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Ritchie County is located in the west-central part of the state. The county is hilly and much of it is forested. The area was explored in the 1770s but remained sparsely settled for decades.
Ritchie County was formed in 1843 from parts of Harrison, Lewis and Wood counties. The county was named for Thomas Ritchie (1778-1854), a Virginia journalist and politician. The county developed rapidly with the construction of two turnpikes and the Parkersburg branch of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad through the area. In 1850, the county had a population of 3,902 which grew to 6,817 ten years later.
The economy of Ritchie County was long based on small farming. However, oil and gas production became important during the 1890s and early 1900s, and the economy expanded rapidly. Population reached 18,901 in 1900, the highest in the county's history.
Harrisville is the county seat. The town was laid out by Thomas Harris in 1832. The town's first name was Solus, then changed to Harrisville, after its founder, in 1843. Later, it was renamed Ritchie Court House, because a town had already been named Harrisville in Virginia. In 1892 -- after the creation of West Virginia -- the town was renamed Harrisville, this time in honor of the founding Harris' nephew, General Thomas Harris.
Pennsboro is the oldest town in the county. The town hosts the annual Ritchie County Fair, one of the largest fairs in the state and the first to be established.
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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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