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The first European-American settlers in present-day West Virginia were pioneers seeking a new life, drawn by the cool mountains and rich valleys. They used frontier skills to build homes, hunt, trap, and gather food. As they cleared land for crops and animals, farming became more important, especially in the late 1700s and early 1800s.
Until the late 1800s, most people lived by subsistence farming, growing their own food and making what they needed. Families used their land and nearby forests for food, building materials, and clothing. Early industries, like grain grinding and cloth making, were closely linked to farming.
Material culture refers to the physical objects, tools, and traditions created by a society. In West Virginia, it is closely linked to agriculture and family farms. Until the late 1800s, most people lived off their farms, growing crops, raising li...
In West Virginia, the term "homeplace" holds special meaning. It refers to the place where someone grew up or their family's original home, not necessarily their current house. Some families still live there, while others use it as a vacation spot...
Cultural landscapes are the changes people make to the natural environment, such as building structures, altering the land, or changing plants. These changes reflect the culture of the people who made them. For example, early pioneers built homes ...
Outbuildings are key parts of any farm, providing storage, workspaces, and animal housing. Early pioneers mainly used logs to build farm structures, but later materials, such as stone, timber, brick, and manufactured goods, were also used. Common ...
Since early European settlement, West Virginians have built fences around their crop fields. At first, only fields near homes were fenced, while livestock roamed freely and were marked with ear cuts to show ownership.Early fences were mostly made ...
In the 1800s and early 1900s, the country store was the heart of community life, serving nearby families. It was lit with kerosene or gas lamps and heated by a coal stove with benches for gathering. Most stores also contained the local post office...
Gristmills have been an important part of farming and community life in West Virginia for over 250 years. They used large stones, called buhrs, to grind grain into flour, meal, and animal feed, usually powered by water from nearby streams. Shepher...
Forting was a key part of life for settlers in the 1700s. When there was a risk of Indian attacks, families would leave their homes and stay in nearby refuge forts for safety, bringing food, clothes, and valuables if they had time.Families usually...
West Virginia’s traditional food is a mix of Indian ways and European influences. Prehistoric people hunted deer and bear and eventually grew crops like corn and beans. Early settlers, like the Welsh, Scotch-Irish, and Germans, learned to hunt and...
West Virginia is home to over 500 edible plants, 50 animals, and several edible insects. Many wild plants, such as ramps, dandelions, nettles, and other greens, can be eaten. Safe mushrooms like morels and puffballs grow in the area, though some m...
Gathering wild plants and herbs is a long-standing tradition in West Virginia and is still common today. The state’s forests offer many edible plants like berries, mushrooms, nuts, and greens. Gathering is part of the culture and requires knowledg...
Wild berries are an important food source for wildlife and people in West Virginia. Locals have long gathered native berries like blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, elderberries, and more.Strawberries and serviceberries ripen fi...
West Virginians have been preserving food for a long time, and still do today. Traditional methods include salting, smoking, pickling, and drying. Common preserved foods are leather britches (dried beans), sulphured apples, smoked ham, canned gree...
Honey bees weren’t native to West Virginia but became common after settlers brought them to North America. The bees escaped from hives and spread quickly through the forests, even ahead of settlers.West Virginians searched for “bee trees” that hel...
Maple syrup in West Virginia is made from the sap of sugar maples, primarily in the cooler northern regions. The sap is collected during late winter on warm days following freezing nights, usually in February and March. The process occurs in sugar...
Sorghum molasses is a sweet syrup made from the sweet sorghum plant, commonly used on biscuits, pancakes, and in baking. It was a popular sweetener for rural families in West Virginia, especially before World War II when sugar became more common. ...
West Virginia may not have as many lakes and rivers as other states, but it offers excellent fishing opportunities. The state is home to about 40 species of sport fish, including muskellunge, walleye, smallmouth bass, and the native brook trout, w...
Hunting has long been a tradition in West Virginia, dating back to before European settlers. While the tools and clothing have evolved, hunting remains popular in the state. Thanks to wildlife management efforts, animals like deer, wild turkeys, a...
Draft animals like horses, mules, and oxen were essential in West Virginia through the 1800s and early 1900s for farming, transportation, logging, and mining. Oxen, though slower, were easier to care for and worked well on rough land, with Devon o...
In the early 1800s, farming in the U.S. shifted toward selling goods, and livestock such as cattle, sheep, and hogs were driven to markets in cities. Before trains became common in the 1850s, animals had to be walked to cities, with farmers guidin...
Butchering hogs was a key tradition for farmers to prepare food for the winter, typically around Thanksgiving. The process started early with heating water, followed by the best shooter killing the first hog. After scalding and scraping off the ha...
For much of its history, most West Virginians were farmers, even as many later worked in mines, factories, and shops. Families often kept kitchen gardens to help during hard times. Even into the 1950s, many people continued gardening, raising anim...
West Virginia's commercial fruit industry began in the Northern Panhandle and Ohio Valley, where apple trees—possibly first planted by Johnny Appleseed—spread through the region. By the early 1800s, apples were being shipped down the Ohio River, b...
West Virginia's religious history began with Scotch-Irish settlers bringing Presbyterianism. During the Second Great Awakening (1790-1830), Baptists and Methodists gained followers, with Methodist preacher Francis Asbury spreading the faith. Other...
Folk medicine in West Virginia involves healing practices passed down through generations. Remedies fall into three types:Household remedies – use everyday items like salt, honey, or tobacco for common issues.Herbal remedies – use plants like gins...
Folk music in West Virginia features instruments like banjos, fiddles, and guitars, with roots in British, German, African, and other immigrant traditions. Songs passed down from pioneers include ballads and tragic stories, often sung without inst...
Folk dance in West Virginia comes from the traditions of early European and African settlers. Square dancing is the most well-known, rooted in a mix of European dance styles. Play-party dancing, a circle dance with singing instead of a caller, was...
West Virginia’s handcraft tradition began with early settlers in the 1700s and 1800s, who made essential items by hand using natural materials like wood, leather, and metal. Practicality was key, but craftspeople often added decorative touches. Bl...
Traditional basket making in West Virginia uses local materials like white oak, hickory, maple, and vines. White oak is the most common and is split into thin strips called "splits." Baskets come in various shapes and sizes and are named based on ...
Traditional chair making in West Virginia uses centuries-old post-and-rung techniques, primarily found in the Appalachian region today. Craftsmen handcraft chairs using tools like lathes and drawknives. These chairs, such as "ladderback" or "split...
Quiltmaking has a long history in West Virginia, often seen as women's work, influenced by cultural and local traditions. West Virginia quilts feature unique patterns, such as "the fans," and may use techniques like hemming instead of binding.Init...
Even after power looms were introduced in the 1830s, many West Virginians continued weaving fabric at home, making items like blankets, clothing, and bed coverlets, which often became family heirlooms. Weaving was common in rural homes, with famil...
Early European-American Settlers
This Exhibit has 67 Sections
Indians during the Frontier Period
This Exhibit has 15 Sections