Gordon Aronhime Papers—Southwest Virginia Card File

Gordon Aronhime (1911-1983) was a historian, writer, and photographer who resided in Bristol, Virginia. (Accession 32554) Aronhime's exhaustive research into the early history of Southwest Virginia focused on the upper Holston-Clinch River area during the period 1770-1795. As part of his research he attempted to verify and/or locate mills, forts, settlements, military events, place names, and Indian affairs. He wrote biographical sketches of a number of prominent area settlers. There are also sketches on revolutionary war soldiers and activities, the postal system, and Washington County tithable lists (1782-1784).

The card file which has been scanned lists all verifiable adult males in the area in the last quarter of the eighteenth century, as well as information on early East Tennessee settlers. Another card file includes a partial list of those present at the Battle of King's Mountain (1780) and lists of ministers (with genealogical information). (See General Arrangement of Finding Aid.)

General Arrangement of Finding Aid

General arrangement is alphabetical by last name. There are more than 4,000 entries which, in most cases, indicate birth and death dates, marriage information, children, abstract of will, and other biographical information if available. Information is sometimes continued on a second card. Sources are noted.

Entries for upper Holston-Clinch River area comprise index points ABBOTT-YANCEY. Subject indexes for KINGS MOUNTAIN, MILLS, MINISTERS, FORTS, and miscellaneous NOTES are next followed by an alphabetical listing of Tennessee settlers, ABBOTT-YANCEY.

Key to Source Abbreviations

Format of Collection

Handwritten and typed cards.

Related Resources

Gordon Aronhime Papers, 1959-1977 (LVA Accession 28947, 29410, 30154, 31997, 32554)