Powell Valley in southwest Virginia , in the United States , is located near the city of Norton and the town of Big Stone Gap in Wise County, Virginia .
30-605: Powell Valley is a picturesque location, with an overlook accessible from the Northbound lanes of U.S. Route 23 . A number of homes, farms, and a church are located in the valley below the overlook. The valley begins between Powell Mountain and Little Stone Mountain where the waters of the Powell River flow down from the rugged mountains of western Wise County. The immense exposed rock face where Stone Mountain and Powell Mountain come together near Grindstone Ridge to
60-589: A summit called "Butt of Powell Mountain" (elevation 2,859 feet (871 m)). US Route 23 and crosses Powell Mountain by following the North Fork Clinch River, as does railroad tracks owned by the Norfolk Southern Railway . Powell Mountain continues on the other side of the North Fork Clinch River, but is less well-defined as a ridge. It blends somewhat with Cliff Mountain, Little Mountain, and Stone Mountain. Near Cliff Mountain
90-483: Is Bowling Knob (3,557 feet; 1,084 meters), near the northern end of the mountain. Powell Mountain is about 60 miles (97 km) long. It is broken by one stream only, the North Fork Clinch River . North of the river, the mountain is less well-defined as a ridge and merges with Stone Mountain and other mountains near the headwaters of Powell River. The southern part of Powell Mountain is paralleled on
120-727: Is a mountain ridge of the Ridge-and-valley Appalachians of the Appalachian Mountains . It is a long and narrow ridge, running northeast to southwest, from about Norton, Virginia , to near Tazewell, Tennessee . It separates the Clinch River basin and the Powell River basin of Powell Valley . It was named for an 18th-century explorer. Powell Mountain's elevation averages between 1,500 to 2,500 feet (460 to 760 meters), with its highest points above 3,000 feet (910 meters). The highest point
150-468: Is another high summit called Morris Butt (2,940 feet (900 m)). Northeast of that, the headwaters of the Powell River cut a valley into Powell Mountain near the community of Cracker Neck. Northeast of that, Powell Mountain becomes increasingly merged with Little Mountain, Stone Mountain, and Grindstone Ridge. In this section, the highest summit occurs, High Knob (4,223 feet (1,287 m)), but it
180-477: Is defined as the summit of Stone Mountain rather than Powell Mountain. Finally, Powell Mountain ends near Norton, Virginia . The northern terminus of Powell Mountain is in Jefferson National Forest . 36°30′40″N 83°23′47″W / 36.511197°N 83.396292°W / 36.511197; -83.396292 Lee County, Virginia Lee County is the westernmost county in
210-536: Is the high summit of Bowling Knob (3,557 feet (1,084 m)). Nearby this section of Powell Mountain is Virginia's Natural Tunnel State Park . Also nearby is a section of the old Wilderness Road known as "Devil's Racepath". The crossing of Powell Mountain at Kanes Gap and the difficult Devil's Racepath made this one of the more difficult segments of the Wilderness Road. The northernmost section of Powell Mountain crosses into Wise County, Virginia , where there
240-801: Is the longest-serving sheriff in Lee County's history. Voters in Lee County wavered between Democratic and Republican presidential candidates throughout much of the twentieth century. Between 1920 and 2004, the county backed the nationwide winner on all but three occasions (1948, 1980, and 1988). Since the beginning of the twenty-first century, the county has become more consistently Republican, voting overwhelmingly for Donald Trump . Republicans have consistently won local elections in recent years, as well. The Lee County School System operates eleven schools, including two high schools and one technical school. Pennington Elementary School, consisting of three buildings built at various times (1912, 1917, and 1937),
270-429: The 2010 United States Census , there were 25,587 people living in the county. 94.2% were White , 3.7% Black or African American , 0.4% Native American , 0.2% Asian , 0.6% of some other race and 0.9% of two or more races . 1.6% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race). According to the census 2009 estimates, there were 25,001 people, 11,587 households, and 6,852 families living in the county. The population density
300-1048: The American Civil War . Lee County was the final front on the Kentucky Trace, now known as the Wilderness Road and The Trail of the Lonesome Pine . During the 1780s and 1790s, fortified buildings called " stations " were built along the trail for shelter from Indian raids as the settlers followed Daniel Boone 's path into the Kentucky frontier. The stations in Lee County were Yoakum Station at present-day Dryden , west to Powell River and Station Creek at today's Rocky Station , then to Mump's Fort at Jonesville , followed by Prist Station , Martin's Station at Rose Hill, Chadwell Station at Chadwell Gap , Owen Station at Ewing , and finally Gibson Station , which still bears its original name. One of
330-540: The U.S. Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 437 square miles (1,130 km ), of which 436 square miles (1,130 km ) is land and 1.9 square miles (4.9 km ) (0.4%) is water. Lee County is one of the 423 counties served by the Appalachian Regional Commission , and it is identified as part of "Greater Appalachia" by Colin Woodard in his book American Nations: A History of
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#1732772644118360-451: The U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia . As of the 2020 census, the population was 22,173. Its county seat is Jonesville . The area of far western Virginia and eastern Kentucky supported large Archaic Native American populations. The first known Europeans to enter what is present-day Lee County were a party of Spanish explorers, Juan de Villalobos and Francisco de Silvera, sent by Hernando de Soto in 1540, in search of gold. The county
390-497: The Clinch River) flow on the south side. The Wilderness Road followed part of Wallen Creek, between Powell Mountain and Wallen Ridge. State Route 70 crosses Powell Mountain at Hunter Gap. North of Hunter Gap, Newman Ridge continues along the south side of Powell Mountain, but its name changes to Stone Ridge. Northeast of Hunter Gap, Powell Mountain's elevation increases to 2,500 feet (760 m) and above. The mountain becomes
420-586: The Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America . All of Lee County lies longitudinally west of West Virginia . The entirety of Lee County is physically closer to eight state capitals other than its own capital in Richmond : Raleigh, North Carolina ; Columbia, South Carolina ; Atlanta, Georgia ; Nashville, Tennessee ; Charleston, West Virginia ; Frankfort, Kentucky ; Columbus, Ohio ; and Indianapolis, Indiana . Additionally,
450-616: The Powell River west towards the Tennessee border. Majestic Powell Valley is part of the High Knob Landform , lying literally amid its heart and eroded core, and is a true geologic wonder. The Virginia longhunter , explorer and later Revolutionary War general Joseph Martin was instrumental in opening up Powell Valley to settlement from the east. Powell Mountain Powell Mountain (or "Powells Mountain")
480-410: The age of 18 living with them, 55.0 percent were married couples living together, 11.7 percent had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.4 percent were non-families. 27.0 percent of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.1 percent had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.91. In the county,
510-419: The boundary between Lee County and Scott County, Virginia . It is crossed by U.S. Route 58 , "Daniel Boone Trail Highway". Daniel Boone's Wilderness Road route crossed Powell Mountain at Kanes Gap, just northeast of where the modern highway crosses. The North Fork Clinch River breaks northeast of Kanes Gap, Powell Mountain. The mountain curves north and then west along the southwest side of the river, ending at
540-611: The end of Powell Mountain, then flowing into the Clinch River and Norris Lake (the reservoir behind Norris Dam ). To the northeast, Powell Mountain crosses Hancock County, Tennessee , where Newman Ridge runs closely along the south side. Big Sycamore Creek flows between the two ridges to its headwaters. Its valley is called Snake Hollow. Northeast of that, Blackwater Creek flows northeastward between Powell Mountain and Newman Ridge. In Hancock County, Powell Mountain reaches heights around 2,300 to 2,400 feet (about 700 to 730 meters), with
570-703: The far western part of Lee County–including Wheeler and the Cumberland Gap , roughly 350 miles (560 km) from Richmond–is closer to Montgomery, Alabama , a ninth state capital. The county contains karst , a type of topography, within an area of Ordovician limestone called "the Cedars." The Powell River flows through Lee County on its way to Tennessee. The county is divided into seven districts: Jonesville, Rocky Station, Rocky Station Mineral, Rose Hill, White Shoals, Yoakum, and Yoakum Mineral. There are two towns: Pennington Gap , and Jonesville . As of
600-473: The highest point, 2,501 feet (762 m)), on the Tennessee-Virginia state line. On the north side of Powell Mountain, Mulberry Creek flows southwestward to join the Powell River. Continuing northeast, Powell Mountain crosses into Lee County, Virginia . Wallen Creek, a tributary of the Powell River, flows along the north side, while Blackwater Creek and its tributaries (themselves all branches of
630-619: The largest early landowners was Revolutionary War officer and explorer Joseph Martin , after whom Martin's Station and Martin's Creek at Rose Hill are named. Due to his rank of command, Martin had been awarded some 25,000 acres (100 km ) in a land grant after the war. He divided the land and sold it as a speculator. Rose Hill was established in 1832 as the first federally recognized post office in Lee County. In 1814, parts of Lee, Russell, and Washington counties were combined to form Scott County . In 1856, parts of Lee, Russell, and Scott counties were combined to form Wise County , named after
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#1732772644118660-466: The last governor of Virginia before the Civil War. The economy of Lee County has been based largely on growing tobacco and mining coal . The decline of both has resulted in high unemployment in the county and a decrease in population since 1940, which was the peak. Using the slogan Where Virginia Begins , the county has attempted to increase its heritage tourism industry by emphasizing its role in
690-399: The median income for a family was $ 40,721. The per capita income for the county was $ 16,317. About 20.3 percent of families and 22.7 percent of the population were below the poverty line , including 30.1 percent of those under age 18 and 23.3 percent of those age 65 or over. The Lee County Sheriff's Office (LCSO) is currently headed by Gary B. Parsons, who has held the role since 1996, and
720-482: The named gaps, from south to north, include Fugate Gap, Gibson Gap, Mulberry Gap (used by State Route 63), Bryson Gap, Sally Gap, Hunter Gap (used by State Route 70), Kanes Gap, Elisha Lick Gap, and Beaverdam Gap. Powell Mountain's southern end is in Claiborne County, Tennessee . On the north side of the mountain flows Little Sycamore Creek, and on the south side, Big Sycamore Creek. The two join just south of
750-407: The population was spread out, with 22.8 percent under the age of 18, 8.0 percent from 18 to 24, 27.5 percent from 25 to 44, 26.3 percent from 45 to 64, and 15.4 percent who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 94.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.3 males. The median income for a household in the county was $ 29,889, and
780-707: The route used by settlers going west through the Cumberland Gap , at Lee County's western tip. Lee County shares Cumberland Gap National Historical Park with Kentucky and Tennessee. Attractions listed in the park include Hensley's Settlement , the Pinnacle Overlook, the Sand Cave, and the White Rocks overlooking the towns of Ewing and Rose Hill in Virginia. Lee County is a dry county for hard liquor, although retail sales are permitted. According to
810-460: The south by Newman Ridge and Stone Ridge. Between Powell Mountain and these ridges is Snake Hollow and the headwaters of Blackwater Creek. This area is known for its historic Melungeon population. Powell Mountain is crossed by U.S. Route 58 , called "Daniel Boone Trail Highway". The original Wilderness Road crossed the mountain nearby at Kanes Gap. Besides the large water gap of the North Fork Clinch River, there are numerous wind gaps . Some of
840-614: The southeast from the overlook, yields a striking visual change in altitude. Within only 0.8 mile the vertical elevation changes by 2,000 feet (610 meters) ) across the northern face of the Grindstone Ridge Dome of the High Knob Massif, to mark one of the greatest short-distance vertical elevation changes in the southern Appalachians (the greatest found west of the Blue Ridge in Virginia ). The valley follows
870-577: Was 54 people per square mile (21 people/km ). There were 11,587 housing units at an average density of 25 units per square mile (9.7 units/km ). The racial makeup of the county was 96.3% White , 2.9% Black or African American , 0.2% Asian , 0.1% from other races , 0.7% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. The largest ancestry groups in Lee County include: English (14 percent), Irish (11 percent), German (9 percent), and Scottish-Irish (3 percent). There were 9,706 households, out of which 29.0 percent had children under
900-781: Was formed after the American Revolutionary War in 1792 from Russell County . It was named for Light Horse Harry Lee , the Governor of Virginia from 1791 to 1794, who was famous for his exploits as a leader of light cavalry during the war. He was the father of Robert E. Lee , later a West Point graduate and career US Army officer who became the General in Chief of the Armies of the Confederate States during
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