County Description - 1797

*Wythe, a county of Virginia, said to be 120 miles in length, and nearly so in breadth; bounded north by Kanhaway, and south by the State of N. Carolina. Its population in 1790 was included in Montgomery county. There are lead mines in this county, on the Great Kanhaway, 25 miles from the line of N. Carolina, which yield from 50 to 80lbs. pure lead from 100lbs. washed ore, but most commonly 60 to 100. Two of them are worked by the public; the best of which is 100 yards under the hill; and although there are not more than 30 labourers generally employed, they might employ 50 or 60 to advantage. The labourers cultivate their own corn. Twenty, 25, and sometimes 60 tons of lead have been extracted from these mines in a year. Chief town, Evansham. The court-house is on the post-road from Richmond to Danville, in Kentucky, 301 miles from the former, and 323 from the latter. It is 46 miies from Montgomery court-house, 57 from Abingdon, and 454 from Philadelphia. A post-office is kept here.

*Source: The American Gazetteer, Jedidiah Morse, D.D., Printed in Boston, 1797.