State Route 39 from Shadwell west to Monterey, now U.S. Route 250, was part of the initial 1918 state highway system (numbered State Route 9 until 1923). It initially continued west from Monterey on present US 250, but by 1924 it used current State Route 84 west to West Virginia. The road west from Monterey towards West Virginia Route 56 (now U.S. Route 250) for 7.86 miles (12.65 km) was added to the state highway system in 1930 and 1932 as State Route 835; the remaining mileage to the state line was added in 1933.