Page updated March 22, 2005
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EARLY SETTLERS
The story of Grant County long pre-dates the
126 years of history it has experienced bearing that name. Created
out of the monumental conflict known as the Civil War, the county bears
the name of one of the war's most illustrious warriors, Ulysses Simpson
Grant, who was to become the 18th president of the United States.
Within its 478 square miles of territory one
finds fertile valleys along the South Branch of the Potomac River and
its myriad of smaller streams. These valleys drew the earliest
settlers to the area. But the level, fertile areas were soon
claimed and the more typical settler was the hill-farmer, struggling to
wrest his existence from a more harsh land.
In sharp contrast to the valleys were the
forests , a barrier to early settlers, which became the most accessible
natural resource. Early records of the logging industry reflect
they were harvesting timber of a size and on a scale that is now hard to
imagine.
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What is documented of the Indian peril was
severe enough that George Washington and others planned a string of
forts along the fringes of the settlements to which settlers could
retreat for protection. Fort George near Petersburg, Fort
Peterson, near North Mill Creek, and Fort Shobe, near the junction of
North and South Mill Creek are among those for which sketchy information
is known.
Land records exist for the area around
Bayard as early as 1736 and Petersburg was settled in 1745.
Many other towns sprang up as the population continued to grow;
Bismarck (1817), Gormania (1849), Mount Storm (1773), Maysville
(1831), Williamsport (1847). |
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THE CIVIL WAR
The firing on Fort Sumter, in Charleston,
started the Civil War and ignited local tensions as well. The area
now known as West Virginia was, at the time, a portion of Virginia.
Locally, some joined regular Confederate and Union units immediately.
Others joined Home Guard or Ranger units and stayed near home. The
most famous of these local units was McNeills' Rangers. Petersburg
contributed more men to the Confederacy that people generally assumed ,
considering its Union ties during much of the war.
Union Colonel James A. Mulligan, from
Illinois, along with his 23rd Illinois troops and more from Ohio,
Pennsylvania and western Virginia, built the 1863 fort which overlooks
Petersburg. During an expedition to the area in 1864, Major
General Jubal A. Early praised the fortifications and commended the
efforts of the men. The fort is still regarded as one of the best
preserved fortifications in West Virginia.
There were no major engagements around
Petersburg during the war, but constant tension seemed to pervade the
community due to its close proximity to both sides.
Grant County, carved out of Hardy County,
came into being on February 14, 1866 and Maysville became the first
county seat. It remained the county seat until 1872 when, by
popular vote, the records were moved to Petersburg.
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PROSPERITY
In the late 1800's and early 1900's, Grant
County prospered based on the strong values of its people and the wise
use of resources at hand. Logging and the forest industry
continued to be a pillar of the economy. The tanning industry,
based on the raw material of bark was also very successful and Gormania
once boasted of having the largest tannery in the world. The
Petersburg tannery continued to operate until 1974. In 1893,
Bayard became the first Grant County town to incorporate followed by
Petersburg in 1910. |
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The days of the great tanneries are over but logging, cattle, and the poultry industries continue to thrive throughout the area. |
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HISTORY OF PETERSBURG
The site
of Petersburg 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 of what is now West Virginia was still a virgin
wilderness. It was named for Jacob Peterson, who owned and operated
the first general merchandising store in the community.
The community
grew slowly for a time, but gradually became the trading center for this
section of what was to become, in 1786, Hardy County, West Virginia. In
1833 the community acquired its first post office, which was given the
name Lunice Creek. Grant County came into being in 1866 and Petersburg
(or Lunice Creek) became the county seat in 1870. |
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The new county
was named for victorious Union General Ulysses S. Grant and, for the
next 50 years, this community was generally known as Grant County Court
House. A permanent Grant County Courthouse was constructed here in
1879, and subsequently remodeled in 1909. The town was officially
incorporated in 1910 as Petersburg, taking back its original name
designation, with R. W. Baker as the first Mayor, W. E. Hill as the
first Recorder, and J. K. Boggs as the first Town Sergeant.
The Grant County Circuit Court was
petitioned on July 14, 1910, to be incorporated. Based on a petition
submitted by Bernard S. Baker, George A. Judy and Jacob P. Shobe, it was
approved. According to that certificate, the city's original boundaries
enclosed 373 acres and 73 "square rods". Boundary
markers included a "large elm tree in a line of Tom Welton . . . to a
gate post on the west side of the road leading to Tom Welton's". D. P.
Hendrickson, circuit clerk, signed the certificate.
In August of 1910 the first election was held with
R. W. Baker being elected as Mayor with 78 votes and
W. E. Hill elected as Recorder with 55 votes.
Elected to Council were W. A. Ervin, Frank Breathed,
Charles Shobe, Cal Ours and
John B. Groves, and we have grown. As we go into the new millennium,
with approximately 2500 souls, we have accomplished much.
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Completion of
a new bridge across the South Branch; a new flood protection project
from both the South Branch and Lunice Creek; redesign-reengineering of
Virginia Avenue with all new infra-structure; three-laning and new
infra-structure of Route 28/55 to Hospital Hill and the new Post Office
as well as new industries. Surprisingly, five of these industries begin
with the letter "A"; Allegheny Wood Products, Allegheny Dimension,
Allegheny Power and Adell Polymers, Inc.
Also found in our industrial
areas are Greer Limestone, Potomac Valley Transit Authority, the
numerous offices of Region VIII Planning & Development Council and
Potomac Highlands Support Services, Mullenax Trucking and Grant
Manufacturing (C.M.C. Enterprises).
The City of
Petersburg looks to the future with positive attitudes and thanks for
all that has been given so freely by those who have been associated with
us through the past.
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Much of this
information was derived from: Grant County Our Heritage
Walsworth Publishing 1992
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