Christiansburg, Virginia
| Christiansburg, Virginia | |
|---|---|
| Town | |
Downtown Christiansburg
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| Motto: Progressive small town living at its best | |
 Location in the Commonwealth of Virginia |
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| Coordinates: 37°8′28″N 80°24′28″W / 37.14111°N 80.40778°WCoordinates: 37°8′28″N 80°24′28″W / 37.14111°N 80.40778°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Virginia |
| County | Montgomery |
| Incorporated | November 10, 1792 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | D. Michael Barbor |
| Area | |
| • Total | 14.3 sq mi (37 km2) |
| Elevation | 2,133 ft (650 m) |
| Population (2015) | |
| • Total | 21,943 |
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP codes | 24068, 24073 |
| Area code(s) | 540 |
| FIPS code | 51-16608 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1498467 |
| Website | http://www.christiansburg.org/ |
Christiansburg (formerly Hans Meadows) is a town in Montgomery County, Virginia, United States. The population was 21,041 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Montgomery County. Christiansburg, Blacksburg, and Radford are the three principal municipalities of the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses those municipalities and all of Montgomery County.
In 1671, the New River – one of the world's oldest rivers – was discovered by early settlers of German, French, Scotch-Irish and English descent. Along the river, there were several Native American encampments, and conflicts were common between those tribes and the early settlers. As settlers began moving into present-day Christiansburg, they discovered that area was also inhabited by Shawnee and other Native American tribes.
In the late 1600s, Dutch priest Friar Hans arrived in the region, which led to the area being named Hans Meadow in the early 1700s.
In the 18th century, the region was settled by Pennsylvania and eastern Virginia pioneers, and in 1776, Montgomery County was formed out of Fincastle County. The City of Radford, as well as parts of Floyd, Giles and Pulaski Counties, were all subsequently formed from Montgomery County land.
The Town of "Christiansburgh" – as it was originally spelled – was named in honor of Colonel William Christian, who was an early settler in the region, one of the first justices of Fincastle County, a member of the Virginia Legislature and brother-in-law of Patrick Henry. Theodore Roosevelt, in The Winning of the West, wrote that Colonel Christian was a "noted Indian fighter" and a "very gallant and honorable man."
Originally a concentration of taverns and rest stops along the Great Wilderness Road (present-day U.S. Route 11), the original 1.1-square mile Town was established on November 10, 1792, by an act passed by the Virginia General Assembly. The Town of Christiansburg was later incorporated on January 7, 1833.
While not a full-time resident, George Washington was known to have visited Christiansburg during the early years of settlement.
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Wikipedia