Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

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

Acquisition Information

The two volumes came to the Library of Virginia in a transfer of court papers from Washington County under the accession number 44413. The filmed item was microfilmed by the Library of Virginia's Imaging Services Division.

Historical Information

Washington County is the first locality in the United States known to have been named for George Washington. It was formed from Fincastle County in 1776, and a part of Montgomery County was added in 1777.

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

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

Record of Abingdon Township, 1870-1875, consists of minutes and accounts. Information recorded includes notes about levies and taxes, division of the township into election districts, division of the township into road districts, officials' payments, payment of road accounts, road overseer appointments, overseer of the poor accounts, road commissioner reports, and other claims against the township for payment. The reason for the claim is usually stated as is the amount.

North Fork Township Treasurer's Book, 1870-1874, consists of accounts kept by the township treasurer. Information recorded includes money paid in and out for things such as officials' services, road commissioner and road overseer accounts, taxes, and township warrants.

Saltville Township Order Book, 1870-1875, consists of minutes and accounts. Pages 3-23 contain township accounts for things such as the levy, taxes collected, warrants issued, payments to township officials, and road overseer accounts. Pages 129-161 contain the township minutes. Information recorded includes levies for roads, property taxes, mileage and payments allowable for physicians treating the poor, division of the township into election districts, payment allowed for furnishing a coffin for a pauper, division of the township into road districts, elections of road overseers, officials' payments, requirements for the construction of roads, road and overseer of the poor claims, purchase of property to construct a township office, and other financial busines of the township.

Index Terms

Corporate Names:

• Washington County (Va.) Overseer of the Poor.
• Washington County (Va.). Circuit Court.

Subjects:

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

Geographical Names:

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

Genre and Form Terms:

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

Added Entry - Corporate Name:

• Township of Abingdon (Washington County, VA)
• Township of North Fork (Washington County, VA)
• Township of Saltville (Washington County, VA)