Summers County was formed in 1871 from Monroe, Fayette, Greenbrier, and Mercer counties and was named for George W. Summers, a distinguished jurist of Kanawha. In 1750, Dr. Thomas Walker and his companions explored the Greenbrier Valley for the Greenbrier Company. Monroe County was formed in 1799 from Greenbrier and was named for President James Monroe. In Monroe County lived Col. Andrew S. Rowan, who in 1898 carried news of American intervention to General Y Iniguez Garcia, leader of the Cubans.