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 of wood. Worm fences were zigzag and easy to build but took up space. Post-and-rail fences saved space but were harder to construct. Later, sawmills made straight board fences more common.

Picket fences were used around yards and gardens to keep out animals, like chickens, and were built neatly from split or sawed wood.

The invention of barbed wire in the late 1800s made it easier to fence large areas, ending free-roaming livestock. Farmers then had to keep animals on their own land and provide food or pasture.