West Virginia The Early Years
I shall not go into who the first settler was or what area was named for whom. This has been covered in many books. I want to paint a proper picture of what the land looked like & some of what the settlers faced upon arrival in the region.
The first white people to come to West Virginia were hunters and trappers from east of the mountains. Occasionally there were some Indian traders who came down from the upper country by way of the Ohio River.
The forests were dense with massive oak, hickory, chestnut, black walnut, and butternut trees and were filled with wild turkey, deer, elk, bear, bison, wild boar, wolves, and mountain lions. Fish filled every stream and were actually jumping up out of the water. Edible plants that our forefathers depended on for their very survival were unlimited and there for the taking.
It didn’t take long before those living back east heard about the undiscovered land from the hunters and trappers who traveled upon their return. The description of the untamed land seemed as though it was taken straight out of a story book.
Many people think of our early life much like today as far as culture in Appalachia. They truth is that most early settlers spoke with a foreign accent. Immigrants into WV were a mix of individuals from England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. German settlers from the Susquehanna River area also came to a lesser extent. The vast woodlands and massive mountain peaks were reminiscent of the homes had left behind and they fell very much in love with the new land they now called home.
Many of the men who were bringing their families to the brink of civilization represented the great Teutonic and Celtic peoples whose ancestors were hardened soldiers from the battlefields of Europe. These descendants carried that brave, independent gene within their own DNA and they were going to need every ounce of it.
Is there any wonder the spirit of West Virginians echoes “mountaineers are always free” through every fiber of their being?
But let’s get back to what they faced. First things first… they needed shelter and they needed it yesterday. So, they quickly built small cabins which averaged no more than 12 to 16 feet square. There was only one door and usually no windows. If they did cut out a window, animal skins or boards were fixed to the side of the opening in order to secure the cabin and allow for heat to be maintained in the winter months. In some cases when it was available, the settlers used paper greased with animal fat. These small cabins were never meant to be permanent homes.
There were no cook stoves on the frontier. They did not arrive until the 1840s. Fireplaces served multiple purposes. They gave light in the cabin, provided warmth during the winter, and with the help of iron back bars and cranes, they served for cooking.
Food consisted of whatever the settler could trap, shoot, or gather. Bullets and black powder were scarce, so they were used only when necessary. If it was possible to catch an animal in a trap, it saved ammunition for another day. Remember it was a vast wilderness. There were no gardens. Garden space had to be cleared with axes, grub hoes, and brute strength. Then, it was prepared for planting before any hope of vegetables was possible.
Doctors were non-existent. Settlers depended on the medicinal plants of the forest. An art which was learned from the Native Indian or brought with them from across the ocean. This art was nearly lost in the age of modern medicine. Fortunately, it has made a strong comeback in recent years.
I know I said no names and no places, but I must include these important facts.
The first river to be discovered by the white men was a river that flowed northwest, which was the opposite direction of the rivers back east. They named it the New River.
A great river was discovered by Robert Cavalier La Salle in 1663. La Salle had heard of this great river that was nearly as large as the St. Lawrence River according to Natives via the Dallier Mission in Canada. La Salle decided to venture into the dangerous interior in search of this river called the Ohio (O-y-o, or Great River). He convinced a few Indians to be his guides and set out at Lake Onondaga in New York; reached the Allegheny River in October of 1669; continued down the Monongahela to the Ohio. He traveled down the Ohio River until he reached the Falls (now Louisville, KY). This would mean that La Salle was the first white man to see western most boundary of the now West Virginia.
Did you ever try to win the Golden Horseshoe Award in WV History as a kid? Ever wonder from where the name came?
Governor Alexander Spotswood wanted to learn more about the region and accordingly set out with a group of 30 men from Williamsburg. They made it to the Blue Ridge and crossed at Swift Run Gap. They descended to the river that they named Euphrates (now Shenandoah).
Spotswood was so taken with the majesty of the river and the vastness of the Great North Mountain that upon his return to Williamsburg, he established the “Trans-Montane Order or Knights of the Golden Horseshoe”. As a token of his appreciation for the men who traveled with him, he gave each of them a miniature horseshoe, some of which were set with valuable stones. Each bore the inscription, “Sic juvat transcendere montes – Thus he swears to cross the mountain.”
Be proud of your strong West Virginia roots. It is our proud heritage that makes us unique from almost every part of the world. It is what binds us and has made us who we are. We neither transgress on, nor back down from anyone or anything. Yes. We are a unique group of people and blessed to be so.
God Bless and Stay Well
Patricia Richards Harris
