And maybe you are. From the connections in music to Radford University’s mascot of the Highlander, the New River Valley has long been associated with its Celtic roots. To give you an idea of how this long connection has evolved over time, we present this timeline to illustrate the depth of our Scotch-Irish heritage.

1622: Scottish colonists begin settling in American colonies

1710: First emigration from the province of Ulster in Ireland to NRV

1717-1775: Mass immigration of Scotch-Irish in New River Valley region

1729: The Draper family came from County Donegal, Ireland; they eventually called the town Drapers Meadow (today Blacksburg)

1730s: Beginning of large-scale immigration entering Great Valley of the Appalachia’s

1732: Due to Pennsylvania’s attempt to restrict immigration a movement from there to Virginia occurred

1736: First fiddling contest as part of St. Andrew’s Day Celebration (November 30) in Hanover County

James Patton was granted 120,000 acres in Virginia and is said to have planted a large number of people there from his native NW of Ulster

1740: Parents of William Christian came from Northern Ireland. Christiansburg was eventually named after Christian

Calhoun family arrived in Augusta County with Scotch-Irish relatives

1748: Ingles family came from Dublin, Ireland

1762: William Ingles began to operate a ferry on the New River that carried thousands of settlers across

1770s: During these years Irish immigrants named their new home in the Valley on the New River, New Dublin (which is today Dublin)

1773: Smithfield Plantation built in Blacksburg, home to Revolutionary War patriot William Preston was born in Ireland and moved to Virginia as a young boy

1781: First church was built in Dublin, named New Dublin Presbyterian Church

1790: Scotch-Irish made up 10.5 percent of the overall U.S. population Census showed that lower and upper Shenandoah Valley counties attracted large numbers of Scotch-Irish

1840: First decline in Ulster immigration to Virginia

Appalachia provided skilled Ulster weavers opportunities

1878: First study of Scotch-Irish connections with the Appalachians

1889: Scotch-Irish Society of America was organized

1983: Virginia Highlands Pipes and Drums formed

For more information check out:
www.ulstervirginia.com
www.virginia.org/site/features.asp?FeatureID=224