Smyth County History

Iceage | 1560s | 1600s | 1700s-1800s | Civil War | 1890s-1900s | 1888-Present

"Geographically and historically, Smyth County is on the head of the Holston [River]. Geographically because the triple forks of the Holston take their rise within its bounds, historically because from its territory were made the beginnings of the famous Holston settlements of potent influence in making the nation that was to cross to the western seas. Furthermore, some of the most influential leaders of that settlement, in its critical early stages, dwelt in this territory." ~ Goodridge Wilson, author and area historian

Ice Age

Vast salt reserves in the Saltville Valley attract the woolly mammoth, mastodon and other animals to the area as much as 30,000 years ago. Archaeological excavations here suggest a human presence as early as 14,000 years ago continuously through the Woodland Period. Projectile points are later found across the county, clearly indicating transient occupation 11,000 years ago, and other artifacts reveal a late Archaic-Early Woodland transition to agriculture and palisade village life in the river valleys by 1500 B.C. -Saltville

1560s

Area historians are investigating the possibility of trade between the Spanish and Native Americans in the 1500s A.D. in what is present day Saltville. The name known for the Indian tribe indigenous to what is now Smyth County is Chisca-Yuchi. Archival evidence indicates Spanish conquistadors invade the area of present day Saltville and attack a Native American village at the site.- Saltville

1600s

Native Americans inhabit Southwestern Virginia. It appears the Indian population disappears within 100 years of European contact, possibly due to the introduction of diseases, such as small pox, to which they have no immunity. Settlements are abandoned as tribes move west, and explorer James Patton makes no mention of their presence in his official 1748 land survey. The tribe's departure marks the end of Native American settlements in the area.- Saltville

1700s-1800s

Frontiersmen explore the regions; land acquisitions are made. A land grant by King George II prompts surveyors to explore and settle in the area. Dr. Thomas Walker and, later, Daniel Boone explore Southwest Virginia along the Wilderness Road. Settlers of Irish, Scottish and German descent migrate largely from the Pennsylvania area into Southwest Virginia in search of land. - Smyth County

Taverns are located roughly 17 miles apart, about the same as a modern-day Appalachian Trail "through hiker's" daily trek. Some ruins of one tavern, the Town House, still remain here in present day Chilhowie. President Andrew Jackson is reportedly a guest of the Town House tavern. -Chilhowie

Peter and Mary Cullop, German immigrants from Pennsylvania, build the Stone House Tavern, which first appears in records in 1805. During the 1800s, the Cullops operates a stagecoach stop along the Wilderness Road here, providing lodging, food and spirits for weary travelers. Some say another type of spirit still haunts the old home in which two residents died. In 1825, the Cullop's son, Frederick, shoots himself in the right front room of the tavern, and later owner Snavely dies after accidentally ingesting horse medicine. The building is a registered Virginia Landmark. - Atkins

The Wilderness Road Stage Coach Tavern is a welcoming log structure in the Seven Mile Ford area. Local legend has it the grounds are haunted. Rumors of unsavory acts against wealthy guests, who stayed the night, are given some credence upon the discovery of a number of skeletal bones on the premises. Later, prominent resident John M. Preston constructs a large homestead on the grounds. - Seven Mile Ford

1760s - Marion

In 1766, brothers John and Arthur Campbell, along with their 18-year-old sister, Margaret, establish the first permanent settlement in the area on the "Royal Oak Tract." now a part of the Town of Marion.

1770 - Smyth County

Manufacturing begins a long history in Smyth County with Arthur Campbell, who operates the first gristmill, located at Staley's Creek.

1778

Salt production begins. Salt is produced by drawing salt water (brine) from wells and boiling it in kettles until the salt crystallizes. Over time, production increases and the kettles and wells become larger and deeper in the Saltville Valley. Twenty years later, Irish entrepreneur William King turns a small operation into a viable industry. - Saltville

1779

David Campbell, who becomes Governor of Virginia, is born in Royal Oak (now Marion). He is elected Governor in 1837. - Marion

1780

The first shot of the Battle of King's Mountain is said to be fired by Phillip Greever of the Town House community (present day Chilhowie). Thomas Jefferson credits the battle between American patriots and British loyalists near the North and South Carolina border as the turning point of the American Revolution. Brigadier General William Campbell is known as the battle's hero. Campbell dies in 1781. By 1832, his remains were interred in the Aspenvale Cemetery in Seven Mile Ford, Smyth County. Campbell's wife, Elizabeth Henry Campbell Russell, sister of Patrick Henry, is later laid to rest here as well. The cemetery is a registered Virginia Landmark. - Smyth County

1788

Elizabeth Henry, sister of then-Governor of Virginia Patrick Henry, marries General William Campbell. After his death, she marries another Revolutionary War hero, General William Russell. The couple relocates to the Saltville area where Elizabeth's religious zeal garners her the title of the "Mother of Methodism". The county reflects its religious roots in the large number of churches throughout its boundaries still today, including the Madam Russell Methodist Church, which is on the General Commission on Archives and History for the United Methodist Church national historic registry and is part of the Town of Saltville's historic district. - Saltville

1812

Orators and fiddlers cross paths with politicians and camp meeting visitors in weeks-long events that bring old and new friends together over food, festivity and fellowship. The area known as Chilhowie Springs, today Sulphur Spring, becomes popular as a retreat as well as a stage for political and religious activity. One local landowner builds a small resort where people come from miles around to enjoy temperate weather, flowing springs and lively company. -Chilhowie

1819

Landowner and early settler John Sanders builds "White Hall" in 1819 on Old Stage Road in Chilhowie. His wife, Susan Sanders, later widowed and pregnant with her eleventh child, is the first woman in Smyth County to obtain a license and operate a tavern, which she does at White Hall for several years. A silkworm culture is known to exist on the property. A few of the delicate garments made there are part of the Smyth County Historical & Museum Society collection. -Chilhowie

1832

Smyth County is chartered on February 23, 1832, taking its name after Virginia lawyer, soldier and politician Alexander Smyth (1765-1830). Smyth, who was born on tiny Rathlin Island off the coast of Ireland, immigrated to Virginia with his parents when he was about 7 years old. - Smyth County

1835 & 1849

Town chooses "Swamp Fox" General Francis Marion as its namesake. Although not locally connected, the name of the Revolutionary War hero from South Carolina is selected as the official name for the town. General Marion, whose covert tactical skill is legendary in the region, successfully plotted and attacked after dark, disappearing back into the swamps from which he came. One British commander is said to have compared him to a sly fox, hence the name "Swamp Fox" becomes his nickname. Marion is first recognized as a town in 1835 with incorporation following on March 15, 1849. -Marion

1842

In 1842, John Montgomery Preston builds Smyth County's best example of Greek-Revival architecture on the grounds of the former Wilderness Road Stage Coach Tavern. Said to have a ghostly aura, a cave located nearby reportedly offered up the bones of as many as 21 unidentified bodies when later explored. Stories abound of how weary but wealthy travelers may have met unfortunate fates on an overnight stop at this tavern along the Wilderness Road, also referred to as The Great Road and The Wagon Road. The structure is known as The Ford and as the Preston House. It is remodeled in 1864. During the Civil War and General Stoneman's Raid, the home is used to house Union troops and their horses. Later owned by the family of Lucy Herndon Crockett, the home is renamed by her as Herondon. It is a registered Virginia Landmark. - Seven Mile Ford

1840s - Sallie's Crying Tree

On February 28, 1841, a little slave girl named Sarah Elizabeth was born in Smyth County. She becomes known as "Sallie". When Sallie is just a child in the 1840s, she is sold to Thomas Thurman on the slave block in the old Smyth County courthouse yard and the rest of her family is sold to an owner in a distant town. Feeling alone and devastated, Sallie is left to tend to the needs of a sickly mistress twenty-four hours a day.

Having no one to whom she could confide her pain, and bearing punishment if she showed any emotion on her circumstance, Sallie befriends a stately oak tree that still stands today just off Main Street in Marion. In stolen moments, she visits the tree, wraps her arms around it and shares all her misery, crying for her lost family. Sallie draws strength from the mighty oak to carry her through the days without them. She would slip out to the tree during the night, even in the cold winter weather; it was her only friend.

At age 12, Sallie is given to a new owner, Dr. William Thurman, son of Thomas, with whom she remains through the end of the Civil War. With the new arrangement, she is separated from the beloved tree that helped her to endure. After several years, the Emancipation Proclamation is passed and she reunites with her family members.

Sallie marries, has children and is twice widowed. Tom, one of her sons, becomes an expert bricklayer and contractor. Tom and his sons help to construct many of Marion's first buildings, including schools, churches, banks, hotels and homes. Sallie's grandson, Thomas Smith, Jr., builds the steps leading to the Town Hall. -Marion

1856

The Virginia and Tennessee Railroad makes its way from present day Lynchburg, Virginia, to Marion in 1855 and then to Bristol, Tennessee, by1856. The Saltville railroad extension is known as the Salt Branch.- Smyth County

1856-1857

Abijah Thomas, local industrialist, constructs a rare octagonal (eight-sided) home and names it Mountain View. The unique home still stands in the area known as Thomas Bridge and is a registered Virginia Landmark. -Thomas Bridge / Adwolfe

1860

N.L. Look and C.F. Lincoln form a partnership in woodworking that spawns an early industrial dynasty beginning with the production of buggies and wagons and later becomes one of world's largest manufacturers of dining room furniture. - Smyth County

1861-1865 Smyth County Civil War History

Both Saltville and Marion suffer through battles during America's Civil War. Smyth County holds a deeply rooted and widely branching military history.

Salt is an indispensable element of 19th century life, used for manufacturing and meat preservation. Because of this, the Saltville Valley becomes a military target of major proportions. Although severely outnumbered, confederate soldiers claim victory in defending their salt resources against Union General Stephen Burbridge and his men at the First Battle of Saltville on October 2, 1864.

The community now known as the Salt Capital of the Confederacy is a critical salt resource during the war, supplying as much as two-thirds of all the salt consumed by southern states. Reportedly, every southern state east of the Mississippi River has a salt operation in Saltville during this time.

In the aftermath of the October 2, 1864 battle, numerous atrocities are reportedly committed by a group of Confederate soldiers. The torture and deaths of a large number of black Union soldiers becomes known as The Saltville Massacre.

In December 1864, Federal Major General George Stoneman and his troops defeat a few hundred Saltville defenders in Stoneman's Raid of the salt works. While believed by the Union to be destroyed, salt operations are restored only a few weeks later.

Under the command of Gen. John C. Breckinridge, the Battle of Marion is fought on December 17 and 18, 1864. Breckenridge is a former United States Vice President and runner-up to Abraham Lincoln in the 1860 election. He and less than 1,000 Confederates hold off General George Stoneman and his 4,000 northern troops in this battle. In an attempt to destroy communication lines and facilities, including the railroad, salt works and nearby lead mines, Union troops advance into Marion.

Confederates fight Union troops by an old covered bridge, no longer in existence, at the east end of Marion. After the battle, Union troops are ordered to burn the bridge. Susan Allen, a nine-year-old local girl whose family lives nearby, puts out the fire. Troops return for second and third attempts to burn the bridge, but are thwarted each time by young Susan.

County Clerk of the Court, William C. Sexton, fearing troops would torch the courthouse, puts all county records into a wagon for transport to a safe location. Unfortunately, he is blocked by Union troops who set the wagon afire, nearly destroying the county's historic paper trail. Young Katherine Killinger retrieves all the records from the wagon and hides them in nearby bushes until they can be safely returned to the courthouse.

1862

In his annual message to Congress in Washington, D.C., a month before signing the Emancipation Proclamation on December 1, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln calls the United States "…the last, best hope of earth". -America

1864

Famed Confederate General James Ewell Brown ("JEB") Stuart dies at the Battle of Yellow Tavern in 1864. Following the death of her husband, Flora Stuart, moves into the house now known as the King-Stuart House with her children. Mrs. Stuart and an also-widowed sister-in-law live in the house for more than a decade, teaching school-age children in one room of the lower floor. -Saltville

1870s

In the 1870s, Minter Jackson builds the first store in present-day Chilhowie. In 1879, he owns and operates a pottery shop, thought to be the forerunner of a very prolific brick company and the area's first industry.

Minter Jackson also sees a need in the county for a bank, becoming founder and serving as the first president of The Bank of Marion, which opens its doors for business on April 12,1874.

1870

In June 1870, the Virginia & Tennessee Railroad is combined with the Southside, Norfolk and Petersburg lines to form the Atlantic, Mississippi, and Ohio, which is renamed in 1881 the Norfolk and Western Railway (N&W). One hundred years later, the N&W is combined with the Southern Railway to form the Norfolk Southern Corporation. The Marion station depot, used for passenger service until 1970, is also used as a railroad maintenance facility until 1993 when a local architect purchases and remodels it for unique retail and office space. -Marion

1890s-1900s

From 1890-1910, Chilhowie's clay fields become resources of industry as a large employer, Virginia Paving & Sewer Pipe, ships its bricks "from Lynchburg to London" until clay resources are exhausted. The brick company's kilns are located on a 41-acre tract stretching to the river. Part of one clay field is later used for school baseball and football games and other community activities. The old clay field is used today as a Chilhowie Little League baseball field. -Chilhowie

1888-1916

With little capital, Mr. Hezekiah Love (H.L.) Bonham begins his first business venture in 1888, a sawmill. He expands twice, purchasing newer milling operations in 1890 and 1897. In 1907, the company sends two prize logs to Jamestown for use in their centennial celebration. Lumber from Smyth County is also used in building the Panama Canal.

A fifth generation American with English ancestors first arriving in the New World in 1635, Mr. Bonham eventually serves his community as a member of the Virginia General Assembly and is a champion in the fight for better local roads and schools. - Chilhowie

1890

Although the railroad is completed through the town in 1856, the Chilhowie Train Depot isn't built until 1890, 34 years later. The town is then called Greever's Switch after Robert Greever, on whose land the depot is built. Unfortunately, the depot is demolished in the 1980's and Smyth Farm Bureau presently owns the site, just walking distance from the visitor's center in the historic downtown district. -Chilhowie

1893

In 1893, the Marion and Rye Valley Railway Company builds six miles of railway to haul manganese ore from the Currin Valley area of Smyth County. With the help of its two visionaries, Dr. John S. Apperson and George W. Miles, the rail extends another six miles into Sugar Grove where it meets the Virginia-Southern line of Grayson County. It transports passengers and freight until operations cease in 1931.-Rye Valley/Sugar Grove

1893

Saltville becomes a "company town". British industrialist Thomas Mathieson purchases an existing salt production company, creating Mathieson Alkali Works, the first chemical company built in the southern United States. The plant produces soda ash from salt, coal and limestone. The company builds a hospital, homes and recreational facilities, subsidizes the local school system, and owns mercantile stores and much of the community's land.-Saltville