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Trapper John Simpson was the first known person of European descent to enter what is now Taylor County in 1768. Shortly after, people started to settle in Booths Creek, located in the northwestern part of the county.
Taylor County’s early economy was based on farming, logging, and transportation. The first towns, like Pruntytown and Fetterman, were built along the Northwestern Turnpike, which is now U.S. 50. Pruntytown, founded in the 1770s and the county's oldest settlement, was originally called Cross Roads and Williamsport. It was located where the Northwestern Turnpike met the Booths Ferry Pike. Fetterman was also a key location, where the turnpike crossed the Tygart Valley River. Pruntytown was the county seat from 1844 to 1878, when it was moved to Grafton, a growing railroad town.
Grafton’s history is closely tied to the Baltimore & Ohio (B&O) Railroad. In 1850, the railroad was given a charter to build a line to Parkersburg, and the tracks were planned to cross the Tygart Valley River near Three Fork Creek, an area in Taylor County. Grafton was established in 1852, where the B&O main line met the Parkersburg branch. It quickly became a major transportation hub, and today it is still an important railroad town.
