General Arlington History

Arlington County, Virginia originated from neighboring City of Alexandria, Virginia. It all started in 1669 with John Alexander, a surveyor, justice of the peace, sheriff, and captain of the Stafford County militia in Stafford County, Virginia. His greatest accomplishment in his life was the purchase of the Howson Patent. The land purchased in the Howson Patent was bought from the English captain Robert Howson on October 21, 1669. The land, consisting of over 6,000 acres, extended along the Potomac River from Hunting Creek to Little Falls. The area was originally a part of Stafford County before becoming a part of Prince William County in 1731. The land later became a part of Fairfax County in 1741.

John Alexander distributed some of the 6,000 acres of land to many of his children and grandchildren, including over 60 acres given to his grandsons Robert and Philip Alexander. Robert and Philip Alexander rented out their land to tenant farmers. Members of the Ohio Company, which was a company established within the Ohio Country (which, for the most part, makes up the current state of Ohio), and other Virginian entrepreneurs wanted a town along the Potomac River that would encourage Western development in the British colonies in America and that would also serve as a mercantile center for Northern Virginia. The likes of Lawrence Washington, Nathaniel Chapman, John Carlyle, Hugh West, Augustine Washington, George William Fairfax, and others were able to create a town called Alexandria in July 1749 which was named after the owners of the land, Philip and Robert Alexander. During this time, John Alexander's great grandson, Gerard Alexander, was the first member of the Alexander family to actually settle on the land bought in the Howson Patent. In 1722, Gerard Alexander built a mansion overlooking the Potomac River, a house he called Abingdon, establishing himself as one of the first permanent residents of Alexandria.

With the creation of the District of Columbia in 1791 came the split of the town of Alexandria. A portion of Alexandria was separated from the town to form Alexandria County. Alexandria County, coming from Virginia, and Washington County, coming from Maryland, joined together to form the District of Columbia. However, because of economic decline, abolition disagreements among DC residents, and issues with congressional representation, Alexandria County was returned back to the Commonwealth of Virginia in 1847. In 1920, to avoid confusion with the City of Alexandria (formerly known as the town of Alexandria), Alexandria County was renamed Arlington County after Henry Bennet, Earl of Arlington, who was one of many prominent Englishmen given land grants from King Charles II in 1673 while colonizing the British colonies in America.

Sources:

http://www.johnalexandernsdar.org/bio.html

http://www.helloarlington.com/history.cfm

"Arlington County, Virginia": Columbia Encyclopedia

"Gale US History in Context" by Patricia D. Netzley