Misplaced Pages

#844155

38-557: Shockoe Creek is a watercourse in Virginia, United States, tributary to the James River . The Shockoe Creek watershed drained "portions of Richmond 's North Side, near West End, downtown and northeast Henrico County ." Historic tributaries of Shockoe Creek included Bacon's Quarter Branch and Gum Tree Creek. Shockoe Creek marked the western border of Richmond when it was incorporated as a municipality in 1742. The Shockoe Bottom neighborhood

76-469: A busy Indian trade from his home on Albemarle Sound . Thomas Wood may have been Abraham's son. Robert Fallam is a question mark. The journal he kept of their experience shows him to be a literate, educated man." The New River was named Wood's River after Abraham Wood, although in time it became better known as the New River. Batts and Fallam are generally credited with being the first Europeans to enter within

114-434: A garrison of 30 from the surrounding counties. Colonists thought the tax burden too great, so the government allowed the fort and 600 acres of land to be sold to Wood, who agreed to keep 10 armed men at the fort for three years. Thus Wood, who both commanded the fort and privately owned the adjoining land and trading post, a considerable advantage over his competitors in the "Indian trade". Wood represented Henrico County in

152-580: A large portion of the National Defense Reserve Fleet , called the "James River fleet" or the "ghost fleet", consisting of " mothballed " ships, mostly merchant vessels, that can be activated within 20 to 120 days to provide shipping for the United States during national emergencies, either military or non-military, such as commercial shipping crises. The fleet is managed by the U.S. Department of Transportation 's Maritime Administration and

190-506: A survey identified 175 sturgeon remaining in the entire river, with 15 specimens exceeding 5 feet (1.5 m). Due to its potential for generating mechanical power for rotating machinery such as grist mills, hydroelectric power, and as a water route for trade, many dams have been built across the James River since the time of European settlement of the region. While most of these dams have been removed or failed, several dams still exist along

228-611: A village near the falls of the Appomattox River, which would much later would become part of Petersburg . Natives revolted in 1644. Virginia colonists responded in part by building Fort Henry in 1646 at the falls of the Appomatox River. It supposedly marked the legal frontier between the white settlers and the Native Americans, as well as defended both the settlers on the south side of the James River (about 20 miles north of

266-571: Is based in Fort Eustis, Virginia. It is a different entity from the United States Navy reserve fleets , which consist largely of warships. Abraham Wood Abraham Wood emigrated from England as a 10-year-old boy in 1620. The English ship Margaret and John , on which he sailed as an indentured servant or cabin boy, was attacked by two Spanish vessels in the West Indies ; Wood was one of

304-544: Is the last bridge east of the Deepwater Port of Richmond and head of ocean-going navigation at the fall line of the James River. West of this point, potential flooding is more of an engineering concern than clearance for watercraft. The following is a list of extant highway bridges across the James River with one or both ends within the City of Richmond. The following is a partial, incomplete list of extant highway bridges across

342-731: The Appalachian Mountains and flows from the confluence of the Cowpasture and Jackson Rivers in Botetourt County 348 miles (560 km) to the Chesapeake Bay . The river length extends to 444 miles (715 km) if the Jackson River is included, the longer of its two headwaters, it is the longest river in Virginia. Jamestown and Williamsburg , Virginia's first colonial capitals, and Richmond , Virginia's current capital, lie on

380-960: The Elizabeth River and the Nansemond River join the James River to form the harbor area known as Hampton Roads . Between the tip of the Virginia Peninsula near Old Point Comfort and the Willoughby Spit area of Norfolk in South Hampton Roads , a channel leads from Hampton Roads into the southern portion of the Chesapeake Bay and out to the Atlantic Ocean a few miles further east. Many boats pass through this river to import and export Virginia products. The James River contains many parks and other recreational attractions. Canoeing, fishing, kayaking, hiking, and swimming are some of

418-653: The House of Burgesses from 1644 to 1646, then Charles City County from 1652 and 1656. He was a justice of Charles City County in 1655. Also in 1655, he was appointed to a committee to review Virginia's laws. He was elected to the Virginia Governor's Council in 1657 and actively served until at least 1671, and according to correspondence, he kept his seat through at least 1676, probably 1680. Wood dispatched several exploration parties from Fort Henry during these years, including one that he personally led in 1650, which explored

SECTION 10

#1732856102845

456-588: The Kanawha River , a tributary of the Ohio River . For the most mountainous section between the two points, the James River and Kanawha Turnpike was built to provide a portage link for wagons and stagecoaches. However, before the canal could be fully completed, in the mid-19th century, railroads emerged as a more practical technology and eclipsed canals for economical transportation, ending the canal's progress at Eagle Rock . The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (C&O)

494-551: The confluence of the Cowpasture and Jackson rivers in the Appalachian Mountains . It flows into the Chesapeake Bay at Hampton Roads . Tidal waters extend west to Richmond at the river's fall line (the head of navigation ). Larger tributaries draining to the tidal portion include the Appomattox River , Chickahominy River , Warwick River , Pagan River , and the Nansemond River . At its mouth near Newport News Point,

532-515: The "overall grade of the State of the James has improved to a B with a score of 66% from its failing health decades ago." The James River drains a catchment comprising 10,432 square miles (27,020 km ). The watershed includes about 4% open water and an area with a population of 2.5 million people (2000). The James River forms near Iron Gate on the border between Alleghany and Botetourt counties, from

570-654: The 1960s and 1970s, mishandling and dumping of the insecticide Kepone resulted in the contamination of large stretches of the James River estuary downstream of the Allied Signal Company and LifeSciences Product Company plants in Hopewell, Virginia . Because of the pollution, sections of the river were considered "dead" and unfit for human use, and many businesses and restaurants along the river suffered economic losses. In December 1975 Virginia Governor Mills Godwin Jr. shut down

608-481: The Appomattox River). The fort also provided protection for the native Appomattoc tribe which had grain fields and fished in the Appomattox River near the falls, with whom Wood traded. From 1646 until around 1691, it became the only point in Virginia where Native Americans could legally cross eastward into white territory, or whites westward into Native American territory. Soon after its construction, Wood commanded

646-421: The James River to fishing for 100 miles, from Richmond to the Chesapeake Bay . This ban remained in effect for 13 years, until efforts to clean up the river began to show results. A decade of accumulated silt, lying above the contaminated riverbed, helped to reduce levels of the chemical. Since the 1970s, the health of the James River has improved substantially. The Chesapeake Bay Agreement of 1983, signed by

684-587: The James River west of Richmond. The Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel prohibits bicycles, but bicyclists may take the Jamestown Ferry . After a fatal accident on the Boulevard Bridge , the City of Richmond requires bicycles to travel on the sidewalk for the length of the bridge. The James River Reserve Fleet is the anchorage ( 37°07′13″N 76°38′47″W  /  37.120393°N 76.646469°W  / 37.120393; -76.646469 ) for

722-612: The James River. The Native Americans who populated the area east of the Fall Line in the late 16th and early 17th centuries called the James River the Powhatan River , named for the Powhatans who occupied the area. The Jamestown colonists who arrived in 1607 named it "James" after King James I of England as they constructed the first permanent English settlement in the Americas along

760-574: The Tomahitan town Needham was killed by a member of the trading party with whom he was traveling. Shortly thereafter, Arthur was almost killed by a mob in the Tomahitan settlement but was saved and then adopted by the town's headman. Arthur lived with the Tomahitans for almost a year, accompanying them on war and trading expeditions as far south as Spanish Florida and as far north as the Ohio River. Wood

798-576: The activities that people enjoy along the river during the summer. From the river's start in the Blue Ridge Mountains to Richmond , numerous rapids and pools offer fishing and whitewater rafting. The most intense whitewater stretch is a 2-mile (3 km) segment that ends in downtown Richmond where the river goes over the fall line . This is the only place in the country where extensive class III (class IV with above average river levels) whitewater conditions exist within sight of skyscrapers. Below

SECTION 20

#1732856102845

836-400: The banks of the river about 35 miles (56 km) upstream from the Chesapeake Bay . The navigable portion of the river was the major highway of colonial Virginia during its first 15 years, facilitating supply ships delivering supplies and more emigrants from England. However, for the first five years, despite hopes of discovering gold ores, these ships sent little of monetary value back to

874-465: The fall line east of Richmond, the river is better suited for water skiing and other large boat recreation. Here the river is known for its blue catfish , reaching average sizes of 20 to 30 pounds (9.1 to 13.6 kg), with frequent catches exceeding 50 pounds (23 kg). In the Chesapeake watershed, the James River is the last confirmed holdout for the nearly extirpated Atlantic sturgeon . In May 2007

912-403: The falls at Richmond, many James River plantations had their own wharves, and additional ports and/or early railheads were located at Warwick , Bermuda Hundred , City Point , Claremont , Scotland , and Smithfield , and, during the 17th century, the capital of the colony at Jamestown. Navigation of the James River played an important role in early Virginia commerce and in the settlement of

950-532: The few survivors; the attack led the vessel to turn to the Virginia colonies. By 1625, Wood worked for Captain Samuel Mathews and lived at Jamestown . He filed several land claims for areas on the lower Appomattox River in the 1630s. by which time he had turned to exploring the colony's interior and traded for the beaver and deerskin with the native tribes. Upon being expelled from their villages at Bermuda Hundred and Swift Creek, natives had established

988-592: The governors of Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, the mayor of the District of Columbia, and the EPA, established baseline environmental protections and promoted regional cooperation conducive to river clean-up. This original agreement has evolved as the Chesapeake Bay Program . The James River Association (JRA), founded in 1976, began publishing State of the James reports in 2016. In their 2023 report, JRA concluded that

1026-515: The highly angled path the dam takes across the river. While not identified in the National Inventory of Dams, a very low head weir structure is found below Bosher Dam in Richmond on either side of Williams Island. Known as the "Z-Dam" for its zigzag course on the south side of the island, the current structure was built in 1932 and serves to direct water into Richmond's water treatment facility on

1064-513: The interior, although growth of the colony was primarily in the Tidewater region during the first 75 years. The upper reaches of the river above the head of navigation at the fall line were explored by fur-trading parties sent out by Abraham Wood during the late 17th century. Although ocean-going ships were unable to navigate beyond present-day Richmond, portage of products and navigation with smaller craft to transport crops other than tobacco

1102-521: The north bank. The less than 5 feet tall dam does not serve any power or navigation purpose. In the Hampton Roads area, the river is as much as 5 miles (8.0 km) wide at points. Due to ocean-going shipping upriver as far as the Port of Richmond , a combination of ferryboats , high bridges and bridge-tunnels are used for highway traffic. Crossings east to west include: The SR 895 high-level crossing

1140-523: The present-day borders of West Virginia . In 1673 Wood sent his friend James Needham and his indentured servant Gabriel Arthur on an expedition to find an outlet to the Pacific Ocean . Shortly after their departure Needham and Arthur encountered a group of Tomahitan Native Americans, who offered to conduct the men to their town across the mountains. After reaching the Tomahitan town, Needham returned to Fort Henry to report to Wood. While en route back to

1178-589: The sponsors. In 1612, businessman John Rolfe successfully cultivated a non-native strain of tobacco which proved popular in England. Soon, the river became the primary means of exporting the large hogsheads of this cash crop from an ever-growing number of plantations with wharfs along its banks. This development made the proprietary efforts of the Virginia Company of London successful financially, spurring even more development, investments and immigration. Below

Shockoe Creek - Misplaced Pages Continue

1216-531: The upper course of the river. From the head of the river downstream to Richmond are found the following dams as identified by the current US Army Corps of Engineers National Inventory of Dams: The tallest dam is the Reusens Dam, which also has the greatest hydroelectric nameplate capacity and the greatest reservoir capacity. At 1,617 feet, the longest dam is the Cushaw Hydroelectric Project due to

1254-686: The upper reaches of the James River and Roanoke River . In August 1650, Wood and Edward Bland reached and traveled on the Great Indian Warpath , penetrating the Carolina region southwest of the Roanoke River and discovering westward flowing rivers. Daniel Coxe mentions that "Parts of this Country were discovered by the English long before the French had the least knowledge... Colonel Wood of Virginia... from

1292-753: The years 1654 to 1664 discovered at several times several branches of the great rivers Ohio and Mesechaceba (unknown current name)." Wood also dispatched the first English expeditions to reach the southern Appalachian Mountains . In 1671, explorers Thomas Wood, Thomas Batts (Batte) and Robert Fallam reached the New River Valley and the New River . "Batts was a grandson of Robert Batts, vicar master of University College, Oxford, and possible relation to Nathaniel Batts , first permanent settler in North Carolina and Governor of Roanoke Island . Nathaniel by 1655 had

1330-706: Was appointed colonel of a militia regiment in Henrico and Charles City counties in 1655. Later, he was appointed major general but lost this position in 1676 after Bacon's Rebellion either because of infirmity or political differences with Governor William Berkeley . Bacon's rebel forces attacked the Appomattoc Indians on both sides of the river, killed many and dispersed the rest, after burning their town. By 1670 Wood had relinquished his trading post to his son-in-law, Peter Jones, for whom Petersburg, Virginia would eventually be named, and in 1675 Jones became commander of

1368-553: Was completed between Richmond and the Ohio River at the new city of Huntington, West Virginia by 1873, dooming the canal's economic prospects. In the late-19th century, the Richmond and Alleghany Railroad was laid along the eastern portion of the canal's towpath, and became part of the C&;O within 10 years. In modern times, this rail line is used primarily in transporting West Virginia coal to export coal piers at Newport News . During

1406-505: Was feasible. Produce from the Piedmont and Great Valley regions descended the river to seaports at Richmond and Manchester through such port towns as Lynchburg , Scottsville , Columbia and Buchanan . The James River was considered a route for transport of produce from the Ohio Valley . The James River and Kanawha Canal was built for this purpose, to provide a navigable portion of

1444-537: Was the slave-trading district of Richmond , Virginia prior to the American Civil War. There were two water-powered mills along the creek in the 19th century. The creek has been channelized for flood control and pollution management since the 1920s. This article related to a river is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . James River The James River is a river in Virginia that begins in

#844155