Set amidst lush, rolling hills, Louisa County was once home to religious dissenters, emancipationists and some ofVirginia's first families. Its epicenter was Louisa Courthouse, where all the county's residents managed their business affairs. From Patrick Henry's seminal speech forLouisa against tyranny, to a county chief justice too fat to ride horseback, Louisa has a rich and fascinating heritage.Historian and longtime Louisa County resident Pattie G.P. Cooke chronicles the county's coming of age as part of the new United States of America, retaining its small, tightly knit communities while embracing inevitable progress.