Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Roanoke County (Va.) Township Records, 1870-1875. Local government records collection, Roanoke County Court Records. The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia 23219.

Acquisition Information

These items came to the Library of Virginia in transfers of court papers from Roanoke County.

Historical Information

Roanoke County was named for the Roanoke River. The name is an Indian word meaning shell money. The county was formed from Botetourt County in 1838, and part of Montgomery County was added later.

The 1870 Virginia Constitution required that each county in the state be divided into no less than three townships (see Article VII, section 2). Based on the New England administrative organization of a county, each township would elect the administration officials for the offices of supervisor, clerk, assessor, collector, commissioner of the roads, overseer of the poor, justice of the peace, and constable. The supervisors of each township would comprise the board of supervisors for the county, and would be responsible for auditing the county accounts, examining the assessors' books, regulating property valuation, and fixing the county levies. The Acts of Assembly provided that each township be divided into school and electoral districts (see Acts of Assembly 1869-1870, Chapter 39). A constitutional amendment in 1874 changed the townships into magisterial districts and each district elected one supervisor, three justices of the peace, one constable, and one overseer of the poor. The supervisors of the districts made up the county board of supervisors whose duties were identical as those set out in 1870. The published Acts of Assembly appended a list of township names by county following the acts for every year that townships existed in Virginia.

Scope and Content

Roanoke County (Va.) Township Records, 1870-1875, consist of three volumes of minutes and accounts relating to the administrative functions of the township boards of the county.

Catawba Township Board Minutes, 1870-1875, contains minutes and accounts. Information recorded includes division of the township into road districts, appointment of road overseers, appointment of election judges, accounts allowable against the township board, establishment of rates allowable for road work, road overseer reports and accounts, establishment of the township levy and road tax rates, reports from the township collector about tax and other financial matters, overseer of the poor accounts allowed, and accounts of the township treasurer and collector.

Cave Spring Township Board Minutes, 1871-1875, consists of minutes and accounts. Information recorded includes establishment of township levy and road tax rates, division of the township into road districts, appointment of road overseers, road overseer reports, election reports, drawing of election precincts, and several pages of accounts allowable against the township board and accounts related to the levy.

Salem Township Board Minutes, 1871-1875, consists of minutes and accounts. Information recorded includes appointment of election judges, road overseer reports, establishment of tax and levy rates, accounts allowed against the township board, adjustment of road district boundaries, appointment of road overseers, settlement of tax tickets from the collector with the board, and the lease of a toll road to Joseph James.

Index Terms

Corporate Names:

• Roanoke County (Va.). Circuit Court.

Subjects:

• County government -- Records and correspondence -- Virginia -- Roanoke County.
• Local finance -- Virginia -- Roanoke County.
• Local government -- Virginia -- Roanoke County.
• Public records -- Virginia -- Roanoke County.

Geographical Names:

• Roanoke County (Va.) -- History -- 19th century.

Genre and Form Terms:

• Accounts -- Virginia -- Roanoke County.
• Local government records -- Virginia -- Roanoke County.
• Minute books -- Virginia -- Roanoke County.
• Township records -- Virginia -- Roanoke County.

Added Entry - Corporate Name:

• Township of Catawba (Roanoke County, VA)
• Township of Cave Spring (Roanoke County, VA)
• Township of Salem (Roanoke County, VA)