monroe County,

West Virginia

 
 


















 



















 

 

Welcome

...to Monroe County, West Virginia.  Where all roads lead home.  Secluded in the Allegheny Highlands, present-day Monroe County remained a land unseen for several generations of early Virginia colonists.  The first settlers arrived around 1760, beginning a 30-year period of frontier conflict.  Formation of Monroe as a separated County, separated from Greenbrier, came in 1799.  The new County was named for James Monroe, Virginia's governor at the time.

Monroe's economic basis has always been farming and timber harvesting.  Beginning around 1790, two additional activities were important for about 70 years.  It was the age of water power, and streams such as Indian Creek and The Second Creek supported more than two dozen water-powered mills.  During the same period, the area's mineral springs became major summer resorts, catering to Southerners seeking relief from lowland summer heat.

Monroe County supported the Confederate cause during the War between the States.  When the Federal side carved the new State of West Virginia from Virginia in 1863 included Monroe County, a designation resisted by residents until 1865.

After the War, with the South's economy and social order devastated, the old resorts faded away.  New railroads came nearby, but bypassed Monroe County except at more accessible edges.  Steam power and newer forms of energy overshadowed water power.  Lacking suitable coal deposits, Monroe County lies outside the area which encompasses most of West Virginia.  For these reasons, "Old Monroe" relies largely on agriculture and retains its pastoral character.  In recent times tranquil landscapes has attracted a number of artisans, retirees, and knowledge workers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peaceful and Tranquil

Nestled in the Appalachians, the sound of soft babbling streams fills the seasonal air.  A trip down State Route 219 takes you through rolling hills and small towns where the hustle and bustle of city life is replaced with friendly "Hellos" and "How are you doing?"  This is where the seasons show each of their faces.  From the scorching heat, where you find families by the pool or lake at Moncove Lake State Park, or wading through the waters of Indian Creek, to small children building snowmen in the fresh powdery snow while they ignore the coldness.  This is Monroe County, where neighbors are friends and friends are family.

NEWS RELEASES:


05/29/09 - Monroe County Rabies Clinic Schedules

05/08/09 - Monroe County Health Department Issues Press Release on Swine Flu (Update 05/08/09).















Additional Links

Town of Peterstown Monroe County Schools
Town of Union Monroe County Tourism
Town of Alderson Photo Gallery
Monroe County Libraries Local Links
Historic Districts and Sites