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 Community Profile |
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Location: Galax is located in the Blue Ridge mountains of Southwest Virginia on the Carroll-Grayson county line. It is an independent city with a population of 6,670. It occupies a land area of eight square miles (21 square kilometers). Galax is nine miles west of I-77 and it is served by U.S. highways 58/221 and 52 along with Virginia 89. It is 82 miles southwest of Roanoke and 68 miles northwest of Winston-Salem, NC.
Climate: Average Temperature, January, 33 degrees Fahrenheit Average Temperature, July, 70 degrees Fahrenheit Average annual precipitation: 41 inches Average annual snowfall: 23 inches
Elevation: 2,340-2,980 feet
Population: 1970 - 6,278 1980 - 6,524 1990 - 6,670 2003 - 6,655
Labor Analysis: (as of June 1999) Civilian labor Force: 3,581
Unemployment rate: 5.5%
Water Source: Chestnut Creek
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Tax Rates:
- Real property: per $100 of assessed valuaton: $.70
- Machinery and Tools: $1.42 per $100, assess at 50% of original cost of equipment.
- Automobiles and trucks: $1.42 per $100, assessed at 100% of loan value.
- Industrial Telephone: 20% of first $150 of monthly bill Construction Summary: (July 1998 to June 1999) Total value: $18,886,997
History of Galax
This region of Southwest Virginia was settled mainly by folks from the British Isles (Scotland, England, Wales & Ireland) and they brought with them a love for music.
Their fiddles, folk songs, ballads and an individualism that was suited to carrying out a life in these rugged mountains, set the stage for Old Time and Bluegrass music.
In the early 1900's a farming community grew up along the banks of Chestnut Creek. Known by several different names, the village was located on the boundary line of Grayson & Carroll counties.
Later when the railroad came into town, the name became Galax, which revolved around the harvesting and shipping of the glossy Galax leaves that grow in the area and continue to be used in floral arrangements. Furniture and mirror industries were also born about this same time.
Many folklorists believe that the counties surrounding Galax are richer in traditional music than any other in the United States. Annual festivals and weekly gatherings celebrate traditional music. Whether it's at a fiddler's convention, square dance, or at one of the many shows that feature Old Time and Bluegrass music, the tradition continues in Galax, Virginia.
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