Editing Lincoln County, West Virginia (section)

==History==
Lincoln County was created by an act of the [[West Virginia Legislature]] on February 23, 1867, from parts of [[Boone County, West Virginia|Boone]], [[Cabell County, West Virginia|Cabell]], [[Kanawha County, West Virginia|Kanawha]] and [[Putnam County, West Virginia|Putnam]] counties. By 1869, the county had returned much of its Putnam County territory and absorbed the northern portion of [[Logan County, WV|Logan County]] and a portion of [[Wayne County, WV|Wayne County]]. In 1869, Harts Creek Township (later district) was created from this latter region. Lincoln County is one of five counties created by West Virginia since the [[American Civil War|Civil War]]. [[Hamlin, WV|Hamlin]], seat of government for the county, was established in 1853.

Jesse, John, David, William, and Moses McComas were the first Anglo settlers in what is now Lincoln County. They cultivated {{convert|20|acre|m2}} of [[corn]], the first ever grown in the area near present-day [[West Hamlin, West Virginia|West Hamlin]], in 1799. Later that year, they returned to eastern [[Virginia]] to get their families. Their families were initially left behind because it was not known if there were any hostile [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]] in the area, or if the soil would be suitable for cultivation. John Lucas, William Hinch, and John Johnson soon joined the McComases in the county. They built cabins in the county around 1800. About 1804, William Wirt Brumfield settled at the mouth of [[Big Ugly Creek]].

Based on military enlistments, Lincoln County appears to have been evenly divided in its sympathies during the Civil War. The county hosted a handful of small skirmishes, mostly centered on [[Mud River (West Virginia)|Mud River]].

After the war, [[Logging|timbering]] constituted the county's primary industry. The county also became nationally known for its [[tobacco]] cultivation. In the early twentieth century, the county experienced a [[Natural gas|gas]] boom.

In 1863, West Virginia's counties were divided into [[civil township]]s, with the intention of encouraging local government. This proved impractical in the heavily rural state, and in 1872 the townships were converted into [[minor civil division|magisterial districts]].<ref>Otis K. Rice & Stephen W. Brown, ''West Virginia: A History'', 2nd ed., University Press of Kentucky, Lexington (1993), p. 240.</ref>  Between its formation in 1867 and 1870, Lincoln County was divided into seven townships: Carroll, Duval,{{efn-lr|Also spelled "Duvall" in earlier records.}} Harts Creek,{{efn-lr|Originally spelled "Hart's Creek".}} Jefferson, Sheridan, Union, and Washington. In 1871, Laurel Hill Township was formed from portions of Harts Creek and Sheridan Townships. The following year, the eight townships became magisterial districts. Except for minor adjustments, the eight historic magisterial districts remained largely unchanged until the twenty-first century, when they were consolidated into three new districts: District 1, District 2, and District 3.<ref>[[United States Census Bureau]], [[United States Census|U.S. Decennial Census]], Tables of Minor Civil Divisions in West Virginia, 1870–2010.</ref>