Browse Items (46 total)

The Federal Reserve System, sponsored by Virginia State Senator Carter Glass, was signed into law on December 23, 1913 by President Woodrow Wilson. In 1914, the city of Richmond was selected to be the home to one of 12 central bank locations and was…

In May 1773 the British Parliament passed the Tea Act granting the British East India Company a monopoly on importing tea. Intended in part to discourage colonists from buying smuggled tea on which they paid no taxes, the act implicitly acknowledged…

Amid the Great Depression, Franklin D. Roosevelt won the presidential election over Herbert Hoover making him the first Democratic president in 12 years. As President, FDR took quick action, through his New Deal initiative, to provide relief to…

In rural areas across the state local stores, such as the Pocahontas Colliery Store in Tazewell County, were often the centers of centers of commerce and provided meeting places for community residents. In the 19th Century, stores in these rural…

The Seaboard Air Line (SAL) Railway was chartered from April 14, 1900, until July 1, 1967, when it was merged with another railroad line, Atlantic Coast Railroad to form the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad. The SAL Railway originated from several…

By the early 1870s, bicycles and tricycles using wire-spoked wheels were common, particularly in England. James Starley of Coventry introduced the Ariel in 1871, and, with modifications, the design gained popularity and later became known as an…

Salem, Virginia is an independent city within the boundaries of Roanoke County. The first known European exploration of the area occurred in 1671. Thomas Batts and Robert Fallam gave the area its first recorded name: Totero Town, after the local…

Long associated with coal mining, Southwest Virginia has an impressive list of other industries including farming, salt production, timber, and the mining of lead, copper, gypsum, and iron. These industries played a role in the region being given the…

Washington County is the first known locality in the United States to be named for George Washington. It was created from Fincastle County in 1776. At the time, the county covered 600 square miles and twelve percent of the area was identified as…

Western Virginia's mineral-spring resorts were extremely popular in the 19th century. Travelers from throughout the United States, but especially from southern states, visited the resorts. There people would take in the "cure" or spring water, enjoy…