In 1771, hunters John Yeager, George Strader, and 16-year-old Simon Kenton camped near the Elk River. They trapped here until 1773, when they were attacked by Indians. Kenton and Strader escaped, but Yeager was killed. In 1775, Thomas Bullitt surveyed land that later became downtown Charleston. Bullitt received the land for his service in the French and Indian War.

The first settlers arrived in April 1788, building Fort Lee by the Kanawha River, led by George Clendenin. In 1794, the Virginia General Assembly made part of Clendenin’s land a town, originally named Charlestown after his father, Charles. The name was later shortened to Charleston. Daniel Boone, a famous frontiersman, also lived in the area and served in the Virginia General Assembly in 1791.

Charleston’s early economy was built around the salt industry. Elisha Brooks built the first salt furnace in 1797, and soon salt works were spread throughout the area. Many local families, like the Dickinsons and Shrewsburys, grew wealthy from the salt business, and many of Charleston’s streets are named after them. Salt maker Daniel Ruffner built the city’s oldest standing building, Holly Grove.

Salt production was hard work and relied on enslaved labor. In 1850, about 1,500 slaves were working in the salt industry, making Kanawha County one of the few places in Western Virginia with a large number of slaves.