MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Va. – As the United States celebrates its 350th anniversary, Montgomery County is marking the occasion by celebrating a rare piece of American history in its possession.
15 years ago, the Montgomery County Clerk of the Circuit Court made a huge discovery: Four pieces of paper from 1866 that list the marriages and children of formerly enslaved people who lived in the area.
The cohabitation register is one of the few surviving primary documents about African Americans from that time, offering many new chances for descendants to explore their family history.
“You and I are very privileged because we can go on ancestry and we can research our family all the way back as far as we want to, as long as there’s a record for it. And to have this unique record in Montgomery County, I’m very grateful for because I think everyone should have the privilege to research their family and sadly, not everyone has that privilege.”
Tiffany M. Couch, Montgomery County Master Cicuit Court Clerk
The original documents are held at the Montgomery County Courthouse in Christiansburg. The pages have been digitized for safekeeping so anyone can see them online here.