Notes on the State of Virginia (1802)/Query 12
QUERY XII.
A NOTICE of the counties, cities, townſhips,
and villages?
The counties have been enumerated under query IX. They are 74 in number, of very unequal ſize and population. Of theſe 35 are on the tide waters, or in that parallel; 23 are in the midlands, between the tide waters and the Blue ridge of mountains; 8 between the Blue ridge and Alleghaney; and 8 weſtward of the Alleghaney.
The ſtate, by another diviſion, is formed into pariſhes, many of which are commenſurate with the counties; but ſometimes a county comprehends more than one pariſh, and ſometimes a pariſh more than one county. This diviſion had relation to the religion of the ſtate, a parſon of the Anglican church, with a fixed ſalary, having been heretofore eſtabliſhed in each pariſh. The care of the poor was another object of the parochial diviſion.
We have no townſhips. Our country being much interſected with navigable waters, and trade brought generally to our doors inſtead of our being obliged to go in queſt of it, has probably been one of the cauſes why we have no towns of any conſequence. Williamſburgh, which till the year 1780, was the ſeat of our government, never contained above 1800 inhabitants; and Norfolk the moſt populous town we ever had, contained but 6000. Our towns, but more properly our villages or hamlets, are as follows.
On James' River and its waters, Norfolk, Portſmouth, Hampton, Suffolk, Smithfield, Williamſburgh, Peterſburgh, Richmond the ſeat of our government, Mancheſter, Charlottsville, New-London.
On York River and its waters, York, Newcaſtle, Hanover.
On Rappahannoc, Urbanna, Portroyal, Frederickſburgh, Falmouth.
On Patowmac and its waters, Dumfries, Colcheſter, Alexandria, Wincheſter, Staunton.
On Ohio, Louiſville.
There are other places at which, like ſome of the foregoing, the laws have ſaid there ſhall be towns; but nature has ſaid there ſhall not, and they remain unworthy of enumeration. Norfolk will probably be the emporium for all the trade of the Cheſapeak bay and its waters; and a canal of 8 or 10 miles will bring to it all that of Albemarle ſound and its waters. Secondary to this place, are the towns at the head of the tide waters, to wit, Peterſburgh on Appomattox. Richmond on James' River. Newcaſtle on York-River. Alexandria on Potowmac, and Baltimore on Patapſco. From theſe the diſtribution will be to ſubordinate ſituations in the country. Accidental circumſtances however may control the indications of nature, and in no inſtance do they do it more frequently than in the riſe and fall of towns.