Floyd County

Once a Kanawha hunting ground, the area that became Floyd County in 1831 was settled by people of English, German, Scots-Irish, French, and African descent, who established scattered farming communities. Agriculture was supplemented by work at sawmills and gristmills, distilling, storekeeping, and small-scale manufacturing and mining. Social life centered on family, church, and schools. Through the first half of the 20th century, full-time farming diminished as automobiles and improved road...