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A new historical marker will be dedicated on Court Street in Abingdon on Saturday, July 26, and the public is invited to attend.

The marker recognizes William Clark’s visit in 1809 to the home of William King on his way from St. Louis to Washington D.C. After the Corps of Discovery expedition, Clark had been appointed by President Thomas Jefferson as brigadier general of the militia for the Louisiana Territory and a federal Indian agent dealing with western tribes. The Great Wagon Road through Washington County on which Clark was traveling was a main route of cross-country travel between the East Coast and the western frontier.

King, who immigrated from Ireland with his family in 1784 and settled in the Saltville area by 1792, quickly made a fortune by developing the salt works and shipping salt down the Holston and Tennessee rivers to the Mississippi. It was during those years it is believed King met Clark, who was also shipping goods on the Mississippi River. After building Grace Hill in Abingdon in 1803, King died in 1808 at the age of 38 or 39 and is buried at Abingdon’s Sinking Spring Cemeteryistoric Ma.

As an example of his wealth, King had acquired 90 tracts and town lots covering 19,473 acres in Washington County, 3,494 acres in Wythe County and 10,880 acres in Tennessee. His will and estate were so convoluted that his estate was not settled by the United States Supreme Court until 1843, thirty five years after his death in Abingdon.

Grace Hill has been recently restored by David and Jill Dalton and will be part of the historic homes tour this year.

Participating in the dedication will be Thomas Jefferson as interpreted by Kurt Smith of Colonial Williamsburg. The public will be able to visit with Mr. Jefferson after the dedication at the log cabin on Plumb Alley behind the courthouse, and will be appearing in other events during the festival.

The marker will be the newest of some 3,000 markers installed by the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, and the twenty first marker to be installed in Washington County. It is the latest marker sponsored by the Virginia Lewis & Clark Legacy Trail. You can visit their website at valewisandclarklegacytrail.org for more information.