It was not so much the wonderful beauty of the
area that brought the first settlers, but rather the opportunity to gain
good farm land in the verdant, wide river valleys and on the scattered
open ridge tops. The first land grants were laid out across the valleys
from mountain to mountain making the best use of fertile bottom land.
west of Romney are said to be among the best preserved trenches remaining from the Civil War. They are strategicly located to command the Northwest Turnpike through Mechanicsburg Gap and also the river approaches to Romney. They offer a glimpse into life in Hampshire County during the Civil War, but they are also a pleasant place to enjoy the quiet of the woods and peak at the views across the valleys.
