In the year of 1812, Samuel Tanner and his family, along with Jonathan Wolfe, traveled from Harrison County to Roane County, to the site of what is now the city of Spencer, West Virginia. Samuel established a home for himself and his family in a cave, under the cliffs where Spencer Middle School now stands.

A more detailed history is available in the Adobe document, History Of Spencer, written by Donna J. Walbrown.