Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1873-03-18
ROCKBREDGE COUNTY.

Rockbridge county is surpassed by no section
of the State or Valley in the superior quality
of its farming lands. its available water courses
and power, and natural drainage. and in its
mineral resources, the partial development Of
which only goes to show that nature has been
equally lavish 10 the bestowal Of Its other good
gifts upon her people. L is situated South
West of Augusta, and is bordered By it, Bot
etourt, Amherst, Bedford, Bath and Allegha-
ny. It is near 81 miles long, and % broad, and
is principally watered BY the Calf Pasture,
North James, South River, Buffalo-wbich
flows into North-and the James, with which
the North branch upitea at the foot of the Blue
Ridge, and together force passage at the lit
tie hamlet of Point Cabell, known in the post
Office directory as Balcony Falls 2. O.-this
valley in Rockbridge was discovered and set
tied by John Sailing, bold weaver, about the
year 1870, who, with John Lewis and John
MacKey, first came from Williamsburg to Au-
gusta-thoagh the celebrated falls are two miles
below, at its junction with Amherst and Bed
ford
The lands lie and produce well, and water
transportation is furnished by the j. r. & K.
Canal, which goes to Buchanan, 223 miles from
Point Cabell, and its North River branch to
Lexington, % miles, though the wagon road is
only a. The proposed Valley Il. Road, from
Harrisonburg through Staunton, Lexington,
Buchanan 60 Salem on the Va & Tennessee r.
b., cuts directly through the county. and when
completed, as is now certain, will give it the fa-
cllIties SO long needed tor the full settlement
and development of its undoubted agricultural,
mineral and manufacturing resources, such as
are possessed by no other county In the Valley
or State, for the cheap rates of water carriage
will always keep down X. E. charges to living
prices and with r Rs as feeders to it's canal
make it a profitable line to both the company
and people. The population of Rockbridge is
made up Of the hardy Scotch Irish and the
more genial English element from Eastern Va,
who came Into 1t by the James River Gap
Though slow and uneuterprising, compared
with Augusta, they are hospitabe and give
way to no people In shrewdness in trade and
traffic Their isolated condition has heretofore
combined with the natural instincts of home
people in keeping alive old prejudices and old
habits, unsulted to this age. but time and asso-
citation with new life and enterprise, will soon
bring them to the full front Of modern ideas of
progress, aad material advancement and COM
and from the Revolution Of 1776 to our late
war tor independence, none have sent more or
better soldiers to the field, which some say was,
in a measure, attributable to the military spirit
kept alive in her midst by her great Va. M. l.,
but which is mainly due to the unconquerable
devotion to civil liberty inherited from slres
/ who knew no master but the great AN their
mothers taught them to revere. Its present
population is about 16, 5o0-about one-fourth
colored. Ii was formed from Augusta and Bot
etourt in ITS, and Lexington was founded in
| the same year-patriotlcally receiving Its name
| from the first battle of the Revolution. 1t was
| originally built of wood and was destroyed by
| fire in 1894, but was speedily apd more sub
stantialIy rebuilt, and now contains popula-
| tion of about $500. The foundation OF w. and
Lee University was Liberty Hall school, situ-
ated on Timber Ridge, near Farrdeld,s in
| l776, and it's first Rector was Rev. VIM. Gra-
| ham, who led Company to kockhsh Gap to
| meet the threatened Invasion OF Iarieton, In
| 1881. Il was but plain log cabin, and was sc
| beautifully situated mid woods and flowers and
gushing springs, that it was appropriately call
ed Mt. Pleasant. Gen. Samuel Houston, ol
| Texas, was born near here IN the dwelling ol
Rev. Ell. Thompson, and Ihompson's descend
ats still occupy it. The school was afterwards
moved to Lexington, literally endowed by Geo.
| w WdSQluStOQ anu G.A~ @' iScS SOAoS Op
under the great and good Lee. stands capable
of accommodating, and giving the highest in-
struction to 500 students from all parts Of the
South. It daily adds 10 lis endowment, which
is now near 5000, 900, and hopes soon to have
$1,000, 900. Near it is the Va. Military In.
sti.ute, established ia l840 by the State, and
which has since grown to Its present state OF
usefulness under Gen E. T. Smith. 1t was
burned by Hunter in 1864, but the untiring et-
forts of Gen. Smith have rebuilt it at cost Of
$25, 900, without asking the State for one cent
and its roll is larger and its standard higher
and facilities greater than ever before. Lex
ington is beautifully situated on North River
and commands fine view Of the Valley, anc
with it's background of the House Top Noun
tainls, Hog Back, &C., its clear, bracing atmos
, phere fine water, and nearness to the famous
Natural Bridge, Mineral Springs and Baths
render it a place Of sojourn in summer, tina
will be greatly lesorted to when Il. Il. reaches
there, and its streets and pavemens are made
passable. Its fine water-power now turns tht
Point mills and once cotton factory, which
was burned by Hunter and is now used as
warehouse, but it can boast of no large foun
dries or manufactures as yet, though they vii
come with increase Of population and X. Il
facilities.
Rockbridge raises much tobacco in the noun