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.