The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors met for the first time 137 years ago, on Tuesday, August 16, 1870. The Board met at the old Loudoun County Courthouse.

From its inception until the Civil War, Loudoun had been governed by a board of "gentlemen justices." After the War, the county government was reorganized, and Loudoun's first five-member Board of Supervisors was elected in 1870.

Supervisors Josephus Carr, John S. Baker, William McCray and Philip W. Carper were present at the first meeting. The fifth supervisor, Harrison Osburn, was not in attendance. In its first action, the Board unanimously elected Josephus Carr to serve as its chairman.

Minutes of the first meeting state that the Board "examined sundry accounts presented to them, and having partially discharged that duty, adjourned until Friday, August 26."

Supervisor Harrison Osburn attended the August 26 meeting along with the other four supervisors. Minutes of that meeting mention two votes that were taken by the Board.

The account of R. C. Bowman amounting to $12 "for work claimed to have been done in 1856 and 1858 on the county roads" was presented to the Board, which voted unanimously to disallow the payment.

And on a 3-2 vote, the Board ordered that the sum of $4,000 be levied for working on the public roads for the remainder of the year, to be apportioned by district. This is one of a series of weekly releases from the Loudoun County Office of Public Information highlighting landmark events in the Loudoun County government during its 250-year history.

Sources: Loudoun County Board of Supervisors Meeting Minutes