Roanoke County, an area of 305 square miles, was formed in 1838 from Botetourt and Montgomery and was probably named for the Roanoke River. General Andrew Lewis lived there, and the city of Roanoke is known as the Magic City of the South. Botetourt County, an area of 548 square miles, was formed in 1769 from Augusta and was named for Lord Botetourt, governor of Virginia from 1768 to 1770. Buchanan was the western terminus of the noted James River and Kanawha Canal.