KYOWVA Genealogical and Historical Society
Serving the Tri-state region of Eastern Kentucky, Southern Ohio and Western West Virginia
About KYOWVA
During the course of a 1977 genealogy class being taught at a local vocational school, the instructor and eleven of his students discussed their desire to form a local genealogical society. In March 1978, the first informal meeting was held at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Church (LDS) on Shawnee Drive in Huntington. Election of officers took place at the next meeting in April, 1978 and the KYOWVA Genealogical Society came into being. The name "KYOWVA" is derived from the names of the three states making up the tri-state area we serve. The states are Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia. Our neighboring counties are Lawrence, Boyd counties in Kentucky; Gallia, Lawrence Counties in Ohio; Cabell, Wayne, Lincoln and Mason Counties in West Virginia.
The fledgling society soon boasted a list of over sixty charter members and continued to meet at the LDS church until 1981. From 1982 to 1984, we met at the 20th Street Baptist Church, then moved to the St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church until 1985. The 6th Avenue Church of Christ became our home from 1985 until 1996.
The
Guyandotte Post 9738, Veterans of Foreign Wars made the Keenan House,
a historic two-story house located across the street from their facility
on Main Street in the Guyandotte section of Huntington, available to
us in 1996. For the first time, we were able to permanently set up our
research library in two rooms on the second floor of the Keenan House.
Another room in the four room house was used as our office.
Our regular monthly meeting attendance quickly outgrew the available space in the house, so the VFW graciously allowed us to use their conference room at no cost for our meetings. Over the next eleven years we enjoyed a great relationship with the VFW.
Eventually,
the aging house developed major structural issues that became too costly
for us or the VFW to correct. The lack of accessibility for our handicapped
patrons and the need for additional space to house our ever-expanding
library collection prompted us to look for new quarters. The search
took us to our present location in the Second Presbyterian Church in
Huntington's West End. This facility met our every requirement; ample
space for our library, meeting rooms, and rest rooms all on the same
floor. Everything was moved and November 28, 2007 marked opening day
in our new location.
KYOWVA Genealogical and Historical Society is a dynamic and growing membership of individuals from across the country who share a common love of genealogy and history. The society promotes the study of genealogy and genealogical and historical research. We maintain a library for the collection and preservation of information and artifacts pertaining to genealogy and local history. Whether you are a novice or a veteran, KYOWVA Genealogical and Historical Society can assist you in your research.
Current Officers and Board Members
KYOWVA's current elected officers are Debra Campbell, President; Mary Ann Chatterton, 1st Vice President; Wayne Worth, 2nd Vice President; Anne Shuff, Treasurer and Librarian; David Chatterton, Corresponding Secretary; Brenda Chatterton, Recording Secretary; June B. Ashworth, Newsletter Editor.
Maintenance Crew are Ernie Wright, Skip Lane and anyone else that will volunteer.
Our Future
We will continue working to preserve as much of our region's history as possible and keep it available as a valuable resource for our members and patrons. We are constantly adding to our already extensive library and offer assistance to anyone researching their family history.