Richmond is made upon an area originally utilized by the native Powhattan tribe and they engineered their own capitol here, also called Powhattan. The English arrived and established Jamestown shut to the realm however the land upon which Richmond is made invariably held an attraction - it absolutely was the highest navigable point upriver before the rapids prevented navigation and was a strategic purpose for both defense and trade.
Enter William Byrd I, an Englishman from Shadwell in the darkest depths of East London however in 1673, he was granted lands round the falls on the James River. He established himself quickly and by exhausting work, using and building on his already-envious Indian trade connections. In 1704, his son, William Byrd II, inherited the lands and business and continued in his father's footsteps.
The enterprise was highly successful and in 1737, Richmond was established at the Falls of the James River. The town was named when Richmond in England (itself now a half of London), which is situated on the River Thames - Byrd felt that the view of the James River was terribly similar to that of the Thames in London, hence the name; Richmond. By 1742, the town layout was completed and Richmond was incorporated in 1742.
The Byrd dynasty was firmly established by dint of fortune and onerous work within the founding of the town and interweaving themselves into the trading and political material of society. A testament to how closely the Byrd family tied themselves to the machinery of the state is epitomized by the Byrd Organization, known also merely as "the Organization". This was the vehicle employed by Harry F. Byrd, himself a US Senator and a Governor of Virginia active in the first half of the 20th Century.
Harry Byrd established himself politically by participating with the 5 main offices in principal counties of the state - the Sheriff, Clerk of the Court, Commonwealth Attorney, County Treasurer and Commissioner of Revenue. It was these "constitutionally elected" offices who effectively controlled that candidates would indicate election and by drawing these officers into Byrd's political orbit, it became not possible for any candidate to realize election in Virginia while not the "nod" from Harry Byrd. Although succeeded by his son as State Senator, the Organization effectively had its grip on state politics broken in the 1960's over problems like racial desegregation and disenchanted voters turning to liberal
Richmond today is full of landmarks to the Byrd family and their influence upon the city. Probably the most enjoyable is that the Byrd Theater on Cary Street. Providing $one movie tickets and recent style film-going experience in an exceedingly faithfully renovated old time theater, you'll be able to relish a true treat on Saturday's when the large Wurlitzer organ is played before the performance. For those ready to drive a while, maybe the foremost fitting monument to the influence of the Byrd family is to be seen in the Shenandoah National Park where one among the 3 visitor centers is known as after Harry F. Byrd himself.
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