I have yet to see the movie "October Sky" which was filmed about 10 miles from my home. But I did observe the premier showing in Knoxville. The boy starring in the movie was like a young Tom Cruise entering the theater, with all the young girls waiting behind the ropes for him to sign their autograph books. He kissed one of the girls. I just imagined how I would have felt if I had been a teenager, getting to experience the fame of a local boy. Who knows! Maybe he will be our next Tom Cruise. After reading Robert Crabtree's emotional story of the mine explosion in Amonate, WVA, it seemed appropriate that I tell this story. Some of you may remember a movie starring James Earl Jones called "Matewan", 1987. It was a story about the coal mines in WVA during the 1920s. Shortly after the movie came out, my son Greg was going through a small town in WVA. Driving past an antique shop, he looked in his rearview mirror and spotted a tall vertical sign on the porch of the shop. It caught his eye because the name on the sign said "Estep Hotel" (my maiden name). He backed up his car and entered the shop to inquire about the sign which appeared to be very old and weather worn. The shop owner said the sign was not old. It had been made by a New York artist especially for the movie "Matewan." My son paid $50 for the sign, and it has since been a focal point in his home in Indiana. Obviously, there was an Estep Hotel in the town during the 1920s, but he never learned anything about it. Does anyone recall the Estep Hotel, who owned it, or recall anything about Matewan (what does the name mean)? Pat O'Neal

I have the book, The Genealogy of the Musick Family and Some Kindred Lines by Egbert S. Musick, Wytheville, VA 1978, First Edition I will be glad to do look ups in this book for anyone, but I really need more info than has been provided. Dates, places are really welcome. There are at least 8 Ephraim Musicks and many more Elizabeth Musicks in case Elizabeth was a Musick before marriage. Here is a story from a separate source on my 3rd great grandfather James Musick b. 1806, NC m. Mariah Shell in TN (in the part that would have been SW_VA today), that I hope you all will enjoy. Nancy S Excerpt from the Mountain Chronicle: March 1983 The Kaintuck Wagon Road and the trails through Cumberland and Pound gaps were well-defined highroads when James Musick decided to move his family from the vicinity of Washington County, Virginia to Floyd County, Ky.(Washington County was divided over a period of time into Russell, Smythe, Lee, Scott, Buchannan, Wise and Dickenson counties - it is not clear what part was the location of this family.) However the journey was made, by wagon or horseback, it must have been a weary trek for the forty-year-old wife and nine children, ranging from the twenty-two year old daughter to the year-old baby son; yet come they did around 1849 or 50. We can imagine that their journey was made easier by the hospitality of the occasional cabin along the way where they may have received food and shelter. But the people back then were used to depending upon themselves; therefore, likely the Musicks had set out well-prepared for the trip. (This name is found on all records spelled Musick , but descendants have dropped the final -k from the name.) James Musick had been born in North Carolina around the year 1806.Since the push of the population was westward, James Musick emigrated into south-western Virginia. Here, in this area, he was married to Mariah Shell. Some transcribers give her name Martha, obviously an error. Mariah (pronounced then Mariar) was born in Tennessee around 1810. Their first child was born in Tennessee around 1828 - Mary A. The next eight children were born in Washington County, Virginia ; two others after their arrival in Kentucky. Besides Mary A., these children were John-b. 1832; Andrew-b.circa 1834; Abraham-b.ca. 1836; a daughter Ferby (Phoebe)-b.1839; Archibald-b.ca. 1841; Newton-b.ca.1844; Louisa-b.ca. 1845; and Milton, the last of the children born in Virginia,b.ca. 1848. After the arrival of the family in Kentucky, another daughter and son were born-Emmaline-b. 1852, and James K. -b. 1857 Abraham wed Batha (Rachael) Collins on July 3,1857. To the census taker James Musick gave as his occupation "Blacksmith." It seems that all the men in the Musick family were skillful at such tasks as smithing, milling, stonemasonry, carpentry. James Musick was said to something of a gunsmith and was supposed to have kept the best gun in the community. In order to raise a little money, one practice of the time was that a man would sell a set number of chances on a beef and then "rifle off" the beef with a shooting match. All chances were sold prior to the day the match was to be held. Each chance or shot sold for perhaps twenty-five cents and was for one quarter of the animal. The first round of the shooting was for the choice of the quarters of the beef; the second round for the second choice and so on until the entire animal was accounted for. If a man had paid for several chances, and after the first round of shooting he saw that he had been beaten, he could then use another of his shots to try again to win or he could wait and try for the next quarter coming up. Jim Musick's gun was always on loan to some of the neighbors unless he or some of his sons were involved in the shooting match. James Musick walked with a slight limp which in no way seemed to hinder him. He was known to strip up his britches legs and show horribly scarred calves and thighs on either leg. This is the story James Musick told: While living in Virginia he often hunted with a companion. One day in early winter while in the woods, they approached a cliff, and in a crevice in the rock they noticed hair where an animal had rubbed against the sides of the walls. Examining it closely, Jim said, "Bear! He's holed up in there, sleepin' the sleep of the jest! I'll get 'im!" Taking his gun, Jim ventured into the crack in the rock and after a few feet discovered he was entering a cave. Feeling around in the dark, he touched the sleeping animal. Scratching and rubbing its flank, Jim worked his way to the animal's head. The bear merely gave a grunting sound and barely seemed to be breathing. But suddenly, Jim encountered the head of a second bear! Returning to the outside, Jim explained the situation to his companion. "Thar's two uv'em. Now we'll both crawl in. I'll take one head and you take t'other. We'll set our gun muzzles in their yers an' I'll say, 'Ready? Fire!' an' at 'Fire!' we'll both shoot at the same time an' git 'em both. There's no danger. Jest scratch yourn along the flank and rub 'im around the yer a little, an' he'll jist sleep right on." The other hunter agreed to the plan. Into the crevice of the rock they crawled, Jim Musick in the lead. As agreed, one took the one on the right t'other on the left. By touch , Jim located his bear and set the muzzle of his gun in place. "You found his yer?" he asked in a low voice. "Yeah," the other hunter answered. "A'right, set yer muzzle." She's sot," came the reply. "Ready?" "Yeah." "Fire! " and Musick squeezed off a shot that in the confines of the cave was deafening, but not so much that he failed to realize that no second shot had sounded. All in one instant of time, he saw his "Chickened out" (author's expression) companion darken the hole as he scrambled for the outside and sensed the coming to life of the bear whose winter's sleep was not so profound as to ignore what had taken place. James Musick was a large man, tall and powerful of muscle. The bear seized him just as he entered the slit. Musick told: "I'd reach jist as fer as I could and dig my fingers in an' pull myself. I felt 'im strip off my huntin' britches an' knowed my laigs was bein' tore to pieces, but I kep' a-reachin' an' a-pullin'. The crack was so nar' he never could get a hug around my laigs nor reach me with his teeth to do no good. Ever' time I'd pull, I'd feel his claws grit bone. When I busted out into the daylight, I'd broke 'is holt. The first thing my eyes lit on was the gun that feller had drapped when he left the hole. I grabbed it an' got off a shot before that bear got use' to the light in his eyes. That was the last I remembered fer awhile." Meanwhile the other hunter returned to the settlement and told the people that a bear had killed Jim Musick. A party went out and found the mangled man and the dead bear . Not knowing the full story, they were astonished when Jim begged for a loaded gun to take a whack at the fellow he had been hunting with. He urged the men to go into the cave and get the second bear and his gun, but the sight of Jim's wounds was deterent enough and no one would venture in. The dead bear and the wounded man were dealt with according to the practices of the time- the bear was skinned and Jim carried back to his own cabin for Mariah to doctor as well as she knew how. Eventually, soaked with the grease of the bear and "wropped" with strips of the bearskin, Jim's legs responded to Mariah's treatment. Jim got able to stir about, still swearing vengeance against the man who had deserted him. Spring came. "With the help of one of his sons, Jim made his way back to the cave, crawled in, and retrieved his rifle. The carcass of the bear was too far gone to salvage. Jim said that the months in the cave had ruined the rifle and that he traded it off, but since wished he'd kept it. As for his threat against the other fellow, Musick said: "When I seed the spring come ag'in an' ever'thing a-gittin' green an' new after that awful winter, an' I could crawl outside an' git me a place in the sun an' watch them big white-billed peckerwoods a-maulin' on the dead trees out in the clearin', an' hear squirrels ever' now an' then 'Whee' over in the cove, then I was so glad jist to be alive that I said, 'God hates a coward! An' if God hates 'im, why ort I to' - but - I'd druther never lay eyes on 'im! Another friend said, "You've learnt yer lesson, ain't ye, Jim? Ye'll never go in after another denned-up bear, will ye?" Musick glowered from under shaggy eyebrows, "Yes, by darn', I will! But never with no other dam' feller to foul me up, I won't!" James Musick settled in the head of Greasy Creek in Johnson County, at one time owning the whole area of the Bear Branch besides other land. By the year 1900, all of the offspring of James and Mariah Shell Musick had moved to other areas with the exception of their sons Newton, and Milton, who evidently fell heir to the holdings of their father. Supposedly some of the Musick descendants were allied with the Hatfield and McCoys. 1880 Census of Johnson County, KY Name Age Occupation Birthplace James Musick 73 Farmer N.C. Mariah 72 wife Tenn. Polly Waller 50 dau. Tenn.- N.C. Dru Waller grand dau. KY. VA. TENN. Green Waller grand dau. KY James Waller grand son KY

Tammy, Saw your post on the SW_VA list. I, too, research Belchers. I believe they are of Melungeon descent. Pls get in touch with me and lets compare our families. nmorri3924@aol.com Nancy S

------- Forwarded Message Follows ------- Date sent: Wed, 17 Mar 1999 00:15:12 -0500 From: Peggy Short <lpshort@netscope.net> To: "Edgar A. Howard" <swvaroot@swva.net> Subject: Re: (Fwd) Belcher Family Looked in TAZEWELL COUNTY HERITAGE VOL.1 - Moses Belcher, Tobias Albert Belcher, and Clarence Leslie Belcher but none seem to tie into yours. Peggy Edgar A. Howard wrote: > - > Subject: Belcher Family > > I am research my mother's family (Belcher). My grandfather was James Wesley > Belcher and my grandmother was Anna K. Belcher. Their children were: > Margaret, Louise, Dorothy, Dorcas, Patsy, Mary, Ruth, Kyle, Billy, Bobby, > Harold and James. I know that my family lived in Jewell Ridge and my > grandfather was a coal miner. Any information would be GREATLY appreciated. > There is only 4 members of the family left and I haven't been too successful > getting information from them - except my Aunt Patsy who lives in Pounding > Mill (Paint Lick). > > Thanks, > > Tammy > "Toto, I don't think we are in NH any more."

Hi Sue, Guess you realize what you started here...this will be hysterical... Anybody ever here the expression "Ole Mike's Liver"... well when my grandfather was a boy he boarded with an old women. This old women had an old bull named MIke...well she killed old Mike and served him up to her boarders..and being a frugal old women she served whatever she had and then reserved it until it was all gone..well one evening her boarders sat down to dinner..one boarder looks to the other boarder and says " You know there's three things that last forever, Hell , Heaven and Ole MIke's Liver" <g> And just out of curiosity does anyone know if the Cemeteries in Tazewell Co., Va. have been recorded in book form.. such as a project by their Genealogical Society...I know alot of counties have been working on such projects..I helped out here in our county... it took about 4 or 5 years to totally complete the project but it was well worth the effort...and I'd like to give a BIG thank you to those who are looking up their ancestors and take the time to do the complete cemetery and pass it on to others...I think most of us realize what a help that is when your not able to visit an area yourself..I was assuming the ones that are listed were done this way...and not as a total project..but we all know what happens when we "assume" something... Stayed tuned for "Good Morning, This Morning...." Pam Researching the following surnames: BURKE, CARTER, PATRICK, WINGO, McGRADY, WIMBERLEY, WITT/WHITT, HENSLEY, ROBERTSON.

Peggy, you did it again. Great information. I was wondering if you have any information on the mine explosion at Amonate in about 1957/8? I was working for the Maytag Place in Richlands at the time and I had a call to go repair a refrigeration unit in the War, WV Company Store. It was early one morning before day break and I had to drive through Amonate. As I passed the road leading up to the mine, I saw this bonfire built in a barrel and all these people were standing around it in the forks of the road. I will never forget the sight of the expressions of those people's face. I am a photographer and sometimes artist and the picture of this scene in my memory still haunts me. I just wish I had the ability to accurately reproduce it with the feeling those people must have possessed that morning. I had no idea what the problem was but knew it was grave. I stopped at a little store/restaurant just outside Amonate and there was a lot of cars and activity there. I went in for a cup of coffee and this man in a suit, a reporter, was talking to a miner. The miner said that "my buddy, standing next to me was blown in two". He then broke down completely and said that he had nothing else to say. I then found out that there had been an explosion and that person talking had been standing just around a corner but his buddy was caught the blast. The anguish those people were going through matches any thing I have seen during two tours of service in Viet Nam. I have researched the coal mines and mine disaster sites and can not find out anything on that explosion. The best of my memory, which isn't much any more, has it that about 27 died. And I believe there was a song produced about it. Coal mining in that part of SW VA is so much a part of our history. I have a friend that sent me a video that he had taken throughout McDowell County that vividly illustrates the deplorable condition of that area appropriately titled, "After The Coal Mines Closed". It is good to see that the movie "October Sky" just out is doing wonders to revive interest in that area. The producers had a special preview of the film for people of McDowell County which had to be shown in Bluefield, WV because McDowell County has no theaters. This area was all SW VA until the late 1800s and is very much a part of our heritage. Robert Crabtree

I'm trying to find out info about my ggggrandfathers and ggggrandmothers. They were Ephram and Elizabeth Musick AND Henry and Susan Powers. The Musicks, I believe, were from Russell County and the Powers were from Washington County. My gggrandfather was Thomas Jefferson Musick (son of Ephram and Elizabeth) and gggrandmother was Mary Catherine Powers (daughter of Henry and Susan). Thomas and Mary Catherine (Kate) were married 4/4/1864. Any info you can provide on the two families would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Jeff Musick Primarily researching my MUSICK ancestory. Beginning to work some of the other families of POWERS and HENRY.

Pat Oneal wrote: 8. "Absquatulate", (I have no idea what that means!!) One of our old Webster International Dictionaries says this means "to squat" as in "No, you take the chair, I'll absquatulate." Frieda

The one bright spot to being downed by the flu was the opportunity to read this book. I will attempt a brief review as I feel it is one this list would definitely enjoy. For more reviews, check out Amazon.com. "Cold Mountain" by Charles Frazier The author's first novel is based on stories passed down from his great grandfather. The time is near the end of the Civil War, and the setting is Tennessee and North Carolina. It is two stories running parallel and meeting at the end. It starts with the story of Inman, a wounded Confederate, who decides to walk home to Cold Mountain to claim his true love. The chapters alternate between Inman's journey including adventures with Home Guards, gypsies, deserters, wild animals and other perils and the story of Ada, his love. Ada was a naive Charleston lass whose minister father had brought her to Cold Mountain and shortly thereafter died. She was alone on the isolated farm with no survival skills. They had always purchased what they needed, but the War had reduced her father's investments to a trickle. She was starving on tomato and cucumbers when a homeless woman appears. Their story is just as fascinating as Inman's. The book has won a national writers award, but I can't remember which one. I was reading a loaner which I've returned. I couldn't put it down.......a wonderful read. Sue McN.

In response to Sue McNaught: I'll knock on wood before I say this: I told my doctor last week that I was the only person I knew who hadn't had a cold or the flu in the last year. "Knock, Knock." Just today, I found a website that contained "Slang in the 1860s". 1. "That's a new dodge." - meant using clever or tricky means for your own gain. 2. "He's a bit of a swell," suggested the man was a showy, dashing, boastful person. 3. "I didn't give a straw what he thought." 4. "He's one of the big bugs." (big shots). 5. "It's all the rage." 6. "They had to rough it." 7. "I'm dead beat from working." 8. "Absquatulate", (I have no idea what that means!!) 9. "Go it while you are young, for when you are old, you can't." There are lots of expressions in an article entitled "By the Jumping Moses!" on a website called "The Curiosity Shop." Pat O'Neal

- Subject: Belcher Family I am research my mother's family (Belcher). My grandfather was James Wesley Belcher and my grandmother was Anna K. Belcher. Their children were: Margaret, Louise, Dorothy, Dorcas, Patsy, Mary, Ruth, Kyle, Billy, Bobby, Harold and James. I know that my family lived in Jewell Ridge and my grandfather was a coal miner. Any information would be GREATLY appreciated. There is only 4 members of the family left and I haven't been too successful getting information from them - except my Aunt Patsy who lives in Pounding Mill (Paint Lick). Thanks, Tammy "Toto, I don't think we are in NH any more."

Sounds like a word to use when one takes the last seat and tells those left standing to "sit on your fist and rair (rare?) back on your thumb". Sue McN

I have officially added Grayson, Dickenson and Wythe Co. to the List description on the Rootsweb www page. We have unofficially covered all counties west of the New River but I thought we should list these counties to attract more members researching that area. I have really enjoyed the post from books of late. I would like to see more. Get a scanner and start posting. -sysop "Toto, I don't think we are in NH any more."

Amonate - first called Faraday began in 1924 with the #30 mine owned by Pocahontas Fuel Company. By 1925 the coal community consisted of a long line of houses in four different styles. During World War II Amonate employed over 2000 miners. Mines closed in 1960. Bishop - formed in 1930. It straddles the Va-West Va line. It was a small coal town named after Walter Bishop, chief engineer of Pocahontas Fuel Company. The original Post Office was called Shraders. Bishop suffered two mine explosions, one in 1957 with thirty - seven fatalities and 1958 with twenty-two. Bluefield Va. - began in 1883 and named after Colonel Thomas Graham from Philadelphia. He was in Tazewell County to survey for Norfolk and Western Railway. He purchased land and laid out the streets of an embryo town. Prior to being incorporated the name was Pinhook. In 1924 the name was changed to Bluefield to form a larger Bluefield area with Bluefield WV. Burkes Garden - discovered in 1745 by James Burk. Got its name from the fact that Burk planted potato peelings in 1748 at a campsite where he and Col. James Patton spent the night. Due to a bad snowfall they left and came back the next year to find the bed of potatoes that had grown from the peelings. They named the valley Burk's Garden. The e was later added and the post office dropped the apostrophe. Cedar Bluff - named by Thomas M. Scott when he opened a Post Office in his home. Incorporated about 1895. Probably received its name for the series of cedar covered bluffs in the area. At one time had two post offices located about a half -mile apart. Cedar Bluff is the birthplace of George C. Peery governor of Va (elected in 1934). The Cove - settled in late eighteenth century. Rees Bowen and family were the first settlers. It is located between the Clinch Mountain on the South and Paint Lick Mountain on the North. Doran - 1890- named in honor of a distinguished resident of the Quaker City, Joseph Doran. Frog Level - named by Jack Witten after all the frogs in the area. When he wrote an article for the Clinch Valley News he called it the Frog Level news. The name stuck. Horsepen- Post Office was established in July 1900. The community got its name from Cherokee Indians living nearby who used the area to corral their horses from the white man. It formed a natural corral. It is by the state line where McDowell County WV and Tazewell County VA meet. Jewell Ridge- built in 1915 by the Jewell Ridge Coal Corporation formed in 1912 by George St. Clair, a Wytheville lawyer, and Thomas Righter, a Pennsylvanian coal operator. They built 105 houses in the camp on the mountaintop for their employees. North Tazewell - once called Kelly - railroad came there in 1887. Name was probably changed because of its location near Tazewell. Pocahontas - Prior to 1881 it was a laurel thicket. Alexander St. Clair owned most of the land there at the time. Mining town developed in 1881 and 1882. Many Italians, Slavs, and Hungarians came to work the mines owned by Southwest Virginia Improvement Company. Raven - in 1914 was called the "Gateway to Buchanan County". Named after Frank Raven, who worked for a glass company in Richlands at one time but later moved to the area that bears his name. All travelers from Tazewell into Buchanan went by Raven since the main road to Grundy built across the mountains came out here where it intersected with other roads. Red Ash - located in the Western end of the County, it was named after the red ash left after burning coal mined in the area. Richlands - formed from the "rich lands" on both sides of the Clinch River. Christened in 1785. Town was laid out in 1888. Incorporated January 26, 1892. Springville- got its name from the number of springs in the area. The first school was built in the 1870's. In 1860 it had its own post office. Tazewell - Settled in 1773 when William Peery selected a homesite. Samuel Ferguson followed. Legislature created the county of Tazewell in 1799 and these men and others donated the land for the courthouse and town. It was first named Jeffersonville for Thomas Jefferson. Most info is from TAZEWELL COUNTY HISTORY VOL. 1. This book covers communities, schools, churches, and stories written by the citizens of Tazewell County.

Members, I have had so many request about the maps I thought I would post here and not individually which takes a lot of precious time. I AM OFFERING THE MAPS FOR SALE AGAIN Order cutoff date is MARCH 30 The prices have changed some to reflect reality. I don't mind copying, folding and mailing the maps but when someone writes on the deadline date "WHAT MAPS!!" it drives me crazy. I will take a pill and try to get thru. Here is an inventory of the maps that I have. They are all very readable and nearly all are printed text. I find them very helpful in understand the settlement of SW VA, KY, NC, etc. and in helping to find the major mts, streams, towns, and early settlers. THEY ARE VERY HOPEFUL WHEN READING BOOKS LIKE HISTORY OF SW VA, BEAR GRASS, & BENGE. The two maps I created, Wash. & Scott Co., were primarily to show the location of places, streams, churches and cemeteries with SURNAMES e.g. Smith Creek, Jones ridge, Preston Cemetery, Cypher's road. Soon I hope to do a Russell, Tazewell and later still a LEE Co. Maybe in 2-3 months. They are a collection of maps that I have copied from libraries, made myself, books and other sources. They are NOT copyrighted so we can copy them. Sizes are estimates of full map. They are large so they are not cheap to copy. The best part about them is that the mts., streams, churches, mills, communities, mines, etc. often have SURNAMES in them. Please don't ask me to search each map for a NAME you are looking are. I WON'T REPLY! HERE THEY ARE: 1) Historical Map of Washington Co., VA TWO SIZES. I created this map from 4 or more sources. Primarily from the 1880 map from the Hist. Soc. of Wash. Co. I also used several history books, some local historians, USGS topo maps, and the co. road map. It contains roads, mts., streams, churches, cemeteries, mills, forts, settlements, etc. MANY OF THESE PLACES ARE MENTIONED IN THE LAND GRANTS. It covers as far north as Copper Creek. This one has lots of details because I put them there. One can use this map to add their own data such as where their ancestor's farms were. You can build your own genealogical map of Wash. Co., VA 48" x 36" $12. 24" x 18" $ 7. incl. postage 2) Comtempory Frontier Settlements 1740 - 1760 Copy of a library map of VA settlements. Mostly rivers and streams like a geological map . Some of the earliest settlements are show. Not detailed. It covers the NC border to the Ohio river; and from Richmond to the Cumberland Gap. It is a great outline of SW VA if you wanted to create your own maps. It would be ease to print out some names and cut n' paste them to this map. 24" x 18" $5. 3) Southwestern VA map 188 Commercial & Industrial map. >From the New River to the Gap. Rivers & streams, mines, towns, roads, RR, mts., valleys, etc. A few surnames. With an insert of a picture of Pennington Gap 36" x 24" $8 4) Southwestern VA Minerial Resources & RR 1883 - Boyd C.E. w/ an insert of major RR routes of S.E. U.S. Rivers & streams, mines, towns, roads, RR, mts., valleys, etc. A few surnames. 36" x 24" $8 5) NEW RIVER & CRIPPLE CREEK area map. 1887 Covers mostly the Wytheville area. There are some SURNAMES and the best details of Wythe Co. that I have seen. I have listed some of the surnames in the past. Some area names common in Washington & Scott Co. 36" x 24" $7. 6) Montgomery Co. Historical Map 30" x 24" Settlements from 1750 - 1865 . Very detailed w/ rivers, streams, roads, SURNAMES, historical notes and stories, First officers, very attractive layout. If you have ancestors from Mont. Co. this map will be very helpful. 30" x 24" $7. 7) Botetourt Co. Historical Map 26" x 26" Just the present Co. area Settlements from 1750 - 1865 . Very detailed w/ rivers, streams, roads, SURNAMES, historical notes and stories, First officers, very attractive layout. If you have ancestors from Botet. Co. this map will be very helpful. There are SURNAMES common to SW VA. 26" x 26" $7. 8) Pulaski Co. Historical map Same type of the two co. maps # 6 & 7 above. 30" x 24" $7. 9) Roanoke Co. Historical map Same type of the two co. maps # 6 & 7 above. 30" x 24" $7. 10) Fincastle Co. 1772 - 1776 Broad area map of frontier America Covers from the Atlantic to the Mississippi River. Gives the boundary of the original Fincastle and Botetourt Co. Shows major rivers and future states cut from Botetourt Co. which ran to the Miss. & Ohio River. Same type of the two co. maps # 6) & 7) above. Very general but attractive historical reference. 24" x 18" $5 11) SCOTT CO. Historical My best work. A great map full of names and figures. Many SURNAMES of places, streams, and roads. Incl. The Wilderness Road, Fincastle Turnpike and Boone Trail. Very attractive. I have got many compliments. 48" x 36" $ 12. 24" x 18" $ 7 I'm happy to do this if it is not a big hassle. This is not a business for me and I have them priced as low as I can. Please follow directions carefully. I DO find them very helpful and they give much more meaning to my research. *********** HOW TO ORDER: ********************** PLEASE TRY REAL HARD. USE THIS AS A CHECK LIST AS YOU ORDER! 1. Send a check, money order or cash to: Edgar A. Howard 103 Park Drive Narrows, VA 24124 2. Give your 1) name, mailing address, 2) you EMAIL address 3. List the maps you want. Use the Map# and NAME it is helpful if you print this post and mark it up . THANKS -eddie, sysop

Searching for parents and siblings of Eleanor Barnett born about 1820 maybe Tazewell Co, Va. According to marriage records in Tazewell County, Virginia, James White, age 27 and Eleanor Barnett, age 18 were married 10-4-1838. Both are found on the 1850 and 1860 census in Tazewell Co. They have the following children, Lydia White born about 1839, Arch White born about 1841, Nancy White born about 1843, Joseph L. White born 6-5-1845, Polly White born about 1847, Betsy White born about 1851, George White born about 1856. Any help appreciated. Barbara

I hope I am doing this right as I am actively searching the "Hills of Va". for Sykes, King, Snodgrass, and Taylor sur-names. I have alot already. Am stumped.

Dear List, Having been caught by the current flu I checked the Net for the latest thinking. Learned an interesting statistic regarding the 1918 epidemic. That one was called the Spanish Flu and there were 500,000 deaths. By comparison, the 1957-58 Asian flu took 70,000. The Center for Disease Control says we are overdue for the next Big Bad One. I put up a sneeze guard for the keyboard so I don't give your computers my virus. Groan. I've missed some of the interesting and fun topics this List is so good at. I'd like to see some input on curious expressions used by our SW VA grandparents. Here's one I have only heard in our family....so far. When a child asked what was in a box on a closet shelf, the answer was "Layovers to catch meddlers". "Drive on the cart" was another one. The story was that a family was struck with some bad luck and the children were hungry. A neighbor felt sorry for them and took a wagon load of corn to the house. He called to the notoriously lazy father that he had brought some corn. The father yelled back, "Is it shelled?" "No" "Well, then, just drive on the cart." Sue McN. Get me another box of tissues, honey.

Great bit of information Edgar. With this kind of information in my data base I will now have a better picture of what part of the country I am researching. I want to buy your maps when you decide to put them up for sale again. Also looking forward for the ones on Washington and Tazewell Counties. Robert Crabtree

Robert, That is an unusual name. Do you know the origin?? Meaning?? Is it a surname?? <<< Boissevain School "Toto, I don't think we are in NH any more."