Principal among them was certainly Thomas Nelson, Jr., signer of the Declaration of Independence. Yorktown's place in early American history was established by several Yorktown residents who devoted themselves to Virginia's and the new Nation's service. As a result, the quality and quantity of tobacco declined dramatically from mid-century on, and Yorktown's heavy dependence on the tobacco-based commerce proved to be its downfall. Unfortunately, tobacco exhausted the soil and modern fertilization practices had not yet evolved. and the planters live in a manner equal to men of the best fortune." The roads are infinitely superior to most in England. every considerable man keeps an equipage. In 1764, an English visitor commented that he perceived "a great air of opulence amongst the inhabitants. Virginia's planters who lived in Yorktown or had second homes here, lavished themselves and their homes with expensive items from England. With high quality Virginia tobacco established as the main money crop and Yorktown named as a tobacco inspection port, the town's growth potential for the future seemed secure. The town continued to grow, and by the passage of the Tobacco Inspection act of 1734, nearly all of Yorktown's 85 town lots had been purchased and development begun. The port, wharves, warehouses and other appropriate buildings for the conduct of commerce were situated at the riverfront. The town's creation established Yorktown as the principal location for securing tobacco, good, wares and other merchandise. He died in 1657, but his grandson sold 50 acres of the land for the establishment of "York Town" in 1691. Sadly, Martiau did not live to see the town develop on his personal landholdings. Martiau's early settlement and bringing of other settlers had qualified him to receive several grants of land, one of which is the present location of Yorktown. The site is now part of the United States Coast Guard Reserve Training Center. This village also became a receiving port and mercantile center for the growing population. York's FortYork's fort was initially built just a short distance down river from the present Yorktown, and a small settlement developed there because of the fort's guarantee of safety. In 1620, Captain Nicholas Martiau, was sent by King James I to build forts in Virginia, specifically at York, and to complete the great log palisade between College and Queen Creeks. The County of York successfully blends contemporary living with the appreciation and preservation of a rich community heritage. Today, Yorktown is part of an important national resource known as the "Historic Triangle" (Yorktown, Jamestown, and Williamsburg). The influence of the early waterman remains active seafood processing, ship building, and ship repair prosper. Yorktown also figured prominently in the Civil War, serving as a major port to supply both northern and southern towns, depending on who held Yorktown at the time.Īfter World War II, one of the nation's largest and most diversified military-industrial complexes emerged in the Norfolk-Virginia Beach-Newport News MSA, spawning numerous small precision machine, metal fabrication and technical research companies. The port of Yorktown, which remains the seat of government, was the site of the final battle of the American Revolution where on October 19, 1781, Lord Cornwallis surrendered his British Army to the combined American-French forces under Washington and Rochambeau. The town is located at the most narrow crossing point of the York River, and natives likely used this point to travel from "the Peninsula" to the "Middle Peninsula".įor centuries, the County of York has figured prominently in both the political and economic history of the Peninsula, the Commonwealth, and the Nation. The present location of the charming town was first occupied by the Native-American population for at least 10,000 years prior to European arrival. Yorktown’s history considerably precedes 1781.
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