Five counties were formed within Virginia in the first decade of the nineteenth century, most in the mountainous west. In 1801 Jefferson was formed from Berkeley. this was a reflection of the importance of canal-building in opening the upper Potomac Valley to pioneering. In mid-decade, Mason formed
from Kanawha on the Appalachian Plateau, and Giles formed from Montgomery, Monroe, and Tazewell on the crest of the Alleghenies. Nelson was created out of half of Amherst just east of the Blue Ridge in 1808, and Cabell was taken from yet more Kanawha lands on the Plateau. Pioneer interest had begun to shift further west to Ohio, Kentucky, and Missouri.
1801 - Jefferson (Berkeley)
1804 - Mason (Kanawha)
1806 - Giles (Montgomery, Monroe, Tazewell)
1808 - Nelson (Amherst)
1809 - Cabell (Kanawha) Go to Virginia map, 1811-1820 Return to Virginia Maps Introduction page
[adapted from Michael Doran, Atlas of County Boundary Changes in Virginia, 1634-1895], available under General References
