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Around 1769, John Hacker had begun improving a section of
land on the Buckhannon River, unaware that Samuel Pringle had chosen that spot
for himself.&nbsp; To prevent unpleasantness
between them, John Hacker agreed that he would switch land, if Samuel Pringle
would clear an equal amount of land along a newly discovered creek.&nbsp; After Hacker settled there, the newly
discovered creek became known as Hacker’s Creek.&nbsp; He would be the first permanent European
settler of present-day Lewis County.&nbsp; John
and William Radcliff also settled nearby.

According to the WV Historical Marker, John Hacker would later serve under Gen. George Rogers Clark
in the Illinois campaign of 1778.&nbsp; There is speculation that this may not be correct, and that this John Hacker instead served with Captain James Booth "in 1777 in a company of Militia in defense of the western frontier of West Augusta." 1 

The Indian Chief Tecumseh is said to have been born in an
Indian camp at the mouth of Jesse’s Run, located on Hacker’s Creek, near present-day
Jane Lew. 2, 3&nbsp; This is also contested, with some evidence pointing to Chillecothe, OH being his birthplace. 4 

In May of 1792, Tecumseh made his first raid on John
Waggoner’s family, white settlers on Hacker’s Creek.&nbsp; Tecumseh was lying in wait for John Waggoner,
but his shot missed.&nbsp; John ran home to
find it being attacked by the raiding party.&nbsp;
A small boy was killed in the yard, and Mrs. Waggoner and children were
taken captive. &nbsp;She and a couple of the
children were killed further down the trail.&nbsp;
Two girls and a boy arrived in Ohio with the Indians.&nbsp; The two girls were later returned, but the
boy, Peter Waggoner, stayed for 20 years with the Indians. 3, 5 

The Hackers Creek Pioneer Descendants purchased the old Horner in 1998 to start the Central West Virginia Genealogy and History Library and Museum. 6

West Virginia Historical Road Marker for the John Hacker Settlement.

Around 1769, John Hacker became the first permanent European settler of present-day Lewis County, WV.  The area would come to be known as Hacker's Creek.  Some controversy exists about details relating to this area.