"In 1833, Samuel Kercheval wrote 'A History of the Valley of Virginia'. Much of it related to what is now West Virginia" - Covington Virginian, Feb. 6, 1937 First settled by non-Native Americans in 1732, what is the history of the Shenandoah Valley? In 1833, the Samuel Kercheval (1767-1845), the first major historian of the Shenandoah Valley, published "A History of the Valley of Virginia." Topics covered by Kercheval include Indian wars, Indian settlements, first settlement of the valley, customs of the settlers, attacks on settlers, Dunmore's war with the Indians, War of the Revolution, life of settlers, history of the Northern Neck of Virginia, setting up counties, and establishment of towns. About the author: Samuel Kercheval (March 1767 in Frederick County, Virginia - 14 November 1845 in Middletown, Virginia) was a Virginia lawyer and author. His A History of the Valley of Virginia (1st edition, 1833) provides important primary information on the earliest white settlements of the Shenandoah Valley and South Branch Potomac River and their encounters with local Indians.