The microfilm may have been scanned, but have a contractual, data privacy, or other restriction preventing access. However, in 1736 the Iroquois Six Nations protested Virginia's colonization beyond the demarcated Blue Ridge, and a skirmish was fought in 1743. ; no. Members of the Carpenter family were among the first white people to settle in what is now central West Virginia, and their descendants populate a wide area today. If you are using a computer in the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, you may use this database by clicking here. In the northern portion of the state and elsewhere, the older Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) and other lines also expanded to take advantage of coal opportunities as well. In May, 1740, to Peter The first The state's integration experiences were generally peaceful, swift and cooperative. Returns from some counties were as low as 5%, e.g. They acquired large tracts of land in the area, and Page began the Deepwater Railway, a short-line railroad which was chartered to stretch between the C&O at its line along the Kanawha River and the N&W at Matoaka, a distance of about 80 miles (130km). Harris. In 1671, General Abraham Wood, at the direction of Royal Governor William Berkeley of the Virginia Colony, sent the party of Thomas Batts and Robert Fallum into the West Virginia area. Governor of the Restored Government of Virginia, Second Wheeling Convention, August 16, 1861, quoted in Virgil Lewis, "How West Virginia Was Made", pg. Bronson, Samuel Glass, David Logan, Fred acres, on Opeckon Run, dated October 3, 1734, Grant to Neil Thompson, 139 15, page 276. Hollingsworth, 472 acres, dated October 3, 1734, Grant to John Welton, 442 Bands of guerrillas burned and plundered in some sections, and were not entirely suppressed until after the war was ended. The grant to With only 21 followers, in October of 1859 he took hostages and freed slaves in Harpers Ferry, at that time in Virginia. Despite this tax and the lack of internal improvements in the west, the vote was 75,748 for and 11,063 against the new Constitution. All give reference to Virginia. in Council, to take up the same, upon certain conditions therein [5] Little is known about the housing of Paleo-Indian and Archaic periods, but Woodland Indians lived in wigwams. acres, October 3, 1734, Grant to Abraham Pennington, In the Fort Ancient period, Indians lived in much larger poled rectangular shaped houses with walls hide covered. recorded in Orange County, before the county of Frederick was The artifacts uncovered in these give evidence of a village society having a tribal trade system culture that practiced the cold working of copper to a limited extent. From the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, the three ships sailed. To note, it took the ratification of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution accomplished on December 6, 1865, to abolish slavery nationwide. A master at competitive "warfare", Henry Rogers did not like to lose in his endeavors, and also had "deep pockets". By 2000, the state's improved economy seemed to be contributing to a reversal of nearly four decades of population losses. Soon after this, white settlers began moving into the Greater Shenandoah-Potomac Valley making up the entire eastern portion of the state. West Virginia's history has been profoundly affected by its mountainous terrain, spectacular river valleys, and rich natural resources. Many settlers crossed the mountains after 1750, though they were hindered by Native American resistance. [25] The large number of Northerners in this convention caused great distrust over the new Constitution during Reconstruction years. Gordon Battelle, an Ohio native who sought to introduce a resolution for gradual emancipation. As a result, both English and French built forts throughout West Virginia and Pennsylvania and this area would become the main battlefields of the French and Indian War. The enterprise, fraught with disease, dissension, and determined . During the late 19th and early 20th century, West Virginia saw its population grow, due in large part to the economic job opportunities provided by the coal and logging industries. [34] In addition, a large portion of the state was secessionist,[35] and any polls there had to be conducted under military intervention. In March 1761, Robert Harper obtained a permit to operate a ferry across the Shenandoah River at present-day Harpers Ferry, Jefferson County. High Sheriff and Capt. Major crises in the Virginia state government over these differences were averted on more than one occasion during the period before the American Civil War, but the underlying problems were fundamental and never well resolved. On July 13, 1709, Louis Michel, George Ritter, and Baron Christoph von Graffenried petitioned the King of England for a land grant in the Harpers Ferry, Shepherdstown area, Jefferson County, in order to establish a Swiss colony. During this expedition the pair followed the New River and discovered Kanawha Falls. Adena villages can be characterized as rather large compared to Late Prehistoric tribes. The first settlers of the area destined to become Wood County located along the Ohio, Little Kanawha and Hughes Rivers. This screen shows the complete catalog entry of the title you selected. In addition, the Virginia Constitutional Convention of 18291830 gave the slave-owning counties the benefit of three-fifths of their slave population in apportioning representation in the Virginia Assembly. Granville Parker, originally from Massachusetts and a member of the convention, described the scene "I discovered on that occasion as I never had before, the mysterious and over-powering influence 'the peculiar institution' had on men otherwise sane and reliable. [40], The new state benefited from development of its mineral resources more than any other single economic activity after Reconstruction. Including accounts of its Soils, Timber, Minerals, Water, and Material Wealth. Lt. 19th century steamboats were built and repaired in Wheeling, Parkersburg, Point Pleasant and Mason City. During the French and Indian War (17541763), the scattered settlements were almost destroyed. Since the mid-20th century, West Virginia has experienced population declines due in large part to its citizens leaving for opportunities elsewhere. certain conditions therein expressed, which orders were made the acres, on Stony Lick and dated August 21, 1734, Grant to Thomas Shepherd, 220 acres, on Turkey Spring of Opeckon creek, dated 21 Most of the Cherokee claim within West Virginia, the southwestern part of the state, was sold to Virginia in 1770 by the Treaty of Lochaber. 1738 but was not organized until 1743, Grant to John Smith, 420 230, "Mr. Lamb, of Ohio County declared that out of 2000 voters in Hampshire County, one hundred and 95 votes had been cast and he had heard that of these one hundred were cast by soldiers. I-II) -- Genealogy of some early families in Grant and Pleasant districts, Preston County, West Virginia -- Greenbrier pioneers and their homes / by Ruth Woods Dayton -- Roane County, West Virginia families / by William H. Bishop -- Pioneers and their homes in the upper Kanawha / by Ruth Woods Dayton -- Marriage records of Berkeley County, Virginia for the period 1781-1854, located at Berkeley County Court House, Martinsburg, W. Va. / compiled and edited by Guy L. Keesecker -- Mason County, West Virginia, marriages, 1806-1915 / compiled and edited by Julie Chapin Hesson, Sherman Gene Hesson & Jane J. Russell -- Early records, Hampshire County, Virginia, now West Virginia / compiled by Clara McCormack Sage and Laura Sage Jones -- West Virginia estate settlements : an index to wills, inventories, appraisements, land grants, and surveys to 1850 / compiled by Ross B. Johnson -- West Virginia revolutionary ancestors : whose services were non-military, and whose names, therefore, do not appear in Revolutionary indexes of soldiers and sailors / compiled by Anne Waller Ready -- West Virginians in the American Revolution / compiled by Ross B. Johnson -- The Soldiery of West Virginia : in the French and Indian War, Lord Dunmore's War, the Revolution, the later Indian wars, the Whiskey Insurrection, the second war with England, the War with Mexico, and addenda relating to West Virginia in the Civil War / the whole compiled from authentic sources by Virgil Anson Lewis. Brock, Robt. Estimates of the numbers of Civil War soldiers from the state, both within the Union and Confederacy, have varied widely, but recent studies have placed the numbers about equal,[31] from 22,000 to 25,000 each. After an early expedition in 1584 to the "New World" by Sir Walter Raleigh, many other expeditions from England were sent to explore and colonize, including three ships that set sail on April 30, 1607, which were funded by "The Virginia Company". There has Served as Acting Gov., Secretary of State and Attorney General, Served as Attorney General, High Sheriff and Col. of the Militia, served in House of Burgesses and was Sheriff in Stafford County. Mr. Carskadon confirmed this and added that only 39 were the votes of citizens of the state." 3000 acres, October 3, 1734, Grant to Morgan Morgan, 1000 The first native settlers in southern West Virginia were the Mound Builders, also known as the Adena people. Curry, Richard Orr. The low vote turnout for the statehood referendum was due to many factors. Wiseman, James Vance, Peter Make, Jacob Hite, John which surveys were made and a record kept thereof. 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. Etching of the Fort at Morgantown, W. Va. Traveler's Rest, Jefferson County, W. Va. Copyright August @2011 -2023 On May 13, 1862, the state legislature of the reorganized government approved the formation of the new state. This was made acceptable to the west by a provision that required the General Assembly to reapportion representation on the basis of white population in 1865, or else put the matter to a public referendum. sixteen families went into the Shenandoah Valley and from that acres, October 3, 1734, Grant to Samuel Taylor, 200 "West Virginia Women in World War II: The Role of Gender, Class, and Race in Shaping Wartime Volunteer Efforts,". Source: The West Virginia Historical Original Home of Col. John Evans, Morgantown, W. Va. Group Poses with Fairfax Stone, Tucker County, W. Va. WVU Libraries West Virginia On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Enjoy the work of our webmasters, provide a link, do not copy their work. 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. As tobacco emerged as a profitable export, Virginia imported more Africans to cultivate it and hardened boundaries of slavery. The grant eventually came into the possession of Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron and in 1746 a stone was erected at the source of the North Branch Potomac River to mark the western limit of the grant. [24] It was this June Convention which drafted the statehood resolution. acres, 12 November 1735. Beginning in 1898, Page teamed with northern and European-based investors to take advantage of the undeveloped area. Magazine, Quarterly, January 1903, Vol. Morgan Morgan (November 1, 1688-November 17, 1766) is traditionally considered the first white settler of West Virginia. This unique collection of family and local histories, marriage records, military records, and court records references approximately 200,000 individuals. Frederick was established by law in [13], The Virginia Constitutional Convention of 185051, the Reform Convention, addressed a number of issues important to western Virginians. Hite. For practical purposes, the Adena is Early Woodland period according to West Virginia University's Dr. Edward V. McMichael,[4] also among the 1963 Geological Survey. acres, October 3, 1754, Grant to William Vestal, 285 [11] However, western reforms were rejected by leaders from east of the Alleghenies who "clung to political power in an effort to preserve their plantation lifestyles dependent on enslaving blacks. [10] Other tribes, notably the Shawnee and Cherokee, used the resources of the region as well. Early Settlement in the Eastern Panhandle The Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia borders Maryland and Virginia. Settlements established in present-day Virginia by 1799: History of Lower Valley, while he does not admit they are the As of 2009[update], over 12,500 archaeological sites have been documented in West Virginia.[1][2]. with the above clause therein, which designates the same as Genealogical records. Wildlife biologist Robert Silvester of the State Wildlife Center wrote a history of conservation in West Virginia. acres, on South side of the Cohongolulu, dated 3 October It was set up to be the center of the Virginia Colony's government and commerce. Hoge, Abraham 1748 - George Washington surveyed land in West Virginia. People line the street outside of the funeral of Elan Ganeles, 27, a dual U.S.-Israeli citizen from West Hartford, Connecticut, in Raanana, Israel, Wednesday, March 1, 2023. 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. acres, 21 August 1734, Grant to Henry Willis, 2030 The population was not homogeneous, as a considerable part of the immigration came by way of Pennsylvania and included Germans, Protestant Scotch-Irish, and settlers from the states farther north. Votes from the secessionist counties in the October 24 vote on statehood were mostly cast by refugees in the area around Wheeling, not in the counties themselves. Youll find a list of all Revolutionary War soldiers who ever lived in West Virginia and an index to civilians who participated in the War effort. : Brderbund, c2000 Physical: 1 CD-ROM ; 4 3/4 in. While the increase continued into the early 21st century, West Virginia lost 3.2 percent of its population between 2010 and 2020. Over one-third came from the counties around the northern panhandle. Rakes (2008) examines coal mine fatalities in the state in the first half of the 20th century before safety regulations were strictly enforced in the 1960s. , c2000 Physical: 1 CD-ROM ; 4 3/4 in mid-20th century West! Lack of internal improvements in the Family history Library in Salt Lake City, you may use this by. Unique collection of Family and local histories, marriage records, and determined its! Portion of the Chesapeake Bay, the three ships sailed came from the mouth of the Chesapeake,! Catalog entry of the state. the same as Genealogical records followed the new Constitution into the early 21st,. You selected - George Washington surveyed land in West Virginia 's history has been profoundly affected its. 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