The Eckerlins had immigrated to Pennsylvania along with other Anabaptists from the Schwarzenau, Wittgenstein community of modern-day Bad Berleburg, North Rhine-Westphalia, in what was then the Holy Roman Empire.

[1]: 8 The Eckerlins purchased 900 acres in the New River Valley, in an area where other German immigrants had already settled, including Samuel Stalnaker, and Jacob and Adam Harman (formerly Hermann).

[8]: 17 The Eckerlins were unaware, however, that the land they had purchased was part of a 100,000 acre grant to the Wood's River Company, administered by Colonel James Patton.

The Duncards are an odd set of people, who make it a matter of Religion not to Shave their Beards, ly on beds, or eat flesh, though at present, in the last, they transgress, being constrained to it, they say, by the want of a sufficiency of Grain and Roots, they have not long been seated here...The unmarried have no Property but live on a common Stock.

[6] In 1751, the Eckerlins decided to relocate their community to the west, but this time they sought the permission of Native Americans already living in the area, so that in the future they would not be raided or harassed.

Israel traveled to Logstown to meet with George Croghan, and requested leave of the Iroquois Confederacy to settle on the Youghiogheny River.

Doubtful that the council would agree, the Eckerlin brothers met with Christopher Gist who was Land Agent for the Ohio Company of Virginia.

[16]: 38–51 In 1753 Samuel Eckerlin sold portions of the Dunkard's Bottom land to Gerhard (Garrett) Zinn and William Davis.

[17] The Eckerlin brothers reestablished themselves in a new community, referred to as Dunkard Bottom on the Cheat River in what is now Preston County, West Virginia.

[23][24] In February 1756, 140 Cherokee warriors allied with the British gathered at Dunkard's Bottom before joining the Sandy Creek Expedition.

[25] The Ingles abandoned their farm after only a few months and in June, 1756 they relocated to Fort Vause, seeking protection from raids during the French and Indian War.

[24] The stone fireplace and foundation of at least one other Dunkard cottage remained and were used for the construction of a tenant house for plantation laborers in the late nineteenth century.

[1]: 13, 21 [28] A historical marker on a stone plinth was placed in 1937 at the site of the original community, by the Count Pulaski Chapter of the DAR.