Shavers Mountain
Encyclopedia
Shavers Mountain, is a high and rugged ridge situated in the Allegheny Mountains
of eastern West Virginia
. It is about 35 miles (56.3 km) long, north to south, and several of its peaks exceed 4000 feet (1,219.2 m) in elevation. Shavers Mountain is notable for being “bookended”, at its northern and southern ends, by two exceptional natural areas: the Otter Creek Wilderness
and the Gaudineer Scenic Area
, respectively, both of which preserve small stands of old growth forest
on the mountain.
, although along its southern third, its crest forms the boundary between Randolph and Pocahontas
Counties. Shavers Mountain is defined to the west by the valley of Shavers Fork and to the east by the valley of Glady Fork
, West Fork of Glady Fork and the West Fork Greenbrier River
.
Shavers Mountain is part of the Shavers Fork Mountain Complex, which includes Cheat Mountain
to the west and Middle Mountain to the east. Shavers Mountain's northern end is in a bend of Dry Fork
of Cheat River
near the town of Gladwin
. Its southern end is at U.S. Route 250
, south of which the same structural fold continues as Back Allegheny Mountain
. The highest point of Shavers Mountain is located just north of US 250
at Gaudineer Knob
, which has an elevation of 4432 feet (1,350.9 m).
ticket in the Dry Fork District in the first election held after the Civil War
. Indeed, no Democratic ticket had been printed in the District, so one had to be written to accommodate him. In June 1879, Ellis Wyatt became the first postmaster of the town of Alpena, holding the position until 1897.
The timber industry in West Virginia grew rapidly towards the end of the 19th century. In the early 1900s, Shavers Mountain was almost completely denuded of trees. For the most part, native trees have been allowed to grow back naturally, with only some non-native Norway spruce
planted on top of the mountain in the 1920s.
. The Shavers Mountain Spruce-Hemlock Stand is a 68 acres (27.5 ha) virgin
red spruce
-hemlock stand, partly within the Otter Creek Wilderness
. (The Otter Creek Wilderness lies in a bowl formed by Shavers Mountain and McGowan Mountain.) The Gaudineer Scenic Area
, encompassing 140 acres (56.7 ha) around Gaudineer Knob
, includes about 50 acres (20.2 ha) of virgin red spruce
forest.
The Shavers Mountain Trail, somewhat strenuous but affording exceptional views, is 10 miles (16.1 km) long. .
Allegheny Mountains
The Allegheny Mountain Range , also spelled Alleghany, Allegany and, informally, the Alleghenies, is part of the vast Appalachian Mountain Range of the eastern United States and Canada...
of eastern West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
. It is about 35 miles (56.3 km) long, north to south, and several of its peaks exceed 4000 feet (1,219.2 m) in elevation. Shavers Mountain is notable for being “bookended”, at its northern and southern ends, by two exceptional natural areas: the Otter Creek Wilderness
Otter Creek Wilderness
The Otter Creek Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness area located in the Cheat-Potomac Ranger District of Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia. The Wilderness sits in a bowl-shaped valley formed by Otter Creek, between McGowan Mountain and Shavers Mountain in Tucker County and Randolph County,...
and the Gaudineer Scenic Area
Gaudineer Scenic Area
The Gaudineer Scenic Area is a scenic area and National Natural Landmark in the Monongahela National Forest . It is situated just north of Gaudineer Knob of Shavers Mountain on the border of Randolph and Pocahontas Counties, West Virginia, USA, about northwest of the town of...
, respectively, both of which preserve small stands of old growth forest
Old growth forest
An old-growth forest is a forest that has attained great age , and thereby exhibits unique ecological features. An old growth forest has also usually reached a climax community...
on the mountain.
Geography
Most of Shavers Mountain lies within eastern Randolph CountyRandolph County, West Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 28,262 people, 11,072 households, and 7,661 families residing in the county. The population density was 27 people per square mile . There were 13,478 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile...
, although along its southern third, its crest forms the boundary between Randolph and Pocahontas
Pocahontas County, West Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 9,131 people, 835 households, and 527 families residing in the county. The population density was 10 people per square mile . There were 7,594 housing units at an average density of 8 per square mile...
Counties. Shavers Mountain is defined to the west by the valley of Shavers Fork and to the east by the valley of Glady Fork
Glady Fork
Glady Fork is a river in eastern West Virginia in the United States. It is considered one of the five principal headwaters tributaries of the Cheat River.-Geography:...
, West Fork of Glady Fork and the West Fork Greenbrier River
Greenbrier River
The Greenbrier River is a tributary of the New River, long, in southeastern West Virginia, USA. Via the New, Kanawha and Ohio Rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area of...
.
Shavers Mountain is part of the Shavers Fork Mountain Complex, which includes Cheat Mountain
Cheat Mountain
Cheat Mountain is an exceptionally high and rugged ridge situated in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia, USA. It is about long and more than five miles wide at its widest. Its highest point is at its southernmost end at Thorny Flat, which has an elevation of...
to the west and Middle Mountain to the east. Shavers Mountain's northern end is in a bend of Dry Fork
Dry Fork (Cheat River)
The Dry Fork is a tributary of the Black Fork of the Cheat River in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia in the United States. Via the Black Fork, the Cheat, and the Monongahela and Ohio rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River. The Dry Fork flows for much of its...
of Cheat River
Cheat River
The Cheat River is a tributary of the Monongahela River in eastern West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Via the Monongahela and Ohio rivers, it is part of the Mississippi River watershed, ultimately draining into the Gulf of Mexico.-Geography:The Cheat is formed at...
near the town of Gladwin
Gladwin, West Virginia
Gladwin is an unincorporated community in Tucker County in the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is situated at the point where Glady Fork discharges into Dry Fork of Cheat River....
. Its southern end is at U.S. Route 250
U.S. Route 250
U.S. Route 250 is a route of the United States Numbered Highway System, and is a spur of U.S. Route 50. It currently runs for from Sandusky, Ohio to Richmond, Virginia. It passes through the states of Virginia, West Virginia, and Ohio. It goes through the cities of Richmond, Virginia,...
, south of which the same structural fold continues as Back Allegheny Mountain
Back Allegheny Mountain
Back Allegheny Mountain is a long mountain ridge in eastern West Virginia. It is part of the Shavers Fork Mountain Complex in the Allegheny Range of the Appalachians.- Geography :...
. The highest point of Shavers Mountain is located just north of US 250
U.S. Route 250
U.S. Route 250 is a route of the United States Numbered Highway System, and is a spur of U.S. Route 50. It currently runs for from Sandusky, Ohio to Richmond, Virginia. It passes through the states of Virginia, West Virginia, and Ohio. It goes through the cities of Richmond, Virginia,...
at Gaudineer Knob
Gaudineer Knob
Gaudineer Knob is a mountain summit on the Randolph/Pocahontas County line in eastern West Virginia, USA. It is the highest elevation of Shavers Mountain, a ridge of the Alleghenies, and is located about east of the town of Cheat Bridge...
, which has an elevation of 4432 feet (1,350.9 m).
History
According to E.C. Wyatt, a local historian who published in the The Randolph Enterprise newspaper in the 1920s , the mountain was named for Peter Shaver, an early settler to the area who was killed by Indians. Wyatt believed that in 1848 his grandfather, Ellis Wyatt, became the first man to build a house on Shavers Mountain. Ellis was a farmer, merchant, civil engineer, surveyor, constable, deputy sheriff, and a miller. He was apparently the first and only man to vote a DemocraticDemocratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
ticket in the Dry Fork District in the first election held after the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. Indeed, no Democratic ticket had been printed in the District, so one had to be written to accommodate him. In June 1879, Ellis Wyatt became the first postmaster of the town of Alpena, holding the position until 1897.
The timber industry in West Virginia grew rapidly towards the end of the 19th century. In the early 1900s, Shavers Mountain was almost completely denuded of trees. For the most part, native trees have been allowed to grow back naturally, with only some non-native Norway spruce
Norway Spruce
Norway Spruce is a species of spruce native to Europe. It is also commonly referred to as the European Spruce.- Description :...
planted on top of the mountain in the 1920s.
Preservation and recreation
Most of Shavers Mountain lies within the Monongahela National ForestMonongahela National Forest
The Monongahela National Forest is a national forest located in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia, USA. It protects over of federally-owned land within a proclamation boundary that includes much of the Potomac Highlands Region and portions of 10 counties.The MNF includes some...
. The Shavers Mountain Spruce-Hemlock Stand is a 68 acres (27.5 ha) virgin
Old growth forest
An old-growth forest is a forest that has attained great age , and thereby exhibits unique ecological features. An old growth forest has also usually reached a climax community...
red spruce
Red Spruce
Picea rubens is a species of spruce native to eastern North America, ranging from eastern Quebec to Nova Scotia, and from New England south in the Adirondack Mountains and Appalachians to western North Carolina.-Physical description:...
-hemlock stand, partly within the Otter Creek Wilderness
Otter Creek Wilderness
The Otter Creek Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness area located in the Cheat-Potomac Ranger District of Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia. The Wilderness sits in a bowl-shaped valley formed by Otter Creek, between McGowan Mountain and Shavers Mountain in Tucker County and Randolph County,...
. (The Otter Creek Wilderness lies in a bowl formed by Shavers Mountain and McGowan Mountain.) The Gaudineer Scenic Area
Gaudineer Scenic Area
The Gaudineer Scenic Area is a scenic area and National Natural Landmark in the Monongahela National Forest . It is situated just north of Gaudineer Knob of Shavers Mountain on the border of Randolph and Pocahontas Counties, West Virginia, USA, about northwest of the town of...
, encompassing 140 acres (56.7 ha) around Gaudineer Knob
Gaudineer Knob
Gaudineer Knob is a mountain summit on the Randolph/Pocahontas County line in eastern West Virginia, USA. It is the highest elevation of Shavers Mountain, a ridge of the Alleghenies, and is located about east of the town of Cheat Bridge...
, includes about 50 acres (20.2 ha) of virgin red spruce
Red Spruce
Picea rubens is a species of spruce native to eastern North America, ranging from eastern Quebec to Nova Scotia, and from New England south in the Adirondack Mountains and Appalachians to western North Carolina.-Physical description:...
forest.
The Shavers Mountain Trail, somewhat strenuous but affording exceptional views, is 10 miles (16.1 km) long. .
External links
- Shavers Mountain Survey Project, an effort by cavers of the VAR (Virginia Region of the NSSNational Speleological SocietyThe National Speleological Society is an organization formed in 1941 to advance the exploration, conservation, study, and understanding of caves in the United States. Originally located in Washington D.C., its current offices are in Huntsville, Alabama...
) to locate, push and survey the caves of Shavers Mountain.