Recent Publications

The history of West Virginia is rich and complex. More than 150 years have passed since West Virginia was admitted to the Union, and the desire to understand and relate to our past continues to the present day. The books, theses and dissertations, and magazine and journal articles listed here are testament to the continued interest in the state, its people, traditions, and culture.

Each of the works cited in this bibliography are available for reading or research at the West Virginia and Regional History Center, the largest historical archives collection and library relating to West Virginia. This list includes works published in 2015 and 2016, with the addition of a few titles from 2014 that were not included in previous lists. West Virginia–related titles not found in this bibliography can be located in other resources for publishers, periodicals, magazines, historical societies, and state publications.

Special thanks go to Laureen Wilson for her proofreading skills and editorial assistance with this project.

As always, if you are aware of significant books or articles concerning West Virginia, its people and places, please bring them to my attention.

Adams, Mason. “The Great Divorce: How Virginia Came Close to Being 22 Counties Smaller.” Blue Ridge Country XXVIII (July/August 2015): 30–33.

Adkins, Leonard M. Along the Appalachian Trail: West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. 130 pages. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Library Editions (May 11, 2015). While many state sections of the 2,180-plus-mile Appalachian Trail meander through national parks and forests, the 270 miles of trail in West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania were largely constructed without the benefit of available federal lands. Even in the face of this challenge these states successfully managed to carve a trail through scenic areas. Hundreds of vintage photographs, provided by the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, National Park Service, state archives, and local trail clubs, present an illustrated narrative of the work and dedication required to plan, build, and maintain the trail in these states. Historical sites along the trail as well as original locations rerouted off the trail today are also included.

Akin, William E. The Middle Atlantic League, 1925–1952: A Baseball History. 232 pages. Jefferson, NC: McFarland (August 3, 2015). The baseball teams of small and midsized cities of western Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia in the second quarter of the twentieth century formed the Middle Atlantic League, the strongest circuit in the low minors, and the one with the most alumni to advance to the majors. This thorough history chronicles the MAL from its 1925 inaugural season to its dissolution in 1952.

Antolini, Katharine Lane. “Mother’s Day v. Mother’s Day: The Jarvis Women and the Meaning of Motherhood.” In Women of the Mountain South: Identity, Work, and Activism, edited by Connie Park Rice and Marie Tedesco, 45–73. Athens: Ohio University Press, 2015.

Barnett, Bob. “Tee Time in the Mountain State: West Virginia’s Golf History.” Goldenseal 41 (Summer 2015): 26–33.

Barry, Joyce M. “Remembering the Past, Working for the Future: West Virginia Women Fight for Environmental Heritage and Economic Justice in the Age of Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining.” In Women of the Mountain South: Identity, Work, and Activism, edited by Connie Park Rice and Marie Tedesco, 418–442. Athens: Ohio University Press, 2015.

Bell, Shannon Elizabeth. Fighting King Coal: The Challenges to Micromobilization in Central Appalachia (Urban and Industrial Environments). 344 pages. Cambridge: The MIT Press (March 25, 2016). In the coal-mining region of Central Appalachia, mountaintop-removal mining and coal-industry-related flooding, water contamination, and illness have led to the emergence of a grassroots, women-centered environmental justice movement. In Fighting King Coal, Shannon Elizabeth Bell takes a close look at why so few of the many people who suffer from industry-produced environmental hazards and pollution rise up to participate in social movements aimed at bringing about social justice and industry accountability.

Bernardin, James. “West Virginia—Hooray! Growing Up in Wheeling.” Goldenseal 41 (Winter 2015): 32–41.

Bice, Robert P. Around Shinnston (Images of America). 128 pages. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing (August 10, 2015). Shinnston is the largest community in Clay District (and the third largest...