USA > West Virginia > Myers' history of West Virginia (1915) Volume II > Part 1
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.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38
MYERS' HISTORY OF WEST VIRGINIA
WISE LIBRARY
WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES
West Virginia University Libraries
3 0802 100452374 3
DATE DUE
1998
DEd
01
1998
DEG 0 1 1908
NOVOZ 2000
5-31-2010
DEMICO INC 38-2931
Eleir altive. Buckhannon, W.Ya. July 17, 1929.
Myers History of West Virginia
(In Two T'olumes)
VOLUME II.
WISE F241 . mgq v. 2 c . 3
ERRATA.
On page 401, vol. II, under title of "Little Kanawha River", second line should read, "and flows through Gilmer, Calhoun, Wirt and Wood".
HISTORY OF WEST VIRGINIA
To the Public :
It was the original intention to bind the history in one volume, but because of additional new matter the work grew to such proportions that it made a cumbersome, unwieldly book, inconvenient to han- dle, which is the reason for binding in two volumes. of which this is volume two.
Very respectfully. S. MYERS.
New Martinsville, W. Va., August 1st, 1915.
-
CHAPTER XXVIII.
THE COUNTIES OF WEST VIRGINIA.
When and from What Formed; from Whom or What Named; Area and Seat of Justice ; Magisterial Districts ; Popu- lation 1910, Miles of Public Roads and Average Annual Cost Per Mile for Maintenance, and the Principal Products of Each County.
BARBOUR, formed in 1843, from parts of Lewis, Harri- son and Randolph ; named from James Barbour, a Governor of Virginia in 1812; area, 360 square miles; seat of justice, Philippi ; magisterial districts, Barker, Cove, Elk, Glade, Phil- ippi, Pleasant. Union and Valley : population, 15,858; miles of public roads. 636 ; average cost of maintenance, $19 per mile ; principal products : coal, coke, lumber, corn, wheat, oats, rye. buckwheat, hay, cowpeas, potatoes, garden vegetables, apples. peaches, beef cattle, sheep, poultry, hogs and brick.
BERKELEY, formed in 1772, from Frederick County, and named from Norborne Berkeley, Baron De Botetourt. Governor under King George III, in 1768; area. 306 square miles ; seat. of justice, Martinsburg : magisterial districts, Hedgesville, Mill Creek, Gerrardstown, Arden, Falling Waters and Opequon : population, 21,999 : miles of public roads, 420. and 36 miles of toll roads: average cost of maintenance of roads. $154 per mile ; principal products, cement, corn, wheat. oats, potatoes, garden vegetables, apples, peaches, melons, dairy products, beef cattle, sheep. poultry, brick, lime and limestone flux.
BOONE, formed in 1847. from parts of Kanawha, Cabell and Logan and named from Daniel Boone, the founder of Ken- tucky ; area. 520 square miles : seat of justice, Madison ; mag- isterial districts, Scott, Peytona. Sherman, Crook and Wash-
2
History of West Virginia
ington ; population, 10,331 ; miles of public roads, 281 ; average cost of maintenance, $23.80 per mile ; principal products, natu- ral gas, lumber, corn, potatoes, garden vegetables, dairy prod- ucts, beef cattle and poultry.
BRAXTON, formed in 1836, from parts of Lewis, Kana- wha and Nicholas, and named from Carter Braxton, one of Virginia's signers of the Declaration of Independence ; area, 620 square miles ; seat of justice, Sutton ; magisterial districts, Holly, Salt Lick, Otter and Kanawha; population, 23,023; miles of public roads, 780; cost of maintenance of roads, $11.75 per mile ; principal products, natural gas, lumber, corn, wheat, oats, hay and potatoes.
BROOKE, formed in 1797, from Ohio County, and named from Robert Brooke, a Governor of Virginia in 1794; area. 80 square miles, the smallest county in the State : seat of justice, Wellsburg; magisterial districts, Buffalo, Cross Creek and Wellsburg; population in 1910, 11,098; miles of public roads, 180; average annual cost of maintenance of roads per mile, $85.83 ; principal products, coal, petroleum, natural gas, corn, wheat, oats, hay, potatoes, garden vegetables, apples, peaches, dairy products, sheep, poultry, tin plate.
CABELL, formed in 1809, from Kanawha, and named from William H. Cabell, a Governor of Virginia, in 1805 ; area, 300 square miles ; seat of justice, Huntington ; magisterial dis- tricts, Guyandotte, Barboursville, Union, Grant and Mc- Comas ; population, 46,685 ; miles of public roads, 300 ; average cost of roads per mile for maintenance, $48.58 ; principal prod- ucts, petroleum, natural gas, corn, wheat, oats, millet, hay. potatoes, garden vegetables, apples, peaches, melons, dairy products, beef cattle, sheep, poultry, tobacco, berries, brick, china pottery, roofing tile.
CALHOUN, formed in 1855. from Gilmer, and named from John C. Calhoun, an American statesman; area, 260 square miles ; seat of justice, Grantsville : magisterial districts, Sheridan, Center, Sherman, Lee and Washington ; population, 11,258 ; miles of public roads, 500 (estimated) ; average annual cost of maintenance per year per mile, $10.12: principal prod- ucts, petroleum, natural gas, carbon black, lumber, corn. wheat, oats, hay, garden vegetables, apples, potatoes, dairy products, beef cattle, poultry.
3
History of West Virginia
CLAY, formed in 1850, from parts of Braxton and Nicho- las, and named from Henry Clay, an American statesman . area, 390 square miles ; seat of justice, Clay ; magisterial dis- tricts, Union, Pleasant, Henry, Buffalo and Otter ; population, 10,233; miles of public roads, 375; average annual cost of maintenance of roads per mile, $6.95 ; principal products, coal, lumber, corn, wheat, oats, hay, potatoes, garden vegetables, apples, peaches, dairy products, beef cattle, sheep, poultry and swine.
DODDRIDGE, formed in 1845, from parts of Harrison, Tyler, Ritchie and Lewis, and named from Philip Doddridge. a member of Congress from Virginia ; area, 300 square miles ; seat of justice, West Union; magisterial districts, Central, Grant, Greenbrier, Mcclellan, New Milton, Southwest, West Union and Cove; population, 12,672; miles of public roads, 600; average annual cost of maintenance of roads per mile, $41.22; principal products, petroleum, natural gas, corn, wheat, oats, hay, potatoes, garden vegetables, apples, peaches, beef cattle, sheep, poultry.
FAYETTE, formed in 1831, from parts of Kanawha, Greenbrier, Nicholas and Logan, and named from General Lafayette ; area, 730 square miles ; seat of justice. Fayetteville ; magisterial districts, Fayetteville, Falls, Kanawha, Mt. Cove, Nuttall, Quinnimont and Sewell Mt. ; population, 51,903 ; miles of public roads. 933; average annual cost of maintenance of roads per mile, $43.15 ; principal products, coal, coke, lumber, corn, wheat, oats, buckwheat, potatoes, garden vegetables, ap- ples, poultry.
GILMER, formed in 1845, from parts of Lewis and Ka- nawha, and named from Thomas Walker Gilmer, a Secretary of the Navy, who was killed on board the steamer Princeton, at Mount Vernon, in 1844; area, 360 square miles : seat of jus- tice. Glenville; magisterial districts, Troy, DeKalb, Center and Glenville : population, 11,379; miles of public roads, 575; average annual cost of maintenance of roads per mile, $11.85 : principal products, petroleum, natural gas, lumber, corn, wheat, oats, hay, potatoes, garden vegetables, apples, peaches, melons, dairy products, beef cattle, sheep, poultry and swine.
GRANT, formed in 1866. from Hardy, and named from
4
History of West Virginia
General U. S. Grant; arca, 510 square miles ; seat of justice, Petersburg; magisterial districts, Milroy, Grant and Union ; population, 7,838; miles of public roads, 311 ; average annual cost of maintenance of roads per mile, $44.33 ; principal prod- ucts, coal, lumber, corn, wheat, oats, rye, hay, apples, peaches, melons, dairy products, sheep, poultry, swine.
GREENBRIER, formed in 1777, from Montgomery and Botetourt Counties, and named from its principal river ; area, 1,000 square miles ; seat of justice, Lewisburg ; magisterial dis- tricts, Meadow Bluff, Lewisburg, Irish Corner, Fort Spring, Williamsburg, White Sulphur, Blue Sulphur and Falling. Spring ; population, 24,833 ; miles of public roads, 827 ; average annual cost of maintenance of roads per mile, $32.40 ; principal products, lumber, corn, wheat, oats, hay, potatoes, apples. dairy products, beef cattle and sheep.
HAMPSHIRE, formed in 1754, from Frederick and Au- gusta Counties, and named from Hampshire, England, the oldest county in the State : arca, 620 square miles : seat of jus- tice, Romney; magisterial districts, Sherman, Capon, Mill Creek, Springfield, Romney, Gore and Bloomery ; population, 11,694; miles of public roads, 950; average cost of mainten- ance of roads per mile. $13.75 ; principal products, corn, wheat. rye, buckwheat, hay, apples, peaches, beef cattle, sheep and poultry.
HANCOCK, formed in 1848, from Brooke, and named from John Hancock, President of the Continental Congress; area, 100 square miles ; seat of justice, New Cumberland ; mag- isterial districts, Grant, Poe, Clay and Butler; population, 10,465 ; miles of public roads, 184; average annual cost per mile for maintenance, $70; principal products, coal, petroleum. natural gas, corn, wheat, oats, hay, potatoes, garden vege- tables, apples, peaches, dairy products, sheep, poultry, brick, china, pottery, tin plate.
HARDY, formed in 1786, from Hampshire, and named from Samuel Hardy, an early member of Congress from Vir- ginia : area, 450 square miles ; seat of justice, Moorefield : mag- isterial districts, Capon, Lost River, Moorefield and South Fork ; population, 9,163; miles of public roads, 500; cost of maintenance of roads per mile per year, $18: principal prod-
-
5
History of West Virginia
ucts, lumber, corn, wheat, oats, buckwheat, hay, apples, peaches, beef cattle, sheep and swine.
HARRISON, formed in 1784, from Monongalia, and named from Benjamin Harrison, a Governor of Virginia in 1781, and one of the signers of the Declaration of Independ- ence ; area, 450 square miles ; seat of justice, Clarksburg ; mag- isterial districts, Clark, Coal, Clay, Eagle, Elk, Grant, Sardis, Simpson, Ten Mile and Union; population, 48,381 ; miles of public roads. 700; average cost of roads for maintenance per mile per year, $80.22 ; principal products, coal, coke, petroleum, natural gas, carbon black, glass, corn, wheat, oats, hay, beef cattle, sheep, poultry, brick, china pottery, stoneware and tin plate.
JACKSON, formed in 1831, from parts of Mason, Kana- wha and Wood, and named from Andrew Jackson, President of the United States; arca, 400 square miles; seat of justice, Ripley; magisterial districts, Grant. Ripley, Ravenswood, Union and Washington ; population, 20,956; miles of public roads. 1.200 (estimated) ; average cost of roads per mile for maintenance. $14.17 : principal products, corn, wheat, oats, hay, potatoes, garden vegetables, apples, peaches, melons, beef cattle, sheep, poultry and brick.
JEFFERSON, formed in 1801, from Berkeley, and named from Thomas Jefferson, a Governor of Virginia and President of the United States ; area, 250 square miles ; seat of justice, Charles Town; magisterial districts, Kablestown, Middleway, Charles Town and Ronsas ; population, 15,889 : miles of public roads, 315; average annual cost for maintenance of roads per mile, $76.15 : principal products, cement, lime, limestone flux, corn, wheat, rye, hay, potatoes, garden vegetables, apples, peaches, melons, dairy products, beef cattle, sheep, poultry, barley and iron ore.
KANAWHA, formed in 1789, from parts of Greenbrier and Montgomery, and named from its chief river ; area, 980 square miles ; seat of government, Charleston : magisterial dis- tricts. Cabin Creek, Big Sandy. Charleston, Elk, Jefferson, Louden, Malden, Poca, Union and Washington ; population, S1,457 : miles of public roads, 815 : average annual cost of main- tenance of roads per mile, $19: principal products, coal, coke,
6
History of West Virginia
natural gas, oil, lumber, corn, wheat, oats, hay, potatoes, gar- den vegetables, apples, beef cattle, poultry and brick.
LEWIS, formed in 1816, from Harrison, and named from Colonel Charles Lewis, who was killed at the battle of Point Pleasant in 1774; area, 400 square miles ; seat of justice, Wes- ton ; magisterial districts, Hacker's Creek, Freeman's Creek, Court House, Skin Creek and Collins Settlement ; population, 18,281; miles of public roads, 650; average annual cost of maintenance of roads per mile, $25.85 ; principal products, pe- troleum, natural gas, corn, oats, wheat, hay, potatoes, apples, peaches, beef cattle, sheep, poultry and brick.
LINCOLN, formed in 1867, from parts of Cabell, Putnam, Kanawha and Boone; named from Abraham Lincoln, Presi- dent of the United States; area, 430 square miles ; seat of gov- ernment, Hamlin ; magisterial districts, Carroll, Duval, Harts Creek, Jefferson, Laurel Hill, Sheridan, Union and Washing- ton ; population, 20,491 ; miles of public roads, 665; average annual cost for maintenance of roads per mile, $16.46; princi- pal products, coal, lumber, corn, wheat, oats, hay, potatoes, garden vegetables, apples, peaches, poultry, tobacco.
LOGAN, formed in 1824, from parts of Giles, Tazewell, Cabell and Kanawha, and named from Logan, an Indian chief- tain of the Mingo tribe ; area, 443 square miles ; seat of govern- ment, Logan ; magisterial districts, Chapmansville, Logan and Triadelphia; population, 14,476; miles of public roads, 200; average annual cost of maintenance of roads per mile, $19.75 ; principal products, coal, lumber, corn, wheat, oats, buckwheat, hay, potatoes, apples, peaches, sheep and poultry.
MARION, formed in 1842, from parts of Monongalia and Harrison, and named from General Francis Marion of the Revolution ; area, 300 square miles; seat of justice, Fairmont ; magisterial districts, Lincoln, Mannington, Paw Paw, Fair- view, Fairmont, Grant, Union and Winfield; population. 42,794; miles of public roads, 766; average annual cost of maintenance of roads per mile, $52.47 ; principal products, coal, coke, petroleum, natural gas, glass, corn, wheat, oats, hay, po- tatoes, garden vegetables, apples, peaches, dairy products, beef cattle, sheep, poultry, brick and china pottery.
MARSHALL, formed in 1835, from Ohio County, and
7
History of West Virginia
named from John Marshall, Chief Justice of the United States; area, 240 square miles; seat of justice, Moundsville; magis- terial districts, Union, Webster, Sand Ilill, Washington, Cam- eron, Clay, Franklin, Liberty and Meade; population, 32,388; miles of public roads, 678; average annual cost of maintenance of roads per mile, $49.55 ; principal products, coal, petroleum, natural gas, glass, corn, wheat, oats, hay, potatoes, poultry, brick, china pottery.
MASON, formed in 1804, from Kanawha, and named from Stevens Thompson Mason, a distinguished patriot, long a member of the General Assembly of Virginia and United States Senator from 1794 to 1803 ; area, 432 square miles ; seat of justice, Point Pleasant ; magisterial districts, Hannon, Rob- inson, Waggener, Lewis, Union, Arbuckle, Clendennin, Co- logne, Cooper and Graham ; population, 23,019; miles of pub- lic roads, 900; average annual cost of maintenance of roads per mile, $12.92; principal products, coal, corn, wheat, hay, alfalfa, potatoes, apples, peaches, melons, beef cattle, poultry, cowpeas and brick.
MERCER, formed in 1837, from parts of Giles and Taze- well Counties, and named from General Hugh Mercer of the Revolution ; area. 400 square miles ; seat of justice. Princeton ; magisterial districts, East River, Beaver Pond, Jumping Branch and Plymouth Rock; population, 38,371; miles of public roads, 375 ; average annual cost of maintenance of pub- lic roads per mile, $35.30 ; principal products, coal, coke, corn, oats, hay, potatoes, garden vegetables, apples, beef cattle. sheep and poultry.
MINERAL, formed in 1866, from Hampshire, and named from the abundance of its minerals; area, 300 square miles ; seat of justice, Keyser : magisterial districts. Cabin Run, Elk, Frankfort, New Creek, Piedmont and Welton: population, 16.674 : miles of public roads. 300 ; average cost of maintenance of roads per mile per year, $43.70; principal products, coal, lumber, corn, wheat, oats, hay, potatoes, garden vegetables, apples, peaches, beef cattle, sheep, poultry, brick and cement.
MINGO, formed in 1895. from Logan, and named from a tribe of Indians of that name, of which Logan was a famous chieftain : area, 40634 square miles : seat of justice, William-
S
History of West Virginia
son ; magisterial districts, Harvey, Warfield, Harden, Lee, Williamson, Magnolia and Stafford ; population, 19,431 ; miles of public roads, 350; average annual cost of maintenance of roads per mile, $15.80; principal products, coal, natural gas, lumber, corn, oats, hay, potatoes, garden vegetables, apples, peaches, melons, sheep, poultry and brick.
MONONGALIA, formed in 1776, from the "District of West Augusta," and named from its principal river (though spelled different) ; area, 360 square miles ; seat of justice, Mor- gantown ; magisterial districts, Grant, Clinton, Cass, Union, Clay. Battelle and Morgan ; population, 24,334 ; miles of public roads, about 800; average cost of maintenance of roads per mile per year, $36.44 : principal products, coal, coke, petroleum, natural gas, lumber, glass, corn, wheat, oats, hay, potatoes, garden vegetables, apples, dairy products, beef cattle, sheep, poultry, brick and tin plate.
MONROE, formed in 1799, from Greenbrier, and named from James Monroe, a Governor of Virginia, and President of the United States; arca, 460 square miles; seat of justice, Union ; magisterial districts, Union, Second Creek, Sweet Springs, Red Sulphur, Springfield and Wolf Creek ; popula- tion, 13,055 ; miles of public roads, about 700: average cost of maintenance per mile per year, $22.40; principal products, corn, wheat, oats, hay, potatoes, beef cattle, sheep, poultry.
MORGAN, formed in 1820, from parts of Hampshire and Berkeley, and named from General Daniel Morgan of the Rev- olution ; area. 300 square miles; seat of justice, Berkeley Springs ; magisterial districts, Allen, Bath, Cacapon and Rock Gap; population, 7,848; miles of public roads, 300; average annual cost of maintenance per mile, $23.19 ; principal prod- ucts, corn, wheat, oats, rye, buckwheat, hay, potatoes, apples, peaches, sheep and poultry.
McDOWELL, formed in 1858, from Tazewell. and named from James McDowell, a Governor of Virginia in 1843 ; area, 840 square miles ; seat of justice, Welch ; magisterial districts, Adkin, Elkhorn, North Fork, Brown's Creek, Big Creek and Sandy River ; population, 47,856; miles of public roads, 200, in addition to about 100 miles not much used by vehicles ; average annual cost of maintenance of roads per mile, $88.11 ;
History of West Virginia
principal products, coal, coke, lumber, corn, oats, hay, pota- toes, garden vegetables, apples, peaches, sheep and poultry.
NICHOLAS, formed in 1818, from Greenbrier, and named from Wilson Cary Nicholas, a Governor of Virginia in 1814; area, 720 square miles : seat of justice, Summersville ; magis- terial districts, Hamilton, Summersville, Kentucky, Jefferson, Beaver, Wilderness and Grant; population, 17,699; miles of public roads, 516; average annual cost of maintenance of roads per mile, $22; principal products, coal, lumber, corn, oats, buckwheat, hay, potatoes, garden vegetables, apples, peaches, dairy products, beef cattle, sheep and poultry.
OHIO, formed in 1776, from the "District of West Au- gusta." and named from the river of that name; area, 120 square miles; seat of justice, Whecling : magisterial districts, Washington, Fulton. Clay, Madison, Union, Center, Webster, Ritchie, Triadelphia, Richland and Liberty ; population, 57,572 ; miles of public roads, 200 ; average annual cost of maintenance of roads per mile, $189.98 ; principal products, coal, glass, corn, wheat, oats, hay, potatoes, garden vegetables, apples, dairy products, sheep, poultry, china pottery, steel and iron.
PENDLETON, formed in 1787, from parts of Augusta, Hardy and Rockingham Counties, and named from Edmund Pendleton, President of the Virginia Court of Appeals; area. 650 square miles ; seat of justice, Franklin ; magisterial dis- tricts, Franklin, Mill Brook, Sugar Grove, Bethel, Circleville and Union ; population, 9.349 ; miles of public roads, 417 ; aver- age cost of maintenance of roads per mile per year. $17.58; principal products, lumber, corn, wheat, oats, hay, barley, po- tatocs, garden vegetables, apples, peaches, beef cattle, sheep and poultry.
PLEASANTS, formed in 1851, from parts of Wood, Ty- ler and Ritchie, and named from James Pleasants, Ir .. a Gov- ernor of Virginia in 1822; area. 150 square miles : seat of jus- ticc, St. Marys: magisterial districts, Grant, Jefferson, La- fayette and McKim ; population, 8,074; miles of public roads, 285 ; average annual cost of maintenance of roads per mile, $46.92: principal products, petroleum, apples, natural gas, corn, wheat, oats, hay, potatoes, garden vegetables, peaches, beef cattle, sheep, poultry and hematite.
10
History of West Virginia
POCAHONTAS, formid in 1821, from parts of Bath, Pen- dleton and Randolph, and named from the Indian Princess of that name; arca, 820 square miles; seat of justice, Marlinton ; magisterial districts, Green Bank, Edray, Huntersville and Little Levels ; population, 14,740 ; miles of public roads, about 500 ; average annual cost of road maintenance per mile, $36.80; principal products, lumber, corn, wheat, oats, rye, buckwheat, hay, potatoes, garden vegetables, apples, peaches, beef cattle, sheep, poultry and hematite.
PRESTON, formed in 1818, from Monongalia, and named from James P. Preston, a Governor of Virginia in 1816; area, 650 square miles; seat of justice, Kingwood; magisterial dis- tricts, Union, Portland, Pleasant, Grant, Kingwood, Valley, Lyon and Reno; population, 26,341 ; miles of public roads, about 1,200 ; average annual cost of road maintenance per mile, $17.86; principal products, coal, coke, lumber, cement, corn, wheat, oats, buckwheat, hay, potatoes, garden vegetables, ap- ples, peaches, beef cattle, sheep and poultry.
PUTNAM, formed in 1848, from parts of Kanawha, Ma- son and Cabell, and named from General Israel Putnam of the Revolution ; area, 320 square miles; seat of justice, Winfield ; magisterial districts, Buffalo, Curry, Poca, Scott, Hays Valley and Union; population, 18,587; miles of public roads, 525; average cost of road maintenance per mile per year, $19.25; principal products, coal, natural gas, corn, wheat, oats, hay, potatoes, apples, peaches, beef cattle, sheep, poultry and tobacco.
RALEIGH, formed in 1850, from Fayette, and named from Sir Walter Raleigh; area, 680 square miles ; seat of jus- tice, Beckley; magisterial districts, Clear Fork, Slab Fork, Marsh Fork, Trap Hill, Richmond and Shady Springs ; popu- lation, 25,633; miles of public roads, about 600; average an- nual cost of road maintenance per mile, $35.83; principal products, coal, coke, lumber, corn, oats, buckwheat, hay, po- tatoes, garden vegetables, apples, peaches, melons, dairy products, beef cattle, sheep and poultry.
RANDOLPH, formed in 1787, from Harrison, and named from Edmund Randolph, a Governor of Virginia in 1787, and afterwards an Attorney-General of the United States; area,
11
History of West Virginia
1,080 square miles-the largest county in the State; seat of justice, Elkins ; magisterial districts, Beverly, Dry Fork, Hut- tonsville, Leadsville, Middle Fork, Mingo, New Interest, Roar- ing Creek and Valley Bend ; population, 20,028; miles of public roads, about 1,000; average annual cost of road maintenance per mile, $11.60; principal products, coal, coke, lumber, corn, wheat, oats, buckwheat, potatoes, garden vegetables, apples, dairy products, beef cattle, sheep, poultry and brick.
RITCHIE, formed in 1843, from parts of Wood, Harrison and Lewis, and named from Thomas Ritchie, a distinguished Virginia journalist; area, 400 square miles; scat of justice, Harrisville ; magisterial districts, Clay, Union, Grant and Mur- phy; population, 17,875; miles of public roads, 783; average cost of road maintenance per mile per year, $35.83 ; principal products, petroleum, natural gas, corn, wheat, oats, hay, po- tatoes, garden vegetables, apples, peaches, beef cattle, sheep and poultry.
ROANE, formed in 1856, from parts of Kanawha, Jack- son and Gilmer, and named from Spencer Roane, a Judge of the Supreme Court of Appeals of Virginia; area, 350 square miles ; seat of justice, Spencer ; magisterial districts, Curtis, Geary, Harper, Reedy, Smithfield, Spencer and Walton ; popu- lation, 21,543 ; miles of public roads, about 700; average an- nual cost of road maintenance per mile, $18.24; principal products, petroleum, natural gas, lumber, corn, wheat, oats, rye, hay, potatoes, garden vegetables, apples, peaches, beef cattle, sheep and poultry.
SUMMERS, formed in 1871, from parts of Monroe, Mer- cer, Greenbrier and Fayette, and named from George W. Sum- mers, a member of Congress from Virginia in 1841 ; arca, 400 square miles : seat of justice, Hinton; magisterial districts, Forest Hill, Greenbrier, Green Sulphur, Jumping Branch, Pipestem and Falcott; population, 18,420; miles of public roads, 485 ; average annual cost of road maintenance per mile, $13.22; principal products, corn, wheat, oats, hay, potatoes, garden vegetables, apples. peaches and beef cattle.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.