This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!
Oakvale’s Early Builders and Notable Figures Revealed
Oakvale, originally Frenchville, gained its charter in 1907 near the Virginia Railway completion. Pioneer Peter Dingess built the first double log house and corn mill, owning 2,800 acres. Isreal Jones sheltered two future presidents during 1862, and Captain William Smith helped shape local government and the Mercer County Courthouse site. The town sits along Route 112 west of old 460, once served by both Norfolk and Western and Virginian railroads.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Oakvale
Frenchville
Virginia
Delbert Whitlow
Peter Dingess
Whitlow
Pigeon Creek
Dingess
Isreal Jones
United States
McKinley
William Smith
Mercer
House of Delegates
Mercer County
Smith
Sally Dingess
Virginia Railroad
Norfolk and Western