Sutton, located in West Virginia, was initially established in 1792 by Adam O'Brien, who hailed from Bath County, Virginia. Following O'Brien, additional settlers arrived, with John D. Sutton making his home in 1809 at the point where Granny’s Creek meets the Elk River, now part of what is downtown. His nephew Felix, along with others like Gustavius Taylor and Andrew Skidmore, also joined the emerging community. In 1835, the village, that would eventually be called Newville, was founded and named in honor of John D. Sutton. The creation of Braxton County occurred in 1836, taking its named after Carter Braxton, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. The first court session for the county was held in John D. Sutton's residence. The Civil War affected Sutton due to its location along a crucial north-south turnpike in central West Virginia. The town was occupied by 5,000 troops on September 5, 1861, and later that year, General Rosencrans stationed 10,000 soldiers , among whom was William McKinley, who would later become President. In December 1861, Confederate forces set fire to much of the downtown, leaving only six buildings standing. After the Civil War's destruction, Sutton gradually rebuilt itself, but it remained a small county seat until the timber industry took its place and transformed it into thriving commercial space. Several historic structures in Sutton, such as banks, hotels, and shops, trace back to the years between 1890 and 1920. Later on, however, Sutton's growth dwindled again, matching the pace of the entire economy during the Great Depression.