South Boston (Virginia)
| South Boston | |||
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Location in Virginia
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| Basic data | |||
| Foundation : | 1796 | ||
| State : | United States | ||
| State : | Virginia | ||
| County : | Halifax County | ||
| Coordinates : | 36 ° 42 ′ N , 78 ° 54 ′ W | ||
| Time zone : | Eastern ( UTC − 5 / −4 ) | ||
| Residents : | 8,142 (as of 2010) | ||
| Population density : | 256.8 inhabitants per km 2 | ||
| Area : | 31.8 km 2 (approx. 12 mi 2 ) of which 31.7 km 2 (approx. 12 mi 2 ) is land |
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| Height : | 131 m | ||
| Postal code : | 24592 | ||
| Area code : | +1 434 | ||
| FIPS : | 51-73712 | ||
| GNIS ID : | 1501641 | ||
| Website : | www.southboston.com | ||
| Mayor : | Carroll Thackston | ||
.jpg) Manor house of Berry Hill Plantation in west south Boston, National Historic Landmark since 1971 |
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South Boston is a small town in the US state of Virginia . At the 2010 census , there were 8142 people in the city. This makes South Boston by far the largest town in Halifax County , but not its administrative seat .
East of downtown and just outside the city limits is the South Boston Speedway , a 0.4 mile long oval track for stock cars .
geography
South Boston is located in southern Virginia, approximately 17 north of the North Carolina state line . The city lies on the lower reaches of the Dan River just before it flows into the John H. Kerr Reservoir . Most of South Boston is on the north bank of the river, but the 31.7 km² urban area also includes small areas south of the Dan River.
history
In the 1750s, John Boyd built a ferry at the point where a railway bridge crosses the Dan River today . In the American War of Independence , Nathanael Greene crossed the river here in 1781 in the course of a strategic retreat ( The race to the Dan River ), thereby gaining a decisive advantage over the British troops under General Cornwallis .
Over the years, several families have settled near the ferry on the south bank of the Dan River. However, the young municipality stagnated due to the unfavorable building site in flood-prone areas. An upswing did not come until 1858 with the construction of the Richmond and Danville Railroad (now owned by the Norfolk Southern Railway ). In addition, with a new center on the north bank of the river, the city developed into an important place for the tobacco trade . Since 1884 the village is a registered municipality ( town ). From 1960 to 1995, South Boston was an independent city comparable to an independent city and thus not part of Halifax County.
Sons and daughters
- Jeff Burton (* 1967), NASCAR racing driver
- Ward Burton (* 1961), former NASCAR racing driver
- Michael Tucker (* 1971), former major league baseball player
Web links
- Official website of the city of South Boston ( English )
Individual evidence
- ↑ History of South Boston (English)