Roanoke, the historic crossroads of western Virginia, was first established in 1825 as Big Lick, named for a nearby marsh where animals found abundant salt licks. In the early 1880s, the little town became a railroad hub and the headquarters for the Norfolk & Western Railroad. Almost overnight, the community's population soared to 25,000 and Big Lick was renamed Roanoke. Today, the city is the largest in western Virginia and has a metropolitan population in excess of 225,000.