Upshur County was formed in 1851 from Lewis, Barbour, and Randolph and was named for Abel Parker Upshur, the Virginia statesman. Samuel and John Pringle were the first settlers there in 1764, and later they guided other pioneers to the area. Randolph County was formed from Harrison in 1787 and was named for Edmund Jennings Randolph, a Virginia statesman and soldier. It is the largest county in the state, and Federal dominance of Tygarts Valley during the War between the states largely determined control of West Virginia.