The Act for the former county is as follows: "So much of the county of Orange as it lies next to and adjoining the counties of Madison, Rockingham and Albemarle and west of a line beginning at Cave's old mill (now James Jackson's) on the Madison county line and running thence a straight line to where Whitelow's mill run intersects the Albemarle county line shall form one distinct and new county and be called and known by the name of Greene county in memory of general Nathaniel Greene who served his country in the revolutionary war."
It may be mentioned that this is the second county in Virginia honoring General Greene. The correct spelling for his first name is Nathanael.
In Greene County lies Swift Run Gap. This is the gap in the Blue Ridge mountains over which in September 1715, Governor Spotswood led his adventurous band into the beautiful Valley of Virginia. Westward expansion began at this date.
The second county created in 1838 was Roanoke composed of that portion of Botetourt lying next to the southwestern parts of Montgomery, Franklin and Bedford. Roanoke was the name applied by the early colonists to the shell-beads of different colors used by the Indians as a medium of exchange. The river had long been known as Roanoke, hence it seems likely that the county took its name from the river.
Roanoke County is thus bounded: "beginning at a point on the Blue ridge which divides the counties of Bedford and Botetourt, thence northwest to the house now the residence of John Bonsack on Glade creek so as to include the said Bonsack in the new county, thence a line to the house of Thomas Barnes including said Barnes in the county, and so as to leave John W. Thompson in the county of Botetourt, thence a straight line crossing the Catawba Valley at a point one mile due north of Mrs. Garwood's; thence crossing Craig's creek (passing the house of John Spessard on Craig's creek so as to leave the said Spessard in the old county) to the top of the mountain which divides the waters of Craig's creek and Sinking creek, thence westwardly along the top of the mountain to the point where the lines of Botetourt, Montgomery and Giles counties meet, thence with the line which divided the county of Botetourt from the county of Montgomery to the point at which the said line joins the Bedford line, thence with the Bedford line to the beginning."
In this same area in the following year the county of Pulaski was created from the western end of Montgomery and the eastern end of Wythe. Its name honored the Polish patriot Count Casimir Pulaski who, exiled from his homeland, came to America and joined General Washington's army. He participated in important engagements and finally fell on 11 October 1779 unsuccessfully defending Savannah, Georgia.
The bounds of Pulaski County are thus set forth: "beginning at a line dividing the county of Giles from Montgomery on New river, thence with same line to the head of a hollow above Hiram Davis's on Little Walker's creek; thence to a point on the main road between the lands of John T. Sayers and Harvey Shepherd including the plantation of David G. Shepherd, thence to the mouth of Pine run on New river, thence to the Grayson county line; including Sally King's plantation on Reed island; thence with the Grayson line to the Floyd line, and with the same to the mouth of Indian creek on Little river, and with the same including the farm of Creed Taylor to New river, and with the same to the beginning."
1840-1850 Flood Tide, Sixteen New Counties
Three years elapsed before another county was needed and it was not until 1842 that the county of Marion was formed from the southern part of Monongalia and the northern part of Harrison. The name given it was "in honor to and in memory of general Francis Marion who served his country in the war of the revolution." This county now lies in West Virginia.
Also in 1842, a new county in the southwestern area of Virginia was formed from Grayson. It was thus bounded: "beginning on the North Carolina line at or near Fisher's peak and running thence a straight line across the said county of Grayson (so as to cross Chestnut creek near the ford at major James Anderson's) to the line of Wythe county thence along said Wythe line to the line of Pulaski county thence along said Pulaski line to line of Floyd county, thence along said Floyd line to the line of Patrick; thence along the said Patrick line to the North Carolina line thence along said North Carolina line to the point of beginning ... and be called and known by the name of Carroll in memory of Charles Carroll of Carrollton." Charles Carroll, one of the Maryland Signers of the Declaration of Independence, had been the last survivor of this noble group, dying in 1832 at the age of 95 years.