Near Big Stone Gap in Lee County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Lee County
⎯⎯⎯
Wise County
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, June 18, 2023
1. Lee County side of marker
Wise County was formed in 1856 from Lee, Scott, and Russell counties. It was named for Henry Alexander Wise who was governor of Virginia from 1856 to 1860. The county seat is the town of Wise. After the Civil War the town of Wise grew and the county's industry expanded because of the growth of the railroads and the increased mining of coal in the region. Noted novelist John Fox Jr. lived in the town of Big Stone Gap here for a portion of his life and wrote the best-selling novels The Trail of the Lonesome Pine and The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come.
Erected 2003 by Virginia Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number Z-189.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed
this page online
Location. 36° 48.714′ N, 82° 47.254′ W. Marker is near Big Stone Gap, Virginia, in Lee County. It is on Orby Cantrell Highway (U.S. 23) 0.4 miles south of Baxley Lane, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Big Stone Gap VA 24219, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Southwest Virginia. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, in Appalachia, and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the original Cherokee Nation, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Donelsons Indian Line (within shouting distance of this marker); Seminary United Methodist Church (approx. 2.6 miles away); Turkey Cove (approx. 2.6 miles away); Members of Congress (approx. 3.4 miles away); Southwest Virginia Museum (approx. 3.6 miles away); Christ Episcopal Church (approx. 3.7 miles away); Big Stone Gap (approx. 3.8 miles away); Carl Martin (approx. 3.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Big Stone Gap.
Also see . . .
1. Henry Lee III. Wikipedia entry on the early American Patriot and U.S. politician. (Submitted on July 18, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
2. Henry A. Wise. Wikipedia entry on the
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, June 18, 2023
2. Wise County side of marker
3. Henry Lee III. (Submitted on July 18, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)
Photographed by Duane and Tracy Marsteller, June 18, 2023
3. Lee County / Wise County Marker
Looking northward on U.S. 23.
William Edward West via Wikipedia (Public Domain), circa 1839
4. Henry Lee III (1756-1818)
Nicknamed "Light-Horse Harry" for his horsemanship, he was Virginia's ninth governor and the father of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee.
Unknown via Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division (Public Domain), circa 1865
5. Henry Alexander Wise (1806-1876)
Virginia's 33rd governor, he advocated for the state's secession from the Union but accepted slavery's abolition and urged peaceful reunification after the Civil War.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 20, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 18, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 361 times since then and 45 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on July 18, 2023, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
