The first European-American settlement in what is now Monongalia County was made in April 1758 by Tobias Decker and 50 people. They built cabins where Deckers Creek meets the Monongahela River, now Morgantown. In 1759, Delaware Indians attacked, and the settlers scattered. In the 1760s, more settlers came, and in 1766, Zackquill Morgan claimed land. In 1783-84, surveyor Maj. William Haymond divided the land into lots, and in 1785, Morgan’s Town was officially created. Indian raids continued until 1791, and Kerns Fort was built on Deckers Creek for protection.

In November 1814, Monongalia Academy was founded, and in 1831, the trustees started the Morgantown Female Collegiate Institute. Both schools grew, making Morgantown a hub for education. In 1858, Presbyterians opened a second school for girls called Woodburn Female Seminary.

In the 1790s, iron ore was found on Chestnut Ridge, and by 1798, the Davis furnace started making iron, producing a ton of it every day. A small iron-making town grew up on the Cheat River at Ices Ferry, which had 2,500 people in the 1840s. There were also three other furnaces: Woodgrove, Henry Clay, and Anna. Ices Ferry had a foundry, rolling mill, and nail factory. This iron industry was very successful until 1848, and then it continued off and on until 1868.