Racoon Valley was named for Captain John (Racoon) Miller, whose blockhouse stood near this site. Born in 1747 in Newberry County, South Carolina, Miller served in the Washington County, Virginia, militia in 1776 before migrating to this area in 1777. He married Eva Whitener in 1776 and died on August 25, 1832. He is buried in Ousley Cemetery, Union County.