It disappears into the ground at "the Sinks" just beyond the bridge above Wardensville and reappears several miles later where it becomes the Cacapon River.
The First Settlers
The earliest native settlers were Mound Builder people; remnants of their civilization have been found throughout eastern West Virginia.
During the late 1500s and early 1600s, several thousand Hurons occupied present-day West Virginia.
During the 1700s, the Tuscarora migrated to West Virginia. They were the last Indian nation named to the great Iroquois League, which is comprised of the Onondaga, Oneida, Seneca, Cayuga, Mohawk, and Tuscarora. Many supported the colonists during the American Revolution.
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Lost River sits at the base of Mill Gap and runs parallel to the river. It faces Little Ridge to the west, and Hommon Mountain rises behind it. The George Washington National Forest is approximately one mile to the southeast.
The settlement sprang up where Mill Run meets the Lost River--a perfect place to build a grist mill.
In the early days, Lost River was a hub of activity as farmers came in to have their grain milled and to trade at the Lost River General Store.
According to old store ledgers, the items in greatest demand when the store opened were leather, whiskey, kerosene, and coffee. The business grew, and a larger variety of merchandise became available. Hardware items were added as well as cloth, thread, buttons, scissors, dishes, stone jars, and lamps. Later, canned food, dried fruit, jerky, and cereal were offered.
Placed on National Historic Register in 2006
The Lost River General Store, constructed in 1898, is a vernacular Victorian two-story, front-gable, wood frame building with a one-story front porch. The walls are sheathed in German siding, and the roof is covered in standing-seam metal. An outhouse sits behind the store, built by a Works Progress Administration (WPA) crew operating in the Lost River Valley in the 1930s.
Two mid to late 19th-century houses, the Garrett House and the Schell House, both with a number of outbuildings, flank the Lost River General Store.
The Garrett House (present-day Inn at Lost River) was built in the late 1800s. James Garrett and his son farmed the land and worked in the grain mill which stood just across Mill Run. The pond adjoining the mill was the source for ice for the ice house which still stands on Mill Gap Road. The property includes a renovated smoke house, spring house, and horse barn.
The Schell House, built before the Civil War, was occupied for many years by Esther Schell, a school teacher who taught in several of the one-room school houses throughout the Lost River Valley.
The Haas House was owned by Harrison C. and Annie (Kneisley) Haas. Their son, Frank D. Haas (1880–1949), managed the Lost River General Store. Frank bought the store business c. 1918 and members of the Haas family continued to own and manage it until 1979.
The Harper House was built by Joseph Harper in 1875. The red brick Victorian has 12 rooms and a full basement. Thick, sturdy walls of brick and horsehair stucco run from ground to ceiling. The dirt-floored basement held a kitchen and pantry; a dumbwaiter system brought dishes up to a "prep" kitchen and large dining room. Two parlors graced the front of the house. A staircase led upstairs to four spacious bedrooms.
By 1850, the Harper family owned most of the land in the area, establishing the hamlet of Harper Mills. The gristmill no longer survives, but the barn still stands, housing the Lost River Craft Cooperative and Lost River Museum.
Mill Stone
The Lost River Museum displays artifacts from life in the Lost River Valley since the 1750s. Displays include furniture, tools, textiles, photographs, and stories reflecting this heritage.
LOST RIVER VALLEY
Mountain laurel
Trout Pond is the only natural lake in West Virginia. It was was created by a sinkhole that filled with water from mountain streams. Near the pond is Rockcliff Lake, a great spot for swimming and kyacking. The walk around the lake is a favorite because of the dramatic rock formations and the woodland sassafras growing along the trail.
Rockcliff Lake
Lost River State Park protects 3,712 acres of forested lands with spectacular mountain panoramas.
Best Hike
Cranny Crow
where I want my ashes buried
eagle nest
Waxwings
Henrietta!
Thanks to the following sites for references and research