Russell County History

The area which is now Russell County was included in a vast intertribal Indian hunting preserve until 1745, when it became part of Augusta County. Between the years 1769 and 1785, it was contained in Botetourt, Fincastle, and Washington counties.

In 1786, Russell County was formed from Washington County. The area which became Russell County covered approximately 3,000 square miles (1,920,000 acres). The boundary lines extended northward from Clinch Mountain to Cumberland Gap on the Kentucky border and eastward to a point near present Bluefield, Virginia. In 1790, the population of the county was 3,338.

Existing adjacent counties were formed from Russell. In 1793 Lee County was formed, and in 1799 Tazewell County. In 1815 Scott County was formed from a portion of Russell and Lee counties. In 1855 and 1858, Wise and Buchanan counties were formed, and in 1880 Dickenson County was formed from Wise and Buchanan.

By 1858 Russell County included an area of 483 square miles (309,120 acres). The crest of Clinch Mountain is the southern boundary, and Sandy Ridge is the northern boundary. According to 2000 Census reports, the county now has 30,308 residents.