Editing Danville, Virginia (section)

===19th century===
[[File:William T Sutherlin Mansion Danville Virginia.JPG|thumb|upright=1.1|Danville was home to tobacco entrepreneur William T. Sutherlin. The city was sometimes called the "last capitol of the [[Confederate States of America|Confederacy]]"]]
[[File:Dan's Hill Virginia.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Dan's Hill estate in western Danville]]
[[Image:Old 97 wreck at Stillhouse Trestle in Virginia - 1903 (2).jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Wreck of the Old 97, 1903]]
[[File:Shuttered textile mill Dan River Mills Danville Virginia.JPG|thumb|upright=1.1|The abandoned Dan River Mills on the [[Dan River (Virginia)|Dan River]]]]
A charter for the town was drawn up on February 17, 1830, but by the time of its issue, the population had exceeded the pre-arranged boundaries. This necessitated a new charter, which was issued in 1833. In that year, James Lanier was elected the first mayor, assisted by a council of "twelve fit and able men."

By the mid-19th century, [[William T. Sutherlin]], a planter and entrepreneur, was the first to apply water power to run a tobacco press. He became a major industrialist in the region.

In the mid to late 1800s, several railroads reached Danville, including the [[Richmond and Danville Railroad]] (completed 1856), and the [[Atlantic and Danville Railway]] (completed 1890). These enabled the export of Danville's manufacturing and agricultural products. The major growth in industry came in the late 19th century, after the war. The [[Southern Railway (U.S.)|Southern Railway]], successor to the Richmond and Danville, built a grand passenger station in Danville in 1899, which is still in use by Amtrak and is a satellite facility of the Virginia Museum.

At the outbreak of the [[American Civil War|Civil War]], Danville had a population of approximately 5,000 people. During the war years, the town was transformed into a strategic center of [[Confederate States of America|Confederate]] activity. William Sutherlin was named [[quartermaster]] of its depot. The rail center was critical for supplying Confederate forces, and a hospital station was established for Confederate wounded.  A network of batteries, breastworks, redoubts and rifle pits defended the town.<ref name="auto"/>

A prison camp was set up, with the conversion of six tobacco warehouses, including one owned by Sutherlin, for use as prisons. At one time they held more than 5,000 captured [[Union (American Civil War)|American]] soldiers. [[Malnutrition]] and [[dysentery]], plus a [[smallpox]] epidemic in 1864, caused the death of 1,314 of these prisoners. Their remains have been interred in the [[Danville National Cemetery (Virginia)|Danville National Cemetery]].

The [[Richmond and Danville Railroad]] was the main supply route into [[Petersburg, Virginia|Petersburg]], where Lee's [[Army of Northern Virginia]] was [[Siege of Petersburg|holding the defensive]] line to protect [[Richmond, Virginia|Richmond]]. The Danville supply train ran until General [[George Stoneman|Stoneman's]] Union cavalry troops tore up the tracks. This event was immortalized in the song, "[[The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down]]."

In 1865, Danville hosted the [[Confederate States of America|Confederate]] government. Confederate President [[Jefferson Davis]] stayed at Sutherlin's mansion from April 3 to 10, 1865, and the house became known as the "Last Capitol of the Confederacy."<ref name="arcadia">{{cite book|first1=Frankie Y.|last1=Bailey|first2=Alice P.|last2=Green|title=Wicked Danville: Liquor and Lawlessness in a Southside Virginia City|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ia9_CQAAQBAJ&pg=PT59|year=2011|publisher=Arcadia Publishing Incorporated|isbn=978-1-62584-122-3|page=59}}</ref> Here he wrote and issued his last Presidential Proclamation. The final Confederate Cabinet meeting was held at the Benedict House (since destroyed) in Danville. Davis and members of his cabinet left the city when they learned of Lee's [[surrender at Appomattox]], and moved to [[Greensboro, North Carolina]], making their way south. On the day they left, Governor [[William Smith (Virginia governor)|William Smith]] arrived from [[Lynchburg, Virginia|Lynchburg]] to establish his headquarters here.

In 1882, the biracial [[Readjuster Party]] had gained control of the city council, causing resentment and even alarm among some white residents, even though the council was still dominated by white members; the city had a majority African-American population. The Readjuster Party had been in power at the state level since 1879. Violence broke out on November 3, 1883, a few days before the election, when a racially-motivated street fight turned to shooting after a large crowd gathered; five men were killed, four of them black. A local Danville commission found African Americans at fault for the violence on November 3, but a US Senate investigation decided that white residents were to blame. No prosecution resulted from either inquiry.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia
|contribution=Danville Riot (1883)
|first=Brendan
|last=Wolfe
|title=Encyclopedia Virginia
|url=https://www.encyclopediavirginia.org/Danville_Riot_1883#itsFR
|year=2015
|publisher=[[Virginia Humanities]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news
|title=The Press on the Danville Riot
|newspaper=[[Richmond Dispatch]]
|date=November 6, 1883
|url=https://staging.encyclopediavirginia.org/_The_Press_on_the_Danville_Riot_Richmond_Dispatch_November_6_1883
|access-date=February 25, 2019
|archive-date=February 25, 2019
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190225223801/https://staging.encyclopediavirginia.org/_The_Press_on_the_Danville_Riot_Richmond_Dispatch_November_6_1883
|url-status=dead
}}</ref>

In the late 19th and continuing into the early 20th centuries, tobacco processing was a major source of wealth for business owners in the city, in addition to the textile mills. Wealthy planters and owners built fine houses, some of which have been preserved.

Given the falls on the river, the area was prime for industrial development based on water power. On July 22, 1882, six of Danville's residents (Thomas Benton Fitzgerald, Dr. H.W. Cole, Benjamin F. Jefferson and three brothers: Robert A., John H., and James E. Schoolfield) founded the Riverside Cotton Mills, making use of cotton produced throughout the South. Both the Riverside Cotton Mills and Danville itself grew tremendously during Fitzgerald's leadership of the company as President. In its day it was known nationally as [[Dan River Inc. Riverside Division Historic District|Dan River Inc.]], the largest single-unit [[textile mill]] in the world.

As the industrial town grew rapidly, it attracted many single workers, and associated gambling, drinking, and prostitution establishments. By the early 20th century, the city passed laws against gambling, but it continued in small, private places.<ref name="arcadia"/>  On September 9, 1882, Danville Mayor John H. Johnston shot and killed John E. Hatcher, his chief of police. Hatcher had demanded an apology for a statement Johnston had made regarding unaccounted fine money. Johnston was charged with murder, but he was acquitted at trial. The Southern "culture of honor" was still strong and jurors apparently believed the killing was justified.<ref>{{cite web | title = John Epps Hatcher | publisher = Hatcher Families Genealogy Society | url = http://hatcherfamilyassn.com/getperson.php?personID=I28032&tree=WmTheIm}}</ref>

The [[Southern Railway (U.S.)|Southern Railway]] constructed a railroad line to the city in the late 19th century and had facilities here, which contributed to the growing economy. In 1899, the company completed a grand passenger station, designed by its noted architect [[Frank Pierce Milburn]]. For many years, passenger traffic was strong on the railroad; it also operated freight trains.