 The first white settlement in present-day Barbour County was established in 1780 by Richard Talbott – along with his brother Cotteral and sister Charity – about three miles (5 km) downriver from the future site of Philippi.At this time the region was still a part of Monongalia County, Virginia.The region had had no permanent Indian settlements and so conflicts with Native Americans were relatively infrequent in the early days.