Bumpass, VA

Bumpass is a small town located in Giles County, Virginia. The population of Bumpass was just over 100 as of the 2010 census. The town is located on U.S. Route 19, approximately 10 miles south of Abingdon and 25 miles north of Bristol.

The history of Bumpass can be traced back to the early 1800s when settlers began to arrive in the area. The town was originally known as "Bumps". In 1851, the town was renamed " Bumpass" after a local farmer named John Bumpass. By 1880, the population had grown to around 200 people and there were several businesses operating in Bumpass including a general store, blacksmith shop, and post office.

During the early 1900s, Bumpass experienced a period of growth due to its location on U.S. Route 19 which served as a major transportation route between Abingdon and Bristol. This growth led to the construction of several businesses including a hotel, cotton gin, and two churches - one Methodist and one Baptist). By 1930, the population had reached 400 people and there were six businesses operating in Bumpass including a grocery store, hardware store, lumberyard, bank branch (which also served as the town's post office), barbershop/beauty shop combo (which also served as an ice cream parlor), and two gas stations (one operated by Standard Oil Company (now ExxonMobil) and one operated by Carter-Wallace Oil Company).

During World War II , Bumpass experienced another period of growth due to its military presence . Between 1940-1945 , there were three military bases located in or near Bumpass - Camp Peary (now Fort Bragg), Camp David (now Fort Myer), and Camp Kilmer (now Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst). As a result of this military activity , many new businesses opened up in Bumpass including a hospital (which later became part of Virginia Commonwealth University ), an officers' club (), an enlisted men's club (), two restaurants (), two bars (), three movie theaters (), four grocery stores (), four drugstores (), three banks (), three tire stores (), two garages (), two beauty salons () six schools () five churches () eleven business establishments ().

By 1970 , however , economic conditions had changed dramatically for most businesses in Bumpsas . Many closed down due to competition from larger towns or because they could not keep up with changes in technology . This led to decreased population numbers for both residential and commercial areas within the town . In 1990 , however , some revitalization took place when several new businesses opened up including an auto body shop,,a pizza restaurant,,a convenience store,,and an insurance agency (). However , by 2000 most businesses had closed down again leaving only one business operating -a convenience store (). Since then there has been minimal change within the community with only minor updates made to some buildings such as replacing windows or roofs . Today , although it is still small compared to other towns nearby it has managed maintain its character thanks largely to its strong historical ties with both military personnel stationed at nearby camps during World War II amd local farmers who raised livestock on local farms until recently when those operations too have diminished .