Description: The first paragraph of the updated version has a better description: “How did earlier West Virginia pioneers survive the frequent and brutal raids on their homesteads at a time when that wilderness frontier served as the western border of the United States? What was it about these hardy pioneers that set them apart from other Americans who were too afraid to settle in this wild and dangerous frontier?“
Review
The author, Wills De Hass, wrote this book in 1851. A doctor, a Lt. Colonel in the Union Army, ardent archeologist, and supporter of founding the State of West Virginia. West Virginia became a state on June 20, 1863. History of the Early Settlement and Indian Wars of West Virginia is his most known work.
I knew nothing about Dr. De Hass when I purchased the 2019 Kindle edition. (A newer edition with the same title was published in Oct 2021. ** I purchased it because I have a *VERY* elusive great-great-great-grandfather who might well have lived in what is now Hardy County, West Virginia. I was — and still am — hoping this history tome to give clues … I’ve been searching for my g-g-g-grandfather parents & siblings since 1998. [Read more here and here.]
This history book is full of names and dates regarding who settled when and where. If the researcher is lucky enough to have an ancestor who helped found one of these early settlements, new information might be theirs.
The book, like others published at that time, does not have an index. I would NOT expect one in the 2021 version either. Thus, this reviewer recommends purchasing the UPDATED 2021 Kindle version, so that you can search the text. Since the state was not formed when De Hass wrote this book, searching by county will not help in most cases. [I only found one instance of Hardy County.]
De Hass references settlements by rivers, creeks, mountains, etc. My research plan is to find those key features of Hardy County and THEN search for those in the book.
I believe De Hass’s original text has been edited to make for easier reading; however, I have no proof of that other than not encountering different spellings usually found in books written in 1851.
Starting on page 67 (18%), De Hass lists the furniture, table and cookware, food, clothing (both men & women), weapons, etc. is given. Fascinating reading for a researcher, whether for history or genealogy. On page 70 begins a segment on “The Fort” which is NOT what we envision — very enlightening. Included are descriptions for a “station” and “blockhouse”. Page 71 begins a section on “Hunting”. This plus more is in “Chapter III, Manners and Customs”. Chapter III alone is worth the cost of this book (which at the time of my purchase and the day I posted this review is only $.99).
Yes, I recommend History of the Early Settlement and Indian Wars of West Virginia to history buffs and genealogy researchers.
#HistoryOfTheEarlySettlementAndIndianWarsOfWestVirginia #WillsDeHass