The Story
Stafford County in Virginia has been a crossroads for many important travelers like Pocahontas and Captain John Smith. Let's go into its history!
Captain John Smith sailed the Potomac from Jamestown to present-day Stafford and encountered the Native Americans in 1608. At that time, there were 32 Algonquian-speaking tribes, including the Patawomeck and others from the Powhatan Confederacy
Tensions soon rose between colonists and natives. Colonists led by Samuel Argall captured Chief Powhatan's daughter, Pocahontas, while she lived with her husband, Kocoum, at the Patawomeck town of Passapatanzy. They took her to the English settlement, Henrico Town.
During her captivity, Alexander Whitaker converted her to Christianity. Pocahontas took the name "Rebecca" at her baptism. Later, she married English colonist John Rolfe in Jamestown.
In 1664 the Virginia government created Stafford County from Westmoreland County. It was named after Staffordshire, England. Stafford's original size was much larger. As its population grew, new areas were formed from it like Arlington, Fairfax, Prince William, and Alexandria.