WELCOME TO SUMMERS COUNTY
WEST VIRGINIA
I I I I Here is a bit about the county where I traveled in search of the old barns.
Early History of Summers County
West Virginia became a state June 20, 1863. Summers County was created by an act of the West Virginia General Assembly on February 27, 1871 from parts of Fayette, Greenbrier, Mercer and Monroe counties. It was named in honor of George W. Summers (1804-1868).
Colonel Abraham Wood became the first Englishman to explore the Summers County area when he traveled down the New River Valley in 1654. Christopher Gist passed through the county on his way home after exploring much of the present state of West Virginia on behalf of a land investment company, the Ohio Company, in 1750-1751.
Andrew Culbertson was the first English settler in present day Summers County. He moved into the present county in 1753 and his farm became known as Culbertson's Bottom. He abandoned the farm the following year after the Indians went on the warpath. His farm was then occupied and claimed by Thomas Farley.
After the county's formation, the county court was first held at the Baptist Church, two miles north of New River. The court was later moved to an office above C.L. Thompson's printing shop in Avis. That building burnt down in 1875 and the court moved to John Pack's storehouse on Hilton Island. A legal dispute then ensued between Dr. John Manser and E.B. Meader, who wanted the county seat at Foss, and Evan Hinton (called "Father of the County" due to his efforts to form the county) and his friends who wanted the county seat at Avis. The impasse over the location of the county seat was finally resolved when the Chesapeake & Ohio River Railroad Company donated three acres of land for county purposes, in the present site of Hinton, if the county seat was moved there. The county court house was constructed in Hinton in 1876 and occupied by the county court in 1877. Hinton has been the county seat since.
Hinton was laid out on the land of Avis Gwinn Hinton by her husband, John Hinton, in 1831. The town grew very slowly until 1871 when the Chesapeake & Ohio River Railroad company blasted a path through the New River gorge and made Hinton the division terminal. The town then started to grow and was incorporated on September 21, 1880. Some historians claim that the town was named for Evan Hinton, who was active in the movement to create Summers County. Others suggest that it was named for John (Jack) Hinton, who was a prominent lawyer in the county and laid out the town in 1831. In 1927, the towns of Avis, Bellepoint and Hinton were consolidated and incorporated as the city of Hinton by the West Virginia state legislature.
Today in the County
The 2010 census reported there were 13,927 people, 5,201 households in the county. Land area is 361.17 square miles with 38.6 persons per square mile.
Visit http://www.hintonwva.com, where you will find a wealth of information about:
West Virginia Water Festival; Railroad Days; Festival of the Rivers: John Henry Days; Whitewater Rafting; State and National Parks; scenic byways; more history; facts; and much, much more.
Please visit the “Places” category on this site for photos of perhaps lesser know, but perhaps important ,places around the county.
About the town of Hinton
Early History of Summers County
West Virginia became a state June 20, 1863. Summers County was created by an act of the West Virginia General Assembly on February 27, 1871 from parts of Fayette, Greenbrier, Mercer and Monroe counties. It was named in honor of George W. Summers (1804-1868).
Colonel Abraham Wood became the first Englishman to explore the Summers County area when he traveled down the New River Valley in 1654. Christopher Gist passed through the county on his way home after exploring much of the present state of West Virginia on behalf of a land investment company, the Ohio Company, in 1750-1751.
Andrew Culbertson was the first English settler in present day Summers County. He moved into the present county in 1753 and his farm became known as Culbertson's Bottom. He abandoned the farm the following year after the Indians went on the warpath. His farm was then occupied and claimed by Thomas Farley.
After the county's formation, the county court was first held at the Baptist Church, two miles north of New River. The court was later moved to an office above C.L. Thompson's printing shop in Avis. That building burnt down in 1875 and the court moved to John Pack's storehouse on Hilton Island. A legal dispute then ensued between Dr. John Manser and E.B. Meader, who wanted the county seat at Foss, and Evan Hinton (called "Father of the County" due to his efforts to form the county) and his friends who wanted the county seat at Avis. The impasse over the location of the county seat was finally resolved when the Chesapeake & Ohio River Railroad Company donated three acres of land for county purposes, in the present site of Hinton, if the county seat was moved there. The county court house was constructed in Hinton in 1876 and occupied by the county court in 1877. Hinton has been the county seat since.
Hinton was laid out on the land of Avis Gwinn Hinton by her husband, John Hinton, in 1831. The town grew very slowly until 1871 when the Chesapeake & Ohio River Railroad company blasted a path through the New River gorge and made Hinton the division terminal. The town then started to grow and was incorporated on September 21, 1880. Some historians claim that the town was named for Evan Hinton, who was active in the movement to create Summers County. Others suggest that it was named for John (Jack) Hinton, who was a prominent lawyer in the county and laid out the town in 1831. In 1927, the towns of Avis, Bellepoint and Hinton were consolidated and incorporated as the city of Hinton by the West Virginia state legislature.
Today in the County
The 2010 census reported there were 13,927 people, 5,201 households in the county. Land area is 361.17 square miles with 38.6 persons per square mile.
Visit http://www.hintonwva.com, where you will find a wealth of information about:
West Virginia Water Festival; Railroad Days; Festival of the Rivers: John Henry Days; Whitewater Rafting; State and National Parks; scenic byways; more history; facts; and much, much more.
Please visit the “Places” category on this site for photos of perhaps lesser know, but perhaps important ,places around the county.
About the town of Hinton
Summers County Courthouse constructed in 1876 is located in Hinton
The town of Hinton operates under the "City Manager" governing system.
Chris Meadows • City Manager cmeadows@hintonwva.com
Joe Blankenship • Mayor mayor@hintonwva.com
Hinton is the county seat of Summers County. Hinton's complete downtown was placed on the National Registry of Historic Places in 1984. There are several museums in Hinton, including the Veterans Memorial Museum, the Hinton Railroad Museum, and King's Civil War Museum. The City of Hinton is currently restoring the CSX passenger depot and the Freight Depot to be used as possible tourist draws in the future. The first public swimming pool in town, designed in the shape of a train locomotive, opened recently.
Hinton is located at 37°40′1″N 80°53′12″W37.66694°N 80.88667°W (37.667011, -80.886759) [ It is situated along the New River just north of its confluence with the Greenbrier River. Lake Bluestone is located within Hinton.
Visit these web links for additional information:
http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/WV/Summers/state.html -
Currently there are 8 venue designated in this site
http://Www.flickr.com,to view hundreds of photos posted by friends. Under "search", enter "Hinton WV" or "Summers County WV" and enjoy these photos
The town of Hinton operates under the "City Manager" governing system.
Chris Meadows • City Manager cmeadows@hintonwva.com
Joe Blankenship • Mayor mayor@hintonwva.com
Hinton is the county seat of Summers County. Hinton's complete downtown was placed on the National Registry of Historic Places in 1984. There are several museums in Hinton, including the Veterans Memorial Museum, the Hinton Railroad Museum, and King's Civil War Museum. The City of Hinton is currently restoring the CSX passenger depot and the Freight Depot to be used as possible tourist draws in the future. The first public swimming pool in town, designed in the shape of a train locomotive, opened recently.
Hinton is located at 37°40′1″N 80°53′12″W37.66694°N 80.88667°W (37.667011, -80.886759) [ It is situated along the New River just north of its confluence with the Greenbrier River. Lake Bluestone is located within Hinton.
Visit these web links for additional information:
http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/WV/Summers/state.html -
Currently there are 8 venue designated in this site
http://Www.flickr.com,to view hundreds of photos posted by friends. Under "search", enter "Hinton WV" or "Summers County WV" and enjoy these photos