Although explorers passed through the Roanoke valley as early as the 1670's; no settlers came to the area until almost 70 years later. Throughout most of the 19th century, the city of Roanoke consisted of the separate towns of Antwerp, Gainesborough, Old Lick and Big Lick . However, in the 1880's the city of Roanoke was formed around the town of Big Lick which was located along the old Atlantic, Mississippi and Ohio railroad later to become the Norfolk and Western. The completion of the Shenandoah Valley Railroad from Hagerstown, MD, to where it met the Norfolk & Western railroad early in the 1880's, started the rapid growth in Roanoke's economy. The Roanoke Civic center is the scene of musical presentations by individual performers and bands. magicians, comics and circus performances such as Cirque du Soleil.