Sign in or create a free account to curate your search content.
In the 1760s, John and Samuel Pringle, who had deserted the British army at Fort Pitt, settled in the area and lived in a hollow sycamore tree by the Buckhannon River for about three years. By 1770, the Pringles, Hackers, Cutrights, Hughes, and other families had established a permanent settlement in Buckhannon Valley. Bush's Fort served as the main defense until it was destroyed by Indians in 1782 during the waning year of the Revolutionary War. The last Indian attack in Upshur County was the massacre of the Bozarth family in 1795.
In 1801, Zedekiah Morgan and other New Englanders settled in Upshur County, mostly around French Creek. Families like Gould, Young, and Phillips were part of this group. They bought land from the Ruggles Woodbridge Land Company, but the land didn't always have clear ownership. By 1830, many had moved west, but their influence on education, politics, and religion is still seen today. The Brooks family, in particular, impacted West Virginia University, Oglebay Park, and the natural sciences.
In 1810, the Methodists started their first church, called Carper Church. Today, Methodism remains the most common religion in the county. West Virginia Wesleyan College opened in 1890 in Buckhannon.
