BRIEF HISTORY
Wythe County was officially formed by the Virginia General Assembly in 1790. The town was originally named Evansham, in honor of a prominent county citizen, Jesse Evans. The town trustees officially changed the name to Wytheville in 1839. Wytheville has always been a crossroads of early transportation and became a supply center and stopping point for early settlers heading to the western frontier.
Blessed with natural mineral spas and a moderate mountain climate, the county became a summer resort for families seeking to escape the heat and disease of the summers in the deep south.
During the Civil War there were four major skirmishes in Wythe County. Many homes and businesses were destroyed in these battles. Wytheville's history includes: The "first female American President", Edith Bolling Wilson; Virginia Governor, E. Lee Trinkle and Col. Robert Enoch Withers. Confederate Generals James Walker and William Terry practiced law in Wytheville and are buried in the historic East End Cemetery. Learn more of Wythe County's rich cultural heritage with a visit to The Haller-Gibboney Rock House, The Thomas J. Boyd Museum and the Edith Bolling Wilson Birthplace Foundation and Museum.
Wythe County is surrounded by the beautiful mountains of the Blue Ridge and offers an abundance of outdoor recreational opportunities. Hiking on the numerous mountain trails will provide visitors with the opportunity to see breathtaking forest and foliage in many relatively untouched areas. You may spy a family of deer enjoying breakfast, or see rabbits and squirrels scampering through the leaves. A variety of recreational activities awaits visitors from hiking, camping, fishing, horseback riding...all within convenient distance to numerous restaurants, motels, campgrounds and attractions!
Wythe County is represented on the Virginia Historical Marker Guide that provides residents and visitors to Wythe County with a backdrop of local history as memorialized in the twenty-three (23) Virginia historical markers located in the county. To view the guide, click here.
COUNTY SEAL
The main feature of the seal is the Shot Tower located at Jacksons Ferry. The Shot Tower was selected because it is "an extremely visible landmark with marked historical background." It is a symbol of the mining and manufacturing industries in the eastern part of the county. The New River, the second oldest river in the world, can be seen to the left of the tower. The mountains and the trees, including the dogwood, the official tree of Virginia, represent the beauty of the area. The motto "secundis dubiisque rectus" was taken from the bookplate of George Wythe, for whom the county is named. The motto is generally interpreted as "upright in prosperity and perils." The date 1790 is the when the county was formed. *see below
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Agriculture is a prominent industry in Wythe County raking in the top ten livestock counties in the state. The Town of Rural Retreat, Town of Wytheville, and Wythe County are represented by the Mount Rogers Planning District Commission, as well as the Wythe County Joint Industrial Development Authority.
LOCAL INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS
- Amusement equipment
- Automotive brakes
- Automotive glass run channels
- Bottling facility
- Coal mining & road construction equipment
- Components for mining equipment parts
- Concrete masonry
- Cotton afghans, place mats, and tote bags
- Crushed stone
- Custom electronic systems
- Electric heat and reversal valves
- Electrical equipment
- Engineered rubber products
- Excavating heavy concrete
- Gatorade, Tropicana, Quaker Oats
- Heavy truck seats
- Industrial plastics
- Insulated glass
- Judicial & pastoral robes
- Ladies apparel
- Lumber
- Metal fasteners
- Mining products
- Novelty gifts
- Paperboard products
- Pepsi Products
- Pharmaceutical products
- Plastic film
- Precision machinery parts
- Printing
- Rubber molding & parts
- Sand
- Shirts
- Sign manufacture & installer welding
- Special purpose telephones
- Switches
- Telecommunications equipment
- Textiles
- Tools and dies
- Trailers
- Transformers
- Warehouse distribution
- Welding components
- Wood products
CLIMATE
The average temperature in January is 34 degrees. The average temperature in July is 72 degrees. The annual rainfall is between 36.9"-37.5". There is an annual snow fall between 18.3" and 19.8". The average humidity is approximately 70%.
COUNTY GROWTH
Wythe County continues to growth both in population and jobs. Evatran announced the expansion of their business bringing in over 70 new jobs to the community. With expansion in our industrial parks, Wythe County is ready for an industry to move right in.
COUNTY SCHOOLS
Wythe County has 6 elementary schools, 3 middle schools, 3 high schools, 1 technology school and 4 private schools. For more information about schools visit: http://wythe.k12.va.us/
Wytheville Community College and Old Dominion University provide higher education.
Contact Us!
340 S 6th St
Wytheville, VA 24382
(276) 223-4500 Phone
(276) 223-4515 FAX
Email:
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