West Virginia, known as "The Mountain State," was the western part of the Commonwealth of Virginia until June 20, 1863. It was settled by Germans and Scotch-Irish, and during the French and Indian War from 1754 to 1763 it became a line of defense between the English and French. Mercer County was formed in 1837 from Giles and Tazewell and was named for General Hugh Mercer, an officer mortally wounded at Princeton in 1777. The county, a gateway to the South, is rich in fine farms and mineral deposits.