In 1671 Abraham Wood commissioned the first English expedition to cross the Eastern Continental Divide. The members of that expedition included Thomas Wood, Thomas Batts (Batte) and Robert Fallamto. The expedition is now known as the Batts and Fallam Expedition. The exploration party reached what is now the New River Valley and the New River. The site of discovery of the northerly-running river is believed to be where the Little River enters the New River just north of what is now the Claytor Lake Dam. This is about 10 miles from the center of Christiansburg.
Along the river, there were several Native American encampments, and conflicts were common between those tribes and the early settlers. As settlers began moving into present-day Christiansburg, they discovered that area was also inhabited by the Shawnee and other Native American tribes, who had discovered the river some years prior.
In the late 1600s, Dutch priest Friar Hans arrived in the region; it was named Hans Meadow after him in the early 1700s.
In the 18th century, the region was settled by pioneers from Pennsylvania and eastern Virginia. In 1776, Montgomery County was formed from part of Fincastle County. The City of Radford, as well as parts of Floyd, Giles and Pulaski counties, were all subsequently formed from Montgomery County land.