University of Virginia Library

First County Commissioners

The first County Commissioners named were
Albert G. Pendleton, of Giles County, Hamilton
Wade, of Montgomery County, Daniel Smith, of
Kanawha, and William Campbell, Sr., of Bedford.
They met in the town of Salem on May 10th, 1838,
or shortly thereafter, and determined the site for the
courthouse for the new county. The amount of land
acquired for the necessary public buildings was not
to exceed two acres, and they were required to ascertain
the value thereof.

It was also enacted by the General Assembly that
William Anderson, of Botetourt, Archibald Goodykoontz,
of Montgomery, and John F. J. White, of
Botetourt, be appointed commissioners to run and
mark the lines between the counties of Roanoke and
Botetourt.