[2] Beginning thousands of years in the past, Native Americans were the first humans to populate the area.

By the late 17th century English explorers and traders had traveled up the James River to this area.

By 1730, many new English colonial families moved into the area currently known as Amherst County, drawn by the desire for land and the good tobacco-growing soil.

At that point, the county seat was moved to the village of Five Oaks, later renamed Amherst.

In the early days, the major crop raised in Amherst County was tobacco.

Apple orchards were part of mixed farming that replaced tobacco, especially in the late 19th century.

The introduction of the railroad in the late 19th century greatly influenced the county's growth.

The county contains many good examples of 18th, 19th and early 20th century rural and small town architecture.

The downtown area of Amherst is a classic example of early 20th century commercial architecture.

[4] Offshoot trails lead to peaks in Amherst, such at Mount Pleasant, Cole Mountain, and Tar Jacket Ridge.