The City of Danville, Virginia
Riverside Cotton Mills was started in Danville, Virginia, in 1882.
Downtown Danville
3 pages of old pictures
(left) My dad Reuben Ricketts and his prized tobacco
plant. This area was famous for its flue-cured process that
produced the bright leaf tobacco. Danville for years was called
the "World's Best Tobacco Market."  In early Virginia, the
preacher was paid 1,600 pounds of tobacco a year and taxes
were levied in pounds of tobacco.  Every farmer in these parts
raised it for a cash crop because the money from tobacco was
much more than for any other crop.  There has been a decline
in use and most small farms no longer grow the crop.  Most of
the production today is by large operations.  
(above) Nancy & Irene Langhorne of
Danville, Virginia, were famous.
(above)  Danville is famous
for the 1903 train wreck -
The Wreck of the Old 97 .
American Armoured Foundation
Tank Museum is located in Danville, VA. It has
the most extensive collection of tank and cavalry
artifacts in the world. Visit their website at:
http://www.aaftankmuseum.com/
In the last days of the Civil War, the Sutherlin Mansion on Main Street (pictured above) was chosen as the
site of the Confederate government after Jefferson Davis and staff left Richmond, as the Union troops
advanced - giving Danville the title of Last Capital of the Confederacy.  The last full cabinet meeting took
place in this house. The Confederate government officials fled Danville when they learned of Lee's
surrender at Appomattox.
Please Note:  Geographically, Danville is in southern Pittsylvania County, Virginia.
However, in Virginia the cities and counties are separate political entities.
Brief History of Danville
(at left) Yarbrough's Mill on the
northside of Dan River. This area once
had the names Neapolis and North
Danville, but was annexed into Danville
in 1896.