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IINTRODUCTIONNTRODUCTION OFOF HIGHLANDHIGHLAND HISTORYHISTORY “The mountains are calling and I must go.” - John Muir The land that makes up the of West encompassing the and the Monongahela National Forest is all about extensive mountain views, raging water falls, winding, scenic roads and the wonders they bring. Charming mountain towns offer art galleries, historic museums, music, good food and lodging. The mountains and waters were vital for those first settlers as they made their homes and forged out a living. Today, they provide a great escape from a busy world. Many locals and tourists reap the joy and sustenance provided by the and mountains as they revel in the abundant beauty of this part of . The Potomac Highlands - bordering and Virginia - is a unique region with a distinct personality formed by a mixture of exuberance and practicality. First settled by Native Americans, it was primarily used as hunting grounds with some areas used for agricultural purposes. Later, it was inherited by the Tuscarora who migrated northward to and in 1712 became the sixth nation to formally be admitted to the Confederacy. Following the , King George III feared more tension between Native Americans and settlers and issued the Proclamation of 1763 which prohibited settlement west of the Allegheny Mountains. Much of the Potomac Highlands is used for hunting and farming today.

There were originally five counties of the Potomac Highlands: Grant, Hampshire, Hardy, Mineral, and Pendleton. These counties are in the upper Potomac watershed and the mountainous uplands of the Eastern Panhandle and drained by the Potomac headwaters. Because of geographical proximity, topography, landscapes, culture

1 kluhiluilnnnand history, , Randolph, and Tucker counties are also part of the Potomac Highlands. The western edges of Grant and Mineral counties lie west of the and are a part of the Allegheny Mountains. All the otherterritory is east of the Allegheny Front and a part of the Ridge and system. This Potomac Highlands region of 2,722 square miles has many of the state’s most spectacular features. See Appendix A1: Places to Visit, pg A1

WWESTEST VIRGINIAVIRGINIA COUNTIESCOUNTIES OFOF THETHE POTOMACPOTOMAC HIGHLANDSHIGHLANDS 2 Named For Founded County Seat Grant Ulysses Simpson February 14, 1866 Petersburg Grant Hampshire Hampshire County, December 13, 1753 Romney England Hardy Samuel Hardy December 10, 1785 Moorefield Mineral Minerals located in the February 1, 1866Keyser county Pendleton Edmund Pendleton December 4, 1787 Franklin Pocahontas Pocahontas of the 1821 Marlinton Native American people Randolph Edmund Jennings 1787 Elkins Randolph Tucker Henry St. George 1856 Parsons Tucker, Sr.

The eight county region in the Potomac Highlands Virginia has a population of approximately 117,000 with Hampshire County the oldest. The Highland people today are mostly rural nonfarm residents, with Elkins in Randolph County and Keyser in Mineral County the largest urban places in the region. (especially poultry and livestock), tourism, forestry products, and manufacturing are the primary economic pursuits in the Potomac Highlands. In the late nineteenth century, this highland region was the scene of timbering, farming and industries and immigrants from at least 18 different countries settled in this part of the state to obtain work. With these immigrants came a culture and lifestyle that still carries on today (see Section 2, Ethnic Groups of the Highlands). Some groups made a stronger impact than others depending on the industry and the number of people involved. Lumber camps was an industry responsible for creating diverse communities in the early history of this region, with many Polish working in the camps.

2 Image Credit: Chance Hanna, https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/29236bd81edc42378eedf92e3286979c TTHEHE HIGHLANDHIGHLAND COUNTIESCOUNTIES (IN(IN ALPHABETICALALPHABETICAL ORDER)ORDER)

GRANT COUNTY Grant County, created from the western part of Hardy County in 1866, was named for Civil War General and the 18th president of the , Ulysses S. Grant. However, the history of the region dates back farther than that. Prior to becoming an official county, the area drew settlers because of its fertile land along the ’s south branch. The many streams that spread from the River made an excellent area for farming. Surrounding these valley regions were virgin forests, which soon Image Credit: transformed into a logging industry. https://www.familysearch.org/ Petersburg, the county seat, was first settled by German immigrants around 1745, making it one of the first settlements in the South Branch Valley, at a time when most

3 of what is now West Virginia was still a virgin wilderness. The city was named for Jacob Peterson, who owned and operated the first general merchandising store in the community. As word of the resources in the area spread, so did the population. Petersburg, WV The peril of Indian raids was severe Imgae Credit: is http://www.historicpublishing.org enough that and others planned a string of forts along the fringes of the settlements to which settlers could retreat for protection. Forts George and Mulligan were erected near Petersburg, Fort Peterson was built near North Mill Creek, and Fort Shobe was located near the junction of North and South Mill Creek. Union Colonel James A. Mulligan, from Illinois, along with his 23rd Illinois troops and more from Ohio, and western Virginia, built in 1863 Fort Mulligan which overlooks Petersburg. The fort is still regarded as one of the best preserved fortifications in West Virginia. The logging industry continued to push the economy of Grant County through the 1900s. While the economy has diversified, today the area is known for its abundant natural resources.

HAMPSHIRE COUTNY Hampshire County is steeped in English history. When Lord Fairfax, who owned a Royal Grant to the area, came upon some very large hogs and inquired where they had been raised, he was told they were from the South Branch of the Potomac Valley (now Hampshire County). He was so impressed with these hogs that he said that when a county was formed west of Frederick, he would name it after Hampshire County, England, famous for its Image Credit: very fat hogs. https://www.familysearch.org/ During the 1700s, Lord Fairfax sent a surveying party, including 16 year old George Washington, to survey his lands along the Potomac and South Branch rivers. Washington spent three summers and falls surveying Lord Fairfax’s estate, including present day Hampshire County. George W. Washington, a descendent of a brother of President George Washington, built a 19th-century Greek Revival plantation house, George W. Washington’s house “Ridgedale” Ridgedale, outside of Romney overlooking the Image credit: http://www.historichampshire.org South Branch River.

4 In 1762, Lord Fairfax had a survey to lay out Pearsell’s Flats into 100 half-acre lots. He renamed the town Romney in honor of a port city on the English Channel. The Virginia General Assembly recognized the town’s formation on December 23, 1762. As settlers continued to enter the county, Virginia decided to build a state road from Winchester to Romney along present day Route 50. This road was a boon to economic development as stage lines began operations, providing settlers more access to eastern markets. By 1786, a state road had been completed from Winchester to Romney. The was constructed in the mid-1830s, connecting Winchester to Clarksburg via Romney, and eventually on to Parkersburg on the . As the frontier of the new nation moved westward, more roads were required to serve the expanding nation. The opening of the Northwestern Turnpike, a connecting Winchester, Romney and Moorefield to further west was a major event in Hampshire County. By 1845, daily stage and mail service was established between Winchester and Parkersburg. Romney was a popular rest stop along the Turnpike, and a number of inns and taverns were built to accommodate travelers passing through the area. Romney changed hands at least 56 times during the war, placing second behind Winchester in changing hands the most during the Civil War. On June 11, 1861, Romney changed hands twice the same day. Some historians speculate that Romney actually changed hands more times than Winchester. In the late 1860s, Professor Howard H. Johnson of Franklin, Virginia (now Pendleton County, West Virginia), a blind teacher, was instrumental in bringing a school for the deaf and blind to Romney. In 1870, the West Virginia State Legislature appropriated $8,000 for the creation of the school. Many towns lobbied for the school’s location, but Romney was chosen when it offered the buildings and grounds of the Romney Literary Society. The school opened on September 29, 1870. Shepherdstown (then known as Mecklenburg) and Romney were chartered by the Virginia General Assembly on December 23, 1762. Romney claims it is older because its incorporation was listed before Shepherdstown in the Virginia Statutes at Large and its earliest settlers arrived in 1725 while Shepherdstown’s earliest settlers did not arrive until 1727.

HARDY COUNTY Hardy County was formed from the southern portion of Hampshire County, Virginia in 1786. It was named after Samuel Hardy, who had served as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates, as the Lieutenant Governor in 1782, and as a delegate to the . There are two incorporated towns Imgage Credit: westvirginiahometownlocator.com

5 in the county, Moorefield and Wardensville. Moorefield, in the South Branch Valley, was formed in 1777 and named for Conrad Moore. It is the county seat. Among the earliest known inhabitants were , who cleared land north of Moorefield in the “Indian Old Fields”, now referred to as “Old Fields”. Europeans, predominantly Scotch- Irish, German, English and Dutch arrived, cleared more land, and built impressive antebellum homes on the , land claimed by Lord Fairfax and the Governor of Virginia. Meeting House, located in Old Fields, is the oldest church in West Virginia and because it served, too, as a school it is believed to be the oldest extant school Fort Pleasant Meeting House Image credit: enwikipedia.org/wiki/fort.pleasant house in the state. Picture to the left is a historic VanMeter home, Fort Pleasant. Farming was the biggest industry and the county had the largest cattle operation in Virginia. Farmers grew rye, wheat, and corn. During the French and Indian War, Henry VanMeter conducted cattle drives, sending cattle to feed Washington’s troops. Farmers supplied the army with pork. The county saw bloodshed over the years. There were battles between the native inhabitants and the settlers, between the Tories and Patriots of the Revolution, and between Northern and Southern sympathizers during the Civil War. Hardy County served as an important source of livestock and grain for the armies during these conflicts. The county was deeply divided during the Civil War. The Hardy Blues, commanded by John C.B. Mullin (Mullin Hotel), was the first unit ready and joined General Lee’s army. The Hardy Greys formed on June 25, 1861. McNeill’s Rangers was a local partisan ranger band associated with the Confederacy and led by John Hanson McNeill. Residents enjoyed social events on the plantations: balls, hunting, jousting tournaments, parlor games and performances by the “Thespian Society.” People from around the county often made the trek to Sulphur Springs, now , to bathe in the “miracle” waters and stay at the lovely Sulphur Springs Hotel. (See Hardy County Historical Society Newsletter 2015 Winter Issue and 2016 Spring Issue on www.hardycountyhistoricalsociety.com) Visitors have described Hardy County as “Little Williamsburg”. Hardy County residents embrace their rich history; tradition and heritage play an important part of everyday lives.

6 MINERAL COUNTY Mineral County, in northeastern West Virginia, was created in 1866, after the Civil War had ended. Its mineral resources include the easternmost deposits of coal in West Virginia. The county is renowned for its agriculture and mountain scenery. The northern terminus of the Allegheny Front in West Virginia lies in Mineral County, and includes the highest point, the Pinnacle, at 3,104 feet above sea level. From the abandoned fire tower four states are visible, Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia. The Allegheny Front is the largest mountain in the county. Knobbly Mountain, located between the and valleys, is the longest mountain in Mineral County. It stretches from the Grant County line in the south to the Potomac River in the north at Ridgeley, West Virginia. Barnum Area is approximately 40 acres with four miles of rail/trail and river frontage of the North Branch of the Potomac River below Jenningings Randolph Lake along the old Railway. As one of the best trout streams in West Virginia, it provides seven miles of whitewater rafting and canoeing. The Lake, a nearly a 300-foot-high and over 2,000-foot long dam is made of rock and earth. The water surface, which measures over 952 acres, is known most for the public recreation, but the lake was built to increase and reduce potential flood damage downstream on the North Branch of the Potomac River, and below. Originally named Jenning Randolph Lake Bloomington Dam, the lake was constructed as part of a Image credit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ flood control plan authorized in 1962 and finished in Jennings_Randolph_Lake 1981. The name was chosen in 1987 to honor US Senator Jennings Randolph for all his efforts on behalf of West Virginia. Additionally, the lake serves as an emergency for the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. The largest part of the surface and shoreline area is managed by the US Army Corps of Engineers and flows along over five miles bordering West Virginia and Maryland.

The North Branch of the Potomac River is the largest river, and while not actually in the county, forms the northern of the county and the state border with the actual border being the low water mark on the south side. Jennings Randolph Lake is located on this stream. Jennings Randolph Lake

PENDLETON COUNTY Pendleton County was created in 1788 largely from parts of Rockingham County and smaller parts of Augusta and Hardy. It was named for Edmund Pendleton, a distinguished Virginia statesman. Bounded on two sides by Virginia, it adjoins the

7 Valley. It ranks as fifth largest in the state with Franklin the county seat and only incorporated municipality. By the 1740s, the three main valleys of present Pendleton County had been visited and named by white hunters and prospectors. One of the hunters, Abraham Burner, built a log cabin near the future site of Brandywine in 1745. He was the county’s first white settler. By 1747, other immigrants were impinging on the (future) of Pendleton from two directions: they were mostly Germans moving up the South Pendleton County Map Branch Valley of the Potomac and Scotch-Irish Image credit: sites.rootsweb.com moving from Staunton up into the headwaters of the James River. German culture became concentrated especially in the vicinity of Sugar Grove and Thorn Creek, where a German-speaking tradition persisted among elderly residents into the late 20th century. In the mid-1700s, about 60 white settlers were sheltering in and nearby Fort Upper Tract. In a surprise raid by Shawnee and Delaware warriors on the forts, occasioned by the French and Indian War (1754–63), most of these settlers were massacred and the forts were burned. Hinkle’s Fort in escaped destruction and continued through the Revolution. Only one Indian raid, in 1781, occurred in Pendleton after 1764. Pendleton’s three parallel valleys are drained by the Potomac’s South Branch and its . Spruce Knob in the county’s southwestern corner, 4,861 feet, is the highest elevation in the state. Pendleton’s total vertical relief of 3,708 feet, the distance from the highest to lowest points, is the greatest of West Virginia counties. This county is made up of rock formations, wide valleys, caverns and canyons. Like much of the Potomac Highland area, the rugged terrain made settlement and movement difficult for early settlers, but the rich valleys made it worthwhile. Franklin, formerly known as Frankford, was chartered in 1794. In 1821, territory was lost to Pocahontas County, and the northern half of Highland County, Virginia, was taken from Pendleton when that county was formed in 1847. For nearly a century before 1860, Pendleton farmers participated in the South Branch’s prosperous cattle industry. Agriculture has continued as the economic mainstay, especially livestock and poultry. Perhaps the most notable antebellum citizen was William McCoy, who served 22 years (1811–33) in the U.S. House of Representatives. McCoy’s Mill remains a local landmark today. During the Civil War the county government and a majority of citizens supported the Confederacy. More than 700 Pendleton soldiers fought for the South. But Unionists in the Seneca and Brushy Run sections contributed several hundred men to Home Guard companies. The result of divided allegiance was vicious guerrilla warfare in the county. The most prominent leaders of the respective sides were brothers: Confederate James

8 Boggs and Unionist John Boggs. The Confederate Niter and Mining Bureau operated the saltpeter works at Trout Rock, which were raided repeatedly by federal forces. Several crises struck Pendleton. In April 1924, a catastrophic fire destroyed the business district of Franklin. In addition to economic depression and severe drought, the failure of all three county banks in 1931, and the absence of a bank until 1937, reduced many residents to barter. The county benefited from federal projects during Roosevelt’s New Deal, including the building of 300 miles of improved roads, and increased state aid to schools. During World War II, army mountain troops trained on and other crags. In 1965, Congress created the 100,000-acre Spruce Knob- Seneca Rocks . In 1969 the U.S. Navy began operating a major communications center at Sugar Grove. Not until 1977 did the North Fork area acquire modern dial telephone service, replacing vintage hand-crank telephones. The worst natural disaster in the county’s history occurred in November 1985 when raging flood waters killed 16 people and inflicted severe property Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks damage. Except for neighboring Pocahontas County, the Image credit: https://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/Spruce_Knob-Seneca_Rocks_Na- population density of Pendleton County is the lowest in tional_Recreation_Area the state.

POCAHONTAS COUNTY Pocahontas County, the third largest county in West Virginia, is also the least populated. The act creating Pocahontas County was passed by the Virginia General Assembly on December 21, 1821. The land came mainly from Bath County, plus small parts of Randolph and Pendleton. Eight rivers have their headwaters in the county: Cherry, Cranberry, , Gauley, Greenbrier, Tygart Valley, Williams, and of the . The river

headwaters are protected by the Monongahela National Image Credit: Forest, ensuring downstream water quality. https://www.familysearch.org/ At the time of the first European movement into the Greenbrier Valley, Indians did not have permanent settlements in the area. Generally accepted as the first white settlers are Jacob Marlin and Stephen Sewell, who lived in present Marlinton about 1749 and remained until at least 1751. Settlement was underway by the early , but Indian attacks during the French and Indian War drove most settlers out of the valley. Settlement resumed in 1761, but attacks continued through the Revolutionary period and at least into the early . In the years before the Civil War, road improvements helped to reduce isolation.

9 Turnpikes from Warm Springs, between Lewisburg and Huttonsville, and from Staunton to Parkersburg made travel easier. In 1854–56, a bridge was constructed across the river at Marlin’s Bottom. Excellent grazing lands in the Little Levels and other areas supported the beginnings of the livestock industry that is still important today. Slaves were present from the earliest years, but not in extensive numbers, as farms were not large. Pocahontas sent sons to both armies in the Civil War. In the late summer of 1861, the county suddenly became part of the front line. Local activity that fall and winter included a brief visit by Robert E. Lee; battles at , Bartow, and Top of Allegheny; and a miserable winter for the men of both armies stationed at the highest camps in elevation used during the war. Movements by a Union force in late 1863 resulted in the last significant Civil War battle in West Virginia, at on November 6. The federal victory helped to assure Northern control and thus the survival of the new state. The completion of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway into neighboring Greenbrier County in 1869 brought a railroad near, and a timber boom ensued. By the late 1870s, Pocahontas County logs were being floated to Ronceverte in Greenbrier County. Until 1908, the drives were an annual event on the . The Williams River and, less successfully, the Shavers Fork of Cheat were also used to move logs. Pocahontas County sawmill operators also floated rafts of lumber to the railroad. The Greenbrier Division of the C&O was completed to Marlinton and Cass in late 1900, to Durbin in 1902, and on to Winterburn in 1905. In 1903, the Coal & Coke Railroad (later part of the ) was completed from Elkins to Durbin, connecting with the C&O. Numerous sawmills were quickly put in operation along the new railroad lines, as well as tanneries at Frank and Marlinton. With the need of the lumber companies for farm products and the easier access to market provided by the railroads, agricultural output grew. There were 15,002 residents in 1920, the most ever recorded. The Civilian Conservation Corps, (CCC) was a voluntary public work relief program set up by Franklin D. Roosevelt between 1933 to 1942 for unemployed, unmarried men ages 18–25; it was eventually expanded to ages 17–28. This innovative federally funded organization put thousands of Americans to work during the Great Depression on projects with environmental benefits. The CCC located 10 camps within the county and in addition to reforestation and fire control, did the development of Droop Mountain Battlefield, , and Edray Fish Hatchery. Many areas in the Potomac Highlands benefited from the work of the CCC. After World War II the tanneries and the largest lumber operation (Cass) closed, both railroad lines into the county had been abandoned, and farming declined. Several new timber-related operations have opened, and the county remains a leader in cattle and sheep production. Tourism has grown from a minor part of the county’s economy, based on hunting and fishing, into a major industry. After the Cass Mill closed in 1960,

10 the state acquired the remaining segment of logging railroad and created the Cass Scenic Railroad State Park. Calvin Price State Forest, Bear Town State Park, Handley Wildlife Management Area, and the are also state-owned recreational facilities. In 1955, the Valley near Green Bank was selected for the new National Radio Astronomy Observatory, with the first telescope completed in 1959. The newest telescope at Green Bank is the largest fully steerable radio telescope in the world. The observatory was a major factor for the location of the National Youth Science Camp in the county in 1963. The Snowshoe ski area opened on Cheat Mountain in 1974. An adjoining ski area, Silver Creek, opened in 1983. Resort (now including Silver Creek) has become the largest ski area in the southeastern United States and the county’s largest employer. Post Civil War economic growth brought a broadening of the population mixture. Railroad construction and the lumber industry brought in workers of Italian, Austrian, German, and other national origins (few remained once the jobs were gone, however) as well as additional blacks. A group of Dutch immigrants arrived in 1847, and descendants of these settlers include the author Pearl S. Buck. English immigrants settled in the Linwood-Mingo area, beginning in 1883. In the 1960s and 1970s, a number of homesteaders belonging to the counterculture movement came to the county. The Green Bank Observatory and Snowshoe have brought other new residents.

RANDOLPH COUNTY Randolph County, the state’s largest county with 1,040 acres of land, was created in October 1786 from Harrison County. Although it was large, it was densely populated. A national census in 1790 showed Randolph having a population of 951 residents. At that time, that was the smallest population of the nine counties that were in existence within the current boundaries of West Virginia. The county was named in honor of Edmund Jennings Randolph (1753-1813) of Williamsburg, Virginia. David Tygart (or Taggart) and Robert Files (or Foyle) were the first settlers in Randolph County, arriving in 1753 (or 1754). They built cabins near Beverly. That winter, Indians attacked the Files’ cabin and killed him, his wife, and five of his six children. One of his sons was not in the cabin at the time of the attack and escaped. He ran to Tygart’s cabin to warn him of the Indians’ presence. They then left the county for good, moving east into Pendleton County. Two small forts were constructed in present-day Randolph County during Lord Dunmore’s War in 1774. Fort Westfall was constructed at Beverly and Fort Currence near Huttonsville. The area’s settlers gathered in the forts whenever Indians were known to be in the area. Isolated incidents between the settlers and Indians continued for many years. The bloodiest incidents occurred in April and May 1791 when an Indian raiding party

11 killed about a dozen settlers in the county. Among those killed were Joseph Kinnan and three of his five children. They were killed on May 11, 1791. His wife was taken captive and was not released until the Indians’ defeat at the Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1794. A few days after the Kinnans were killed, the Indian raiding party killed Frank Riffle and William Currence. It is believed that they were the last settlers killed by Indians in Randolph County. It was decided to build a courthouse on an acre of land located in present-day Beverly, then called Edmundton, honoring Edmund Randolph. The town was renamed Beverly, in honor of Governor Randolph’s mother, by the Virginia General Assembly when it chartered the town on December 16, 1790. Elkins, named for U.S. Senator Stephen Benton Elkins, a railroad magnate, lumber king, and wealthy banker, became the county seat in 1900, following a three year battle with Beverly. At one point during the dispute, a special train was formed at Elkins to mount an attack on Beverly. The attack was averted at the last moment, but only after the Elkins’ residents were assured that the county seat would be moved to Elkins. Randolph County has much to offer the tourist. The mountains offer miles of trails in the national forest areas. There are many museums such as the West Virginia Railroad Museum in Elkins, along with numerous historic sites. Elkins is home to the Augusta Heritage Center. Helvetia offers the culture of a small Swiss village with many activities taking place there throughout the year. The Durbin and Greenbrier Valley Railroad excursion trains are a great way to explore more of the county. It also is home to Davis and Elkins College and historic Halliehurst. Rock formations, high knobs, and numerous recreation areas excite the traveler and the person Image Credit: www.mapquest.com looking for expansive views and a taste of history.

TUCKER COUNTY Tucker County was created in 1856 from a part of Randolph County, which was then a part of Virginia. In 1871, a small part of Barbour County was transferred to Tucker County. The county was named after Henry St. George Tucker, Sr. a judge and Congressman from Williamsburg, Virginia. In 1861, as a result of the Wheeling Convention, Tucker County joined the rest of West Virginia in breaking away from Virginia to remain a part of the Union. Between 1889 and 1893, a dispute known as the Tucker County Seat War took place between the people in the town of Parsons and that of St. George. The dispute was about both towns wanting to claim the title of county seat, and at that time St. George held the honor. A group of men from Parsons decided to bear arms and boldly march into St. George and take the county records. They were successful in their bold march and they took the records by force. Luckily, no one was killed in the process. Parsons remains the county seat.

12 Tucker County fell prey in the early 1900s to the Babcock Lumber Company from Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. The company, the largest producer of hardwood lumber in the world, cutting more than 400,000 board feet per day, had timber, coal and agricultural operations stretching from Pennsylvania to Georgia. Babcock bought Thompson Lumber Company at Davis in 1907. This would forever change the landscape of Tucker County. While 500 men alone worked at the Davis operation at its peak, the scarring of the mountains was tremendous. This clear cutting, with its residual slashings, converted the landscape into a “tinderbox”. For years fires burned continuously. In some areas the fires burned from spring until the first snow, leaving thin mineral soil and bare rock. By 1914, the county was virtually denuded of standing trees. As a result, top soils that once produced huge timbers on the mountainside — including the largest tree ever harvested in West Virginia, a white oak some 13 feet in diameter just 10 feet from the ground — washed down into the narrow valleys and bottom lands, which had always been too narrow for harvesting productive crops or livestock. Uncontrollable soil erosion and flooding further degraded and depopulated the region. To this day, Tucker County and surrounding regions bear the scars of this massive clear cutting Tucker County has developed into a big attraction for visitors during all seasons. There are hiking and camping in the recreational areas of the national forest, golf in and around the area, vacation rentals with scenic views, numerous waterfalls and fishing and rafting opportunities. In the winter months, people enjoy the snow sports of cross country and downhill skiing, sledding and ice skating. The fall brings in many tourists to see the Image Credit: En.m.wikipedia.org spectacular colors as the trees change color. Both Canaan Valley Resort and Blackwater Falls Resort attract visitors year around. Tourism has become a leading industry and many residents find employment in the tourism industry. Davis and Thomas, located within a few miles of each other, are two more attractions for the visitor to the county. The completion of Corridor H from Wardensville to Davis has made a huge difference in the number of visitors who come for an overnight or longer stay or simply for a day trip.

13 RREFERENCESEFERENCES FORFOR HHISTORYISTORY OFOF THETHE HIGHLHIGHLANDSANDS

REFERENCES: Bosworth, Albert Squire. 1916. A History of Randolph County, West Virginia. Elkins, WV: no publisher. Dr. Robert Jay Dilger, Director, Institute for Public Affairs and Professor of Political Science, . Branch, Sheldon W. 1976. Historic Hampshire. Parsons, WV: McClain Printing Company. West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and Blind. 2000. “In-Depth History: 1890-2000.” Romney, WV: West Virginia Schools for the WVDeaf and Blind. “Pendleton County”. West Virginia Division of Culture and History. Archived from the original on January 1, 2014. Retrieved August 11, 2015. “West Virginia: Individual County Chronologies”. West Virginia Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. The Newberry Library. 2003. Retrieved August 11, 2015. Pendleton County History, Dr. Robert Jay Dilger, Director, Institute for Public Affairs and Professor of Political Science, West Virginia University. “Archived copy”. Archived from the original on June 13, 2010. Retrieved January 29, 2013. Morton, Oren F. (1910), A History of Pendleton County, West Virginia, Franklin, West Virginia. Reprint (1974) by Regional Publishing Company, , pp 31-32. West Virginia Writers Project (1940), Smoke Hole and Its People: A Social-Ethnic Study; Charleston, West Virginia: State Department of Education; Reprinted (pp 101-132) in: Shreve, D. Bardon (2005), Sheriff from Smoke Hole (and Other Smoke Hole Stories), Fredericksburg, Virginia: The Fredricksburg Press, Inc, pg 118. McNeel, William P. “Pocahontas County.” e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia. 07 May 2015. Web. 22 April 2020.

WEBSITES: http://wvsdb.state.k12.wv.us/iin-depth_wvsd&b_history.htm www.wvencyclopedia.org www.genealogytrails.com www.wvculture.org www.visitgrantcounty.com www.Pendleton County West Virginia.Home Visitpendleton.com

Appendices associated with chapter: A1: Places to Visit in the Potomac Highlands, Student activities in Appendices B1-8

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