Highland County, Virginia Genealogy

Guide to Highland County Virginia ancestry, family history, and genealogy. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, immigration records, and military records.

Virginia Online Genealogy Records

Description
Highland County is located in the Western portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and shares a border with West Virginia. It is often referred to as "Virginia's Switzerland" and the County received its name from its prevailing high altitude.

Highland County, Virginia Courthouse
Highland County Courthouse P.O. Box 190 Monterey, VA 24465-0190 Phone 540-468-2447

Clerk Circuit Court has birth records from 1850-1898, marriage, divorce and land records from 1850 probate records from 1860 and court records from 1837

Highland County, Virginia History
The county takes its name from its elevation in the Appalachian Mountains.

Parent County
1847--Highland County was created 19 March 1847 from Bath and Pendleton Counties. County seat: Monterey

Boundary Changes
For animated maps illustrating Virginia county boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Virginia County Boundary Maps" (1617-1995) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.

Record Loss
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.


 * Lost census: 1890

Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

Research Guides

 * Hamilton, Clay. "Genealogical Research in Highland County," The Virginia Genealogical Society Newsletter, Vol. 29, No. 3 (June 2003):1-2. ; digital version at Virginia Genealogical Society website.

Cemeteries
The Genealogy Center at Allen County Public Library (Indiana) has a number of searchable databases of Highland County cemeteries:


 * 1800-1986 - at FamilySearch — index

• Clover Creek Presbyterian Church Cemetery • Doe Hill Cemetery • Headwaters Community Cemetery • McDowell Community Cemetery • McKendree Methodist Cemetery • Old McDowell Presbyterian Cemetery

Census
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.]

Court
Library of Virginia's Virginia Memory: Chancery Record Index can be used to search digital images of Highland County chancery records for the years 1848-1912.

Funeral Homes

 * 1935-2009, index and images, incomplete

Genealogy
Compiled Genealogies by Surname
 * See Highland County, Virginia Compiled Genealogies for a list of 15+ published books and articles.

Land and Property
An early settlers map is available for Highland County. Cambelt plots the locations of pioneers' farms. The Family History Library has a copy:.

Local Histories

 * Morton, Oren Frederic. A Handbook of Highland County and a Supplement to Pendleton and Highland History. Monterey, Va.: Highland Recorder, 1922. ; digital version at Ancestry ($).
 * Morton, Oren Frederic. A History of Highland County, Virginia. Monterey, Va.: Morton, c1911. Original edition: ; 1979 reprint with index: ; digital versions of original edition at Ancestry ($); and World Vital Records ($).

Maps

 * 1848 - Householders in 1848, as located on the map of the County Surveyor (VAGenWeb) - free.

War of 1812

 * Highland County, Virginia Soldiers in the War of 1812
 * List of Pensioners on the Roll, January 1, 1883; Giving the Name of Each Pensioner, the Cause for Why Pensioned, the Post-Office Address, the Rate of Pension Per Month, and the Date of Original Allowance... Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1883. ; digital versions at Google Books and Internet Archive. [See Vol. 5, Virginia, Highland County, p. 86. Identifies War of 1812 veterans living in this county in 1883.]

Civil War

 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1861-1865 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1861-1865 - U.S., Confederate Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry — index (free)
 * 1861-1865 - U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 at Ancestry — index (free)


 * - 14th Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Confederate). Company A (White's Mounted Riflemen), Company C (Valley Cavalry or Rangers).
 * - 18th Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Confederate). Company G.
 * - 25th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Heck's) (Confederate). Company D (Highland Rangers).
 * - 26th Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Confederate). Company E.
 * - 31st Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Future 2nd Company B (The Highlanders) and Company E (Highland County Highlanders).
 * - 62nd Regiment, Virginia Mounted Infantry (Confederate). Company A (Valley Rifles).

Civil War Battle
The following Civil War battle was fought in Highland County:


 * May 8, 1862 = McDowell, also known as Sitlington’s Hill


 * Maps of Civil War battles in Virginia: 1861, 1862, 1863, 1864, 1865

Miscellaneous Records

 * 1607-2007 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Newspapers
Online Newspapers


 * 1893-1910 - Highland Recorder at Chronicling America - free.

Birth

 * 1853-1896 - Fridley, Beth, comp. Highland County Virginia Birth Records, 1853-1896 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2001. Digital version at Ancestry ($).


 * 1853-1878 - Highland County Birth Index 1853-1878. Batch at FamilySearch - free.


 * 1853-1866 - at FamilySearch — index and images


 * 1912-1913 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Marriage

 * 1660-1959 - Virginia, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1740-1850 - Virginia Marriages 1740-1850 (Ancestry) ($).
 * 1785-1940 Virginia, Select Marriages, 1785-1940 at Ancestry.com ($) — index
 * 1853-1935 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1854-1951 - Highland County Marriage Index 1854-1951. Batch at FamilySearch - free.
 * 1936-1988 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Divorce

 * 1918-1988 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Death

 * 1912-1987 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Family History Centers
To locate the closest family history center or affiliate library, use the link listed above.

Highland County, Virginia Genealogy Websites

 * Highland Co., VAGenWeb. Part of the USGenWeb Project. Maps, name indexes, history.
 * Highland County, VA History, Records, Facts and Genealogy (Familytree101)
 * Cyndi's List
 * Cyndi's List