Heritage of Wilkes County Volume III

Joseph Cox

Deadline July 31, 2026 . Please help us reach our goal.

Share Your Family Story — Be Part of Wilkes County History!

It’s been 35 years since the last Heritage of Wilkes County volume — and now it’s time for the next chapter!

We’re inviting all current and former residents of “Original” Wilkes County to record their family’s history for FREE in The Heritage of Wilkes County, Volume III.

Why Share Your Story?

Volumes I and II have become collectors’ items — some selling for as much as $600! Don’t let your family’s story be left out of this future treasure. Every family has a story worth telling — from names on the family tree to colorful personalities and traditions that shaped your heritage. Your story belongs in this collection. Our goal is to include at least 300+ family-written stories in the new volume.

🖋️ How to Write Your Family History

  • Your story must be submitted in DOCX, ODT, or TXT format
  • Length: Up to 3 typed, double-spaced pages.
  • Style: Write comfortably in your own words — no outlines, notes, or lists.
  • Focus: Start with the present and work back through the generations.
  • Your family history can cover a wide range of topics and details, such as:
    • Birthdates and places
    • Family’s arrival in Wilkes County (if known)
    • Background information on ancestors and first immigrants
    • Education and church affiliation
    • Military service and community involvement
    • Marriage details (including maiden names and parents)
    • Children and their birthdates and places
    • AND, ESPECIALLY colorful anecdotes, family characteristics, and family folklore. The Heritage of Wilkes County is not a dry, textbook history, but a “people’s history”. It will show our personalities, our common ties and kinship to these mountains we call home.
  • Your last paragraph must include your sources, such as: Family Bible, Oral History (Oral history passed down through the family), Census, Deed book, wills, grave markers, etc.
  • You are more than welcome to submit more than one story

There is an example below of how your story will look in our book. Don’t get too hung up on the formatting we will format, we just need your story and.or photo. If you need help, do not hesitate to contact us.

🚫 What to Avoid

  • Due to space limitations, we cannot accept any family histories written as outlines, notes, or lists or family tree charts – write only in paragraph form

🖼️ Include a Photo

  • One photo per story (high-quality, 300 dpi minimum)
  • Preferred formats: TIF or PNG
  • No colorized photos
  • No photos of photos taken by your cell phone.

If this makes no sense to you, you can also take your photo to a place like CVS or Walmart and have them scan it for you. If you are local, contact us, and we can meet you at the library and scan your photo(s).

📬 How to Submit

Email your story and photo to

Note: The book committee reserves the right to edit.

EXAMPLES