West Virginia
West Virginia's northern panhandle was once prime U.S. sheep country
WHEELING, W.Va. — West Virginia may best be known for its vast mountain forests, but its northern panhandle was once a grassland clipped low by sheep.
Part of the vast Ohio market area, which includes much of Ohio and western Pennsylvania, the four northern panhandle counties—Brooke, Marshall, Hancock, and Ohio—produced more wool than all other counties combined.
The panhandle was then part of the largest sheep-growing regions in the U.S. in the 1800s — part of the massive Ohio wool market, which exceeded the Hudson Valley and western New York markets in size.
Sheep had long been an important part of life on highland farms. Although West Virginians who lived in the mountains never ate much mutton, they raised sheep principally for wool. But in the valley and low ridge along the Ohio River, wool production was chiefly commercial, and vast sheep farms
However, making wool in the mountains instead of the valleys was somewhat different, according to the late historian Jim Comstock.
The chief incentive for raising sheep in the state was traditionally to produce wool for home use. In the mountains, women prepared it for home use by carding and spinning it into yarn to make clothing. But in the valley areas, wool was being grown for commercial processing—notably in the Ohio Valley region and in its northern extent in the state’s northern panhandle.
In the mountains, however, the old-time breed of sheep was tiny and weighed little more than 40 pounds, but it was hardy, adapted to spending most of its time in the woods, returning home only occasionally to get salt and a little grain.
In autumn, the farmer’s family would round up the herd, bringing it down to a field near the farm where hay or fodder would be available when snow covered the ground.
According to historian Jim Comstock, highland shepherding differed from lowland practices, which were much more pastoral.
“The usual practice was to fence a haystack so the sheep could not get at it and periodically to remove hay from it and spread it on the ground for the animals’ convenience,” he wrote.
To identify their sheep, mountain farmers would cut notches in their ears. Each farmer had a different shape notch used for his animals only. Every other farmer in the area recognized these as identifying marks.
A few rams were kept with the sheep to ensure the maintenance of the flock. One ram for about 20 ewes was an average number, though it was not rigid. Occasionally, a young ram might be castrated and raised for meat. Rams fixed in this way were called “wethers.”
“Unlike farmers in European countries,” Comstock said, “West Virginia mountaineers never attempted to salt or cure mutton, claiming that the salt would spoil the meat, so, once slaughtered, a lamb or wether had to be eaten quickly.”
The most challenging time for a farmer keeping sheep was in the early spring when “lambin’ time” occurred. The old-fashioned mountain sheep usually bore their young without trouble and began to nurse them almost immediately, but when improved sheep became famous in later years, there were problems.
Sometimes, a ewe would disown her lamb and refuse to feed it. In such cases, the farmer’s family would have to take over with a bottle. Or a ewe who lost her lamb might be given an orphan and persuaded to nurse it, but this was often impossible as sheep do not like to accept offspring that are not their own.
Shearing time was in the spring, and if enough wool grew over the summer months, shearing might be repeated in autumn. Sheep were sheared by hand in the old days. An experienced shearer could shear about 40 animals in a day.
Modern sheep raisers can strip the wool off a sheep with an electric shearer in about three minutes. A large mountain sheep would yield about a pound or two pounds of wool, compared with six to eight pounds for modern “improved” sheep.
One problem with keeping sheep was their lack of ability to defend themselves. Bobcats and even foxes would kill lambs, and packs of wolves and wild dogs would kill whole flocks.
“Once in a while,” Comstock wrote, “a domestic dog would become a sheep-killer, and it was said that when a dog got started in this way, there was no means of stopping him from killing.”
Other problems mountain sheep suffered included ticks, worms, milk sickness, and other diseases, but they were generally remarkably healthy.
Today, sheep are raised across the state, though its top-producing counties are Pendleton, Greenbrier, Preston, Randolph, and Pocahontas, according to the West Virginia Department of Agriculture. In 2018, more than 32,000 heads were counted, an inventory value of $5.9 million.
Sign up to receive a FREE copy of West Virginia Explorer Magazine in your email twice weekly. Sign me up!
Advertisement
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The following events happened on these dates in West Virginia history, compiled by the West Virginia Humanities Council from its online encyclopedia, e-WV.
April 19, 1896: Writer Melville Davisson Post was born in Harrison County. His best-known works are the Randolph Mason series, published in three volumes, and the more successful collection Uncle Abner: Master of Mysteries.
April 19, 1902: Author Jean Lee Latham was born in Buckhannon. She wrote a number of children’s books, including Carry On, Mr. Bowditch, which won the 1956 Newbery Award.
April 20, 1823: Gen. Jesse Lee Reno was born in Wheeling. He graduated from West Point in 1846 with another cadet from western Virginia, Thomas J. Jackson, later known as “Stonewall.” Reno was the highest-ranking officer from present West Virginia killed in the Civil War.
April 20, 1863: President Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation that in 60 days, West Virginia would become a state. The occasion was marked 100 years later during the state’s Centennial celebration with a special ceremonial session of the West Virginia Legislature on April 20, 1963, in Wheeling.
April 20, 1909: Fiddler Melvin Wine was born near Burnsville in Braxton County. A favorite of old-time music enthusiasts nationally, he was chosen as a National Heritage Fellow in 1991 by the National Endowment for the Arts — the highest recognition given to a folk artist in the United States.
April 20, 1939: Poet Irene McKinney was born in Belington, Barbour County. Gov. Gaston Caperton appointed her state poet laureate in 1993, and she served in that capacity until her death in 2012.
April 21, 1908: Musician Phoeba Cottrell Parsons was born in Calhoun County. Parsons’ traditional clawhammer banjo style, unaccompanied ballad singing, riddles and storytelling have influenced countless younger musicians.
April 21, 1936: President Franklin Roosevelt established the Jefferson National Forest. The West Virginia portion of the forest includes about 19,000 acres in Monroe County.
April 22, 1908: Marshall “Little Sleepy” Glenn was born in Elkins. Glenn coached basketball at West Virginia University from 1934 to 1938 and football from 1937 to 1940. He was inducted into the WVU Sports Hall of Fame in 1992.
April 22, 1948: Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter and musician Larry Groce was born in Dallas, Texas. He is best known as the longtime host and artistic director of the Mountain Stage radio program.
April 22, 2003: Activist Judy Bonds, a Raleigh County native, received the Goldman Environmental Prize for her fight against mountaintop removal mining. Her efforts inspired thousands and turned a local West Virginia issue into a national cause.
April 23, 1857: Andrew S. Rowan was born in Gap Mills, Monroe County. Rowan, a military officer, was chosen as the messenger when President William McKinley wanted to send a message to Cuban Gen. Calixto Garcia during the Spanish-American War. The 1899 pamphlet A Message to Garcia made the incident famous.
April 24, 1865: McNeill’s Rangers surrendered to Union troops at New Creek — now Keyser. The Confederate guerrilla force probably never numbered more than 100 men at any time but managed to inflict regular damage on Union operations.
April 25, 1863: In what became known as the Jones-Imboden Raid, about 1,500 Confederate soldiers under Gen. William “Grumble” Jones advanced through Greenland Gap, a deep pass through New Creek Mountain in present Grant County. The Confederates encountered 87 Union soldiers who held off several assaults before finally surrendering.
April 25, 1923: Union leader Arnold Ray Miller was born at Leewood on Cabin Creek in Kanawha County. In December 1972, he defeated Tony Boyle to become president of the United Mine Workers and served until 1979.
e-WV is a project of the West Virginia Humanities Council. For more information, contact the council at 1310 Kanawha Blvd. E., Charleston, WV 25301, call 304-346-8500 or visit wvencyclopedia.org.
During the Gold-Blue spring game on Saturday, the West Virginia coaching staff named wide receiver Cyrus Traught the recipient of the 2026 Tommy Nikolich Award.
The award, which is always given out at the end of spring ball, recognizes a walk-on team member who has distinguished himself through his attitude and work ethic. The award is presented in memory of Tommy Nickolich, a former WVU player (1980-82) who passed away from cancer in 1983.
Traugh is a Parkersburg native and graduate of Parkersburg South High School. He began his career at Youngstown State before transferring back home to play for the Mountaineers last season. In his final year with the Penguins, he logged 36 receptions, 409 yards, and a team-leading five touchdowns, two of which came against Pitt.
During the 2025 campaign with the Mountaineers, he saw action against Robert Morris and Kansas, playing 10 snaps against the Jayhawks, but did not record any stats.
Head coach Rich Rodriguez has mentioned him twice this spring as someone who has been doing some good things and making progress. Wide receivers coach Ryan Garrett also showed him some love during his press conference last week.
The Mountaineers completely revamped the wide receiver room this offseason, upping the level of talent at both inside and outside receiver spots, but perhaps Traugh can work his way into the mix if he puts together a strong summer and fall camp. If he’s not a regular in the rotation, he’ll serve as a quality depth piece who can play special teams.
Past Nickolich Award winners:
2025: Clay Ash, RB
2024: Avery Wilcox, S
2023: C.J. Cole, WR
2022: Nick Malone, OL
2021: Graeson Malashevich, WR/H
2020: Osman Kamara, S
2019: Jake Abbott, LB
2018: Evan Staley, K
2017: Nick Meadows, LS
2016: Jon Lewis, DL
2015: Justin Arndt, LB
2014: Michael Calicchio, OL
2013: Connor Arlia, WR
2012: Tyler Anderson, DE
2011: Ryan Nehlen, WR
2010: Matt Lindamood, FB
2009: Josh Taylor, DL
2008: Adam Hughes, LS
2007: Andy Emery, LB
2006: Tim Lindsey, LS
2005: George Shehl, H/DB
2004: Jeff Noechel, LB
2003: John Pennington, WR
2002: Moe Fofana, RB
2001: Jeremy Knapp, TE
2000: Ben Collins, LB
1999: Bryan Lorenz, LB
1998: Mark Corman, TE
1997: David Lightcap, DB
1996: Matt Ceresa, OL
1995: Rob Keys, DB
1994: Randy Fulmore, DB
1993: Matt McCulty, WR
1992: Brett Parise, WR, Ray Wilcox, LB
1991: Keith Taparausky, RB
Follow
Enter your email and we’ll send a secure one-click link to sign in.
WVNS is provided by Nexstar Media Group, Inc., and uses the My Nexstar sign-in, which works across our media network.
Learn more at nexstar.tv/privacy-policy.
WVNS is provided by Nexstar Media Group, Inc., and uses the My Nexstar sign-in, which works across our media network.
Nexstar Media Group, Inc. is a leading, diversified media company that produces and distributes engaging local and national news, sports, and entertainment content across its television and digital platforms. The My Nexstar sign-in works across the Nexstar network—including The CW, NewsNation, The Hill, and more. Learn more at nexstar.tv/privacy-policy.
-
Missouri36 seconds ago
Missouri Lottery Pick 3, Pick 4 winning numbers for April 19, 2026
-
Montana7 minutes ago
Montana Lottery Big Sky Bonus results for April 19, 2026
-
Nebraska13 minutes ago
Nebraska Lottery results: See winning numbers for Pick 3, Pick 5 on April 19, 2026
-
Nevada19 minutes agoArmed Robbery at the Tamarack Casino
-
New Hampshire25 minutes ago
NH Lottery Pick 3 Day, Pick 3 Evening winning numbers for April 19, 2026
-
New Jersey31 minutes ago
NJ Lottery Pick-3, Pick-4, Cash 5, Millionaire for Life winning numbers for Sunday, April 19
-
New Mexico37 minutes agoLos Alamos Public Schools Students Compete At 2026 New Mexico State Science & Engineering Fair
-
North Carolina43 minutes ago
NC Lottery Pick 3 Day, Pick 3 Evening results for April 19, 2026