Built on a series of steep rugged hills in the north central part of the state is Fairmont, the government headquarters for Marion County. It is situated where the West Fork River and the Tygart Valley join to form the Monongahela River, which divides the city into east and west Fairmont. The streets slop steeply and sidewalks often end in flights of steps up or down to the next level.

The first white settlers came to the Fairmont area in the 1770's. The land on which Fairmont is built was an impenetrable laurel thicket until 1793 when Jacob Paulsley built a home on the east side of the river. When the road between Clarksburg and Morgantown was completed in 1819, a halfway stopping point was needed. Some land owned by Boaz Fleming on the west side of the river was no good for cultivating so the town was started there, and incorporated as Middleton.

Three ferries and a hotel were the first businesses, operated by Frederick Ice. Later came carding mills and woolen products.

Meanwhile on the east side of the river a post office was opened with the name of Paulsley, after John Paulsley. A copper factory was built and a machine works. In 1838 the town was incorporated as Palatine.

In 1843 the two communities were united and called Fairmont. It became a supply base for railroad construction. Most of the railroad crews were Irish immigrants.

The Irish brought with them the feuds and prejudices of the "old sod." One day 200 Connaughters from Benton's Ferry attacked the Fardowners at Ice's Mill. The Fardowners went to Fairmont for protection and the Connaughters pursued with shouts and shots. As a result 88 Connaughters were jailed "where they had a chance to study their first lesson in Americanization."

During the Civil War, on April 29, 1863, Confederate Gen. William Ezra Jones destroyed a half million dollar railroad bridge and raided the home of Gov. Francis Pierpont.

Fairmont State Teachers College was begun in 1917.