A knowledge of the characteristics of a town situation should make some contribution to the understanding of small town life. A survey of a particular town should unfold somewhat the way towns function, the way social controls operate, and especially the saga of social change. The purpose of this study is to present a systematic account of the life of one of the oldest Virginia towns west of the Blue Ridge Mountains; a town established on the frontier by people who had a purpose for coming into the wilderness. Evidence will be presented to show how environment has influenced the growth and behavior of the population. The town's establishment, development, and decline will be traced along with stories of men and women whose records shine brightly in Fincastle's long history from 1772 to 1942... / Master of Science