- King George County, named for King George I of England, was formed in 1720 from Richmond County. The boundaries were from Richmond County to Fauquier County. At that time, King George County had no contact with the Potomac River until the boundaries were changed in 1776. These boundaries ran from Westmoreland to Stafford.
- Leedstown was in King George and on February 27, 1766, Thomas Ludwell Lee, Richard Henry Lee and 115 patriots signed the Leedstown Resolutions. Ferry Farm was in King George where George Washington lived for about 10 years. It was here where Parson Weems told that George said to his father “I shall not tell a lie, I cut down your cherry tree.”
- James Madison was born at Port Conway on March 5, 1751. James Madison was the “Father of the Constitution” and the fourth President of the United States. Another famous person born in King George was William “Extra Billy” Smith. Born at his father’s ancestral home, Marengo, on September 6, 1797. Billy later became a lawyer, mail carrier, and on January 1, 1846, became Governor of Virginia. That was the same year the United States went to war with Mexico. In 1861 Smith was a colonel in the Confederacy. In 1863 he became a Major General. On New Year’s Day 1864, at the age of 67, Smith was again inaugurated Governor of Virginia until the close of the Civil War.
|