Jump to content

French Creek, West Virginia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by SchreiberBike (talk | contribs) at 06:50, 4 October 2015 (Lower case for species common names as described at MOS:LIFE - also some copy editing using AWB). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

French Creek
Unincorporated community
CountryUnited States
StateWest Virginia
CountyUpshur
Elevation
1,460 ft (450 m)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
26218[1]
GNIS feature ID1554511[2]

French Creek is an unincorporated community in Upshur County, West Virginia, United States.[2]

French Creek is 9½ miles south of the county seat, Buckhannon, West Virginia, on West Virginia Route 20. It is home to the West Virginia State Wildlife Center — formerly the "French Creek Game Farm" — a zoological park featuring native and introduced fauna. Popular exhibits at the center include American bison, North American river otters, black bears and mountain lions.

History

French Creek was settled in the early 19th century by a number of New England Presbyterians. Family names from these settlers include Gould, Young, Phillips, Burr, Sexton, Brooks, Alden and Loomis. The community's first post office, only the second established in the county, opened in 1822. It was named for the village's principal stream, a tributary of the Buckhannon River watershed. The village was also referred to as Meadeville, as it is located in the magisterial Meade District.

The French Creek Presbyterian Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. The land was donated to the church by the Young family.[3]

Ralph "Boone" Young lived on Bush Run Road in French Creek, where he once kept bobcats and other wild animals. His animals became a visiting point of sort over time. He was a trapper and one of the founders of the Game Farm, (now called the West Virginia State Wildlife Center).

Notable natives

See also

References

  1. ^ United States Postal Service (2012). "USPS - Look Up a ZIP Code". Retrieved 2012-02-15.
  2. ^ a b "French Creek". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  3. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  • Images of America: Upshur County by The Upshur County Historical Society, pages 27 and 46.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=French_Creek,_West_Virginia&oldid=684044772"