Announcements

For a limited time, The Heritage of Wise County and The City of Norton Vol.2 will be on sale for the price of  $35.00 plus $8.00 postage.

This wonderful book will make someone a nice Christmas present.

If you liked The Heritage of Wise County and The City of Norton, Volume I, You will LOVE Volume II. More History, more photos, more folklore, full of surprises! This book is a MUST for Wise County researchers, or if you have ties with Wise County whatsoever. It will intrigue you with its many stories of Wise County’s early days, its towns, communities and people who made it all happen. 1133 pages,  Regular Price: $65.00.   For a limited time $35.00 plus $8.00 p&p.

This book is a collector’s item and will be an heirloom one day. Contains 1133 pages, numerous photos, 9 x 12, hardbound, forest green with gold trim.
A MUST if you have roots in Wise County or the surrounding area.

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The Slemp Foundation has awarded the Lonesome Pine Office on Youth a $25,000 grant for a pictorial history of Wise County’s old one/two room school. All people with an interest in history — or knowledge of old schools — are welcome to participate in the project. The next committee meeting is slated for 6 p.m. Nov. 2. The committee hopes to have the book out by next spring.

There are schools for which no photos have been found so far. People with any information or photos from schools such as Coonseye, Darries, Maning, Bull Hill, Bull Run, Dale Ridge, Vicco, Bean Gap, Stormy Gap, Blair, Stoney Lonesome, Cincinnati, Banner, Dale Ridge, Herald and Virginia City are especially urged to share with the committee.

Please call Paul Kuczko at 276-523-5064 or email at info@lpoy.org if you have information.

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Check out the New Books added to our Bookstore

More books are being added to the Bookstore daily

New Books have been added to all categories.

Click on the thumbnails to see the bookcovers.

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Many of our members have requested suggestions on how to do genealogical research in Virginia records. The following is an attempt to list the highlights of records that are available throughout Virginia.

Individuals using Virginia records are very fortunate, as few of the records dealing with Virginia citizens have been lost due to fire or other catastrophes. The majority of the records in the courthouses of all the 99 Virginia counties are virtually intact.

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I Will Not Stay

I will not stay

Beneath a sun-baked mound,

Though you should plant me deep;

And tuck the dust and roses

’round my chin

For that long final sleep.

I’ll shed the flesh and bones

From off my soul

Where so long they have clung;

And Iwill be

a million clouds away

Ere the last hymn is sung.

Beloved, do not weep;

nor let one tear

Fall down to touch the roses

on the sod,

For I’ll be strolling

Through a lovely garden,

Hand in hand with God.

By Dorothy Hall Witt

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It is with much sadness and regret that we at Wise County Historical Society bring you this sad news.

Our beloved member and friend, Dorothy Hall Witt and first President of the Historical Society has passed away on January 2, 2011.  She was not only  a member of our Historical Society, but our friend as well, and will be sadly missed.

We, the members of the Wise County Historical Society, would like to take this opportunity to offer a tribute to our first president, Dorothy Hall Witt. Without  her foresight and perseverance the Historical Society of Wise County would not exist today.

Dorothy Hall Witt our distinguished first president and charter member of the    Wise County Historical Society was instrumental in  the compiling and publishing  of The Heritage of Wise County and The City of Norton, Volume 1 and 2, among  other publications.

She was also instrumental in the establishing of the Wise County Historical Society. She served as the President of the Historical  Society the first years of its establishment.

While helping on the Lee County Book Committee in the creating of the Bicentennial History of Lee County Virginia published in 1991, Dorothy felt the need for the same in Wise County, and was instrumental in forming a group of Wise County historians who published their own Heritage of Wise County and the City of Norton Volume 1 in 1993. She was Chairman of the Book Committee and was elected President of the Wise County Historical Society when it was organized.

For the past 8 years Dorothy has served as recording secretary for the Wise County Historical Society and has worked a day or two a week at the office in the courthouse. She also is the editor of the Aging Gracefully segment of the Appalachian Quarterly published by Wise County Historical Society. She along with her friend and co-worker, Wanda Rose traveled over the county working on volume 1 of Wise County and the City of Norton, and installing lifelines for disabled and the elderly, she became interested in interviewing older people, which was the birth of Aging Gracefully in Appalachia.

Dorothy’s heritage is completely Appalachian as her father was a native of Lee County and her mother was a native of Russell County. Dorothy was born in Norton, grew up in Powell Valley, graduated from East Stone Gap High School, lived in Coeburn for twenty years and has lived in Wise for the past 33 years. She completed several courses at Clinch Valley College in English, Creative writing and Appalachian culture.

Dorothy worked for 14 years for the Department of Social Services, then worked as a medical transcriptionist and secretary at Wise Appalachian Regional Hospital for 19 years, retiring in 1989 to travel and pursue all the volunteer activities in which she was interested.

She has two sons, Hal Addington of Pinckney, Michigan, and Tim Addington of Atlanta, Georgia, and one grand-daughter, April Addington, a sophomore at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. Dorothy is married to Harold Witt and they reside in Wise.

Dorothy is a dedicated member, wife, mother, and grandmother. She is good company and has a great sense of humor.

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The Petition of the undersigned citizens of Russell County, respectfully represents that you petitioners labour under great disadvantages and inconvenience in relation to the exercise of the right of Suffrate; that they or most of them live a considerable distance from any place of holding an election; in fact many of them live between thirty and forty miles from any place where an election is held, and cannot exercise rights conferred on them by the Constitution of our State from the facts as above stated, and from others that might be given. The Prayer of your petitioners is that at the Home of William Robertson Esq. at a place called the Pound Fork of Sandy River in the County of Russell and as in duty bound your petitioners will ever pray, etc.

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Interesting things you’ll find in Southwest Virginia

Details on how to find each is included in “Southwest Virginia Crossroads,” a new guide and history book by Joe Tennis

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Wise County Historical Society will have their annual Christmas dinner at The Tavern On Maine, December 4th at 1:00 PM.

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David Chaltas will present a program on Robert E. Lee at the Wise Library, at 1:00 pm, Saturday, November 13. Free to the public.

David Chaltas as General Robert E. Lee

David Chaltas brought a wonderful performance of General E. Lee November 13, at Wise County Public Library.

David is a nationally recognized living historian and educator. He won the coveted 2001 Teacher of the Year by the KY council of children with Behavorial Disorders, being the 1st. recipient in the state of Kentucky. He is a sought after speaker nationally and has written several books including The Legend and Legacy of Lee, Poetry of the Civil War, and The Fading of the Grey plus several more.  The Historical Society has some of his books for sale.

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