By 1900, only a large area of the most rugged terrain of southern West Virginia was any distance from the existing railroads and mining activity. These were Lutheran, Reformed, or Brethren. By royal charter, the extreme western boundaries of Virginia at this time extended to the Pacific Ocean, but the terms "backcountry" or "back settlements" specifically refer to new settlements in the eastern Appalachian . As those mines were playing out by the end of the 19th century, these men were among investors and industrialists who focused new interest on the largely untapped coal resources of West Virginia. The western area focused its commerce on neighbors to the west, and many citizens felt that the more populous eastern areas were too dominant in the Virginia General Assembly and insensitive to their needs. acres, October 3. On August 22, 1872, an entirely new constitution was adopted. West Virginia Division of Culture and History, West Virginia Memory Project, A detailed list of delegate names and votes are located in Virgil Lewis'. where he was not known. On April 17, 1861, the Richmond convention voted on the Ordinance of Secession. Waddell, in his Annals of Augusta County, Virginia, from 1726 to 1871 provides a list of the first few families that made up the first influx of settlers seeking in early Orange and Augusta County, Virginia. Social conditions in western Virginia were entirely unlike those in the eastern portion of the state. When the statehood bill reached Congress, however, the lack of an emancipation clause prompted opposition from Senator Charles Sumner and Senator Benjamin Wade of Ohio. Hite. [Webmasters Second or third sons went out to the colonies to make their fortune, or entered the military and the clergy. Many men absent in the Confederate army when the vote was taken refused to acknowledge the transfer upon their return. lauds of John Mills and _____ Hobzson, dated 12 November Frustrated by bad economic conditions and what they perceive to be neglect from the Charleston government, this movement has gained at least some momentum. 1 of early settlements and land grants in West Virginia by W. S. Survey of Early Settlers on Patterson Creek; Wilmer L. KERNS' Early Settlers of Patterson's Creek - Map and List; Early Religious Migration, Additional Sources Latest update: Monday, October 8, 2012. Genealogical records. date there has been a record kept and the settlement reaches 1734, Grant to Josiah Jones, 104 Produced in collaboration with the Genealogical Publishing Company. certain conditions therein expressed, which orders were made the At this time, West Virginia had nearly 70,000 qualified voters, and the May 23, 1861 vote to secede had drawn nearly 54,000 voters. Their living characteristics were more of a heritage from the Woodland Indians.[7]. Primogeniture favored the first sons' inheriting lands and titles in England. The first University 1549 University Ave. | P.O. Coal Expansion and Mine Wars (1883 to 1922), Cold War (1946 to 1990) - Decline of Coal, West Virginia and Regional History Center. The instrument was ratified on April 11, 1862, with 18,162 votes for and 514 against. This page was last modified 12:34, 25 May 2021. It included all areas west of the Blue Ridge Mountains, constituting all of present West Virginia. Later in 1624, Virginia was created as a royal colony that included the original Jamestown settlement, when King James I revolked the charter of the bankrupt Virginia Company and the colony transferred to royal authority as a crown colony, but the elected representatives in Jamestown continued to exercise a fair amount of power. acres, October 3, 1734, Grant to Benjamin Harden, l The Virginia Colony became the wealthiest and most populated British colony in North America. About 1714, Morgan met and married Catherine Garretson, with whom he had nine children. He was born in Wales and emigrated to Delaware about 1712. The first native settlers in southern West Virginia were the Mound Builders, also known as the Adena people. During recent years, production has been about 600,000 to 1,000,000 tons per year. acres, October 3, 1734, Grant to Richard Morgan, 210 [20] In secessionist counties where a poll was conducted it was by military intervention. Early Land Grants and Settlers of West Virginia Some history of early settlements and land grants in West Virginia by W. S. Laidly, Esq., who has devoted much study to the subject. deeds recorded to Stephen Hunsonbeller. Governor of Virginia, the Wheeling constitution was discarded, and an entirely new one was written along ante-bellum principles. ", Corbin, David Alan. After the 1730s, Virginia enacted a law that promised free land to new settlers, encouraging them to move west and form new colonies. [18] It was decided that if the ordinance were adopted (of which there was little doubt) another convention including the members-elect of the legislature should meet at Wheeling in June 1861. Industrialization in West Virginia produced conditions conducive to an organized labor . In addition to differences over the abolition of slavery, he and allies felt the Virginia government ignored and refused to spend funds on needed internal improvements in the west, such as turnpikes and railroads.[15]. These shires were renamed as counties only a few years later. Of the 49 delegates from the future state of West Virginia, 17 voted in favor, and 30 voted against, and two abstained. During this expedition the pair followed the New River and discovered Kanawha Falls. above brings us down to about 1750. During the war, the settlers in western Virginia were generally active Whigs and many served in the Continental Army. speak by the records of those that were among the earliest, if Berkeley County was founded in 1772 Many settlers crossed the mountains after 1750, though they were hindered by Native American resistance. It was the only state to form from another state during this time, splitting from Virginia. Although the Deepwater plan should have provided a competitive shipping market via either railroad, leaders of the two large railroads did not appreciate the scheme and sought to discourage competition in an area they considered theirs for expansion plans. 828 acres, October 3, 1734. sixteen families went into the Shenandoah Valley and from that Yet the soil was rich, and some beautiful hillside farms developed during the days when Western Virginia was being settled and later, after West Virginia had become a state. A most remarkable thing, for a boy To note, it took the ratification of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution accomplished on December 6, 1865, to abolish slavery nationwide. Via the New, Kanawha and Ohio Rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area of 1,656 square miles (4,290 km2). acres, October 3, 1734, Grant to George Williams, 489 A long But the east also gave itself a tax advantage in requiring a property tax at true and actual value, except for slaves. Though England eventually defeated the French, warfare would continue to be a part of life for the early West Virginia settlers, as Indian conflicts continued into the American War of Independence, the last battle of which was fought at Fort Henry in 1782, in present day Wheeling, West Virginia. Served as Deputy Governor of the Colony of Virginia 1627-1629. James Wood, and to William Williams, Jacob Neswanger, It was set up to be the center of the Virginia Colony's government and commerce. The first permanent English colony in North America was founded at Jamestown, Virginia in 1607. This document, drafted by former state senator John S. Carlile, declared that the Virginia Declaration of Rights required any substantial change in the nature or form of the state government to be approved by the people. [19] However, most of the pro-Confederate elements no longer considered themselves citizens of the United States; they saw themselves as citizens of another country (the Confederacy) and did not vote in elections sponsored by the United States. Among the numerous investors were Charles Pratt and New York City mayor Abram S. Hewitt, whose father-in-law, Peter Cooper, had been a key man in earlier development of the anthracite coal regions centered in eastern Pennsylvania and northwestern New Jersey. Elizabeth Cometti, and Festus P. Summers. The B&O developed coal piers in Baltimore and at several points on the Great Lakes. Orange County, Virginia was formed in 1734. Heavy settlement began in the 1760s after Indian claims had been settled. The enterprise, fraught with disease, dissension, and determined . On May 13, 1862, the state legislature of the reorganized government approved the formation of the new state. acres, October 3, 1734, Grant to Abraham Pennington, From the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, the three ships sailed. Even in some counties that had voted against secession, such as Wayne and Cabell, it was necessary to send in Union soldiers.[21]. In 1889, in the southern part of the state, along the Norfolk and Western rail lines, the important coal center of Bluefield, West Virginia was founded. part of the same article. This fort would become Middle Plantation and later Williamsburg, Virginia. Bowman, 100 1734, Grant to Thomas Johnson, 150 "The View from the Border: West Virginia Republicans and Women's Rights in the Age of Emancipation,", Gerofsky, Milton. [38] Slavery was officially abolished by West Virginia on February 3, 1865. Curry, Richard Orr. "A Reappraisal of Statehood Politics in West Virginia". Though the Iroquois made little effort to settle the region themselves, they made war throughout the area with their enemies, following the Great Indian Warpaths through the region and, some time between 17251750, contracted a large group of the Saponi-Tutelo warriors the Iroquois had living on the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania to fight alongside them in the region. "[32] Many private citizens were arrested by federal authorities at the request of Wheeling and interned in prison camps, most notably Camp Chase in Columbus, Ohio. Raleigh County 320 in favor of statehood, Clay 760, Braxton 220, and some gave no returns at all. The question of the addition of two counties came before the Supreme Court of the United States in the case of Virginia v. West Virginia, 78 U.S. 39 (1871). acres, on the _____ branch of the Opeckon, between the Isaac and John Van Meter, who had obtained orders from our said The first European settlers started arriving about 1730. [William and Mary Quarterly] JONES, Cadwallader (in Virginia 1681), Stafford County . Keelboats were built in the Kanawha region in Leon, Ravenswood Murraysville, and Little Kanawha River. It extended the vote to all white males 21 years or older. [39], In recent years, there has been serious talk about the possibility of certain counties in the Eastern Panhandle rejoining the Commonwealth of Virginia. patent or grant of land west of the Blue Ridge was made to Jost There was another Early West Virginia Settlers, 1600s-1900s This database is comprised of fourteen books. There were, therefore, two governments claiming to represent all of Virginia, one owing allegiance to the United States and one to the Confederacy. August 1734, Grant to Rus Smith, 150 Governor Alexander Spotswood is sometimes credited with taking his 1716 "Knights of the Golden Horseshoe Expedition" into what is now Pendleton County, although according to contemporary accounts, Spotswood's trail went no farther west than Harrisonburg, Virginia. Luptons. acres, on South side of the Cohongolulu, dated 3 October The same year German settlers from Pennsylvania founded New Mecklenburg, the present Shepherdstown, on the Potomac River, and others soon followed. Served as Lt. Gov. A service provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Some were German-born or the Pennsylvania-born children of German-speaking Protestant immigrants from the Palatinate and other areas bordering the Rhine River. build up several Western States, especially Ohio. Months later upon his arrival, the new Petersburg manager, Chester Mace, was shown the curious novelty. However, repeatedly John L. Lewis called his United Mine Workers union out on strike, defying the government, outraging public opinion, and strengthening the hand of anti-union Congressmen. Hampshire and Hardy were included in The history of West Virginia stems from the 1861 Wheeling Convention, which was an assembly of northwestern Virginian Southern Unionists, who aimed to repeal the Ordinance of Secession that Virginia made during the American Civil War (18611865). In Feb., 1739, to Hendery [49], During the Vietnam War a total of 36,578 West Virginians served, with most beginning as teenagers. or on the deeds. Small farmers, however, had all their assets, animals, and land taxed at full value. [50] 711 of the state's citizens died during the war. Some delegates favored the immediate formation of a new state, while others argued that, as Virginia's secession had not yet been ratified or become effective, such action would constitute revolution against the United States. [3] Within the greater region of and neighboring the Mountain State, the Riverton Tradition includes Maple Creek Phase. The Treaty of Albany, 1722, designated the Blue Ridge Mountains as the western boundary of white settlement,[9] and recognized Iroquois rights on the west side of the ridge, including all of West Virginia. More women, children, and family groups began arriving in 1609. Most of them came from Pennsylvania in the north in search of new lands. A little over one month later, Kanawha was renamed West Virginia. Many such early settlers in Virginia were called Second Sons. [34] In addition, a large portion of the state was secessionist,[35] and any polls there had to be conducted under military intervention. The legislature of the Restored Government was composed of members from the western counties who had been elected on May 23, 1861, and some senators who had been elected in 1859. McKay, and Abraham Hite in 1744. Enjoy the work of our webmasters, provide a link, do not copy their work. In combination, all of the records collected here will help you put the lives of your early West Virginia ancestors in historical context. Captain Bartholomew Gosnold, Captain Christopher Newport, Captain John Ratcliffe, Captain Gabriel Archer, and Captain Edward Wingfield were in charge of the expedition. The company sought to have a fourteenth colony established with the name Vandalia. Other Early Settlers [Source documents noted] ADAMS, Ebenezer (d. 1735) New Kent county; son of Richard Adams, of Abridge, Essex, citizen and merchant tailor of London. acres, on Opeckon Run, dated October 3, 1734, Grant to Neil Thompson, 139 The first two English women arrived in 1608. been some discussion on this subject through the publications of Great Grandfather of Pres. And later, other small splintered clans were attracted to, among others, James Le Tort, Charles Poke and John Van Metre trading houses within the state. Aliens, Johnstons and others, came and settled about the Opequon The FamilySearch Library has microfilm copies of these records, including: 1748-1912 Land grants arranged by counties FS Library film 521685, first of 56 films. Johnson, 298 Trading posts were established at the confluence of the Ohio and Kanawha Rivers at Point Pleasant, West Virginia where, in the mid 1780s, Daniel Boone resided for several years. Enjoy the work of our webmasters, provide a link, do not copy their work. The following years saw a significant growth of visitors. Indiana, When the United States Bureau of Mines was given more authority to regulate mine safety in the 1960s, safety awareness improved, and West Virginia coal mines became less dangerous.[44]. October 3. With Page as its first president, and largely financed from Rogers' personal fortune, and the two railroads were merged in 1907 to form the Virginian Railway (VGN). Institution. remarkable that he would go away out in a new country, infested acres, October 3, 1734, Grant to Robert Worthington, Waddell's First Families of Early Augusta County Scott's List of Orange County Importations The first settlement in what became known as the Virginia Colony was Jamestown, which was founded in 1607. Served as Deputy-Governor of the Virginia Colony from 1616-1617, 1625 & 1627. Frederick was established by law in The logging industry furthered the river shipping industry. This push, however, would soon provoke conflict, both with Native Americans already living in the area and with the French who also believed they held claim to the land. The issue was finally settled in 1915, when the United States Supreme Court ruled that West Virginia owed Virginia $12,393,929.50. gotten at this day. Paul H. Rakes, "West Virginia Coal Mine Fatalities: The Subculture of Danger and a Statistical Overview of the Pre-enforcement Era,", Rob Silvester, West Virginia State Wildlife Center: A Century of Conservation and Education, WVDNR, 2010, Pamela Edwards, "West Virginia Women in World War II: The Role of Gender, Class, and Race in Shaping Wartime Volunteer Efforts,", Sam F. Stack, Jr., "Implementing 'Brown' V. 'Board Of Education' In West Virginia: The 'Southern School News' Reports,", Knights of the Golden Horseshoe Expedition, Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron, Virginia Constitutional Convention of 18291830, Virginia Constitutional Convention of 185051, List of U.S. states by date of admission to the Union. With only 21 followers, in October of 1859 he took hostages and freed slaves in Harpers Ferry, at that time in Virginia. When the First Wheeling Convention met, 425 delegates from 25 counties were present, but a division of sentiment soon arose. Returns from some counties were as low as 5%, e.g. Disputes about the exact location of the border in some of the northern mountain reaches between Loudoun County, Virginia and Jefferson County, West Virginia continued well into the 20th century. 1734, Grant to William Jasper, 62 Various game animals and now protected birds were raised for conservation repopulating or control reasons throughout the state. Even before the American Civil War, counties in northwest Virginia had desired to break away from Virginia to form a new state. The backcountry frontier of colonial Virginia reached westward from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the farthest extent of Virginia settlement in the eighteenth century. he made such surveys, viz: From Norris Some West Virginia women also volunteered for military service, which was available to African American women. ; no. In the late 18th century, the steel trap increased efficiency, and beaver became scarce. an 1863 Copperhead editorial condemning the US Congress for accepting West Virginia as a state. During the late 17th and early 18th centuries, a growing demand for beaver sent trappers up and down the Kanawha region's tributary creeks by canoe and raft. By S.C. Shaw, 1878.] Chester, To get the best possible experience using our website we recommend that you upgrade to a newer version or install another browser. During the period 1870 to 1920 most of the old-growth forest was logged. of Militia in Accomack County, a contemporary of. In early 1904, the Tidewater Railway, a new railroad, was quietly formed in Virginia by a Rogers attorney. If you are using a computer in the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, you may use this database by clicking here. 1861, the Tidewater Railway, a contemporary of first Wheeling convention,. 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