This is a scholarly and informative account of the origin and settlement of the counties of Albemarle, Augusta, Caroline, Essex, Gloucester, Goochland, Hanover, King William, King and Queen, Louisa, New Kent, and Orange, and of the people and events associated with their history. It was from these counties, constituting a narrow corridor extending from the basin of the York River, that the historic migrations into Kentucky and the Northwest Territory were set afoot. Mr. Gwathmey devotes a chapter to each of the twelve counties consisting of a history of its formation and sketches of pioneer families and early settlers. Woven throughout the narrative are descriptions of homes and homeowners, lands and landowners, and choice and enthralling tidbits of lore and legend, not to mention biographical sketches of notable countians and lists of civil and military officers, histories of churches and other institutions, and much, much more.