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Grant County is located in the Eastern Panhandle of the state in what was once called the Northern Neck of Virginia. It is a mountainous area, though it includes broad flat valleys along the major streams. The land is drained by the Potomac River and its tributaries.
Drawn by the rich limestone soil along the rivers, white settlers came early to the area. In 1754 Fort George, named for George Washington who surveyed in the area, was built on the South Branch near Petersburg. Also in 1754, Hampshire County, which then included present-day Grant County, was formed. In 1786, the western part of Hampshire County was annexed to form Hardy County.
During the Civil War, the area now known as Grant County was a borderland between North and South. In 1866 the West Virginia Legislature created Grant County, naming it for Ulysses S. Grant, and separating it from Hardy County.
Grant County began to prosper after the war. A spur of the B&O; Railroad was built, connecting Petersburg with Romney and the main line of the B&O; in Hampshire County. Timber and agricultural products were produced for market. In 1870 the population was 4,467.
In 1903 the first coal mines were opened in the eastern part of the county, producing 31,908 tons that year. Agriculture is an important industry, producing poultry, hay and grain, livestock, timber, fruit and maple sugar.
Several recreational areas are located in the county, including Monongahela National Forest and Smoke Hole Caverns. The most popular recreational activities are hunting, fishing and whitewater rafting on the South Branch. The tourist industry has become an increasingly important part of the local economy.
Petersburg, the county seat, was named for Jacob Peters, a landowner who settled in the area in 1746 and operated a general store. The town is located on the South Branch at the mouth of Lunice Creek and was incorporated in 1910.
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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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