A Brief History of Washington County

Long before Europeans arrived, the land that became Washington County, Virginia, was home to a deep and continuous human presence extending back thousands of years. Archaeological findings reveal that prehistoric peoples inhabited the region for at least 10,000 years, with some evidence, such as the discovery of butchered mastodon bones near Plasterco, pointing to human activity up to 14,500 years ago. These early inhabitants lived along the fertile branches of the Holston River, where they established seasonal villages, raised crops, and hunted the rich game of the Appalachian foothills. By the time Europeans began to explore the area in the 16th and 17th centuries, however, no permanent Native settlements remained. The region appeared to be a borderland contested between the Cherokee to the south and the Shawnee to the north.

During the Late Woodland period, roughly 900 to 1600 CE, Native peoples in what is now Southwest Virginia lived in palisaded villages and practiced a sophisticated form of agriculture revolving around corn, beans, and squash. These communities were part of a larger network of trade and cultural exchange that connected the Monacan and other Siouan-speaking peoples of the Blue Ridge with the Cherokee and Iroquoian speakers farther south and west. Burial mounds and artifacts found in the region reflect a long tradition of craftsmanship, spirituality, and adaptation to the mountain environment.

The first Europeans to penetrate the region were likely Spanish explorers in the mid-16th century. Hernando Moyano, a lieutenant of Spanish conquistador Juan Pardo, led an expedition from Joara in present-day North Carolina around 1567 and attacked an Indigenous village known as Maniatique—believed by historians to have been near modern Saltville. Though archaeological evidence of this encounter remains inconclusive, the written records from the Spanish accounts suggest one of the earliest European incursions into the interior of the southern Appalachians.

In the early 18th century, as colonial Virginia expanded westward, the British Crown sought to secure the frontier through a network of settlements that would serve as a buffer between Indigenous nations and the coastal colonies. Major land grants were issued to encourage settlers, including William Patton’s 100,000-acre Patton Grant and the Loyal (or Walker) Grant of 800,000 acres, both encompassing portions of present-day Washington County. One of the most significant of these tracts, the Wolf Hill survey of 1750, became the foundation for the modern town of Abingdon. Despite later myths linking Daniel Boone to its naming, records indicate that Boone did not visit the area until more than a decade later, in 1761.

Following the French and Indian War, migration into Southwest Virginia increased dramatically. Permanent settlement began around 1769, as families from Pennsylvania and the Shenandoah Valley traveled southward along the Great Road, an early frontier route that roughly parallels today’s Interstate 81. These settlers brought with them not only agricultural traditions and religious faith but also the spirit of independence that would soon define the region. Within a generation, their communities gave rise to forts, farms, and churches, laying the groundwork for the formation of Washington County in 1776, at the dawn of the American Revolution.

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When the Civil War began, Washington County, Virginia, found itself divided in sentiment but initially inclined toward preservation of the Union. Many residents valued the economic and cultural stability that connection offered. Yet, when President Abraham Lincoln issued his call for troops following the bombardment of Fort Sumter, opinions rapidly hardened. For most, loyalty shifted toward Virginia and the Confederacy. Within weeks, hundreds of local men volunteered for service, forming companies such as the Washington Mounted Rifles and enlisting in regiments like the 37th and 48th Virginia Infantry. These troops became part of the storied Army of Northern Virginia, serving under Generals Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson and Robert E. Lee in nearly every major campaign, from the Shenandoah Valley to Gettysburg and Cold Harbor.

The 37th Virginia Infantry, organized in Abingdon in May 1861, epitomized the courage and tragedy of Washington County’s contribution. The regiment fought with distinction in Jackson’s 1862 Valley Campaign and endured staggering losses at battles such as Cedar Mountain, Second Manassas, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg. By the war’s end, only two officers and thirty-nine men of the original 846 mustered survived to surrender at Appomattox. Their sacrifices reflected the devastating human toll that touched nearly every family in the county.

On the home front, the realities of war were harsh. Food shortages, inflation, and blockades brought grinding poverty. The Confederacy’s salt production at Saltville, crucial for preserving food, made the region a prime military target. In December 1864, Union General George Stoneman led a sweeping raid through Southwest Virginia, intent on crippling Confederate supply lines. His cavalry destroyed the Virginia & Tennessee Railroad bridges, the critical lead mines at Wytheville, and torched facilities associated with the Salt Works. Much of Abingdon suffered in the raid, including homes, mills, and depots burned by advancing troops. The Saltville campaign also witnessed one of the war’s darker incidents, the massacre of wounded Black Union soldiers by Confederate irregulars following the battle, a grim reminder of the war’s racial brutality.

When peace arrived in 1865, Washington County faced the daunting task of rebuilding a shattered economy and wounded population. Agricultural recovery came slowly, aided by new access to rail transportation in the 1870s, which linked Abingdon to Bristol and beyond. The railroad revived commerce and opened markets for livestock, lumber, and manufactured goods, setting the stage for the county’s industrial growth in the postwar decades.

Reconstruction politics further reshaped local identity. Disputes over Virginia’s public debt and resentment toward wartime suffering fostered a political realignment. Unlike many parts of the former Confederacy, Washington County gradually developed into a Republican stronghold, partly due to its mountain culture and opposition to the old eastern elite. Demographically, enslaved African Americans had comprised about fifteen percent of the population before the war, laboring mainly on farms near Glade Spring, Abingdon, and Bristol. Emancipation brought both opportunity and hardship as freedmen navigated new forms of tenancy and labor, while institutions such as churches and schools became vital centers of Black community life.

By the 1880s, the scars of battle had begun to fade, yet the memory of divided loyalties and sacrifice remained woven into Washington County’s identity, a legacy of resilience forged in one of Virginia’s most turbulent eras.

Washington County, Virginia, developed a distinguished reputation as one of the Commonwealth’s most vibrant centers of education throughout the 19th century. The region became known not only for its commitment to quality schooling but also for the number and variety of institutions that flourished in its small towns, especially in Abingdon.

The earliest and most prominent of these was the Abingdon Male Academy, founded in 1802 with the support of salt entrepreneur William King, whose endowment of $10,000 helped establish the school on a hill overlooking the town. The academy became a respected preparatory institution, educating generations of young men in classical studies and moral instruction. It thrived through much of the 19th century, temporarily closing during the Civil War when it served as barracks and a makeshift hospital for Confederate troops. After the war, the building was rebuilt and continued in operation until 1905. When the trustees finally closed the academy, the property was leased to the town and later became home to William King High School and, eventually, the William King Museum of Art, preserving the educational spirit of the site.

Common schools in Washington County were likewise recognized as models of excellence throughout Virginia prior to the Civil War. The county’s early adoption of state-supported, community-based education earned it the reputation for having the best public schools in the state at the time, reflecting a deep civic commitment to accessible learning.

Higher education in Abingdon expanded rapidly after the mid-19th century. The Holston Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, which also founded Emory and Henry College, opened Martha Washington College in 1860 in the grand home of General Francis Preston. The school served as a women’s college, offering a curriculum emphasizing literature, sciences, and Christian education. Although legend suggests the building was used as a hospital during the Civil War, Martha Washington College operated continuously throughout the conflict, later merging with Emory and Henry College in 1919 before closing permanently in the 1930s. The former college building remains a local landmark as the Martha Washington Inn.

In 1867, the Roman Catholic Visitation Order established Villa Maria Academy, a distinguished girls’ school that emphasized both spiritual formation and academic excellence. The following year, the Presbyterian Church founded the Stonewall Jackson Female Institute, providing another avenue for women’s higher education in Abingdon’s growing academic landscape. Together, these institutions underscored the county’s diverse religious and cultural investment in learning. Although Villa Maria Academy relocated to Wytheville at the beginning of the 20th century and the Stonewall Jackson Institute closed during the Great Depression, their presence represented a golden age of education in postwar Southwest Virginia.

By the turn of the 20th century, Washington County’s educational network, from its pioneering academies to its denominational colleges, had earned it lasting recognition as a cornerstone of intellectual life in the region. This legacy continued into the modern era with the establishment of Virginia Highlands Community College in 1967, ensuring that the county’s longstanding dedication to learning endures well into the 21st century.

Emory & Henry University

Bishop John Emory Patrick Henry

Emory and Henry University, founded in 1836 under the auspices of the Holston Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, holds the distinction of being the oldest institution of higher learning in Southwest Virginia. Named in honor of Bishop John Emory, a respected Methodist leader, and Patrick Henry, a renowned patriot and orator, the university reflects a lasting commitment to both spiritual enrichment and active civic engagement. This founding vision has guided Emory & Henry throughout its long and storied history.

The university campus itself is a designated historic district listed on both the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Historic Landmarks Register, honoring its deep contributions to education in the rural mountain region. During the American Civil War, Emory & Henry's main administration building was repurposed as a Confederate hospital, playing a critical role in wartime care. The campus witnessed significant historical events, including tragic episodes involving wounded African American Union soldiers during the Battle of Saltville, underscoring its complex legacy.

In 1899, Emory & Henry made a transformative step toward inclusivity by enrolling women for the first time, progressively evolving into a fully coeducational institution over the following decades. The university also endured the hardships of the Great Depression, yet it emerged resiliently, experiencing growth fueled in part by enrollment of post-war veterans benefiting from the GI Bill. These veterans contributed to a flourishing campus expansion through the mid-20th century, laying the foundation for the modern university’s facilities.

Today, Emory and Henry University proudly stands as one of the few Southern colleges that have continuously operated for nearly two centuries under their original name and religious affiliation. Its enduring heritage represents a profound blend of educational excellence, Methodist tradition, and regional significance, maintaining its role as a beacon of learning and service in Southwest Virginia.

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