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Rockingham County Historical
Collections
In
all of us there is a hunger to know our heritage ... to know who we are and
where we came from. --Alex Haley
Overview of the Historical Collections
History & Mission
Research Aids
Local Newspapers
Private Papers & Collections
Publications
Digital Photographs
Washington Mills Collection
Rockingham Community College
Historical Village
Staff
Hours
Contact Information
Miscellaneous Notes for
Researchers
Suggested Web
Resources for Genealogy and Local History
The Rockingham County Historical Collections, funded through the auspices of the Rockingham Community College Foundation, are housed in the Gerald B. James Library. For well over a decade, visitors from all parts of the United States have come here to do genealogical and historical research related to Rockingham County.
The room
opened in 1982 as a place to preserve local historical and genealogical
resource materials and to make them available to the public. A growing
collection of artifacts, newspapers, local histories, deeds, wills,
trusts, marriage notices and similar documents are housed here.
Click
here
for a detailed history and mission of the Rockingham County Historical
Collections.
There are three essential types of research aids available in the Historical Collections Room (HCR):
MicroficheNorth Carolina Marriage Bond Index -- A statewide listing of marriages through ca. 1868. The index is arranged by both grooms' and brides' (maiden) names.
MicrofilmCensus Records -- U. S. Federal Census for Rockingham County from 1790 and every ten years thereafter through 1920 (with the exception of 1890). Also, statewide indexes for the census from 1790 - 1860. The Rockingham County portions of the 1850-1870 censuses have been published and indexed and are available.
County Records -- While
we are in close proximity to the Rockingham County Courthouse at
Wentworth, we do have a limited collection of county records on microfilm.
Deeds and wills from the late 18th and 19th centuries, County Court
minutes from 1786-1868, and County Commissioners Minutes from 1870 -
present make up the majority of county records available.
Local Newspapers -- We do not have local newspapers for the county prior to the 1870s (with a few exceptions). Therefore, one might consult the Greensborough Patriot for the 1820s - 1880s for local news and obituaries. Holdings also include 19th century newspapers from Raleigh, N.C. and from Caswell and Stokes Counties, N.C. For Rockingham County we have the following newspapers:
The James Library is working on a project to index historic Rockingham County newspapers. At the
present time, indexing for Reidsville newspapers for the years 1879-1906 is
underway. The index is accessible through
WebCat. Be sure to click the "Catalog Record" tab when looking
at search results to see the abstracts of the newspaper articles.
Municipal Records -- city council minutes.
Sanborn Insurance maps --
maps for several towns in the county.
Vertical Files
In addition to microforms, there is a continuously growing collection of vertical files on a variety of subjects related to local history and genealogy.
There are also smaller collections
related to more specialized topics.
The Historical Collections contain many publications related to local and state history and genealogy.
Publications of the Rockingham County Historical Society
Cemetery Recordings - Listings from selected cemeteries in Rockingham and Stokes Counties by the James Hunter Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Indexed.
Abstracts of Rockingham County Deeds and Wills - From the late 18th and 19th centuries by Irene Webster.
View photographs from the Rockingham Community College Historical Collections here.
Rockingham Community College Historical Village
The historical village is comprised of four structures built from the mid
19th century through the early 20th century. The buildings were moved from
various locations within Rockingham County to the campus of Rockingham Community
College in Wentworth, NC. The structures include a log tobacco factory, a
tobacco barn and a corn crib, as well as a one room school house. The village is
open to the public during the Rockingham County Folk Festival held in May of
each year on the Rockingham Community College campus. View photos and more
information
here.
Bob Carter, Historical Consultant ...... ext. 2153
Rita Gantt, HCR Clerk ............. ext. 2291
PLEASE NOTE: The Historical Consultant and the
Historical Collections Room Clerk are part-time employees. For this
reason, those visitors needing special assistance are urged to call ahead
when planning a visit.
The Historical Collections are
open the same hours as the James Library.
Historical Collections Room
Rockingham Community
College
P.O. Box 38
Wentworth, NC 27375
PHONE (336) 342-4261 ext. 2153 pr 2291
FAX (336) 342-1203
EMAIL
Miscellaneous Notes for Researchers
There are no public death and birth records for North Carolina counties prior to 1913. For Rockingham County records of this nature, please see the County Register of Deeds Office (phone 336-342-8820) at the Courthouse in Wentworth. Land and marriage records are also maintained at the Deeds Office. Land records are also available online through e-Vault. Estate and court records can be found in the County Clerk of Superior Court Office at the Courthouse. In addition, the James Library is working on a project to index historic Rockingham County newspapers. At the present time, indexing for Reidsville newspapers for the years 1879-1906 is underway. The index is accessible through WebCat. There are many marriages and deaths reported in these newspapers, as well as other local news. Be sure to click the "Catalog Record" tab when looking at search results to see the abstracts of the newspaper articles.
Prior to 1850, only the heads of households were named in the census
records. From 1850 and thereafter, all residents of the household are
listed. The 1890 census for Rockingham County, along with most of the
United States, was destroyed by fire.
The Rockingham County Public Library in Madison (140 East Murphy St., Madison, NC 27025; Phone 336-548-6553) maintains an excellent collection of genealogical materials from Rockingham and many other counties of North Carolina, Virginia and other states.
Publications, maps and other materials related to
Rockingham County history and genealogy may be obtained through the Rockingham
County Historical Society (P.O. Box 84,
Wentworth, NC 27375). Questions and comments related to Rockingham
County history may also be directed to the Society (Phone 336-342-5901).
Suggested Web Resources for Genealogy and Local History
e-Vault - Rockingham County Register of Deeds - Every land record for Rockingham County since 1787
USGenNet - Census records, cemetery information, history, maps and more for Rockingham County.
Cyndi's List of Genealogy Sites on the Internet - Largest collection of genealogy links on the Web.
Ancestry Home Town - More than 200 million names from marriage, death, military, land, county and other records may be searched.
FamilySearch - Largest collection of free family history data in the world.
Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers - This site from the Library of Congress allows you to search and read newspaper pages from 1900-1910 and find information about American newspapers published between 1690-present.
Welcome to Leaksville, NC - Site dedicated to the memory of Leaksville, NC which was founded in 1797 and merged with Spray and Draper in 1967 to become Eden, NC. Includes historical information and photos.
Avalon: A Forgotten Town Remembered - Story of the nearly forgotten town of Avalon near Mayodan which was the site of a tragic mill fire in 1911.
Early School
Buildings in Rockingham County - Names and locations of schools, dates
of construction and closing, current uses and condition of buildings.
