Conditions Governing Use

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Conditions Governing Access

The coloring book in box 23 is restricted until it can be cleaned.

Researchers may access audiovisual and digitized materials by requesting to view the materials in person by appointment or remotely by contacting the West Virginia & Regional History Center reference department at https://westvirginia.libanswers.com/wvrhc.

Preferred Citation

[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], Charleston Gazette Publishing Company Records and Chilton Family Papers, A&M 3020, West Virginia and Regional History Center, West Virginia University Libraries, Morgantown, West Virginia.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Multiple gifts of Chilton, Elizabeth "Betty" Early, 1992 April 9, 2001 July 24, 2004 November 16, 2018 April 4, 2018 July 24, and 2018 November 29.

Biographical / Historical

William Edwin Chilton, Sr. (1858-1939), US Senator and publisher of the Charleston Gazette, was born in St. Albans, West Virginia. Educated by private tutors, and later attending Shelton College, St. Albans, he began teaching school at the age of 16. He later studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1880, settling in Charleston shortly afterwards, and becoming associated with John E. Kenna, US Senator from West Virginia, who served from 1883 to 1893. He later became a member of Chilton, MacCorkle and Chilton, involved himself with Democratic politics, and attained recognition as an able leader in public affairs. He was appointed prosecuting attorney in 1883, was admitted to the Supreme Court in 1891, was chairman of the Democratic State Executive Committee in 1892, Secretary of the State from 1893 to 1897, and United State Senator from 1911 to 1917. He was recognized as an orator and writer of unusual power and force. After a defeated nomination to the United States Senate in 1924, he retired from his law practice and concerned himself with the editorship of the Charleston Gazette. He married Mary Louise Tarr in 1892, and had four children: William Edwin Chilton, Jr., J. Eustace Chilton, Eleanor Chilton, and Elizabeth Chilton Lowery Murray. Eleanor achieved recognition as a writer, authoring Shadows Waiting and Follow the Furies.

William Edwin Chilton, Jr. (1893-1950) President of the Daily Gazette Company and managing editor of the Charleston Gazette, was born in Charleston, West Virginia. He graduated from Yale in 1917, and then served during the World War, primarily in convoy flying based in North Sydney, Nova Scotia. He became managing editor of the Charleston Gazette in 1924. He married Louise Schoonmaker in 1920, and had two children: William Edwin (Ned) Chilton, III, and Mary Carroll Chilton Abbott.

Source: West Virginia Heritage Encyclopedia, ed. Jim Comstock (Richwood, WV: Jim Comstock, 1976), Vol. 5.

William Edwin "Ned" Chilton (November 26, 1921 - February 7, 1987) was born in Kingston, New York, the son of Louise C. Schoonmaker and William Edwin Chilton, Jr. He grew up in Charleston, West Virginia, and was educated in the public schools. After serving in the United States Army and Army Air Corp, he graduated from Yale University in 1950. Chilton married Elizabeth "Betty" Early in 1952. They have one daughter, Susan Carroll. He was elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates from Kanawha County in 1952 and was re-elected in 1954, 1956, and 1958. He was a Delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1960 and again in 1964, when he served on the party's platform committee. In 1967, Mr. Chilton served as a member of the Citizen's Advisory Commission on the West Virginia Legislature. After working in the promotions department, Ned Chilton served as publisher of the Charleston Gazette from 1961 until his death in 1987. The newspaper gained distinction under his direction through innovative editorial policies including "right of reply" and front page corrections. In 1982, he received the Colby College Elijah Parish Lovejoy Award for courage and integrity in journalism, and in 1985 he was named to the newspaper advisory board of United Press International. He also served as a member of the Pulitzer Prize Awards committee. Although active in the newspaper business and politics, Mr. Chilton gave his time and support to numerous civic, social and public organizations.

Source: State of West Virginia House Resolution No. 15 "A House Resolution Commemorating the Passing of William E. "Ned" Chilton, III, publisher of the Charleston Gazette and former member of the House of Delegates" adopted February 16, 1987.

Elizabeth "Betty" Early Chilton was born in Williamson, West Virginia. She married William Edwin "Ned" Chilton in 1952. Mrs. Chilton has worked in various roles at the Charleston Gazette Co. and its related entities, working in public relations and later serving as president and an editorial board member of the Gazette, serving as vice president and treasurer of the Daily Gazette Co., and serving as the director of Charleston Newspapers. She attended both Hollins College and Marjorie Webster College and has been an active member in local and regional organizations dedicated to advancing journalism, education, and the humanities broadly. Mrs. Chilton has received awards for her work in the field of journalism and her service to her community, including the President's Distinguished Service Award from West Virginia University.

Source: "Charleston Gazette Co. president to receive WVU Distinguished Service Award," WVU Today, May 1, 2000. http://wvutoday-archive.wvu.edu/n/2000/05/01/2862.htm.

Scope and Contents

Scrapbooks, correspondence, business papers, and memorabilia of a prominent Charleston family that were long time owners of the Charleston Gazette. There are papers of W. E. Chilton, Sr., and for his son and grandson, W. E. Chilton, Jr. and W. E. Chilton, III. The papers of Chilton senior include some correspondence, but mostly land papers documenting the coal mining district in Webster and Braxton Counties. There are also scrapbooks, and contracts pertaining to the family newspaper business; and volumes on the education of W. E. Chilton, Jr. at Woodberry, VA Forest School, and at Yale. The military service of the Chiltons is documented by the service papers, photographs, and other material for W. E. Chilton, Jr. and W. E. Chilton, III in World War (WWI) I and World War II (WWII) respectively.

The initial acquisition of 1992 includes eight boxes documenting primarily William Edwin Chilton senior (1858-1939), including series for: general correspondence; rare signatures; subjects; land titles and abstracts; legal records; newspapers and pictures; scrapbooks; and artifacts. For details see inventory in control folder at the library.

Rare signatures in the initial acquisition of W. E. Chilton, Sr., include: Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong, Newton D. Baker, Alben W. Barkley, "Count" Basie, Lester Young, Louis D. Brandeis, Richard E. Byrd, Cab Calloway, Dale Carnegie, Tom Clark, Grover Cleveland, Charles Curtis, Josephus Daniels, John W. Davis, "Dizzy" Dean, Jack Dempsey, Thomas E. Dewey, J. DiMaggio, James A. Farley, Bob Feller, Ella Fitzgerald, John N. Garner, Lou Gehrig, Carter Glass, Hank Greenberg, W. C. Handy, Averell Harriman, Herbert Hoover, J. Edgar Hoover, Harold L. Ickes, Helen Keller, Guy Lombardo, Joe Louis, William G. McAdoo, Glenn Miller, Dwight Morrow, C. W. Nimitz, G. W. Norris, Westbrook Pegler, Gifford Pinchot, Drew Pearson, Sam Rayburn, Eddie V. Rickenbacker, Paul Robeson, Edward G. Robinson, Eleanor Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, "Babe" Ruth, J. D. Salinger, Margaret Sanger, Sam Snead, Felix B. Stump, Fred M. Vinson, "Fats" Waller, W. A. White, Jess Willard, Ted Williams, Wendell Willkie, Edith Bolling Wilson, Woodrow Wilson, and Cy Young.

The addendum of 2001 includes five boxes documenting primarily William Edwin Chilton, III (1921-1987), including series for: biographical information; incoming letters; photographs; ephemera; clippings; subjects; legal records; writings, speeches, and publications; and oversize. For details see inventory in control folder at the library.

The addendum of 2004 includes one folder containing a book owned by Ned Chilton titled "Mr. Dooley In Peace and in War" by Finley Peter Dunne, published in 1899 by Small, Maynard and Company. The author's name does not appear in this book. Dunne was a newspaper columnist, and this book features 49 of his writings.

The addendum of 2018 April 4 includes 3 boxes consisting of material related to the Charleston Gazette and W.E. (Ned) Chilton III including publications, artwork, and historic certificates that were presumably collected for display in his home or office.

The addendum of 2018 July 24 includes 10 boxes consisting of material related to the Chilton family and their activities and involvement with the Charleston Gazette, its employees, notable figures, business contacts, and other related entities. Formats include scrapbooks, clippings and facsimiles of articles, publications, print and digital photographs, correspondence, records of court proceedings, art prints, receipts, financial documents, certificates and other forms of achievement recognition, and additional miscellaneous related items.

The addendum of 2018 November 29 includes 1 folder featuring a selection of ephemera related to the personal achievements of W.E. (Ned) Chilton III and Elizabeth (Betty) Chilton.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Braxton County (W. Va.)
• Chilton, Betty
• Chilton, Betty
• Chilton, William E. (William Edwin), 1858-1939
• Chilton, William E. (William Edwin), 1858-1939
• Chilton, William E. (William Edwin), 1893-1950
• Chilton, William E. (William Edwin), 1921-1987
• Newspaper editors
• Newspaper publishing
• Pearson, Drew.
• Roosevelt, Eleanor, 1884-1962
• Roosevelt, Franklin D. (Franklin Delano), 1882-1945
• Salinger, J. D. (Jerome David), 1919-2010
• Webster County (W. Va.)
• World War, 1914-1918
• World War, 1939-1945