Barrackville Covered Bridge

The Barrackville Covered Bridge, built by Lemuel Chenoweth, spans 145 feet across Buffalo Creek and was established in 1853, making it the second oldest covered bridge in West Virginia, according to the Marion County website. The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981 and fully restored in 1999 with a modern road and bridge.

 PHOTO BY KAITLYN NEFF

BARRACKVILLE — The community of Barrackville will celebrate 250 years since its foundation today.

According to Contance “Connie” Pirner’s and Graham Curry’s recently published book “Indian Billy Ice: The Founder of Barrackville, WV,” the history of Barrackville began with the story of William “Indian Billy” Ice.

In 1745, Indian Billy’s family was attacked by a Shawnee hunting tribe at their homestead in Virginia. He was abducted and taken back to the Shawnee camping grounds in present-day Ohio Valley, but was able to escape in 1751.

He was then taken in by a white man who gave him shelter and a job, and this is where he was given his nickname.

Indian Billy traveled near and far; meanwhile, his father, Frederick Ice, was creating a new life in present-day Monongalia County, where he started a ferry business known as Ice’s Ferry located on the Cheat River.

Indian Billy, while traveling with a group of workers, ended up at Ice’s Ferry, where he was able to reconnect with his father and new family.

Indian Billy settled there and worked until his father deeded him 500 acres of land that consisted of Ice’s Cemetery and the western part of Barrackville in 1767. This land became his homestead where he lived and thrived on the banks of Buffalo Creek, and was later buried when he died in 1826.

Eventually, others began to settle in Barrackville, and in 1771, the town was named after John Barrack. The town of Barrackville was incorporated Jan. 25, 1968, by the county court. Since then, Barrackville has thrived as a hometown for many Marion county residents with a population estimated at 1,288 according to the town of Barrackville’s website.

The community of Barrackville will celebrate their town’s 250th year today with the Bison Mad Dash 5K Run/Walk (color run) starting at 9 a.m. and a celebration after the race at the Barrackville United Methodist Church from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

The Barrackville UMC will hand out cupcakes and offer free drawings for gift baskets, and Pirner and Curry will be at the event selling their book.

Email Kaitlyn Neff at kneff@timeswv.com.

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