Near Pocahontas in Tazewell County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Pocahontas
Photographed By Dawn Bowen, July 20, 2007
1. Pocahontas Marker
Inscription.
Pocahontas. . This region was visited by the explorer, Dr. Thomas Walker, in 1750. Following a report by Captain I. A. Welch in 1873, the first coal mine was opened here in 1882. Shipment of coal followed in 1883, when the Norfolk and Western Railroad reached this point from Radford. First known as “Powell’s Bottom,” the town was incorporated in 1884 and named for the Indian princess Pocahontas.
This region was visited by the explorer, Dr. Thomas Walker, in 1750. Following a report by Captain I. A. Welch in 1873, the first coal mine was opened here in 1882. Shipment of coal followed in 1883, when the Norfolk and Western Railroad reached this point from Radford. First known as “Powell’s Bottom,” the town was incorporated in 1884 and named for the Indian princess Pocahontas.
Erected 1947 by Virginia Conservation Commission. (Marker Number XP-4.)
Location. 37° 18.595′ N, 81° 20.091′ W. Marker is near Pocahontas, Virginia, in Tazewell County. Marker is on Bramwell Road (County Route 644) 0 miles Virginia Route 102, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Pocahontas VA 24635, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Abb’s Valley (a few steps from this marker); Pocahontas Cemetery (a few steps from this marker); Jordan Nelson’s Coal Bank (approx. ¼ mile away
Photographed By Allen C. Browne, February 16, 2015
6. Pocahontas
This portrait of Pocahontas (Matoaks) after a 1616 engraving by Simon van de Passe hangs in the National Portrait Gallery in Washington DC.
“Pocahontas, the Indian princess who allegedly saved the life of English colonist John Smith, survives and flourishes as an example of an early American heroine. While Smith may have embellished the story of his rescue, the importance of Pocahontas to relations between colonists and Native Americans is undisputed. Following her conversion to Christianity and marriage to Englishman John Rolfe, Pocahontas journeyed to England with her family to demonstrate the ability of new settlers and native tribes to coexist in the Virginia colony. While in England, Pocahontas sat for her portrait, which was later engraved. That print served as the basis for this later portrait …” — National Portrait Gallery
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on July 22, 2007, by Dawn Bowen of Fredericksburg, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,827 times since then and 56 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on July 22, 2007, by Dawn Bowen of Fredericksburg, Virginia. 6. submitted on October 26, 2015, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. • J. J. Prats was the editor who published this page.