USA > West Virginia > Preston County > History of Preston County (West Virginia) > Part 1
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GENEALOGY 975.401 P92W
M.
GENEALOGY COLLECTION
GEN
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 02258 7270
GENEALOGY 975.401 P92W
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2016
https://archive.org/details/historyofpreston00wile
Donald Gordon
1734 Orange , most of Blue Ridge
1738 3-119 Wave 7 augusta
1776 LAStal
Preston 1818
Masser
=
JOURNAL PRINTING HOUSE.
CROSSCUP & WEST PHIT
THE JOURNAL BUILDING, MAIN STREET, KINGWOOD.
HISTORY OF
PRESTON COUNTY.
(WEST VIRGINIA.)
BY S. T. WILEY.
ASSISTED BY A. W. FREDERICK.
EST.
OF
STATE
JUNE
20 +
$1863
RGINIA.
MONTANI SEMPER LIBERI
KINGWOOD VA. : THE JOURNAL F TING HOUSE. 18
1233561
PREFACE.
The written history of the county up to 1869 was nearly all destroyed by the burning of the public records in 1796 and in 1869.
The unwritten history that is trustworthy, is fast fading from the minds of the people.
The written history so brief and the unwritten so rapidly passing away -to unite and preserve them, was the aim of the authors and the object of this work.
KINGWOOD, JUNE 7, 1882.
V
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
JOURNAL PRINTING HOUSE
Frontispiece
PAGE
PORTRAIT OF JOHN TYLER
89
ARMS OF WEST VIRGINIA. 178
PORTRAIT OF WILLIAM G. BROWN
237
JAMES C. MCGREW
243
CHARLES M. BISHOP
253
JOHN P. JONES
257
THOMAS BROWN
328
SMITH CRANE
332
JOSEPH H. HAWTHORNE
349
HARRISON HAGANS
382
BUCKNER FAIRFAX
451
JOHN BARTON PAYNE
479
CHARLES E. BROWN.
485
NEIL J. FORTNEY
504
JULIUS C. KEMBLE
521
vii
ERRATA.
Compelled by the loss of records to draw from so many different sources the vast mass of facts and dates in this vol- ume, the following errors appear, which the reader is re- quested kindly to correct :
Page 9, line 3, for "this mound" read "Castle Mound."
Page 17, line 35, for "north of " read "south of."
Page 24, line 22, for "In 1858" read "In 1758."
Page 31, line 34, for "Brain" read "Taylor."
Page 43, line 35, for " south of" read "north of."
Page 44, line 3, for "south of" read "north of."
Page 50, line 6, for "built houses" read "had houses."
Page 55, line 34, for "Valley" read "Kingwood."
Page 65, line 28, for "by the commissioners" read "by commissioners."
Page 72, line 3, for "west" read "east."
Page 87, line 33, for "that month" read "June."
Page 102, line 13, for "Fifth" read "Sixth."
Page 102, line 14, for "Sixth" read "Fifth."
Page 102, lines 22 and 23, same corrections.
Page 117, line 2, for "seven thousand" read "eight thousand."
Page 138, line 9, for "fifty-one" read "fifty-five."
Page 138, line 10, for "eighty-one" read "eighty-eight."
Page 316, line 3, for "Harrisburg" read "Harrisonburg." Page 337, line 26, for "1849" read "1848."
Page 34S, line 26, for "Burgess" read "Burrows.".
Page 362, line 4, for " Pleasant" read "Grant."
Page 364, line 20, for "Colonel Patrick McGrew" read "Colonel James McGrew."
Page 369, line 14, for "the creek" read "the said creek."
Page 373, line 4, for "John Wotring" read "John Wor- thington."
Page 374, line 9, for "in operation" read "in prospect."
Page 375, line 19, for "1869" read "1859."
Page 375, line 33, for "1875" read "1876."
Page 383, lines 3 and 10, for "George E." read "George." Page 396, line 30, for "10 poles" read "20 poles."
Page 409, line 19, for "652" read "643."
Page 409, line 24, for "200" read " 210."
Page 409, line 25, omit " N."
Page 409, line 26, for "62" read "622."
ix
X
ERRATA.
Page 412, line 18, for "1874" read "1879."
Page 394, line 11, for "son" read " grandson."
Page 396, line 23, for "N" read "W."
Page 396, line 31, for "20" read "10."
Page 396, line 32, for "600" read "600 p."
Page 433, line 3, for " glove factory" read "tannery."
Page 443, line 34, for "Jordan's" read "G. Jordan's."
Page 456, line 32, for "and Mary" read " James and Mary."
Page 488, line 5, for "Lower Freeport" read "Upper Freeport."
Page 490, line 8, for "Mr. Thomas" read "Mr. Thomas Waters."
Page 93: James H. Grimes, (brother of William H. Grimes,) mentioned as a citizen of Preston, was here on a visit only.
Page 118, line 4, for "3d of" read "4th of."
Page 231, line 10, for "2d of" read "21st of."
Page 355: J. A. F. Martin and J. C. Kemble served through but two terms, instead of three terms, though extending through three years.
Page 505, line 10, for "Angeline" read "Angelina."
Page 505, line 15, for "service in the U. S. Signal Corps" read "and was transferred to and rendered active service in the Signal Corps."
CONTENTS.
ABORIGINAL PERIOD-MOUNDBUILDERS.
PAGE
CHAP. I .- GENERAL HISTORY 1-6
Origin : Theories Advanced-Works : Mounds and Forti- fications-Fate: Theories Concerning.
CHAP. II .- MOUNDBUILDERS IN PRESTON
7-9
Occupation as a Hunting Ground-Theory Submitted- Mounds-Cremationists-Relics.
SAVAGE PERIOD -- THE INDIANS.
CHAP. III .- GENERAL HISTORY 10-14
Origin and Occupation of the United States-Theories held-Families-Stone heaps.
CHAP. IV .- INDIAN TRIBES IN PRESTON
15-18
Preston a common Hunting Ground-War paths-Stone- piles-Relics.
CIVILIZED PERIOD --- WHITE RACE.
CHAP. V .- PRESTON UNDER ORANGE 10-18
The Territory of Preston under the Jurisdiction of Orange County,-1734-1738.
xi
xii
CONTENTS.
PAGE
CHAP. VI .- PRESTON UNDER AUGUSTA. 21-29
Murder of the Dunkards-Pringle's Camp-First Perma- nent Settlements-Morris's Fort, Butler's Fort .- 1738- 1776.
CHAP. VII .- PRESTON UNDER MONONGALIA 30-52 Indian incursions : Morgan attacked, Brain shot, Death of Patrick Morgan, Miller's escape, Fields killed, Martin Wetzel's adventure, View of Frontier Life-A Period of Improvement-Jacob Wetzel's adventure with Indians -John Greene murdered-War of 1812-Movement for a new County .- 1776-1818.
CHAP. VIII .- COUNTY OF PRESTON-VIRGINIA . 53-177 Inchoative Enterprises-Turnpikes: Northwestern-Hang- ing of the Negro-Railroads : Baltimore and Ohio- June Frost-Secession : Richmond Convention ; Un- written History ; Idea of a New State; Escape of Dele- gates Wm. G. Brown and James C. McGrew ; Union Meetings-The Rebellion : Bailey Brown, the First man killed in the War-Wheeling Conventions .- 1818-1863.
CHAP. IX .- COUNTY OF PRESTON-WEST VIRGINIA, 178-235 Close of the Great Rebellion-Burning of the Court-house -The Panic of '73-County Centennial Celebration --- Business Resumption .- 1863-1881.
CHAP. X .- BIOGRAPHICAL .- CONGRESSMEN AND STATE SENATORS 236-264
Wm. G. Brown, James C. McGrew, Jonathan Huddleson, John J. Brown, Wm. B. Crane, Charles M. Bishop, John P. Jones, Wm. M. O. Dawson.
CHAP. XI .- PHYSICAL HISTORY 265-289
Geograhy: The Mason and Dixon Line, Md. and W. Va. Boundary-Geology-Botany-Zoology,
xiii
CONTENTS.
PAGE
CHAP. XII .- MILITARY HISTORY 290-315
Revolutionary War-Soldiers of the War of 1812-Mexi- can War-The Great Rebellion : Soldiers, Sailors- Militia: 104th, 148th and 176th Regiments, 10th, Brigade, 3rd Division.
CHAP. XIII .- JUDICIAL HISTORY 316-341
Courts-Judges-Clerks-Prosecuting Attorneys-The Roll of the Bar.
CHAP. XIV .- RELIGIOUS HISTORY 336-341
Religious Denominations-Church Organizations-Sun- day-Schools-Missionaries : Holmes and M'Grew.
CHAP. XV .- EDUCATIONAL HISTORY 342-352
Early Schools-Kingwood and Brandonville Academies- The Free School System : County. Superintendents- The Papers of the County : Agricultural, Political and Independent.
CHAP. XVI .- MISCELLANEOUS 353-361
Political History : Parties, list of Representatives-Tem- perance Organizations-Industrial History : Furnaces, Woolen Factories, Coal Mines-Natural Wonders: The Ice Mountain, The Great Sandstone Cave, and Cheat River Cavern-Valuable Minerals.
CHAP. XVII .- GRANT DISTRICT 362-384
General Description-Early Settlements-Morris's Fort -- Roads-Organizations : Magisterial, Township, District -Towns-Mail Service-Furnaces-Salt Well -- Oil Well -Cheat River Cave-Religious Denominations-Schools.
CHAP. XVIII .- PLEASANT DISTRICT 385-402
General Description-Indian Graves and Trails-Early Set- tlements- Roads-Organizations: Magisterial, Town- ship, District-Towns-Mail Service-Josephine Fur- nace-Rigg's Factory-Salt and Oil Wells-Religious Denominations-Schools.
xiv
CONTENTS.
PAGE
CHAP. XIX .- PORTLAND DISTRICT 403-422
General Description-Indian Trails and Relics-Early Settlements : Murder of the Dunkards, Indian Depreda- tions, Butler's Fort - Roads-Organizations : Magis- terial, Township, District-Towns- Mail Service-The Murdered Peddler-Religious Denominations-Schools.
CHAP. XX .- UNION DISTRICT 423-437
General Description-Mounds-Indian Trails-Mysterious Diggings -Early Settlements - Roads: Northwestern Turnpike, B. & O. R. R .- Mills -Organizations : Magis- terial, Township, District-Towns-Mail Service-Salt Well -Oil Wells-Religious Denominations-Schools.
CHAP. XXI. __ VALLEY DISTRICT. 438-453
General Description-Indian Trails-Early Settlements : Murder of Fields. Anecdote Related by General Wash- ington to Colonel Fairfax-Roads-Mills-Organiza- tions : Magisterial, Township, District-Towns -Mail Service-Attempted Furnace -- The Great Sandstone Cave-Decker's Creek Falls-The Poison Spring-Min- eral Paint Spring-Projected Railway-Religious De- nominations- Schools.
CHAP. XXII .- KINGWOOD DISTRICT 454-486
General Description -- Mounds-Indian Trail-Early Set- tlements - Indian Invasions - Roads - Organizations : Magisterial, Township, District -Towns-The County Seat- Mills-Mail Service -Paint Bank- Kingwood Railway Company-Religious Denominations-Schools.
CHAP. XXIII .- LYON DISTRICT 487-506
General Description-Indian Trail-Early Settlements- Roads-Mills-Organizations : Magisterial, Township, District-Towns-Mail Service-Furnaces : Irondale, Gladesville-Coal and Coke Works-Oil well-Religious Denominations-Schools.
CONTENTS
PAGE
CHAP. XXIV .- RENO DISTRICT 507-520
General Description-Sandy Creek Mound-Indian Trails -Early Settlements-Roads - Mills - Organizations : Magisterial, Township, District-Towns-Mail Service -Salt Making-Ice Mountain-Coal Oil Manufacture- Religious Denominations-Schools.
CHAP. XXV .- APPENDIX 521-527
Commissioners to Locate County-seat-Claiborne and Moylan Survey-The First Survey-Old Ferries-Post- offices and Postmasters in 1822-Judicial : Wm. G. Payne, Judge M. B. Hagans, Judge E. C. Bunker- Educational : John S. Ritenour, Dr. M. S. Bryte, M. T. Powell-Small-pox-Additional District History : Grant, Pleasant, Portland, Valley, Kingwood-Wealth of the County in 1881-County and District Levies.
HISTORY OF .
PRESTON COUNTY.
ABORIGINAL PERIOD --- MOUNDBUILDERS.
CHAPTER I.
GENERAL HISTORY.
ORIGIN : THEORIES ADVANCED-WORKS : MOUNDS AND FORTIFICA- TIONS-FATE: THEORIES CONCERNING.
THERE is but little known of the ancient history of the North American Continent despite the most exhaustive re- searches. Near four centuries ago when human eyes in the track of the morning sun-rays first beheld the forest shores of America, it was as if a great curtain had rolled away from the western world of waters.
But back of it, lay a continent with only the Mound- builders' ruins and the Red Men's traditions. No history in volumes traced, no record in rock-written inscription, to tell where the one race with a civilization but no history had gone, or the other race with a tradition but no civilization had come. Of the Moundbuilders' origin and mysterious fate-first we have supposition, next theory from relics, then speculation and that is all.
Came they from Asia when Abram sojourned in the land
2
2
HISTORY OF PRESTON COUNTY.
of Egypt? Came they at a later date across the trackless wilds of inhospitable Siberia, passing over Behring Strait on its ice-bound floor; or did they, in the northern winter land's sickly smile of summer, coast along the chain of the Aleutian Islands stretching from Asia to America; or left they fabled Atlantis, when it was sinking in earth-quake throes, to plant, themselves westward on the North American shore? No one: can tell. Mexican and Indian traditions and relics found in the mounds, favor the hypothesis of their migration from Asia by Behring Strait or the Aleutian Islands, and that they were the ancestors of the Toltecs and Aztecs of Mexico.
The earliest traces of human life found in America indicate an age corresponding with the age of the mammoth and reindeer of Europe. Corresponding with the stone age and the beginning of the bronze age in Europe, was a semi civil- ized state of life in America-a race of people who were Moundbuilders, and who undoubtedly built all the great mound's in the United States. As to how far back this pe- riod extended, none can tell. David Cusick, an educated Indian, in a work entitled "Ancient History of the Six Nations," states an Indian tradition assigning the Mound- builders back twenty-two centuries before the landing of Col- umbus. Were they strong in numbers? Undoubtedly, as no traces exist of their possessing domestic animals, it must have taken great numbers of men, long periods, to build the great works whose ruins remain to this day.
These great works were of two kinds: first, mounds; sec- ond, fortifications. The mounds may be considered in regard to form and use; in form they were round, oblong and pyr- amidal; as regards use they may be divided into four classes.
Temple Mounds .- The first great class is pyramidal in form; and in the West they are from 50 to 90 feet high, and from 300 to 700 feet long, with terraces or steps ascending to their summits, where clear traces and unmistakable signs
3
THE MOUNDBUILDERS.
of former buildings are to be found, indicating the past dwell- ing of chief or priest.
Altar Mounds .- The second great class in form is round, and found to be from two to four feet high, and five to eight feet across. On the top is always a depression in a layer of hardened clay; and in this depression, ashes; and in these ashes, evidences of burnt sacrifices: while every object found in them is broken and has suffered from fire.
Effigy Mounds .- The third great class in form body forth rude representations of different animals, and north of the Wisconsin River are some representing the human form. Representing animals, they are about two hundred feet long, 4 feet high, and 25 feet wide.
Tomb Mounds .- The fourth great class of mounds in form is round and oblong, their dimensions widely varying in different localities. One close to St. Louis is 40 feet high, and 300 feet long. They are far more abundant than those of the other classes. They are of two kinds: first, interment mounds; and second, battle mounds, where the slain were piled up and earth heaped over them. These mounds in the Ohio Valley are larger, and the bones in them, by an advan- ced stage of decomposition, show them to be older than the mounds of the Atlantic States. A careful examination of the interment mounds in many places, gives unmistakable and indisputable evidence of the practice of cremation rites.
Fortifications, the second kind of these great works, may be considered in regard to form as circular, square or elipti- cal ; in regard to use, they may be considered as of two classes.
Old Forts .- The first great class existed all over the Mississippi Valley, enclosing from a few yards up to several acres of land. Red Stone Old Fort at what is now Browns- ville, stood on the site of the moundbuilders' old fort. They were of different shapes, and stood on the banks of some water. They were earth structures east of the Mississippi; while west, stone was extensively used in their construction.
Forti fied Hights .- The second great class in the east,
4
HISTORY OF PRESTON COUNTY.
are chiefly found in Georgia ; where, in one section of the State, all defensible mountains were fortified by this extinct race. Mt. Yond 4000 feet high, and Stone Mountain 2360 feet high, were fortified with stone rolled and heaped, and built up into defensive walls.
What tools did they employ in the construction of thier great works ? Revealed by the plow-share, unearthed from the mound, brought up from the half hidden, pit and con- cealed hiding place, they are comprised according to material of two classes, stone and copper. Of stone, a rude flint chipped in shape of a spade to which a handle was attached was used for digging. Flint spades, axes, tomahawks, chis- els, wedges and knives constituted their tools of stone : while as weapons of stone, they had arrow-and spear-heads, besides pipes, tubes, pestles, pendants, sinkers and ornaments. Of copper, rudely hammered out were tools, such as axes, ham mers and spoons, weapons and ornaments obtained by working mines on Lake Superior, where a block of copper weighing six tons was discovered some years ago, that they had commenced to take out, with their rude stone and copper tools lying by its side. They used bone and horn to make cups and spoons, clay and shells to make ceramic ware, and wood to make clubs and rude mauls. +
Tools and weapons were found in a mound at Marietta, Ohio, on whose top trees were growing thirty years ago, and their age was estimated at 800. years. This calculation would give 1050 A. D. as the time when the mound was finished.
The Mammoth Mound of Marshall County, W. Va., in 1837 was described as follows: 69 feet high, 900 in circum- ference at the base, a frustrum of a cone with a flat top 50 feet in diameter. A white oak tree 70 feet high crowned its summit,, and when cut down its annual concentric, circles showed an age of; 500 years ; so that it must have come up 50 years before Columbus discovered America. Two vaults. containing three skeletons were found in excavations of the
50
THE MOUNDBUILDERS. OT-IH
mound, ivory beads and copper bracelets, and a singulars hieroglyphical stone inscribed with characters in the ancientq rock alphabet of 16 right and acute angled single strokes used by the Pelasgi and other early Mediterranean nations! Standing on an elevated plain 75 feet above the level of the Ohio River it was connected by low earthen intrenchments with other mounds. They took in a well, walled up with: rough stones ; and back on a high hill were found the ruins of a stone tower, apparently a watch-tower, built of rough undressed stones Jaid up without mortar. A similar tower stands on a high Grave Creek hill, and one across the Ohio River on a high projecting promontory. The three towers seem to have been built as watch-towers, or sentinel out-looks for the numerous mounds dotting this elevated plain. Howe says : "On the Green Bottom in Cabell and Mason County vestiges of a large city, with traces of laid-out streets running to the Ohio River, covering the space of a half mile, were once visible."
Why left this mighty race this great empire? did war from the Indian, famine or fever, waste them ? or sought they a southern clime more warm than glows beneath our northern skies? None with certainty can tell. Cusick gives us Indian tradition, that the Indians drove them south 2000 years be- fore Columbus came, and that the Moundbuilders came from the south; which might have been either Louisania or Mexi- co; but there are many things to impair the story. Theory favors, but certainty does not stamp, the conclusion, that the Moundbuilders were the ancestors of the Aztecs and Toltecs, and obeying a migratory impulse, sweeping forward and southward to the plains of Mexico and Peru, established themselves under the reign of Emperor and the rule of Inca.
Leaving this country, these mounds may have been the rude model-structures of ideas they developed into those won- derful structures that greeted the greedy eyes of Cortez and Pizarro. The introduction of stone into their mound-struct-
6
HISTORY OF PRESTON COUNTY ..
ures here must have represented an idea of progress-an ex -- perimental mode of a proposed change, whose consummation might have been achieved in the great halls, cities, temples and acqueducts of the Montezumas.
The Moundbuilders' age stands as the twilight of America's earliest civilization. On its close fell a night of barbarism, resting all over the land and extending to the coming of Columbus, the dawn of America's latest and the world's brightest civilization.
7
THE MOUNDBUILDERS,
CHAPTER II.
MOUNDBUILDERS IN PRESTON.
OCCUPATION AS A HUNTING GROUND-THEORY SUBMITTED-MOUNDS -CREMATIONISTS-RELICS.
The Moundbuilders in Preston must have come up Cheat in conformity with the great law that governed the race, in following the rivers and settling in their valleys. They had a great fort at Brownsville on the Monongahela, on whose site was built the celebrated Red Stone Old Fort. All evidence tends to sustain their coming from that point up the Mo- nongahela, and leaving other bands to continue up the Mo- nongahela. A band however turned their steps up Cheat.
The absence of forts, the indispensable accompaniment of their established settlements would indicate their intention of but temporary residence, while the amount of bones in their interment mounds would show temporary occupation for many years; no doubt made for hunting the game won derfully abundant upon Cheat. The bones of children in the mounds and the remains of ancient pottery found prove that they brought their families and lived on the river close to their burial mounds while temporarily here. That they were large is established by their bones; that there were giants among them is proved by the wonderful large bones found interspersed through the mounds, showing that some of them were about seven feet high, while the majority were from five feet eight inches to six feet in hight.
They threw up interment mounds at three places in Pres ton County.
8
HISTORY OF PRESTON COUNTY.
Castle Farm Mound is on the west side of Cheat, on a ridge between Lick and Pringle's run, about five miles south from Kingwood.
In. the base of the mound was a layer of bones; men, women and children having been buried in a sitting position, placed in a circle, with their feet out. Bits of charcoal scat- tered through ashes, and the bones showing to a greater or less extent the effect of fire, tell plainly the story that they burned their dead.
Above this layer a couple of feet is a second buried in the same manner as the first; and directly above it, in the top, are found Indian dead.
Goff Farm Mounds .- There are three in number, in form rather long, and were interment mounds. They were found on the farm of Andrew Goff, seven miles above Rowlesburg, on the east bank of Cheat, where one yet remains, the other two having been torn down and removed some years ago. The bones in the bottom of these mounds showed evidence of fire, while no such traces were shown in the top.
Sandy Creek Mound is the third and last in the county, and is situated on the old McGill farm, three miles east of Fellowsville, on a ridge between the forks of Little Sandy. It was about 15 feet high and 25 feet across at the base, be- ing circular in form, and was used as an interment mound. Its summit was crowned with a large ash tree. The Indians had buried in its top, and the Moundbuilders in the base.
That the Moundbuilders were cremationists is beyond doubt. This is established by the appearance of the bones, which everywhere show the action of fire, as well as. by the ashes and charcoal found. Most probably they placed the corpses in a sitting posture, and piled wood around them and fired it. On the remains earth was thrown. The dead were placed in one at a time. When one of their people died, the mound was opened, the corpse was placed beside the one last put in, and the fiery process repeated. A care- ful examination of the bones show no traces of death by vio-
9
THE MOUNDBUILDERS
lence, and seems to contradict the theory that all the dead in these mounds were slain in great battles.
From this mound, the writer obtained a strange skull out of the top layer of bones. Digging down, we came upon several skulls in the bottom layer, but could not get them out, as they crumbled. to pieces in our hands; finally the top of one was secured, and where the sutures meet on the top of the Caucasian head, they were prevented in this head by a small bone of about one inch in length by one half inch in width, of a peculiar shape. All the other skulls possessed this same peculiar bone. The top of the skull secured and the others that crumbled, showed the heads of the race to have been long and narrow, with low foreheads, and long narrow faces.
The Hon. James C. McGrew and others, in 1834, excavated this mound, and found in. it a peculiar shaped stone pipe, and a very peculiar stone relic in the shape of an hour-glass, which was mechanically constructed, neatly dressed, and ca- pable of being used for the purpose of recording time. It might have been captured and placed in the mound for safe keeping by an Indian; as the Moundbuilder is supposed to have left Asia when the sun-dial was used, and before the invention and introduction of the hour-glass. Fragments of ancient pottery have been plowed up close to the Sandy Creek mound similar in appearance to the ancient ware de. scribed in the "Antiquities of the West" and the "Ancient Monuments of the Mississippi Valley."
The fate of the Moundbuilders of Preston must have been the same as that of their whole race. When the race left the Mississippi Valley, those of Preston forsook their summer hunting-ground here, and added their numbers to swell the migratory columns again in motion toward sunnier regions farther south.
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