Pennsylvania German settlers established a colony here on the summit of Cheat Mountain in 1787. Nothing remains of the community's first years, but the Red Horse Tavern attests to their building traditions. Later in the nineteenth century, the area developed as a summer resort. Although little now remains from this period, as late as 1941 the WPA guide to West Virginia touted Aurora's “high altitude and clean air,” attracting visitors who “live in summer cottages … and spend the hottest days … in cool comfort.”
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