- History of Suffolk, Virginia
The area around
Suffolk, Virginia , which is now anindependent city in theHampton Roads region in the southeastern part of the state, was originally inhabited by Native Americans, notably a tribe known as theNansemond s. Suffolk was first explored by the English settlers based at Jamestown not long after their arrival, seeking means to survive in the inhospitable environment atJamestown Island .ettlement by the Nansemond
By at least
1584 , the Nansemond tribe originally lived in four villages along the Nansemond River, centered near Chuckatuck (now part of the city of Suffolk). Their head chief lived nearDumpling Island where the tribe’s temples and sacred items were located. At that time the tribe had a population of 1,200 persons with 300 bowmen.cite web|url=http://virginiaindians.pwnet.org/today/nansemond.php|title=Virginia Indians Today - Nansemond|publisher=Virginia's First People - Past & Present|accessdate=2008-03-18] cite web|url=http://www.nansemond.org/joomla|title=Timeline of Nansemond History|accessdate=2008-03-18]In
1608 , Captain John Smith and other colonists from Jamestown began to explore theNansemond River , following theoyster beds;cite journal|last=Hobbs|first=Kermit|year=2008|title=A history worth discovering|journal=Discover Suffolk|pages=11–13] the English attacked the Nansemond. In1609 , the Nansemond Indians drove Smith out; in return the English robbed the tribe's temple. Despite such setbacks, the new colony continued to grow, and soon settlers populated the area on a permanent basis, eventually driving out the Nansemond—the tribe lost their last known reservation lands in1792 .Early colonial settlement through the American Revolution
The area was first part of
1634 'sElizabeth River Shire and then, in1637 , part ofUpper Norfolk County , part of which becameNansemond County in1646 . The Nansemond River, the commerce it helped create, and the English, who recognized the opportunity they would have there, gave rise to a settlement at Constant's Wharf (named for a Captain John Constant) atSleepy Hole Point . In1742 , authorized by theHouse of Burgesses , the new town was officially named "Suffolk" after Royal GovernorWilliam Gooch 's home county ofSuffolk in England.The town was burned by the British in
1779 during theAmerican Revolutionary War , being completely destroyed when thousands of barrels ofturpentine and pitch warehoused along the river caught fire.Through the Civil War
Suffolk became an
incorporated town in Nansemond County in1808 . As part of Virginia, it sided with the Confederacy in theAmerican Civil War . From May 12,1862 , to July 3,1863 , the town was occupied by 25,000 Union troops underMajor General John J. Peck . Peck made his headquarters in the Greek revival house now called "Riddick's Folly"; graffiti from the occupying soldiers can still be seen on the walls.cite web|url=http://www.riddicksfolly.org/history.html|publisher=Riddick's Folly|title=Our History|accessdate=2008-03-18] cite web|url=http://americancivilwar.com/statepic/va/va031.html|title=Suffolk Fort Huger, Hill's Point Civil War Virginia|accessdate=2008-03-18] During this period, Confederate GeneralJames Longstreet unsuccessfully besieged the town with 20,000 men between April 11, 1863, to May 4, 1863—finally being ordered to disengage by GeneralRobert E. Lee to join the Army of Northern Virginia atFredericksburg . At the order of GeneralJohn Adams Dix , the Union forces abandoned the town for strategic reasons two months later, on July 3.cite news|title=The evacuation of Suffolk|url=http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9A07E1DC1E3BE63BBC4951DFB1668388679FDE|work=The New York Times |date=July 17 ,1863 |accessdate=2008-03-18]Confederate cavalry general Laurence S. Baker is buried in the town's Cedar Hill Cemetery.cite journal|last=Fitts|first=Deborah|year=2004|month=July|title=New Monument Honors Suffolk, Va. Confederate Officer|journal=Civil War News|publisher=Historical Publications Inc.|location=Tunbridge, VT]Later political history
Suffolk became a city independent from the surrounding county in
1910 . At a practical level, the two remained closely linked, and thecounty seat of Nansemond County remained at Suffolk after the city became politically independent. Thus it remained until1972 when it was converted to city status to become the short-lived lost city the City of Nansemond.On January 1,
1974 , the City of Nansemond and the City of Suffolk united to become the present City of Suffolk, consolidating with the outlying unincorporated towns of Holland and Whaleyville. The end result was a new municipality encompassing a total of 430 square miles, making it the largest city in land area inVirginia and the 11th largest in the country.fact|date=March 2008Suffolk celebrated its 400th anniversary in 2008. It is (
as of 2008 ), the fastest-growing city in Virginia.The importance of peanuts
In
1912 , Italian immigrantAmedeo Obici opened facilities of the Planters Nut and Chocolate Company in Suffolk. By1941 , Suffolk had been declared "The Peanut Capital of the World". The city also became home to Planters'Mr. Peanut , a world-famous advertising icon (voted the country's third-most popular in 2004). A statue of Mr. Peanut is prominently displayed in downtown Suffolk. The company, now owned byKraft Foods , is the area'sclarifyme 11th largest employer.Obici and his wife Louise themselves moved from
Pennsylvania toVirginia in1924 , settling at Bay Point Farm in Chuckatuck on a bluff overlooking theNansemond River . Their home, which has been designated aVirginia Historical Landmark , now belongs to the City of Suffolk. In memory of his wife, Amadeo arranged funds to build Louise Obici Memorial Hospital in Suffolk, which opened in1951 . In2006 , a newer facility, the Obici Sentara Hospital, became its successor. For many years, the call letters of localAM radio stationWLPM stood for World's Largest Peanut Market.fact|date=March 2008 Today, Suffolk remains a majorpeanut processing center.The railroad
As a gateway to Norfolk and Portsmouth, Suffolk became a major rail interchange point, served at one time or another by many of Virginia's railroads. Before the
American Civil War , both thePortsmouth and Roanoke Railroad and theNorfolk and Petersburg Railroad had been built through Suffolk, early predecessors of 21st centuryClass 1 railroad s operated byCSX Transportation andNorfolk Southern respectively. TheAtlantic Coast Line Railroad , theAtlantic and Danville Railroad , and theVirginian Railway also built through Suffolk on their way to the harbor atHampton Roads .Tornado
On
April 28 ,2008 , a massive tornado moved through portions of Suffolk. The tornado is considered one of the strongest tornadoes to strike the state of Virginia in recent history and the worst to strikeHampton Roads since a tornado spawned by the remnants ofTropical Storm Dennis 9 years prior. Preliminary reports indicate that the tornado was found to be an EF3 on theEnhanced Fujita Scale .References
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