Pulaski County, Virginia Genealogy

Guide to Pulaski 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
Pulaski County is located in the Southwestern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia and was named in honor of Count Casimir Pulaski, an exiled Polish nobleman, who came to the colonies in 1777 to join Washington's army.

Pulaski County, Virginia Courthouse
Pulaski County Courthouse 45 Third Street, NW Suite 101 Pulaski, VA 24301 Phone: 540-980-7825

Clerk Circuit Court has marriage records from 1882, divorce, probate, court and land records from 1839

Pulaski County, Virginia History


The county is named after General Casimir Pulaski (1745-1779), a Polish nobleman who died fighting for the Patriot cause in the Revolutionary War.

Parent County
1839--Pulaski County was created 30 March 1839 from Montgomery and Wythe Counties. County seat: Pulaski

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

 * "A Guide to the Counties of Virginia: Pulaski County," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 21, No. 2 (Apr.-Jun. 1977):122-123. Digital version at American Ancestors ($).

African American

 * 1865-1872 Freedmen's
 * 1935-2009, index and images, incomplete
 * Kegley, Mary B. Free People of Colour: Free Negroes, Indians, Portuguese and Freed Slaves. Wytheville, Virginia: Kegley Books, 2003. Available at.
 * Search the Library of Virginia's Virginia Untold collection for digitized records related to African Americans of Pulaski County.

Cemeteries

 * 1800-1986 - at FamilySearch — index

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 Pulaski County.]

1890 Union Veterans


 * "Virginia's Union Veterans: Eleventh Census of the United States 1890."  Prince William County Virginia, by Ronald Ray Turner.   Includes residents of this county.

Presbyterian

 * 1854-1875 - Drapers Valley Presbyterian Christenings 1854-1875. Batch at FamilySearch - free.

Court
Library of Virginia's Virginia Memory: Chancery Records Index can be used to search digital images of Pulaski County chancery records for the years 1841-1913.

Funeral Homes

 * 1935-2009, index and images, incomplete

Genealogy
Compiled Genealogies by Surname
 * See Pulaski County, Virginia Compiled Genealogies for a list of several published books and articles.

Compiled Genealogies for Multiple Families


 * Heavener, Ulysses S.A. German New River Settlement: Virginia. 1929; reprint, Baltimore, Md.: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1976..
 * Kegley, Mary B. Early Adventurers on the Western Waters. 5 vols. 1990-1998..

Land and Property
An early settlers map is available for Pulaski County. The cartographer plots the locations of pioneers from 1776-1976. The Family History Library has a copy:.

Grants and Patents


 * Hudgins. 575 patents dated 1746-1887 in what is now Pulaski County, Virginia placed on a map. DeedMapper. 2009. [Names of those who received land patents, dates, land descriptions, and references may be viewed free of charge (click "Index" next to the county listing); however, in order to view the maps, it is necessary to purchase Direct Line Software's DeedMapper product.]

Local Histories

 * Pulaski County, Virginia: A Historic and Descriptive Sketch Designed to Show Forth the Natural Advantages, Resources and General Adaptability of the Banner County of Southwest Virginia, to Agriculture, Cattle Raising, and also Commercial and Industrial Enterprises. Pulaski, Va.: Southwest Pub. Co., 1907. Availale at FHL; digital version at Ancestry ($).

Maps

 * 1776-1976 Settlement Map of Pulaski County, Virginia. Available online.

Revolutionary War

 * 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, Pulaski 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." ; digital version at Ancestry ($). [Includes veterans from this county; Virginia section begins on page 238.]

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. 973 M2Lp v. 5; digital versions at Google Books and Internet Archive. [See Vol. 5, Virginia, Pulaski County, p. 100. Identifies War of 1812 veterans living in this county in 1883.]

Civil War Battle
The following Civil War battle was fought in Pulaski County.


 * May 9, 1864 = Cloyd's Mountain


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


 * - 4th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company C (Pulaski Guards).
 * - 24th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company E (Pulaski Guards).
 * - 50th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company I.
 * - 54th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company F.
 * - Dublin Provost Guard (Confederate)(Information about this Pulaski County Guard can be found on page 275 of the preceding reference 1.)

Records and histories are available, including:


 * 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)

World War II

 * 1940-1945 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Miscellaneous Records

 * 1607-2007 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Naturalization

 * Virginia

Private Papers

 * Virginia,

Probate Records

 * 1838-1859 - Pulaski County Wills 1838-1859 (New River Notes) - free.

Online Probate Indexes and Records


 * 1840-1859 - Images of Wills, Guardianships, Inventories, Estates Virginia Pioneers ($)


 * 1859-1871 - Images of Wills, Guardianships, Inventories, Estates Virginia Pioneers ($)

Taxation
Bibliography


 * [1839] Personal Property Tax List, 1839, Virginia Appalachian Notes Vol. 7, No. 1 (Feb. 1983), pp. 1-7; online at Roanoke Public Library - free.

Birth

 * 1853-1893 - Fridley, Beth. Pulaski County, Virginia Births, 1853-93 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 1999. Available at Ancestry ($).
 * 1853-1866 - at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1912-1913 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Marriage

 * 1660-1959 - Virginia, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 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
 * 1838-1845 - Pulaski County Marriages 1838-1845 (New River Notes) - free.


 * 1851-1900 - Virginia Marriages 1851-1900 (Ancestry) ($).


 * 1853-1935 - at FamilySearch — index and images


 * 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.

Pulaski County, Virginia Genealogy Websites

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