Amherst County
| Amherst County, Virginia | ||
|---|---|---|
Amherst County Courthouse
|
||
|
||
 Location in the U.S. state of Virginia |
||
 Virginia's location in the U.S. |
||
| Founded | 1761 | |
| Named for | Jeffery Amherst | |
| Seat | Amherst | |
| Largest town | Amherst | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 479 sq mi (1,241 km2) | |
| • Land | 474 sq mi (1,228 km2) | |
| • Water | 4.9 sq mi (13 km2), 1.0% | |
| Population (est.) | ||
| • (2015) | 31,914 | |
| • Density | 68/sq mi (26.3/km²) | |
| Congressional district | 6th | |
| Time zone |
Eastern Coordinates: 37°37′N 79°08′W / 37.61°N 79.14°W |
|
| Website | www |
|
Eastern
Amherst County is an American county, located in the Piedmont region and near the center of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The county is part of the Lynchburg, VA Metropolitan Statistical Area, and its county seat is Amherst.
Amherst County was created in 1761 out of Albemarle County, and it was named in honor of Lord Jeffery Amherst, the so-called "Conqueror of Canada". The county was subsequently reduced in size in 1807 in order to give up land to form Nelson County. Tobacco was the major cash crop of the county during its early years.
As of the 2010 census, the population of the county was 32,353, a small increase from the 31,894 people reported in the 2000 census.
Native Americans were the first humans to populate the area. They hunted and fished mainly along the countless rivers and streams in the county. With the establishment of the Virginia Colony in 1607, English emigrants arrived in North America. By the late 17th century English explorers and traders traveled up the James River to this area. Early trading posts formed between 1710 and 1720. By 1730, many new families moved into the land currently known as Amherst County drawn by the desire for land and the good tobacco-growing soil.
Amherst County was formed in 1761, from part of southwestern Albemarle County. The original county seat had been in Cabelsville, now Colleen in what would later become Nelson County. The county was named for Lord Amherst, known as the "Conqueror of Canada", who commanded the British forces that successfully secured Canada from the French. Jeffery Amherst had also previously been named Governor of Virginia, although he never came to the colony. In 1806 the county assumed its present proportions when Nelson County was formed from its northern half. At that point, the county seat was moved to the village of Five Oaks, later renamed Amherst. The present county courthouse was built in 1870 and has served the county ever since. On a historically interesting note, Amherst County produced more Confederate soldiers per capita than anywhere else in the C.S.A.
...
Wikipedia