Occoquan

Occoquan may refer to:

Occoquan, Virginia

Occoquan is a town in Prince William County, Virginia. The population was 759 at the 2000 United States Census, but as of the census of 2010, there were 934 people residing in the town of Occoquan. The town is a suburb of Washington, D.C. and is adjacent to Woodbridge. The current mayor is Liz Quist.

History

Occoquan is derived from an Algonquian Doeg Indian word, meaning "at the end of the water". Located on the Occoquan River, Occoquan was long a site of indigenous peoples' habitation. Like the British colonists after them, they relied on the river for transportation and trade, as well as fish.

By 1765, Anglo-American colonists had established an industrial settlement at Occoquan, with grist mills and tobacco warehouses. The Merchant's Mill was the first automated grist mill in the nation. It operated for 175 years until destroyed by fire.

During the Civil War, the post office passed letters and packages between North and South. River silting reduced ship traffic to Occoquan and ended its days as a port, as did the shift in traffic to railroads.