Fort Chiswell – While Fort Chiswell is not on the railroad, it is an important part of the history of the area. It was established by William Byrd III - a prominent landowner, member of the House of Burgesses, and Colonel in the French and Indian War. The fort was built in 1758 as an outpost for that war and a few years later was attacked by and surrendered to the Cherokee in the Anglo-Cherokee War (1758-61). It served in the Revolutionary War as a guard post over a nearby lead mine. The fort is named for Col. John Chiswell who owned the mine. Positioned on the Wilderness Road, 60,000 people passed through the area on their way to settle Southwest Virginia, Tennessee, and Kentucky. After the county seat was moved to Wytheville in 1790, the fort fell into disrepair. The remains were paved over in the 1970’s when I-77 was built.