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Gilmer County was created in 1845 from parts of Lewis and Kanawha counties and named for Thomas W. Gilmer (1802-1844), a governor of Virginia. In 1856 the western portions of the county were detached to form Calhoun County.
In 1860, on the eve of the Civil War, the population of Gilmer County was 3,759. During the war, North-South sympathies were about equally divided, with 360 men entering the Federal Army and an approximately equal number joining the Southern forces.
Gilmer County's economy was for many years based almost entirely on agriculture and lumbering. The economic base was widened in the 1890s with the development of the oil and gas fields. Coal mining began to become important about 1908, and by 1915 production had reached 137,000 tons. Coal production peaked in 1964 at 1,223,942 tons. New drilling technology has given renewed life to the oil and gas industry and it is now a major source of income.
Glenville, the county seat, is located on the Little Kanawha River. When laid out in 1845, the town was called Hartford. By an act of the Virginia Legislature in 1856, it was renamed Glenville because of the glen or valley in which it was located.
Glenville State College, established by an act of the State Legislature in 1872, is a state-supported, coeducational institution of higher learning. The West Virginia State Folk Festival is held annually in Glenville.
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(From E. Lee North's 'The 55 West Virginias,' published by West Virginia University Press. Used with permission.)
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