▁smaller ▁related ▁communities ▁in ▁the ▁adjacent ▁count ies ▁of ▁Harrison ▁and ▁Taylor . ▁They ▁are ▁often ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁" May les " ▁( from ▁the ▁most ▁common ▁surname ▁— ▁May le ▁or ▁Male ) ▁or ▁" Gu ine as " ▁( now ▁considered ▁a ▁pe jor ative ▁term ). ▁ ▁The ▁group ▁has ▁been ▁the ▁subject ▁of ▁county ▁histor ies ▁and ▁some ▁scholar ly ▁studies . ▁Some ▁sch ol ars ▁have ▁class ified ▁this ▁group ▁as ▁a ▁tri - ra cial ▁isol ate . ▁Thomas ▁Mc El w ain ▁wrote ▁that ▁many ▁CR P ▁identified ▁as ▁an ▁Indian - white ▁mixed ▁group , ▁or ▁as ▁Native ▁American , ▁but ▁they ▁are ▁not ▁en rolled ▁in ▁any ▁officially ▁recognized ▁tribe . ▁Paul ▁Hein eg g ▁documented ▁that ▁many ▁individuals ▁were ▁class ified ▁as ▁free ▁people ▁of ▁color , ▁or ▁similar ▁terms ▁in ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁colonial , ▁local ▁and ▁state ▁records . ▁ ▁Some ▁CR P ▁have ▁identified ▁as ▁Mel unge on , ▁a ▁mixed - race ▁group ▁based ▁in ▁Kentucky ▁and ▁Tennessee , ▁and ▁attended ▁the ▁Mel unge on ▁un ions , ▁or ▁joined ▁the ▁Mel unge on ▁Heritage ▁Association . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁two ▁local ▁histor ians ▁made ▁a ▁presentation ▁about ▁the ▁" Gu ine as ▁of ▁West ▁Virginia " ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Virginia ' s ▁College ▁at ▁ ▁W ise . ▁ ▁History ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁days , ▁Bar bour ▁County ▁was ▁settled ▁primarily ▁by ▁people ▁from ▁eastern ▁Virginia . ▁It ▁was ▁included ▁in ▁the ▁col