Jackson County was created on March 1, 1831 from parts of Kanawha, Mason and Wood Counties. It was named in honor of Andrew Jackson (1767-1845), who was then President of the United States (1829-1837).
County Seat - When Jackson County was formed, the residents of the county could not decide where to locate the county seat. The people who lived along the Ohio River near the Ravenswood settlement favored that location. The people who lived farther inland objected. The General Assembly appointed an independent commission to make the final decision. The commissioners were John McWhorter of Lewis County, John Miller of Kanawha County, William Spurlock of Cabell County, Cyrus Cary of Greenbrier County, and John McCoy of Tyler County. They choose Ripley.
Ripley was originally owned and settled by William, John, and Lewis Rodgers. They received a grant of 400 acres in 1768 where "Sycamore Creek joins Big Mill Creek" (the current site of Ripley). The land was later sold to Jacob (and Ann) Starcher, most probably in 1803. At that time, Captain William Parsons was one of the county's most prominent citizens. He arrived in the Ripley area shortly before 1800. Jacob Starcher laid out the town in 1830, and named it in honor of Harry Ripley, a young minister who was to be married, but drowned in Big Mill Creek, about one and a half miles north of the town, shortly before the ceremony took place. In 1832, the Starchers donated eight acres of land to the county, two acres for the location of the county courthouse and jail, and six for the general use of the new county (a public school and a cemetery were later located on the land). The town was chartered by the Virginia General Assembly in 1832.
In 1832, James Smith was commissioned to build the county courthouse and jail. The jail was to be 34 feet by 17 feet, and the courthouse was to be 36 feet square. The one-story brick buldings were completed in 1833 at a cost of $3,700. Nicholas H. Bonnett was commissioned to build a new, larger two-story courthouse in 1854. He completed the project in 1858 for $8,993. In 1917, after attempting repairs to the courthouse's heating system, the county commission decided to move its meetings to the lower hall of the existing I.O.O.F. building while a new courthouse was being built. They rented the space from Herbert Skeen and W.F. Boggess. The new courthouse, still in use today, was completed by the Prescott Construction Company in 1920. An addition was built in 1961 at a cost of $350,000.
Areas adjacent to Jackson County are Wood County (north), Wirt County (northeast), Roane County (east), Kanawha County (south), Putnam County (southeast), Mason County (west), Meigs County, Ohio (northwest). Jackson County Cities and Towns Include Advent, Cottageville, Duncan, Evans, Gay, Given, Kenna, Kentuck, Le Roy, Liverpool, Millwood, Mount Alto, Murraysville, Ravenswood, Ripley, Rock Castle, Romance, Sandyville, Sherman, Statts Mills
PLEASE READ!! Please call the clerk's department to confirm hours, mailing address, fees and other specifics before visiting or requesting information because of sometimes changing contact information.
Jackson County Clerk has Land Records from 1831, Marriage Records from 1831, Probate Records from 1831 and Birth & Death Records from 1853 -Present and is located at the Courthouse,
P.
O. Box 800, Ripley, WV 25271; 304-372-2011
ext. 321, Fax:
304-372-1107 . The County Clerk's many duties include some of the following: the issuance of marriage licenses, birth and death certificates, record births, marriages and deaths in the county, serve as the recorder of all documents, prepare and send to all heirs a Notice to Redeem and take care of publications, redemptions or recording deeds with regard to delinquent property, issue military service discharge records and probate wills and assist in administration of estates.
Jackson County Clerk of Circuit Court has Court Records from 1831 and is located at the Courthouse,
P. O. Box 427, Ripley, WV 25271-0427; 304-372-2011
ext. 326, Fax: 304-372-0245 . The County Clerk of the Circuit Court's many duties include some of the following: Serve as the Clerk to the Circuit and Family Court, Issue mesne (during the progress of a case) process, Issue final process to enforce and execute judgements, Appoint guardian ad litem where required, Responsible for all papers filed in the office; serve as registrar, recorder and custodian for all pleadings, documents and funds pertaining to cases filed in circuit court and family court, Responsible for the administration and management of the petit and grand jury systems in the county
Since West Virginia was part of Virginia prior to 1863, see Virginia Databases for all records before that date.
Below is a list of online resources for Jackson County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Jackson County Court Records by clicking the link below:
West Virginia Immigration & Emigration Records - Immigration records help the family historian to understand the movements of their ancestry as they relocated to different parts of the world.
Click Here to Search West Virginia Birth, Marriage & Death Records! - Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information. Look also for baptism, christening, and burial records in this collection.
PLEASE READ!! In terms of obtaining vital records from the State Vital Records Office, West Virginia is not an "open record" state. Access to certified copies of birth certificates is restricted to persons with a legal right to the certificate, i.e: The registrant, Mother or father, Legal guardian, Registrant's spouse, Children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, etc., of the registrant, Brother or sister of the registrant, Mother-in-law / father-in-law of registrant, Son-in-law / daughter-in-law of registrant or Grandparents and great-grandparents of the registrant.
Vital Records, 350 Capitol St, Rm 165, Charleston, WV 25301-3701, Please allow up to approximately 2-3 weeks for processing of all type of certificates when ordered through the mail. They have the following records:
Birth & Death Certificates: Birth & Death records are maintained by West Virginia State Vital Records Office since Jan 1917 through the present. For earlier records, write to the Clerk of County Court in the county where the birth occurred. Fees vary.
Cost: There is a non refundable $10.00 search fee, which entitles the applicant to one certified copy of the birth certificate. The search fee covers a three year search that consists of the year specified, the year before, and the year after the year specified. Additional copies are also $10.00 each. If no record is found, a "No Record" letter will be mailed to the applicant informing them that no record is on file for the requested certificate. Please do not send cash in the mail.
Processing Time: 2-3 weeks when ordered by mail (Birth / Death) or 2-5 Days when you order ELECTRONICALLY
Marriage & Divorce Certificates: Marriage Verifications since 1921 and Divorce Verifications since 1968. Certified copies of marriage licenses or divorce decrees are only available from the county clerk in the county in which the event occurred.
Cost: Fees vary
Order In Person: The certificates may be ordered by coming into this office. If you want the copy the same day, our hours for same day service are Monday - Friday 8:30 - 5:00 Eastern Time except for official holidays. The West Virginia Vital Records Office is located at Room 165, 350 Capitol Street, Charleston, WV 25301-3701; Phone: 304-558-9100.
Map 1, Map 2 Order By Mail: Mail a check or money order (no cash) payable to the "Vital Registration " along with the necessary information to the following address: Vital Registration, Room 165, 350 Capitol Street, Charleston, WV 25301-3701. Please include return address on envelope and application form. Order On-Line: To obtain a certified copy of a vital record by on-line purchase with a credit card, please link to VitalChek.
Since West Virginia was part of Virginia prior to 1863, see Virginia Databases for all records before that date.
Below is a list of online resources for Jackson County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Jackson County Vital Records by clicking the link below:
West Virginia Archives and History Birth, Death and Marriage Records Search (limited dates & Places)
Countywide Records: Federal Population Schedules that exist for Jackson County, West Virginia are (See Virginia Censuses 1840, 1850, 1860) 1870, 1880, 1890 (fragment, see below), 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930. There are free downloadable and printable Census forms to help with your research. These include U.S. Census Extraction Forms
Other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your family tree in Jackson County, West Virginia are Industry and Agriculture Schedules availible for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Slave Schedules exist for 1850 & 1860. The Mortality Schedules for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. (NOTE: For the years 1850 & 1860, Jackson County was located in Virginia)
Below is a list of online resources for Jackson County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Jackson County Census Records by clicking the link below:
Genealogy Atlas has images of old American atlases during the years 1795, 1814, 1822, 1823, 1836, 1838, 1845, 1856, 1866, 1879 and 1897 for West Virginia and other states.
You can view rotating animated maps for West Virginia showing all the county boundaries for each census year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries. You can view a list of maps for other states at Census Maps
You can view rotating animated maps for West Virginia showing all the county boundary changes for each year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries . You can view a list of maps for other states and State Department of Transportation Maps at County Maps. The West Virginia Department of Transportation has county maps the show the locations of churches, cemeteries, roads, ect... free for viewing or download here
Below is a list of online resources for Jackson County Maps. Email us with websites containing Jackson County Maps by clicking the link below:
The uses and value of military records in genealogical research for ancestors who were veterans are obvious, but military records can also be important to re-searchers whose direct ancestors were not soldiers in any war. The fathers, grandfathers, brothers, and other close relatives of an ancestor may have served in a war, and their service or pension records could contain information that will assist in further identifying the family of primary interest. Due to the amount of genealogical information contained in some military pension files, they should never be overlooked during the research process. Those records not containing specific genealogical information are of historic value and should be included in any overall research design. A list of Wars fought on American.
Below is a list of online resources for Jackson County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Jackson County Military Records by clicking the link below:
Southern Claims Commission from the State of West Virginia (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents In the 1870s, southerners claimed compensation from the U.S. government for items used by the Union Army, ranging from corn and horses, to trees and church buildings.
Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M246 include muster rolls, payrolls, strength returns, and other miscellaneous personnel, pay, and supply records of American Army units, 1775-83.
While people were taxed in Virginia prior to 1782, not many tax lists for that early period have survived, and the originals that have survived are at the Virginia State Library. Colonial period taxes were imposed on the personal property of males who were twenty-one and older, and called "tithables." While there is no comprehensive list or collection of early tax lists, many fragments are printed throughout Virginia genealogical literature
West Virginia has one of the most complete sets of old tax records in existence. Land tax records dating from 1782 to 1936 for all counties, with some through 1959, are available at the Archives and History Library in Charleston. Most county clerks have duplicate copies in their offices. As noted in the section on Virginia, the Virginia State Library has the original unindexed personal property tax records from 1782 to 1863.
Below is a list of online resources for Jackson County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Jackson County Tax Records by clicking the link below:
The Repositories
in this section are Archives, Libraries, Museums, Genealogical
and Historical Societies. Many County Historical and Genealogical
Societies publish magazines and/or news letters on a monthly,
quarterly, bi-annual or annual basis. Contacting the local societies
should not be over looked. State Archives and Societies are
usually much larger and better organized with much larger archived
materials than their smaller county cousins but they can be
more generalized and over look the smaller details that local
societies tend to have. Libraries can also be a good place to
look for local information. Some libraries have a genealogy
section and may have some resources that are not located at
archives or societies. Also, take a special look at any museums
in the area. They sometimes have photos and items from years
gone by as well as information of a genealogical interest. All
these places are vitally important to the family genealogist
and must not be passed over.
Below is a list of online resources for Jackson County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Jackson County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:
Jackson County Historical Society,
P. O. Box 22,
Ripley, WV 25271
Jackson County Library, 208 North Church Street, Ripley, WV 25271; Phone: (304) 372-5343
West Virginia Archives and History, The Cultural Center; 1900 Kanawha Boulevard, E.; Charleston, WV 25305-0300. Read here before requesting research Publication: West Virginia History. This facility consists of the library, archives, and a museum containing materials from 1760 to present.
West Virginia Newspapers & Periodicals Records - Newspapers and periodicals are the diaries of local communities. They are excellent sources of family history details - often recorded nowhere else. Look for obituaries, marriages, legal notices, and more found in our Historical Newspaper Archives.
Click Here to Search West Virginia Obituary Records! - This database is a compilation of obituaries published in U.S. newspapers, collected from various online sources. Obituaries can vary in the amount of information they contain, but many of them are genealogical goldmines, including information such as names, dates, places of birth and death, marriage information, and family relationships.
Many religious groups have deposited their records at the West Virginia and Regional History Collection. Church record inventories compiled as part of the Historical Records Survey are available there and at the FHL. For a complete discussion of early church records, see Virginia-Church Records.
The most extensive collection of West Virginia tombstone inscriptions was compiled by the Historical Records Survey. Available at the West Virginia and Regional History Collection and on microfilm at the FHL, the collection includes inscriptions through 1939-40. The DAR and others have published volumes of cemetery records.
Below is a list of online resources for Jackson County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Jackson County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:
When view family trees online or not, be sure to only take the info at face value and always follow up with your own sources or verify the ones they provide. Below is a list of online resources for Jackson County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Jackson County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:
Genealogy Encyclopedia: General Abbreviations, Early Illnesses, Nickname Meanings, Worldwide Epidemics, Early Occupations, Common Terms, Censuses Explained, Free Genealogical Forms
Nichols and Related Families of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virgina.
West Virginia Family & Local History Records - The Family & Local Histories Collection lets you read journals, memoirs, and other first-hand historical narratives right on your computer. Gathered from some of the world's finest libraries, these materials may provide hard-to-find town, county, and state information; tax records and wills; military, church, and court records; as well as photographs, stories, and maps.
Jackson County was named in honor of Andrew Jackson (1767-1845), who was then President of the United States (1829-1837).President and General Andrew Jackson, known as "Old Hickory", had a distinguished military and political career. Born in a backwoods settlement in South Carolina in 1767, he received little formal education as a child. His father died a few days before he was born. His mother died when he was 13, while he was away from home serving as a courier during the American Revolutionary War. After the war, he moved to North Carolina and decided to pursue a legal career. After reading law books for about two years, he was admitted to the Bar in 1787. The following year he moved to Nashville (then still part of North Carolina) where he met and fell in love with Rachel Donelson Robards. She had moved to Nashville to be with her mother after separating from her husband, Captain Lewis Robards, who resided in Virginia. Believing that she had been granted a divorce from her husband, she married Andrew Jackson in 1791. However, her previous marraige was not officially dissolved until 1793. As soon as they found out, they promptly remarried in January 1794, but Jackson's later political opponents often charged him with having stolen another man's wife and, worse, having lived with her in adultery from 1791 to 1794. Fiercely jealous of his honor, Jackson often physically confronted anyone who spread rumors about his relationship with Rachel. In 1806, he killed Charles Dickinson, a Nashville lawyer, in a duel for casting a slur against Rachel.
Jackson's political career began when he was elected the newly formed state of Tennessee's first representative to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1796. The following year he was selected to by the Tennessee state legislature to represent the state in the U.S. Senate, but he resigned after serving only two years due to financial difficulties. His financial problems were solved by his appoinment to the Tennessee Superior Court in 1798. He served in that capacity until 1804. He then retired from political life and focused on raising cotton and breeding thoroughbred horses on his estate near Nashville. During this time, he served as a member of the Tennessee militia, rising to the rank of major general. Because he was not on the best of terms with President James Madision, when the War of 1812 began he was granted a commission as major general of U.S. volunteers, considered a relatively modest appointment. His command was initially provided supportive missions for other troops, but in 1813 the Creek Indians went on the warpath in the Mississippi Territory. Jackson was given the responsibility of dealing with the problem and he soon gained national fame for his successful campaign against the Creek Indians. He was promoted to major general in the regular army and given responsibility for the defense of Tennessee, Mississippi, and Louisiana. . The following year, his fame grew to historic proportions for his masterful defense of New Orleans. During the famous Battle at New Orleans on January 8, 1815, Jackson led a contingent of Louisiana militia, Tennessee and Kentucky riflemen, and Baratarian pirates against a vastly superior British force. During the battle, more than 2,000 British were killed, compared to six American casulties. The Battle of New Orleans, subject of numerous scholarly books and Hollywood movies, was the last campaign of the War of 1812. The Battle of New Orleans was fought after the Ghent Peace Treaty was signed on December 24, 1814. Although it has often been asserted that Jackson's victory at New Orleans was won after the war's conclusion, that was not the case. The Ghent Peace Treaty specifically called for continued hostilities until the treaty was formally ratified by both governments, which did not take place until February 1815, the month after the Battle of New Orleans.
After the war, General Jackson retired to his estate near Nashville, only to be recalled to active duty in 1827 to put down the Seminole Indian uprising in Georgia. In the process of putting down the uprising, he pursued the Indians across the border into neighboring Florida, then owned by the Spanish. Jackson marched through the state, capturing city after city. His unauthored "invasion" caused an international furor. With American forces firmly in control of Florida, and Jackson being hailed by the media as a national hero, President Monroe was placed in a difficult situation. Firing Jackson for insubordination would have been a political disaster, but the international community demanded Jackson's recall, and Spain was threatening war. The crisis was resolved when Spain agreed to sell Florida to the United States. Jackson later resigned his commission to serve as the provisional Governor of the Florida Territory (in 1821). He then ran unsuccessfully for President in 1824, winning a plurality of the popular vote and of the electoral college in a four man race (Jackson, John Quincy Adams, William H. Crawford and Henry Clay). Because none of the four won a majority of the electoral college vote, the election was decided by the U.S. House of Representatives. It choose John Quincy Adams over Jackson. He ran again in 1828 and, although the presidential race was considered one of the dirtiest in American history, with cartoonists and opponents focusing attention on Jackson's relationship with Rachel, he won, becoming the 7th President of the United States. He was re-elected in 1832. Although the modern Democratic party's roots extend back to Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson is generally credited for starting the Democratic political party. He is also known as the first president to use the veto power to achieve political goals.
European Pioneers and Settlers
Robert Cavelier de La Salle was probably the first European to set foot in present Jackson County. He sailed down the Ohio River in 1669. James Le Tort, a French fur trader, was probably the first European to settle in Jackson County. He established a trading post sometime before 1740 near the current border of Jackson and Mason Counties. In 1749, Louis Bienville de Celeron explored the Ohio River and claimed all of the lands drained by the Ohio River for King Louis XV of France. He met several English fur traders on his journey and ordered them off of French soil and wrote strong letters of reprimand to the colonial governors protesting the English's presence on French soil.
Joseph Le Tort, a French Heugonot, arrived in present-day Jackson County around 1740. He came to western Virginia from his home in Pennsylvania. While in Jackson County, he traded furs with the Indians.
In February 1752, Christopher Gist led a survey expedition into present-day Jackson County on behalf of the Ohio Land Company. He reportedly killed four bison while camped there. He reported that he could not recommend any permanent settlements in the area because of the harsh living conditions and the unfriendliness of the Indians, who claimed the area as part of their hunting grounds. In 1770, George Washington explored the region and claimed two tracts of land in the county (2,448 acres near the present site of Ravenswood and 4,395 acres in the Millwood area) in exchange for his service during the French and Indian Wars (1754-1763).
William Hannamon, Benjamin Cox, and James McDade were the first known English settlers in Jackson County, moving into the Mill Creek area in May 1796. The first two built homes and took up permanent residence in the county. McDade served as an Indian scout, traveling the banks of the Ohio River, with his only companion, a faithful dog, at his side. It was said that his sole ambition in life was to alert some poor traveler of the presence of Indians and preventing them from becoming a victim of what he beleived were murderous savages. The first school was built in the county in 1806, and the first teacher, Andrew Hushan, had 15 students when it opened in 1807. In addition to being the county's first teacher, Andrew Hushan also constructed the county's first mill in 1799.
Important Events During the 1800s
During the early 1800s, life in present-day Jackson County was difficult and fraught with danger. For example, in 1817, John Greene, a former resident of Botetourt County, Virginia, moved to Jackson County and constructed a home along Allen's Fork of the Pocatalico River. Reuben Harrison, another early settler in the region, had a home along Thirteen Mile Creek, located in present-day Mason County. The two men became close friends and hunting partners. Their hunting expeditions would often last several nights, requiring them to spend the night in the open wilderness. One night, the two men had their young sons, Edward Greene and Zebulon Harrison, with them. The boys had hoped to witness their fathers chop down a very large tree which was believed to be inhabited by a bear. They chopped the tree down, but there was no bear to be found. As it was getting late in the day, the men took refuge in a nearby cave for the night. They built a fire and settled in. After they had all fallen asleep, an overhead rock collapsed into the cave, crushing the men from the waist down. The two young boys were also hurt, but their injuries were not life threatening. The boys did not know the way home, and waited for help to arrive. Four days later, Josiah Harrison, Reuben Harrison's brother, found them. Unfortunately, by the time he arrived, his brother was dead. Josiah Harrison then raced back home to get help for Edward Greene, who was still trapped beneath the huge boulder. Unfortunately, by the time he returned with help, Greene was dead.
Early transportation in Jackson County was primitive. Because the land was heavily wooded, settlers relied on the Ohio River and its tributaries for most of their long-distance travel. Roads were few and far between. They consisted of Indian trails and rudimentary packhorse trails. Jackson Smith built the first "real" road in the county in 1832. It ran from Ripley to Millwood. By the 1850s, several turnpikes were built within the county. These toll roads vastly improved local transportation. Unfortunately, during the Civil War many of these turnpikes were damaged from heavy use and were not fully repaired until the 1870s. By the 1880s, railroads began to replace roads as the primary means of moving large quantities of goods in the county. By the 1890s, three rail companies served the county's residents.
By the 1840s, Jackson County's residents had moved from being primarily self-sufficient, small scale farmers to specialists in different crafts, ranging from blacksmiths and gunsmiths to tanners and shoemakers. Also, several grist mills were constructed to grind corn and wheat on a large scale. Grist mills were often the center of economic activity and became the focal point around which towns were built. Ripley, for example, owes its beginning to the Starcher Mill, built there in 1824 by Jacob Starcher. Other early industries in Jackson County included timber and lumbering companies, oil and gas wells, a woolen mill, and a handle factory.
During the Civil War, Jackson County remained under Union control. The only exception was in September 1862 when Confederate forces, under the command of General Albert Gallatin Jenkins, briefly gained control of the county.
Jackson County holds the dubious distinction of being the site of the last public hanging in the state of West Virginia. On December 16, 1897, John F. Morgan was hanged from gallows that had been erected in a field outside of Ripley. More than 5,000 people attended the spectacle. Morgan had been tried and convicted of murdering Mrs. Chloe Green and one of her daughters with a hatchet. Morgan also struck Mrs. Greene's other daughter with the murder weapon, but she escaped and identified him as the murderer. A reporter covering the event for The New York Sun wrote, "every road and path leading into the town of Ripley was clogged with men and women on horse back, families in wagons, buggies and every conceivable type of conveyance." Worried that the Governor might grant Mr. Morgan a reprieve, the local sheriff decided to conduct the hanging a little earlier than planned. The Sheriff annouced to the crowd, "I promised you a hanging and there's a-going to be one." Soon afterwards, the West Virginia State legislature passed a law banning public hangings.
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