1716 Gov. Spotswood and Order of Golden Horseshoe
cross Blue Ridge mountains
1729(?) first settlers enter the South Branch River
Valley
before 1735 fist settlers (Corbin, Howard, Walker,
Rutledge, and Forman) settled in Springfield area of South Branch Valley
1736 first stone set at corner of Fairfax grant on
headwaters of Potomac
March 1748 George Washington begins surveying
in county for Lord Fairfax
May 26, 1748 Joseph Edwards received land grant for 400 acres on Great Cacapehon
1748 200 persons reside at Pearsall's Flats
1749 French Capt. Celeron sets copper plates and
claims Ohio River for France at least as far as the Kanawah
Feb. 7, 1751 Christopher Gist sets marker on lands
of the Ohio Company
July 4, 1751 Robert Dinwiddie appointed Lt. Gov. of
Virginia Colony
April 1752 Washington does last surveys
July 7, 1752 Joseph Edwards appointed overseer for
road from Jeremiah Smith's to the North River
1753 Christopher Gist cuts road for Ohio Company
over an old Indian route form mouth of Will's Creek to mouth of the Red
Stone Creek on the Monongahela
Winter 1753-1754 Washington passes through
county on mission to French on Ohio River
April 19, 1754 Col. Washington "tarried at Job
Pearsall's for the arrival of troops" before his trip to try to capture Ft.
Desquene and his defeat at Ft. Necessity
1754 Governor approves establishment of
Hampshire County
May 28, 1754 George Washington attacks on small
French force killing their leader, Jumonville
July 3, 1754 Col. Washington surrenders to the
French at Ft. Necessity
1755 First Hampshire Court record
July 9, 1755 Gen. Braddock's army ambushed at the
Monongahela; Washington and the Virginians cover the retreat. The Virginia
frontier is now open to French and Indian attacks.
April 16, 1756 Apparently, Daniel Morgan wounded
near Hanging Rock on way to Winchester; two companions killed; Morgan
escapes with neck/mouth wound and makes way to Edwards on the Cacapehon
April 18, 1756 Battle of Great Cacapehon;
Capt. John Fenton Mercer, Ensign Thomas Carter and fifteen men killed
April 22, 1756 Col. Washington writes of Mr. Paris
engaging small band of Indians on North River and killing French office with
orders in his pocket to harass frontier; Washington sends men to reinforce
Ft. Edwards
June 30, 1758 Washington visits Pearsall's on
way to join Gen. Forbes against Ft. Duquesne
November 5, 1762 Hampshire County's request to establish the town of
Tucker's Plantation has first reading in House of Burgesses
November 12, 1762 petitions to establish towns at both Shepherd's Town
and a place called Pearsall's Level were presented to the House of
Burgesses
November 18, 1762 the bill to establish the Town of Romney is read for
the first time in the House of Burgesses
November 22, 1762 the bill to establish the Town of Mechlenberg was read
for the first time in the House
November 23, 1762 the bill for dissolving the Parish of Hampshire and
electing a new one is read the second time in the House of Burgesses; the
bill for Mechlenberg is read the second time
November 24, 1762 the bill to dissolve the Hampshire Parish and
establish a new one is passed
December 23, 1762 the bill to establish the Town of Romney was
signed by Gov. Fauquier; later that day the bill for Mechlenberg was
also signed; the bill to dissolve and reelect a Parish Vestry for
Hampshire County is also signed that day
1765 Romney Academy built
1770 Iron furnace built at Bloomery
Oct-Nov 1770 George Washington's last visit to
Hampshire county; he and Dr. James Craik spend night in Romney
1777 Capt. William Forman's defeat on the Ohio
River during Revolutionary War
June 7, 1781 Francis Asbury crosses Cacapon on first
visit to Hampshire County; stayed at William Rannells before traveling to
Richard Williams
1786 State road from Winchester to Romney
1796 Post Office established at Romney
October, 1777 boundries of Hampshire County changed
when Augusta County reformed.
Francis Asbury crosses Cacapon on first visit to
Hampshire County; stayed at William Rannells before traveling to Richard
Williams, June 7, 1781
by 1786 a State road was opened from Winchester via
Capon Bridge to Romney
1786 Hardy County cut off from Hampshire
Dec. 12, 1787 Watson established; later became Capon
Springs
Dec. 16, 1790 Town of Springfield established
...........
1813 Barnes Mill built on the Cacapon
1816 Tannery established in Fox's Hollow by Col.
Vance Fox
1818 merchant mill built on Fox's Hollow by William
Fox
Feb. 4, 1819 The Polemic Society of Romney
established.
1819 General Assembly provides for "Public warehouse
for the receipt of tobacco be established at Romney warehouse and at
Cresap's warehouse at the confluence of the North and South Branches of the
Potomac in Hampshire County"
1820 by this time Samuel Gard had mill at Capon
Bridge
Dec. 12, 1824 first Presbyterian Church dedicated by
Dr. William Henry Foote on lots 59 & 60 at corner of High Street and
Gravel Lane
1825 Bloomery Presbyterian Church
by 1830 the Northwestern Pike reached Romney; by
1838 it reached Parkersburg.
1830 1st stage line from Winchester to Capon Bridge
est.
1842 Capon and North Branch Turnpike completed
May 24, 1845 Land deeded for Romeny Classical
Institute
1850 Dr. Foote establishes Potomac Seminary
1853 Disciples of Christ build church on Sandy Ridge
1854 Land deeded for Springfield Academy
1860 Presbyterian Church on corner of Marsham and
Rosemary Lane
April 1861 Committee of Safety meets in Romney and
begins to prepare for the coming war.
May 18, 1861 the Hampshire Guards and the Frontier
Riflemen leave Romney to join other Virginia regiments at Harpers Ferry
For Civil War see: Romney in the Civil War
June 1, 1866 First decoration ceremony of
Confederate graves in Indian Mound Cemetery.
September 26, 1867 First Confederate Memorial
dedicated to Confederate dead at Indian Mound Cemetery in Romney.
1869 original Methodist Church built on lot 56 in
Romney
September 29, 1870 The first term of WVSB opened
with 25 deaf and 5 blind students.
March 4, 1871 Hampshire County resident John
Jeremiah Jacob took office as first Democratic Governor of West Virginia.
Sept. 1, 1884 the B & O Railroad opens 16.29
miles of track from Green Spring to Romney
1885 St. Stephen's Episcopal Church erected
1890 first commercial peach orchard established by
G.P. Miller & I.H.C. Pancake about 3 miles east of Romney
1893 The Riverside Tannery one mile west of Romney owned by the United States Leather Company burned down. (see: Tidbits of History)
1895 Name of Potomac Seminary changes to Potomac
Academy
1898 Telephone lines completed from Cumberland to
Romney and Romney to Capon Bridge
.............
Oct. 1910 Hampshire Southern Railroad Company opens
36.65 miles from Romney to Petersburg
May 17, 1916 Helen Keller visited The West Virginia
Schools for the Deaf and Blind.
1918-19 One of the worst epidemics of influenza
occurred. At the Schools for the Deaf and Blind one hundred ninety pupils
and one half of the employees were ill with Spanish Influenza. Two girls and
one boy from the deaf school died here after brief illnesses.
1920-22?? Courthouse built to replace one of 1833
September 16, 1921 All students at Deaf and Blind
School attended the laying of the corner stone for the new dormitory for
the blind. Some things placed in the corner stone were: New York Point,
Braille alphabets, the names of teachers, officers, and the pupils of the
School for the Blind.
Jan. 1, 1992
Teachers and students at Capon Bridge Elementary may be bringing in the New Year at a new school. According to superintendent of Hampshire County Schools Gerald Mathias, construction on the building is complete and students may be having class there by Jan. 10. The elementary school consists of 25 classrooms plus an art/music room, computer area, media center and a multipurpose room.
Please email corrections or suggested additions to nrmsaadk@historichampshire.org
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