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.
Conflict & Colonization
Civil War, European expansion, territorial disputes
3 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 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.