Highland County, Virginia Genealogy

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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.


Highland County, Virginia
Map
Boundary map of Highland County, Virginia
Map of Virginia highlighting Highland County
Location in the state of Virginia
Map of the U.S. highlighting Virginia
Location of Virginia in the U.S.
Facts
Founded 1847
County Seat Monterey
Courthouse
VirginiaHighlandCourthouse.jpg


County Information[edit | edit source]

Description[edit | edit source]

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[1].

Highland County, Virginia Courthouse[edit | edit source]

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[2]

Known Beginning Dates for Major County Records[3]
Birth* Marriage Death* Court Land Probate Census
1850 1850 1853 1937 1850 1860 1810
Statewide registration for births and deaths began in 1912.
General compliance year is unknown.

Highland County, Virginia History[edit | edit source]

The county takes its name from its elevation in the Appalachian Mountains.

Parent County[edit | edit source]

1847--Highland County was created 19 March 1847 from Bath and Pendleton Counties.
County seat: Monterey [4]

Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]

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[edit | edit source]

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

  • Lost census: 1890

Highland County, Virginia Places/Localities[edit | edit source]

Populated Places[edit | edit source]

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:[5]

Towns
Unincorporated communities


Highland County, Virginia Genealogy Resources[edit | edit source]

Research Guides[edit | edit source]

Bible Records[edit | edit source]

Images of the Virginia Historical Society's family Bible collection have been digitized:


Cemeteries[edit | edit source]

Tombstone Transcriptions Online Tombstone Transcriptions in Print List of Cemeteries in the county
Findagrave.com Family History Library Findagrave.com
VAGenWeb WorldCat Billion Graves
VAGenWeb Archives
Tombstone Project
Virginia Gravestones
Billion Graves
See Virginia Cemeteries for more information.

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

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

Census[edit | edit source]

Historical populations
Census Pop. %±
1850 4,227 —
1860 4,319 2.2%
1870 4,151 −3.9%
1880 5,164 24.4%
1890 5,352 3.6%
1900 5,647 5.5%
1910 5,317 −5.8%
1920 4,931 −7.3%
1930 4,525 −8.2%
1940 4,875 7.7%
1950 4,069 −16.5%
1960 3,221 −20.8%
1970 2,529 −21.5%
1980 2,937 16.1%
1990 2,635 −10.3%
2000 2,536 −3.8%
2010 2,321 −8.5%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

1890 Union Veterans

Church Records[edit | edit source]

Court[edit | edit source]

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[edit | edit source]

Genealogy[edit | edit source]

Compiled Genealogies by Surname

Land and Property[edit | edit source]

An early settlers map is available for Highland County. Cambelt plots the locations of pioneers' farms. The Family History Library has a copy: FHL Map 975.589 E7c (2 parts).

Local Histories[edit | edit source]

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

Maps[edit | edit source]

County and state maps, historical and more current, are valuable research tools. For map collections, online and in libraries, see Virginia Maps.

Augusta CountyBath CountyPocahontas CountyPendleton CountyVA HIGHLAND.PNG
Click a neighboring county
for more resources

Military[edit | edit source]

War of 1812[edit | edit source]
Civil War[edit | edit source]

Regiments. Service men in Highland County, Virginia Genealogy 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 Highland County, Virginia Genealogy:


- 14th Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Confederate). Company A (White's Mounted Riflemen), Company C (Valley Cavalry or Rangers).[6]
- 18th Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Confederate). Company G.[7]
- 25th Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Heck's) (Confederate). Company D (Highland Rangers).[8]
- 26th Regiment, Virginia Cavalry (Confederate). Company E.[9]
- 31st Regiment, Virginia Infantry (Confederate). Future 2nd Company B (The Highlanders) and Company E (Highland County Highlanders).[10]
- 62nd Regiment, Virginia Mounted Infantry (Confederate). Company A (Valley Rifles).[11]
Civil War Battle[edit | edit source]

The following Civil War battle was fought in Highland County:

  • May 8, 1862 = McDowell, also known as Sitlington’s Hill[12]
Maps of Civil War battles in Virginia: 1861, 1862, 1863, 1864, 1865

Miscellaneous Records[edit | edit source]

Newspapers[edit | edit source]

The Virginia Newspapers Project identifies local Highland County, Virginia Genealogy newspapers.

Online Newspapers

Probate Records[edit | edit source]

Taxation[edit | edit source]

Vital Records[edit | edit source]

Indexes to Highland County, Virginia Genealogy births, marriages, and deaths are available online. These collections are incomplete, but are easy to search. Most records can also be ordered electronically online as well. Courtesy: FamilySearch. See also How to order Virginia Vital Records

Birth[edit | edit source]
  • 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 C868770 at FamilySearch - free.[13]
Marriage[edit | edit source]
Divorce[edit | edit source]
Death[edit | edit source]
Vital Record Substitutes[edit | edit source]
Tip
 For birth, marriage, and death record substitutes, see Bible Records, Cemeteries, Church Records, Newspapers, and Probate Records.

Highland County, Virginia Genealogy Societies and Libraries[edit | edit source]

Family History Centers[edit | edit source]

Family History Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local Family History Centers or Affiliate Libraries

  • Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
  • FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a family history center.

Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries

Highland County, Virginia Genealogy Websites[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ http://www.highlandcova.org/aboutus.html
  2. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Higland County, Virginia. Page 715 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
  3. ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Highland County, Virginia . Page 710-723 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002; Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Third ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004), 715-720.
  4. ↑ The Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America,10th ed. (Draper, UT:Everton Publishers, 2002).
  5. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Highland _ County,_Virginia," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia,https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highland_County,_Virginia#Communities accessed 20 January 2020.
  6. ↑ Robert J. Driver, 14th Virginia Cavalry (Lynchburg, Va.: H.E. Howard, c1988). FHL Book 975.5 M2vr v. 47.
  7. ↑ Roger U. Delauter, 18th Virginia Cavalry (Lynchburg, Va.: H.E. Howard, 1985). FHL Book 975.5 M2vr v. 18.
  8. ↑ Richard L. Armstrong, 25th Virginia Infantry and 9th Battalion Virginia Infantry (Lynchburg, Va.: H.E. Howard, 1990). FHL Book 975.5 M2vr v. 71.
  9. ↑ Richard L. Armstrong, 26th Virginia Cavalry (Lynchburg, Va.: H.E. Howard, 1994). FHL Book 975.5 M2vr v. 110.
  10. ↑ John M. Ashcraft, 31st Virginia Infantry (Lynchburg, Va.: H.E. Howard, 1988). FHL Book 975.5 M2vr v. 48.
  11. ↑ Roger U. Delauter, 62nd Virginia Infantry (Lynchburg, Va.: H.E. Howard, 1988). FHL Book 975.5 M2vr v. 41.
  12. ↑ Heritage Preservation Services, Civil War Battle Summaries by State, (accessed 2 August 2012).
  13. ↑ Genealogical Society of Utah, Parish and Vital Records List (July 1998). Microfiche. Digital version at https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/images/3/37/Igivirginia.pdf.
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