Shutting off access to this land was a provocation that accelerated the building momentum in Virginia for the coming American Revolution. Virginians considered the taking up of western land as their natural right. In October 1763, by Royal Proclamation, King George III forbade Virginians to settle west of this line. This Eastern Continental Divide Line divides water flowing east to the Atlantic Ocean - via the Roanoke River basin - from water flowing west to the Gulf of Mexico - via the New, Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. What is now Main Street in Christiansburg crosses a barely perceptible ridgeline. 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. As settlers began moving into present-day Christiansburg, they discovered that area was also inhabited by Shawnee and other Native American tribes. Along the river, there were several Native American encampments, and conflicts were common between those tribes and the early settlers.

In 1671, the New River – the western hemisphere's oldest river – was discovered by early settlers of German, French, Scotch-Irish and English descent. But let’s take a more detailed look back at some of the most influential times in town history. We’ve compiled some historic resources, including maps of Christiansburg’s historic districts. Washington to the post World War era that saw the opening of the Starlite Drive-In, Christiansburg has continued to grow while maintaining its small-town vibe. Christiansburg is a place of past and present, with historic neighborhoods and innovative business and development existing side by side.įrom the days of Daniel Boone, Davy Crockett and eventually Booker T. What started as a collection of taverns and rest stops along the Great Wilderness Road has grown into the New River Valley’s retail hub, pairing brand-name shopping and dining with locally-owned eateries and boutiques.

Starlight City by Radford Lee