Campbell County
Campbell County: Governing with Vision
The area we now know as Central Virginia began with the Hat Creek settlement (present day Campbell County), which was established in the last 1720's. When the Lynch family members created their James River ferry service a quarter-century later, most of the customers were Campbell County farmers hauling hogsheads of tobacco for shipment to Richmond.
As recently as the 1980's, tobacco was still prevalent in the southern parts of the county. Today, tobacco settlement money is helping to transform the same area.
No other county has as many "focal points." Rustburg is the county seat. There are industrial clusters in and near the thriving towns of Altavista and Brookneal. The Mt. Athos and Timberlake areas are also centers of commerce. While residential neighborhoods can be found throughout the county, the northern sections are more densely populated.
Economic Development director Mike Davidson has made it a point to see that no part of the county is left behind, focusing particular effort on Brookneal, where much of the county's tobacco settlement money has been injected. Supporting the growth of existing businesses and industries is a priority in Campbell County.
Altavista suffered a blow several years ago when the Lane Company, famous for its cedar chests, shut down. But joint efforts between the town and county attracted two new companies, spurred the expansion of several existing businesses and prompted a developer to start the construction of large retail center off US 29 just outside Altavista.
The village of Rustburg how has a shopping center of its own, complete with a chain grocery store. A new county courthouse was built in the 1990's, making it the centerpiece of a governmental complex that includes the sheriff's offices, jail, social services, and county library.
Campbell County is completing the development of the Seneca Commerce Park located on US 29, a mile and a half south of the Rt 24 intersection. This new business park should come in line in 2006.
The county has four high schools, which serve as the top layer of a strong educational system. Vocational training is available at the Campbell County Technical Center at Yellow Branch. Central Virginia Community College maintains satellite centers in both Altavista and Brookneal.
Campbell County includes a unique mix of industrial hubs, centers of commerce, residential communities, and sprawling farmland. This unique mixture attracts residents from all walks fo life, including engineers, college professors, and retired tobacco farmers.
