Here are 100 facts about Pocahontas County, West Virginia, during the 1800s.
Formation and Early Settlement (1800-1830s)
County Formed in 1821 - Pocahontas County was officially created by an act of the Virginia General Assembly from parts of Bath, Pendleton, and Randolph counties.
Named for Pocahontas - The county was named in honor of the famous Powhatan woman for her role in early colonial history.
Huntersville as First County Seat - Chosen in 1822, Huntersville was the county's political and legal center for nearly 70 years due to its central location at the time.
First Court Held at a Home - The county's first court session convened in 1822 at the home of John Bradshaw, a prominent early settler.
Initial Settlers were Scotch-Irish and German - The majority of early families who settled the valleys were of Scotch-Irish or German descent, migrating from eastern Virginia.
Log Cabin Courthouse - The first courthouse, built in Huntersville in 1822, was a simple log structure, reflecting the frontier nature of the area.
Subsistence Farming Dominated - The early economy was almost entirely based on small-scale farming, where families grew what they needed to survive.
Staple Crops - Corn, oats, and especially buckwheat were key crops that grew well in the mountain climate.
Livestock Drives - Cattle and sheep were vital, and farmers would drive their livestock over the mountains to markets in the east, like Staunton.
Grist Mills were Essential - Dozens of water-powered grist mills were built along rivers and creeks to grind grain for local families.
"Travelers' Repose" Inn - This early inn, located near modern-day Bartow, was a crucial stop for travelers and drovers crossing the mountains.
Circuit-Riding Preachers - Methodist and Presbyterian ministers on horseback, known as circuit riders, were the primary religious figures, serving scattered, isolated communities.
Stone Jail Built in 1824 - A more permanent and secure stone jail was constructed in Huntersville to house lawbreakers.
1830 Population was 2,542 - The U.S. Census recorded a small, sparsely distributed population across the county's vast territory.
Ginseng as a Cash Crop - The digging and selling of wild ginseng root, prized in Asia, was one of the few ways for settlers to obtain hard currency.
Barter Economy Prevailed - Due to a scarcity of cash, goods and services were frequently exchanged through bartering.
Wool Production - Sheep thrived on the hillsides, making wool a key product for clothing and trade.
Maple Sugar Industry - Tapping maple trees in the spring to produce sugar and syrup was an important economic and cultural activity.
The Seneca Trail - Early settlers followed this major Native American path, which ran north-to-south through the county, establishing farms and communities along its route.
The Turnpike Era and Antebellum Life (1830s-1850s)
Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike - Authorized in 1823 and built through the county in the 1830s and 1840s, this major road was an engineering marvel that connected the Ohio River Valley with the Shenandoah Valley.
Turnpike's Economic Impact - The "S&P Pike" opened the isolated county to more trade, mail service, and settlement, reducing travel times significantly.
Stagecoach Service - Regular stagecoach lines began operating on the turnpike, bringing travelers and news through the heart of the county.
Toll Houses - Tolls were collected at designated houses along the turnpike to fund its ongoing maintenance.
Clover Lick Inn - Located along the turnpike, the inn at Clover Lick became a well-known and important stop for lodging and changing horses.
Brick Courthouse of 1833 - A more substantial two-story brick courthouse was built in Huntersville to replace the original log structure.
Subscription Schools - Before public education, schools were private ventures where families paid a teacher directly to educate their children for a set term.
Tanbark Harvesting - The bark from the county's vast hemlock and oak forests was peeled and shipped to tanneries in the east to be used for curing leather.
1840 Population Reached 5,561 - The turnpike's influence spurred growth, causing the population to more than double in a decade.
Limited Slave Economy - The mountainous terrain and small farms were not suited to a large-scale plantation economy, so slavery was less prevalent than in eastern Virginia.
1850 Slave Population Peaked - The 1850 U.S. Census Slave Schedule recorded 358 enslaved individuals in the county, the highest number ever recorded.
Slave Occupations - Most enslaved people worked on farms alongside their owners or as domestic servants in homes and inns.
Hunter-Trapper Lifestyle - For many residents, hunting game like deer and bear and trapping animals for fur remained a critical part of the economy.
Local Craftsmen - Blacksmiths, coopers (barrel makers), and saddlers were vital artisans in every small community.
The "Little Levels" - This fertile, rolling limestone valley near Hillsboro was recognized as one of the county's prime agricultural areas.
Medicinal Springs Tourism - Natural springs, like those at Minnehaha Springs, gained a reputation for their supposed healing properties, attracting the county's first tourists.
Militia Musters - Local militia units held required training days that also served as important social and political gatherings for the community.
Political Rallies - Before elections, large outdoor rallies with long speeches were a major form of entertainment and civic engagement.
The Civil War (1861-1865)
Divided Loyalties - The county's population was deeply split, with communities and even families siding with either the Union or the Confederacy.
Strategic Location - Both armies valued the county for the Staunton-Parkersburg Turnpike, a key supply route, and for its agricultural products.
Camp Bartow Established (1861) - The Confederacy established this fortified camp along the Greenbrier River to control the turnpike.
Battle of Greenbrier River (Oct. 3, 1861) - A Union force attacked Camp Bartow but was repulsed by Confederate defenders in this early engagement.
Camp Allegheny Established (1861) - After abandoning Camp Bartow, Confederates established a formidable, high-altitude winter camp atop Allegheny Mountain to guard the turnpike.
Battle of Allegheny Mountain (Dec. 13, 1861) - A surprise Union attack on the Confederate camp resulted in a bloody and inconclusive battle fought in a blizzard.
Robert E. Lee's Command - In the fall of 1861, General Robert E. Lee commanded Confederate forces in the region, establishing his headquarters for a time at Valley Mountain.
Guerrilla Warfare - The county was plagued by "bushwhackers" (pro-Confederate guerillas) and "home guards," leading to brutal partisan conflict.
Inclusion in West Virginia (1863) - Pocahontas County was one of the 50 counties included in the new Union state of West Virginia.
Battle of Droop Mountain (Nov. 6, 1863) - This was the largest and most significant Civil War battle fought in Pocahontas County.
Decisive Union Victory - The Union victory at Droop Mountain, led by General William W. Averell, shattered Confederate power in the region for the remainder of the war.
War's Devastation - By 1865, the county's economy was in ruins, farms were destroyed by raiding armies, and the population had declined.
Reconstruction and the Timber Boom (1866-1899)
Post-War Reconciliation - The late 1860s and 1870s were a difficult period of rebuilding property and mending the social fabric of divided communities.
Public School System - Following West Virginia's statehood, a system of free public schools was slowly established across the county.
1870 Population Drop - The census recorded a population of just 4,069, a significant decrease from 1860 due to war casualties, migration, and boundary changes.
"The Pocahontas Times" Founded (1883) - Reverend William T. Price started the county's enduring newspaper in Huntersville, promoting the area and reporting local news.
Vast Virgin Forests - In the 1880s, the county was recognized as holding one of the last great old-growth red spruce and hardwood forests in the eastern United States.
The Timber Boom Begins - The last two decades of the century saw the arrival of large, well-funded corporations that began buying massive tracts of timberland.
Pre-Railroad Logging - Early timbering was small-scale, using horses and river currents to float logs downstream to mills.
Chesapeake & Ohio Railway Arrives - In 1899, the C&O Railroad's Greenbrier Division began laying tracks into the county, an event that would change it forever.
Land Speculation - The prospect of the railroad triggered a frenzy of land buying, with outside speculators often purchasing land cheaply from locals.
County Seat Moved to Marlinton (1891) - After a contentious county-wide vote, the county seat was moved from the declining Huntersville to the growing town of Marlinton.
Marlinton's Growth - Originally called "Marlin's Bottom," the town boomed in the 1890s due to its location on the Greenbrier River and the anticipated railroad.
First Marlinton Courthouse (1892) - A new courthouse was constructed in the new county seat.
Massive Tannery Built - In the 1890s, a huge leather tannery was built in Marlinton, becoming the county's first large-scale industrial employer.
Bank of Marlinton Established - The county's first successful bank was founded in the 1890s to finance the burgeoning timber and commercial economy.
Marlinton Fire of 1897 - A catastrophic fire destroyed much of the young town's business district, which was quickly rebuilt.
West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company - Near the end of the century, this company (later Westvaco) became the dominant landowner, setting the stage for the massive logging operations of the 1900s.
Narrow-Gauge Railroads - Logging companies began building their own narrow-gauge rail lines deep into the mountains to haul logs.
Shay Locomotives Introduced - The powerful, geared Shay steam locomotive was introduced for logging, as it was perfectly designed for the steep grades and sharp curves of the mountain terrain.
Pearl S. Buck's Family - The family of Nobel Prize-winning author Pearl S. Buck hailed from the Little Levels, and her father, Absalom Sydenstricker, grew up there.
1890 Population Surge - The census showed the population had grown to 6,814, a clear indicator of the beginning of the industrial boom.
The End of Isolation - The arrival of the C&O Railroad at the close of 1899 signaled the definitive end of Pocahontas County's long era of frontier isolation.
Society, Culture, and Daily Life
Log Cabins - For most of the 1800s, the log cabin was the standard form of housing for families.
Self-Sufficient Households - Families typically made their own clothing, preserved their own food, and built their own furniture out of necessity.
Blacksmiths as Community Hubs - The local blacksmith was a vital craftsman, making tools, repairing wagons, and shoeing horses.
Traditional Mountain Music - The isolated hollows helped preserve the traditional fiddle tunes, ballads, and folk songs of the early settlers.
The Flood of 1888 - A massive flood on the Greenbrier River caused widespread destruction to farms and property in the valley.
Andrew Price, Historian - In the late 1800s, local lawyer and newspaper editor Andrew Price began documenting the county's history and folklore.
Cranberry Glades Known to Locals - The unique arctic bog was known to hunters and locals but remained a remote, scientifically unexplored wilderness.
Watoga Wilderness - The land that would eventually become Watoga State Park was a rugged and sparsely populated forest throughout the 19th century.
Post Office Network - The establishment of small post offices, often in a general store or a private home, was the primary link between communities and the outside world.
Jesse James Legend - Local folklore includes persistent tales that the outlaws Frank and Jesse James used the county's remote caves and mountains as a hideout.
Bear and Panther Bounties - For much of the century, the county court offered bounties for killing bears and panthers to protect livestock.
Ice Harvesting - In winter, ice was cut from frozen ponds and rivers and stored in insulated ice houses for use in the summer.
Moonshining - The production of illicit corn whiskey was a common, if illegal, way for farmers to convert their grain into a more valuable and transportable product.
Limited Ethnic Diversity - The county's population remained overwhelmingly white, of British and German ancestry, throughout the century.
"Granny Women" - Local women skilled in herbal remedies and midwifery served as the primary healthcare providers for many communities.
Corn Huskings and Barn Raisings - These communal work events were essential parts of the social fabric, combining labor with celebration.
The "Pocahontas Tanning Company" - This was the official name of the massive tannery in Marlinton that transformed the town's economy.
Church as Social Center - Beyond worship, churches were the main centers for community gatherings, socials, and meetings.
Marlinton's Official Incorporation - While the growth happened in the 1890s, the legal process to incorporate the Town of Marlinton was completed right at the turn of the century in 1900.
Company Towns Emerge - By the late 1890s, the first logging company towns were being planned and built, where the company owned all the houses, stores, and services.
Switch from Barter to Cash - The arrival of the timber industry injected large amounts of cash into the local economy, gradually replacing the old barter system.
Early Photography - By the late 1800s, itinerant photographers began to document the people and landscapes of the county, leaving a valuable historical record.
First Telegraph Lines - The arrival of the railroad was accompanied by telegraph lines, allowing for nearly instantaneous communication with the outside world for the first time.
The "Marlinton Planing Mill" - Established in the 1890s, this was one of the first large mills designed to produce finished lumber for construction.
Transition from Iron to Steel Plows - Over the century, farmers gradually adopted more efficient steel plows, replacing heavier and less effective cast-iron and wooden plows.
"Old Field" Pine - As original forests were cleared for pasture and then abandoned, Virginia Pine was often the first tree to grow back, creating "old field" ecosystems.
The Last Elk - The native Eastern Elk, once common, was hunted to extinction in the county by the mid-1800s.
Passenger Pigeons - Huge flocks of passenger pigeons, now extinct, were a common sight and food source until their numbers began to decline sharply late in the century.
Beard's Opera House - Built in Marlinton in the 1890s, it was the county's first major venue for traveling shows, concerts, and public events.
A Foundation for the 20th Century - By the end of 1899, the county's economic engine had decisively shifted from agriculture to industrial timbering, setting the stage for the dramatic boom and bust of the coming century.
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