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Local History

The first recorded white men to visit the area were a small party of adventurers headed by John Lederer. Their mission financed by plantation owners scouting land investment opportunities and the year was 1670. Their journey began by traveling from Richmond up the James River to present day Lynchburg, then turning south and heading towards present day Altavista, eventually ending at a Saponi Indian village on June 9.

It was here that he and his party discovered the little river that the Saponi call the "Rorenock", which they followed northwest to an area near Leesville, just south of Smith Mountain. From here he turned southwest, then south, then southeast, as he curved his route to circle back east towards home. By August, Lederer had returned home and was soon on another exploration, this time to North Carolina frontiers.

One year later, in the spring 1671, Abraham Wood led another party into our area with plans to press further into the interior of the continent. Lederer, who was German, wasn't invited to lead this trip. This was fine with him, having previously been treated as an outsider by his English compatriots, who were also jealous of his bravery and negotiating skills with the natives. (Note: He went on to lead many other successful explorations while Wood's party was about to get bogged down in swamps, having spurned Lederer and his Indian guide's advice on the best routes to travel.)

Like the previous year's excursion, Wood's group departed from Petersburg, but this time they traveled due west thru the wilderness by compass, again arriving at the Saponi Indian village (days later than hoped for, courtesy of a several marshes they could have avoided that caused long backtracking).

After finally arriving at the Saponi village and taking time to rest, they continued their journey by walking along the Roanoke River, then crossing thru Smith Mountain gap (where the dam now sits). From here they traveled upriver to a Tutelo Indian village in present day Roanoke (friendly kin to the Saponi, they spoke a slightly different dialect of the the same root language, which was Cherokee). After reaching the massive Roanoke Valley, they continued their journey for a few more days, all the way up to present day Elliston before turning back home. Settlers began trickling in soon thereafter.

Within 50 years the area was largely settled by white homesteaders and many of the Indians had relocated to other areas, their numbers having been decimated by smallpox epidemics. Also impacting the remaining Native Americans was increased fighting with neighboring tribes (over diminished game caused by white settlement). Another 50 years after this and virtually all of the remaining natives were driven out, surprisingly, a large number to upstate New York, in addition to the well known migrations westward.

Several early names were used to identify the mountain that helps form our lake, but the one that stuck was after Daniel and Gideon Smith, two brothers from present day Pittsylvania County who owned thousands of acres here in 1740's.

The gap in the middle of the mountain is entirely natural, a genuine marvel. Despite the geography being literally perfect for a dam, the area has always been very rural, which is probably why the dam, casually proposed around 1906, and officially proposed in 1924, still took another 40 years to become a reality.

But things have sure changed since Smith Mountain Dam was completed, because the enormous lake it created has turned the whole area into a retirement mecca, as well as a vacation destination for millions of people who are literally just a few hours away. And it wouldn't be boasting to say that the natural beauty of Smith Mountain Lake is becoming famous.

Miscellaneous Dam Facts
10' thick at the top   ○    32' thick at the base   ○   235' tall   ○   816' span

Miscellaneous Lake Facts
40 miles in length   ○   250' deep in places   ○    500 miles of shoreline   ○   Largest Virginia lake   ○   Cleanest Virginia lake

Valley trees were submerged as higher elevations got clear cut.

Completed dam reaches full pond in 1966.

Above left center is the new Hales Ford Bridge under construction in 1964. (Old road and bridge is on right).      The building on left was a cement plant, which today is the exact location of Smith Mountain Lake Realty!

Spillway behind the dam as it is today.