Patrick County History and Information

Patrick County, like Henry County, was named for Patrick Henry. It was formed from Pittsylvania and Henry County in 1790. Its area is 469 square miles, and the county seat is Stuart. The population is 19,407 according to the 2000 census. See Extended History for More information.

The Official County Website is located at http://www.co.patrick.va.us/ . Cities, Towns and Communities include Patrick Springs, Stuart, Ararat, Meadows of Dan and Woolwine

• Microfilm available for Patrick County at The Library of Virginia
• Patrick County, Virginia History Books at Amazon.com
• Search Historical Newspapers from Virginia (1784 - 1922 ) - Quickly find names and keywords in over 125 million articles, obituaries, marriage notices, birth announcements and other items published in more than 500,000 issues of over 2,500 historical U.S. newspapers. New content added monthly!
• Family History Library - The largest collection of free family history, family tree and genealogy records in the world.
• Stories, Memories & Histories - Stories and histories compiled by others researching a person or area can be an amazing source of information about your ancestors. Not only do they generally contain dates and places of vital events like birth, marriage, and death, but they often relate stories and memories that help you really get to know the character of your ancestors.

Patrick County Court Records

See Also Virginia Land Records, Marriage Records, Court & Probate Records

Researchers often overlook the importance of court records, probate records, and land records as a source of family history information.

PLEASE READ FIRST!!!! Please call the clerk's department to confirm hours, mailing address, fees and other specifics before visiting or requesting information because of sometimes changing contact information.

Patrick County Clerk of the Circuit Court has Marriage Records from 1791-Present, Land Records from 1791, Probate Records from 1791 and Court Records from 1791 and is located at the County Courthouse on P. O. Box 148, Main Street, Stuart, VA 24171-0148; 276/694-7213, Fax: 276/694-6943 .

The Clerk of the Circuit Court is a constitutional official that is elected by the voters of Patrick County. The Clerk is charged with responsibilities that include judicial and non-judicial duties.

The Clerk provides administrative support for Circuit Court by preparing, recording, and maintaining court orders, subpoenas, and pleadings. The Clerk's Office also manages juries, disposal of evidence, collection of criminal fines and costs. Inquiries concerning the Court's procedures and policies and the records should be directed to the Clerk's Office, which serves as a repository for the Court's records.

Non-judicial duties include the authority to probate wills, grant administration of estates, appoint guardians, issue marriage licenses. The Clerk acts as the Register of Deeds by recording all deeds, deeds of trust, real estate liens, releases and powers of attorney.

The Clerk acts as the county archivist by maintaining records of the Court, real estate, probate and numerous other county records. Records management is an immense and critical responsibility of the Clerk's Office due to the volume and types of records.

Below is a list of online resources for Patrick County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Patrick County Court Records by clicking the link below:

• Online Databases for Court, Land and Probate Records which include: Virginia Land, Marriage, and Probate Records, 1639-1850, Virginia County Records, Volume VI, Volume VII and Volume IX
• Patrick County, Virginia Court Books at Amazon.com
• Court, Land, Wills & Financial - Court records are an often overlooked, yet very valuable tool for finding information to assist you in your research. Land records, such as deeds, allow you to tie an ancestor to a specific place at a point in time. Other court records like those dealing with finances and estates often list related family members or give interesting details like the total value of property owned by your ancestors to add interest to your family history.
• Immigration & Emigration - As our ancestors moved from one country to another, details about their lives were recorded on passenger lists and government documents. Immigration and emigration records can help you learn where your ancestors originally came from, where they went, when they left, who they traveled with, and more.

Patrick County Vital Records

See Also Vital Records in Virginia

Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information.

Vital Statistics include the official recordation of marriages, births, and deaths. Bible records, cemetery records, and church records are private sources that may supplement the official records.

A law requiring the systematic statewide recording of births and deaths was passed by the General Assembly on April 11 1853. Every commissioner of revenue registered births and deaths in his district annually and forwarded the information to the clerk of court, who then supplied the information to the state Auditor of Public Accounts. This law continued in effect until 1896. The Auditor turned the lists over to the Bureau of Vital Statistics in 1918 and the registers were later transferred to the state archives. The Library of Virginia has copies of surviving birth and death records for the period 1853 to 1896 and marriage records prior to 1936.

Virginia Department of Health, Office of Vital Records is located at The Shops at Willow Lawn, 1601 Willow Lawn Drive, Suite 275, Richmond, VA 23220; Ph: (804) 662-6200. The mailing address is VDH, Office of Vital Records, and Health Statistics, P.O. Box 1000, Richmond, Virginia, 23218-1000. They have the following records:

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• Births and Deaths: 1853-1896 and June 1912 to present. Birth cards are no longer available. Only the cities of Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk and Richmond have records between 1896 and June 14, 1912.
• Marriage Records: 1853 to the present. If the records are not available from the State office, they should be available from the Clerk of Court in county where the marriage license was issued.
• Divorce Records: 1918 to the present. If the records are not available from the State office, they should be available from the Clerk of Court in county where the marriage license was issued.
• Ordering Vital Records Online- You can also order Order Electronically Online to obtain a certified copy of a birth, marriage, death or divorce record with a credit or debit card and get the certificates within 2-5 days by ordering from VitalChek Express Certificate Service.

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Birth records are public information 100 years after the date of the event; death, marriage, and divorce records, 50 years after the event. Due to limited resources they are unable to conduct geneology searches. Contact the Library of Virginia for assistance at http://www.lva.lib.va.us/.

For all birth records, please allow 10 business days. All marriage records, death records, divorce records, non-automated birth records and documents requiring amendments, please allow a delivery time of 4 to 6 weeks. Marriage and divorce records are available at the Circuit Court in which the event took place. Recent death records are available at the local health department where the death certificate was filed. You can also Order Electronically and get the certificates within 2-5 days by ordering HERE

The fee to search for a birth, Marriage or Death certificate is $12.00, which includes one certified copy of the certificate or a "Certificate of Failure to Find." Make checks and money orders should be made payable to "State Health Department ". Please do not send cash. Credit Cards may be uses by using VitalChek services. Fees are non refundable. Additional fees are required for expedited service. Mail all Applications to:Vital Records, VDH, Office of Vital Records, and Health Statistics, P.O. Box 1000, Richmond, Virginia, 23218-1000 . You can download an application online for Birth, Death, Marriage or Divorce Certificates. You can also Order Electronically and get the certificates within 2-5 days by ordering HERE

Below is a list of online resources for Patrick County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Patrick County Vital Records by clicking the link below:

• VitalChek Express Certificate Service - Some documents are just too important to wait six weeks for. With VitalChek Express Certificate Service you won’t have to. VitalChek is the fast and convenient way to order certified government-issued vital records online. They make it easy for you to purchase the documents to which you are legally entitled. Beware of other online services that do not have relationships directly with the agencies that store your vital records. VitalChek’s order process usually takes less than 10 minutes --And you can select express courier service for even faster delivery when time is running out.
• Click Here to Search the Social Security Death Index for FREE - Search over 82 million death records and get genealogical information crucial to your family research. New content added weekly! Most comprehensive SSDI site online!
• Research Death records In The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of historical Virginia newspaper articles about deaths. Search for local articles about an old family friend that died many years ago or a celebrity that committed suicide. Historical newspapers contain a wealth of information about the deceased.
• Patrick County, Virginia Birth, Marriage & Death Books at Amazon.com
• Birth, Marriage, and Death Registers - lists of state vital statistics available on microfilm.
• Birth and Marriage (Husband-Wife) Indexes - statewide indexes beginning in 1853 on microfilm.
• County and City Records - contain local copies of vital statistics and marriage records prior to 1853 statewide recordation.
• Death Certificates, 1912-1939- microfilm index to materials available for use in The Library of Virginia only.
• Death Records Indexing Project - partially completed cooperative project with the Virginia Genealogical Society; goal is to create a statewide index to the 1853-1896 locality death registers.
• Early Virginia Marriage Records - Research Notes Number 26.
• Henley Marriage/Obituary Index to Virginia Newspapers - personal name index to more than 51,000 marriage and obituary entries published between 1736 and 1982.
• Index to Marriage Records - a searchable database indexing marriage information from a variety of sources primarily covering the 1700's and 1800's.
• Marriage Index for Richmond Enquirer/Richmond Visitor- Richmond Enquirer (1804 - 1860) and the Richmond Visitor (1809 - 1810).
• Birth, Marriage & Death - Vital records (births, deaths, marriages, and divorces) mark the milestones of our lives and are the foundation of family history research. Vital records, usually kept by a civic authority, can give you a more complete picture of your ancestor, help you distinguish between two people with the same name, and help you find links to a new generation.

Patrick County Census Records

See Also Research In Census Records & Statewide Records that exist for Virginia

Few, if any, records reveal as many details about individuals and families as do government census records. Substitute records can be used when the official census is unavailable

Countywide Records: Federal Population Schedules that exist for Patrick County, Virginia are 1810, 1820, 1830, 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1890 (fragment, see below), 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930. Other Federal Schedules to look at when researching your family tree in Patrick County, Virginia are Industry and Agriculture Schedules availible for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Slave Schedules exist for 1850 & 1860. The Mortality Schedules for the years 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880.

Below is a list of online resources for Patrick County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Patrick County Census Records by clicking the link below:

• Patrick County, Virginia Census Books at Amazon.com
• Census & Voter Lists - A census is an official list of the people in a particular area at a given time, while voter lists show those who were registered to vote in a certain area. The valuable information found on census records helps you to understand your family in their time and place. Voter Lists serve as a confirmation of residence in between the years that the census was taken.

Patrick County Maps & Atlases

See Also Research In State Map Collections

Virginia Antique Maps & Atlases has images of old American atlases during the years 1795, 1814, 1822, 1823, 1836, 1838, 1845, 1856, 1866, 1879 and 1897 for Virginia and other states.

You can view rotating animated maps for Virginia showing all the county boundaries for each census year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries. You can view a list of maps for other states at Census Maps

You can view rotating animated maps for Virginia showing all the county boundary changes for each year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries . You can view a list of maps for other states and State Department of Transportation Maps at County Maps.

Below is a list of online resources for Patrick County Maps. Email us with websites containing Patrick County Maps by clicking the link below:

• Historical Maps of Virginia
• Patrick County, Virginia Map Books at Amazon.com
• Maps, Atlases & Gazetteers - Maps are an invaluable part of family history research, especially if you live far from where your ancestor lived. Because political boundaries often changed, historic maps are critical in helping you discover the precise location of your ancestor's hometown, what land they owned, who their neighbors were, and more.

Patrick County Military Records

See Also Military Records in Virginia

Military and civil service records provide unique facts and insights into the lives of men and women who have served their country at home and abroad.

The uses and value of military records in genealogical research for ancestors who were veterans are obvious, but military records can also be important to re-searchers whose direct ancestors were not soldiers in any war. The fathers, grandfathers, brothers, and other close relatives of an ancestor may have served in a war, and their service or pension records could contain information that will assist in further identifying the family of primary interest. Due to the amount of genealogical information contained in some military pension files, they should never be overlooked during the research process. Those records not containing specific genealogical information are of historic value and should be included in any overall research design. A list of Wars fought on American. Read more detailed information on Virginia Military Records and the various wars.

Below is a list of online resources for Patrick County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Patrick County Military Records by clicking the link below:

• Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 from the State of Virginia (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M246 include muster rolls, payrolls, strength returns, and other miscellaneous personnel, pay, and supply records of American Army units, 1775-83.
• Compiled Service Records of Soldiers Who Served in the American Army During the Revolutionary War (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M881. Compiled service records of soldiers who served in the American Army during the Revolutionary War, 1775-1783 from the State of Virginia.
• Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files from the State of Virginia (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Application Files, from NARA publication M804.
• Southern Claims Commission from the State of Virginia (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents In the 1870s, southerners claimed compensation from the U.S. government for items used by the Union Army, ranging from corn and horses, to trees and church buildings.
• Organization Index to Pension Files of Veterans Who Served Between 1861 and 1900 from the State of Virginia (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Pension applications for service in the U.S. Army between 1861 and 1917, grouped according to the units in which the veterans served.
• Compiled Service Records of Confederate Soldiers Who Served in Organizations from the State of Virginia (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Compiled service records of Confederate soldiers from Virginia units, labeled with each soldier's name, rank, and unit, with links to revealing documents about each soldier.
• Case Files of Applications from Former Confederates for Presidential Pardons ("Amnesty Papers"), 1865-67 from the State of Virginia (The National Archives): NARA M1003. View, Print Copy & Save Original Applications for pardon submitted to President Andrew Johnson, 1865-67, by former Confederates excluded from earlier amnesty proclamations.
• Virginia Military Dead Database - ongoing project indexing more than 700 sources and listing approximately 32,326 Virginians who have died in service.
• Patrick County, Virginia Military Books at Amazon.com
• Military - The men and women called to serve their country in military duty are a source of pride to their families and to their nation. Now, with databases containing more than 16 million names and thousands of government records available to search, researching your veteran ancestors has become easier than ever before.

Patrick County Tax Records

See Also Research In Tax Records

Virginia's tax records are a rich—and largely untapped—resource. During the Colonial period, there were three basic forms of taxation: the quitrent, the parish levy, and the poll tax.

The quitrent was a land tax that had its roots in English manorial society where “the land obligations due the manor, such as plowing and haying the lord's land, were computed to an annual money payment. Upon payment, the obligations were `quit' for the year.” Those living south of the Rappahannock River paid a quitrent to the Crown. An original, incomplete list of land owners for the region in 1704 is in the Public Record Office in London and has been published several times, not always reliably.

Residents of the Northern Neck, between the Rappahannock and Potomac Rivers, paid quitrents to the agents of Lord Fairfax. Many original rent rolls of the Fairfax proprietary are housed at the Huntington Library in San Marino, California. Extant original rent rolls and facsimiles for Virginia are available at The Library of Virginia.

The parish levy was an annual tax paid by all tithables for support of their ministers, maintenance of the parishes' glebe lands (the parsonage and lands producing income for the parish), and support of the poor of the parish.

The poll tax, except for a brief period from 1645 to 1648, was the main source of revenue for the colony of Virginia. The annual poll tax was computed by dividing the total expenses of the colony and individual counties by the total number of tithables. The result was levied on each tithable.

Tithables were variously defined during the colonial period. The first definition, in 1624, was “every male head above sixteen years of age.” All agricultural workers were added in 1629. In 1643 all males and black females aged sixteen or over were tithables. Imported male servants of any age were added in 1649.

The definition of “tithable” was rewritten in 1658. Tithables included free males aged sixteen or over, imported blacks of either sex, imported white male servants, and Indian servants of either sex; white women employed in agriculture were added in 1662. Complaints from planters with increasing numbers of indentured servants and slaves led to a revision in 1680 that declared Virginia-born male slaves taxable at age twelve and imported male servants taxable at age fourteen; nonwhite women and free males remained taxable at age sixteen.

The laws of Virginia were revised in 1705. From then until 1782, all males and nonwhite females aged sixteen or over were tithables. Wives of free nonwhite males were added in 1723.

Virginia's tax system changed after the Revolutionary War to include taxing land and personal property in 1782, with further revision in 1787. The bulk of those tax lists prior to 1850 survive and are available on microfilm at The Library of Virginia.

Below is a list of online resources for Patrick County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Patrick County Tax Records by clicking the link below:

• Patrick County, Virginia Tax Books at Amazon.com

Patrick County Genealogical Addresses

See Also Other Virginia Genealogical Addresses

The Repositories in this section are Archives, Libraries, Museums, Genealogical and Historical Societies. Many County Historical and Genealogical Societies publish magazines and/or news letters on a monthly, quarterly, bi-annual or annual basis. Contacting the local societies should not be over looked. State Archives and Societies are usually much larger and better organized with much larger archived materials than their smaller county cousins but they can be more generalized and over look the smaller details that local societies tend to have. Libraries can also be a good place to look for local information. Some libraries have a genealogy section and may have some resources that are not located at archives or societies. Also, take a special look at any museums in the area. They sometimes have photos and items from years gone by as well as information of a genealogical interest. All these places are vitally important to the family genealogist and must not be passed over.

Below is a list of online resources for Patrick County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Patrick County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:

• Patrick County Historical Society and Museum, P.O. Box 1045, Stuart, VA 24171, (540) 694-2840, (540) 694-3895
  
• Patrick County Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 1016, Stuart, VA 24171, 276-692-5920
  They meet the 2nd Tuesday, night of each month in Stuart
• The Patrick County Library, has microfilm for Census Records, Slave Schedules,
  Mortality Schedules, The Enterprise Newspaper, and The Bull Mountain Bugle Newspaper.
• The Library of Virginia, 800 East Broad Street, Richmond, Virginia 23219-8000; 804-692-3500
• Virginia Genealogical Society, 5001 West Broad Street, Suite 115, Richmond, Virginia 23230-3023; Telephone (804) 285-8954
  Please note that because of our close proximity to the Library of Virginia and the Virginia Historical Society, the Virginia Genealogical Society does not maintain a research facility or surname material.
• Virginia Historical Society, 428 North Boulevard, Richmond, Virginia 23220, Phone: 804.358.4901
  Mail: P.O.Box 7311, 23221-0311;Hours: Monday-Saturday 10-5 / Sunday 1-5 (galleries only)
• Newspapers & Periodicals - The Newspapers & Periodicals Collection lets you discover a wealth of information about your ancestors from many historical newspapers, magazines, and other periodicals. These types of sources can often supplement public records and provide information that is not recorded anywhere else. Here, you can learn more about your ancestor's possible daily activities by placing them in the context of their time.
• Directories & Member Lists - Directories and member lists are typically compilations of information about people who belonged to various associations and groups or lived within city boundaries. They can be thought of as the predecessors to the modern-day phone book and usually list names, addresses, and sometimes the occupations of your ancestors.
• Virginia Genealogical Society Books at Amazon.com

Patrick County Church & Cemeteries

See Also Church & Cemetery Records in Virginia

Obituaries can vary in the amount of information they contain, but many of them are genealogical goldmines, including information such as names, dates, places of birth and death, marriage information, and family relationships.

There are many churches and cemeteries in Patrick County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Patrick County Tombstone Transcription Project.

Unlike New England, colonial Virginia left few early church records. The first Virginians were members of the Church of England, or Anglican church, which became the Episcopal Church in 1786. Early parish registers are incomplete and challenging to use. Parish boundaries changed rapidly and are hard to pinpoint.

Since colonial times, many religious groups have established congregations in Virginia, including Baptist, Catholic, Jewish, Lutheran, Presbyterian, and Quaker or Friends, to name a few. Except for the Quakers, few of these groups kept records containing such genealogical information as birth, marriage, and death dates. A number of church vestry books and registers have been published and are available at The Library of Virginia and the FHL.

The list of published tombstone inscriptions for Virginia, if a comprehensive list existed, would be lengthy. The DAR has compiled an extensive collection of Virginia tombstone inscriptions. The collection, along with other cemetery record publications, can be found at the DAR Library in Washington, D.C., The Library of Virginia, the Virginia Historical Society, and the FHL.

Cemetery interment registers and gravestone inscriptions may often be sources of useful information for Virginia researchers. The state government does not have a long, uninterrupted, centralized file of birth and death records that are readily accessible to researchers. Wars, floods, and fires have destroyed the vital record of many of Virginia's counties. Oftentimes, information found in cemetery records and on gravestones cannot be found anywhere else. When looking for a specific cemetery in Virginia, you may wish to start with the following comprehensive resource.

Below is a list of online resources for Patrick County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Patrick County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:

• Find Obituaries in The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of Virginia obituaries to help you research your family history. Search for a Virginia newspaper obituary about your ancestor or a celebrity. Begin your search today and find death notices and funeral announcements printed in newspapers from Virginia.
• Virginia Old Churches, Vol. 1
• Virginia Old Churches, Vol. 2
• Virginia Early Quaker Records
• The Virginia Baptist Historical Society
• L. T. Christian Funeral Home Records Database - indexes the client files contained in the forty-one cubic feet of records covering the period 1912-1986.
• J. Henry Brown Monuments Inc., Order Book - a searchable database indexing tombstone inscriptions covering the period 1899-1907. Many of the individuals listed were born before Virginia began keeping vital statistics in 1853.
• Patrick County, Virginia Cemetery Books at Amazon.com
• Patrick County, Virginia Church Books at Amazon.com

Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

 

The use of published genealogies, electronic files containing genealogical lineage, and other compiled sources can be of tremendous value to a researcher.

When view family trees online or not, be sure to only take the info at face value and always follow up with your own sources or verify the ones they provide. Below is a list of online resources for Patrick County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information . Email us with websites containing Patrick County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

• Search for Local Virginia Researchers or Earn Money by becoming a Local Virginia Researcher!
• Search 60 Years Of Everton Data : For the first time ever you can get access to more than 150,000 pedigree files and family group sheets from Evertons. Learn More
• Search the Family Tree DNA Project- Use DNA testing to break through your genealogical barriers!
• Sites on USGenweb: [ Patrick County ] [ Virginia ] [ Main Page ]
• [GenForum Message Boards] [Rootsweb Message Boards]
• Genealogy Encyclopedia: General Abbreviations, Early Illnesses, Nickname Meanings, Worldwide Epidemics, Early Occupations, Common Terms, Censuses Explained, Free Genealogical Forms
• Nichols and Related Families of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virgina.
• The Virginia Family Group Sheet Project
• Family Trees - Ancestry has thousands of family trees shared by other members. They can help you identify how ancestors are related and give you clues about birth, marriage, and death information. Family trees are an excellent resource for filling in gaps in your research or even to simply know where to begin.
• Pictures - One of the more exciting discoveries in doing family history research is finding a photograph of your ancestors or their residence. Finding historic postcard photos and drawings of towns and important events throughout history can also give you a visual look into your ancestors lives.
• Reference Materials & Finding Aids - Reference materials, including dictionaries, encyclopedias, and other how-to books, can be tremendously helpful in finding and interpreting historical documents. Many of these books can help you learn where to look for more information and how to use what you've already found to uncover more clues.
• Patrick County, Virginia Family Books at Amazon.com

Extended History

 

The territorial ancestry of Patrick County may be traced back to one of the original shires, or counties into which Virginia was divided in 1634, which was soon known as the Isle of Wight.

The Isle of Wight Shire at that time was a large territory extending from the coast, along the south side of Virginia. In1652. Surry County was formed by a division of this territory, marking the beginning of a series of divisions which resulted in the information of Lunenburg County from Brunswick in 1746; Halifax from Lunenburg in 1752; Pittsylvania from Halifax in 1776, Henry from Pittsylvania in 1776; and Patrick from Henry in 1790.

Patrick County was formed from the western half of Henry County by an act of Virginia Legislature, and officially became a separate county in 1791.

The General Assembly's act reads in part, "That from and after the first day of June next (1791) the said county of Henry shall be divided into two distinct Counties, the new county line west of the line that divides the counties of Franklin and Henry."

In November 1791 another parcel of Henry County was added to Patrick County and by an act of March 13, 1848, a small portion of Patrick County was added to Franklin County.

Most of the earlier settlers were of Scotch-Irish descent from Pennsylvania. They traveled to Patrick County through the Shenandoah Valley and passes in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Besides the pioneers from Pennsylvania, others came to the area. Most of the settlers were of English ancestry directly from Eastern Virginia, and others came from parts of North Carolina.

Some of the earliest tracts of land in the territory were secured from grants from the King of England by pioneers who came west to escape the spreading civilization along eastern region of the new country where many plantations had taken great parcels of land. A few of the land grants were obtained by non-residents for speculative purposes.

The early settlers of what is now Patrick County were pioneers and the Blue Ridge Mountains were part of their frontier. Life was harsh and travel was difficult. The few scattered roads were rutted and often impassable in the winter. Sometimes trees had to be felled to bypass existing roads and to make new ones.

Because transportation was limited the area had little access to trade goods, settlers had to make do with what they could grow or obtain from the immediate area.

Medical care also was limited and the peoples life expectancy was short on the frontier. Large families were an economic necessity to care for the farm land, the women of a child bearing age married young and often died early.

The population of the area before the first U.S. census in 1800 is unknown. Land office records in Richmond shows there were 809 land grants after the American Revolution from 1793-1867, and 162 prior to 1800.

The First U.S. census of Patrick County in 1800 reported a population of 4,331 persons. At that time the area was sparsely settled, having approximately 8 persons per square mile.

In 1860 a population decrease occurred in Patrick County due to changes in boundary line between Patrick and Henry countries when approximately 34 square miles were annexed to Henry County.

In 1910 the population was 17,195 persons. During the Depression years when people moved in search of employment from 1920-1930 the county lost 1,063 persons from the census.

The area comprising Patrick County was part of Henry County at the beginning of the Revolutionary War, so many men participated in the war and later became distinguished citizens of Patrick County.

Col. Abraham Penn of the Continental Army was commissioned to raise a company from the territory which now includes Franklin, Henry and Patrick Counties. Included in this militia were platoons from the Patrick territory led by Hamon Critz, George Hairston, and John Reutfro. This company was the only organized militia to leave the territory.

The Revolutionary War was a temporary setback to the settlement of the new territory, but the population increase after the war gave rise to the creation of the new county in 1791.

A building was erected on the present site of the courthouse in Stuart on land formerly owned by Same Staples and was used until 1821, when the present building was constructed. The first justices of the peace were Col. Abraham Penn, James Lyon, Jonathan Hanby, Daniel Caslin, Samuel Dark, William Carter, Stephen Lyon, J.L Armstrong, Frances Turner, William Banks and Charles S. Foster.

Any three justices of the peace in joint session could hold court. The first court elected Samuel Staples as clerk and John Cox as deputy clerk.

At the same session, William Mitchell brought forward a commission from the Governor appointing him Sheriff. Thomas Mitchell was appointed deputy.

In 1808, an act was passed dividing the state into 12 judicial districts. The district court established to serve Patrick County was in New Lon-don in Bedford County.

The first superior court for Patrick County was held on Oct. 6, 1809 with Judge Paul Carrington presiding.

After the American Revolution, agriculture made steady progress. The Patrick County farm land varied from steep slopes to rich bottom land, and early planters used oxen and mules as well as horses to plow it.

Tobacco became the most important agricultural product and since Lynchburg and Danville were the nearest markets, citizens began to process their own leaf. The largest portion of tobacco was grown or processed by the Reynolds Plant and Penn Co. Hardin W. Reynolds and his sons operated the Reynolds Plants located in Critz. The Reynolds Plant is now known as R.J Reynolds Tobacco Co. located in Winston Salem NC, and Penn Co. became the American Tobacco Company.

In 1834 the town of Taylorsville contained the County buildings, 40 houses, 2 mercantile stores, 3 taverns, a tannery, a saddlery, a tailor, a flour mill and 2 tobacco factories. In 1834, John A. Hairston began to erecting an iron ore furnace which was used to smelt ore from the Fayerdale Mines during the Civil War, but it was later destroyed by Union Forces.

Next to tobacco, corn was the most important cash crop in the 1800's including corn by the gallon rather than the peck. Beans and fruit also were valuable commodities with apples foremost among the fruit.

Patrick County was not a large slave area because the smaller farms of the mountain communities did not lend themselves to vast slave labor. According to the U.S. Census, there were only slightly more than 2,000 slaves in Patrick Co. in 1860.

When Virginia joined the Confederacy the County sent over 600 men into the conflict in organized units. Seven companies were organized from Patrick and sent into the war. And there were individuals who joined the Confederacy that were not in organized units.

Those who remained at home during the Civil War suffered hardships not related to the loss of the men of the family. The County's economic conditions worsened due to the war and the ordinary necessities of life were scarce. Salt and sugar were practically nonexistent.

Conditions after the Civil War were not much better, but improvements in transportation were noted. Wagon roads were extended, and in 1884 the Danville and New River Railroad Co. constructed a line into the County seat from Martinsville.

The Danville and New River Railroad Co. was incorporated on March 29, 1873 to locate and construct a narrow gauge railroad from Danville via Martinsville, Patrick Court House and Hillsville in Carroll County to some point on the Atlantic, Mississippi and Ohio Railroad east of Christiansburg.

In 1883 the railroad negotiated with the county and reached an agreement whereby the company would construct the line if the County helped finance it's construction. The county issues bonds for $150,000 which were turned over to the railroad to aid in the cost of constructing the railroad to Stuart.

Actual construction of the railroad began December 9, 1879 when the company began to lay tracks from Danville to Martinsville. In the fall 1884 the railroad was completed to Patrick County Courthouse.

The first hard surface road in Patrick County was laid in 1925 from Stuart to Martinsville which helped shift the economic demographics from agriculture to manufacturing basis. Several of the factories that were once here are no longer in business including Pannill Knitting Co. which began operations in Stuart in 1937 when it took over the Stuart Knitting Co., Bassett Walker Knitting Co. which began operations in 1964 and closed in 1998.