What are the Gwinn Papers and where did they come from?

They “Gwinn Papers,” as they have come to be known are a collection of papers dating from pre-civil war times to the late 1930’s. They provide a unique picture of the life of the Gwinn family in West Virginia and the time spent in Indiana as Civil War refugees. Many of the papers are personal letters from family and friends describing things from the mundane (the price of corn, the weather, etc.) to the descriptions of Civil war battles and the post war politics of the Union. These papers were entrusted to Nelson Gwinn by Willa Gwinn, widow of Lewis Sherman Gwinn.

Much, if not most, of the papers are business records, receipts, and IOU’s which in and of themselves are not terribly interesting, but they provide a view of the mechanics of the local economy and the industry of the Gwinn family. There are a variety of deeds and land surveys included in the collection and many of letters pertain to land dealings of the family.

There are a few news papers included including “Political Party Platforms of 1896”.

Among the “Jewels” of the papers are two passes through the front lines for Laban Gwinn and his family:

Camp McCoy’s Mill

August 24, 1862

Capt. Levering

Dear Sir:

The bearer Laban Gwynn, a good union man with his family intends to go to Indiana, he is in reduced Circumstances, the bushwhackers robbed him, you would oblige me by giving him a pass for one of the government boats to reach Ohio.

Very respectfully,

M. Stumpf Capt.

Com. Post

I hope that you enjoy looking through the papers. For me, they provide tangible link to family history and a personal context for viewing our great nation’s past.

Return to www.gwinnfamily.org