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Pocahontas County History and Information

Pocahontas County Facts

See D.O.T. Maps for a Detailed County Map

Pocahontas County was created by an act of the Virginia General Assembly on December 21, 1821 from parts of Bath, Pendleton and Randolph counties. It was named in honor of Pocahontas (1595-1617), the Indian princess who was the daughter of Chief Powhatan, the King of the Confederated tribes of Atlantic Virginia.

County Seat - The first meeting of the Pocahontas County court was held on March 5, 1822. at John Bradshaw's home near Huntersville. Mr. Bradshaw named the town in honor of the large number of hunters who came there during the trading season. John Jordan, William Poage, James Tallman, Robert Gay, John Baxter, George Burner, and Benjamin Tallman served as the county's first Justices of the Peace. John Jordan was named county sheriff, Josiah Beard was appointed county clerk, and Sampson L. Mathews was appointed county surveyor.

Huntersville served as the county seat until 1891 when the county's residents voted to move the county seat to Marlinton. At that time, Marlinton, known as Marlin's Bottom until 1887, had only about 100 residents, but Colonel John McGraw, of Grafton, through the Pocahontas Development Company, had offered $5,000 for the construction of a new courthouse if the county seat was moved to Marlinton. McGraw had purchased much of the land in the area and was able to convince the railroad to extend a line to the town. Once the railroad line was completed in 1901, the town began to grow.

See also Extended History for more historical details.

Areas adjacent to Pocahontas County are Randolph County (north), Pendleton County (northeast), Highland County, Virginia (east), Bath County, Virginia (southeast), Greenbrier County (southwest), Webster County (northwest). Pocahontas County Cities and Towns Include Arbovale, Bartow, Buckeye, Cass, Droop, Dunmore, Durbin, Green Bank, Hillsboro, Marlinton, Mill Point, Minnehaha Springs, Seebert, Slatyfork, Snowshoe, Stony Bottom

County Community Website
Pocahontas County, West Virginia History Books at Amazon.com
Family History Library - The largest collection of free family history, family tree and genealogy records in the world.

Pocahontas County Court Records

See Also West Virginia Land Records, Marriage Records, Court & Probate Records

PLEASE READ!! Please call the clerk's department to confirm hours, mailing address, fees and other specifics before visiting or requesting information because of sometimes changing contact information.

Pocahontas County Clerk has Land Records from 1822, Marriage Records from 1822, Probate Records from 1822 and Birth & Death Records from 1853 -Present and is located at the Courthouse, 900-C Tenth Avenue, Marlinton, WV 24954 ; 304-799-4549, Fax: 304-799-6947 .
The County Clerk's many duties include some of the following: the issuance of marriage licenses, birth and death certificates, record births, marriages and deaths in the county, serve as the recorder of all documents, prepare and send to all heirs a Notice to Redeem and take care of publications, redemptions or recording deeds with regard to delinquent property, issue military service discharge records and probate wills and assist in administration of estates.

Pocahontas County Clerk of Circuit Court has Court Records from 1822 and is located at the Courthouse, 900-C Tenth Avenue, Marlinton, WV 24954-1394 304-799-4604, Fax: 304-799-6809 .
The County Clerk of the Circuit Court's many duties include some of the following: Serve as the Clerk to the Circuit and Family Court, Issue mesne (during the progress of a case) process, Issue final process to enforce and execute judgements, Appoint guardian ad litem where required, Responsible for all papers filed in the office; serve as registrar, recorder and custodian for all pleadings, documents and funds pertaining to cases filed in circuit court and family court, Responsible for the administration and management of the petit and grand jury systems in the county

Since West Virginia was part of Virginia prior to 1863, see Virginia Databases for all records before that date.

The Pocahontas County Courthouse was completed in 1894 to the design of Millard F. Giesey, a widely practiced architect from Wheeling. The brick and stone building rises two-and-a-half stories, and when new was easily visible from most parts of the town. Designed in a popular interpretation of the Romanesque Revival style, the courthouse was an important symbol of Marlinton’s ascendance as the principle center of industry and commerce in the county. Typical Romanesque Revival hallmarks visible in the design include the massive sandstone semi-circular arch and squat, round pillars that frame the main entrance, vertical massing, and the asymmetrical placement of the pyramidal roofed bell tower. Unlike the prototypical, rockfaced stone buildings designed by Henry Hobson Richardson, this building is constructed of brick common bond walls with stone reserved for the foundation, entrance arch, and the window arches and sills.

Below is a list of online resources for Pocahontas County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Pocahontas County Court Records by clicking the link below:

West Virginia Marriage Records, 1863-1900
Pocahontas County, West Virginia Court Books at Amazon.com
West Virginia Immigration & Emigration Records - Immigration records help the family historian to understand the movements of their ancestry as they relocated to different parts of the world.

Pocahontas County Vital Records

See Also Research In Tax Records

While people were taxed in Virginia prior to 1782, not many tax lists for that early period have survived, and the originals that have survived are at the Virginia State Library. Colonial period taxes were imposed on the personal property of males who were twenty-one and older, and called "tithables." While there is no comprehensive list or collection of early tax lists, many fragments are printed throughout Virginia genealogical literature

West Virginia has one of the most complete sets of old tax records in existence. Land tax records dating from 1782 to 1936 for all counties, with some through 1959, are available at the Archives and History Library in Charleston. Most county clerks have duplicate copies in their offices. As noted in the section on Virginia, the Virginia State Library has the original unindexed personal property tax records from 1782 to 1863.

Below is a list of online resources for Pocahontas County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Pocahontas County Tax Records by clicking the link below:

Pocahontas County, West Virginia Tax Books at Amazon.com

Pocahontas County Genealogical Addresses

The Repositories in this section are Archives, Libraries, Museums, Genealogical and Historical Societies. Many County Historical and Genealogical Societies publish magazines and/or news letters on a monthly, quarterly, bi-annual or annual basis. Contacting the local societies should not be over looked. State Archives and Societies are usually much larger and better organized with much larger archived materials than their smaller county cousins but they can be more generalized and over look the smaller details that local societies tend to have. Libraries can also be a good place to look for local information. Some libraries have a genealogy section and may have some resources that are not located at archives or societies. Also, take a special look at any museums in the area. They sometimes have photos and items from years gone by as well as information of a genealogical interest. All these places are vitally important to the family genealogist and must not be passed over.

Below is a list of online resources for Pocahontas County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Pocahontas County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:

Pocahontas County Historical Society, Inc., 810 Second Avenue, Marlinton, WV 24954
Local West Virginia Researchers, Find a local researcher or become a local researcher.
West Virginia Archives and History, The Cultural Center; 1900 Kanawha Boulevard, E.; Charleston, WV 25305-0300. Read here before requesting research
Publication: West Virginia History. This facility consists of the library, archives, and a museum containing materials from 1760 to present.
West Virginia Genealogical Society, Post Office Box 249, Elkview, West Virginia 25071
West Virginia Historical Society, PO Box 5220, Charleston, WV 25361
West Virginia Newspapers & Periodicals Records - Newspapers and periodicals are the diaries of local communities. They are excellent sources of family history details - often recorded nowhere else. Look for obituaries, marriages, legal notices, and more found in our Historical Newspaper Archives.
West Virginia Genealogical Society Books at Amazon.com

Pocahontas County Church & Cemeteries

Click Here to Search West Virginia Obituary Records! - This database is a compilation of obituaries published in U.S. newspapers, collected from various online sources. Obituaries can vary in the amount of information they contain, but many of them are genealogical goldmines, including information such as names, dates, places of birth and death, marriage information, and family relationships.

There are many churches and cemeteries in Pocahontas County. Some transcriptions are online. A great site is the Pocahontas County Tombstone Transcription Project.

Many religious groups have deposited their records at the West Virginia and Regional History Collection. Church record inventories compiled as part of the Historical Records Survey are available there and at the FHL. For a complete discussion of early church records, see Virginia-Church Records.

The most extensive collection of West Virginia tombstone inscriptions was compiled by the Historical Records Survey. Available at the West Virginia and Regional History Collection and on microfilm at the FHL, the collection includes inscriptions through 1939-40. The DAR and others have published volumes of cemetery records.

Below is a list of online resources for Pocahontas County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Pocahontas County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:

Find Obituaries in The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of West Virginia obituaries to help you research your family history. Search for a West Virginia newspaper obituary about your ancestor or a celebrity. Begin your search today and find death notices and funeral announcements printed in newspapers from West Virginia.
West Virginia Cemetery Readings, 1941
Pocahontas County, West Virginia Cemetery Books at Amazon.com
Pocahontas County, West Virginia Church Books at Amazon.com

Family Trees & Genealogy Tidbits

Click Here to Search West Virginia Family Tree Records! - The use of published genealogies, electronic files containing genealogical lineage, and other compiled sources can be of tremendous value to a researcher.

When view family trees online or not, be sure to only take the info at face value and always follow up with your own sources or verify the ones they provide. Below is a list of online resources for Pocahontas County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Pocahontas County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:

Search 60 Years Of Everton Data: For the first time ever you can get access to more than 150,000 pedigree files and family group sheets from Evertons. Learn More
Search the Family Tree DNA Project- Use DNA testing to break through your genealogical barriers!
Sites on USGenweb: [ Pocahontas County ] [ West Virginia ] [ Main Page ]
[GenForum Message Boards] [Rootsweb Message Boards]
Genealogy Encyclopedia: General Abbreviations, Early Illnesses, Nickname Meanings, Worldwide Epidemics, Early Occupations, Common Terms, Censuses Explained, Free Genealogical Forms
Nichols and Related Families of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virgina.
West Virginia Family & Local History Records - The Family & Local Histories Collection lets you read journals, memoirs, and other first-hand historical narratives right on your computer. Gathered from some of the world's finest libraries, these materials may provide hard-to-find town, county, and state information; tax records and wills; military, church, and court records; as well as photographs, stories, and maps.
Genealogical Document Search and Retrieval Service
Pocahontas County, West Virginia Family Books at Amazon.com

County History

County Name Origin

Pocahontas is famous for having saved the life of Captain John Smith, founder and Governor of Jamestown, the first, permanent English settlement in America. According to the story, the English settlers had run out of food and went to the Indians seeking corn, but were refused any help. Recognizing that the colony would stare without more food, Captain John Smith attacked the local Indians settlement and secured the provisions necessary to keep the colony going. He was later captured by the Indians and condemned to death. He was dragged to a large stone where his head was to be crushed. Pocahontas, then about 12 years old, begged her father to spare Smith's life. When it appeared that the sentence was about to be carried out anyway, she covered Smith's head with her own body to shield him. Smith was then released and a few days later reached an agreement with Powhatan to allow the settlers to hunt in the area in exchange for two cannon and a grindstone. Pocahontas then spent much of her time with the settlers, learned their language and, when she was 17, married John Rolfe (or Rolph), one of the settlers. In 1616, she accompanied her husband to London where she was received with royal honors for her role in saving Smith and the colony. The following year, she was preparing to return to the colony with her husband but became ill and died, at the age of 22, from smallpox. She left behind her husband and their infant son, Thomas Rolfe. Pocahontas' Indian name was Matoaka.

The First Settlers

The first native settlers in West Virginia's Potomac Highlands (Grant, Hampshire, Hardy, Mineral, Pendleton, Pocahontas, Randolph, and Tucker counties) were the Mound Builders, also known as the Adena people. Remnants of the Mound Builder's civilization have been found throughout West Virginia, with many artifacts found in the Northern Panhandle, especially in Marshall County.

The following is a brief history overview:

Several thousand Hurons occupied present-day West Virginia during the late 1500s and early 1600s.
During the 1600s, the Iroquois Confederacy (then consisting of the Mohawk, Onondaga, Cayuga, Oneida, and Seneca tribes) drove the Hurons from the state and used it primarily as a hunting ground.
During the early 1700s, the Shawnee, Mingo, Delaware, and other Indian tribes also used present-day West Virginia as a hunting ground. West Virginia's Potomac Highlands was inhabited by the Tuscarora. They eventually migrated northward to New York and, in 1712, became the sixth nation to formally be admitted to the Iroquois Confederacy. The Cherokee Nation claimed southern West Virginia.
In 1744, Virginia officials purchased the Iroquois title of ownership to West Virginia in the Treaty of Lancaster.
The Delaware, Mingo, and Shawnee sided with the French during the French and Indian War (1755-1763). The Iroquois Confederacy officially remained neutral, but many in the Iroquois Confederacy allied with the French.
When the French and Indian War was over, England's King George III feared that more tension between Native Americans and settlers was inevitable. In an attempt to avert further bloodshed, he issued the Proclamation of 1763, prohibiting settlement west of the Allegheny Mountains. The Proclamation was, for the most part, ignored.
During the summer of 1763, Ottawa Chief Pontiac led raids on key British forts in the Great Lakes region. Shawnee Chief Keigh-tugh-qua, also known as Cornstalk, led similar raids on western Virginia settlements. The uprisings ended on August 6, 1763 when British forces, under the command of Colonel Henry Bouquet, defeated Delaware and Shawnee forces at Bushy Run in western Pennsylvania.
In 1768, the Iroquois Confederacy (often called the Six Nations) and the Cherokee signed the Treaty of Hard Labour and the Treaty of Fort Stanwix, relinquishing their claims on the territory between the Ohio River and the Alleghenies to the British.
In April 1774, the Yellow Creek Massacre took place near Wheeling. Among the dead were Mingo Chief Logan's brother and pregnant sister. Violence then escalated intoLord Dunmore's War.
On October 10, 1774, Colonel Andrew Lewis and approximately 800 men defeated 1,200 Indian warriors led by Shawnee Chief Cornstalk at the Battle of Point Pleasant, ending Lord Dunmore's War.
The Mingo and Shawnee allied with the British during the American Revolutionary War (1776-1783). One of the more notable battles occurred in 1777 when a war party of 350 Wyandot, Shawnee, and Mingo warriors, armed by the British, attacked Fort Henry, near present-day Wheeling. Nearly half of the Americans manning the fort were killed in the three-day assault. Following the war, the Mingo and Shawnee, once again allied with the losing side, returned to their homes in Ohio. As the number of settlers in the region grew, both the Mingo and the Shawnee move further inland, leaving western Virginia to the white settlers.

Pocahontas County's European Pioneers and Settlers

Jacob Marlin and Stephen Sewell were the first English settlers to reach present-day Pocahontas County. In 1749, they built and shared a cabin on the banks of the Greenbrier River near present-day Marlinton. They were discovered in 1751 by Colonel Andrew Lewis who was destined to command one of the armies at the Battle of Point Pleasant in 1774. Lewis was surprised to find the men living apart, with Marlin living in the cabin and Sewell living in a near-by hollow of a very large sycamore tree. The men indicated that they had lived together for awhile, but had a religious disagreement (some accounts indicate that the dispute was over the use of immersion during infant baptisms and other accounts indicate that it was a more fundamental disagreement over religious articles of faith). Sewell decided to move out to keep the peace. Sewell later moved about eight miles south and, for a short time, lived in a cave. He then moved further west and, in 1756, was killed by Indians near present-day Rainelle in western Greenbrier County. Sewell's Mountain is named in his honor. The tree which served as Sewell's home stood as a tourist attraction until 1930. Marlin also did not stay in Pocahontas County long. He returned to the east around 1754.

Fearing for their safety, no one attempted a permanent settlement in Pocahontas County during the French and Indian War (1754-1763). Shortly after the war's conclusion, in 1765, John McNeel (or McNell), from Cumberland, Maryland, built a cabin in the Little Levels valley. He was soon joined by Charles and Edward Kennison, friends from Cumberland. In 1784, the three men took part in the Battle of Point Pleasant.

Important Events in Pocahontas County during the 1800s

Most of Pocahontas County's residents supported the Confederacy during the Civil War.

On November 6, 1863, Union General William W. Averell, in command of about 2,000 men, drove the Confederate Army from the Greenbrier Valley at the decisive Battle of Droop Mountain. Averell marched his forces from Cheat Mountain to Bartow, to the Little Levels at Hillsboro, and to Droop Mountain. Confederate General John Echols and about 2,000 Confederate troops took up a defensive position on top of the Mountain. Under the cover of artillery fire, Averell split his forces in two, sending one column charging straight up the Mountain and another along an obscure route up the Mountain that passed west of Hillsboro. The Confederate troops did not guard the more obscure route and were surprised when Averell's men charged at them from behind. After a bloody battle that lasted about an hour, the Confederate Army retreated to Lewisburg. After this battle, Union forces continued to meet scattered Confederate resistance in West Virginia, but the Confederate Army's presence in the state subsided substantially.