Thursday, August 28, 2025
46.1 F
Beckley
More

    Ancient West Virginia forests once a mosaic of landscapes

    Historians once assumed that West Virginia had been shaded by a vast unbroken forest, but an expert on old forests in the Mountain State says the region was, instead, a patchwork landscape of woodlands and fields opened by Native Americans.

    Advertisement

    "I've heard it said that a squirrel could run limb-to-limb across West Virginia without touching the ground," says Doug Wood, "but that squirrel would have to follow a pretty circuitous path.

    "West Virginia was a mosaic of vegetative features, and there were plenty of open lands from the late onward and undoubtedly also areas in the high Alleghenies that hadn't been opened."

    Wood says that records from the 1700s and archaeological evidence uncovered more recently indicate that vast areas had been burned to create grasslands. These made hunting and farming easier and discouraged pests from troubling villages and other settlements.

    Advertisement

    "What I have found is that open areas had been created every 20 or 30 miles along trails at distances of about a day's travel," he said.

    "You could expect to be able to camp in one of these openings and find grass and young groves for elk and deer to feed off of, so there was a good chance you'd have something to take along on the next part of your journey."

    Historians in the 19th and early 20th centuries tended to romanticize the idea of a forest primeval, and the legendary tale of squirrels crossing unbroken forests occurs across cultures, but it was not so, according to chroniclers of the settlement period.

    Old Fields, in Hardy County, was named for fields found by settlers in the valley of the South Branch of the Potomac. (Photo courtesy Mark Wilt)

    "You'll find maps and mentions of old fields and Indian meadows and savannahs—and that's what these were," he says. Before the arrival of European settlers, only about one percent of forest fires were started by lightning strikes, and the rest were manmade.

    Advertisement

    The first settlers often found the already-cleared land ideal for their cabins, though finding wood to build with in these open lands could sometimes be difficult if the opening was vast.

    In some cases, large grasslands were so vast that bison, which were not native to the mountain forests, moved in after natives left the settlements in the 1600s.

    "It wasn't until after the when the Iroquois forced inhabitants out of the mid-Ohio Valley region that buffalo started to move into the region," Wood said.

    "We don't find any archaeological evidence of buffalo in the Kanawha Valley or the central part of the state before about 1700, though we do find plenty of evidence of deer, of course, and elk."

    Advertisement

    Sign up to receive a FREE copy of West Virginia Explorer Magazine in your email weekly. 

    David Sibray
    David Sibray
    Historian, real estate agent, and proponent of inventive economic development in West Virginia, David Sibray is the founder and publisher of West Virginia Explorer Magazine. For more information, he may be reached at 304-575-7390.

    LEAVE A REPLY

    Please enter your comment!
    Please enter your name here

    Hot this week

    West Virginia Explorer celebrates record 3.3 million monthly users amid 25th anniversary

    CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia Explorer, the state’s most...

    Retro commercial realty for sale near Hatfield-McCoy ATV trails in West Virginia

    PINEVILLE, W.Va. — Once a gathering place for miners...

    West Virginia monitoring seasonal hemorrhagic disease in deer populations

    CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Cases of hemorrhagic disease in deer...

    West Virginia reminds hunters about upcoming youth seasons, changes to regulations

    CHARLESTON, W.Va. — With the first slate of youth...

    West Virginia sets new migratory game bird seasons and 2025-2026 regulations

    CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia has set new season...

    Topics

    West Virginia Explorer celebrates record 3.3 million monthly users amid 25th anniversary

    CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia Explorer, the state’s most...

    West Virginia monitoring seasonal hemorrhagic disease in deer populations

    CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Cases of hemorrhagic disease in deer...

    West Virginia reminds hunters about upcoming youth seasons, changes to regulations

    CHARLESTON, W.Va. — With the first slate of youth...

    West Virginia sets new migratory game bird seasons and 2025-2026 regulations

    CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia has set new season...

    WVU supply chain expert explains why Halloween is hitting shelves in August

    MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Have you noticed Halloween merchandise appearing...

    Naturalists share their favorite lesser-known New River Gorge hiking trails

    FAYETTEVILLE, W.Va. — On a soft summer morning in...

    Related Articles

    Popular Categories