Researching Blacksburg, Virginia, History: Books & Articles-By Time Period

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Please note: The original guide was created in 1991 and does NOT include books and publications received after the mid-1990s. Researchers interested in finding newer materials should search the library catalog. Future updates to the current guide, including the addition of newer materials, are planned.

The books and articles listed below are classified by period and subject. This classification is designed to aid researchers who want to focus on specific areas of Blacksburg history-the Civil War, for example, or the history of the town's architecture. Because many of the items listed cover more than one such area, they may be listed under different headings, with their descriptive summaries geared to the specific headings under which they may be found.

The materials listed here can be found in various sections and branches of the University Libraries system. Descriptions below include the call number and location for titles. Please note: titles available from remote storage should be requested in advance, using the "Request" button in the catalog record. They take 1-2 days to be retrieved.

• Brown, Ralph M. V.P.I. HISTORICAL INDEX, OCTOBER 1, 1872 TO DECEMBER 31, 1941. Bulletin of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute (Vol. XXXV, No. 12). Blacksburg: Virginia Polytechnic Institute, 1942. [T171.V89 B7 1942 Special Collections] More an encyclopedia than an index, this work presents facts on Virginia Tech and Blacksburg history in a compact format. The following headings contain information of interest to researchers of Blacksburg history:
  • Airport; Alumni Gate; Armory; Barger's Field; Barger's Fort; Black, Dr. Harvey; Black Field; Black property; Blacksburg history; Blacksburg-Christiansburg Road; Blacksburg-Coal Bank Hollow Road; Blacksburg Gap Mt. Road; Blacksburg High School; Blacksburg Inn; Blacksburg Post Office; Blacksburg Water & Sewerage; Coal Famine; Electric Light & Service Dept.; Faculty Row & Houses; Grissom, M. S.; Hacks; Heat and Power Dept.; Hoge House; Huckleberry; Incinerator; Lakes (Duck ponds); Lybrook Row (see also Barracks- -History); Lyric Theatre; "Mose" (Moses Lucinian); "Old Brick House"; "Colonial Inn"; Painter's Spring; Roads; Smithfield; Snow Storm; Telegraph Line; Telephone Service; Water Tower; Water Works; Western Union Office; "Whitethorn."
• Dunay, Donna. TOWN ARCHITECTURE. N.p., 1986. [LD5655 A542 1986 Special Collections, Newman 3rd floor, Newman Reference, Art & Architecture]. This study was published as a result of a concern that Blacksburg's rapid growth would continue "without regard for its physical particulars." The publication contains many maps, charts and pictures of Blacksburg locations and buildings using old and present-day photographs. Section 3,titled " A History of Blacksburg" (pp. 92-158) is a study of the history of the town starting from the 18th century, emphasizing architecture and population. The years 1840, 1870 and 1921 are singled out by pictures, maps, and commentary as periods of unusual growth and prosperity.
• Worsham, Gibson. MONTGOMERY COUNTY HISTORIC SITES SURVEY.Christiansburg, VA: Montgomery County, 1986. [F232 M7 M74 1986 Special Collections and Newman 3rd floor]. A two-volume publication resulting from the Montgomery County Planning Commission's charge for a "tool to help plan growth and still preserve the county's historical and architectural resources." Topics covered are: urban and rural development, transportation, industry, agriculture, commerce, religion, education, government, and domestic life for the years 1745-1950. Blacksburg information is included on each topic and is easily located. Includes maps, charts, statistics, survey forms, and a table of contents. Copies of the original survey forms and photographs are in the Montgomery County Historic Sites Survey manuscript collection.

• Benthall, Joseph. ARCHEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION OF THE SHANNON SITE. Richmond: Virginia State Library, 1968. [F232 M7 B45 Special Collections and Newman 3rd floor]. An account of the excavation and investigation of an Indian village and burial ground located 5 miles east of Blacksburg in Ellett Valley. Includes pictures and maps.
• Crush, Charles W. THE MONTGOMERY COUNTY STORY, 1776-1957. N.p., 1957. [F232 M7 C7 Special Collections, Newman 3rd floor and Remote Storage (requires notice for retrieval)]. A short history of Montgomery County compiled from articles, family reminiscences, and court records by the judge of the county court. Not indexed. Topics related to Blacksburg: Information on the Draper's Meadow settlement and massacre (p. 4). Forts named at Blacksburg, Smithfield, and nearby areas of Torns Creek, McDonald's Mill and Price's Fork (p. 6). An account of the land surveys of Patton's Grant, which includes the area that became Draper's Meadow (p. 17). Reference made to letters written by Mrs. Letitia Preston Floyd in 1843 telling of the interwoven history of the Preston family and the Virginia frontier (pp. 45- 46).
• Douthat, James L. MONTGOMERY COUNTY, VIRGINIA WILL BOOK 1, 1786-1809. [F232 M7 D68 1986 Special Collections and Newman 3rd floor]. Abstracts of wills in the Montgomery County Court House. The index shows many Blacksburg families such as Price, Preston, and Draper.
• Givens, Lula Porterfielc. HIGHLIGHTS IN THE EARLY HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY, VIRGINIA. [F232 M7 G58 Special Collections, Newman 3rd floor and Remote Storage (requires notice for retrieval)]. Christiansburg, VA: By the author, 1975. Includes an account of the settlement of Draper's Meadow, the massacre, the capture, escape, and return of Mrs. Ingles (pp. 15-26).
• HARDESTY'S HISTORICAL AND GEOGRAPHICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA... SPECIAL VIRGINIA EDITION. Written by R.A. Brock. N.Y., Richmond: H.H. Hardesty, 1884. [F226 H25 Special Collections]. Includes a history of the Preston Family (pp. 361-62) and a history of Montgomery County (pp. 393-404).
• Ingles, John. THE STORY OF MARY DRAPER INGLES. Radford, VA: Commonwealth Press, 1969. [E87 I53 1969 Special Collections]. An account of the Draper's Meadow massacre and the part played by Mary Draper Ingles, as told by her to her son, John Ingles, Sr.
• Johnston, David E. A HISTORY OF MIDDLE NEW RIVER SETTLEMENTS. Huntington, WV: Standard, 1906. [F232 N5 J6 1906 Special Collections, Newman 3rd floor and Remote Storage (requires notice for retrieval)]. Johnston began this work as a history of Mercer County (now in West Virginia), but decided that the Middle New River Settlements of the counties of Augusta, Botetourt, Fincastle, Montgomery, Greenbrier, Wythe, Monroe, Tazewell, and Giles needed to be included. Includes information on the families of Ingles, Drapers, and others who settled the area which ~ ecame Draper's Meadow, then Smithfield and eventually Blacksburg (p. 9). Draper's Meadow Massacre events and related information (pp. 18-22). A short sketch of the Black family who gave the land for the town of Blacksburg (p. 380).
• Johnson, Patricia Givens. WILLIAM PRESTON AND THE ALLEGHENY PATRIOTS. Pulaski, VA: B.D. Smith, 1976. [F229 P7 Special Collections, Newman 3rd floor and Remote Storage (requires notice for retrieval)]. A biography of William Preston (an early settler of Draper's Meadow), and an account of taxes in New River Valley. Includes pictures, notes, and an index. Tells of Preston's decision to make his home at Draper's Meadow and the construction of Smithfield (p. 108). A short account of Preston's health while building Smithfield (p. 111). Pictures of Smithfield (pp. 115-117). Information about the life of the Prestons at Smithfield (pp. 117-118), and a short account of Smithfield's products (p. 120). An account of sickness and disease at Smithfield (pp. 130-131). The sickness and death of William Preston at Smithfield, and the continuation of life there for his family (pp. 303-312).
• Kegley, Mary B., and F. B. Kegley. EARLY ADVENTURERS ON THE WESTERN WATERS. Orange, VA: Green Pub., 1980-1982. [F232 N5 K36 Special Collections and Newman 3rd floor]. 2 volumes. A work on the history of the New River Valley for the years 1745-1800. Biographical sketch of Black family, map of Blacksburg (1798), Lewis Miller sketch of Blacksburg (1853). Contains a history of Blacksburg, giving early residents, churches, land owners, and genealogical information. Includes pictures, maps, and lists of people (I, pp. 194-98). Draper's Meadow massacre (I, p. 55). The beginnings of the Blacksburg neighborhood, including creeks, roads, settlements, churches, towns, and biographical sketches of many settlers, including the Blacks, Prestons, Prices, and other early families (I, pp. 173-280). Marriages in Montgomery County, 1777-1830, giving marriages of early settlers, their parents, and sureties (II, pp. 120-213).
• Kegley, Mary B. TAX LIST OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY, VIRGINIA 1782.Roanoke, VA: n.p., 1974. [F232 M7 K4 Special Collections and Newman 3rd floor]. An alphabetical list of property owners tor the year 1782. Includes area property owners such as Prestons, Prices, and Walls.
• Lutheran Church in America. MARRIAGES, BIRTHS AND DEATHS FROM VIRGINIA AND EAST TENNESSEE LUTHERAN CHURCH IN AMERICA RECORDS. Roanoke, VA: Daughters of the American Revolution, 1969. [F225 M3 Newman 3rd floor]. A translation of the records of the official church book of St. Michael's Lutheran Church (Price's Fork), 1793-1839 (pp. 79-105). Includes birth, church rolls, regulations, communicants, and baptisms. Included are Blacksburg names such as Preish(Price), Zerfass (Surface), Berger, Wall, Harless, Keister, Linkous, Olinger, Kipps, and others.
• Pendleton, Lee. INDIAN MASSACRES IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY, 1755- 1756. Christiansburg, VA: n.p., 1968. [F232 M7 P4 Special Collections and Newman 3rd floor]. Includes an account of the Draper's Meadow massacre (pp. 11-24).
• Preston. Wisconsin State Historical Society, Library. THE PRESTON AND VIRGINIA PAPERS OF THE DRAPER COLLECTION OF MANUSCRIPTS. [also includes the index under the same call number]. Madison: By the society, 1915. [F221 W5 Special Collections and Newman Reference]. A list of the manuscripts in the Draper collection pertaining to the Preston family in Virginia.
• Tuttle, Bruce D. COLONEL WILLIAM PRESTON, 1729-1783. M.A. thesis.V.P.I., 1971. [LD5655 V855 1971 T87 Special Collections and Remote Storage (requires notice for retrieval)]. A biography of Colonel William Preston of Smithfield Plantation.
• Yantis, Nettie Schreimer. MONTGOMERY COUNTY, VIRGINIA-CIRCA 1790.Springfield, VA: By the author, 1972. [F232 M7 Y37 Special Collections and Newman 3rd floor]. Tax lists, abstracts of land surveys and immigration data of Montgomery County circa 1790. Blacksburg names are not specifically listed, but the list includes families such as the Prestons, Pattons, Prices, and Walls.

• Allen, Emily, and Devota P. Pack. DEATHS IN COURT RECORDS OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY, VIRGINIA 1853-1871. N.p., 1977. [F232 M7 A4 Special Collections and Newman 3rd floor]. A compilation of deaths in Montgomery County, between 1853 and 1871. Few Blacksburg people are listed specifically, but are included in the Montgomery County listings. Indexed.
• Crush, Charles W. THE MONTGOMERY COUNTY STORY, 1776-1957.N.p.,1957. [F232 M7 C7 Special Collections and Newman 3rd floor]. A short history of Montgomery County compiled from articles, family reminiscences, and court records by the judge of the county court. Not indexed. Reference made to letters written by Mrs. Letitia Preston Floyd in 1843 telling of the interwoven history of the Preston family and the Virginia frontier (pp. 45-46). A list of Blacksburg residents from a ledger dated 1830 (pp. 65-67). A list of Montgomery county people serving in the Mexican War., not specifically listing Blacksburg people (p. 68). Includes Thomas N. Conrad's "Early Blacksburg History," originally published in 1881 (pp.111-113).
• Dickenson, R. Boulton. "ENTITLED:" FREE PAPERS IN APPALACHIA, ANTEBELLUM FREEBORN NEGROES AND MANCIPATED BLACKS OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY, VIRGINIA. N.p., 1980. [F232 M7D5 1981 Special Collections and Newman 3rd floor]. A study of the black population in Montgomery county using the Register of Free Negroes and Mulattoes kept by the clerk of the Circuit Court for the years 18231863. Page numbers are listed in the index under Blacksburg for persons found in the Blacksburg area.
• Douthat, James L. MONTGOMERY COUNTY, VIRGINIA EARLY SETTLERS: 1810-1850 CENSUS. Signal Mt. TN: Mountain Press, 1985. [F232 M7 D6 1985 Special Collections and Newman Census]. An index of families for 1810-1840,with Blacksburg residents not specifically indicated. Blacksburg residents named for 1850 census (pp. 64-65).
• Douthat, James L. MONTGOMERY COUNTY, VIRGINIA WILL BOOK 1, 178-1809. [F232 M7 D68 1986 Special Collections and Newman 3rd floor]. Abstracts of wills in the Montgomery County Court House. The index shows many Blacksburg families such as Price, Preston, and Draper.
• Grant, Charles. AN APPALACHIAN PORTRAIT: BLACK AND WHITE IN MONTGOMERY CO., VIRGINIA BEFORE THE CIVIL WAR. [LD5655 V855 1987 G736 Special Collections] A study of the slave, free black, and white populations of Montgomery County. James P. Preston, Michael Price, and other Blacksburg slaveowners are included.
• HARDESTY'S HISTORICAL AND GEOGRAPHICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA ...SPECIAL VIRGINIA EDITION. Written by R.A. Brock. N.Y., Richmond: H.H. Hardesty, 1884. [F226 H25 Special Collections; excerpts F232 S75 E9 Special Collections, Newman 3rd floor, and Remote Storage (requires notice for retrieval)]. Includes a history of Montgomery County (pp. 393-404). Also includes biographies of some Blacksburg residents-Black, Conrad, Evans, Grissom, Kinzer, Lybrook, Ronald, Price, and many others (pp. 405-14).
• Jost, Shelli. BUILDERS, CRAFTSMEN AND TRADESMEN IN MONTGOMERY CO., VIRGINIA BETWEEN 1850 AND 1900. [LD5655 V855 1986 J677 Special Collections and Remote Storage (requires notice for retrieval)]. Appendix B-K are lists of names and occupations. Names are grouped by occupation, and within an occupation, by locality.
• Kegley, Mary B., and F. B. Kegley. EARLY ADVENTURES ON THE WESTERN WATERS. Orange, VA: Green Pub., 1980-1982. [F232 N5 K36 Special Collections and Newman 3rd floor] 2 volumes. Covers the years 1745-1800. Biographical sketch of Black family, map of Blacksburg (1798), and Lewis Miller sketch of Blacksburg (1853). Also includes history of Blacksburg, giving early residents, churches, land owners, and genealogical information. Includes pictures, maps, and lists of people (I, pp. 194-98). The beginnings of the town of Blacksburg including creeks, roads, settlements, churches, towns, and biographical sketches of many settlers, including the Prestons, Prices, and other early families (I, pp. 173-280). Marriages in Montgomery County, 1777-1830, including marriages of early settlers, their parents, and sureties. Blacksburg residents are not specifically indicated (II, pp. 120-213).
• Lucas, Wavie Harman, and Pack, Devota. BIRTHS IN COURT RECORDS OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY, VIRGINIA: 1853-1871. N.p., 1972. [F232 M7B53 Special Collections and Newman 3rd floor] A transcription of births from court records in Montgomery County for the years 1853-1871. Listed are the child's name, birthdate, parents, residence, and father's occupation. Blacksburg residents are located easily. Indexed.
• Lutheran Church in America. MARRIAGES, BIRTHS AND DEATHS FROM VIRGINIA AND EAST TENNESSEE LUTHERAN CHURCH IN AMERICA RECORDS. Roanoke, VA: Daughters of the American Revolution, 1969. [F225 M3 Newman 3rd floor]. A translation of the records of the official church book of St. Michael's Lutheran Church (Price's Fork) 1793-1839 (pp. 79-105). Includes births, church rolls, regulations, communicants, and baptisms. Included are Blacksburg names such as Preish (Price), Zerfass (Surface), Berger, Wall, Harless, Keister, Linkous, Olinger, Kipps, and others.

• Allen, Emily, and Devota P. Pack. DEATHS IN COURT RECORDS OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY, VIRGINIA 1853-1871. N.p., 1977. [F232 M7 A4 Special Collections and Newman 3rd floor]. A compilation of deaths in Montgomery County, between 1853 and 1871. Few Blacksburg people are listed specifically, but are included in the Montgomery County listings. Indexed.
• Crush, Charles W. THE MONTGOMERY COUNTY STORY, 1776-1957. N.p., 1957. [F232 M7 C7 Special Collections and Newman 3rd floor]. Includes an account of Montgomery County's participation in the Civil War; lists of soldiers, including a partial list of Co. L., 4th Virginia Infantry which was recruited from the Blacksburg area (pp. 72-109). Account of the ride of Avrell's Brigade through Blacksburg (pp. 106-107). 
• Dawson, Rosanna. 1889 DIARY OF ROSANNA CROY DAWSON/1860 LIST OF PUPILS OF WILLIAM DAWSON. [F234 B5 D25 1972 Special Collections]. Includes a list of "scholars" of William Dawson for the 1860 session. Indexed.
• Dickenson, R. Boulton. "ENTITLED:" FREE PAPERS IN APPALACHIA, ANTEBELLUM FREEBORN NEGROES AND MANCIPATED BLACKS OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY, VIRGINIA. N.p., 1980. [F232 M7D5 1981 Special Collections and Newman 3rd floor]. A study of the black population in Montgomery county using the Register of Free Negroes and Mulattoes kept by the clerk of the Circuit Court for the years 18231863. Page numbers are listed in the index under Blacksburg for persons found in the Blacksburg area.
• Givens, Lula Porterfield. HIGHLIGHTS IN THE EARLY HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY, VIRGINIA. Christiansburg, Va: By the author, 1975. [F232 M7 G58 Special Collections, Newman 3rd floor, and Remote Storage (requires notice for retrieval)]. Includes a letter from Lizzie B. Apperson and a commentary by Mrs. Reagan S. Wyatt telling of General Averell's encampment in Blacksburg during the Civil War (pp. 122-24).
• Howe, Daniel. LISTEN TO THE MOCKINGBIRD. Boyce, VA: Carr Publishing Co., 1961. [CS71 H855 1961 Special Collections and Newman 2nd floor]. Includes a history of the Howe family who lived in the Blacksburg area. Pictures, maps and index. Account of John T. Howe and other Blacksburg men leaving for the Civil War (pp. 43-44).
• Johnson, Patricia G. THE UNITED STATES ARMY INVADES THE NEW RIVER VALLEY, MAY 1864. By the author, 1986. [E476.5 J64 1986 Special Collections and Newman 3rd floor]. An account of General Crook's invasion of the New River Valley during the Civil War. Tells of Crook's men stopping at Kentland (a large plantation near Blacksburg), the Price's Forks area, and then into Blacksburg (pp. 55- 62). Letters and family traditions are cited which pertain to this raid. Pictures, maps, and index. Tells of General Averell's encampment at Woodbine two miles north of Blacksburg on May 12, 1864 (pp. 73-75). Picture of Main Street Blacksburg [1864?] (p. 72).
• Lucas, Wavie Harman, and Pack, Devota. BIRTHS IN COURT RECORDS OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY, VIRGINIA: 1853-1871. N.p., 1972. [F232 M7B53 Special Collections and Newman 3rd floor] A transcription of births from court records in Montgomery County for the years 1853-1871. Listed are the child's name, birthdate, parents, residence, and father's occupation. Blacksburg residents are located easily. Indexed.
• McMullen, Glenn. "Tending the Wounded: Two Virginians in the Confederate Medical Corps. " VIRGINIA CAVALCADE, v.40, no.4 (Spring 1991), pp. 172-183. [Black, Harvey, Vertical File, Spec, also F221 V74 Special Collections and Remote Storage (requires notice for retrieval)]. The story of Dr. Harvey Black and John S. Apperson in the Civil War, based on their letters and diaries. Includes a section on Civil War Blacksburg.
• Robertson, James I. 4TH VIRGINIA INFANTRY. Lynchburg: H. E. Howard, Inc., 1982 [E581.5 4th R63 1982 Spec and Special Collections]. A history of the 4th Virginia Regiment, which was part of the Stonewall Brigade. Many of the regiment's members were recruited from Blacksburg. A lengthy descriptive muster roll giving brief biographical sketches of soldiers is included.

• Allen, Emily and Devota P. Pack. DEATHS IN COURT RECORDS OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY, VIRGINIA 1853-1871. N.p., 1977. [F232 M7A4 Special Collections and Newman 3rd floor]. A compilation of the deaths in Montgomery County between 1853 and 1871. Few Blacksburg people are listed specifically, but can be found in Montgomery County listings. Indexed.
• Crush, Charles W. THE MONTGOMERY COUNTY STORY, 1776-1957. N.p., 1957. [F232 M7 C7 Special Collections and Newman 3rd floor]. Includes a picture of Blacksburg in 1900 (p. 70).
• Dawson, Roseanna Croy. BLACKSBURG IN 1898. N.p., 1978. [F234B5 D3 Special Collections]. Transcription of Roseanna Dawson's diary for 1898. Included are family reminiscences, genealogy of the Croy family, special events during the year, and Mrs. Dawson's special pages in the diary for "axidents and curious things," church events, marriages, births, and deaths. Some Blacksburg names mentioned are Camper, Gray, Keister, Kinzer, Price, and many others. Includes index and family pictures.
• Dawson, Rosanna Croy. 1890 DIARY; ALSO SOME EXTRACTS...1891, 1895, 1897, and 1899. [F234 B5 D26 1979 Special Collections and Newman 3rd floor]. Transcription of Mrs. Dawson's diaries with some entries from the years 1891-92, 1895, 1897, and 1899. Mrs. Dawson, a seamstress located in downtown Blacksburg, describes the happenings of Blacksburg, her friends, neighbors, and customers with insight. Her "sheats" for special people, events, and purchases are informative. Index.
• Dawson, Rosanna. THE YEAR OF 1893 IN THE LIFE OF ROSANNA CROY DAWSON OF BLACKSBURG, VIRGINIA; 1889 DIARY OF ROSANNA CROY DAWSON. Transcriptions of two diaries by Rosanna Dawson for the years 1893 and 1889. [F234 B5 D25 1972 Special Collections and F234 B5 D28 1980 Special Collections]. Indexed.
• HARDESTY'S HISTORICAL AND GEOGRAPHICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA ...SPECIAL VIRGINIA EDITION. Written by R.A. Brock. N.Y., Richmond: H.H. Hardesty, 1884. [F226 H25 Special Collections; excerpts F232 575 E9 Special Collections, Newman 3rd floor, and Remote Storage (requires notice for retrieval)]. Includes biographies of Blacksburg persons-Black, Conrad, Evans, Grissom, Kinzer, Lybrook, Ronald, Price, and many others (pp. 405-14).
• Howe, Daniel. LISTEN TO THE MOCKINGBIRD. Boyce, VA: Carr Publishing Co., 1961. [CS71 H855 1961 Special Collections and Newman 2nd floor]. Includes a history of the Howe family who lived in the Blacksburg area. Pictures, maps and index. The John T. Howe family settling near Blacksburg (1875) and a description of Blacksburg and people (pp. 118-21). Picture of King's Spring, near Blacksburg (p. 120). The Hov.e family's life in Blacksburg while in the Amiss house during 1881, relating social life there (p. 126). Also includes genealogies of Howe and related families of Hoge and Patton.
• Johnson, Patricia G. THE JAMES BANE PRICE COUNTRY STORE AT PRICE'S FORK, VIRGINIA. [F232 M7 J35 1983 Special Collections, Newman 3rd floor, and Remote Storage (requires notice for retrieval)]. A short history of the store built about 1871-72 at Price's Fork, followed by a transcription of the accounts from only one of eight ledgers found in the attic of the store. It shows the buying habits and needs of Blacksburg area people such as the Prices, Keisters, Linkouses, Sniders, Olingers, and others. Not indexed.
• Jost, Shelli. BUILDERS, CRAFTSMEN AND TRADESMEN IN MONTGOMERY CO., VIRGINIA BETWEEN 1850 AND 1900. [LD5655 V855 1986 J677 Special Collections and Remote Storage (requires notice for retrieval)]. Appendix B-K lists names and occupations. Names are grouped by occupation, and within an occupation, by locality.
• Lucas, Wavie Harman, and Pack, Devota. BIRTHS IN COURT RECORDS OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY, VIRGINIA: 1853-1871. N.p., 1972. [F232 M7B53 Special Collections and Newman 3rd floor]. A transcription of the births taken from court records in Montgomery County for the years 1853-1871. Listed are the child's name, birthdate, parents, residence, and father's occupation. Blacksburg residents are located easily. Indexed.
• A TRIP TO THE SPRINGS IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MAY 20, 1978. [F232 M7 T75 1978 Special Collections]. A short booklet with maps and illustrations, listing springs, farms, and other points of interest near Blacksburg and in the county. Included are Yellow Sulphur Springs and the Montgomery White Sulphur Springs, popular resorts during the period after the Civil War.
• Winston, R.A. SOIL SURVEY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY, VIRGINIA. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1908. [S599 V8 C73 1908 Special Collections and Newman 4th floor; also S599 V8 C73 1985 (later edition) Special Collections, Newman Reference, Newman 4th floor, and Remote Storage (requires notice for retreival)]. A 1908 publication to determine and map soil types. Includes temperature and precipitation figures taken at the Blacksburg weather station during 1898-1906 (pp. 7-8).

• Brown, Ralph. FLOWERS AND TREES IN AND AROUND BLACKSBURG, 1938-1945. [QK484 V8 B7 Special Collections Storage (requires notice for retreival) and Newman 4th floor]. A listing of flora and fauna with blooming dates. Many local place names are mentioned, including Brush Mountain, Otey Mines, and Warbler Hill.
• Darcy, C. L. "A Famous Man Comes to Call." MOUNTAINSIDE, v.l, no.3 (1981), pp. 8-10. [F232 N5 M68 Special Collections and Remote Storage (requires notice for retrieval)]. An account of the visits made by George Washington Carver to Blacksburg in the early 1920s and in 1928.
• Darcy, C. L. "Recollections of Another Age." MOUNTAINSIDE, v.l, no.1 (winter, 1980), pp. 10-12. [F232 N5 M68 Special Collections and Remote Storage (requires notice for retrieval)]. Remembrances of Irene Slusser Grice's (b. 1894) growing up in the Blacksburg area at the turn of the century. Her memories include the school which was located in a building behind the present day Armory on Draper Road, and snow falls.
• Eberhard, Lloyd C. A STUDY AND REPORT COVERING THE LOCAL CULM COAL AVAILABLE FOR FUEL AND THE VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE CENTRAL HEATING AND POWER PLANT. M.S. thesis, V.P.I., 1942. [LD5655 V855 1942 E23 Special Collections Storage (requires notice for retreival) and Remote Storage (requires notice for retreival)]. A study of culm coal mined from Blacksburg area mines on Price and Brush Mountains. Area coal mines named and located (Pp. 5-8).
• Garnett, William E. A SOCIAL STUDY OF THE BLACKSBURG COMMUNITY. Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station, Bulletin 299 (1935). [S123 E2 no. 299 Special Collections]. A sociological study published in 1935 of the Blacksburg community including history, population foundation, economic base, standards of living, health, education, recreation, organizations, and governmental activities. Includes statistics, maps, and pictures.
• Montgomery County [Virginia]. Commission, Jamestown Exposition. MONTGOMERY COUNTY, VIRGINIA, JAMESTOWN EXPOSITION SOUVENIR. N.p., 1907. [F232 M7 M6 Special Collections]. A pamphlet which gives an overall view of the county. Includes a bird's eye view picture of Blacksburg (p. 3). Coal mining in the vicinity of Blacksburg (pp. 4-5, 10). Picture of Yellow Sulphur Springs (p. 5). Mineral mining of barite near Blacksburg and Trinity (p. 5). Limestone and sandstone quarries at Blacksburg (p. 5). Two pictures of buildings at the Merrimac Mines (p. 9). Mentions a roller mill, ice and cold storage, and lighting plants in Blacksburg (p. 10). Pictures of "Solitude" and "Smithfield" (p. 13). Picture of the high school at Blacksburg (p. 15).
• Price, Jimmie L. MALISSIA SAID... [F232 M 7 P74 1988 Special Collections and Newman 3rd floor]. The life story of Malissia Surface who was a resident of the area around Blacksburg throughout her life. She died in 1988 at the age of 98 years. Her experiences and "sayings" describe life in the late 19th and 20th century.
• Tucker, Mattie Lamb. MEMORIES. N.p., 1980. [F232 M7 T93 Special Collections]. Using written reminiscences, newspaper articles, letters, and pictures, the author tells of her birth, marriage, motherhood, and life in Blacksburg (including such activities as being a Gray Lady, home demonstration member, Rebecca, and Methodist church member). A section with pictures entitled "Some things about Blacksburg" includes, for example, "Mr. Tip Evan's Undertaker Shop was on the corner of Church Street and on another corner was the jail." No index.
• VIRGINIA BUSINESS DIRECTORY AND GAZETEER. [F224 V5 Special Collections, 1906, 1911, 1917 editions ]. Directory is divided by county. 1906 edition includes lists of Montgomery County businesses, churches, hotels, and professional persons. Blacksburg names are easily located (pp. 743-755). 1911 edition: same types of lists as above. Farmers are listed by area within county, such as Blacksburg, Blacksburg RFD 1 and 2, Long's Shop, McCoy, McDonald's Mill, Merrimac Mines (pp. 681-689). Montgomery County. 1917 edition: same types of lists as above. Farmers still separated by area (pp. 639 648).
• Winston, R.A. SOIL SURVEY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY, VIRGINIA. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1908. [S599 V8 C73 1908 Special Collections and Newman 4th floor; also S599 V8 C73 1985 (later edition) Special Collections, Newman Reference, Newman 4th floor, and Remote Storage (requires notice for retreival)]. A 1908 publication to determine and map soil types. Includes temperature and precipitation figures taken at the Blacksburg weather station during 1898-1906 (pp. 7-8).

• Bodell, Dorothy H. "Walking Water Street." MOUNTAINSIDE, v.2, no.1 (1982), p. 13. [F232 N5 M68 Special Collections and Remote Storage (requires notice for retrieval)]. A memory of Water Street, now Draper Road, during the 1940s from the viewpoint of a school girl as she walked to the elementary school.
• Caruvana, Susan. ANALYSIS OF THE WONG PROPERTY. LOCATED AT 303 VVILSON AVE. BLACKSBURG, VA. [LD5655 V851 1988 C378 Special Collections and Remote Storage (requires notice for retrieval)]. Description of an area of Blacksburg once owned by Alexander Black. This thesis evaluates the property at 303 Wilson Street for multi-family housing. Contains pictures, maps and charts of the property, and historical information on the area.
• Darcy, C. L. "Nelson Price-Iris Man." MOUNTAINSIDE, v.1, no.1 (winter, 1980), pp. 38-39. [F232 N5 M68 Special Collections and Remote Storage (requires notice for retrieval)]. An account of Nelson Price who lived at the corner of Lee and Wharton Streets and his iris gardens. His house has become a local museum and is pictured in OLD VIRGINIA HOUSES.
• Montgomery County Planning Commission. MONTGOMERY COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 1983. Christiansburg, VA: The Commission, 1983. [HT393 V82 M6 1983 Special Collections, Newman 3rd floor, and Remote Storage (requires notice for retrieval)]. A comprehensive plan published in 1983 as "a guide for the future growth and development of the county." A discussion of the growth in the Mt. Tabor planning area which includes areas south of Rt. 785, Luster's Gate, Ellett, Coal Bank Hollow Road, Happy Hollow Road, Nellie's Cave Road, and the Blacksburg Golf Club area (pp. 12-14). Discusses growth in the Price's Fork planning area, including Long Shop, McCoy, and the Whitethorn site (pp. 2425). This work contains statistical charts for the entire county and Blacksburg, and several maps, including a map of historic sites.
• A NEW WATER SYSTEM. [TD224 V8 B5 1957 Special Collections]. A bulletin which describes the history, planning, construction, and personnel involved in the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-VPI Water Authority system.
• ORIGINAL GOOD LIFE LOCATOR; WHERE TO GO, WHAT TO DO, HOW TO FIND IT IN BLACKSBURG, CHRISTIANSBURG AND RADFORD. Blacksburg, VA: University Pub., 1977. [F234B5 O7 Special Collections and Newman 3rd floor]. A 1977 publication for newcomers of all ages. Used to find crafts, places to visit, and community services in the area. Indexed with illustrations.
• Price, Jimmie L. MALISSIA SAID... [F232 M7 P74 1988 Special Collections and Newman 3rd floor]. The life story of Malissia Surface who was a resident of the area around Blacksburg throughout her life. She died in 1988 at the age of 98 years. Her experiences and "sayings" describe life in the late 19th and 20th century.
• Smith, David. STORMWATER MANAGEMENT ANALYSIS OF BLACKSBURG, VA. [LD5655 V855 1982 S617 Speial Collections Storage (requires notice for retrieval) and Remote Storage (requires notice for retrieval)]. A study of the drainage problems confronting Blacksburg and descriptions of the creeks and water branches located in and around the town. Contains maps and charts.
• "Town Revitalization: A Panel Discussion." MOUNTAINSIDE, v.1, no.4 (1981), p. 4-6, 40-41. [F232 N5 M68 Special Collections and Remote Storage (requires notice for retrieval)]. A panel discussion held by the Chamber of Commerce in 1981 on the subject of revitalization and growth of downtown Blacksburg. The participants were the town manager, director of planning, a banker, and a director of promotions at University Mall.
• Tucker, Mattie Lamb. MEMORIES. N.p., 1980. [F232 M7 T93 Special Collections]. Using written reminiscences, newspaper articles, letters, and pictures, the author tells of her birth, marriage, motherhood, and life in Blacksburg (including such activities as being a Gray Lady, home demonstration member, Rebecca, and Methodist church member). A section with pictures entitled "Some things about Blacksburg" includes, for example, "Mr. Tip Evan's Undertaker Shop was on the corner of Church Street and on another corner was the jail." No index.