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Fincastle Turnpike
The Fincastle Turnpike, also known as the "Fincastle and Blue Ridge Turnpike Company", was approved in 1834 by the Virginia General Assembly to maintain a toll turnpike that followed part of the Wilderness Road from Fincastle, Virginia, to the Cumberland Gap. The Fincastle Turnpike also connected Narrows, Virginia and Tazewell, Virginia along the way to the Cumberland Gap, following roughly what is today parts of Virginia State Route 42 and Virginia State Route 61. Toll road With the increase in commerce during the 1830s, Virginia increased the length and number of roads and turnpikes in the state. The Fincastle Turnpike was envisioned to assist commerce between the far southwestern parts of the state that were partially isolated due to difficult road conditions. In order to keep costs low, each county that the Fincastle Turnpike passed through was responsible for maintaining and improving their section. The turnpike passed through Botetourt County, Craig County, Virginia, Giles Coun ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wilderness Road
The Wilderness Road was one of two principal routes used by colonial and early national era settlers to reach Kentucky from the East. Although this road goes through the Cumberland Gap into southern Kentucky and northern Tennessee, the other (more northern route) is sometimes called the "Cumberland Road" because it started in Fort Cumberland in Maryland. Despite Kentucky Senator Henry Clay's advocacy of this route, early in the 19th century, the northern route was selected for the National Road, connecting near Washington, Pennsylvania into the Ohio Valley of northern Kentucky and Ohio. In 1775, Daniel Boone blazed a trail for the Transylvania Company from Fort Chiswell in Virginia through the Cumberland Gap. It was later lengthened, following Indian trails, to reach the Falls of the Ohio at Louisville. The Wilderness Road was steep, rough and narrow, and could be traversed only on foot or horseback. By contrast, wagons could travel along the National Road route (originally the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bland County, Virginia
Bland County is a county (United States), United States county located in the Southwest Virginia, southwestern portion of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia. Like most of Southwestern Virginia, it is part of the Appalachian region. The county seat is the unincorporated area of Bland, Virginia, Bland. Bland County was created in 1861 from parts of Wythe County, Virginia, Wythe, Tazewell County, Virginia, Tazewell, and Giles County, Virginia, Giles counties in Virginia. The new county was named in honor of Richard Bland, a Virginia statesman who served in the House of Burgesses and the Continental Congress. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the county population was 6,270, making it the List of cities and counties in Virginia, 4th least populated county in Virginia. Bland County is also one of the few counties in the United States that do not contain any incorporated municipalities. History The push to create Bland County resulted from ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bristol, Virginia
Bristol is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 17,219. It is the twin city of Bristol, Tennessee, just across the state line, which runs down the middle of its main street, State Street. It is surrounded on three sides by Washington County, Virginia, which is combined with the city for statistical purposes. Bristol is a principal city of the Kingsport–Bristol–Bristol, TN-VA Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson City–Kingsport–Bristol, TN-VA Combined Statistical Area – commonly known as the " Tri-Cities" region. History Evan Shelby first appeared in what is now the Bristol area around 1765. In 1766, Shelby moved his family and settled at a place called Big Camp Meet (now Bristol, Tennessee/Virginia). It is said that Cherokee Indians once inhabited the area and the Indian village was named, according to legend, because numerous deer and buffalo met here to feast in the canebra ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Salem, Virginia
Salem is an independent city in the U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 25,346. It is the county seat of Roanoke County, although the two are separate jurisdictions. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Salem with Roanoke County, which surrounds both Salem and the neighboring City of Roanoke, for statistical purposes. Salem has its own courthouse and sheriff's office, but shares a jail with Roanoke County, which is located in the Roanoke County Courthouse complex in Salem. The Roanoke County Sheriff's Office and Roanoke County Department of Social Services are also located within Salem, though the county administrative offices are located in unincorporated Cave Spring. Roanoke College is located in the city. Salem is also the home to a minor league baseball team, the Salem Red Sox. History The earliest history of Salem exists as archaeological evidence of Native American tribes from as far back as 8000 B.C. until the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Southwest Turnpike
The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each separated by 90 degrees, and secondarily divided by four ordinal (intercardinal) directions—northeast, southeast, southwest, and northwest—each located halfway between two cardinal directions. Some disciplines such as meteorology and navigation further divide the compass with additional azimuths. Within European tradition, a fully defined compass has 32 'points' (and any finer subdivisions are described in fractions of points). Compass points are valuable in that they allow a user to refer to a specific azimuth in a colloquial fashion, without having to compute or remember degrees. Designations The names of the compass point directions follow these rules: 8-wind compass rose * The four cardinal directions are north (N), east (E), s ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lee County, Virginia
Lee County is the westernmost county in the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 22,173. Its county seat is Jonesville. History The area of far western Virginia and eastern Kentucky supported large Archaic Native American populations. The first known Europeans to enter what is present-day Lee County were a party of Spanish explorers, Juan de Villalobos and Francisco de Silvera, sent by Hernando de Soto in 1540, in search of gold. The county was formed after the American Revolutionary War in 1792 from Russell County. It was named for Light Horse Harry Lee, the Governor of Virginia from 1791 to 1794, who was famous for his exploits as a leader of light cavalry during the war. He was the father of Robert E. Lee, later a West Point graduate and career US Army officer who became the General in Chief of the Armies of the Confederate States during the American Civil War. Lee County was the final front on the Kentucky Trace, now known as th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Scott County, Virginia
Scott County is a county located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 21,576. Its county seat is Gate City. Scott County was formed by an act of the General Assembly on November 24, 1814, from parts of Washington, Lee, and Russell Counties and was named for Virginia born General Winfield Scott. Scott County is part of the Kingsport–Bristol–Bristol, TN-VA Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is a component of the Johnson City–Kingsport–Bristol, TN-VA Combined Statistical Area, commonly known as the " Tri-Cities" region. The County Administrator is Freda Russell Starnes. History The early settlers found evidence of a former native village at the mouth of Stony Creek on the Clinch river. Thomas McCulloch was the first white settler within the county, in 1769. Daniel Boone commanded several forts located here in 1774 during Dunmore's War, and several more were built in successive years. Even so, the Chickamau ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Russell County, Virginia
Russell County () is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 25,781. Its county seat is Lebanon. History On January 2, 1786, Russell County was established from a section of Washington County. L.P. Summers, a Washington County historian later wrote, "Washington County lost a great extent of country and many valuable citizens when Russell County was formed." The county was named for Culpeper County native Colonel William Russell. The first court met in May 1786 in the Castle's Woods settlement (present-day Castlewood) in the house of William Robinson. Later, a new place was built to house the County Seat. The structure used as a courthouse still stands, and is referred to as " The Old Courthouse." The present Courthouse, located in Lebanon, has been in use since 1874. Once vast, Russell County was split several times, giving rise to Tazewell County, Lee County, Scott County, Wise County, Buchanan County and Dickenson ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tazewell County, Virginia
Tazewell County () is a county located in the southwestern portion of the U.S. state of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 40,429. Its county seat is Tazewell. Tazewell County is part of the Bluefield, WV-VA Micropolitan Statistical Area. Its economy was dependent on coal and iron of the Pocahontas Fields from the late 19th into the 20th century. History Tazewell County was long a hunting ground for various historic Native American tribes and their ancestral indigenous cultures. Although rare in the eastern United States, there are petroglyphs near the summit of Paintlick Mountain. Among the tribes that occupied this area in historic times were the Lenape (Delaware), and the Iroquoian-speaking Cherokee and members of the Iroquois Confederacy. In the spring of 1771, Thomas and John Witten established the first permanent settlement in Tazewell County at Crab Orchard. As population increased in the area, Tazewell County was created on December 20, 1799. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Giles County, Virginia
Giles County is a county located in the U.S. state of Virginia on the West Virginia state line. As of the 2020 census, the population was 16,787. Its county seat is Pearisburg. Giles County is included in the Blacksburg- Christiansburg, VA Metropolitan Statistical Area. Giles County is the location of Mountain Lake, one of only two natural fresh water lakes in Virginia. The lake drains into Little Stony Creek, which passes over a waterfall known as The Cascades before reaching the New River. History Giles County was established in 1806 from Montgomery, Monroe, Wythe, and Tazewell counties. The county is named for William Branch Giles who was born in Amelia County in 1762. Giles became a lawyer and from there was elected to the United States House of Representatives where he served from 1790 to 1815. He also served in the Virginia General Assembly from 1816 to 1822. In 1827, he was elected Governor. In all, he served his nation and state around a total of forty years. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fincastle, Virginia
Fincastle is a town in Botetourt County, Virginia, United States. The population was 755 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Botetourt County. Fincastle is part of the Roanoke Metropolitan Statistical Area. History The town of Fincastle was originally settled by Scotch-Irish and German immigrants from Pennsylvania who arrived in the region in the mid-18th century. John Miller erected a sawmill which became the nucleus of the early village of Fincastle. In 1770, Botetourt County was separated from Augusta County, and Miller's home was selected as the meeting place for the court. Two years later, Israel Christian donated of land and laid out the streets and lots for the new town of Fincastle. The town's name was selected to honor George, Lord Fincastle, the eldest son of Virginia's Lieutenant Governor, Lord Dunmore. In 1773, the first log courthouse was built on the designated court square at the center of Fincastle. Around the same time, a brick church was construct ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Craig County, Virginia
Craig County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 4,892. Its county seat is New Castle. Craig County is part of the Roanoke, VA Metropolitan Statistical Area. History Nestled in the mountains of Southwest Virginia, Craig County was named for Robert Craig, a 19th-century Virginia congressman. The initial outpost in the area was called "Craig's Camp," and it is claimed that George Washington visited it in 1756 during his travels to the frontier. Formed from parts of Botetourt, Roanoke, Giles, and Monroe (in present-day West Virginia) counties in 1851, Craig was later enlarged with several subsequent additions from neighboring counties. The secluded, mountainous New Castle community, the county seat, has one of the commonwealth's antebellum court complexes, including a porticoed courthouse built in 1851. Craig Healing Springs, a collection of well-preserved early-20th-century resort buildings representative of the ar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
