Gate City Virginia
“Where Mountains and Music Make Memories”
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Town of Gate City VA
The town of Gate City is located in Scott County in the Virginia Blue Ridge Mountains. Gate City is the county seat of Scott County and is considered the Gateway to Southwest Virginia from East Tennessee and Kingsport. The town is named after a gap in the Clinch Mountain. “a gate” through which pioneers and Indians used to pass through the mountains.
Gate City is a small quiet town with antique shopping, restaurants and lodging. Gate City is world famous for kayaking the Clinch River and Holston Rivers. While staying at one of our bed and breakfasts, hotels, cabin rentals or campgrounds, you need to take some time and explore the following: Kingdom Zoo, The Natural Tunnel State Park, Carters Family Farms, Local festivals, and outdoor recreation on the Holston River.
History of Gate City VA
In 1771 Silas Engart, received a land grant of 200 acres. This included the location of the future town of Gate City. By 1815, James Davidson donated 13 acres of his plantation to the town of Gate City, VA. The town was named in honor of General Winfield Scott a war hero of the War of 1812. Two years later the town was renamed to Estillville, in honor of Benjamin Estillville a local judge who helped with the formation of the county’s seat location.
The town grew and prospered into a commercial center for people and goods passing through Big Moccasin’s Gap and the North Fork of the Holston River. There were farmers selling goods and a coach line with a wagon train for people.
In 1856, Gate City received its name after it was pointed out that Big Moccasin Gap was the Gateway to the West. the town incorporated in 1892. Gate City became a town with all the commercial trade, passenger train traffic, trains transporting lumber, iron ore, glass, farming seeds, stones, harnesses, and more.
Well into 1th 1930s, Gate City thrived and grew with many new businesses until 1950s and 1960s things slowed down, and the town embraced tourism within the Blue Ridge Mountains.