HISTORY OF ALLEGHANY HIGHLANDS GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY

The Alleghany Highlands Genealogical Society is a grass roots, non-profit, non-stock corporation, chartered by the Commonwealth of Virginia in 1994. The Society is governed by a Board of Directors composed of the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Historian and three Members At Large. Membership is open to any applicant interested in furthering the objectives of the society without regard to race, creed, religion or social status.

The AHGS began meeting in 1991 to bring together persons interested in history of families of the Alleghany Highlands. The first meeting was held in the Charles P. Jones Library. Later, meetings were held in the basement of the Alleghany County Courthouse. Subsequently, a room was made available in the former Rivermont School Building. The Society has used this location since March 10, 1994.

Since its inception, AHGS membership has grown as well as the volumes of information available to those interested in researching their family history. To date, the work of the Society has utilized volunteer labor, without paid staff. Our outreach services include an on-going member recruitment program, publishing a quarterly newsletter, providing research assistance and information exchange with persons throughout the United States who have an interest in past and present inhabitants of our area.

The society has published approximately 19 books containing previously unpublished records of births, marriages, deaths, and inventories of cemeteries. We have published a pictorial book depicting people from the Alleghany Highlands. This book also includes genealogical information of some families. Through this work we have preserved pictures for future generations.

In addition, we have copied the records of numerous local funeral homes. Through our surname exchange program and our files of family records, we have assisted hundreds of people in filling gaps in their family histories that otherwise might have eluded them forever.

Users of the Society's services are typically over the age of 40 and mostly female. They are people of intelligence and talent, who are interested in leaving written evidence of the family's history. In previous times, such information was passed by word of mouth from one generation to another. With the onset of the computer age, rapidly changing life styles and the fragmentation of families, opportunities for sharing this kind of information are drastically reduced. Our clientele are researchers, professional and family, who want to close the gaps in information about someone's heritage. The resultant documentation will have its value in years to come. Today's researchers echo each other when they say, "if I don't do it now it will be lost forever."

Our clientele is located throughout the United States. The AHGS is their link to locating information about places, dates and events, which took place in Alleghany County, Virginia and surrounding areas. The AHGS Library is open to the public three days each week and we try to accommodate by appointment those who must travel for some distance and cannot visit Covington on these days. Work groups meet on alternate days to carry out various tasks which cannot be completed during hours of public access or which would interfere with researchers working within the 150 square feet of available floor space.

Researchers who contact the area's public libraries, neighboring genealogical and historical societies, the Chamber of Commerce, as well as Courthouses, are referred to the Society.

Library Business Hours
Tuesday, Thursday, & Friday
10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Other times by Appointment:
Call: Inna Henderson at 540-962-1501

or write

Alleghany Highlands Genealogical Society
Suite 102
1011 North Rockbridge Avenue
Covington, Virginia 24426

or email

InnaMcAlli@aol.com or dlhawsj@yahoo.com.

OBJECTIVES OF AHGS

TO PROMOTE GENEALOGY AND FAMILY HISTORY

TO PROVIDE INSTRUCTION IN FACTUAL RESEARCH, RECORD KEEPING AND PROVENANCE

TO LOCATE AND PRESERVE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE RECORDS AND TO ASSURE THEIR AVAILABILITY TO SOCIETY MEMBERS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC

TO ASSIST AND SUPPORT OTHER GENEALOGICAL AND HISTORICAL RESEARCH.

This page last Updated on August 11, 2009 by Joan Hawse Joan Hawse