University of Virginia Library

Big Lick Incorporated

When Roanoke County was formed in 1838 there
was a strong sentiment in favor of making Big Lick
(the Old Lick) the county seat on account of its central
location, but after due consideration Salem was selected,
and as a portion of Montgomery County was afterward
added to Roanoke County it made Salem the
more central point.

In 1838 there were but three houses in the new Big
Lick, and not until 1852 did the place begin to show
signs of growth, when several new buildings were
erected.

In 1853 a blacksmith shop and a small office building
were erected, and here improvements ceased, with the
exception of the building of the Virginia & Tennessee
depot, until 1858, when the first tobacco factory was
built.

In 1870 several dwelling houses were built but there
was little progress or development until the incorporation
of Big Lick as a town in 1874.

In 1874 the land on which the city of Roanoke is
now built was owned by John Trout, Peyton L. Terry,
Isham M. Ferguson, Mrs. Jane Lewis, Col. Geo. W.
Carr, Ferdinand Rorer and Benjamin T. Tinsley.
The latter owned all the land between the Carr farm
and Franklin Road, which he afterwards sold to Peyton
L. Terry. The farm had been the property in former
years of William M. Peyton, whose residence was
known as "Elmwood." The Rorer farm, lying on the
east side of Commerce Street, and for the most part
south of Campbell Avenue, belonged for many years
before the war to John Shirey. The eastern part of
the city is built on the Carr and Ferguson farms. On
February 28th, 1874, the town of Big Lick was incorporated
with John Trout as Mayor, and Ferdinand
Rorer, Isham M. Ferguson, Peyton L. Terry, James M.
Gambill, Dr. James McG. Kent and William Raines
as Councilmen.

The act of incorporation gives the boundaries as
follows:—

"Commencing at the depot of the Atlantic, Mississippi
& Ohio Railroad in said town, and extending
therefrom one-half mile north, east, south and west,
and embracing the area contained therein, with the
exception of the land of Mrs. Jane Lewis, which shall
be excluded from said Corporation."

At this time the business houses were located mainly
on both sides of Commerce Street.

In 1876 there were in the town three churches,
Lutheran, Methodist and Presbyterian, seven dry-goods
stores, one drug store, one bank, five tobacco
factories, three tobacco warehouses, one plaster and
flouring mill, one foundry, one tinware manufactory,
one harness manufactory, one wagon and plow factory,
two blacksmith shops, two photograph galleries and
three saloons. Land around Big Lick could have been
purchased at that time for the sum of $30.00 per acre.