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Petersburg is an independent city located in Virginia. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 33,740. It is located in the Richmond-Petersburg region and is a portion of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). History of Petersburg, Virginia
On the banks of the Appomattox River, Petersburg grew from the former Fort Henry, established on the south bank in 1645. The city developed rapidly, and the Virginia General Assembly formally organized it in 1784. The Battle of Petersurg in 1781 was a part of the British attempt to regain control of Virginia.
Years later, the Port of Petersburg became renowned as a commercial center for transporting and processing cotton, tobacco and metal, produced and shipped from the region. As travel technology developed, Petersburg became established as a railroad center.
Paved streets began to appear in 1813, soon followed by a canal bypassing the Appomattox falls; railroad lines linking it to all points of the compass came next, gaslights were introduced in 1851, and a new municipal water system was installed by 1857. All these civic improvements helped attract and hold a substantial business community, based on tobacco manufacture, but also including cotton and flour mills and banking.
Its 1860 population was 18,266, half of which were black, and nearly a third of them were free. Ninety percent of the white half were native Virginians, whose devotion to the cause in 1812 inspired the nickname "Cockade City" in honor of the rosette they wore on their caps. When Civil War came in 1861, Petersburg's men again responded, and they provided the South several infantry companies and artillery units, as well as three troops of cavalry.
During the Civil War, General Ulysses S. Grant came in pursuit to destroy the Petersburg Transportation System. During the Battle of the Crater, Union troops tunneled under Confederate fortifications with disastrous results. The Siege of Petersburg preceded General Robert E. Lee's surrender and the end of the war.
1 Location
Located along the eastern seaboard, approximately halfway between New YorkNew York is a state in the northeastern United States whose U. postal abbreviation is NY . It is sometimes called New York State when there is need to distinguish it from New York City. History See: History of New York New York was one of the thirteen col and FloridaFlorida is a southern state in the United States. It is known as the Sunshine State. Florida" is a Spanish adjective which means "flowery". It was discovered by Spanish explorers during the Easter season, which is called Pascua Florida in Spanish. Postal, Petersburg is at the juncture of Interstates 95 and 85, just 23 miles south of Virginia's state capital, RichmondRichmond is the capital of Virginia, a state (officially the Commonwealth of Virginia of the United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 197,790. Like all Virginia municipalities incorporated as cities it is an inde. The city is one of 13 jurisdictions that comprise the Richmond-Petersburg Metropolitan Statistical Area. Petersburg is the center of the Appomattox Basin regional economy that includes the counties of Dinwiddie and Prince George, the southern part of Chesterfield County, and the cities of Hopewell and Colonial Heights.
2 Geography
According to the United States Census BureauThe United States Census Bureau (officially Bureau of the Census is a part of the United States Department of Commerce. Its mission is defined in the Constitution of the United States, which directs that the population be enumerated at least once every te, the city has a total area of 60.1 km˛ (23.2 mi˛This article is about the unit of measure. In England, the Square Mile is a traditional name for the City of London. A square mile (symbol sq. or mi is an imperial unit which is the area of a square whose side is one mile (or 5,280 feet). A square mile is). 59.3 km˛ (22.9 mi˛) of it is land and 0.8 km˛ (0.3 mi˛) of it is water. The total area is 1.29% water.
