Elk Island (Goochland County, Virginia) facts for kids
 Elk Island
Location in Virginia
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| Geography | |
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| Location | James River |
| Coordinates | 37°42′59.52″N 78°5′44″W / 37.7165333°N 78.09556°W |
| Highest elevation | 57 m (187 ft) |
| Administration | |
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United States
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| County | Goochland County, Virginia |
Elk Island is an island located in the James River in Goochland County, Virginia. It's near the town of Cartersville. The island is about one mile wide and five miles long. You can reach it by using Elk Island Road, also known as Virginia State Route 603. This island has a long and interesting history, from ancient times to the American Revolution.
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Ancient History of Elk Island
Elk Island has been home to people for a very long time. In 1870, a big flood covered the entire island. After the flood, people found clues about early Native American settlements. They discovered three skeletons buried at the southern end of the island. More bones were found when farmers plowed their fields deeper than usual.
What Archaeologists Found
Archaeologists have studied two main sites on the island, called the Wright and Little River sites. These studies showed that people lived here during the Late Archaic and Early Woodland periods. They found pieces of pottery, including decorated Potomac Creek pottery. Other tools and items were also discovered.
There is also proof that people lived on the island in the 1600s. Artifacts from this time include Delftware pottery, which is a type of ceramic. They also found gun flints, used to spark old firearms, and pieces of glass bottles. These finds help us understand how people lived and what they used hundreds of years ago.
Elk Island and Famous Americans
Elk Island was once part of a large plantation called Elk Hill. This plantation was owned by John Wayles and later by Thomas Jefferson, who became a President of the United States.
Jefferson's Connection to the Island
Thomas Jefferson gained ownership of the Elk Hill plantation and Elk Island through his wife, Martha Wayles Jefferson. Her father, John Wayles, had owned the land before her. Jefferson's son-in-law, Bathurst Skelton, also owned a large part of Elk Island, about 1,000 acres. On this fertile land, people grew crops like tobacco and corn.
Transportation and Trade
In the early 1800s, people looked for better ways to move goods. In 1836, the James River and Kanawha Company thought about building a canal. This canal would have an arm that ended at the lower part of Elk Island.
Moving Goods by Canal
The canal system was important for plantations like Elk Hill. They used canal boats to transport their crops and products to Richmond. This made it easier and faster to trade goods.
Elk Island During the Revolutionary War
Elk Island played a small but important role during the American Revolutionary War. In 1781, a British general named Lord Cornwallis and his soldiers came to the island.
Cornwallis's Occupation
Lord Cornwallis and his troops stayed on Elk Island and the nearby Elk Hill plantation for ten days. During their time there, they destroyed many of the crops. They also slaughtered livestock, like cows and pigs, to feed their soldiers.
Not long after Cornwallis left, Thomas Jefferson visited the plantation. He saw the damage the British had caused. Jefferson later wrote a letter to William Gordon in Paris, describing what he had witnessed.
Modern Use of Elk Island
Today, Elk Island is no longer a large plantation. Instead, it is home to the Elk Hill Winery. This shows how the island's use has changed over many centuries, from ancient settlements to farming, and now to making wine.
