This county was formed in 1822 from Bath, Botetourt, and Monroe, and has an area of 724 2/3 square miles.

Is bounded on the north by Bath, south by Rich Patch and Middle mountains, which divide it from Botetourt and Craig counties, east by Rockbridge, and on the west by the Alleghany chain of mountains, which separate it from Greenbrier county, West Virginia, from which mountains it derives its name. The surface is for the most part mountainous. This region contains large deposits of iron ore, the development of which has recently become a subject of interest to capitalists, many of whom have invested large means in the purchase of lands and erection of furnaces to the end of the manufacture of iron. The Chesapeake and Ohio railway traverses the county connecting with the Richmond and Alleghany railroad at Clifton Forge, in this county, the present western terminus. The Peters and Warm Springs mountains extend through the county in unbroken range, except at Covington at which point there is a narrow gap through which the Jackson winds its way. The passage of the Jackson river through White's mountain is a majestic feature of the sublime natural scenery of this county.

The northern and middle portion of the county is watered by the Jackson and Cow Pasture rivers, which unite in Botetourt, near the Alleghany line, and form the James. The rich valleys of the south are watered by Pott's and Dunlap's creeks, the principal branches of the Jackson river.

Covington, the county seat, on Jackson river, is also an important station on the Chesapeake and Ohio railway, two hundred and five miles from Richmond and twelve miles from Clifton Forge, the junction of the Chesapeake and Ohio with the Richmond and Alleghany railroad. Low Moor, on the Chesapeake and Ohio road, eight miles from Covington, is the place of location of the Low Moor Iron Works, which manufacture one hundred and twenty-five tons of iron daily, and employ about six hundred men. There is not only an abundance of corn, oats and wheat besides the dairy and orchard products raised for the uses of the people, but a surplus for market. The raising of live stock is one of the principal industries of the farming population.

As there is so much mountain land in this county the average assessed value is small, being but $3.12 per acres.

Alleghany Station
Arritts, J. M. Arritt
Backbone
Ben
Bess, J. V. Bess
Blue Springs Run, John Johnson
Callahan's, Ira Dew
Clifton Forge
Covington (c.h.), T. E. Nuckols
Indian Draft, M. D. Brown
Long Dale, O. C. Morris
Lowmoor, S. S. Carpenter
Mallow, C. F. Vaughan
Masters
Pott's Creek, A. Given
Rich Patch
Savannah
Selma
Snake River
Sweet Chalybeate

The Circuit Court of the Thirteenth Circuit meets at Covington 25th March and 25th August.
Judge: William McLaughlin
Clerk: J. J. Hobbs

The County Court meets on the Tuesday next after the first Monday in each Month. Quarterly terms, March, June, August and November.
Judge: P. N. Jones
Clerk, J. J. Hobbs

Sheriff: Samuel G. Byer
Surveyor: John A. Carson
Treasurer: Joseph T. Fudge
Commissioner of the Revenue: Samuel I. Fudge
Superintendent of Poor: Ro. B. Rose
Commonwealth's Attorney, J. K. Campbell

E. M. Nettleton, chairman; M. J. Arritt, James S. Kelding

James M. Montague, Covington; M. D. Brown, Indian Draft; L. R. Boswell and A. J. Acord, Clifton Forge; Thos. Gibbs, Low Moor; Jesse V. Bess, Bess; G. M. Smith, Blue Springs Run; N. C. Posey, Alleghany Station.

Brown, George C., Covington
Gleason, Paul, Clifton Forge
Wolfe, J. R., Bess

Bell & McAllister, Covington
Clarke, C. L., Covington

Bowler, James, Covington
Campbell, J. K., Covington
Parrish, Robert L., Covington
Skeen, William, Covington

Childs, D. D., Potts Creek
Cognor, R. A., Longdale
Dickson, R. W., Callaghan's
Eagle, G. F., Callaghan's
Given, Andrew S., Potts Creek
Reid, George W., Potts Creek
Riddleberger, William, Bess
Wilkerson, George, Arritts

Childs, David, Potts Creek
Crizer, A. G., Callaghan's
Crizer, Thomas J., Masters
Davis, J. B., Arritts
McCaleb, R. B., Bess
Rogers Bros., Covington
Swink, C. W., Covington

Arrington, J. K. P., Blue Spring Run
Childs, B., Blue Spring Run
Fudge & McClintic, Covington

Davis, R. H., Clifton Forge
McCorkle, G. B., Covington
Pendleton, M. H. & Co., Clifton Forge

Long, J. B., Covington

Alleghany Iron Mountain Mines Co., Mallow
Arritt, John M., Arritts
Bess, John L., Bess
Bowles, Thomas P., Clifton Forge
Callahan, D. J., Alleghany Station
Childs, R. B., Bess
Dickey, L. T., Covington
Dew, Ira & Co., Callaghan's
Dolly Ann Mines, Mallow
Ford, J. A., Clifton Forge
Fudge, J. T. & Bro., Lowmoor
Karnes, F. L., Lowmoor
Green, J. C., Clifton Forge
Ham, Michael H., Clifton Forge
Handley, Harrison, Morris Hill
Hawkins & Bro., Clifton Forge
Hobbs & Payne, Covington
Huddlestun, A. E., Callaghan's
Hyde, T. H., Clifton Forge
Kelly, John, Sweet Chalybeate Springs
Lear & Buck, Covington
Longdale Iron Co., Longdale
Lowmoor Iron Co., Lowmoor
Lyman, Frank, Backbone
McAllister, A. A. & Co., Covington
McClung, James A., Covington
Mann, Wm. H., Alleghany Station
Nuckols & Bro., Clifton Forge
Paxton, R. B., Clifton Forge
Payne, Lewis, Covington
Pendleton, W. W., Clifton Forge
Persinger, W. G., Ritch Patch
Powell, W. F., Clifton Forge
Stalley, J. F., Clifton Forge
Stull, George L., Clifton Forge
West, J. C., Covington
Wright, John H., Pott's Creek

Chesapeake, William Mann, Alleghany Station
Covington House, Miss Annie Baker, Covington
McCurdy House, W. C. Moody, Clifton Forge
Myers, J. M., Mallow
Sweet Chalybeate Springs, John Kelly, Sweek Chalybeate Springs
Thomas, B. H., Clifton Forge

Longdale Iron Co., J. E. Johnson, manager
Lowmoor Iron Co., Lowmoor

Persinger, A. B., Mallow

Acord, A. J., Jr., Clifton Forge
Davis & Persinger, Arritt's
Huddleston, A. E., Callaghan's
Nettleton, E. M., Covington
Rawson, W. L., Covington
Wyatt, John W., Covington

Arritt's, John M. Arritt, Arritt's
Bell & McAllister, Covington
Childs, William A., Bess
Childs, R. B., Pott's Creek
Fridley's, G. M. Smith, Blue Spring Run
Griffith's, C. Griffith, Indian Draft
Jamison George, Potts Creek
Lemon's, J. Y. Lemon, Longdale
Martin, W. W., Callaghan's
Richardson, Jno., Callaghan's

Arritt, J. M., Arritts
Byer, D. N., Callaghan's
Davis, John B., Bess
Hughes, J. W., Backbone
Jamison, George, Pott's Creek
Karnes, F. L. & Son, Lowmoor
Stull, A. M., Lowmoor
Tucker, Andrew, Pott's Creek
Wyatt, J. W., Callaghan's

Childs, R. B., Bess
Williams, A. G., Masters

Howard, G., Potts Creek

Alleghany Iron Mountain Co., Mallow
Jones, A. P., Pott's Creek
Dolly-Ann, Mallow
Lowmoor Iron Mines, Lowmoor
Stack Mine, Backbone

Alleghany Sentinel (weekly), Charles M. Bragg, editor and publisher, Covington

Anderson, H. W., Covington
Hughes, J. F., Clifton Forge
Kinney, Thomas H., Longdale
Lewis, C. T., Clifton Forge
McCorkle, George B., Clifton Forge
Rector, T. P., Sweek Chalbeate
Rogers, C. E., Lowmoor
Rogers, O. T., Lowmoor
Rogers, O. L., Lowmoor
Wiley, R. S., Clifton Forge
Woodville, J. L., Pott's Creek

Grose James, Covington
Hall, Henry, Potts Creek
Joseph, J. C., Covington

Black, J. E., Clifton Forge
Byrd, G. T., Clifton Forge
Fox, Patrick, Clifton Forge
Fudge & McClintic, Covington
*Grimes & Reynolds, Covington
Moody, W. C., Clifton Forge
Smith, W. E., Covington
Thomas, B. H., Clifton Forge

Covington Female Seminary, Miss Bessie J. Montague principal.

There are thirty-six white and five colored public schools in this county. Superintendent, Dr. G. B. McCorkle, Covington

Brooks & Bro., Covington

Pitzer, Rufus T., Covington
Tengler, Henry, Potts Creek

Craver, J. S., Lowmoor
Hubard, R., Potts Creek
Riddleberger, M., Potts Creek

Aritts--M. J. Aritt, John B. Davis, Bowyer Benton, William Helmintoller, John M. Aritt, E. P. Bowyer, Sampson Humphries, H. C. Wolfe, J. S. Bush.

Backbone--A. A. Kean, T. J. Bratton, J. W. Vauter, D. A. A. Keyser, Bradley Carter, Wm. Nolin, Wm. Richardson, Thomas Hardy, C. Howery, L. F. Watts, S. A. Damron, George Damron, Frank Lyman.

Ben--B. J. Smith, A. A. Perkins, Jno. L. Mann, T. J. Daggs, Thomas D. Kyle, John McD. Mann, C. Griffith

Bess--James Sizer, Wm. Robinson, Frederick J. Armentrout, M. J. Armentrout, Edward R. Evans, John L. Bess, Nelson Fridley, D. F. Arritt, L. D. Scott, J. R. Wolfe, John Dew, John Riddleberger, J. V. Bess, W. H. Bess, John H. Wright, H. P. Robinson, M. G. Wright, John B. Lynch, J. M. Bennett, Caleb Bennett, Guy W. Wright, John A. Armentrout

Blue Spring Run--John Johnson, Joseph P. Terry, Moses Persinger, C. D. Rose, J. D. Rose, John G. Lockhart, Lee Terry, R. M. Johnson, R. B. Rose, H. E. Rose, John R. Spangler, Jacob L. Bush.

Callaghan's--Wm. M. Brown, C. Damron, T. W. Richardson, John W. Jennings, Jordan Helmintaller, C. A. B. Richardson, James Craft, A. L. Page, W. H. Hamilton, J. W. Anderson, Geo. Herbert, Wash Paxton, John Tucker, A. E. Huddleston, H. C. Vaughan, J. F. Richardson

Clifton Forge - Thomas M. Kincaid, Jno. P. Haynes, Henry Y. Haynes, R. P. Murray, J. R. Deeds

Covington--A. A. McAllister, Chas. Thompson, J. R. England, Frank Clark, H. W. Massie, John H. Oliver, E. K. Dressler, H. A. Moyers, John R. Tucker, W. H. Dressler, J. A. Robinson, Andrew Fudge, E. M. Nettleton, P. A. Dressler, G. G. Gooch.

Indian Draft--John Boswell, Lewis Sprouse, William H. Leighton, Josiah Smith, S. G. Byer, Charles Olvier, Arch'd McCallister, Jno. K. Dressler, A. H. Mann, J. W. Mann, Peter Byer, F. M. Leighton, C. P. Byer, S. Keyser, W. J. Smith, J. R. Smith, William Smith, Wright Smith, R. Smith

Longdale--M. W. King, Nathaniel McKenney, W. H. McPherson, J. Y. Lemon, James M. Nicely, Frank Lemon, Longdale Iron Co., A. J. Turner, R. R. Tribbett, J. T. Peters, Mat Krick, S. Y. Gilliland, A. White

Lowmoor--F. L. Karnes, C. M. McElwee, Benami Karnes, E. P. Tinsley, G. W. Hayse, S. S. Carpenter, D. C. Steele, Spot H. King, J. W. Reynolds, W. D. Wilcher, Lowmoor Iron Co., R. B. Hughes, Harry Humphries

Mallow--Edward W. Kyle, J. S. Persinger, James N. Vowels, James Nickel, A. B. Persinger, Col. W. A. Gilliam, Jacob Whisman, W. C. Fudge, Samuel I. Fudge.

Masters--Edward Harvey, Wm. Andrewss, Sr., Ballard Andress, Wm. A. Kincaid, Henry William, George W. Jackson, James B. Andress, Samuel A. Rucker, James Atkins, Benj. Thacker, A. A. Perkins, Caleb Griffiths, James Harvey, H. M. Andress, Samuel W. Jackson, Wm. O. Andress, Jr., Wm. H. Keyser, James H. Tyree, J. McD. Mann, A. H. Mann, John Boswell, E. T. Williams, G. Myers, John R. Thomas, J. R. McCallister, John R. Tyree, John L. Mann, E. T. McAllister

Potts Creek--Adam Given, John H. McDevitt, George Stull, Wm. Baker, H. Walker, A. Harless, John Sizer, B. James, R. B. Caleb, Andrew Sizer, Henry Jamison, R. M. Jamison, Jacob R. Wolfe, James P. Gillaspie, George Hamilton, F. P. Sizer, E. L. Evans, Wm. M. Robinson

Rich Patch--C. L. Humphries, G. M. Jamison, Madison Hook, W. A. Humphries, H. P. Humphries, Richard Fridley, A. M. Stull, J. R. Stull, C. M. Stull, Jos. Ervin, Geo. Leffle.

Savannah--Chas. Hepler, W. H. Smith, John F. Smith, Dennis Driscoll, A. M. Smith, John Myers, Dennis Callaghan, J. R. Harman, J. T. Robinson, C. A. Robinson, Francis E. Teeke.

Sweet Chalybeate Springs--C. A. Damron, John Kelly, D. S. Wickline, A. W. Cook, Wm. J. Carter, Thomas Carter, John A. Carson, Henry P. Carson, James A. Carson.