Mecklenburg

From West Virginia (WV) Cyclopedia

One mile below the present-day town of Shepherdstown is what was once called Old Pack-horse Ford, which was the only crossing of the Potomac River east of west of it. By way of this ford came the Germans from Pennsylvania, who found here the gateway to the fertile lands south of the Potomac. Hither came a number of them as early as 1727-1728, and once across the river they saw on all sides the grey limestone, reminding them of similar scenes in the Fatherland, and here they halted. They built a little village which they called New Mecklenberg, from the city of that name in Germany. Thus was founded the oldest town in West Virginia. Thirty-four years later the Virginia House of Burgesses legally established the town and afterwards changed the name to that of Shepherdstown, in honor of Thomas Shepherd, who laid it out.