Are most people in Appalachia of Scottish ancestry? (Beckley, Hinton: live, deal)

[Jesco White]

You can actually see the ruins of GW's canal at Great Falls park in Fairfax, VA. As the falls dropped some 100 feet within a relatively short distance (a mile or two), they tried to build a series of locks to the side. Construction continued after GW died, and the company in charge eventually went bankrupt. The ruins are basically large ditches now. Check the link: Patowmack Canal - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[snorpus]

Inland WV was probably settled more from the north and west than from the east. As DK said, the Alleghenies were a formidable obstacle. Settlers could get to Pittsburgh (via the Pennsylvania Canal), then either went up the Mon, or down the Ohio to Wheeling, Parkersburg, Huntington, then up the tributaries of the Ohio, such as the two Kanawhas.

One impetus to the movement west and south was the Whiskey Rebellion, which encouraged the farmers/distillers to move beyond the reach of the government, to wild places like Kentucky and Tennessee.

Places like Elkins, Davis, Phillipi, etc. didn't really start to grow until the late 1800s, when Davis began to expand his coal and lumbering operations. The railroad didn't arrive in Marlinton until about 1900! (a branchline of the C&O, north from the mainline at White Sulphur Springs)

We sometimes forget that much of WV wasn't settled in any significant numbers until the late 1800s to the 1920s. Depending on the county, it could have been coal, oil, natural gas, or timber, but development of those natural resources was what caused the regions away from the major rivers to be settled.

[shy chic]

I think it depends on what part of WV. The Scots-Irish and English were the first settlers(after the Native Americans). Now there are people of all nationalities and races,but I think you will find more diversity either in northern WV(Morgantown,Fairmont and Clarksburg),the panhandle regions(both east and northern) and around Charleston and Beckley areas. Central WV tends to be more Anglo or Scots Irish.

[clintsullivan]

Yes... My father's family is Irish, settled in the VA highlands and my mother's family is German and settled in the bottom of the Shenandoah Valley (At the time there was no state of WV so I suppose this counts?.)

[CTMountaineer]

Originally Posted by SeanAaron

I have been told this but I can't find anything to back it up, I think West Virginia is completely in Appalachia so this would be a good place to start

Most of the early inhabitants of southern Appalachia were Native American (often Cherokee) and Scots Irish. The northern areas tended to be populated by a combination of Scots Irish, Irish, and Germans with English often found in the urban areas.

[shy chic]

The Shenandoah Valley are of Virginia also has a large German population (German ancestry). Would West Virginia be considered northern or southern Appalachia(or maybe central)?

[tallydude02]

Originally Posted by shy chic

I think it depends on what part of WV. The Scots-Irish and English were the first settlers(after the Native Americans). Now there are people of all nationalities and races,but I think you will find more diversity either in northern WV(Morgantown,Fairmont and Clarksburg),the panhandle regions(both east and northern) and around Charleston and Beckley areas. Central WV tends to be more Anglo or Scots Irish.

That is true about the northern region of the state. Clarksburg has a strong Italian heritage. Growing up, I remember some resentment toward the Italians as well. South of Clarksburg tends to be more Scots Irish and is more typical West Virginia.

[Threerun]

I don't think there is a 'typical' West Virginia. Each region is sort of unique in it's own right. The Eastern Panhandle had some German influence- The Mecklenberg Inn at Shepherdstown, some of the stone homes built by German masons. Scots-Irish are smattered everywhere, Italians in North Central, English roots elsewhere.

It's, dare I say, multicultural? (Waits for stoning to begin, lol)

[SeanAaron]

It's, dare I say, multicultural? (Waits for stoning to begin, lol)

^ They're all still European though

[Threerun]

Tell an Irishman he's only European and see what you get, lol


Yeah- I'm 100% Eurotrash. Pure American mutt. German, English, Scots-Irish and God knows what else in me, lol.