The Vinton County Group Project takes its name from a 1957 paper authored by Calvin Beale entitled, “American Triracial Isolates: Their Status and Pertinence to Genetic Research.” Members descend from a group of individuals originally from Louisa County, Virginia, who moved in the mid 1830’s to what was then Gallia County, Ohio. These individuals had the last names of Thacker, Napper and Dorton. This is a geographic study of the group’s descendants, looking at Y-Chromosome (direct paternal line) and a mitochondrial DNA (direct maternal line) with the hope of discovering the origins of our mixed racial roots, along with understanding how the members of the group were related. While the main surnames are Thacker, Napper and Dorton, anyone descending from this original group either in a direct paternal or direct maternal line is welcome to join the project.