Floyd County
Floyd County

Author: Floyd County Historical Society Inc

Publisher: Arcadia Publishing

Published: 2012

Total Pages: 130

ISBN-13: 0738592714

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Once a Kanawha hunting ground, the area that became Floyd County in 1831 was settled by people of English, German, Scots-Irish, French, and African descent, who established scattered farming communities. Agriculture was supplemented by work at sawmills and gristmills, distilling, storekeeping, and small-scale manufacturing and mining. Social life centered on family, church, and schools. Through the first half of the 20th century, full-time farming diminished as automobiles and improved roads gave access to garment factories and other industries within Floyd and adjoining counties, and the population declined sharply from a peak of 15,388 in 1900. Today, the population has rebounded with an influx of artisans, musicians, entrepreneurs, immigrant workers, retirees, and young families attracted by the county's natural beauty and quality of life. Prominent Floyd County natives include NASCAR pioneer Curtis Turner and Rear Adm. Robley Evans.

Floyd County
Floyd County

Author: Lisa Perry

Publisher: Arcadia Publishing

Published: 2010

Total Pages: 132

ISBN-13: 9780738585727

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Floyd County, named for Kentucky pioneer John Floyd, was formed in 1799. Originally encompassing all of the Big Sandy River Valley and much of eastern Kentucky, the boundaries included portions of what are now Pike, Martin, Knott, Magoffin, and Johnson Counties. Because of its river access, Floyd County developed earlier than many counties in eastern Kentucky. Prestonsburg, the county seat, became a major river port and center of trade in the region. With the coming of the railroad in 1903 and the coal industry, which began booming in the early 20th century, the county rapidly grew. This growth included a rapid rise in population due to the migration of native-born whites from around the country, European immigrants, and African Americans from southern plantations and coalfields. What had been an agrarian, white population suddenly took on a whole new face, one more reflective of the nation. The railroads and coal industry permanently changed both the economy and culture of Floyd County.

The Water-Powered Mills of Floyd County, Virginia
The Water-Powered Mills of Floyd County, Virginia

Author: Franklin F. Webb

Publisher: McFarland

Published: 2014-01-10

Total Pages: 365

ISBN-13: 0786487208

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From the time of early settlement in Virginia, water-powered mills played a primary role in the state's economy. This work provides an overview of grain milling in Floyd County, Virginia, from 1770 to the present day. Topics covered include the difficulties involved in identifying early mills, the importance of mill site selection, water wheel types, laws regulating mills, the decline of milling and physical remains of abandoned mill sites. The main body of the book provides individual histories of 140 grist, flour, and feed mills, a few of which also processed wool. The histories are based primarily on oral histories, title deed records, and local newspapers. More than 100 photographs and maps supplement the text, and tables provide production figures for various mills from industrial censuses of 1850, 1870, and 1880.