History

The first Europeans to enter what is present-day Lee County were a party of Spanish explorers in 1540, sent by Hernando de Soto, in search of gold.^[3]

The county was formed in 1793 from Russell County. It was named for Light Horse Harry Lee, the Governor of Virginia from 1791 to 1794, who was known as "Light Horse Harry" for his exploits as a leader of light troops in the American Revolutionary War. He was the father of the Confederate General Robert E. Lee.

Among the largest early landowners in the county was Revolutionary War officer and explorer Joseph Martin, for whom Martin's Station and Martin's Creek at Rose Hill are named, and who was awarded some 25,000 acres (100 km²) in the county, which he later sold. Martin was among the earliest explorers of the region.

In 1814, parts of Lee County, Russell County, and Washington County were combined to form Scott County. In 1856, parts of Lee County, Russell County, and Scott County were combined to form Wise County, Virginia.