Piedmont Trails Video Archives

Videos about our current projects, colonial roads, early settlements and research techniques.

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Aired February 26th-The discussion concentrates on the first road leading west from Virginia. The presentation includes the Ingles Ferry Road, the Long Island Road, Boone’s Trace, Avery’s Trace, and the Great Watauga Road in North Carolina. Further discussion on fort and station locations and mapping details.

Virginia Migrations 1750-1790

Aired January 29th-The discussion concentrates on the Virginia Migration Routes 1750 to 1790. I encourage everyone to have a modern Virginia map handy when watching the presentation. Details are given on the most popular routes during the 18th century.

The Great Wagon Road During The 1730 Decade

Aired November 27th-The discussion concentrates on the Great Wagon Road during the 1730 decade. Several early maps are mentioned that can be located online and a brief description about the original route for the Great Wagon Road is given from Pennsylvania to Georgia.

Colonial Families & Genealogical Records

Surnames Along the Great Wagon Road

This video presentation names over 50 surnames of families who lived along the Great Wagon Road. Land Deeds are the prevalent resource and others are mentioned at the end of the video.

Early History & Genealogy of Washington County, TN

The video goes into great detail about the origins of Washington County, TN. The people, the roads, and the early settlements are all mentioned in the program.

100 Surnames Along the Catawba River, NC

The surnames date from 1740 to 1770. Explicit details are given on each of these families. Resources are given at the end of the presentation.

Surnames From 1730 to 1740 In Virginia Along the Banks of the Roanoke & James Rivers

The presentation mentions over 75 surnames dating from 1730 to 1740. Resources are given for these families and a brief history of the area is included.

Colonial Records 1700-1776

This video offers research techniques with lesser-known colonial records.

Genealogy & History In North Carolina

The presentation discusses all things related to genealogy & history in North Carolina.

Census Records: Problems & Struggles

This video goes into detail about the Federal Census records. Many are not aware of the original copies and what notes they reveal about our ancestors. This video shares this and much more.

Virginia Colonial Church Records

The video goes into great detail about Virginia earliest church records. Many resources are shared at the end of the presentation.

Researching The Land Deeds

The presentation begins in the 19th-century and ends in the 16th-century. Beginning with land offices in the western states and working our way through statehood of the original 13 colonies. Military Bounty Land Deeds, Land Grants and British Land Charters are also given with detail. French and Spanish land records were discussed and over 50 sources shared with the audience.

18th Century Families in Western North Carolina

The discussion concentrates on the early land grants along the main waterways. Over 75 surnames are mentioned and over 15 valuable resources that date to the 18th-century. Over 25 cemeteries are named that contain burials dating to the late 1700s.

Washington County: From North Carolina to Tennessee

Aired September 25th- Washington County From North Carolina to Tennessee. The presentation shares over 70 surnames of families arriving in eastern TN during the colonial period. Many valuable resources are shared and among these are original documents digitized for viewing.

Ghost Stories & Family Stories

Aired October 30th-The discussion concentrates on the importance of family stories and how they give our family trees character. Various ghost stories are shared along with many books from the Piedmont Trails Library. A fun open format.

Follow the Old Roads

The forgotten paths of yesterday hold the footsteps of your ancestors

Migration: Colonial Roads

Early Kentucky Roads

The history and location of over 15 colonial roads in Kentucky are discussed in this video. Several landmarks and early families are mentioned with resources shared at the end of the presentation.

Updates From the Great Wagon Road Project

This video shares updates from the Great Wagon Road Project. The project originated during 2019 but Carol has researched the road for over forty years. Various resources are shared at the end of the presentation.

The Great Wagon Road in Southern Virginia & Northern North Carolina

This video discusses the route of the Great Wagon Road in southern portions of Virginia and upper North Carolina. Several surnames are mentioned with historical data.

Early Road History in the Southern Colonies

The presentation goes into detail how colonial roads came into existence and where they were located in the southern colonies.

Early Migration Patterns

One of the early videos of Piedmont Trails describing the migration patterns of the 18th century.

The Trading Years

This presentation goes into detail about the Native Americans living in South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Georgia and Tennessee. The timeline for the video starts in the early years of the 18th-century. The video discusses trade and how it affected the Native Americans. Early routes and paths are also discussed. Research resources are shared at the end of the program.

Early Migration Trails

This is an early video discussing the 18th-century migration routes from the middle colonies to the southern colonies.

Early Roads & the Records

This presentation goes into detail about the early roads of the colonial period and how you can discover the records associated with them.

Colonial Western Pennsylvania

This video names the early roads in western Pennsylvania prior to 1750. Native American villages are mentioned as well as early traders. Many of these roads became major migration routes into the Ohio Valley and Kentucky. All of our resources are shared at the end of the presentation.

Western Migrations 1846-1856

The video goes into detail about the Oregon Trail and names several businesses who hold records from early families traveling west. Many resources are named at the end of the presentation.

Great Wagon Road Updates

Aired June 26th, 2022-Overwhelming new evidence shared about the original route of the Great Wagon Road. Much of the data was NEWS to Piedmont Trails. We share the treasures from the project and share techniques on how you can discover your ancestor’s migration pattern.

More videos are found on our YouTube Channel. We have various presentations giving details about our main projects and current research. Visit the Piedmont Trails channel to learn more.

New additions will be added to the website archive collection in the future months. Stay up to date by subscribing to Piedmont Trails. Our Live Streams are held monthly. The schedule will appear on our Home Page.

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About Our Videos

Most of our videos are filmed in the Attic of Piedmont Trails. The Attic is filled with many of our research materials that we are currently using. The information that is shared may vary due to ongoing investigations and present research.

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