Half of the nineteenth century has passed and our narrative has only a few more years to chronicle. In 1851, three counties were formed. One of these, Craig, remained in Virginia. It was taken from parts of Botetourt, Roanoke, Giles and Monroe.
Its bounds were as follows: "Beginning on the top of the Middle mountain at the corner of Monroe and Alleghany counties, near Achilles Dews, and running with the Alleghany line to the top of Peters' mountain; thence westward along the top of said mountain to a point nearby opposite to the house of Boston Rowan; thence crossing Potts' creek to a point one fourth of a mile below said Rowan's so as to leave said Rowan's in the county of Monroe; thence a southwestern direction to the top of Potts' mountain, so as to leave Armentrout, Fridley and Rose in Monroe; thence westward along the top of said mountain to a point opposite Colonel R. M. Hutchinson's on John's creek, and thence a straight line including said Hutchinson in the new county, and crossing Sinking creek valley to William Niday's, including said Niday in the new county, to the Montgomery line; thence eastward with the Montgomery line to the corner of Roanoke and Montgomery; thence with the Roanoke line to the top of Brush mountain; thence eastward along said mountain, crossing the Cove branch where John Carper formerly lived; thence along the same range of mountains passing near Lilburn Doss's, crossing Stone Coal gap; thence along the same range of mountains, crossing Price's turnpike road to a point opposite Daniel Sizer's; thence a northwestern direction crossing Craig's creek above said Sizer's to a point one mile from Craig's creek on the ridge; thence to Andrew Persinger's on Barber's creek; thence to the Alleghany line and with the same to the beginning."
The name of the county honored Robert Craig, member of Congress from Virginia 1829-1834, 1835-1841.
In the same month in which Craig was set up, the new county of Upshur was created from parts of Randolph, Barbour and Lewis, all now in West Virginia. The starting point in the description of its bounds reads as follows: "Beginning at a rock or milestone on the Staunton and Parkersburg turnpike road ten miles east of Weston in Lewis County." This shows that transportation had developed sufficiently to connect places on the Ohio River with other sections of Virginia.