John Peter Salling was born in Germany in the early 18th century and traveled to America as a young man. He was an explorer who led expeditions of discovery from Canada to Florida. He was last seen in Florida.
Salling discovered coal in western Virginia along the banks of the Coal River, near present-day Racine in Boone County, West Virginia. His companions were John Howard, Josiah Howard, John Poteet and Charles St. Clair.[1]