We come across the name Lyman Draper quite often in our study of Southern West Virginia and the surrounding area, so let’s take some time to find out what he did and why he is so important to the study of our history.
Personally, I feel like he is something of a kindred spirit, and I am in great admiration of his dedication. Apparently, one of his goals was similar to one of mine: “He planned to write a series of biographies on early settlers in the region and document the Indian Wars in the Ohio River Valley.” This makes me eager to take a look at more of his work.
I am not always a fan of Wikipedia, but non-controversial topics are usually given a fair treatment. I am republishing this article in accordance with the Wikimedia Foundation Terms of Use. The article is a screenshot, so the hyperlinks won’t work unless you go to the original Wikipedia page. I encourage you to look at some of the sources mentioned, particularly those written by William Hesseltine, such as this biography. Please read Hesseltine’s article to get a fuller understanding of who Lyman Draper was.