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1755 - On July 8, a settlement at Draper's Meadows along the New River was attacked by Shawnee Indians; nearly all settlers were killed or captured, including Mary Ingles, who authored a famous account of her captivity and escape through the New River Gorge. During the 1700's, there were numerous clashes between white settlers and American Indians, particularly as settlement spread into wester Virginia, which Native Americans used as a hunting ground. In many instances, these settlements violated treaties which had been negotiated with Native Americans.

Source: Lewis, History of West Virginia

1791 - Mary Kinnan was captured and her husband and daughter were killed by Shawnee Indians along the Tygart Valley River in Randolph County. Kinnan lived with her captors for 3 years.

Source: Conley and Doherty - West Virginia History.

1864- On August 6, the Sisters of the Visitation established a Catholic school in Parkersburg which eventually became the DeSales Heights Academy.

Source: Ambler, A History of Education in West

Virginia.

1898 - On June 2, the West Virginia Division of the United Daughters of the Confederacy was formed in Shepherdstown, Jefferson County.

Source: Clagg, West Virginai Historical Almanac

1899 - The first West Virginia chapters of the Daughters of the American Revolution were organized.

Source: Howe, "West Virginia Women's Organization, 1880s - 1930" West Virgina History (1990)

1979 - On February 6, Charleston native Sarah Jane Moore, convicted of attempting to assassinate President Gerald Ford, was captured and returned to the women's federal penitentiary at Alderson after escaping the previous day. Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme, also convicted of attempting to assassinate Ford, was imprisoned at Alderson as well.

Source: WSAZ-TV Newsfilm Card Index (crime), WV State Archives

The area along the Ohio River - west of West Virginia - was

practically unbroken forests, mainly hardwood trees including poplar, walnut, hickory, locust, oaks, maple, sycamore, and chestnuts. Among the beautiful shrubs growing in the forests were azaleas, rhododenron, laurel and wisteria. Bear, deer, elk, panther and an abundance of smaller game inhabited the forsts. A variety of game fish and mussels flourished in the unpolluted streams.

In the Ohio River, is an island that became known as -

Blennerhassett Island.

Blennerhassett Island, a nationally - known landmark and certainly one of West Virginia's best-known historical sites, owes its prominence in history to the Burr-Blennerhassett affair.

The Blennerhassetts originally lived in England. Harmon

Blennerhassett was a direct descendant of King Edward III.

After the death of his father, he inherited the family fortune.

At age 31 he married his 18 year-old bride. As this marriage scandalized his relatives, Harmon and his young bride moved to America in 1796.

After a short stay in New York and Philadelphia, they traveled to Pittsburgh from where they started by keelboat down the Ohio River in search of a home in the west.

While stopped in Marrietta, they met many important people, and enjoyed the society of Marietta so much so

they gave up their plans to travel west.

Blennerhassett wanted to establish a plantation preferably

in a state that allowed slavery. He found an isolated island

and purchased it for his plantation.

Except for sand and gravel for roads, no building stone was available on the island, but there was an abundance of trees. A great white beautiful mansion was completed and ready to be moved into in 1800. It made for a very impressive sight for travelers on the Ohio River!

The Blennerhassetts spent many happy years on the island, until the appearance of Aaron Burr. Burr became a United States Senator in 1791, he lost the presidency to Jefferson by one electoral vote!

Because of an insulting remark reportedly made by Alexander Hamilton, Burr challenged Hamilton to a duel,

resulting in the death of Hamilton! Burr was now in political disfavor, and had to seek an opportunity to regain his reputation and fortune.

The Blennerhassets met Burr in Marrietta. Burr was invited to the island for a visit and they became good friends. They entered into a partnership involved in a plan to carve an empire from southwestern lands then held by Spain.

In December 1806, President Jefferson issued a proclamation against Burr and charged them both with treason against the United States. At trial in Richmond,

Virginia, Burr was acquitted; Blennerhassett was never brought to trial.

As a result of the 'conspiracy' the Blennerhassett mansion was looted and damaged by the troops sent to arrest them.

The Blennerhassetts never returned to live on the island.

The mansion, occupied by a tennant, burned in 1811, set afire by a slave whose candle was too near stored hemp.

Harmon Blennerhassett died a broken man on the Isle of Guernsey on January 31, 1831. Margaret, his wife, died in New York, June 11, 1842.

Because of the historic significance of Blennerhassett Island, the West Virginia Antiquities Commission recommended that the Island be preserved and that the mansion and other structures be restored. Blennerhassett

Island was listed in the National Register of Historic Places September 7, 1972.

Today's visitors to the island may enjoy a craft center, refreshment stand, horsedrawn carriage rides, couvenir shop, picnic shelters, and bicycle rentals. Visitors can

also see large deer herds, flocks of waterfowl, and many

other birds.

A variety of options are available for touring the island.

Volunteers in costume conduct tours thru the reconstructed mansion, as well as self-guided walking tours, and horse

drawn wagon rides.