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HistoryOriginally known as Forks of Buffalo,
Mannington was first settled in the latter part of the 18th
century. At the time of the first settlement, the west fork of
Buffalo Creek was known as Warrior's Fork, while the North
Fork has historically borne the name of Pyle's Fork. One of
the first settlers in the area was John Ice, who was born in
the valley of the South Branch of the Potomac in what was then
Virginia. As a child, Ice and his father searched in vain for
his mother, two sisters and brother who had been captured by
the Indians. The mother was never found, although the children
ultimately were. Only John's brother, known from then on as
"Indian Billy" returned to the family. The sisters chose to
remain with their one time captors (Prichard
1983).
Indian activity was not uncommon in the area and
many settlers and travelers met their fate at the hands of the
Indians, including John Madison, the cousin of James Madison
the future president, who was killed on a surveying trip in
the area in 1783. Although not necessarily as a result of
this, James Madison did procure, as an investment, some land
on Brush Run and Pyles Fork just north of Forks of
Buffalo.
The earliest population concentration did not
occur in what is now Mannington, but rather approximately two
miles west of Dent's Run. Most of the land now falling within
the city limits, some 1360 acres, was owned by Robert
Rutherford, a Revolutionary War financier and an intimate
friend of George Washington. In 1799, Rutherford sold his
Forks of Buffalo holdings to James Brown of Berkeley County,
Virginia, who, after experiencing financial setbacks,
eventually sold the property at public sale in 1824 to a group
of
Baltimore, Maryland, investors which included William
Baker. Baker apparently bought out his partners and, in turn,
sold the parcel to James Hanway, a surveyor living in
Monongalia County, who parceled the land and began selling it.
This final transaction occurred in 1840 and it was then that
the area now known as Mannington had its genesis.
After
the parceling of the land around the Forks of Buffalo,
interest in the area increased as did the population. A number
of log houses began to be built, with the accompanying
entrepreneurial activities that one might expect in an early
settlement. By 1850 a tavern owned by George and Samuel Koon
appeared in the heart of the burgeoning town. Not long after
the tavern was opened, the Forks of Buffalo began to be known
as Koon Town. While the local inhabitants may have used the
newer name, the United States government failed to do so, in
1850 naming their first postal office in the community the
Forks of Buffalo Post Office. It was not until 1856 that the
village officially became known as Mannington, named after
Charles Manning, a civil engineer with the Baltimore and Ohio
(B&O) Railroad. Manning was well liked by the community
and the inhabitants were eager to have a more "dignified" name
for a growing town on the new railroad line.
The coming
of the railroad heralded the introduction of heavier industry
in the Mannington area. Logging and coal were two of the
obvious industries which were developed along the railroad
line, but there were a great many peripheral industries which
appeared as well. Tree bark was used by the tanneries, which,
in turn, produced a wide range of leather goods. New planning
mills, sawmills, and woodworking plants were started, and the
availability of transportation also witnessed an in crease in
cattle, sheep and crop production.
During the Civil
War, the B and 0 railroad, of vital interest to both of the
conflicting sides, sustained more damage than Mannington
proper did. While Confederate forces succeeded in burning
several of the railroad bridges at the very beginning of the
conflict, reinforcements from the Union insured the integrity
of the Mannington section of the line for the remainder of the
war.
A new chapter in Mannington's history began in
1889 with the first oil drilling, following recommendations
made by Dr. I. C. White, a geologist from Morgantown. Although
many felt that the area was unfavorable for oil reserves,
White persisted and soon gained enough local support to drill.
Following the first strike, late in 1889, real estate prices
soared 100% in two days in a boom-town mentality.
Dr.
White pushed for natural gas exploration. It was this venture,
more successful than any before or since, that was most
responsible for Mannington's growth. The population increased
from approximately 700 people in the late 1800's to over 4,000
by 1917. By 1900, Mannington was a thriving town, complete
with its own trolley system, electricity, theaters, schools,
fire department, telephones and other amenities. The
Mannington School Building, constructed in 1902-03, was the
pride of both the town and the state. In 1923, Albert Heck
began the formation of the first community radio cable system
from Mannington to its outlying areas. The 1929 stock market
crash and the Depression severely affected Mannington's
economy. The trolley ceased operation in 1933, factory workers
left as demand for products decreased, and the town's
population began to decline.
While Mannington has not
regained its pre-depression status, it has made a strong
comeback. The City of Mannington is fortunate, compared to
many communities, in that many of the key elements necessary
for revitalization are already in place. The City has a strong
infrastructure evidenced by the completion of a new sewage
treatment system and water distribution system. A WV
Department of Transportation garage is located in Mannington
which assures that our highways are the first to be taken care
of during bad weather. Our State Representatives have seen to
it that our local bridges are given priority in Charleston.
Senator Byrd has aided in the appropriation of millions of
dollars in government grants to help us resolve the flooding
problems along Buffalo Creek. That project has seen seven
flood control dams constructed and an $8 million creek
dredging project. Congressman Mollohan has focused much of his
attention on securing government grants for Mannington to aid
us in Historic Preservation.
Within the City of
Mannington, we are blessed with a community that is strongly
committed to improving Mannington for residents and businesses
alike. City Government works closely with Mannington Main
Street, Mannington Industrial Corporation, Business for
Progress, and all other Civic organizations to promote
community projects and causes.
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