Pocahontas County and Chief Cornstalk

 

The territory now in Pocahontas County was never occupied permanently by any particular tribe of Indians, but the Ottawas and Shawnee tribes frequented the territory. This was due to the county's location at the intersection of several important trade routes. The Ottawas and Shawnee were both Algonquian-speaking tribes who were known for their hunting and trading skills. They traveled extensively throughout the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes region, and Pocahontas County was a popular place for them to stop and rest or trade.

Pontiac and Cornstalk were two of the most famous leaders of the Ottawas and Shawnee tribes, respectively. Pontiac was a war chief who led a coalition of Native American tribes in a rebellion against British rule in the 1760s. Cornstalk was a Shawnee war chief who led his people in resistance to American settlement in the Ohio Valley.

Both Pontiac and Cornstalk visited Pocahontas County on several occasions. Pontiac was known to have hunted in the county's forests, and Cornstalk is said to have camped along the Greenbrier River.

The Ottawas and Shawnee tribes played an important role in the history of Pocahontas County. Although they never permanently occupied the county, they frequented the territory and left their mark on the land and its culture.