Pittsylvania Packet
The Pittsylvania Packet is a quarterly journal. It features articles on Pittsylvania County history and genealogy; updates on Pittsylvania Historical Society meetings, events, etc.; queries on genealogy research and property history from Pittsylvania Historical Society members; and other items deemed appropriate for this publication.
The Pittsylvania Packet began in 1993. (The Quill Pen was the title of the Pittsylvania Historical Society's preceding quarterly.)
Below are the issues from Fall 2002 to Fall 2007. They are presented in two formats; PDFs that closely match the original publications and as html pages (the html versions omit and/or correct some out-of-date or problematical information; some typos, etc. have also been corrected and, where possible, links were updated in the Spring of 2013).
Questions regarding the Pittsylvania Packet can be emailed to Sarah E. Mitchell or addressed to:
Pittsylvania Historical Society
P. O. Box 1148
Chatham, VA 24531
Pittsylvania Packet, Fall 2002, No. 46
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Table of Contents
- President's Report by J. Fuller Motley
- Fall Meeting Features Clerk's Office Museum Plans by Langhorne Jones, Jr., Chairman, Museum Committee
- Heating and Air Added to the 1813 Clerk's Office
- Train Station Grant Received by Susan Worley
- Reynolds Homestead Exhibits Jesse Andrews' Photodocumentary
- November Bus Tour Focuses on Mid-1800's, Southeastern Pittsylvania
- “Christmas in Historic Chatham” Planned for December 6-7
- Herman Melton's New Book Tells of Crime and Punishment in County
- Sarah Mitchell Appointed Packet Editor
- Pittsylvania County Jails (from research notes by Langhorne Jones, Sr.; submitted by Langhorne Jones, Jr.)
- A Chatham History Quiz by Henry H. Mitchell
- A Hundred Years of History: Society Acquires Valuable Publications
- Tobacco Curing Barn Reconstructed by Frances Hallam Hurt
- Tobacco Barn Replica Available
- Pittsylvania and the Beginnings of Bright Leaf by Maud Carter Clement (1879-1969)
- Queries: Thurman family
- New Membership Rates, New Members Drive Announced
Pittsylvania Packet, Winter 2003, No. 47
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Table of Contents
- President's Report by J. Fuller Motley
- Note from the Editor by Sarah E. Mitchell
- Notes from the Veterans History Project Committee
- Notes from the Museum Committee
- Winter Meeting to be held January 20th at 1813 Clerk's Office
- Melton Publishes 6th Hardcover Book
- Osborne Releases 4th Book
- Virginia Historical Inventory Available Online
- Red Means Renew
- Deadline for Submissions
- Housekeeping in Old Pittsylvania by Patricia B. Mitchell
- A Revolution That Failed: Secession in Pittsylvania County by Herman Melton
- What was the News In the Late 1800's? by Preston Moses
- The Packet Mailbag
Pittsylvania Packet, Spring 2003, No. 48
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Table of Contents
- Happy Spring! from Sarah E. Mitchell, Editor
- Spring Meeting to be held April 21st at 1813 Clerk's Office
- Virginia Garden Week: April 19-23
- Blossom's Garden Party: May 2 & 3
- Stanley Family Reunion: June 21
- New Directors Added to PHS Board
- Historical Society resubmits application for Train Station Funds
- HistoricChatham.com: Guides, Articles, Etc.
- PittPaths.com: Natural History Information
- Deadline for Submissions
- Mitchell Highlights Pringle Meyer's Collection at Winter Meeting by Chris Smith
- A 1914 Water Rent Bill
- Mama Sent Me To The Spring by Glenn Giles
- A Bit of Humor: Quotes from Sam Lovelace
Pittsylvania Packet, Summer 2003, No. 49
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Table of Contents
- Notes from the Editor from Sarah E. Mitchell
- Summer Picnic to be held July 21st at a Markham farm
- Saunders Family Reunion: August 2nd
- Rotary Club Event: September 20th
- Callands Festival: October 4th
- Historic Preservation Committee Accepts Nominations
- Interviewers, Interviewees Needed for Veterans History Project
- Pittsylvania County Heritage Book Seeks Writers
- Deadline for Submissions
- Civilian Conservation Corps Came to Life at Spring Meeting
- Three Virginia Revolutionary War Heroes
- The Menaboni Mural at Chatham Hall
- Uncommon Generosity: Landon Fuller
- “Cupids” Come to a Chatham Wedding
- Property Queries: Callands Courthouse; E.H. Fox and R.C. Saunders
Pittsylvania Packet, Fall 2003, No. 50
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Table of Contents
- President's Report from Fuller Motley
- Note from the Editor from Sarah E. Mitchell
- Fall Meeting to be held October 20th at 1813 Clerk's Office
- Christmas In Historic Chatham: December 5th-6th
- Chris Smith Resigns
- Correction Regarding Heritage Book
- Herman and Helen Melton Move
- Herman and Helen Melton Historical Fund Formed with DPC Foundation
- Deadline for Submissions
- Calland Cemetery to be Restored
- A WWII-Era Letter from Sgt. William Yeatts
- History Within A Day's Drive
- Family Queries: Brumfield and Whitehead
- Property Queries: Maud Carter Clement's Former Home
Pittsylvania Packet, Winter 2004, No. 51
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Table of Contents
- Retiring President's Report from Fuller Motley
- New President's Report from Langhorne Jones
- Winter Meeting to be held January 19th at 1813 Clerk's Office
- Danville Civil War Encampment: February 20th-22nd
- Gifts to PHS Tax-Deductible
- Remember to Renew!
- Corrections
- Heritage Book Deadline Extended
- Whitmell Farm Life School Materials Loaned to PHS
- New Board & Committee Members Announced
- PHS Restores Historic Books
- Deadline for Submissions
- Fashion Advice from a 1903 Pittsylvania Tribune
- Dolley Madison and The Coles Family of Virginia
- Pittsylvania County's Communities in The 1880's: Part I
Pittsylvania Packet, Spring 2004, No. 52
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Table of Contents
- President's Report by Langhorne Jones, Jr.
- Spring Meeting April 19th at 1813 Clerk's Office
- Virginia Garden Week: April 17th-25th
- “The Meadows” Bus Tour: May 15th
- Blossom's Garden Party: May 15th
- Red Dot Means Renew!
- New Ways to Order PHS Books
- Deadline for Submissions
- History & Genealogy at the Chatham Library by Sarah E. Mitchell
Pittsylvania's Missing Confederate Cannons by Herman Melton
- Genealogy Query: The White Family
- Architectural Query: Poindexter-Wood-Carpenter House
Pittsylvania Packet, Summer 2004, No. 53
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Table of Contents
- President's Report by Langhorne Jones, Jr.
- Note from the Editor by Sarah E. Mitchell
- Special Thanks to Our Patrons
- Summer Picnic: July 19th at Frances Hurt Park
- Callands Festival: October 2nd
- Deadline for Submissions
- Pittsylvania and Henry County Poor House Farms by Desmond Kendrick
- An Unusual Will
- The Last Five Hangings in Pittsylvania County
- Pittsylvania County's Communities in the 1880's: Part II
- Picture of the Past: Selling War Bonds
- Genealogy Query: Ingram/Dodson
Pittsylvania Packet, Fall 2004, No. 54
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Table of Contents
- President's Report by Langhorne Jones, Jr.
- Note from the Editor by Sarah E. Mitchell
- Callands Festival: October 2nd
- Fall Meeting: October 18th
- Parade: November 28th
- Christmas in Historic Chatham: December 2nd-3rd
- Deadline for Submissions
- Reprint of Herman Melton's Mill Books by Henry Hurt
- Some Recollections of My Grandfather by Langhorne Jones, Sr.
- Local Lady Leads the Way by Patricia B. Mitchell
- Going to the Store by Dail Yeatts
- A Couple of Old Car Stories by Dr. Ernest Overbey
Pittsylvania Packet, Winter 2005, No. 55
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Table of Contents
- President's Report by Langhorne Jones, Jr.
- Note from the Editor by Sarah E. Mitchell
- Winter Meeting: January 20th – Note different place, date, and time
- Deadline for Submissions
- Spring Bus Tour: April 9th
- Board Member Mack Doss Honored by Langhorne Jones, Jr.
- Callands Clerk's Office is Historic Gem by Mrs. Sam Hairston
- Blandwood by Sarah E. Mitchell
- Mysterious Millner Imprisoned in New York by Sarah E. Mitchell
Pittsylvania Packet, Spring 2005, No. 56
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Table of Contents
- President's Report by Langhorne Jones, Jr.
- Red Dot Means Renew!
- Note from the Editor by Sarah E. Mitchell
- Spring Bus Tour: April 9th
- Veterans Memorial Wall and Walkway
- Free Danville Genealogy Seminar: May 7th
- Second Heritage Book in the Works
- Group Formed to Preserve Harvey School
- Deadline for Submissions
- From Slave to Landowner: The Story of Ellen J. Miller
- Diphtheria and Pittsylvania County by Sarah E. Mitchell
- Feedsack Dresses by Jordan Kee
- Chatham Hall's Movie Star Margaret Sullavan by Sarah E. Mitchell
- Punishing A Profiteer in Pittsylvania
- Chatham's Papers & Population in 1876
Pittsylvania Packet, Summer 2005, No. 57
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Table of Contents
- Announcement Concerning the Melton Historical Fund from The PHS Board
- Summer Picnic: July 18th
- Saunders' Family Reunion: July 30th
- Vendors Needed for October 1st Callands Festival
- Deadline for Submissions
- Historical Society Receives Grant
- July 4th, 1860 in Chatham by Sarah E. Mitchell
- Hobo Lot by Frances Hallam Hurt
- The Old Whitefall House by James (Mack) Doss
- Queries: Banister River Baptist Church; Atkins/Adkins Family; Williams, Motley, Gravely, and Gordon Families
Pittsylvania Packet, Fall 2005, No. 58
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Table of Contents
- Bus Tour: September 10th
- Special PHS Membership Meeting: September 19th
- Regular PHS Membership Meeting: October 17th
- Deadline for Submissions
- Callands Festival: October 1st
- Callands Festival to be Held for the 25th year (A Retrospective)
- Gasoline and Other Prices of 1916 in Pittsylvania County (compiled by Sarah E. Mitchell)
- Discovery at Beavers' Mill (written by Robert (Bobby) Ricketts; research by Danny Ricketts)
- A Vignette on John William Compton, Civil War Soldier
Pittsylvania Packet, Winter 2006, No. 59
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Table of Contents
- President's Report
- Blue Means Do NOT Renew!
- PHS Membership Meeting: January 16th
- Encampment at the Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History: March 4, 2006
- Deadline for Submissions
- Bus Tour Provided Glimpse of County's Past by Susan Worley
- A Bit of Pittsylvania Poetry (introduction by Sarah E. Mitchell)
- Have You Worn A Chicken Lately? by Frances Hallam Hurt
- Abraham Chaney and his Revolutionary War Service (from Maud Carter Clement)
- The Double Payne Wedding on New Year's Eve, 1904
- Competition's Name Change to Chatham
- A True Story by Langhorne Jones, Sr., Glenn B. Updike, Sr., and Langhorne Jones, Jr.
- Genealogy Queries: McCarty/ McCarthy and Gaines
Pittsylvania Packet, Spring 2006, No. 60
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Table of Contents
- If Blue Dot on Label, Please Renew
- PHS Membership Meeting: April 17th
- PittsylvaniaHistoricalSociety.org launched
- Deadline for Submissions
- Update on the Southern Railway Depot Restoration
- Our Covered Bridge by James E. Stone
- The Stewart Family of Pittsylvania, Amelia, Henrico, and other Counties by Betty Brown
- Third Lieutenant Dryden Wright, Pigg River Invincibles, Co. C2, 46th Virginia Infantry: Letters to Home – September 1863 to April 1864 (Part I) by Stephen Thornton
- Baptist Church's Fundraising in 1869
- Spring Garden in 1835
- Research Queries: Haden family; Fenlaw (Fendlay), Stone, and Price families
Pittsylvania Packet, Summer 2006, No. 61
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Table of Contents
- Bus Tour and Luncheon: July 8th
- Virginia Historical Society opens Exhibit featuring Pittsylvania County Water Wheel: July 22nd
- Deadline for Submissions
- Picture from the Past: Car on Main Street in Chatham (circa 1920)
- Memorial Day Ceremony at 1813 Clerk's Office by Susan Worley
- Third Lieutenant Dryden Wright, Pigg River Invincibles, Co. C2, 46th Virginia Infantry: Letters to Home – September 1863 to April 1864 (Part II) by Stephen Thornton
- Queries: Hatchett family
Pittsylvania Packet, Fall 2006, No. 62
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Table of Contents
- PHS Membership Meeting: October 16th, 2006
- Callands Festival: October 7th, 2006 by Susan Worley
- Christmas in Historic Chatham: December 1st and 2nd, 2006
- Death of Richard Anderson Mourned
- Answer to the Summer Issue's Picture of the Past
- The Little Station that Stood by Glenn Giles
- Third Lieutenant Dryden Wright, Pigg River Invincibles, Co. C2, 46th Virginia Infantry: Letters to Home – September 1863 to April 1864 (Part III, Conclusion) by Stephen Thornton
Pittsylvania Packet, Winter 2007, No. 63
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Table of Contents
- Blue Means Do NOT Renew!
- PHS Membership Meeting: January 22nd
- Herman Melton Releases New Book
- Pictures from the Past: The Chatham Pharmacy and the Safe
- Chatham is Fire Swept: May 29, 1905
- An Important Dinner Party for Claude Swanson by Charles Minor Blackford, III
- “Pittsylvania” by Duval Porter
- Our Ice House by James Stone
Pittsylvania Packet, Spring 2007, No. 64
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Table of Contents
- PHS Membership Meeting: April 16th
- Local Garden Week Events: April 22nd and 26th
- Books on Growing up in Victorian Pittsylvania County Given to Area Libraries
- Picture from the Past: Mrs. Maurice Fitzgerald and Daughter
- Competition Laid Out: June 16th, 1807
- Our First Meeting: A Love Story by F. Zane Kinn
- Efforts to Care for Injured Horses During the Civil War by Sarah E. Mitchell
Pittsylvania Packet, Summer 2007, No. 65
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Table of Contents
- PHS Membership Meeting at Callands: July 16th at 6:30 PM
- Saunders/English Family Reunion: Aug. 4th
- 27th Annual Callands Festival: Oct. 6th
- Guide to Virginia Historical Markers Given in Honor of Paul Harold to Local Libraries
- The Race to the Dan Published
- Local Sources For Race to the Dan Info
- Bathrooms Added Near Clerk's Office
- Preservation Prevails
- Advertisement from the Past: A Tavern for Sale in the 1820's
- Picture from the Past: Geese in Chatham
- The County Flag: Pride of Pittsylvania by Mrs. Archie Beverley
- Query: Searching for Hodges' Family
Pittsylvania Packet, Fall 2007, No. 66
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Table of Contents
- “Musical Traditions from Pittsylvania County:” Fall Membership Meeting, Monday, October 15, 2007 at 7:00 PM at Yates Tavern near Gretna, Virginia
- 27th Annual Callands Festival: Oct. 6th
- Virginia Genealogical Society Conference: November 2 and 3, 2007
- Christmas in Historic Chatham: December 7 and 8, 2007
- Advertisement from the Past: A 1903 Barbershop
- Chatham Depot Baggage Cart Restored by Glenn Giles
- Yates Tavern
- Pittsylvania Ponders Secession