IN 1607, THE RAPPAHANNOCK`S WERE THE DOMINATE TRIBE OF THE RAPPAHANNOCK RIVER VALLY,MAINTAINING 15 VILLAGES ALONG THE NORTH AND SOUTH BANKS OF THE RIVER THAT BEARS THEIR NAME.THE RAPPAHANNOCK TERRITORY ENCOUMPASSED LANDS IN COUNTIESOF RICHMOND, NORTHUMBERLAND, LANCASTER, ESSEX, AND CAROLINE. THE KING`S TOWN WAS LOCATED AT "CAT POINT CREEK" OR "DANCING POINT" AS
KNOWN TO THE TRIBE IN PRESENT DAY WARSAW VIRGINA. IT WAS HERE, IN DECEMBER 1608, THAT THE RAPPAHANOCKS FIRST MET CAPTAIN JOHN SMITH. HE WAS BROUGHT TO SEE THE KING AT "TOPPAHANOKE" WHILE BEING HELD CAPTIVE BY POWHATAN, TO SEE IF HE WAS THE MAN WHO PREVIOUSLY HAD KILLED THEIR KING AND TOOK OF THEIR PEOPLE.IN 1603 CAPT SAMUEL MACE HAD SAILED INTO RAPPHANNOCK TOWN AND AFTER BEING FRIENDLY GREETED, HE KILLED THEIR KING AND KIDDKNAPPED A GROUP OF THEIR MEN. IN DECEMBER OF 1603, THESE MEN WERE DOCUMENTED GIVING CANOE DEMONATRATIONS ON THE THOMAS RIVER IN ENGLAND. OVER THE NEXT FORTY YEARS, ENGLISH SETTLEMENT EXPANDED UP THE RAPPAHANOCK RIVER, ABD AFTER 1649 THE RAPPAHANOCKS WERE GRADUALLY FORCED INLAND.BY 1655, THEY HAD ABANDONED THEIR VILLAGE SITES ALONG THE RIVER AND ESTABLISHED THEMSELVES INLAND ALONG TOTUSKEY CREEK FOR SAFTERY. IN 16 72, RESPONDING TO SUSQUEHANNOCK ATTACKS, THE RAPPAHANOCKS MOVED FURTHER SOUTH AND ESTABLISHED A NEW FORTIFIED VILLAGE ON THE RIDGE BETWEEN THE MATTAPONI AND RAPPAHANOCK RIVERS. BY "AN ORDER OF THE COLONIAL COUNCIL DATED 25TH NOVEMBER 1682, IT DIRECTED THAT 4,000 ACRES OF LAND SHOULD BE LAID OUT FOR THE RAPPAHANOCK INDIANS ABOUT TOWN WHERE THEY DWELT. IN 1683, 3,474 ACRES WERE APPORTIONED, EMCOMPASSING LAND FROM THEIR TOWN IN ESSEX COUNTY TO THE MOUTH OF A GREAT BRANCH ISSUING OUT OF THE MATTAPONI IN UPPER KING&QUEEN COUNTY. THAT SAME YEAR THE RAPPAHANOCKS FORT WAS THREATENED BY IROQUOIAN WAS PARTIES THE VIRGINIAN FRONTIER.
TO PROTECT THE RAPPAHANOCKS AND THEIR ENGLISH NEIGHBORS, COLONEL WILLIAM BYRD NEGOTIATED A SETTLEMENT WITH THE IROQUOIS ,AND THE VIRGINA ASSEMBLY ORDERED THE TOPPAHANNOCK TOWN, ITS GOODS AND PEOPLE, TO BE RELOCATED AT PORTOBAGO INDIAN TOWN IN CARLINE CO. THE TRIBE REMAINED AT PORTOBAGO FOR SOME TWENTY YEARS BEFORE LIEUTENANT COLONEL ROBERT COVINGTON ESCORTED THEM BACK LANDS IN KINGS & QUEEN,ESSEX AND CAROLINE COUNTIES WHERE THEIR DESCENDANTS HAVE REMAINED UNTIL PRESENT DAY. TODAY THE RAPPAHANNOCKS HAVE A MEMBERSHIP OF APPROXIMATELY THREE HUNDRED, WITH A MAJORITY OF THE MEMBERS CONCENTRATED IN KING & QUEEN, CAROLINE AND ESSEX COUNTIES. HERE IN THIS GALLERY I HAVE PICTURES THAT I TOOK AT THE POW WOW THAT MY HUSBAND AND I WENT TO.