Research and Resources

Smyth County Historical Society Collections & Research

The collection of the Smyth County Historical Society and Museum is available to those researching genealogy and local/regional history topics. We are currently conducting the lengthy process of cataloging our collection and therefore it cannot be directly accessed at this time. For all in-person research an appointment must be made in advance. Remote research inquiries can be directed by email to smythcountymuseum@gmail.com. In your email, please include your name and contact information as well as detail on the topic(s) or question(s) you are researching. Please be concise and clear in your message.                      

Online Research Resources

Find A Grave is a free online service that aims to document headstones worldwide. Find A Grave is powered by volunteers who provide headstone photos, biographies, GPS information and other content rich in meaning for family historians.

    https://www.findagrave.com/

The Library of Virginia’s “Virginia Memory” Chancery Records Index allows you to search digitized chancery records from all Virginia localities including Smyth County. Search by surname, plaintiff, or defendant.

 https://www.lva.virginia.gov/chancery

Family search is a free service and is a network of genealogical, historical, and genetic records.

 https://www.familysearch.org/en/

New River Notes is a digital collection of history covering the region of southwestern Virginia and beyond.

   https://www.newrivernotes.com/

Ancestry.com is a paid service and is a network of genealogical, historical, and genetic records.

            https://www.ancestry.com/