History of Virginia Beach, VA
The first permanent settlement was in 1607 when Captain Christopher Newport landed with boats and men after a long journey. They named it Cape Henry, after the son of their current King James. The Chesapeake Bay was also named on this expedition. They did not remain long in the area and moved north to create Jamestown. The inland settlement was considered to be safer if the Spaniards or Indians decided to attack. Few settlers arrived in the area until the 1700s, when the area was split and divided up in to smaller counties. One of the first settlers was named Adam Thoroughgood, who traveled to Virginia through an indentured servitude at 18 years of age. Once he was released from his duties, he set out to explore Virginia. He became involved in local government and helped to increase the population of the city. He built a brick house along the Lynnhaven River that is still standing today. It has been restored and is considered the oldest brick home in the United States today. In 1727, a lighthouse in Cape Henry was discussed as a way to guide boats in to the harbor safely. Many Nor'easters came rumbling through the area and caused as many as forty shipwrecks in one day. To prevent more shipwrecks, the lighthouse was proposed to use a bonfire system to guide ships upstream. However, pirates soon realized that in order to get more booty, all they had to do was run a smaller boat onshore, take over the lighthouse fire keepers and move the fire to where the boats would see it, but not before they ran aground. Once aground, the pirates could board and take all of the valuables. The first lighthouse was finally completed in 1792 after many years of discussions and halts to the proceedings. A second lighthouse was built near the first one in 1881 and is made from iron. The people of the Virginia Beach area had to choose sides during the Revolutionary War. They had their homeland of England or they had their new land that wanted to be independent. There weren't any battles on Virginia Beach's soil, but ships sailed in and out of Cape Henry, near to where the settlement had been established. Pirates, merchant ships and even military ships used the water near Virginia Beach to dock, reload and get passengers or travelers before a journey. Railroads arrived in the late 1800s and then the population really began to increase. Once electricity came to the town, it saw development of land along the water front in to a resort area. Tourism, fishing and farming became the major industries of the time. There were still military activities, but not until later were the ports of the city utilized for government reasons. It wasn't until 1906 that Virginia Beach became incorporated. It became known to residents inland and from the north as a seasonal recreation area. Casinos, hotels and restaurants were built along a line in town where development could occur. The population continued to increase and the area was known as a resort town, even though there were thousands of permanent residents to keep the city thriving.
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