[2] Doddridge County is part of the Clarksburg, West Virginia, WV Micropolitan Statistical Area.

In 1828 Ephraim Bee, Sr (1802–1888) and his wife Catherine established a log home on Meathouse Fork of Middle Island Creek, now part of West Union.

They built an Inn across the "Creek" (really a river) at what was then called Lewisport (Congressman Maxwell's namesake), below a blockhouse on the Northwestern Turnpike.

Bee operated the first local blacksmith shop; a farm, stables, tannery and horse-racing track soon followed.

According to Ephraim's father, A.A. Bee: "The first bridge across Middle Island Creek [at West Union] was of hewed logs with a center abutment of stones.

In 1842, a contract was awarded to the well-known civil engineer Claudius Crozet to build a covered bridge at West Union, as part of a series of public works along the Turnpike.

But Nathan Davis, Jr (who was Ephraim's wife's uncle), William Fitz Randolph, and others, won out in favor of West Union, across the river on the south side.

There Ethelbert Bond (Nathan's son-in-law and William's wife's cousin) laid out the town lots in regular fashion on land formerly owned by Davis.

West Virginia became a state following the Wheeling Conventions of 1861, after the American Civil War had begun.

In 1863, West Virginia's counties were divided into civil townships, with the intention of encouraging local government.

This proved impractical in the heavily rural state, and in 1872 the townships were converted into magisterial districts.

[7] Doddridge County was divided into six districts: Central, Grant, McClellan, New Milton, Southwest, and West Union.

The county's first oil pool, at Center Point, was discovered ("brought in" as it was then termed) and drilled in 1892.

This was an extension of the technology and boom of the western Pennsylvania oil and gas fields into Tyler and Doddridge Counties.

Gas was soon used for heating, lighting, and cooking, which replaced the wood stoves, kerosene and candles of previous generations.

A long-remembered flood devastated West Union in June 1950, destroying homes and businesses and killing more than 20 people throughout the county.

Today farming, timbering, oil and gas, and the business of county government and public education support the area, and many people commute to jobs in Salem, Clarksburg, and Parkersburg, or to the North Central Regional Jail in Greenwood.