This archive preserves a richly illustrated presentation given by Dr. Jim Glanville to the Smyth County Genealogical Society. In it, Glanville re-centers the American Indian story of Southwest Virginia—especially Holstonia—through archeological, linguistic, and cultural evidence, asserting that the earliest identifiable peoples of the region were Yuchi-speaking tribes.
Knowledge Base
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Appalachian Region (1 Article)
Regional geography, community narratives, and cultural significance
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Conflict & Colonization (2 Articles)
Civil War, European expansion, territorial disputes
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Early European Contact (1 Article)
Spanish entradas, Soto/Pardo, indigenous interaction narratives
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Education & Legacy (3 Articles)
Jim’s academic journey, teaching career, and legacy preservation
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Historical Timelines (3 Articles)
Chronological summaries of major events, helpful for grants & educators
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Indigenous Insights (4 Articles)
Cherokee, Yuchi, and other Native perspectives or cultural integration
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Lecture Notes & Reviews (2 Articles)
Transcripts or summaries from lectures, Saltville community talks, reviews
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Observations (1 Article)
Personal stories, field notes, and reflections from others about Jim or archives
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Pre-Colonial History (3 Articles)
Research and archives from before 1607; Mississippian culture, early Saltville loreico-book
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Scientific Findings (1 Article)
Archeology, geology, x-ray crystallography, salt springs, carbon dating
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The Glanville Archives (3 Articles)
Special category highlighting Jim’s authored or co-authored works
7 Articles
This archive chronicles Saltville’s pivotal role in the Civil War as the Confederacy’s main salt producer. Highlighting economic, military, and human dimensions, this work documents Saltville’s industrial might, the twin battles of 1864, and the town’s lasting Civil War legacy.
This article explores the 1774 Fort Gower Resolves, a foundational yet often overlooked document in Virginia’s path toward American independence. Dr. Glanville presents their civic impact and ties them directly to the legacy of leadership rooted in the Holston River Valley.
This landmark article uncovers the pivotal role of surveyor William Preston in orchestrating one of the most expansive land claims in colonial Virginia. Dr. Glanville connects Preston’s surveying empire with the broader system of elite land speculation—linking genealogical power, economic control, and political privilege across Appalachia. From headrights to treasury rights, this archive lays bare the colonial land mechanisms that shaped modern Virginia.
This presentation offers compelling photographic and historical evidence that Mississippian-era American Indian cultures were deeply rooted in Smyth and Washington Counties, Virginia. Dr. Glanville, an independent scholar and adopted Yuchi Indian, assembled rare archival photographs and personal research to reveal a forgotten Indigenous presence—often overlooked by mainstream archeology.
This article introduces vital documentary evidence of the Yuchi people in Virginia, including a rare 1857 intertribal roll curated by the Remnant Yuchi Nation. Dr. Glanville—a dedicated researcher and adopted Yuchi member—presents new insights into the cultural continuity, spiritual resilience, and historical presence of the Yuchi in Smyth and Washington Counties. This roll, published here for the first time, is a bridge between Indigenous memory and academic restoration.
This research highlights compelling evidence that Spanish conquistadors reached Saltville, Virginia in 1567. Dr. Glanville’s detailed examination of historical routes, supported by maps and early records, challenges previous assumptions about the region’s early European contact.