The Loudoun Valley is a small, but historically significant valley located in northwestern Virginia in the United States. Fljótsdalur in East Iceland, a rather flat valley Mt. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ...

The lush and fertile valley lies between Catoctin Mountain and the Bull Run Mountains to the east and the Blue Ridge Mountains to the west. It varies between 8 and 12 miles in width. Major watercourses include Goose Creek, Panther Skin Run, and Little River. The major highway across the valley is U.S. Route 50, which runs from Aldie on the east to Ashby's Gap on the west. The terrain is rolling, with numerous ridges and hills. Elevation of the valley ranges between 350 to 730 feet above sea level. The region is temperate, with an annual rainfall of 40 to 50 inches and a mean average temperate or 50 to 55 °F. Catoctin Mountain is the easternmost spur of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which are in turn a part of the Appalachian Mountain Range. ... The Bull Run Mountains are the easternmost mountain chain in the U.S. state of Virginia, stretching approximately sixteen miles in Loudoun, Prince William and Fauquier counties from Broad Run to Aldie. ... Blue Ridge Mountains, Shining Rock Wilderness Area Appalachian Mountain system The Blue Ridge is a mountain chain in the eastern United States, part of the Appalachian Mountains, forming their eastern front from Georgia to Pennsylvania. ... Goose Creek is a meandering watercourse in Northern Virginia. ... MAJOR JUNCTIONS JUNCTION MILEPOST Legend BROWSE STATE HWYS CA: CA-49 CA-51 U.S. Highway 50 is an east-west United States highway. ... Aldie is an unincorporated village located on the John Mosby Highway (U.S. Route 50) between Gilberts Corner and Middleburg in Loudoun County, Virginia. ... Ashbys Gap is a pass in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia leading from the Shenandoah Valley into eastern Virginia, often used by Confederate Army and Union Army in the several valley campaigns. ...

The soil is formed from gneiss, clay / slate, hornblend, greenstone, and quartz particles, a fertile and durable soil, containing alumina, silex, potash, lime, and other natural fertilizing minerals. Gneiss Gneiss is a common and widely distributed type of rock formed by high-grade regional metamorphic processes from preexisting formations that were originally either igneous or sedimentary rocks. ... The Gay Head cliffs in Marthas Vineyard are made almost entirely of natural clays. ... Slate Slate is a fine-grained, homogeneous, metamorphic rock derived from an original sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low grade regional metamorphism. ... Amphibole (Hornblende) The mineral hornblende is a complex silicate which is an isomorphous mixture of three molecules; a calcium-iron-magnesium silicate, an aluminium-iron-magnesium silicate, and an iron-magnesium silicate. ... New Zealand greenstone is formed by the metamorphism of basalt. ... Quartz is amongst one of the most common minerals in the Earths continental crust. ... Aluminium oxide (or aluminum oxide) (Al2O3) is a chemical compound of aluminium and oxygen. ... General Name, Symbol, Number silicon, Si, 14 Chemical series metalloids Group, Period, Block 14, 3, p Appearance dark gray, bluish tinge Atomic mass 28. ... Potash Potash (or carbonate of potash) is an impure form of potassium carbonate (K2CO3) mixed with other potassium salts. ... Lime is a general term for various naturally occurring minerals and materials derived from them in which carbonates, oxides and hydroxides of calcium predominate. ...

History

Following the 1722 Treaty of Albany, which kept the American Indian nations west of the Blue Ridge Mountain, settlers began slowly to move into the Loudoun Valley. The area became a leading center of agriculture, particularly wheat, oats, rye, and corn. Many of the early residents were immigrants from southern Pennsylvania — Quakers, Scotch-Irish, and Germans interested in starting small farms. The Quakers had significant influence in the central Loudoun Valley, settling in and around such communities as Waterford, Hillsboro, Goose Creek (now Lincoln), and Unison. Their stone buildings are a major feature of the Loudoun landscape. Germans settled in the northern end of the Loudoun Valley, especially in the area around Lovettsville, leaving a number of log structures as their architectural legacy. Unlike the settlers to the east of the valley, neither of these groups believed in slavery, thus inaugurating a division that would be important in the years leading up to the American Civil War. The Religious Society of Friends, commonly known as Quakers, or Friends, is a religious community founded in England in the 17th century. ... Ulster-Scots is a term mainly used in Ireland and Britain (Scotch-Irish or Scots-Irishis commonly used in North America) primarily to refer to Presbyterian Scots, or their descendents, who migrated from the Scottish Lowlands to Ulster (the northern province of Ireland), largely across the 17th century. ... Waterford is an unincorporated village in Loudoun County, Virginia located along Catoctin Creek. ... Hillsboro is a town located in Loudoun County, Virginia. ... Lincoln is an unincorporated village in Loudoun County, Virginia. ... Unison is an unincorporated village in Loudoun County, Virginia. ... Lovettsville is a town located in Loudoun County, Virginia. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Combatants United States of America (Union) Confederate States of America (Confederacy) Commanders Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant Jefferson Davis, Robert Edward Lee Strength 2,200,000 1,064,000 Casualties 110,000 killed in action, 360,000 total dead, 275,200 wounded 93,000 killed in action, 258,000 total...

During the Civil War, the Loudoun Valley saw considerable fighting, particularly in 1862 and 1863. During the Gettysburg Campaign, a series of cavalry clashes between J.E.B. Stuart and Alfred Pleasonton occurred in the valley at Aldie, Middleburg, Goose Creek, and Upperville. Stuart successfully kept the Federal forces from entering the adjacent Shenandoah Valley and discovering Robert E. Lee's main army. Meade and Lee of Gettysburg Gettysburg Campaign (through July 3); cavalry movements shown with dashed lines. ... Kircholm, a 1925 painting by Wojciech Kossak. ... James Ewell Brown Stuart (February 6, 1833 – May 12, 1864) was an American soldier from Virginia and a Confederate Army general during the American Civil War. ... Alfred Pleasonton Alfred Pleasonton was a U.S. Army officer and general of Union cavalry during the American Civil War. ... The Battle of Aldie took place on June 17, 1863, in Loudoun County, Virginia, as part of the Gettysburg Campaign of the American Civil War. ... Battle of Middleburg Conflict American Civil War Date June 17-19, 1863 Place Loudoun County, Virginia Result Inconclusive The Battle of Middleburg took place from June 17-19, 1863 in Loudoun County, Virginia as part of the Gettysburg Campaign of the American Civil War. ... Goose Creek is a meandering watercourse in Northern Virginia. ... Combatants United States of America Confederate States of America Commanders Alfred Pleasonton J.E.B. Stuart Strength Divisions Divisions Casualties 400 total (US and CS) 400 total (US and CS) The Battle of Upperville took place on June 21, 1863, in Loudoun County, Virginia, as part of the Gettysburg Campaign... Canoeing on the Shenandoah River near Winchester, VA. The Shenandoah Valley region of western Virginia, from Winchester to Staunton, is bounded by the Blue Ridge mountains to the East and the Allegheny mountains to the West. ... For the author of Inherit the Wind and other works, see Robert Edwin Lee. ...

Following the war, the region continued to be a major source of agricultural products. Farming remained a main occupation for several generations. Today, parts of the scenic valley are threatened by urban growth.

Sources

• Loudoun Museum website
• Head, James W., History and Comprehensive Description of Loudoun County Virginia, Parkview Press, 1908.