|
It meets on the 4th Sunday of each month (but no meeting in December), at 2:30 PM, in the Alleghany County Public Library located at 122 N. Main Street in Sparta. (Changes in meeting time or place are announced in the local newspaper; be sure to check there if you plan to attend.) The Society's collection of genealogical books and papers is in a special section of the library.
In addition to census records for the county and civil war books, we have accumulated information on a number of local families. An alphabetical index of this information is contained in a table entitled "Genealogical Resources in the Alleghany Library." The publication of the Society is a quarterly bulletin. Each member receives a copy of this bulletin. Anyone may join under one of the following categories: Individual - $10 annually; Business, institutional, or professional - $20 annually; Sustaining - $50 annually; or Life Member - $100 in one payment. Send your check, payable to the Alleghany Historical-Genealogical Society, to P.O. Box 817, Sparta, NC 28675.
The first project the Society embarked on was the long and tedious work of surveying all the cemeteries in the county, concentrating first on the small family plots in remote areas where cattle were grazing and cemetery fences were disappearing and stones being broken. We recorded nearly 300 burial plots including church and community cemeteries. The Society published this information in October 1988 in Alleghany County Cemeteries, which can be consulted at the Library. This book may be purchased from the Society and at several locations in Sparta; go to the General Store for details on ordering. We hope to provide the data from this book here on this website as soon as possible.
The Society then undertook, with the Hunter Publishing Company, to compile and publish theAlleghany County Heritage, a book which was published in October 1983 and consists of 555 pages with a great number of pictures. Over 700 families submitted genealogical information and family histories. This is a great source of information for anyone searching for roots in this area. We plan to reprint articles from this book here on this website. Again, check the General Store for details on ordering.
For many years, the Society has collected and preserved historical items of many types: photographs, paintings, aboriginal artifacts, furniture, work implements and other materials which illustrate the life, conditions, events and activities of the past and present. At present, we do not have a room or building where these materials can be adequately displayed, but it has long been the hope of the Society to establish a Museum where these items can be stored and studied.
The following is an extract from the constitution of the Society and serves to illustrate the wide range of activities we are interested in. It explains why you will find a lot more than genealogy on this website.
"The purpose of this society shall be to bring together those people interested in genealogical and historical material in North Carolina and especially in Alleghany County. Understanding the genealogy and history of our community is basic to our democratic way of life, gives us a better understanding of our state and nation, and promotes a better appreciation of our American heritage.
"The society will function so as to discover and collect any material which may help to establish or illustrate the genealogy and history of the area: its exploration, settlement, development and activities in peace and in war; its progress in population, wealth, education, arts, science, agriculture, manufactures, trade, and transportation; and acquaint members with sources of genealogical materials in North Carolina and elsewhere. It will collect printed materials such as histories, genealogies, biographies, descriptions, gazetteers, directories, newspapers, pamphlets, catalogs, circulars, handbills, programs, and posters; manuscript materials such as letters, diaries, journals, memoranda, reminiscences, rosters, service records, account books, charts, surveys, and field books; and museum materials such as pictures, photographs, paintings, portraits, scenes, aboriginal relics, and material objects illustrative of life, conditions, events, and activities of the past and the present.
"The society will provide for the preservation of such material and for its accessibility, as far as may be feasible, to all who wish to examine or study it, to cooperate with officials in insuring the preservation and accessibility of the records and archives of the county and of its cities, towns, villages, and institutions."