7 1 8 , ▁the ▁I ro qu ois ▁Five ▁Nations ▁c eded ▁control ▁of ▁their ▁land ▁east ▁of ▁the ▁Blue ▁R idge ▁Mountains , ▁including ▁Lyn ch burg , ▁to ▁the ▁Col ony ▁of ▁Virginia ; ▁they ▁confirmed ▁this ▁in ▁ 1 7 2 1 . ▁ ▁Found ing ▁and ▁early ▁growth ▁ ▁First ▁settled ▁by ▁Ang lo - Amer icans ▁in ▁ 1 7 5 7 , ▁Lyn ch burg ▁was ▁named ▁for ▁its ▁founder , ▁John ▁Lyn ch . ▁When ▁about ▁ 1 7 ▁years ▁old , ▁he ▁started ▁a ▁fer ry ▁service ▁at ▁a ▁ford ▁across ▁the ▁James ▁River ▁to ▁carry ▁traffic ▁to ▁and ▁from ▁New ▁London , ▁where ▁his ▁parents ▁had ▁settled . ▁The ▁" City ▁of ▁Seven ▁Hills " ▁quickly ▁developed ▁along ▁the ▁hills ▁surrounding ▁Lyn ch ' s ▁Fer ry . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 7 8 6 , ▁Virginia ' s ▁General ▁Assembly ▁recognized ▁Lyn ch burg , ▁the ▁settlement ▁by ▁Lyn ch ' s ▁Fer ry ▁on ▁the ▁James ▁River . ▁The ▁James ▁River ▁Company ▁had ▁been ▁incorpor ated ▁the ▁previous ▁year ▁( and ▁President ▁George ▁Washington ▁was ▁given ▁stock , ▁which ▁he ▁don ated ▁to ▁char ity ) ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁" im pro ve " ▁the ▁river ▁down ▁to ▁Richmond , ▁which ▁was ▁growing ▁and ▁was ▁named ▁as ▁the ▁new ▁Commonwealth ' s ▁capital . ▁Sh allow - d raft ▁James ▁River ▁b ate au ▁provided ▁a ▁relatively ▁easy ▁means ▁of ▁transport ation ▁through ▁Lyn ch burg ▁down ▁to ▁Richmond ▁and ▁eventually