Note: The first Webster County Court House, together with all the records, with the exception of one book, not in the building at the time, was burned on the night of 17 JUN 1888. The origin is not definitely known, but it was probably burned to destroy some records involved in a land suit---Mocassin Tracks & Other Imprints by Wm. DODRILL.
Note from Dave: Bernard
Mollohan (my GGrandfather) Built the Court House (1866, $1700) that burned
in Webster Springs (June 17, 1888). He was also the county surveyor for
many years (elected May 24 1860) and kept records of all he surveyed. After
the fire he copied all his records into the new books. These books are
extinct today and are in his handwriting. That doesn't help on death
/marriage/birth records
but at least some record of the era did survive. Many cemeteries in Webster,
and I suppose elsewhere in WV, got there start during the typhoid epidemic
in the late 1800's and early 1900. The Life family (Life Cemetery in Cleveland
and is still maintained) was so devastated by the plague that they passed
there dead children out the window for burial so that the rest of the sick
would not know they had died. The old Chandler cemetery (not maintained)
in Cleveland has the graves of 6 of his children who died during that period.
The McCray cemetery (not maintained) was started when James McCray was
shot by the Yankees while trying to bushwhack the bushwhackers. The Alexander
Anderson Cemeteries #1 and 2 were started as back yard grave sites and
are within a rock toss of the old house sites.