Washington County VA

Washington County VA, established on December 7, 1776, is a region rich in historical significance and natural beauty, located in the southwestern part of the state. It was created from parts of Fincastle County, Virginia, which was dissolved the same year, and it stands as one of Virginia’s oldest counties. The county is named after George Washington, who at the time of the county’s formation, was a renowned military commander in the American Revolutionary War and later became the first President of the United States. Washington County is characterized by its varied geography, encompassing parts of the Appalachian Mountains and offering a diverse landscape that includes valleys, rolling hills, and picturesque waterways. It played a significant role in the westward expansion of the United States, serving as a gateway to the western frontiers through the Cumberland Gap. Abingdon, the county seat, is a hub of culture and history within the county, known for its historic buildings, the Barter Theatre, and as a center for the arts and heritage of the Appalachian region.

Biographical Sketch of J. J. Pemberton

J. J. Pemberton, retired merchant, Oakland; one of the early pioneers of Coles Co.; born in Washington Co., Va., Dec. 5, 1814, where he attended school in winter, and assisted his father farming in summer, until 17 years of age, when he emigrated West and located in East Oakland Tp., Coles Co., Ill., in 1831, in which township he has since lived, for a period of nearly half a century; from 1831 to 1838, he was engaged in farming, when he removed to Oakland and engaged in hotel-keeping four years, at the expiration of which time he engaged in the … Read more

Narrative of the Captivity of of Mrs. Francis Scott – Indian Captivities

A True and Wonderful Narrative of the Surprising Captivity and remarkable deliverance of Mrs. Francis Scott, an inhabitant of Washington County, Virginia, who was taken by the Indians on the evening of the 29th of June, 1785. On Wednesday, the 29th day of June, 1785, late in the evening, a large company of armed men passed the house on their way to Kentucky, some part of whom encamped within two miles. Mr. Scott’s living on a frontier part generally made the family watchful; but on this calamitous day, after so large a body of men had passed; he lay down … Read more

Biographical Sketch of James Shoemaker

James Shoemaker, farming and stock; P. O. Loxa; the subject of this sketch was born in Washington Co., Va., Feb. 19, 1825. He married Miss Tabitha Mason Sept. 3, 1863; she was born in Fayette Co., Ky., Aug. 30, 1840; they had seven children, four living, viz., Mary E., William K., James S. and Franklin R. He lived in Virginia nearly ten years, when, with his parents, he came to Illinois and settled in Coles Co., one mile north of Charleston; this was in December, 1834; they lived there four years, then moved to La Fayette Township, on the Springfield … Read more

Biography of Jesse L. Blakemore, M. D.

Dr. Jesse L. Blakemore, a physician and surgeon of Muskogee since 1891 and now president of the Physicians and Surgeons Hospital of this city, was born in Greenwood, Arkansas, and after acquiring a public school education continued his studies in the Emory and Henry College of Virginia, there completing his course with the class of 1885. His liberal literary training has served as an excellent foundation on which to build the superstructure of professional knowledge. Desiring to become a physician, he matriculated in the medical department of Vanderbilt University at Nashville, Tennessee, and was graduated with the class of 1888. … Read more

Virginia High School Yearbooks

Cover of the 1937 the Compass Yearbook of George Washington High School

The following collection of free high school yearbooks and annuals from the state of Virginia comes from the collection of the Library of Virginia. They were digitized as part of the Internet Archive.

Biographical Sketch of J. W. Hill

J. W. Hill, farmer and stock-dealer, deceased; deceased owned 342 acres; was born in Washington Co., Va., May 7, 1814; died March 13, 1875; he lived with his parents on the farm until 20 years of age. He was married to Elizabeth Fudge Feb. 28, 1833; she was born in Washington Co., Va., Jan. 15, 1814; they had twelve children – Barbara A., Samuel H., Benjamin R., Noah W., Elizabeth, Zachariah T., Emma, Jonah, Napoleon and three infants, deceased; Jonah Hill was born in Coles Co., Ill., April 22, 1853, and lived with his father until 21 years of age. … Read more

Biographical Sketch of David Dryden

David Dryden, of Pennsylvania, married Barbara Berry, and settled in Washington County, Va., where he and his wife both died. Their children were Jonathan, David, Nathaniel, William, Thomas, Rebecca, Elizabeth, and Mary. Jonathan married Fanny Duff, and lived and died in Kentucky. David was married twice, the name of his second wife being Jane Laughlan. He settled in Blunt County, Tenn. Nathaniel was also married twice; first to Ellen Laughlan, a daughter of Alexander and Ann Laughlan, but she died without children. Mr. Dryden was married the second time to Margaret Craig, a daughter of Robert Craig, who was a … Read more

Biography of Thomas Sharp

Thomas Sharp was a native of Ireland, but emigrated to America, and settled first in Pennsylvania, from whence he removed to Washington Co., Va. He was married twice, and by his first wife he had John, Thomas, Jr., and Benjamin. By his second wife he had but one child, David, who became a Methodist minister, and lived and died in Virginia. Thomas, Jr., settled in Kentucky. Benjamin was a soldier in the revolutionary war, and was in Colonel Campbell’s command at the battle of King’s Mountain. He married Hannah Fulkerson, of Virginia, and their children were James F.. John D., … Read more

Biographical Sketch of S.E.H. Dance, M.D.

S. E. H. Dance, M. D., the leading physician of Lynchburg, Tennessee, was born March 30, 1834, son of Stephen M. and Sarah (Smith) Dance, born in Virginia and North Carolina, and died in 1853 and 1862, respectively, they came to Lincoln County about 1826. The father was a farmer of ordinary means and a local minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Our subject spent his boyhood days on a farm and at the time of his father’s death was attending Emory and Henry College, Virginia. He returned home and began the study of medicine and attended one course of … Read more

Biography of James W. Reid

Idaho has won distinction for the high rank of her bench and bar. Perhaps none of the newer states can justly boast of abler jurists or attorneys. Some of them have been men of national fame, and among those whose lives have been passed on a quieter plane there is scarcely a town or city in the state but can boast of one or more lawyers capable of crossing swords in forensic combat with any of the distinguished legal lights of the United States. Idaho certainly has reason to be proud of her legal fraternity. In James W. Reid we … Read more

Biographical Sketch of H. A. Pemberton

H. A. Pemberton, farmer, Sec. 18; P. O. Oakland; one of the pioneers of Coles County; born in Washington Co., Va., Aug. 22, 1822; he emigrated with his parents when quite young, and located in Coles Co., Ill., in November 1831, upon the place where he has since lived during the a period of nearly half a century; he is the youngest son of Stanton and Sarah Pemberton; his father died in 1838; seven years after his settlement here, and his mother died in 1850; after the death of his father, he and an older brother managed the place until … Read more

Slave Narrative of Lucretia Alexander

Interviewer: Samuel S. Taylor Person Interviewed: Lucretia Alexander Location: 1708 High Street, Little Rock, Arkansas Age: 89 Occupation: Washed. Ironed. Plowed. Hoed “I been married three times and my last name was Lucretia Alexander. I was twelve years old when the War began. My mother died at seventy-three or seventy-five. That was in August 1865—August the ninth. She was buried August twelfth. The reason they kept her was they had refugeed her children off to different places to keep them from the Yankees. They couldn’t get them back. My mother and her children were heir property. Her first master was … Read more

Biography of James Fulkerson

Fulkerson (This name in the native tongue, was Volkerson, but after the removal of the family to America they began to spell it as it is pronounced.) James Fulkerson, of Germany, came to America at an early date and settled in North Carolina. There he became acquainted with and married Mary VanHook, and subsequently removed to Washington Co., Va. The names of their children were Peter, James, John, Thomas, Abraham, Jacob, Isaac, William, Polly, Catharine, Hannah, and Mary. Peter married Margaret Craig, and they had Polly, Robert C., James, Benjamin F., Jacob, Peter, Jr., John W., Margaret, Rachel, David C., … Read more

Biography of Col. Joseph L. Meek

COL. JOSEPH L. MEEK. – As one of the remarkable mountainmen of our early age, “Jo” Meek is deserving of special mention. Aside from the class of men of whom he was one of the best types, he possessed an unusual personality of his own. This led him to so conspicuous a place in our early annals that his frequent appearance in the body of the work makes an extended notice here unnecessary. We shall present only the salient features of his remarkable career. Born in Washington county, Virginia, in 1810, he early developed a love of wandering which took … Read more

Biography of Earl C. Bronaugh

Bronaugh, Earl C., one of the most prominent attorneys of the State, was born in Abingdon, Virginia, March 4, 1831. He secured his educational advantages in his native town prior to reaching the age of twelve years, when with his parents he moved to Shelby County, Tennessee. They founded a new home in the woods and endured all the privations of pioneer life at that early day. Here Mr. Bronaugh spent six years of his life, assisting his father in the support of the family, after which becoming imbued with the desire to read law he entered the office of … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Thomas Hughes

Thomas Hughes, of Abingdon, Va., settled in Tennessee, where his son, William, married Sallie Green, and settled at Middletown, Montgomery County, at an early date. They had thirteen children.

Biography of J. H. Berry

This gentleman is one of the oldest residents of Marion County, Arkansas, and through his enterprise, energy and push he has done much to make that section the prosperous region that it is. He was born in Washington County, Virginia, April 26, 1824, being the third of eight children born to Samuel and Sarah (Hickey) Berry, the former of whom was born in Washington County, Virginia, in 1796, his parents being William and Elizabeth (Duff) Berry. William Berry was a Virginian also, but his father, John Berry, was a native of the State of New York, and in his day … Read more