Hi all, Well, I'm back from my trip to Smyth County. When I mentioned that I had two days to spend there doing nothing but genealogical research, I got lots of great suggestions for things that I should do. A couple of people suggested that I fill everyone in on my exploits, so now that I'm back, here goes: A number of people told me that the Washington County Historical Society in the courthouse in Abingdon was a must, so I started there. The hours are 10:00 - 4:00 (at least on the Thursday I was there). Volunteers run it, so they suggest you call before coming, even if you know the hours of operation. I didn't call, but I got lucky. I have to say the Washington County Historical Society is everything that people said, and more. They have a library covering books dedicated to specific surnames, lots of Washington County resources, and many other counties throughout Southwest Virginia and the rest of the state as well. I was able to look through "The Crabtrees of Southwest Virginia," which I had heard of but never seen before. They also have family files on lots of surnames from the area. The files contain letters, family trees, obituaries, and whatever other information people may have submitted. They had files for all three of my surnames - WHITEAKER, HATFIELD and CRABTREE. They also have a computer database where you can type in a surname or county and it will list out all of the documents they have pertaining to the name. There is so much more that I didn't even get a chance to see, including microfilm. But the best part of the library was the staff of volunteers. They are very friendly, extremely helpful, and feel as disappointed as you do if they aren't able to help you find a key piece of information. Add my name to the list of people that says you have to visit this place! When the Washington County Historical Society closed, I headed for the Smyth-Bland Regional Library in Marion. They have a separate room dedicated to genealogy and local history. It is very convenient to use, and they have lots of information too. The room has two microfilm readers (one is a copier too), a copy machine and a computer. They have some county newspapers on microfilm as well as the Smyth County federal censuses. I believe they have some surrounding county censuses on microfilm as well. I spent the rest of the day going through census and newspaper microfilm until the library closed at 8:00. You'll notice that I didn't eat any meals during the day. No time! I skipped lunch and had dinner late in the evening. On Friday I went to the Smyth County Courthouse in Marion. The hours are 8:30 - 5:00. If you don't know where the records are, or if you don't ask someone, you'll never find them. There are no signs anywhere, and the directory doesn't help. To find the records room, enter the front door of the courthouse. Turn immediately to your left and go through the door that says "Clerk of the Circuit Court." Follow the hallway through the vault door and you will be in the record repository. What a place! I'll be the first to admit that I don't have lots of experience digging through courthouse records, so I don't know what to compare this to, but I felt like I was in Disney World! None of the old records are microfilmed, and they are all in well-marked, bound volumes on the shelves. The record clerk was very pleasant and helpful too. I went through deeds, wills, births, deaths and marriages, and found lots of information on my ancestors. I also got a great tip from one of the list members to ask for the "black books" for births, deaths and marriages. These are a series of loose-leaf binders that have copies of the original marriage licenses, birth certificates, etc. I used the bound marriage register to find specific dates of marriages, then went to the black books to make copies of the original certificates. I spent virtually the entire day there, leaving just early enough to make one last stop. I was unable to find the specific date of death for Nancy (CRABTREE) HATFIELD, or to find where she and her husband Davis W. HATFIELD are buried. Someone suggested that I try the Seaver-Brown Funeral Home in Marion. I went there and they were as helpful as can be - to the extent of accessing their inaccessible records (a floor was being replaced). Though we didn't find what I was looking for, they invited me to come back anytime when the floor was finished and I could look through their records dating back to the 1880s. Very nice people. They also suggested that I try Henderson Funeral Home in Saltville. I ran out of time, but will follow up with them in the near future. Genealogically speaking, these were the best two days of my life. I want to thank all of the list members for their terrific help and suggestions. My trip wouldn't have been nearly as successful without you. I also have to say that I met several wonderful people in the area. What a friendly place! I can't wait to go back. Next time I'll add the Wythe County and Washington County courthouses to my visit list. Best regards, Mike Curtis