These two volumes present in the aggregate the most exhaustive collection of West Virginia genealogies ever assembled. Some 400 families are treated, each family sketch commencing with the known ancestors of the first settler and proceeding in the direct line of descent to representatives of the family in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The genealogies are presented in a series of independent sketches and incorporate the important facts regarding the ancestry, personal careers, and matrimonial alliances of those who held leading positions in social, professional, and business life.