 | History of Roanoke County |  |
JOHN TROUT
John Trout, the subject of this sketch, was born in
Rockingham County, Virginia, February 13, 1813, and
died in Roanoke, Virginia, 1882, and his remains rest
in the city cemetery.
He was a son of George and Polly (Miller) Trout of
Rockingham County and moved with his father to
Botetourt (now Roanoke) County, in 1818, where
George Trout purchased a farm a few miles west of the
present city of Roanoke, where the subject of this
sketch was reared. When twenty-five years old, he
purchased the Stover property, near Big Lick, a tract
of land containing two hundred and fifty acres, for
which he paid $27.00 per acre, and when Roanoke City
was established, a large part of it was located on this
farm.
He improved and added to the Stover house, built
by William Stover in 1797, and occupied the same as his
residence until the time of his death. For many years
he operated it as a house of entertainment and the
"Trout House" was known far and wide to the traveling
public. The Ponce de Leon now stands on the
old "Trout House" site. During the Civil War, no
soldier was ever charged for entertainment at the
"Trout House" and the proprietor kept several teams
engaged in transporting sick soldiers and the remains of
the dead from the railroad to their homes and friends,
all of which was done without charge.
He was open-handed and to the needy his purse was
as open as his heart. He was essentially a man of
deeds, not words.
He served the people of Roanoke County in various
public capacities, having been Assessor of the Revenue,
and was a Justice of the Peace for fifty years. He was
twice a councilman and was Mayor of Big Lick from
the time it was first incorporated until a short while
before his death.
He ably represented Roanoke County in the State
Legislature after the war and was a member of the
Board of Trustees of Roanoke College and in 1868 he
was elected President of the Board which position he
held until his death.
He was the first founder of the Lutheran Church in
Big Lick, holding the office of Deacon and Elder for
many years.
He was the senior partner of the firm of Turner,
Trout & Co., tobacco dealers, and was widely known in
business circles.
He was twice married. His first wife was a daughter
of Henry Shaver of Roanoke County and the children
to this marriage were Hon. H. S. Trout and Mrs.
Peyton L. Terry, the latter deceased. His second wife
was Martha B. Potter of Franklin County, Virginia.
| History of Roanoke County | |