First explored by colonists in 1607, the territory that was to become Henrico County was the site of the second English
settlement in the colony of Virginia. Settled in 1611, Henrico
was named for Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales. Henrico was the site of the first college and the first iron works in the New World and is one of the original shires, or counties, in Virginia. Extending along the James River from its junction with the Appomattox River to the Blue Ridge Mountains, Henrico was eventually subdivided into nine-and-a-half counties and three independent cities. During 1861 to 1865, 18 major battles and numerous heavy engagements were fought on Henrico soil. From the end of the Civil War until World War II, agriculture was the backbone of the county's economy. After the war, the county experienced a surge in population that resulted in the growth of service industries. Today it is a vibrant urban county.