Photograph

Photograph

Charred Early Smyth County Court Records

Photograph of Smyth County Records Book No. I and Smyth County's first marriage licenses. In devember, 1864 when Union troops under Major Harrison passed through Marion to destory the Thomas iron works on Staley Creek, W. C. Sexton, Smyth County Clerk of Court piled the court records into a wagon and had it driven up Staley Creek thinking the Union troops were on their way to Wythe County. The Union troops overtook the wagon and set it on fire. A few hours later, Katherine Killinger Scherer (Mrs. J. J. Scherer), rescued the records from the fire.

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