1607 Jamestowne established in Virginia Colony for Great Britain
1671 Thomas Batts and Robert Fallam cross the Allegheny Mountains into western Virginia and claim the New River Valley
for Great Britain
1671-John Lederer
1670s French trappers and traders claim Ohio Valley
1716-Governor Alexander Spotswood crosses Blue Ridge with Golden Horseshoe party
George Washington surveys large tracts in western Virginia
Morgan Morgan-built first cabin near present Martinsburg
1730-First Settlement at Shepherdstown (German settlers)
1742 John Salling led a group through present day West Virginia to New Orleans
1743- First road was built to Martinsburg
1747-1750 Christopher Gist, surveyor for the Ohio Land Company, reaches mouth of the Great Kanawha River . He explored
and drew maps of western Virginia
1753 Mary Draper Ingles and Betty Draper captured by Shawnee, become first white women in the Kanawha Valley and
first whites to make salt there.
1754 French and Indian War Britain and France fight over claims to Ohio Valley. French encouraged Indians to attack
British settlers.
1763 Britain wins and gains control of most land between the Atlantic Ocean and Mississippi River.
1768 Britain signs treaties with Cherokee and Iroquois nations, allowing settlement of western Virginia
1774 Walter Kelly and family settled at mouth of Kellys Creek, first settlement in the Kanawha Valley. All were killed
by Indians.
April, 1774 Daniel Greathouse party attacks and kills family of Mingo chief ,Logan
1774 Lord Dunmores War against the Indians over land being settled by English which was not given up by the Indians.
1774 Lewis Trail is first road in Kanawha Valley, made by General Lewis troops marching to Pt. Pleasant.
Oct. 10, 1774 Battle of Point Pleasant defeat of Cornstalk and end of Dunmores War, but Congress has also officially
recognized it as first land battle of the American Revolution.
Fort Randolph built at what is now Pt. Pleasant.
1775-1783 American Revolution. More settlers come into western Virginia, mainly as farmers.
Battle of Fort Henry (Wheeling) last battle of the American Revolution
December 1787 James Rumsey of Shepherdstown launches first steamboat
1789 George Washington becomes President
1791 Daniel Boone, living across from mouth of now Campbells Creek, served as Kanawha delegate to the Virginia legislature
1794 Clendenins Fort (now Charleston) built
By 1815, Kanawha Valley salt furnaces were manufacturing about 3,000 bushels of salt every day; attracting many to
the area for salt-mining, coal-mining (to fuel the salt furnaces), barrel-making, and black-smithing. Miners digging for salt
discovered oil, but threw it into the river since they knew little use for it, causing the Kanawha River to become known for
a time as Old Greasy because it was so full of oil.
1853 B&O Railroad completed from Harpers Ferry to Wheeling
Oct 16, 1859- Abolitionist John Browns raid on arsenal at Harpers Ferry.
June 20, 1863 - West Virginia becomes the 35th state