The Cumberland Gap Genealogical Collection was endowed by Dr. Robert M. Blake of Maysville, Kentucky, in 1990 in memory of his late wife, Mrs. Noma Osborne Blake, who was a Barbourville native and a proponent of preserving the heritage of the mountain families of the tri-state area of Eastern Kentucky, Eastern Tennessee, and Southwestern Virginia. The collection supports genealogical research for students, faculty, and the local community.
This collection contains nearly 300 volumes featuring sound and video recordings of oral histories; censuses, birth records, death records, and wills from different counties; and family histories. There are also guides on how to conduct genealogical research, how to trace your family tree, and where to find records offices.
A complete list of books and journals in the collection can be found below
For more research assistance, please see these academic subject library guides:
The Union College Archives has yearbooks and other photographs that could aid in genealogical research.