Clay County was formed in 1858 from Braxton and Nicholas counties and was named for Henry Clay, the Kentuckian whose popularity in western Virginia led to the erection of a monument to him in 1820 for his part in bringing the National Road to Wheeling. Nicholas County was formed in 1818 from Kanawha, Greenbrier, and Randolph and was named for Wilson C. Nicholas, governor of Virginia from 1814 to 1817. In Nicholas County, sharp engagements were fought in 1861 at Carnifex Ferry and at Kessler’s Cross Lanes.