Wise County, Virginia
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===== Birth ===== | ===== Birth ===== | ||
| − | *''Wise Co., Va., Births, 1867-1871'', MSS., James Taylor Adams Collection, Box 68. St. Louis, Mo.: R.R. Seibel and D.A. Griffith, 1971. Microfilmed reproduction: {{FHL|573473|item}} | + | *'''1856-1861''' - [http://vagenweb.org/wise/ Wise County, Virginia Births 1856-1861] (VAGenWeb) - free. |
| + | *'''1867-1871''' - ''Wise Co., Va., Births, 1867-1871'', MSS., James Taylor Adams Collection, Box 68. St. Louis, Mo.: R.R. Seibel and D.A. Griffith, 1971. Microfilmed reproduction: {{FHL|573473|item}} | ||
===== Death ===== | ===== Death ===== | ||
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{{LoVdeath}} | {{LoVdeath}} | ||
| + | *'''1856-1892''' - [http://vagenweb.org/wise/ Wise County, Virginia Deaths 1856-1892] (VAGenWeb) - free. | ||
| + | *'''1856-1894''' - Robertson, Rhonda. ''The Wise County, Virginia Death Register 1856-1894''. [Wise, Virginia]: Wise County Historical Society (VA), [200-?]. {{FHL|1393009|item}} | ||
*Kilgore, Paul and Fred Harry King Funeral Home. ''Death Records, Fred H. King Funeral Home, 1927-1935''. Wise, Va.: Wise County Historical Society (Va.), [1999?]. {{FHL|1008202|item}} | *Kilgore, Paul and Fred Harry King Funeral Home. ''Death Records, Fred H. King Funeral Home, 1927-1935''. Wise, Va.: Wise County Historical Society (Va.), [1999?]. {{FHL|1008202|item}} | ||
| − | |||
===== Vital Record Substitutes ===== | ===== Vital Record Substitutes ===== | ||
| − | {{Tip|For birth, marriage, and death record substitutes, see [[{{PAGENAME}}#Bible Records|Bible Records]], [[{{PAGENAME}}#Cemeteries|Cemeteries]], [[{{PAGENAME}}#Church Records|Church Records]], [[{{PAGENAME}}#Newspapers|Newspapers]], and [[{{PAGENAME}}#Probate Records|Probate Records]].}} | + | {{Tip|For birth, marriage, and death record substitutes, see [[{{PAGENAME}}#Bible Records|Bible Records]], [[{{PAGENAME}}#Cemeteries|Cemeteries]], [[{{PAGENAME}}#Church Records|Church Records]], [[{{PAGENAME}}#Newspapers|Newspapers]], and [[{{PAGENAME}}#Probate Records|Probate Records]].}} |
== Societies and Libraries == | == Societies and Libraries == | ||
Revision as of 00:31, 18 December 2012
United States
Virginia
Wise County
Wise County, Virginia genealogy and family history research page. Guide to Wise County (established 1856) genealogy, history, and courthouse sources including birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, wills, deeds and land records, Civil War records, Revolutionary War records, family histories, cemeteries, churches, tax records, newspapers, and obituaries.
| Wise County, Virginia | |
| Map | |
| | |
![]() Location in the state of Virginia | |
![]() Location of Virginia in the U.S. | |
| Facts | |
| Founded | 1856 |
|---|---|
| County Seat | Wise |
| Courthouse | |
County Courthouse
Wise County Courthouse
206 East Main Street
P.O. Box 1248
Room 245
Wise, VA 24293
Phone: 276-328-6111
Clerk Circuit Court has marriage, and divorce,
probate court and land records [1]
| | |||||
| Birth | Marriage | Death | Census | Land | Probate |
| 1857 | 1856 | 1857 | 1860 | 1856 | 1856 |
History
The county is named after Virginia Governor Henry A. Wise (1806-1876), who was in office at the time of Wise County's organization. He later served as a Confederate States Army General during the Civil War.[2]
Parent County
1856--Wise County was created 16 February 1856 from Lee, Russell, and Scott Counties.
County seat: Wise [3]
Boundary Changes
Record Loss
- Lost census: 1890
Places/Localities
Populated Places
Neighboring Counties
Resources
Bible Records
Images of the Virginia Historical Society's family Bible collection have been digitized:
- Virginia Historical Society Papers, 1607-2007 - browse collection at FamilySearch; free.
Additional Bible records include:
Biographies
- Sutherland, Elihu Jasper. Some Sandy Basin Characters. Clintwood, Va.: Hettie Sutherland, 1962. 1985 reprint available at FHL.
Cemeteries
- Adams, James Taylor (1892-1954). Wise County Historical Inventory: Family Burying Grounds. St. Louis, Mo.: R.R. Seibel and D.A. Griffith, 1971. Available at FHL.
- Ben Bolling Cemetery, Flat Gap, Wise Co., VA
- Kilgore, Paul. Butcher's Fork, American Legion, Skeen's Ridge and Back Valley Cemeteries of Wise County, Virginia. [West Virginia]: Wise County Historical Society (Va.), [1997?]. Available at FHL.
- Kilgore, Paul. Powell Valley Memorial Gardens: Located in Beautiful Powell Valley, Wise County, VA. Wise, Va.: Wise County Historical Society (Va.), 2003. Available at FHL.
Census
For tips on accessing Wise County, Virginia census records online, see: Virginia Census.
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1860 | 4,508 | ||
| 1870 | 4,785 | 6.1% | |
| 1880 | 7,772 | 62.4% | |
| 1890 | 9,345 | 20.2% | |
| 1900 | 19,653 | 110.3% | |
| 1910 | 34,162 | 73.8% | |
| 1920 | 46,500 | 36.1% | |
| 1930 | 51,167 | 10.0% | |
| 1940 | 52,458 | 2.5% | |
| 1950 | 56,336 | 7.4% | |
| 1960 | 43,579 | −22.6% | |
| 1970 | 35,947 | −17.5% | |
| 1980 | 43,863 | 22.0% | |
| 1990 | 39,573 | −9.8% | |
| 2000 | 40,123 | 1.4% | |
1860 Agriculture Census
- Weaver, Jeffrey C. The 1860 Agriculture Census of Wise County, Virginia. Clintwood, Va.: Mullins Printing, 1992. Available at FHL.
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.]
Church Records
Baptist
- Little Primitive Baptist Church, Wise, Va. (by 1856).[4]
Court Records
Chancery Court
- Indexes (1855-1925) and images (1855-1912) to Wise County, Virginia Chancery Records are available online through Virginia Memory: Chancery Records Index. These records, often concerned with inheritance disputes, contain a wealth of genealogical information.
Genealogy
More than 25 genealogies have been published about Wise County families. To view a list, visit Wise County, Virginia Genealogy.
Land and Property
Local Histories
- Johnson, Charles A. A Narrative History of Wise County, Virginia. Norton, Va.: Norton Press, 1938. Reprint edition, The Overmountain Press, 1988. FHL Collection; digital version at Ancestry ($); and World Vital Records ($). Google Books page.
- Wise County: Her Industries, Resources and Prominent Men. Norton, Va.: n.p., 1920. FHL Collection; digital version at Ancestry ($).
Maps
Military
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. FHL Collection 973 M2Lp v. 5; digital versions at Google Books and Internet Archive. [See Vol. 5, Virginia, Wise County, p. 107. Identifies War of 1812 veterans living in this county in 1883.]
Civil War
Regiments. Service men in Wise County, Virginia served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed in Wise County, Virginia:
- - 4th Regiment, Virginia State Line (Cavalry and Infantry) (Confederate). Company C.[5]
- - 29th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company F.[6]
- - 50th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Company H (Wise Yankee Catchers).[7]
Records and histories are available, including:
- Virginia, Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers 1861-1865
- Virginia, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers 1861-1865
- Virginia, The Civil War in Wise County, Virginia: 1861-1865. Wise, VA: Wise County Historical Society, 2004. WorldCat page.
- Gobble, Lillian and Rhonda Robertson. Between Brothers: Civil War Soldiers of Wise & Dickenson County [Virginia]. [Big Stone Gap, Va.: L. Gobble & R. Robertson, 200-?]. FHL Collection
Naturalization
Virginia Naturalization Petitions, 1906-1929
Newspapers
- The Big Stone Gap Post, Big Stone Gap, VA, 1892-1928. (Chronicling America at the Library of Congress)
- The Big Stone Post, Big Stone Gap., VA, 1890-1892. (Chronicling America at the Library of Congress)
- Clinch Valley Times
- The Coalfield Progress, The Dickenson Star, and The Post
- Meade, Angie Bell. A Collection of Obituaries and Other Published Death Notices: Mostly of Russell, Scott and Wise Counties of Virginia, a Few Other Counties, Some Out-of-state: Most Collections Before 1940. Wise, Va.: Wise County Historical Society (Va.), [2000?]. FHL Collection
- Wise County, Virginia Obituaries (NewspaperObituaries.net)
Private Papers
Virginia, Historical Society Papers, 1607-2007
Probate Records
Research Guides
- "A Guide to the Counties of Virginia: Wise County," The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 24, No. 3 (Jul.-Sep. 1980):204-206. Available at American Ancestors ($).
Taxation
How can Virginia tax lists help me?
- [1857] Weaver, Jeffrey C. The 1857 Wise County, Virginia Land Tax List (Surnames A through M only), available online, courtesy: New River Notes.
Vital Records
Indexes to Wise County, Virginia births, marriages, and deaths are available online. These collections are incomplete, but are easy to search. Courtesy: FamilySearch - free.
Birth
- 1856-1861 - Wise County, Virginia Births 1856-1861 (VAGenWeb) - free.
- 1867-1871 - Wise Co., Va., Births, 1867-1871, MSS., James Taylor Adams Collection, Box 68. St. Louis, Mo.: R.R. Seibel and D.A. Griffith, 1971. Microfilmed reproduction: FHL Collection
Death
Wise County, Virginia deaths are included in the Library of Virginia's Death Index of Virginia, 1853-1896, sponsored by The Virginia Genealogical Society, available online - free.
- 1856-1892 - Wise County, Virginia Deaths 1856-1892 (VAGenWeb) - free.
- 1856-1894 - Robertson, Rhonda. The Wise County, Virginia Death Register 1856-1894. [Wise, Virginia]: Wise County Historical Society (VA), [200-?]. FHL Collection
- Kilgore, Paul and Fred Harry King Funeral Home. Death Records, Fred H. King Funeral Home, 1927-1935. Wise, Va.: Wise County Historical Society (Va.), [1999?]. FHL Collection
Vital Record Substitutes
| For birth, marriage, and death record substitutes, see Bible Records, Cemeteries, Church Records, Newspapers, and Probate Records. |
Societies and Libraries
Family History Centers
Websites
- Family History Library Catalog
- Lumbee Indians and Goins Family: Wise County, VA Early Records
- RootsWeb Mailing List: SW_VA-L (Topic: Southwest Virginia)
- Wise Co., VA (RootsWeb)
- Wise Co., VA Genealogy Forum (GenForum)
- Wise County Genealogy and Family History (Linkpendium)
- Wise County, Virginia (government, tourism, etc.)
- Wise County, Virginia (Wikipedia)
- Wise County, Virginia History, Genealogy (New River Notes)
- Wise County, Virginia Genealogical Research Site (VA GenWeb)
- Wise County, Virginia Genealogy Links (GenealogyLinks.net)
- Wise County, Virginia Genealogy Trails
- Cyndi's List
References
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Wise County, Virginia. Page 723 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ "Henry A. Wise," in Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_A._Wise, accessed 13 January 2012.
- ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002).
- ↑ Charles A. Johnson, A narrative history of Wise County, Virginia (Norton, Va.: Norton Press, 1938), 8. Digital version at Ancestry ($).
- ↑ The Virginia State Line: Organizational Structure of the Virginia State Line, Ranger95.com, accessed 11 June 2012.
- ↑ John Perry Alderman, 29th Virginia Infantry (Lynchburg, Va.: H.E. Howard, 1989). FHL Book 975.5 M2vr v. 53.
- ↑ John C. Chapla, 50th Virginia Infantry (Lynchburg, Va.: H.E. Howard, 1997). FHL Book 975.5 M2vr v. 129.
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