The History of Hardy County
By Julie George

Located in the heart of the Potomac Highlands of the Eastern Panhandle lies one of the most beautiful and historic places in the United States. Hardy County, founded in 1786, offers much more than scenic and recreational opportunity for both tourists and residents. This area has a rich history that cannot only be read from a book or passed down from generations but can actually be experienced and seen today.

The First Settlers:

• Indians were the first to inhabit present day Hardy County, including the Delaware, Shawnee, and Catawba tribes.

• Indians cleared what is now known as Old Fields in the northern part of the county for grazing and the cultivation of corn and tobacco.

• John VanMeter was the first European to buy land in Hardy County, thus making the Dutch the first European settlers in 1725.

• George Washington was a member of Lord Fairfax's surveying team, which surveyed the land between Mathias, Lost City, and Baker. He also stayed at Stump Cabin.

• By the 1750s, every acre was claimed and the land was quickly converted to cropland or pasture.

The French and Indian War:

• The first cattle drive in the area occurred when Henry VanMeter sent cattle to feed George Washington's troops.

• Farmers from the valley also supplied Washington's army with pork.

• Drafted militia was sent from Fairfax and Prince William counties to protect the valley's residents.

• Three forts were built around Old Fields and Moorefield: Fort Pleasant, Town Fort, and Fort Buttermilk. Two more forts were built in Lost River: Fort Ruddle and Warden's Fort.

• Militia under Captain Jeremiah Smith had skirmished Indians in the Lost River Valley at Fort Ruddle near present day Baker.

• Indians attacked settlers at Fort Pleasant before the South Branch Valley could be secured for the settlers.

The Revolutionary War:

• Dissatisfaction over the war caused a Tory Uprising in Lost River in April of 1781, which was led by John Claypool.

• Hardy County was established on February 1, 1786 and named after Samuel Hardy, a distinguished Virginian.

• Moorefield, named after Conrad Moore, was designated the county seat.

Antebellum Period:

• Hardy County had the largest cattle operation in Virginia.

• Farmers grew rye, wheat, and corn, and nearly every farmer owned a wagon.

• Slave labor was used on small plantations throughout the county.

• Residents enjoyed dances at local plantations, hunting, jousting tournaments, and performances by the "Thespian Society."

• Sulphur Springs, now Lost River State Park, was known for its "miracle" waters.

• Moorefield was the center of political life since the county court house was located there, as well as the social capital and business center.

The Civil War:

• Residents of present day Hardy County supported the Confederacy.

• The Hardy Blues, commanded by John C.B. Mullin, was the first unit ready and joined General Robert E. Lee's army as Company H of the 25th Virginia Volunteers.

• The Hardy Greys were formed by volunteers from Moorefield and was enlisted on June 15, 1861, as Company F of the 33rd Virginia Infantry Regiment.

• The McNeill's Rangers, a guerilla band in which several Southern sympathizers joined from Hardy County, is most known for their daring raid where Jesse McNeill captured Union Generals George Crook and Benjamin Kelley in Cumberland, Maryland.

• General Robert E. Lee and General Ulysses S. Grant stayed at the Mullin Hotel.

• The night before the Battle of Moorefield, General Bradley T. Johnson slept at Willow Wall and General John McCausland stayed at the McMechen House.

• Willow Wall served as a hospital after the Battle of Moorefield.

• The Confederates and Union used the Presbyterian Church as a hospital. The Union also used the church as a stable and burned pews for firewood.

• The Battle of Moorefield was significant in that the defeat essentially destroyed the capability of General McCausland's forces and caused Confederate General Jubal Early to lose confidence in his cavalry, which ensured his defeat in the Shenandoah Valley against Union General Phil Sheridan in the fall of 1864.

Hardy County in the 20th Century:

• In 1928, McCoy's Grand Theatre showed its first performance.

• Hardy County residents also participated in the Sears Roebuck and Company mail order Modern Homes program, which can be seen on South Main Street in Moorefield; five houses were ordered and built in 1912 from the Sears Roebuck catalog.

• First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt dedicated Moorefield High School and gave the commencement address in May 1941.

• In 1950, Sanders Twelve Year School opened to provide black students in the county and surrounding area with a high school education for the first time. It closed in 1957 after the United States Supreme Court ruled "separate but equal" unconstitutional and all schools in Hardy County finally integrated. The building that housed Sanders is now used as the Hardy County Board of Education office.

• Hardy County's economy expanded after World War II with the poultry industry.

• It took from the 1930s to the end of the 20th century to get countywide telephone service.

Realizing the importance of recognizing a community's past, Hardy County Heritage Weekend was started in 1953 with the opening of Mill Island for tours to raise funds for the Hardy County Public Library. It was first a spring homes and gardens tour but was later moved to the last full weekend in September. The festival proved to be very successful, and visitors described Hardy County as "Little Williamsburg." Today its residents still embrace their rich history that has bound the people of this county together for centuries and still can be seen alive and well today. Here, in Hardy County, it is refreshing to see that tradition and heritage can play an important and fundamental part of our lives.

Sources:

Hardy County Commission. Hardy County Family History to 1990. Waynesville, NC:
Don Mills, Inc., 1991.

MacMaster, Richard K. The History of Hardy County 1786-1986. Salem, WV:
Walsworth Press, 1986.

Sullivan, Ken. The West Virginia Encyclopedia. Charleston, WV: West Virginia
Humanities Council, 2006.

Wolfe, Cheri L. "Hardy County: An Analysis of the Planter Culture 1735-1875." Senior
Thesis, Princeton University, 1980.