Brief History on the New River Valley



The New River Valley has a rich and varied history. Montgomery County is the oldest county in the New River Valley, having been formed from Fincastle County in 1777. The County is named for General Richard Montgomery, a Revolutionary War hero. The first settlement was near what is now Blacksburg which was considered part of the frontier of Virginia1s Southwest at the time. Blacksburg was incorporated as a town in 1871. Christiansburg, the county seat, was incorporated in 1792 and was an important post on the Wilderness Road.

Giles County, formed in 1806 from Montgomery, Tazewell, and Monroe (WV) Counties, is named in honor of William B. Giles, Governor of Virginia from 1827 through 1830. The County was the site of several battles during the Civil War. The County seat is Pearisburg, which was incorporated in 1914.

Floyd County, formed from Montgomery County in 1831, is named in honor of John Floyd, Governor of Virginia at the time. The Town of Floyd serves as the County seat.

The area presently known as Pulaski County was explored by Abraham Wood in 1654, but it was not settled until 1745 by a group of German settlers known as Dunkards. This settlement became known as Dunkard1s Bottom and is presently covered by Claytor Lake. This territory was under the jurisdiction of the County of Fincastle until 1777, when Montgomery and Wythe Counties were partitioned from Fincastle. Pulaski County was formed in 1839 from Montgomery and Wythe counties and was named in honor of Count Casimir Pulaski, a Polish patriot and an American Revolutionary War hero. From 1756 until 1895, Newbern was the location of the County seat. In 1895, the County seat was moved to the Town of Pulaski where it remains today.

Radford, formerly called Ingles Ferry, was incorporated as a Town of Montgomery County in 1885 and was named after Dr. John B. Radford. The Town achieved City status in 1892. The City is centrally located between the four counties that comprise the New River Valley.