Sherry, The Charleston Archives are off of Interstate 64 at Exit 99. Turn left from the main street into the parking lot (you will see a guard house). I usually park to the right of the guard house (the whole lot is metered so be sure to take change). The building is right next to the lot. When you enter the building there is a long counter there with folks to assist you. The archive room is in a little hallway to the right (the door to the archives room is an immediate left after entering the hallway). Hours are M-F 9:00 am to 5:00 pm and Sat 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm. Phone (304) 558-0230. The best way I've found to get to Mingo county is to take Rt 119 off of I64 in Charleston. It will take you straight to Williamson. I have never actually been to the courthouse there. You can continue on Rt 119 from Williamson into Kentucky and it will eventually take you to Pikeville, KY (the 4 lane ends right outside of Williamson, KY and they are doing road construction to widen the rest of the road so expect delays). Watch for road signs! There is a left that you have to make off of Rt119 but it will say Pikeville and have an arrow (I think it is Rt 194). Once you get to Pikeville you will come to a stop light where you can see the main road through town on the right. Turn right and then make another immediate right toward the jail. There is a big parking lot there (on your left) and you can park for free. Walk down toward the jail and go up the concrete steps up the side of the hill (the steps will be on your left). Follow the sidewalk around to the fountain. The entrance to the courthouse is on your left and the county clerk's office is on your right when you enter the building. I have never been to the courthouses in Logan county, WV (you can probably get off to go to Logan from Rt 119 on your way to Williamson) or Martin county, KY (looks like you might want to go there while you are up around Williamson and before heading toward Pikeville). Since you are going to be staying in Huntington, WV, you might want to check out the Boyd county Library in Kentucky. They have a pretty good research room with a lot of microfilm and books for several Kentucky counties. Call first to see if they have the records you are interested in (and verify that the research room is open). Their number is (606) 329-0090. Directions: Take I64 into Kentucky. Get off at the first KY exit and turn right toward Ashland. When road Y's stay to the LEFT. Turn Left onto 18th Street. Go over two streets and turn Left. Make a left into the library parking lot. Walk across the street to enter the library. Archives are on the second floor. Take elevator up and turn left out of elevator. Archive room is through the door on your right. I hope you have a GREAT time and are successful in your record search! Debbie Ullom -----Original Message----- From: Sherry Bell <[email protected]> To: [email protected] <[email protected]> Date: Friday, March 03, 2000 6:17 PM Subject: [WVMINGO] What Ive decided on Preserving my family history >Hi all, > >So many thanks to all of you who responded to my plea. I received so many >ideas in the mail lists and to my personal email. A lot of you wanted to >know what I decided to do so here it is based on everything I have heard. > >First off I have realized that I am NO WHERE near actually putting what I >have in print. I look around me and I have mountain high piles of >documentation that will one day be a part of something very special to me >which will infact be a book. I have totally decided about that. However I >still have a lot of work to do with this before even considering it. I am >blessed with 2 grandmothers in their late 80's that are still here today and >I would love for them to be a part of this with me. I still have many >branches on my tree without documentation to prove what I know. Bottom line >being that I feel so over whelmed by all of this around me that I think I >was trying to build Rome in a day, so to speak. >All of the Book ideas that you all gave me were GREAT. In fact I have >followed all of those links and even found some on my own. I learned a lot >from those, thank you so much. And that did give me a direction to head >toward on how to find out more, for when I am ready. I DO believe a book is >a priority in my life, in order to assure my dreams. Whether I decide to >charge for it or not I will have to deal with when the time comes. > >So if a book is not in my near future what is? Well the word "organization" >sure kept popping in there, in your most polite ways :) I feel like the most >dis-organized person on the earth right now. That is where the foundation of >my frustration is coming from I think. Therefore I have come up with a solid >plan for organizing my files. (at least I hope solid!) >I made a folder on my hard drive and I called it sherrys tree. in that >folder I put 3 folders , one for my mother, one for my dad and the third >says children. I took those folders and branched them just like a family >tree. Now I have a folder with every person in my tree. When I need to file >something on ggggrandma whomever I just follow the folders up till I get to >her, then drop it in her folder. Now I have a digital copy. Next I will >print this document or picture and put it in the Notebooks that I have, that >are sorted by surnames. So now I have a hard copy, and a digital copy. On my >CD writer I will back up my "SherrysTree" folder. Once I get organized up to >this point, I will go out and buy new notebooks, and make copies of my >surname notebooks, and get those to my parents who would love them! At that >point I have protected them from a fire type situation. Now as the years go >by, and digital formats change, I can update my files to whatever the new >format is (hopefully). >I have Family Tree Maker, Just bought the other day, Family Origins, and the >free family tree program from familysearch.org. I do plan on keeping my GED >up to date so now I just have to decide which I like best, and I am swaying >toward Family Origins. > >I feel so much better now knowing where I need to start (of course when I >look at the mountain of papers on my desk or the 100's of digital files I >have to sort though it makes me quiver :) However once I get this organized, >THEN it will all be worth it in the end. > >I had a little bit of "Fate?" enter into my life yesterday that I would like >to share with every one. I have been on these mailing lists now for a little >over a year, and I am sure many of you have heard me whine about being so >far away from the court houses (I live in Orlando Fl). My parents are headed >up to Mingo Co. the 1st of April to go to my cousins wedding and to help >take care of my grandmother while my aunt gets her daughter ready to be >married. I have not been to those hills since I was 16 years old.The last >time I was there I had a MAYNARD boyfriend and I remember they still used >their "outhouse"! My parents go all of the time however I never go with >them because my grandmother now lives with my aunt and there really isn't >room there for me. I received a phone call yesterday out of the blue from a >girl that I knew when I was a little girl living in Huntington. She is >begging me to come along with my parents. She is going to meet up with us >and take me with her to Huntington. For the entire week my parents are >there, my friend is going to take me "courthouse" hopping :) First stop is >the Charleston Archives. I am so excited I cant hardly stand it!! I have not >seen my grandmother since I was 16 years old. So I will definitely be going >to see her too. I am putting together (if I can find it though all of this >mess I have here!) for her a small notebook with pictures of her parents, >grandparents and gggrandparents. This is like a dream come true for me and I >wanted to share it with all of you. Hopefully I will be successful and bring >home even more things that need to be organized :) Anyone who has any >tips for me for the following counties as far as where these courthouses are >located or where good places would be to go to find information. I would >appreciate listening to them. Charleston Archives/ Logan Co.WV/ Mingo Co >WV./ Martin Co. KY/ Pike Co. Ky That is where I plan on going while I am >there. > >Sorry for such a long letter, cant wait to hear feedback :) > >Sherry >