Valley of the Shadow
The Eve of War
Fall 1859–Spring 1861

1860 Census and Summaries

Land Values in the Counties


Franklin farms were more intensely cultivated, and held a much higher average value per acre of improved and unimproved land across all soil types. In Augusta the larger the farm size the lower the average value by acre.

Average Farm Values in Acre (by dollars)

Augusta Franklin
Mean Median Mean Median
County Average 32.7 30 54.3 50
nonslaveholders 31.1 25.4
Slaveholders 35.1 33.1
Best Soil 34.1 30 66.8 66.5
Medium Soil 32 31.8 45.1 40
Worst Soil 18.4 15 19.7 12.4
Lowest Farm Value Quintile 21.4 15 40 20
Low-Medium Farm Value Quintile 22.1 21.5 48.2 32.9
Medium Farm Value Quintile 42.7 31.5 50.7 46.1
Medium-High Farm Value Quintile 34.5 34.3 58.7 60
High Farm Value Quintile 41.9 40 71.9 70
Smallest Farm Size Quintile 46.9 30.8 71.7 67.1
Small-Medium Farm Size Quintile 30.4 30 50.4 48
Medium Farm Size Quintile 30.8 30 32.6 30.2
Medium-Large Farm Size Quintile 29 30.2 26.4 21.9
Largest Farm Size Quintile 21.8 14 10.3 10.3

The data are based on the GIS of Augusta and Franklin households—maps are derived from a D.H. Davison map of Franklin County, published in 1858, and Jedediah Hotchkiss map of Augusta County, published in 1870 and based on surveys completed “during the war.” The maps have been georeferenced at the Virginia Center for Digital History, using ESRI Arc Info to produce a Geographic Information Systems map and database of households based on U.S. census data from the population, agricultural, and slaveowners schedules.