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Wayne County, West Virginia Genealogy

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

County Facts
County seat: Wayne
Organized: January 18, 1842
Parent County(s): Cabell[1]
Neighboring Counties
Boyd (KY) • Cabell • Lawrence (KY) • Lawrence (OH) • Lincoln • Martin (KY) • Mingo
See County Maps
Courthouse
Joseph S. Miller House at Kenova Wayne County WV.jpg
Location Map
Wv-wayne.png

County Information

Description

Anthony Wayne

Wayne County was named for Anthony Wayne. The county is located in the southwestern area of the state.[2]

County Courthouse

Wayne County Courthouse
700 Hendricks Street
Wayne, WV 25570
Phone: 304-272-6371
Wayne County Website

County Clerk has birth and death records from 1853, marriage records from 1854, probate and land records.[3]

Wayne 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 Government County Records[4]
Birth* Marriage Death* Court Land Probate Census
1853 1854 1853 1842 1842 1843 1870
*Statewide registration for births and deaths began in 1917. General compliance by 1925.

Record Loss

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

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

Boundary Changes

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
Unincorporated communities
Census-designated places


History Timeline

Resources

Bible Records

Biographies

Business, Commerce, and Occupations

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Wayne 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

Historical populations
Census Pop. %±
1850 4,760 —
1860 6,747 41.7%
1870 7,852 16.4%
1880 14,739 87.7%
1890 18,652 26.5%
1900 23,619 26.6%
1910 24,081 2.0%
1920 26,012 8.0%
1930 31,206 20.0%
1940 35,566 14.0%
1950 38,696 8.8%
1960 38,977 0.7%
1970 37,581 −3.6%
1980 46,021 22.5%
1990 41,636 −9.5%
2000 42,903 3.0%
2010 42,481 −1.0%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

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

Church Records


List of Churches and Church Parishes

Court Records

Directories

Emigration and Immigration

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups

Funeral Homes

Genealogies

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.

Online Land Indexes and Records

Local Histories

Local histories are available for Wayne 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.


Maps and Gazetteers

Cabell CountyLincoln CountyMingo CountyMartin CountyLawrence CountyBoyd CountyLawrence CountyWV WAYNE.PNG
Click a neighboring county
for more resources

Migration

Military Records

Civil War

Regiments. Service men in Wayne 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 Wayne County:
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).[7]
- 16th Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Confederate). Companies E, G, and H.[8]
- 34th Battalion, Virginia Cavalry (Witcher's Battalion, Virginia Mounted Rifles) (Confederate). Company A (Witcher's Company Virginia Mounted Rifles).[9]
- 45th Battalion, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company F (K).[10]

Records and histories are available, including:

World War II

Naturalization and Citizenship

Newspapers

Obituaries

Other Records

Periodicals

Probate Records

Online Probate Indexes and Records

School Records

Social Security Records

Tax Records

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.

Vital Records

Birth

Marriage

Death

Divorce

Research Facilities

Archives

Listed below are archives in Wayne County. For state-wide archival repositories, see West Virginia Archives and Libraries.

FamilySearch Centers

FamilySearch Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local FamilySearch Centers or Affiliate Libraries

  • FamilySearch Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
  • FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a FamilySearch center.

Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries

Libraries

Listed below are libraries in Wayne County. For state-wide library facilities, see West Virginia Archives and Libraries.

Wayne County Public Libraries
Email: wcpl@waynecountylib.org
Website

Multiple locations.

Museums

Societies

Listed below are societies in Wayne County. For state-wide genealogical societies, see West Virginia Societies.

Cabell-Wayne Historical Society
630 1/2 – 7th Ave
Huntington, WV 25701

Kyowva Genealogy and Historical Society
901 Jefferson Ave
PO Box 1254
Huntington, WV 25704
Email: kyowvagen@yahoo.com
Facebook

Wayne County Genealogical and Historical Society
PO Box 787
Wayne, WV 25570-0787
Website

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); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  2. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Wayne County, West Virginia" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayne_County,_West_Virginia."
  3. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), West Virginia.At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  4. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Wayne County, West Virginia. Page 743-746 At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library 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); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
  6. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Wayne County, West Virginia," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayne_County,_West_Virginia, accessed 29 August 2018.
  7. ↑ Jack L. Dickinson, 8th Virginia Cavalry (Lynchburg, Va.: H.E. Howard, 1986). FS Library Book 975.5 M2vr v. 25.
  8. ↑ Jack L. Dickinson, 16th Virginia Cavalry (Lynchburg, Va.: H.E. Howard, 1989). FS Library Book 975.5 M2vr v. 60.
  9. ↑ Scott C. Cole, 34th Virginia Cavalry (Lynchburg, Va.: H.E. Howard, 1993). FS Library Book 975.5 M2vr v. 94.
  10. ↑ Jeffrey C. Weaver, 45th Battalion Virginia Infantry, Smith and Count's Battalions of Partisan Rangers (Lynchburg, Va.: H.E. Howard, 1994). FS Library Book 975.5 M2vr v. 102.



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Links to West Virginia-related articles (see also Virginia-related articles)
Topics
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Major
Repositories
Boyd County Public Library (Ashland, KY) · Clarksburg-Harrison Public Library · Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania (Pittsburgh, PA) · Library of Congress (Washington, DC) · Library of Virginia (Richmond, VA) · Martinsburg-Berkeley County Public Library · Mary Ball Washington Museum and Library (Lancaster, VA) · Maryland State Archives (Annapolis, MD) · National Archives I (Washington, DC) · National Archives II (College Park, MD) · National Archives at Philadelphia (PA) · New York Public Library (New York City, NY) · Parkersburg and Wood County Public Library · Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston · Santa Cruz Public Library Downtown (Santa Cruz, CA) · University of Chicago Library (Chicago, IL) · Virginia Historical Society (Richmond, VA) · Washington National Records Center (Suitland, MD) · West Virginia Archives and History · West Virginia University Wise Library · West Virginia Vital Registration Office
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