Webster County was formed in 1860 from Braxton, Nicholas, and Randolph and was named for Daniel Webster. It is noted for its fine mountain scenery, and its forests produced the tree that was the largest hardwood at the Chicago World's Fair in 1893. Nicholas County was formed in 1818 from Greenbrier, Kanawha, and Randolph and was named for Wilson C. Nicholas, governor of Virginia from 1814 to 1817. In Nicholas County in 1861, sharp engagements were fought at Kessler's Cross Lanes and Carnifex Ferry.