The first newspaper was the Pocahontas Times, founded in 1882.

 

Pocahontas County's identity has been shaped by various historical events, including its formation, boundary disputes, settlement patterns, economic activities, and involvement in larger conflicts.

Formation and Boundaries

• Pocahontas County was created in 1821 from parts of Bath, Pendleton, and Randolph counties. It was originally thought to encompass 820 square miles.
• The county's eastern border is formed by the Allegheny Mountains, which also serve as the line between West Virginia and Virginia. The rest of its boundaries are irregular.
• Boundary disputes and surveying issues led to changes in the county's borders, particularly with Randolph and Pendleton counties. A corridor was created that cut off a part of Pendleton and added it to Randolph.
• The last commission to fix the boundary between Pocahontas and Randolph made it so as to include the watershed of Greenbrier River in Pocahontas County.
• Pocahontas gained a vast area of timberland due to the boundary adjustments.

Settlement and Early Development

• The area was inhabited by Native Americans prior to European settlement. The Seneca tribe had a trail through the area.
• Early settlers were primarily of Scotch-Irish and German descent.
• The first court was held in Huntersville in 1822. Huntersville was designated as the county seat.
• Early settlers faced challenges, including conflicts with Native Americans.
• The county's population grew steadily, from 2,542 in 1830 to 8,572 in 1900.

Economic Activities

• Early industries included agriculture, timber, and iron ore.
• The Greenbrier River was used for timber transportation.
• The county is known for its marble deposits, which were discovered in the 1890s.
• The completion of the railroad in the early 1900s marked a new era of prosperity for the county.
• The county has abundant resources including chert, gravel, and limestone, which are used in the construction of roads.
• The county has a large supply of timber that was historically harvested and transported via the Greenbrier River.

Conflicts and Political Events

• The county was part of Virginia until the formation of West Virginia during the Civil War.
• During the Civil War, Pocahontas County was in social and political alignment with the Valley of Virginia. However, the county was included in the new state of West Virginia.
• A majority of the people in the county were not represented in the Wheeling Conventions and remained loyal to the Richmond government.
• The county seat of Highland was named Monterey to commemorate a victory in the Mexican War.

Other Factors

• The county has a diverse topography, including mountains, valleys, and rivers. It is also considered a "birth place of rivers", as many of the major streams in the region originate within the county.
• The climate is characterized by cool summers and severe winters.
• The establishment of the disputed line by commissioners added to the valuation of the Greenbank District.
• The area has many springs, including a few that were the site of important historical events.
• The first newspaper was the Pocahontas Times, founded in 1882.
• The county is the location of the highest average elevation of any county in the state of West Virginia.

These factors have combined to create the unique identity of Pocahontas County, shaped by its natural environment, historical events, and the people who have lived there.