Seeking Indian father of Della Winona Daugherty

Hi Theodore

Welcome to History Hub

Birth Record does not name father

Della Winona Daugherty, "West Virginia Births, 1853-1930" (familysearch.org)

Death Certificate

West Virginia Vital Research Records - Record Image (wvculture.org)

Alice Lane

Research Volunteer

Dear Mr. Spickler,

Thank you for posting your request on History Hub!

Tribal nations in West Virginia were pushed out by settlers prior to the end of the 1700s. There will not be any Federal records that could prove Native American ancestry during that time in West Virginia. Since those who remained may have been assimilated, they were not documented in the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) records. American Indians living within the general population were not included in the general census schedules until 1860. Unfortunately, beyond local & state history sources or family lore, official Federal documentation does not exist.

We searched the National Archives Catalog and located the Population Schedules for the 1880 Census, and the Population Schedules for the 1890 Census in the Records of the Bureau of the Census (Record Group 29) that may be searched to find Native American individuals who resided in Marshall County, WV.  For access to the non-digitized schedules, please contact the National Archives at Washington, DC - Textual Reference (RDT1) via email at archives1reference@nara.gov. 

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and pursuant to guidance received from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), NARA has adjusted its normal operations to balance the need of completing its mission-critical work while also adhering to the recommended social distancing for the safety of NARA staff. As a result of this re-prioritization of activities, you may experience a delay in receiving an initial acknowledgement as well as a substantive response to your reference request from RDT1. We apologize for this inconvenience and appreciate your understanding and patience.

For information about the U.S. Census, see the Census Bureau technical documentation and questionnaires.

You may wish to search Ancestry.com or FamilySearch.org for the U.S. Census. There may be a fee for using Ancestry. Instead, check for access at your local library as many library systems subscribe to these sites, making them free for their patrons.

We suggest that you contact the West Virginia Archives and History for possible records in their custody and review the FamilySearch Research wikis for Marshall County West Virginia Genealogy and Indigenous Peoples of West Virginia.    Also, we searched online and located several articles and other publications that might be of relevance to your research.  They include:

• Native American Tribes of West Virginia;
• Wild, Wondering West Virginia: Exploring West Virginia's Native American History
• Native American Reservations in Virginia

We hope this is helpful. Best of luck with your family research!

[Some information provided by Cody White, Subject Matter Expert]