Career
Born in 1703 in Schriesheim, Germany, Miller immigrated to America as a young married man, settling in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania in 1724. On a trip through eastern Virginia, Miller heard reports about a lush Valley to the west which had been discovered by Governor Alexander Spotswood"s legendary Knights of the Golden Horseshoe Expedition. The year of Miller"s 1727 arrival in the Valley is confirmed in a 1742 naturalization proclamation by Virginia Governor William Gooch, which states, "And Adam Miller.. having Settled and Inhabited for fifteen years past on Shenandoa in this colony".
Miller"s birthplace is also cited in the proclamation, which notes that he was "born at Shesoin in Germany", but the correct spelling of "Schriesheim" is cited on the reverse side of the original document, written out and signed by Adam Miller.
In 1741, Miller purchased 820 acres (33 km2), including a large lithia spring, near Elkton, Virginia, and lived on this property for the remainder of his life. In 1758, Miller fought in the French and Indian War, serving in the Company of Lieutenant
Christian Bingaman. He died in 1783, with his estate settled in Rockingham County, Virginia.
