William Dorton Sr.
and his family, settled
here by 1773 and built a fort, one of
several defensive structures built by settlers
of European descent on the Virginia frontier.
Dorton's sons William Jr. Moses
fought in the Revolutionary War
and . . . — — Map (db m89847) HM
Jessee's mill is 2.5 miles north on Jessee’s Mill
Road. The first grindstone mill, mortarless
dam, and millrace were built before 1794.
John
Jessee, Revolutionary War musician and
infantryman, purchased the mill and lands in
1724. Handmade . . . — — Map (db m91038) HM
This building, erected in 1792, served as the
second courthouse of Russell County and is one
of the earliest public buildings still standing
in Southwest Virginia.
Russell County was
formed in 1786 from Washington County and
originally . . . — — Map (db m91034) HM
