Come visit our mountains, rivers, and valleys and walk through our history.
Samuel Kercheval’s A History of the Valley of Virginia (1833) provides a historic perspective that helps tell the stories of Hardy County’s lands and people.
At times not more than a puddle, Trout Pond is West Virginia’s only natural lake. Trout Pond Recreation Area is known for its hiking, fishing, and camping. Fed by tributaries flowing throughout the hills, the waters feed Hardy County’s five rivers including the South Fork, which drifts into the South Branch of the Potomac River. After 30 miles, Lost River disappears underground at the Lost River Sinks to emerge as the Cacapon River, and the North River skirts the county’s border.Kercheval’s descriptions reveal his joy in these rivers that are known for great paddling and fishing adventures.
“… a little east of Thornbottom is situated a most beautiful miniature lake, called the Trout Pond.”
Kercheval’s anecdotal and factual information gives us a glimpse of “frontier” life, beginning in the early 18th century (while it must also be acknowledged that his lack of understanding of the indigenous culture that connects our place names and heritage to early Native American settlements can be jarring for today’s reader). He writes of the Lee Sulphur Spring and the early ownership of thousands of acres belonging to Henry “Light Horse Harry” Lee, Robert E. Lee’s father, which became Hardy County’s premier recreational asset, Lost River State Park. On those same acres, close to the Cranny Crow Overlook, the circa 1840 Tusing Cabin hints at the hardship of early European settlement on Big Ridge Mountain. The park’s Legacy Cabins, primitive Fire Tower cabin, pavilions, and trail system were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, and the mountain bike trails that are under construction in the park’s north end will add to the amenities nearly a century later.
European settlers moved into valleys during the early 18th century, often onto land secured through Virginia warrants or purchased through Lord Fairfax’s land grant. The Fairfax Line, defining the southern and western border of the land grant—and part of Hardy County’s boundary—was surveyed by a young George Washington, who later participated in the French and Indian War over much of this same area. Kercheval tells several stories of this conflict, including an encounter by Robert Higgins, a boy sent to fetch water who had to run to Fort Pleasant for protection. Higgins became a captain in the Continental Army and spent three years as a prisoner of war before returning to his home in Hardy County. The log cabin he built in 1790 in Moorefield, now being restored as a museum, will tell the story of how his life parallels the trajectory of our country’s development.
Wardensville was the terminus for the Winchester and Wardensville Railroad, completed in 1921. Later known as the Winchester and Western, the railroad served until the late 1930s as a commuter train, and it transported timber and agricultural products when it was later linked to the narrow-gauge Lost River Railroad. Connecting to the county’s agricultural heritage, Wardensville is the home of Farms Work Wonders, a nonprofit that works to “ignite the spark of curiosity within Appalachian youth” through leadership, on-the-job training, and empowerment. A small town with great character, its structures include several historic homes and even a tiny jailhouse along the main street. They celebrate their community every year, so plan to visit for the 38th Annual Wardensville Fall Festival, October 11–13, 2024.
This barely touches the rich history of Hardy County. A trail of Civil War sites, the 19th century Capon Charcoal Furnace, the Hardy County Barn Quilt Trail, the 250th anniversary of the Town of Moorefield’s founding, and the Historic Schoolhouse Trail all contribute to Hardy County’s story. Explore that history and more throughout the year at the Hardy County Historical Society Museum and at the upcoming 71st Annual Heritage Weekend, September 27–29, 2024.
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