A new and comprehensive gazetteer of Virginia, and the District of Columbia, Part 48

Author: Martin, Joseph. ed. cn; Brockenbrough, William Henry
Publication date: 1835
Publisher: Charlottesville, J. Martin
Number of Pages: 1278

USA > Washington DC > Washington DC > A new and comprehensive gazetteer of Virginia, and the District of Columbia > Part 48
USA > Virginia > A new and comprehensive gazetteer of Virginia, and the District of Columbia > Part 48

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

TOWNS, VILLAGES, POST OFFICES, &c.

BRIDGEPORT, P. O. 266 ms. from contains 20 dwelling houses, 1 house R. and 220 from W., situated 10 ms. Jof public worship free for all denomi- E. of Clarksburg, on Simpson's creek, a branch of the west fork of the Mo-

nations, 1 common school, 2 houses of entertainment, 1 grist and saw mill, nongahela river. The location of the and various incchanics. The situa- north western turnpike road runs tion of this town is high and healthy, through the town of Bridgeport. Itlin a flourishing and densely settled

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part of the county, 11 ms. west of Superior Court of Law and Chancery Prunty town. It contains 14 families on the 3d of May, and October. and is improving.

CLARKSBURG, P. V. and Seat of Justice, 260 ms. N. W. by W. of R. and 226 from W. This healthy and thriving village is situated above, and S. S. W. of Morgantown, on the right bank of the Monongahela river, near the centre of north western Vir- ginia, at the junction of Elk creek, with the west fork of the Monongahela, about 100 ms. by the post road south of Pittsburg, 250 W. of Baltimore, and 70 E. of the Ohio river. It is a corporate town and well built; con- taining besides the usual county build- ings, 100 dwelling houses, 1 Metho- dist house of worship, 2 common schools, a temperance, bible and Sun- day school society, 9 mercantile stores, a grist and an oil mill, 1 print- ing office which issues a weekly pa- per, 1 tanyard, 3 saddlers, and all oth- er mechanics usual or necssary for an inland town. . There is a chalybeate spring, whence issues a never failing stream of highly medicinal water. This village stands on a rolling table land, surrounded by an amphitheatre of hills, ranging in distance from a mile, to a few hundred yards. Elk

MILFORD, 265 ms. from R. and 233 from W. This village is pleasantly situated on the north bank of the west Run meadering through and around .fork of the Monongahela river, 8 ms. the town, adds additional beauty to the scene. Clarksburg is furnished with inexhaustible supplies of coal in its immediate neighborhood; and being situated in the midst of a large and flourishing county, possessed of valuable arable lands and great mine- ral wealth in its iron, salt, &c. and being near the centre of N. W. Vir- ginia,-it may hope in time to become a place of considerable importance. Its present population is 700 persons; of whom 20 are attorneys, and 4 reg- ular physicians.

S. S. W. of Clarksburg. It contains 15 dwelling houses, 1 house of public worship, (Methodist) 1 house of pub- lic entertainment, 1 miscellaneous store, 1 tanyard, 1 boot and shoe ma- ker, 1 gun smith, 1 house carpenter, 1 cooper, 1 grist and 1 saw mill. The land in the immediate vicinity of this village is level, but that of the sur- rounding country is somewhat moun- tainous; but not so precipitous as to preclude its cultivation, to the very summit. 'The soil is generally good, the bottoms being a heavy soil, suited for meadow lands. The hills are generally a losse black soil, and very fertile. The products are wheat, In- dian corn, rye, oats, flax, hemp and JUDGE DUNCAN holds his Cirenit various kinds of pulse and vegetables.

County Courts are held on the 3d Monday, in every month :- Quar- terly in March, June, August and November.

LIOFFSVILLE, P. O. 253 ms. from R. and 236 W. of W.

LEWISPORT, P. V. 290 ms, from R. and 256 from W., situated 35 ms. W. of Clarksburg, and 25 . both from Weston and Middlebourn, county seats of Lewis and Tyler, on the main stage road, at the point, at which- it crosses Middle Island creek. This creek is a beautiful stream, which empties into the Ohio; it is 75 yards wide, and navigable from its mouth to this place. Lewisport contains 8 dwelling houses, 1 Baptist house of worship, 1 common school, 1 mercantile store, 2 taverns, 1 manufacturing flour mill, and seve- ral mechanical establishment. Pop- ulation 50 persons; of whom 1 is a physician. This village is surround- ed by endless quantities of valuable timber,-the neighborhood abounds with stone coal and limestone; and many excellent sites for manufacto- ries. Wheat, rye, oats and timothy, are the principal products. The face of the country is uneven, but the soil rich.

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The lands are peculiarly adapted to the Ohio river .. The West Fork river raising cattle, which is one of the principal staples of this county. Pop-

at this place, is 350 ft. wide; passes in a gentle current, and is navigable at ulation 61,-the odd one being a slave. high water. It empties into the Ty- 'The neighborhood is thickly settled, gart's Valley river, 14 ms. below this and bids fair to be a thriving coun- try, should a market ever open to this place. The post office has lately been moved from Milford to Lost creek, on the opposite side of the river.

NEW SALEM, P. O. 240 ms. w. of W. C. and 274 from R.

village-the two forming the Monon- gahela of Virginia and Pennsylvania. Steam-boats might come to this place, if there were no obstructing mill dams, The surrounding country is hilly and extremely broken, but exceedingly well timbered with oak, shell bark, hickory, poplars (120 ft. high,) black locust, honey locust, sugar maple, black walnut, butter nut, beach, cot:

PRUNTY TOWN, P. V. 276 ms. from R. and 209 N. w. by W. of w. situated near the ferry across Tygart's Valley river, 18 ms. N. E. by E. of ton wood, cypress, sycamore, birch, Clarksburg. It contains 18 dwelling lynn; and affords an abundance of houses, 1 Methodist and 1 Baptist gensang, snake root, &c. The coun- try around is thickly settled, and the pursuits of the inhabitants are agri: culture, grazing, and raising cattle, and furnishing of lumber for the va- house of worship, 1 common school, 3 miscellaneous stores, 1 tavern, 1 tanyard, 2 saddlers, 2 boot and shoe factories, 1 hatter, 1 tailor, 2 smith shops, 1 gun smith, and 1 cabinet ma- rious markets. 'The neighborhood of ker. Population 110. The surround- Shinnton in geological language would be called a secondary formation, based on calcarious and clay shist ing country is somewhat broken, but the soil is good, and well adapted to the grazing of cattle; and growing rocks, abounding in iron ore, and bi- every species of small grain.

tuminous coal; the latter unusually

SHINNSTON, P. V. 270 ms. from R. abundant,-several strata being dis -. and 236 w. of w. c. This village posed one above the other, in the same was laid off in the year 1817 by the hill. The strata are usually 10 feet Rev. Asa Shinn and brothers, and in- deep, of excellent coal. The substra- corporated by act of Assemby the same tum of carth is also, generally about year. It is situated on the right bank! 10 ft. deep, composed of a yellow al- of the West Fork river, on a beautiful luminous clay, very suitable for potte- plain, containing about 30 acres of ry and brick The super stratum is land, 15 ft, above high water mark, a rich vegetable mould, about one 8 ms. N. E. of Clarksburg, and 30 foot deep, which if well cultivated, S. W. of Morgantown.

produces excellent hemp, flax, maize, wheat, sweet and Irish potatoes. Or- apples celebrated for size and flavor; peaches, plums, pears, pawpaws and

The improvements are 18 dwelling houses, 1 house of public worship, chards are nurtured with care, and free for all denominations, 1 common school, 2 miscellaneous stores, 1 wag- gon maker, 1 smith shop, 1 gun persimmons, and blackberries, grow smith, 1 watch maker and silver in such abundance that many ships smith, 3 cabinet makers, 1 saddler, 3| might be loaded with them. The for- boot and shoe factories, 1 cooper, l'ests abound with nuts and fruits tailor, 1 grist and 5 saw mills, seve- which rear and fatten large quantities ral house carpenters, and 10 lumber of hogs, and reduce the price of pork merchants, by whom large quantities to 2 cents per pound, -- other products of lumber are shipped annually from|are equally- cheap. The climate is this place to the different markets on mild, and the country generally well

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refreshed with rain during the sum-jand quarter acre lots in Skinnston mer months. In point of health this sell at fifteen dollars. The village place has few superiors. Unimproved contains 17 families-aggregate pop? land is worth one dollar per acre,- ulation 100 persons; of whom 1 is a improved from three to five dollars, physician,

Highlands. turisty JACKSON.

JACKSON was created by the Legislature in March, 1831, and formed from portions of Mason, Kanawha and Wood, It is bounded N. E. by Wood, E. by Lewis, S. by Kanawha, S. W. by Mason, and N. W. by the Ohio river. Its form is irregular. It lies between 38º 32' and 39º 12' N. lat. Its length is 33 ms .; mean breath 24; and area 850 sq. ms. The Ohio washes its north western border for a space of 34 ms. Several large and valuable creeks intersect it. Great Mill creek rises in the southern part of the county, and after pursuing a south easterly course 15 ms. turns to the N., thence to the N. W. and empties into the Ohio, 4 ms. above the corner of the county. . Its length is 65 ms., half of which is navigable for boats. Two miles below Ripley on this stream, are situated 1 manufacturing flour mill, 1 saw mill, 1 wool carding and turning machine, a distillery and cab: inet maker's shop: a few miles below this, there is another mill. Sandy creek, 8 ms, N. of Great Mill creek, is the next stream in importance; it " enters the Ohio in 39º 07' N. lat. This little creek is inhabited by an in- dustrious and enterprising class of people, who have in the last three years transported nearly $10,000 worth of lumber to market. Pond creek in the northern part of the county is a good sized mill stream, but too small for navigation; the greater part of this stream is in Mason county. It empties into the Ohio in lat. 39º 15' N. Reedy and Spring creeks rise in this county,-the first pursuing a N. E., the latter a N. course. They pass into Wood county, and after a short course, empty into the Little Kanawha .: The West Fork of Little Kanawha flows through this county, for a distance of 10 ms. and affords some excellent sites for water works. Pocolalico rises in this county, and flowing in a south westerly course, it enters Ka- nawha county, and forms a junction with Little Kanawha river. This county is not mountainous, but may be said to be a mass of hills, the high- est of which, are in the eastern side of the county. The soil is, as in many parts of western Virginia, well adapted to grazing. The bottom lands along Mill creek and its branches, are of the.first quality,-other creeks also present fine bottoms, and there is much arable land besides that on the water courses. The productions of the county, are Indian corn, wheat, rye; .oats, flax, hemp, tobacco, potatoes and other productions usual in the same latitude. The principal exports from the interior part of the county, are cattle and pork ;- along the Ohio the people export large quantities of staves, hoop-poles, boats and lumber of every description. The agriculture" of the county may be said to be yet in its infancy, however, large quantities of corn, &c. are carried down the Ohio annually, to different'markets. Or- chards are not numerous, but where they have been planted early and nur- tured with care, produce in abundance. "This county abounds with the' finest of thrifty white oak, both on the bottoms and ridges,-also black oak, hickory, dogwood, sugar maple, poplar, ash, glm, lynn and sycamore, and

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on many of the ridges groves of yellow pine. The lands along the Ohio river and other streams in this county, are alluvial, being composed of the washings of the higher lands and hills, in which it is no uncommon thing to find large logs, &c. buried a considerable depth below the surface; and the higher level lands along the Ohio river, are generally composed of sand and round gravel, similar to that found in the bed of the river, and com- monly lays in waves parallel to the river, which proves that it was onee 60 or 70 feet higher than at the present time. There are income of thenorth- ern ranges of hills in this county an abundance of excellentlimestone; in some other parts there have been found small veins of mmeral coal, and in the vicinity of the C. H. are appearances of salt water. There are in this county 3 mercantile stores, 8 saw mills, 5 grist mills, 1 distillery and 1 carding machine, and 5 tanneries. Population 3,300. It belongs to the 19th judicial circuit and 10th district. Tax paid in 1833, $259 80-in 1834, on lots, $4 36-on land, $134 79-31 slaves, $7 75-972 horses, $58 32-5 studs, $22 00. Total 227 22. No school commissioners re- port for 1832. Expended in 1833, $113 23.

TOWNS, VILLAGES, POST OFFICES, &c.

RIPLEY, P. V. and Seat of Jus-jand Chancery are held on the 10th tice, 350 ms. N. of R. and 341 W. of of April and September, by JUDGE W., situated in lat. 38º 52' N., 8 ms. SUMMERS. above Wright's mill, and 12 from the REEDS', P. O. 360 ms. N. W. of R. and 334 W. of W. C., situated 10 m$. N. of Ripley. Ohio river, on the Great Mill creek, at its confluence with Sycamore creek. It is a flourishing village, although but recently established. From its location in the valley of Mill creek, and its being in a direct line between Charleston, Kanawha, (distant 42 ms.) and Parkersburg, in Wood Co., it is anticipated that it will one day be a place of some trade. At present it contains besides the ordinary coun- ty buildings, which are substantially built of brick, 12 dwelling houses, 2 hotels, 1 common school, 1 mercan- tile store, 1 mill wright, 1 house join- er, 2 smith shops, 1 tanyard, 1 boot and shoc factory, 2 tailors, 1 brick layer and 1 saw mill. Populution about 120 persons; of whom 2 are at- torneys, and 2 regular physicians. There are within one mile of the C. H. 32 dwelling houses, and 160 in- habitants.

County Courts are held on the 4th Monday in every month ;- Quarter- ly in March, June, August and No- vember.

WRIGHT'S MILLS, P. O. 315 ms. N. W. by W. of R. and 315 S. W. by W. of W., situated at the falls of Great Mill creek. This place de- serves notice from the singular freak which nature has here played. The creek which is generally 80 yards wide, is here contracted to the space of forty-fire feet, allowing between two ledges of rock which constitute the banks, to the height of 16 ft. over a bottom of solid rock. Immediately below this narrow passage, the creek wiens to its usual size, and the falls, commence. The descent is 7 feet in 120 yards. At the lower end of the falls, the creek is 100 yards wide, and affords one of the best harbors ever known in a stream of this size, being about 100 yards in diameter, of a cir- cular forni, and on the N. side, pro- tected from ice, &c. by a high point of rocks, projecting a considerable dis -. tance into the creek. From this to the Ohio river, the navigation is good

Circuit Superior Courts of Law during the spring freshets,-a dis-

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tance of 4 miles- At this place are| 11 dwelling houses, 3 school houses; situated, 1 extensive manufacturing 1 mercantile store, and 1 smith shop, flour mill, 2 saw mills, 1 grist mill, | Population 55.

JEFFERSON.

JEFFERSON was created by the Legislature in 1801, and formed from a portion of Berkley county. It is bounded N. by the Potomac river, which separates it from Washington county, of Maryland,-E. by the Blue Ridge separating it from Loudoun,-S. by Frederick,-and W. by Berkley. Its mean length is 22 ms. ; breadth 10; and area 220 sq ms., extending in lat. from 39º 10', to 39º 20' N., and in long from 0° 43', to 1º 02' W. of W; C. The Shenandoah river enters this county near its south eastern border, and flowing in a N. E. direction, parallel with the Blue Ridge, it enters the Potomac at Haper's Ferry. The face of this county is rolling but very fertile. Most of the inhabitants are good farmers; and the county is proba- bly as wealthy in proportion to its size as any in the state. The lands have been enhanced in value from one hundred to one hundred and fifty per cent by the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, and the Baltimore and Ohio Rail Road, both of which, reach the county at Harper's Ferry ; and taken in connec- tion with the Winchester and Harper's Ferry Rail Road, which passes di- agonally through the county, the Shenandoah flowing through the eastern portion, and the Potomac along the northern border, afford the citizens as many facilities for transportation as the tide water counties possess. The decline of the county is N. N. E. The water elevation at Harper's Ferry. being 182 ft. above tide water, that of the arable soil cannot fall short of 400 · ft .. This county has been.for the most part settled by old Virginia families, from the eastern part of the state, and the inhabitants still retain that high chivalrous spirit, and generous hospitality, for which that race was so re- markable in the palmy days of their prosperity. Population in 1810, 11,851,-in 1820, 13,087-in 1830, 12,927. 'This county belongs to the 13th judicial circuit and 7th district. Tax paid in 1833, $4,963 97-in 1834, on lots, 8677 93-land, $2,690 82-2,354 slaves, $588 50-4,308 horses, $258 48-17 studs, 8232 00-143 coaches, $326 80-2 stages, $4 00-31 . carryalls, $31 00 -- 51 gigs, 838 50. Total, $4,848 08. Expended in educating poor children in 1832, $705 26-in 1833, $670 05.

TOWNS, VILLAGES, POST OFFICES, &c .. 8.

CHARLESTOWN, P. V. and Seat and several other schools, 9 mercan- of Justice, 182 ins. from R. and 60 N. tile stores, 2 apothecary shops, 1 W. of W., situated 10 mns. S. W. by W. of Harper's Ferry, with which it is connected by au excellent turnpike.

printing office, from which a weekly paper is issued, 3 tanneries, 3 sad- dlers, 1 turner, and various other me- Besides the usual county buildings, it chanics, and 1 manufacturing flour mill. Its situation is eligible and healthy, and surrounded by a fertile.

contains 200 dwelling houses,-a Methodist, Episcopalian, and a Pres. byterian house of worship, a branch and wealthy country. The Shenan-, of the Bank of the Valley, 1 academy'doah Springs, formerly a place of con-

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siderable resort, are in the neighbor- in the United States. The principal hood of this place. The Winchester curiosities of the place, are Jefferson's Rock and the Maryland Pinnacle; from the highest point of which, with the aid of a good glass, may be seen towns at the distance of 30 ms. and Potomac Rail Road, now in pro- gress, will pass through Charlestown. Population 1,200 persons; of whom 7 are attorneys, and 6 regular physi- cians.

Those great national works, the County Courts are held on the 3rd Monday in every month ;- Quarter- ly in March, May, August and No- vember. Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, and the Baltimore and Ohio Rail Road are now completed to this place, which circumstance has already had a very JUDGE' PARKER holds his Circuit Superior Court of Law and Chance- sensible effect on it, for the. better. There are 3 arrivals and departures .. ry on the 25th of March and 10th of of the mail to and from the east, and October:

HARPER'S FERRY, P. V. 174 ms. from R. and 52 S. W. by W. of W. This place has risen at the justly cel- ebrated pass of the Potomac through the Blue Ridge, and is situated im- mediately at the junction of the Poto- years it has been quite the reverse. mac and Shenandoah rivers, on the

3 from the west in each week. There is also a mail from Hagerstown, by Harper's Ferry and Leesburg to Washington City, twice a week .- Formerly Harper's Ferry avas con- sidered unhealthy, but for the last 5

We borrow a more extensive ac- right bank of Potomac, above the count of the scenery of Harper's Fer- mouth of Shenandoah. The level offry, and the United States Armory low water at the junction of the two and Arsenal, there located, from a pe- rivers, is 182 ft. above tide water at ricdical published a few years since, Georgetown. It is distant 22 ms. S. W. by W. of Frederick, Maryland, and 25 almost due south of Hagers- lown. It contains about 500 houses,

"The Shenandoah, after running along the foot of the Blue Ridge in a direction nearly north-cast, turns sud- denly to the east, and mingles its wa-

2 hotels kept in the best style, 3 ters with those of the Potomac, at the houses of public worship, 1 Methodist, point where the latter, after flowing 1 free for all denominations, and I'through a deep and well wooded dell, Catholic. The last is one of the from north-west to south-east, is en. handsomest and neatest buildings in tering that singular gap in the Ridge, the state, -- in this church, there is a through which the waters escape. fine toned organ, and it is ornamented The valleys of both rivers are roman- by a beautiful steeple, which ascends tic, and that of the Potomac unites sin --

to the height of about 150 ft. above gularity with beauty. the level of the river. There are 2 , We are accustomed to find valleys running parallel to mountain chains and separating ridge from ridge ; the whole of the great valley, which lies between the North Mountain and the Blue Ridge, and which is called in this part of the country "the' valley". academies, (1 inale, and 1 female,) and 2 common schools, 9 mercantile stores and 2 apothecary shops, a lodge of masons, and 1 of odd fellows, I print- ing office, from which a weekly pa- per is issued, 4 tailors, 3 boot and shoe factories, 1 saddler, 1 silversmith, par excellence, presents an alternation 1 coppersmith and tin plate worker,

of such parallel, low lands and inter- 3 house carpenters, 2 smith shops, vening heights; the Shenandoah oc- and 1 wagon maker. There are 2 cupying one of the former. But the extensive manufacturing flour mills valley of the Potomac is not of this and I of the most valuable saw mills class, it intersects at right angles the

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great mountain ranges and the sys- every part of the channel, whose sides tem of smaller elevations which are are worn by thousands of petty rapids, subordinate to them ; and the river is which fret and struggle among the large blocks of granite .. thus distinguished from the more nu- merons class of streams, which oc- cupy the bottoms of ordinary valleys. The Potomac is not, however, a soli- tary example of this kind, on the con- trary, most of our great Atlantic riv- ers penetrate the mountains by exten- sive lateral valleys, or are said, with some degree of impropriety, to break through the mountains at right angles to their direction. These profound passes are not uncommon in other parts of the world, and present seve- ral varieties. A deep ravine, in which the rocks, presenting unequal resis- tance, have separated uriequally, and where the stream, which rushes through this accidental outlet, leaps from rock to rock, and is alternately seen foaming in the cataract or lost inthe narrow and gloomy gulf be- low: in short where the waters are not to be regarded as flowing over a bed, but rather as penetrating through crevices, which carthquakes have bro- ken in the immense wall that confined them. Such is the appearance, which theory would assign to these trans- verse valleys and their streams; but such is not the valley of the Potomac. As seen from Harper's Ferry it pre- sents a bed of nearly uniform declivi- sty and width, corresponding in these respects with that of the Shenandoah, a valley, as I have before observed, of a different class. The channels of of oak and pine, from out the thick both rivers are of rock, much broken, shade of which, project immense masses of granite, that yet stand the stern witnesses of some tremendous convulsion, the traces of which not even time, that has for thousands of years been scattering their debris daily below, has been able to oblite: rato. 'The base of these mountains presents elevated and very rugged cliff's, which, projecting into the val- ley, break its uniformity, and. give a wilder aspect to the river, that spreads itself between them. but presenting on the whole a regular declivity, and passing in highly in- clined strata across the river. The prevailing rocks of the whole neigh- borhood being a coarse granite con- taining unusually largo grains of quartz, and a species of slate stone. The breadth of the Potomac is from two hundred and fifty to three hun- dred yards; that of the Shenandoah, one hundred and fifty. Both rivers are shallow, so shallow that the wa- i ter leaves innumerable necks bare in

'The town extends itself in contempt of all order, along both sides of the hill which divides the two rivers, and' runs up to the jaws of the picturesque," but in no way tremendous, pass of the Potomac. At the point of this tongue' of land is the armory ; on the left, and nearly even with the water, the work- ing part of the arsenal: on the right and over hanging the western bank ofthe Shenandoah, is Jefferson's Rock. On the opposite banks of the two rivers the cliff's are more bold and. striking. That, on the Maryland side, is supposed to resemble the pro- file of Washington, an illusion very pleasing to those whose minds are not adapted to relish the beauties of na- ture. The two cliffs, of which we have spoken, form a noble entrance to the romantic valley which lies be- yond, embosomed among woods and mountains and winding among the projections of the latter until its exit is again guarded by immense rocks, where a passage, corresponding to that at Harper's Ferry, is broken through the Short Hills-a chain pa- rallel to the Blue Ridge, and con- nected with it by spurs which inclose on every side this dell that contains so many elements of the picturesque. The mountains, ofconsiderable height, are clothed to their summit by forests

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A new and comprehensive gazetteer of Virginia, and the District of Columbia, Part 48

Author: Martin, Joseph. ed. cn; Brockenbrough, William Henry Publication date: 1835 Publisher: Charlottesville, J. Martin Number of Pages: 1278

Author: Martin, Joseph. ed. cn; Brockenbrough, William Henry
Publication date: 1835
Publisher: Charlottesville, J. Martin
Number of Pages: 1278