Thousands Of Acres Sold In Roanoke County To Outside Individuals Interested In Real Estate
From the 1938 centennial edition of The Times-Register
When the boom struck this section in 1889 much real estate changed hands on Salem but also in Roanoke many outstanding realty deals were made. In Roanoke real estate companies sprang up by the dozens and often the same men were interested in several different companies. Many of the real estate operators came to Roanoke from outside the state.
Land that was in the city of Roanoke received a big play as those tracts offered attractive inducements of the city. Some of the local court records indicate the business done. Recorded on November 5, 1889 was a deed to 1135 acres of land sold by Mrs. E. S. McClanahan to the South Roanoke Land Company for a stipulated price of $60,000. From the description of this property it seems that it was near the city and the land company intended to sell it in small tracts or even in lots.
Large Tract
Another transaction was entered on record at the Salem courthouse on August 24, 1889 when the Linwood Land Company purchased a good sized tract of land from the Roanoke Stock Yards Company for $61,400 with a down payment of $10,039. This property was said to adjoin the stock yards and was described as being “near the city of Roanoke.”
In 1882 the records show that Jacob Trout purchased 46.57 acres of land from Thomas Snyder for a consideration of $3,225.30. This land appears to have been suburban Roanoke property and it was sold by Mr. Trout to the West Roanoke Land company on August 4, 1890 for $22,837.00.
While there were any number of land companies in Roanoke which were buying and selling land the records in the local courthouse show that the following companies were probably the most active in their line: The Melrose Land Company, The Hyde Park Land Company, the Linwood Land Company, the South Roanoke Land Company.
Many Companies
These were but a few of the many companies chartered, others being The Commercial Land Company, Hambrick Land Company, Fidelity Loan and Trust Company, Riverton Land Company, Iron Belt Building and Loan Company, National Investment Company, Independent Investment Company, Fidelity Investment Company, Terry Building Company, Cloverdale Iron and Land Company, Maryland Real Estate and Investment Company, James S. Simmons Real Estate Company, The Wall Street Investment Company, Prudential Investment Company, The Cooperative Land Company, The Vinton Land and Improvement Company, The Mechanics Home Land Company, Union Land Company, Roanoke Real Estate Syndicate, Piedmont Investment Company, Security Investment Company, Phoenix Land and Improvement Company, Louisa Investment Company, Beall Investment Company, Northwest Land Company, Roanoke Land and Improvement Company, United Investment Company, Arcadia Investment Company, Buchanan Investment Company, Woodland Park land Company, State Investment Company, Columbia Land Company, Salem-Buchanan Investment Company, Pleasant Valley Land Company, Mechanics Mutual Aid Investment Company, Roanoke Development Company, The Land Investment Company, Roanoke Real Estate Company, Randolph Investment Company, Roanoke Banking and Investment Company, Miller Investment Company East Roanoke Loan, Trust and Investment Company, Artisans Investment Company, Highland Terrace Land Company, The Buena Vista Land Company of Roanoke, Hill City Investment Company, H. Webster Crowl Real Estate Company, Valley Investment Company, Crozier Investment Company, Commonwealth Land Company, Southwestern Investment and Trust Company, Bridgewater Investment Company, Oaklands Improvement Company, Powell Real Estate Investment Company, Tidewater Investment Company, Roanoke and Salem Building and Conveyance Company, Magnolia Land and Building Company, Enterprise Building and investment Company, Jefferson Land Company, Baltimore Investment Company, Emerald Land and Investment Company, Inside Property Company, Union Investment Company, Parkersburg Investment Company, Suburban Home Land Company, Sterling Investment Company, Washington Investment Company and the New York Building and Improvement Company of Roanoke.
– Prepared by Lingjie Gu
