Timeline of Great Falls, Virginia

The following is a timeline of the history of the census-designated place (CDP) of Great Falls, Virginia, USA. ^[1]

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by editing the page to add missing items, with references to reliable sources.

Prior to 20th century

• c. 1400 - Land inhabited by indigenous peoples, likely the Doeg people. ^{[2] [3]}
• 1608 - Expedition of region by Captain John Smith. ^[4]
• c. 1700s - Colonial farm settlements begin to form in the Great Falls area. ^[5]
• c. 1750s - Area surveyed by George Washington ^{[6] [7]}
• 1785 - The Patowmack Canal, which George Washington partially funded, began operating to give small barges the opportunity to skirt around the falls and to distribute manufactured goods and raw materials.
• c. 1800s - Area was unofficially referred to as the village of Forestville, with two churches, a grist mill and sawmill, a general store, and a two-room schoolhouse. ^[8]
• 1861 - Battle of Dranesville Civil War skirmish occurred on December 20, 1861. ^[8]
• 1878 - Great Falls Post Office opens. ^[8]

20th century

• 1902 - John Roll McLean, Stephen Benton Elkins and Jean-Pierre Guenard purchase a charter for the Great Falls and Old Dominion Railroad. ^[9]
• 1906 - Railroad completed, connecting the Great Falls area with Washington, D.C. ^[10]
• 1909 - Great Falls and Old Dominion Railroad extends to Great Falls Park.
• 1920 - Great Falls Grange established. ^[8]
• 1942 - Community fire department is formed. ^[8]
• 1945 - Community members begin referring to the Forestville area as "Great Falls" and encourage the name change. ^[8]
• 1955 - Area formally renamed Great Falls in local organizations and offices, including the Fire Department. ^[11]
• 1959 - On November 15, 1959, the second Great Falls Post Office opens in theold Forestville School House, which is preserved on the Grange grounds. ^[8]
• 1966 - Great Falls Park is established by the National Park Service.
• 1990 - Population: 6,945

21st century

• 2000 - Population: 8,549
• 2010 - Population: 15,427
• 2020 - Population: 14,872
• 2022 - Great Falls included in Veranda magazine's list of wealthiest cities in the United States.

See also

• Great Falls, Virginia
• Timelines of other places in Virginia: Alexandria, Hampton, Lynchburg, McLean, Newport News, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Richmond, Roanoke, Virginia Beach, Virginia

References

1. "Great Falls Historical Society - Fairfax Co., Virginia". Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
2. Ferguson, p. 11, refers to Robert L. Stephenson, The Prehistoric People of Accokeek Creek
3. Rountree, Helen C. (January 1996). Pocahontas's people: the Powhatan Indians of Virginia through four centuries. University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN   978-0-8061-2849-8 . Retrieved August 18, 2011.
4. Swanton, John R. (1952), The Indian Tribes of North America, Smithsonian Institution, pp. 67–69, ISBN   978-0-8063-1730-4, OCLC   52230544
5. Carey, Mac (May 24, 2016). "An Unhidden Gem". Virginia Living . Cape Fear Publishing. Retrieved June 27, 2016.
6. "Merrywood - HouseHistree". househistree.com. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
7. "Washington as Public Land Surveyor | George Washington: Surveyor and Mapmaker | Articles and Essays | George Washington Papers | Digital Collections | Library of Congress". Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
8. "History - Celebrate Great Falls Foundation". celebrategreatfalls.org. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
9. Guillaudeu, David A.; Mccray, Paul E. (2013). Washington & Old Dominion Railroad. Arcadia Publishing. p. 37. ISBN   978-0-7385-9792-8.
10. "Along the 0. D. Railroad". The Washington Post. July 7, 1920.
11. Sanders, Milburn P. (August 11, 2005). "A Brief History of Great Falls". Connecting Neighbors. Archived from the original on February 10, 2012. Retrieved January 25, 2008.