Editing Floyd County, Virginia (section)

== History ==
[[File:John Floyd (cropped).jpg|thumb|Portrait of [[John Floyd (Virginia politician)|John Floyd]], for whom Floyd County was named]]
[[File:To Arms Confederate Enlistment Poster 1862.jpg|thumb|left|A recruitment poster for the Virginia Volunteers from Floyd County in 1862, during the [[American Civil War]]]]
Floyd County's recorded history begins with the arrival of traders, trappers and hunters in Southwest Virginia in the 18th century. The earliest known travel way through present day Floyd County was the [[Trader's Path]], running from east to west across the [[Roanoke River]] where Back Creek enters the river, by John Mason's, R. Poage's, the headwaters of Back Creek and southwest over Bent Mountain. The trail continued westward through the [[Little River (New River)|Little River]] area to the Lead Mines.

The first known attempts to settle the area appear to have been made during the 1740s. In 1745 the Virginia Council granted [[James Patton (Virginia colonist)|James Patton]], of Augusta County, among others, {{convert|100,000|acre|km2}} on the New River and the westward flowing waters, including the Little River area. In 1749 the Royal Company of Virginia also received a grant on the westward flowing waters, putting the two companies in competition with one another to settle the area. The first surveying of the land occurred in the late 1740s.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.floydcova.org/visitors/history.shtml |title=A Brief History of Floyd County |access-date=February 22, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110303015122/http://www.floydcova.org/visitors/history.shtml |archive-date=March 3, 2011 }}</ref>

On January 15, 1831, the [[General Assembly of Virginia]] passed an act creating the present county of Floyd out of the county [[Montgomery County, Virginia|Montgomery]]. The new county was named for the then Governor of Virginia, [[John Floyd (Virginia politician)|John Floyd]].<ref>McDonald, James J. (1907). ''Life in Old Virginia'', p. 368. The Old Virginia Publishing Co. (Inc.)</ref> The new county's courthouse was completed in 1834. In 1870 a portion of [[Franklin County, Virginia|Franklin County]] was added to Floyd County. The first Commonwealth's Attorney was [[William Ballard Preston]], a nephew of John Floyd, who would later serve as Secretary of the United States Navy. Preston was followed in later years by [[Jubal Early]], who would later serve as a general for the [[Confederate States Army]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Our Beautiful Mountain: A Brief Floyd County History|url=http://www.floydcova.org/visitors/history_floyd_county.pdf|archive-date=November 18, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141118141650/http://www.floydcova.org/visitors/history_floyd_county.pdf|publisher=Floyd County, VA|first=Lydeana|last=Martin|date=January 3, 2005|editor-first=Jean|editor-last=Schaeffer}}</ref>

The [[county seat]] of Floyd County was first called Jacksonville for [[Andrew Jackson]], the seventh [[President of the United States]] from 1829 to 1837. Jacksonville was first incorporated in 1858 and then re-incorporated on February 19, 1892, to expand the town boundaries. On January 23, 1896, the General Assembly passed an Act officially changing the name of the town from Jacksonville to Floyd.

The county became a destination for those involved in the [[counterculture]] during the 1960s and 1970s, particularly those who wanted to live in closer contact with nature.<ref>Blackwell, Mary Alice & Causey, Anne Patterson (9th ed. 2005). ''Insider's Guide to Virginia's Blue Ridge'', p. 39. The Globe Pequot Press.</ref>  In the late 1990s, the Rivendell community was established by a group of Christians so they could practice a lifestyle consistent with their [[Reformed Christianity|Reformed Church's]] interpretations of the [[Bible]] and also, in part, to be better isolated from possible societal disruptions caused by the [[year 2000 problem]]. Most of the original members of this community have moved on.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Closed Circuit |url=https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/intelligence-report/2013/closed-circuit |access-date=September 4, 2022 |website=Southern Poverty Law Center |language=en}}</ref>

Floyd County was also a setting for the ministry of [[Bob Childress|Reverend Bob Childress]], whose life was chronicled in the book ''The Man Who Moved a Mountain''.

The county's location directly adjacent to both the [[Roanoke, VA MSA|Roanoke]] and the [[Blacksburg-Christiansburg, VA MSA|Blacksburg-Christiansburg Metropolitan Statistical Areas]] have contributed to modest population growth in contrast to most rural counties in Southwest Virginia. Several [[bloggers]] live in the county and frequently post observations about the community and its rural setting.<ref>Floyd County Local History {{cite web |url=http://www.floydcountyinview.com/countyfacts_history.htm |title=Floyd County History and Facts |access-date=July 9, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111006034250/http://www.floydcountyinview.com/countyfacts_history.htm |archive-date=October 6, 2011 }}</ref>

Floyd County also has a strong music and literary scene. Three establishments in Floyd regularly offer a variety of live music during the weekends ranging from traditional styles such as [[bluegrass music|Bluegrass]] and [[old-time music|Old-time]] music to contemporary and alternative acts. Best known is the Friday Night Jamboree held at The Floyd Country Store.<ref>{{cite web|website=Floyd Country Store|url= http://floydcountrystore.com|title=A Great Little Country Store in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia}}</ref>  Both the Floyd Country Store and County Sales, founded in the 1960s,<ref>County Records {{cite web |url=http://www.countysales.com/pages.php?pageid=2 |title=About |access-date=November 10, 2012 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120929074734/http://www.countysales.com/pages.php?pageid=2 |archive-date=September 29, 2012 }}</ref> are featured on the Virginia Heritage Music Trail called "The Crooked Road."<ref>{{cite web|website=The Crooked Road|url=https://thecrookedroadva.com/venues/floyd-country-store/|title=Floyd Country Store}}</ref> In the early 21st century, Floyd became the home of an annual world music festival called [[FloydFest]]. Floyd County-based old time string band The Alum Ridge Boys & Ashlee won first prize at the 85th Annual Old Fiddlers' Convention held in Galax, Virginia.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bluegrasstoday.com/85th-annual-old-fiddlers-convention-results/|title=85th Annual Old Fiddlers Convention Results|first=John|last=Lawless|website=Bluegrass Today|date=August 16, 2021 |accessdate=February 22, 2022}}</ref>

The Chateau Morrisette and Villa Appalaccia wineries have been established since the 1980s.