Tag: Allegheny Mountains

Sept. 5, 1716 – Virginia Lieutenant Governor Alexander Spotswood Reaches Allegheny Mountains Crest

On September 5, 1716, Virginia Lieutenant Governor Alexander Spotswood and about 50 men reached the crest of the Allegheny Mountains, likely in present Pendleton County, and claimed the land for King George the First of Great Britain.

Spotswood and his men—described as “gentlemen, servants, Indians, and rangers”—journeyed up the Rappahannock River and crossed over the Blue Ridge Mountains into the Shenandoah Valley. Robert Brooke, a member of the expedition and the king’s surveyor general, made the first scientific observations west of the Alleghenies.

Within a year of the expedition, some of the first English settlements were established in the Shenandoah Valley, with possibly one at present Shepherdstown. Spotswood hoped these settlements would prevent the French and Indians from expanding into the region.

After reaching the crest of the Alleghenies, Spotswood gave each of his fellow adventurers a small golden horseshoe—some set with valuable stones—to commemorate the event. They are remembered as the “Knights of the Golden Horseshoe.”

In honor of the expedition, West Virginia schools, beginning in the 1930s, began presenting golden horseshoes annually to students who excel in West Virginia studies.

July 12, 1749: Loyal Company Granted 800,000 Acres

On July 12, 1749, the Colony of Virginia granted the Loyal Company 800,000 acres in what is today parts of southern West Virginia, southwestern Virginia, and southeastern Kentucky. The Loyal Company promoted settlement in Western Virginia at a time when few pioneers dared to venture west of the Allegheny Mountains.

By 1754, the land company had settled about 200 families, including some along the New and Bluestone rivers. Most of these settlements, though, were destroyed by Indians during the French and Indian War.

The grants to the Loyal Company, and to the Greenbrier and Ohio companies, were early attempts by colonial Virginia to resist English rule. The king of England believed that he alone had the right to award land grants, while Virginia’s leaders felt they should control western lands.

After the French and Indian War, England tried to repress violence on the frontier by forbidding settlement west of the Alleghenies. However, many land speculators and pioneers ignored the order of the crown and pushed into Western Virginia. This westward expansion heightened tensions with England and furthered our nation’s journey toward independence.

Loyal Company Granted 800,000 Acres: July 12, 1749

On July 12, 1749, the Colony of Virginia granted the Loyal Company 800,000 acres in what is today parts of southern West Virginia, southwestern Virginia, and southeastern Kentucky. The Loyal Company promoted settlement in Western Virginia at a time when few pioneers dared to venture west of the Allegheny Mountains.

By 1754, the land company had settled about 200 families, including some along the New and Bluestone rivers. Most of these settlements, though, were destroyed by Indians during the French and Indian War.

The grants to the Loyal Company, and to the Greenbrier and Ohio companies, were early attempts by colonial Virginia to resist English rule. The king of England believed that he alone had the right to award land grants, while Virginia’s leaders felt they should control western lands.

After the French and Indian War, England tried to repress violence on the frontier by forbidding settlement west of the Alleghenies. However, many land speculators and pioneers ignored the order of the crown and pushed into Western Virginia. This westward expansion heightened tensions with England and furthered our nation’s journey toward independence.

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