NEWBERN (Glade Springs)
The land
in Newbern was originally granted to a German named STEBOUGH,
and here at what was known as the "Glade Springs" was
erected as early as 1772 what was known as the Glade Springs Fort.
It was the first structure of the kind reared in Virginia west
of New river. In it the families of the earlier settlers took
refuge from the prowling bands of Indians, which then infested
the country.
The present location of the town was the result of a lawsuit.
The land passed into the possession of a gentleman named Adam
HANCE, who in 1809 laid out a town at the Springs half a mile
distant from the present site, and then asked that the main stage
road be changed so as to pass through his city. Living one mile
south and directly upon the road was a gentleman named James Ingram,
who in case of the change of the road would be left out of it.
To prevent this, he sued out an injunction to prevent the said
change; it was sustained by the court, and on the 3rd day of March,
1810, Mr. HANCE came over on the road and, with the assistance
of Gordon CLOYD, surveyor of Montgomery county, laid out the present
town.
The lots were immediately advertised for sale, one condition being
that the purchaser should erect, upon the lot, so purchased, "a
hawed log house at least one and a half stories high, with shingle
roof; brick or stone chimneys, seams filled with lime mortar,
and two glass windows of twelve lights each, and completely ranged
on the streets."
Henry HANCE, a son of the proprietor, built the first house. The
first merchant was James HOGE, who began business about the year
1811; soon followed Henry HANCE, the second, and Resin VERMILLION,
the third. A Mr. GARNES was the first blacksmith, and Dr. John
Floyd, afterwards a governor of Virginia, the first physician.
Adam HANCE kept the first hotel, and the Rev. Carroll LONG was
the first resident minister, and the first church (Methodist)
was erected in 1831.
Section 4 of the act, by which the county was created, provided
"that in order the more impartially and correctly to ascertain
the most proper place for holding courts and erecting public buildings
for the county of Pulaski," William CAMPBELL of the county
of Bedford, Samuel HALE of the county of Franklin, Samuel McCAMANT
of the county of Grayson, Albert G. PENDLETON of the county of
Giles, and Joseph W. DAVIS of the county of Smythe, shall be and
they are hereby appointed commissioners, a majority of whom may
act, for the purpose aforesaid, and who are hereby required to
meet in the town of Newbern, in the now county of Montgomery,
on the 1st day of May next ensuing the passage of this act, or
within thirty days from and after that day; and within ten days
after their meeting ascertain and determine at what point or place
within said county it is most suitable and proper to erect a court-house."
In compliance with this provision the commissioners met at Newbern
on the 7th day of May, and after spending three days in "viewing"
different locations, decided upon Newbern as the most available
place. Thus it became the county seat and remained until 1890.
