USA > Virginia > Washington County > Washington County > History of southwest Virginia, 1746-1786, Washington County, 1777-1870 > Part 55
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It cannot be doubted that the selection was a wise one, especially in view of the mutilation of the territory of Washington county as originally formed. by the formation of new counties by the Gen- eral Assembly of Virginia, and the encroachments upon Virginia territory by the State of Tennessee. The county seat was as nearly centrally located as possible.
The four hundred and eighty-four acre tract of land which Dr. Walker agreed to sell to the trustees of the town of Abingdon for a nominal consideration was conveyed to said trustees by Daniel Smith, attorney in fact for Dr. Walker, on October 2, 1781.
The power of attorney from Dr. Walker constituting Daniel Smith his attorney in fact to convey said lands was executed Sep- tember 9, 1777 and was witnessed by Thomas Jefferson, Reuben Lindsay and George Dives.
Shortly after the organization of the County Court of Washing- ton county, Virginia, to-wit: on April 29, 1727, the County Court entered an order appointing
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Southwest Virginia, 1746-1786.
Arthur Campbell,
William Campbell,
Daniel Smith,
Joseph Martin,
William Edmiston,
John Coulter,
Robert Craig,
trustees to dispose of the lands given to the county by Walker, Black and Briggs.
It will be observed that the present location of Abingdon, at the time in question, was without a name, and, as far as I can ascertain, it did not receive the name of Abingdon until the summer of this year.
The one hundred and twenty acres of land given to the county by Walker, Black and Briggs were surveyed by Captain Robert Doach, and, immediately after the appointment of the trustees above named, they directed John Coulter to survey and lay out the main street of the town of Abingdon, which was accordingly done.
The County Court, on the 27th day of August, 1777, directed James Dysart, the sheriff of Washington county, to employ some person or persons, upon the best terms he could, to remove to some convenient place, where the town was to stand, the logs and other timber which had been placed at Mr. Black's for the purpose of building a magazine, to be used in building a courthouse. The sheriff, pursuant to this order, selected the present location of the yard of Mrs. James W. Preston as a convenient place for the same, and let the contract for the building to Samuel Evans.
The County Court, at the same time, directed the sheriff of the county to build a prison fourteen feet square, with square timbers, twelve inches each way, and with a good shingle roof, and in lieu of a stone wall to line the side walls and also the under floor with two-inch plank, and to put in each plank nine iron spikes six inches long; and the sheriff, pursuant to directions, let the contract for the building of the prison to Abraham Goodpasture.
At the time of the building of the courthouse, the County Court of Washington county had erected what was known as stocks, just west of the courthouse and on Main street.
These consisted of a platform some five or six feet above the ground, with a centrepiece about seven feet above the platform. To this were attached movable boards, one at the foot of the plat- form and another about four feet above the first. In these boards
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Washington County, 1777-1870.
were holes, through which the head, hands and feet of the cul- prit were thrust."*
It is said that one application of this mode of punishment made a lasting impression upon offenders.
To George Martin was given the contract for making irons for criminals, and to Hugh Berry that of making nails to be used in the erection of the courthouse and prison.
The courthouse and prison were not completed until the year 119. at which time the County Court directed David Carson and Joseph Black to lay off the prison bounds, and on the 17th day of June. 1229. David Carson and Joseph Black, affer laying off the prison bounds, made the following report :
Pursuant to an order of court, we the subscribers have laid off the Prison Bounds, as in the annexed Platt.
C
N. 32 W. 30 Poles.
Spring
N. 62 k. 35;Poles.
AREA
A. R. P.
8. 3. 2.
S. 62 W. 36 Poles.
S 35 E. 40 Poles.
Gaol
Witness our hands this 17th June, 1779.
DAVID CARSON, JOSEPH BLACK.
Beginning at the N. W. corner of the gaol at a stump S. 35° E. 40 poles, crossing the road at 3 forked white oak saplings; thence N. 62° E. 35 poles crossing a creek at the old fording at a large white
· * Thomas L. Preston.
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Southwest Virginia, 1746-1786.
oak tree by the north side of the road; thence N. 32° W. 30 poles crossing said creek N. E. of head of a spring at a white oak stake and an old black stump ; and thence to a white oak sapling on a N. E. stony bank on Mr. Willoughby's lot; thence S. 62° W. 36 poles to the north end of the prison house at the beginning.
DAVID CARSON.
From this report it will be observed that numbers of white oak saplings were standing within the present limits of the town of Abingdon as late as the summer of 1779.
It is hardly necessary to be said at this point that the prison bounds thus laid out were used, until the year 1850, as a place of confinement for delinquent debtors, and it would be a matter of great surprise, could the present generation read the names of the prominent citizens of this county who were confined within these prison bounds because of the non-payment of their debts.
As soon as the Main street of the town was located and the lots on the north and south sides of said street surveyed, the trustees of the town proceeded to sell and dispose of said lots ; but, finding some difficulty in disposing of said lots by reason of some uncertainty in their title to said property, eleven members of the County Court in the fall of the year 1777 addressed the following petition to the General Assembly of Virginia :
To the Honorable, the Speaker and Gentlemen of the House of Delegates :
The petition of the court of Washington county.
Whereas a certain tract or parcel of land is given by the Honor- able Thomas Walker, Joseph Black and Samuel Briggs, and also another tract of land is agreed to be sold at a certain rate by the said Walker for the benefit of the aforesaid county to erect their public buildings on, and as this court has already fixed upon a place on said land for their courthouse and prison, and has also laid off a part thereof for a town, and whereas it is apprehended that it would much conduce to the speedy settling of the aforesaid town and advance the value of the lots if an Act of Assembly should pass, enabling the said court or their trustees to receive titles from the above-named gentlemen for the land given and sold, and also to enable them to lay off, sell and make conveyances to the purchasers, .
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Washington County, 1777-1870.
and grant such privileges and immunities to the settlers on such. lots, as to citizens in like cases have been granted, in the premises we submit to the consideration of your honorable House, and pray you to grant us such redress as you judge just and right, and your petitioners, as in duty bound, shall pray, etc. :
George Blackburn,
Andrew Colvill,
John Kinkhead,
William Campbell,
William Edmiston,
John Snoddy,
James Montgomery,
Daniel Smith,
John Campbell,
Thomas Mastin,
Arthur Campbell.
This petition was referred to the proper committee on November 8, 1:11, but was not again heard of until the fall of the year 1778.
Washington county's representatives in the Legislature at this time were William Cocke and Anthony Bledsoe, neither of whom had any particular interest in the welfare of the proposed town. But in the spring of the year 1778, Arthur Campbell and Anthony Bledsoe were elected to the Legislature of Virginia from Washing- ton county, and, as a result of the efforts of Arthur Campbell, the town was incorporated in December, 1778.
For some reason which I cannot explain, the trustees appointed by the County Court of Washington county, Virginia, on April 29. 1111, with but two exceptions, never acted in the capacity of trus- tees, William Edmiston and Robert Craig being the exceptions, but on the 6th of June, 1422. William Edmiston, Robert Craig, James Armstrong, Robert Preston and Robert Campbell, terming themselves trustees for the town of Abingdon, met at Christopher Acklin's, in said town, and proceeded to business and surveyed a part of said town, namely the inner lots; after which the board adjourned until the next day, the 4th of June, 1777, on which day the trustees ordered an alley to be laid off, one pole wide, adjoining the lower end of the lots on the south side of Main street; and that a street be laid off, three poles wide, ten poles from said alley. and that the land between the alley and said street be laid off in half acre lots, and that the land on the south side of said street be laid off in acre lots, and that said street be known by the name of Water street : and to the alley between Water and Main streets was given the name of Troopers' alley.
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Southwest Virginia, 1746-1786.
Robert Preston was directed to survey said lots and to deliver a draft of the same to Christopher Acklin, who was directed to sell said lots at public outcry at the following June court, which lots were accordingly disposed of by Christopher Acklin at public auction.
There seems to be a difference of opinion as to the first settler within the bounds of Abingdon. Charles B. Coale makes the state- ment that the first house erected in the town was by Dr. Smith, who built his house about the year 1760, on the lot now occupied by Mrs. Henry S. Preston.
The statement of Mr. Coale is evidently a mistake, as this por- tion of Virginia was not settled in the year 1760.
There can be no question that Christopher Acklin, as early as June, 1777, had a house built and was living upon -the lot now occu- pied by the county courthouse.
As previously stated, in the month of October, 1778, the town of Abingdon was established by Act of the Assembly, and Evan Shelby, William Campbell, Daniel Smith, William Edmiston, Rob- ert Craig and Andrew Willoughby were named as trustees for said town, and the title to the one hundred and twenty acres of land given by Dr. Walker and others was vested in fee simple in said trustees by said Act,* and said trustees or any three of them were empowered to make conveyances of such lots in said town as had been previously sold and of such as might be sold thereafter.
Considerable power was conferred upon said Board of Trustees, as will be seen by an inspection of the Act establishing the town.
The name given to the town was evidently suggested by Colonel Arthur Campbell, through whose influence the Act incorporating the town was passed.
While the object in view in giving the name, Abingdon, to the town is not known, several statements in regard thereto have been made by different writers upon the subject, one statement being that the town was given the name of Abingdon as a compliment to Martha Washington, the wife of General Washington, it being the name of the parish in which she worshipped in girlhoodt ;
*No deed having passed between Walker, Briggs and Black and said trustees.
¡Abingdon was the name of the country seat of Mrs. Martha Custis be- fore her marriage to General Washington, and was but a few miles from Mt. Vernon.
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Washington County, 1777-1870.
another statement being that the town was named in honor of Lord Abingdon, a young English nobleman of Scotch descent, with whom William Campbell was well acquainted, Lord Abingdon being very much in sympathy with the ideas of his Scotch kinsfolk living in America, in their contest with England.
Daniel Boone, at this time, was known as the greatest explorer and hunter on the frontiers, and the name may have originated with him. Abingdon, Pennsylvania, situated about twelve miles north of Philadelphia, was his first residence in America, and, for many years, was the home of many of his family.
The lands deeded to the trustees of the town of Abingdon included four hundred and eighty-four aeres in addition to the one hundred and twenty acres given by Dr. Walker and others and vested in said trustees by Act of the Assembly. These four hundred and eighty-four acres lay north and northeast of the town of Abingdon of the present day; and while Main and Water streets were laid off previously to 1128, and lots on either side of said streets surveyed, the lands included within the four hundred and eighty-four acre survey were not surveyed until August, 1:81, during which month Daniel Smith surveyed and divided said four hundred and eighty-four acres into nineteen tracts containing from thirteen to fifty-six acres to the lot, which tracts of land were denominated the outer lots of said town.
"The lands on which the town is built were given to the county of Washington by Dr. Thomas Walker, of AAlbemarle county, and by Samuel Briggs, who owned the tract adjoining to the cast, and Joseph Black, who owned the one to the west of the town. I first saw the town hill in 1782, and then there were on it a log court- house about twenty-five feet square, standing opposite Dunn's Hotel across the street-a small log jail on the lower corner of the present public lot ; Christopher Acklin's Tavern on the southeast corner of the public square; John Yancey's Tavern, on the lot where Dunn's Hotel stands; and William Dryden's Tavern on the lot where Mr. Mitchell's dwelling stands, that formed the then town of Abingdon. In 1782, Yancey sold his house and lot to John Campbell, and shortly afterwards Dryden sold his to Dr. Alexander Smith, the first husband of Mrs. Conn."
Acklin and Smith now entertained all who called on them, Acklin those who were fond of their brandy, Smith the more temperate.
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Southwest Virginia, 1746-1786.
Two Irishmen, named Dan and Manasas Friel, at this time appeared with a cargo of merchandise and opened their goods in a room in John Campbell's dwelling house. They soon built a store- house across the street and, for ten or twelve years from 1783, sold goods and made a handsome property. They then removed to Wythe, and Manasas to a valuable farm near Fort Chiswell. About the time they had located themselves in their new storehouse, Wil- liam Bagnell and Mrs. Bagnell came to the town and built a large cabin on the lot east of Dunn's Hotel. This couple were from Baltimore and merit special notice.
William Bagnell was a dwarf about four feet, nine inches, high, and diminutive in form. Mrs. Bagnell was just the opposite in every respect-a large, athletic woman of good figure, rather hand- some than otherwise, and intelligent. They appeared to be about thirty years of age. Bagnell's Tavern soon attracted attention and commanded company. Mrs. Bagnell had been evidently well accustomed to the noise and confusion of a drinking establishment, and acted in her cabin with good authority. She was often visited by an old man and two sons from the foot of Iron mountain, who never left without having a drunken frolic. On one occasion they continued their bacchanalian riot until late in the night and until Mrs. Bagnell was fairly worn down with it and refused to let them have any more whiskey. They begged and pled and threatened, but ber ladyship was firm to her purpose and would not yield. They then commenced beating her and running her around the cabin, they pursuing and she retreating and defending herself. At length she was able to escape up a ladder to the loft, and there she shouted murder with all her strength. The town was roused and all came to her relief and to hear what was the matter. The three bacchana- lians retreated into the street and bade defiance, and Mrs. Bagnell complained of being much hurt. The sheriff made his appearance and was ordered by a justice to arrest the men. He summoned a posse, and for a short time there was a general engagement; at length the men were taken and committed to jail. In the melee several persons were seriously injured, but the prosecutions failed.
Henry Dickenson came to town to live and built on the corner lot on which William King's old brick house stands. Near the same time Captain William Y. Conn arrived from Alexandria with a cargo of merchandise, built a storehouse across the street from
·
629
Washington County, 1777-1870.
Dunn's Hotel and opened goods. Alexander Smith died and Mrs. Smith, then a beautiful young widow, continued the house, which was always crowded with the best company. John Greenway came from Pennsylvania, purchased out Henry Dickenson and built his blacksmith shop on the corner .* All this time the society of two or three genteel families and the constant intercourse of well-informed strangers made Abingdon a most agreeable place.
Although the country was settled with a well-informed population generally, yet there was in it a mixture of all sorts. The leading characters of one class were Edward Callahan and his wife Succy. Where they originally came from I do not know, but they were themselves originals. Edward was a hunter by profession, and when they emigrated to Holston he selected for his residence the banks of the north fork twenty-five miles below Abingdon, at a point where he could see the top of Clinch mountain through a gap in the river knobs. Here he lived many years. Sucey was a cake woman, but with the cakes she sold something to drink. She made her appearance on the first day of every court, with a cartload of cakes, pies and drinkables, halted in the middle of the street and made an awning for herself and commenced business. Edward followed on foot at the tail of the cart in the full dress of the hunter, with rifle and shot pouch, and his fine, well-taught hunting dog at his heels, and when he had gotten Succy fairly started at her business he moved off with his peltry to transact his own busi- ness. Succy was a shrewd woman and adopted all sorts of evasions to avoid paying license, and sometimes she was hard pressed by the grand jurors and Attorney-General Dunlop. On one occasion she was nearly at her wit's end about retailing whiskey, when John Campbell. the clerk, said something to the court in mitigation, and the justices, being very willing to accept any excuse, let Succy off. She never forgot the kindness, and fifteen years afterwards I, the son of John Campbell, was riding in that part of the country and was benighted at Succy's cabin, when she treated me with a kindness and hospitality which I shall never forget and in a manner,
*John Greenway afterwards purchased seven hundred acres of land on Eleven Mile creek, near the residence of W. C. Ladlock, gave it the name of "Springfield," and lived there many years,
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Southwest Virginia, 1746-1786.
too, that showed she knew how to act her part. I have named two originals of each sex."*
In the year 1786, Abingdon was a considerable village, boasting of two hotels, one occupying the present location of the Bank of Abingdon and kept by James Armstrong, and the other, kept by Mrs. Mary McDonald, on the south side of Main street nearly oppo- site the courthouse. There were no buildings west of the present residence of the late S. N. Honaker, and from this point to the west- ern limits of the original town was a wild plum and chinquapin thicket, with a few large white oak trees interspersed.
The residence of Daniel Friel occupied the location of the pres- ent residence of Mrs. Kate Preston, while the residence of Mrs. Smith occupied the present location of the residence of Mrs. John D. Mitchell, the residence of Dr. Groce occupying the position of what is known as the White House, on the south side of Main street, while to the west of Dr. Groce's residence there lived several families, one by the name of Wise, another by the name of Redpath (James). A house built by William Brice stood on the present location of the Colonnade Hotel. These were about all the houses to be found in the town in the year 1786.
A writer upon this subject makes the statement that General John Armstrong, Secretary of War under President Madison, and General Francis Preston Blair, of Missouri, were born on the lot occupied by Dr. Groce; but it is more probable that General Arm- strong was born at the home of his father, James Armstrong, and that General Blair was born at the residence of his father, James Blair, both of whom lived in Abingdon.
The next effort made to extend the town was at a meeting of the Board of Trustees at the house of William Y. Conn, on the 12th day of January, 1789.
At this meeting it was ordered that all that part of said town lying north of the lots on the north side of Main street be laid off into one-fourth-acre lots, that an alley be left at the north end of the lots fronting on Main street, and that a street be laid off ten poles north of said alley, said street to be three poles wide. To the alley was given the name of Chinquapin alley, and to the street thus proposed was given the name of Office or Valley street.
*Governor David Campbell's MSS.
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Washington County, 1972-1870.
Robert Preston was directed to survey said land and to deliver particular plats to Andrew Russell, and Christopher Acklin was directed to sell said lots at public outcry, as directed by the Art incorporating the town.
It will be observed that Valley street, as originally proposed, was three poles wide, but at a meeting of the trustees on the 4th of October, 1198, it was ordered that the street known as Valley or Office street be altered and made four poles wide, ten poles north of Chinquapin alley. This alteration in the width of Valley street was induced by the fact that the owners of the lands along said street by their improvements had evidenced that they believed that said street was four poles wide. At the same meeting of the trustees. Andrew Russell was elected secretary and was directed to record a plan of the inner and outer lots of said town.
At a meeting of the Board of Trustees on the 22d of November, 1798. Slaughter street was opened two poles wide, running from Valley street in a northwestwardly course to the northern boundary of the town land, but for some reason the name Slaughter street has been given to the cross street running from Valley street to the railroad and crossing the Main street near the Presbyterian church.
The original town, as it was in 1:98, contained three streets run- ning east and west, known as Water, Main and Valley streets, with two alleys north and south of Main street and known as Troopers' and Chinquapin alleys, the cross streets being Tanners' street, which crosses Main street near to and west of the residence of Captain James L. White: Cross street, now known as Court street, crossing Main street. east of the courthouse: Brewers' street, crossing Main street near to and west of the residence of Mrs. Bessie Watson, and Slaughter street, which began at Main street and ran a northwest- wardly course to the boundary of the town land.
Most of the lots within the town of Abingdon were sold at pub- lic auction, previously to the year 1198. The names of such pur- chasers as have been preserved are given in another place.
In the month of October, 1195. Andrew Willoughby resigned as one of the trustees of the town of Abingdon, and an election to fill the vacancy was held on the 3d day of November. 1798. The election was held at the court-house in said town, and only the freeholders living within the town were permitted to vote.
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Southwest Virginia, 1746-1786.
The candidates voted for were Andrew Russell and Frederick Hamilton, and the freeholders voting in said election were:
William Brice,
James White,
John Gold,
William Greenway,
Frederick Hamilton,
Solomon Marks,
C. Watkins,
James Armstrong,
Robert Dukes,
Samuel Glenn,
James Longley,
Patrick Lynch,
Joseph Hays,
Michael Deckard,
Jacob Baker,
John McCormick,
Joseph Acklin,
James Redpath,
Connally Findlay,
Andrew Russell.
It will be seen from an inspection of this poll-list that the free- holders living within the bounds of Abingdon in 1798 were few in number.
On the 18th day of April, 1793, the County Court of Wash- ington county, Virginia, directed that twenty-five pounds out of the bonds arising from the sale of lots in the town of Abingdon be appropriated towards building a market-house on the courthouse lot; and James Armstrong, James Bradley, John McCormick and Claiborne Watkins were appointed commissioners to superintend the building of the same; and in September of the same year, the court appropriated twenty pounds to complete a well upon the pub- lic lot.
The market-house, when completed, was placed in charge of the officers of the town, and Tuesdays and Saturdays were the regular market days, and it was made an offence for any person to sell butchers' meats at other times and places in the said town. This institution was maintained for many years subsequent to 1793, and as late as the year 1810 the law governing the subject was strictly enforced.
A Masonic lodge was organized in Abingdon at the residence of James White on the 3d day of October, 1796, and, by the year 1800, this lodge had erected a Masonic hall in the town on Lot No. 50, Water street, the present location of the new jail. A part of this building was used by the Abingdon Academy from the year 1803 until about the year 1820.
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