Smyth County, Virginia Genealogy

United States &gt; Virginia &gt; Smyth County





Parent County
1832--Smyth County was created 23 February 1832 from Washington and Wythe Counties. County seat: Marion

Census
1840


 * Douthat, James L. 1840 Mountain Empire of Virginia Census. Signal Mountain, Tenn.: Mountain Press, 2001. 975.5 X2d 1840. Free online surname index and purchase details at Mountain Press website. [Includes Smyth County.]

1890 Union Veterans


 * Turner, Ronald Ray. Virginia's Union Veterans: Eleventh Census of the United States 1890. Available online, courtesy: Prince William County Virginia website. [Includes residents of this county.]

Family Histories
Bibliography


 * [Alder] Taft, Kingsley Arter. The Descendents of Peter Alder (ca. 1788--Sept. 3, 1873) and Mahala Rickey (ca. 1795--1860's). Knoxville, Tenn.: K. Taft, [199-?]. Available at FHL.
 * [Bishop] Roseberry, Greg E. The Elbert Howell -- Bertha Burnop Family of Floyd, Smyth, and Montgomery Counties, Virginia: Including the Burnop, Duncan, Fischbach, Hanks, Heimbach, Holtzclaw, Howell, Hylton, Morricle, Otterbach, Pratt, Stuell, Vaughan, and Weddle Families. Lincoln, Nebraska: Writers Club Press, c2002. Available at FHL.
 * [Burnop] See Bishop.
 * [Catron] See Alder.
 * [Colley] Boardman, Elizabeth Joye Mabe. Thomas Colley Family: Russell County, Virginia; Washington County, Virginia; Dickenson County, Virginia; Buchanan County, Virginia; Smyth County, Virginia. [Palm Coast, Florida]: J. Boardman, 2001. Available at FHL; digital version at BYU Family History Archives.
 * [Copenhaver] Copenhaver, Mildred Manton, Robert Madison Copenhaven, and Robert Madison Copenhaver Memorial Committee. The Copenhaver Family History of Smyth county, Virginia: A Family Record of Some of the Descendants of Frederick Copenhaver. Marion, Virginia: Robert Madison Copenhaver Memorial Committee, c1981. Available at FHL; digital version at BYU Family History Archives.
 * [Gillespie] Trimble, David B. Buchanan and Gillespie of Southwest Virginia. Austin, Texas: D.B. Trimble, 1992. Available at FHL.
 * [Gollehon] Sturgill, Kenneth L. A Southern Family in the Civil War. n.p.: K.L. Sturgill, 1993. Available at FHL.
 * [Johnson] Yates, William Allen. Johnson Genealogy: Descendants of George W. Johnson of Scott County, Virginia and Rockcastle County, Kentucky and Descendants of Benjamin Johnson of Smyth County, Virginia. Stevensville, Montana: W.A. Yates, 1992. Available at FHL.
 * [Kestner] Hockett, Thomas Jack and Janice M. Snead. Kestner, Kästner, Kaestner, Kesner, Kisner, Kissner, Kesnor, Casnor, Casner, Cisner, Etc., Family - Washington and Smith Counties, VA: (With Emphasis on the Family of Rachel Kestner m. Oliver Snead). St. Davids, Pa.: T.J. Hockett, 1992. Available at FHL.
 * [Ketron] See Alder.
 * [Poston] Hockett, Thomas Jack. Some Descendants of John Poston of England: The Poston/Posten/Pasten/Paston Family in Washington County and Smyth County, Virginia. St. Davids, Pennsylvania: J. Hockett, 1994. Available at FHL; digital version at BYU Family History Archives.
 * [Richardson] Blanck, Marilyn Mullinix. Searching for Buckeye Billy's Roots: An Exhaustive Attempt to Search Out the Background of William Richardson of Smyth County, Virginia, with Pointers Toward the Origins of Many Other Richardson Families of Virginia, Tennessee and Other Southern States. Alhambra, Ca.: M.M. Blanck, 2010. Available at FHL.
 * [Scott] Thomas, LaVerne and Kay Lee Wrage Gunn. The Scotts of Southwest Virginia: Descendants of the James &amp; Rachel Scott of Wythe/Smyth County and Ten Other Early Lines. 3 vols. Marion, Virginia: Dean Tucker Printing, c1999. Available at FHL; digital versions of Vol. 1, Vol. 2, and Vol. 3, courtesy: BYU Family History Archives.
 * [Wimer] Weimer, Robert E., Weimer Genealogical Center (Albuquerque, New Mexico), and Mary W. Dixon. The Weimer Family: As Known to 1974 [and Beyond]. Multi-volume. Albuquerque, New Mexico: Weimer Genealogical Center, 1975-. Available at FHL; digital version at BYU Family History Archives.

Local Histories

 * Boyd, Charles Rufus. Resources of South-west Virginia: Showing the Mineral Deposits of Iron, Coal, Zinc, Copper and Lead, also the Staples of the Various Counties, Methods of Transportation Access, Etc. New York: J. Wiley, 1881. Available at FHL. [Includes Smyth County.]
 * Presgraves, James S. Smyth County Families and History. Wytheville, Va.: J. Presgraves, 1974. Available at FHL.
 * Sheffey, John P. General Resources and Advantages of Smyth County: In the Most Attractive Section of Appalachian Virginia. n.p.: n.p., 1907. Available at FHL; digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * Wilson, Goodridge. Smyth County, History and Traditions. Kingsport, Tenn.: Kingsport Press, 1932. Available at FHL US/CAN Film 547258 Item 2; FHL US/CAN Book 975.5723 H2w 1976 reprint; Sturgill, Kenneth Lee. A Complete Researchers Index to "Smyth County History and Traditions." Marion, VA: K. L. Sturgill, 1986. Index FHL US/CAN Book 975.5723 H2w index and US/CAN Fiche 6103880; digital version at Ancestry ($); World Vital Records ($).

Revolutionary War

 * Kegley, Mary B. Revolutionary War Pension Applications of Southwest Virginia Soldiers. n.p.: M.B. Kegley, 1997. [Includes Smyth County pensioners.]
 * A Census of Pensioners for Revolutionary or Military Services: With their Names, Ages, and Places of Residence, as Returned by the Marshalls of the Several Judicial Districts, Under the Act for Taking the Sixth Census]. 1841. Digital versions at U.S. Census Bureau and Google Books et. al. 1967 reprint: 973 X2pc 1840. [See Virginia, Western District, Smyth County on page 136.]
 * Rejected or Suspended Applications for Revolutionary War Pensions. Washington, D.C., 1852. Reprinted by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1969, and 1991. Reprints include "an Added Index to States." 973 M24ur; digital version at Ancestry ($). [Includes veterans from this county; Virginia section begins on page 238.]

Occupations

 * Cutten, George Barton. The Silversmiths of Virginia (together with Watchmakers and Jewelers) from 1694 to 1850. Richmond, Va.: The Dietz Press, Incorporated, 1952. Available at FHL. [Includes a section on Marion watchmakers.]

Research Guides

 * "A Guide to the Counties of Virginia: Smyth County," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 22, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1978):213-215. Available at New England Ancestors ($).

Taxation
How can Virginia tax lists help me?


 * [1832-1850] Land Tax Books of Smyth County, Virginia, 1832-1850. Original records, Smyth County Courthouse, Marion, Va., microfilmed reproduction available at FHL.
 * [1832-1850] Personal Property Tax Lists of Smyth County, Virginia, 1832-1850. Original records, Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va., microfilmed reproduction available at FHL.
 * [1832] Personal Property Tax List, 1832, Virginia Appalachian Notes. Roanoke VA: Nov 1985. Vol. 9 Iss. 4.

Vital Records
Birth

Beth Fridley has published abstracts of the following Smyth County birth records online at Ancestry:


 * Smyth County, Virginia Births, 1875-78 [database on-line]. Available at Ancestry ($).
 * Smyth County, Virginia Births, 1879-84 [database on-line]. Available at Ancestry ($).
 * Smyth County, Virginia Births, 1885-96 [database on-line]. Available at Ancestry ($).

The original records covering 1853-1896 and an index covering 1853-1917 are available on microfilm at the Family History Library.

Death


 * Smyth County, Virginia Death Registers 1853-1896 and Index 1853-1917. Original records, Smyth County Courthouse, Marion, Va., microfilmed reproduction at FHL.

Web Sites

 * USGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the state, then the county.
 * Family History Library Catalog
 * RootsWeb Mailing List: SW_VA-L (Topic: Southwest Virginia)