Lawnvale. One mile north, home of Dr. T. C.
Atkeson, head of Grange for
many years. Dean of the West Virginia
College of Agriculture and
author of many works on
agriculture. For nearly 50
years, Atkeson was a leader
among farmers of . . . — — Map (db m137323) HM
Established in 1849 by a joint stock company. First principal was George Rosetter. The school flourished until Civil War began, when it was occupied alternately by soldiers of the Federal and Confederate armies. After the War, the property was . . . — — Map (db m137307) HM
Here at Buffalo Presbyterian Church on May 13,
1861, Confederate Capt. William E. Fife mustered
the Buffalo Guards, the militia company he had
raised in 1859. The families of church members
who served in the company included the Alexanders, . . . — — Map (db m137304) HM
Chartered in 1837, the town of Buffalo predates the formation of Putnam County in 1848. Possibly named
after the nearby Big Buffalo Creek, the town was from its beginnings inextricably tied to river trade and
to agriculture. In its early days, . . . — — Map (db m137327) HM
Indian Village. The Buffalo Indian Village and Cemetery, between the road and the Kanawha River, was one of the largest Indian towns in West Virginia. It was occupied about 1650 by Shawnee Indians who later moved westward. . . . — — Map (db m137328) HM
Confederate Gen. Albert G. Jenkins led 550 cavalrymen on a 500-mile raid, Aug. 22 to Sept. 12, 1862, attacking Federal forces, capturing prisoners, and destroying military stores.
From Salt Sulphur Springs he rode along the Tygart and Buckhannon . . . — — Map (db m137358) HM
Kanawha County. Authorized, 1888; organized 1789 from Greenbrier and Montgomery. Named for the Kanawha River, bearing name of Indian tribe. Salt making brought early settlers into the valley and from it grew vast modern chemical plants.
. . . — — Map (db m85987) HM
Site of Federal homestead project, located on land granted to George Washington in 1773. The “Red House” was built by Joseph Ruffner in 1840. Here, February 2, 1864, General E.P. Scammon, Union commander, was captured by Confederates. — — Map (db m85683) HM
Hometown Park can trace its existence back to at least the 1920s. In 1918, Hatfield and Mitchell Coal and Mining Company bought the Apha Mine located nearby on the Little Guano Creek. The mining
company provided a small piece of land as a place . . . — — Map (db m86221) HM
The nearby highway is part of route
traversing W.Va. from Lewisburg to
Point Pleasant memorialized by the
state to commemorate the march of
the American Colonial army of 1,200
men led by Andrew & Charles Lewis.
After a month's march this . . . — — Map (db m11454) HM
The earliest export industry of the Kanawha River Valley revolved around the manufacturing of salt. Though the discovery of coal veins in Putnam County dates back to at least 1800, for most of the nineteenth century these coal deposits supplied . . . — — Map (db m86239) HM
Acquired 7.276 Acres of this land by a grant, dated December 1, 1773 issued to him by
John Murray, Earl of Dunmore, last Royal Governor of Virginia. This tract was surveyed in July, 1773, by William Crawford, upon warrants issued to George . . . — — Map (db m11451) HM
This “Poca River Tract” of
7,276 acres was acquired by
George Washington, and
surveyed by Wm. Crawford, 1773.
It bordered Kanawha River, "12
miles and 227 poles."
Washington’s nephew, Lawrence,
resided at Red House Shoals. — — Map (db m11453) HM
Hurricane Baptist Church. Hurricane Baptist Church was founded May 26.
1860, near the old Hurricane Bridge. F. H.
Reynolds was first clerk and James Mitchell
the first moderator. This log meeting-house
was burned in 1863 by soldiers of the . . . — — Map (db m178195) HM
Lincoln County. Formed in 1867 from Cabell,
Kanawha, Boone and Putnam.
Named for Abraham Lincoln,
the sixteenth president of the
United States. Producer of oil,
gas and coal. Also noted for
high quality of tobacco grown
on its . . . — — Map (db m178199) HM
Red House Shoals. Oldest community on the Kanawha River between Charleston and Point Pleasant, being settled circa 1795. In 1819, steamboat “Robert Thompson” failed to navigate the shoals here on a trip to Charleston. This led to an . . . — — Map (db m85690) HM
On September 27, 1862, the 91st
Ohio of Col. John Turley, marching
from Point Pleasant, learned that
Jenkins’ Cavalry was camped near
Buffalo. As the Ohioans approached
the Confederate position,
skirmishing ensued; for four hours.
Turley’s . . . — — Map (db m137295) HM
First Confederate victory in Kanawha Valley fought here July 17, 1861. Charge of the Rangers under Captain (later General) Jenkins won the day. Whitelaw Reid described the event as a war correspondent with Gen. Cox's Union forces. — — Map (db m20787) HM
Putnam County. Formed in 1848 from Cabell, Mason, and Kanawha. Named for Gen. Israel Putnam, a Revolutionary War hero. The county is cut by trails made by American bison to the Ohio River. Its oldest town, Buffalo, is named for them. . . . — — Map (db m178696) HM
Planting Roots in Putnam County
James William Hoge was born on April 9, 1830 in Staunton, Augusta County, Virginia to Reverend Peter C. and
Sallie Kerr Hoge. He studied law and was admitted to the bar at age 20 in 1850, later moving to . . . — — Map (db m137584) HM
Located near here was the original
Kanawha Valley Drag Strip, opened
in 1958. The first organized drag
strip in West Virginia, it helped legitimize
the sport in the area. The strip
benefited from its proximity to
neighboring Ohio, drawing on . . . — — Map (db m137368) HM
A Microcosm
Historians use the word microcosm as shorthand to show that a piece is
representative of the whole. “A house divided against itself,” Putnam
County sent approximately 10% of its population to war, nearly half to . . . — — Map (db m137355) HM
Sited on land owned by Charles
Brown, who started a ferry here in
1818, the town was named for Gen.
Winfield Scott, Mexican-American
War hero. Putnam County’s seat,
it was incorporated in 1868. Its
location along the Kanawha made
it an . . . — — Map (db m137350) HM
