This book is a local history and genealogical text describing the families that settled in the upper Yadkin River valley from the 1760's through the mid 20th century. It includes many letters and diary entries, and has an excellent and well-researched genealogical table as well. These families were the leading citizens in Surry, Caldwell, Wilkes, and Watauga counties in North Carolina, and their accouts provide a fair respresentation of family life in piedmont North Carolina.