Important Events in Buchanan County’s Past
| Year | Event |
1750 |
Dr. Thomas Walker’s survey team passed through county |
1767 |
Daniel Boone was the first man to discover the Breaks |
1787 |
Russell County formed |
1799 |
Tazewell County formed |
1845 |
Record of first church formed in this area (Union Regular Primitive Baptist at Big Rock) |
1858 |
Buchanan County formed and county seat placed at Grundy |
1861-65 |
Civil War period |
1865 |
Wooden courthouse burned |
1865-1875 |
Military rule in county |
1876 |
Grundy Incorporated |
1880 |
Dickenson County formed, including parts of what was Buchanan |
1880’s |
Individuals begin commercial logging |
1885 |
Severe Courthouse fire; records destroyed |
1890’s |
Large lumber companies first moved into area |
1897 |
John Hardin’s trial and hanging |
1900 |
Grundy town government organized; W. M. Ritter constructed the Big Sandy and Cumberland logging railroad |
1901 |
First telephone brought into county |
1902 |
County court system abolished in Virginia; Grundy Normal School established |
1905 |
Building of stone courthouse started |
1911 |
Knox Creek Hospital, first in county, organized by Dr. A. S. Richardson |
1913 |
Small electric power plant installed in Grundy |
1915 |
Christmas eve fire destroyed much of town, including interior of courthouse; Resolution of controversial “Green Charles” land suit |
1916 |
VS&C railroad’s maiden voyage into Grundy begins; First public high school in county established by Prof. Milton Remines |
1917 |
Building of courthouse completed |
1921 |
First automobile garage in Buchanan; some road improvement done |
1923 |
Construction of state highway from Richlands to Grundy begins; Electric power company came into Buchanan with regular service |
1924 |
Presbyterian School fielded county’s first football game; BS&C railroad sold to Norfolk and Western standard gauge |
Late 20’s |
Logging companies pulled out |
1928 |
Building of Norfolk and Western coal-carrying railroad began |
1931 |
Buchanan’s banks closed; Norfolk and Western first rolled into county; First mine established |
1932 |
First car of coal loaded |
1933 |
First local charter of the United Mine Workers of America in Buchanan; Grace Richardson Hospital established |
1937 |
Regular telephone service established |
1938 |
Grundy Hospital from Grace Richardson Hospital |
1947 |
First volunteer fire department created |
1948 |
First television brought into the county |
1949-50 |
Additions made to the stone courthouse |
1954 |
Breaks Interstate park formed by Virginia and Kentucky |
1955 |
First radio station established |
1958 |
County’s centennial celebration; Municipal airport constructed |
1961 |
First county library opened; First shaft mine completed |
1974 |
Tremendous boom in coal industry |
1976 |
County’s bicentennial celebration; Work begun on new hospital |
*More events will be added soon