Caroline County, Virginia

Caroline County Education, Geography, and History

Caroline County is a United States county located on the Eastern part of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Northern piece of the country borders on the Rappahannock River, notably at the historic town of Port Royal. The Caroline county seat is Bowling Green.

Caroline County was established in 1728 and was named in honor of Caroline of Ansbach, wife of the then reigning King, George II of Great Britain. It is the birthplace of the renowned racehorse Secretariat, winner of the 1973 Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes; the Triple Crown.

Based on the 2010 census, the county population was 28,545,

Etymology - Origin of Caroline County Name

Caroline is named for Caroline of Ansbach, wife of George II of Great Britain

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts

Caroline County History

Caroline County, Virginia formed from Essex, King and Queen, and King William Counties. Legislative enactment in 1727. Organized in 1728. [Virginia Counties: Those Resulting from Virginia Legislation, by Morgan Poitiaux Robinson, originally published as Bulletin of the Virginia State Library, Volume 9, January, April, July 1916, reprinted 1992 by Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., Baltimore, MD.]

Caroline County was named for Caroline of Anspach, consort of George II. It was formed from Essex, King and Queen and King William Counties in 1728, and additional parts of King and Queen were added in 1742 and 1762. Its area is 549 square miles, and the county seat is Bowling Green. According to the 2000 census, its population is 22,121. Most records prior to 1836 were destroyed during the Civil War. Some deeds and wills are recorded in extant Chancery Papers, and a considerable number of order books and loose papers survive.

Geography: Land and Water

As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 537 square miles (1,390 km²), of which 528 square miles (1,370 km²) is land and 9 square miles (23 km²) (1.7%) is water. Caroline County is 30 miles (48 km) north of the capitol in Richmond and 32 miles (51 km) South of Fredericksburg.

Caroline County is bounded on the north by Stafford and King George counties; on the south by Hanover County; on the east by King William, King and Queen, and Essex counties; and on the west by Spotsylvania County.

The county is also home to a quarry that has proved a rich source of pre-historic whale and shark skeletons. The whole county is located in what was in ancient times an ocean. It is known to palaentologists as the middle Miocene Calvert Formation of Virginia. A whale skeleton discovered there in 1990 was proved to be a new whale species (see Eobalaenoptera harrisoni).

Neighboring Counties

Bordering counties are as follows:

• Caroline County is bounded on the north by Stafford and King George counties; on the south by Hanover County; on the east by King William, King and Queen, and Essex counties; and on the west by Spotsylvania County.

Education

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