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Colonel Zackquill Morgan settled near the Monongahela River in 1771 and created a town on his land in 1783. The Virginia General Assembly established it as Morgantown in 1785. The town started as a small area along the river with water-powered industries. In 1838, Morgantown was officially chartered with 650 people.
From 1796 to 1818, Morgantown was an important stop for people traveling north on the Monongahela River to the Ohio River. The first steamboat arrived in 1826, but regular service didn’t begin for many years.
Morgantown's first school opened in 1803. By 1860, several schools were educating White students. In 1867, West Virginia Agricultural College was founded in Morgantown, later becoming West Virginia University in 1868.
