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- source: Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names
- source: Family History Library Catalog
- the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia
Washington County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2000 census, the population was 51,103. Its county seat is Abingdon6.
History
- the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia
The county was formed in 1776 from Fincastle County. It was named for George Washington, who was then commander-in-chief of the Continental Army. Washington County has the distinction of being the first geographical region to be named after the president of the United States.
In 1786 the northwestern part of Washington County became Russell County. In 1814 the western part of what remained of Washington County was combined with parts of Lee County and Russell County to form Scott County. In 1832 the northeastern part of Washington County was combined with part of Wythe County to form Smyth County. With the incorporation of the town of Goodson as the independent city of Bristol in 1890, Washington County assumed its present size.
Timeline
| Date | Event | Source
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| 1777 | County formed | Source:Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources
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| 1777 | Court records recorded | Source:Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources
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| 1777 | Probate records recorded | Source:Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources | Shelby Ireson Edwards abstracted and published Washington Co., VA Will Book 1 (1777-1792) in 1984. Edwards' Will Book 1 is available from New Papyrus Publishing Co. (around $25). Washington Co., VA Will Books 2-10 were recently abstracted and can purchased online from New Papyrus Publishing Co.. Each book is published in a separate volume ($27-$32 each).
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| 1778 | Land records recorded | Source:Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources
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| 1782 | Marriage records recorded | Source:Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources
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| 1790 | First census | Source:Population of States and Counties of the United States: 1790-1990
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| 1853 | Birth records recorded | Source:Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources
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| 1980 | No significant boundary changes after this year | Source:Population of States and Counties of the United States: 1790-1990
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Population History
- source: Source:Population of States and Counties of the United States: 1790-1990
| Census Year | Population
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| 1790 | 5,625
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| 1800 | 9,536
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| 1810 | 12,156
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| 1820 | 12,444
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| 1830 | 15,614
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| 1840 | 13,001
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| 1850 | 14,612
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| 1860 | 16,892
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| 1870 | 16,816
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| 1880 | 25,203
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| 1890 | 29,020
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| 1900 | 28,995
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| 1910 | 32,830
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| 1920 | 32,376
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| 1930 | 33,850
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| 1940 | 38,197
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| 1950 | 37,536
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| 1960 | 38,076
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| 1970 | 40,835
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| 1980 | 46,487
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| 1990 | 45,887
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Note: Bristol city, formed from Washington County. Annexation after 1970 from Washington (1970 population 4,802).
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