French Creek, West Virginia
| French Creek | |
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| Unincorporated community | |
 French Creek
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| Coordinates: Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. | |
| Country | United States |
| State | West Virginia |
| County | Upshur |
| Elevation | 1,460 ft (450 m) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 26218[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1554511[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.
Contents
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
- Maurice Graham Brooks (1900–93), biologist, forester and celebrated authority on Appalachian natural history.
See also
References
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- Images of America: Upshur County by The Upshur County Historical Society, pages 27 and 46.
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Municipalities and communities of Upshur County, West Virginia, United States
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| Unincorporated communities |
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| Footnotes |
‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties
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