Caesar Mountain is a summit in Pocahontas County, West Virginia, in the United States. With an elevation of 3,323 feet (1,013 m), Caesar Mountain is the 232nd highest summit in the state of West Virginia. According to tradition, the summit was named after Caesar, the slave of an early settler.
According to local historian and author Suzanne Stewart, Caesar was a slave owned by Englishman George Massingbird, who settled in the area in the late 18th century. In 1796, Massingbird legally freed Caesar and his family. However, 23 years later, Massingbird claimed that the Freeman family had never been manumitted.
The Freeman family's situation alarmed members of the white community, who assisted them in taking their case to court. In 1819, the Freemans won their case, and they were awarded several hundred acres of land in the region where they had once been held in bondage. This is a rare glimpse into Virginia's backcountry between the American Revolution and the Civil War, and it is a story about a former slave, Caesar, who by 1820 lived near a mountain that would soon bear his name.
Caesar Mountain was initially a black community, but it eventually welcomed other families. Descendants of those families still remain today. In the early 20th century, Caesar Mountain was a thriving community with a school, a church, and a store. However, the population began to decline in the mid-20th century, and today Caesar Mountain is a small community with just a few hundred people.
Despite its small size, Caesar Mountain has a rich history. The community is a reminder of the struggles and triumphs of African Americans in West Virginia. It is also a beautiful place to live, with stunning views of the surrounding mountains and valleys.
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