This booklet explores the settlement and frontier defense of Monroe and Summers counties, West Virginia, in the middle to late 28th century and how these Euro-American settlers and enslaved African Americans colonized an area contested by Native Americans and at times by different European powers. The McBrides utilized historical documents and archaeological excavations to gain a deeper understanding of the community frontier defensive system and how it worked, including what forts looked like, where they were located, what material culture was present in the forts, and how the defensive system–which included forts, militia, and spies (or scouts)–was integrated into the broader community organization.