Camp Piatt was the largest Civil War camp in the Kanawha Valley. It was named for Union Col. A. Sanders Piatt of the 34th Ohio (Zouaves). Its location along present-day U.S. Route 60 and the Kanawha River was of strategic importance to troops of both armies who operated here between 1861 and 1865. During 1863, the 23rd Ohio, including future U.S. presidents Hayes and McKinley, camped here.