Valley Falls in 1880s

In the 1880s Valley Falls boasted an 18 room hotel and had nearly 100 homes along the Tygart River.

In the spring of 1888, over 3,000,000 saw logs were boomed across the Tygart River above Valley Falls. This giant timber raft was held in check by strands of cable and chains streched from bank to bank.

One evening the water began to rise. Finally enough to snap the cables holding the raft and timber. The entire load swept over Valley Falls destroying houses, bridges, barns, mills and everything in it's path.

This man made flood proved to be the end of the Valley Falls community...