Clay County
WV
History
CLAY
COUNTY.
Clay
County was
created from parts of Braxton and Nicholas, by act of
March 29, 1858, and named in honor of Kentucky's favored
son, Henry Clay.
The First Circuit
Court convened October 21, 1858, Judge E. B. Bailey
presiding. The first county court was held July 12,
1858, the following justices composing it: N. W.
Shannon, William H. Ewing and William G. Fitzwater. The
first county officers were: Sheriff, C. C. Campbell;
Prosecuting Attorney, Joseph H. Rolinson; Clerk of
Courts, Jacob Salisbury; Assessor, Thomas McQuain;
Surveyor, Clayburn Pinson.
Henry.—The act creating the county
declared that the seat of justice should be on the
McCalgin farm, opposite the mouth of Buffalo creek, and be known by the
name of Marshall. But an act of
the Legislature, passed October 10, 1863, changed the
name of the town from Marshall to
Henry.
[Source: History of West
Virginia; By Virgil Anson
Lewis; publ. 1887; Transcribed by Andrea Stawski Pack]
