Page 11 - History of Rockingham Co
P. 11
First in natural order and importance are the official
records to be found in the land office at Richmond and in the
county clerks' offices of Orange, Augusta, and Rockingham
County. The records of marriages, of land sales, and of
court proceedings are rich in facts and interest and signifi-
cance. Of almost equal importance with these original
records, are the many printed volumes of Hening's Statutes
and the Acts of the General Assembly of Virginia. Old
almanacs and files of old newspapers have been found to
contain circumstantial accounts of important events that
could scarcely be obtained from any other source. Old files of
the Rockingham Register have proved of special value in this
respect. Containing as they do particular and contemporary
accounts of practically every notable happening in the county
within the past ninety years, the successive issues of the
Register are a very treasure-house to the student and anti-
Aquarian. complete and well-preserved file of the Register,
from the first issue in 1822 to the present, would be sought
after eagerly by any of the great libraries of the country,
and would command almost any price. Although the writer
has not seen any complete file of this paper, he has been
exceedingly fortunate in securing what is perhaps the best
file in existence. Through the generous kindness of Mr. R.
B. Smythe, manager of the News-Register Company, Har-
risonburg, Va., he now has in his possession Register files
covering many years. These have been found most helpful
in the preparation of this book. Miss Hortense Devier,
whose father, Giles Devier, was for many years editor of the
said paper, has made a generous loan of extended files. In
addition to these files, many fugitive copies of the Register,
some dating back almost to the first issue, have been put
into the author's hands by his friends, as either a gift or a
loan. Special acknowledgement is made to Hon. Geo. E.
Sipe for access to files of the Old Commonwealth. For all
these favors he is duly grateful.
He has also had put at his disposal files of other pe-
riodicals, old ledgers and day books, and even personal manu-
Ascripts and diaries. manuscript account of Harrisonburg,
vii
records to be found in the land office at Richmond and in the
county clerks' offices of Orange, Augusta, and Rockingham
County. The records of marriages, of land sales, and of
court proceedings are rich in facts and interest and signifi-
cance. Of almost equal importance with these original
records, are the many printed volumes of Hening's Statutes
and the Acts of the General Assembly of Virginia. Old
almanacs and files of old newspapers have been found to
contain circumstantial accounts of important events that
could scarcely be obtained from any other source. Old files of
the Rockingham Register have proved of special value in this
respect. Containing as they do particular and contemporary
accounts of practically every notable happening in the county
within the past ninety years, the successive issues of the
Register are a very treasure-house to the student and anti-
Aquarian. complete and well-preserved file of the Register,
from the first issue in 1822 to the present, would be sought
after eagerly by any of the great libraries of the country,
and would command almost any price. Although the writer
has not seen any complete file of this paper, he has been
exceedingly fortunate in securing what is perhaps the best
file in existence. Through the generous kindness of Mr. R.
B. Smythe, manager of the News-Register Company, Har-
risonburg, Va., he now has in his possession Register files
covering many years. These have been found most helpful
in the preparation of this book. Miss Hortense Devier,
whose father, Giles Devier, was for many years editor of the
said paper, has made a generous loan of extended files. In
addition to these files, many fugitive copies of the Register,
some dating back almost to the first issue, have been put
into the author's hands by his friends, as either a gift or a
loan. Special acknowledgement is made to Hon. Geo. E.
Sipe for access to files of the Old Commonwealth. For all
these favors he is duly grateful.
He has also had put at his disposal files of other pe-
riodicals, old ledgers and day books, and even personal manu-
Ascripts and diaries. manuscript account of Harrisonburg,
vii
