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

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

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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

1895 Name of Potomac Seminary changes to Potomac Academy

1898 Telephone lines completed from Cumberland to Romney and Romney to Capon Bridge

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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.

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