment, Virginia State Line (Cavalry and Infantry) (Confederate). Company G.[8]
- 8th Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Confederate). Company D (2nd) (Gunn's Rangers).[9]
- 16th Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Confederate). Company D.[10]
- 34th Battalion, Virginia Cavalry (Witcher's Battalion, Virginia Mounted Rifles) (Confederate). Company B.[11]
- 36th Battalion, Virginia Cavalry (Confederate). Company B.[12]

Records and histories are available, including:

Naturalization and Citizenship

Newspapers

Huntington's daily newspapers included the Herald Advertiser (historical) and Herald-Dispatch

Obituaries

Other Records

Periodicals

Probate Records

Online Probate Records

School Records

Tax Records

How can West Virginia tax lists help me?

  • 1810 Schreiner-Yates, Netti. A Supplement to the 1810 Census of Virginia: Tax Lists of the Counties for which the Census is Missing. Springfield, Va.: Genealogical Books in Print, 1971. Available at FHL. The source for this publication is the 1810 personal property tax list. Cabell County is included because the 1810 Census for that county has been destroyed.
  • 1815 Ward, Roger D. 1815 Directory of Virginia Landowners (and Gazetteer). 6 vols. Athens, Georgia: Iberian Pub. Co., 1997-2000. Available at FHL. The source for this publication is the 1815 land tax. Cabell 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

Birth

Marriage

Death

Divorce

Research Facilities

Archives

Family History Centers

Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance and free access to premium genealogical websites. In addition, many centers have free how-to genealogy classes.

Libraries

Museums

Societies

  • KYOVA Genealogical and Historical Society
    Box 1254
    Huntington, WV 25714-1254
    Library located at the second floor of the Second Presbyterian Church Building, 901 Jefferson Ave, Huntington, West Virginia
  • Cabell - Wayne County Historical Society
    P O Box 9412
    Huntinton, WV25704

Websites

Research Guides

References

  1. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), West Virginia.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
  2. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Cabell County, West Virginia" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabell_County,_West_Virginia."
  3. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), West Virginia.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
  4. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Cabell County, West Virginia. Page 743-746 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002; Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Third ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004), 742-743.
  5. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), West Virginia.At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
  6. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Cabell County, West Virginia," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabell_County,_West_Virginia, accessed 30 June 2018.
  7. ↑ Stuart Lee Butler, A Guide to Virginia Militia Units in the War of 1812 (Athens, Ga.: Iberian Pub. Co., 1988), 61. FHL Book 975.5 M2bs.
  8. ↑ The Virginia State Line: Organizational Structure of the Virginia State Line, Ranger95.com, accessed 11 June 2012.
  9. ↑ Jack L. Dickinson, 8th Virginia Cavalry (Lynchburg, Va.: H.E. Howard, 1986). FHL Book 975.5 M2vr v. 25.
  10. ↑ Jack L. Dickinson, 16th Virginia Cavalry (Lynchburg, Va.: H.E. Howard, 1989). FHL Book 975.5 M2vr v. 60.
  11. ↑ Scott C. Cole, 34th Virginia Cavalry (Lynchburg, Va.: H.E. Howard, 1993). FHL Book 975.5 M2vr v. 94.
  12. ↑ J.L. Scott, 36th and 37th Battalions Virginia Cavalry (Lynchburg, Va.: H.E. Howard, 1986). FHL Book 975.5 M2vr v. 24.

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