Archives for Virginia
Early History of Snowville by Louise B. Allison
(Transcribed by Rhonda F. Smith 9/2000) DOWNLOAD scan of Early History of Snowville by Louise Allison PDF This appeared in the Pulaski County Genealogy Club newsletter in October 2000 In order to obtain materials relative to the founding and early development of Snowville, a survey of the community was made. In addition, letters were written to relatives of one-time Snowville residents to secure information about its early days, its residents and industrial enterprises. Various…
George Wade Thornton
George Wade Thornton was my great grandfather Nonie’s brother. Wade (as he was called for most of life) was a little more nebulous than some of the other ;His father’s obituary in 1941 mentioned Wade living in Marion, West Virginia and I didn’t think anything of it - until I examined the 1940 census. I was startled to see he was listed as an inmate at Southwestern Mental Hospital. I was able to obtain Wade’s…
Graham-Thornton Cemetery
In 2016 I visited the graves of my great great grandparents GJ Thornton and Maggie Boothe. They are buried in the Graham-Thornton Cemetery near Snowville in Pulaski County, ; The Graham-Thornton Cemetery has 32 identified burials between 1912 to 1979 spanning 4 generations of Grahams and ;All but one buried here are directly related to both the Thorntons and Grahams by blood or marriage. The Thorntons descend from GJ Thornton and Maggie Boothe. The Grahams…
Snowville, Virginia by Aida Carter
I found this short description written in 1937 of Snowville, Virginia online at the Library of Virginia. It does draw from Hundley's Historical Sketch (see below for link) as well as several others. Download PDF
Historical Sketch of Snowville, Virginia by WR Hundley
I discovered this original typed manuscript in the Radford, VA library. It is a delightful memoir of a lost time and place by a former resident of Snowville in the Appalachian mountains of southwest Virginia written in 1931. My ancestors lived there during this time. Cousin Mark Francis gave me a nice tour of the Snowville area a few weeks ago (2016), and even though the town is only a few buildings now, the area…
Mr. Goad sent his photo to Bessie Sutphin
Around 1910, a young man dressed up in his best suit and bowler hat and had his photo taken. He sent it to Miss Bessie Sutphin in East Radford, ; The back had a message scrawled and signed by a D. Goad: “Please don't leave home when you see my photo haha. I have tried every day to get these and just got them yesterday. Will ans soon from your D. Goad” 110 years later…
Earthquake in SW Virginia
Earthquakes are actually common in Virginia. Here's one that would affected my Thornton ancestors in Pulaski County: May 3, 1897. Centered at Radford, where a few chimneys were wrecked and plaster fell from walls, and chimneys were damaged at nearby Pulaski and Roanoke. Felt in most of southwest Virginia and as far south as Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Estimated magnitude This was a prelude to The Big One. ((Division of Geology and Mineral Resources -…
Snowville by Rev. James T. Taylor
by Rev. James T. Taylor (ca 1912) About a hundred years ago , a village called Snowville on Little River, Pulaski County, Va. miles south of Radford, was started. This village was called "The Foundry" at first, with the post office named Humility. In those days there were no postage stamps nor envelopes; the letters were folded up, a small quantity of sealing wax held them together; the money, ten cents, was paid to the…
Thornton DNA Update
For years, many people (including me) have assumed our Thorntons descended from William "the immigrant" or Luke (spoiler alert - we aren't). William and Luke immigrated from England in the 1600s and settled in Virginia. Their descendants were connected to some famous names - George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and others out of America’s history book. They owned huge plantations, and had many children. It made sense that these Thorntons were our ancestors - the time,…
The kidnapping of Stillman Snow, Snowville, VA
He was laboring to prevent the sudden discovery that he was the lost child Written by Dr. Chester Bullard about his brother, Stillman, and published in a newspaper about 1890, according to “Early History of Snowville ,” by Louise B. Allison, 1958 Stillman was the son of Asiel Snow and Elizabeth Bullard Two strokes of paralysis convinced me that I am on the borderland, I feel it my duty before my voice is hushed upon…