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

1860 Census and Summaries

High Lincoln Precincts in the 1860 Presidential Election


Lincoln won areas of the county both above and below the county averages for wealth and farm values. His greatest support came from areas with strong concentration in wheat production.

Lincoln Vote Mean Household Wealth (in dollars) Median Household Wealth (in dollars) Mean Farm Value (in dollars) Median Farm Value (in dollars) Corn as a percent of Total Grain Wheat as a percent of Total Grain
County Average 56.4 5,892 2,200 7,314 6,000 34% 37%
Chamerbsburg, South Ward 71 3,974 1,000 11,501 6,500 30% 40%
Peters $77 $11,122 $9,200 9,107 8,000 23% 40%
Metal $68 $4,492 $2,560 4,140 4,000 40% 29%

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.

Note: Original precinct boundaries are not available. Precinct boundaries were established in the GIS using Thiessen polygons around precinct stations as central places.