USA > West Virginia > Braxton County > History of Braxton County and central West Virginia > Part 3
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This period embraced a remarkable chain of events leading up to the for- mation of the new state. A Convention of the people met June 11, 1861, and reorganized the government of Virginia. They met in August and passed an ordinance that an election should be held in the western counties of Virginia on the fourth Tuesday in October to take the sense of the voters on the question of dividing the state, and at the same time to elect delegates to a Constitutional Convention. The vote on the formation of the new state having resulted fav- orably, the Convention met in Wheeling November 26, 1861, and having com- pleted its labor by adopting a Constitution adjourned February 18, 1862. The Constitution was ratified by the vote of the people at an election held April 3, 1862. The act of Congress admitting West Virginia into the Union, was con- ditioned upon the section of the Constitution being amended in regard to slavery. It was approved December 31, 1862. The Constitutional Convention met February 12, 1862, and made the changes proposed by the act of Congress.
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This Amendment was approved by the people at an election held Mareh 26, 1863. President Lineoln issued his proelamation which admitted the new state into the Union, June 20, 1863. President Lineoln, having been satisfied with the provision made for the payment of the new state's proportion of the Vir- ginia debt, signed the bill, ereating the State of West Virginia.
The first Legislature under this Constitution met in Wheeling June 20, 1863. The Legislature on the 23rd of February, 1871, passed an act to take the sense of the voters of the state upon the call of a Convention to enaet a new Constitution at an election to be held on the fourth Thursday in August, 1871, which resulted in approving a Convention. The Convention met in Charleston on the third Tuesday in January, 1872. The election on the adoption of the Constitution was held on the fourth Thursday in August, 1872, and resulted in its ratifieation, and is the Constitution under which we are now governed (1917). At the same time an election was held for State, Judicial, Legislative, County and Distriet officials, who were to be seated in ease the Constitution was adopted, which resulted in a wholesale turning out of all officials without re. gard to the faet that they had not yet served out the terms for which they had been elected. The Governor and other State officers were to be ushered into offiee on Mareh 4, 1873. The first Legislature under this Constitution met on the third Tuesday in November, 1873.
FRAMERS OF THE FIRST CONSTITUTION
We publish below a very interesting letter written by Granville D. Hall who took stenographie notes of the May Convention and the Constitutional Convention which sat in Wheeling in the winter of 1861 and 1862, was recalled in the spring of 1863 and framed the first Constitution of West Virginia, eon- sisting of sixty-one members. Of these, seven were past sixty years of age when the Convention met, November 26, 1861, the eldest of the group being sixty-six ; fifteen of them were in the fifties, the eldest being fifty-six; twenty-four were in the forties, the eldest being forty-nine; in the thirties, there were only ten; younger than thirty years of age, there were but five, their names are: Andrew W. Mann of Greenbrier, twenty-nine; J. P. Hoback of MeDowell, twenty-six; Gustavus F. Taylor of Braxton, twenty-six; E. W. Ryan of Fayette, twenty- five ; Thomas R. Carskadon of Hampshire, twenty-four.
It has been nearly fifty-four years since the Convention met. If Mr. Carskadon is living, he should be now about seventy-eight years of age; Mr. Ryan, Seventy-nine; Mr. Taylor, eighty; Mr. Hobaek, eighty; Mr. Mann, eighty-three. Of the group in the thirties, Ephraim B. Hall of Fairmont, when the Convention met was thirty-nine; John J. Brown of Kingwood, thirty-five; Judge "Tom" Harrison of Clarksburg, thirty-seven. Of the group in the sixties, Abraham D. Soper of Tyler, was sixty-six; Lewis Ruffner of Kanawha, sixty-four; Col. Ben. Smith of Kanawha, sixty-three; Dudley S. Montague of Putnam, sixty-one; Joseph Wheat of Morgan, sixty. Of the group in the fifties,
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John Hall of Mason who was made president, was fifty-six; Judge Elbert H. Caldwell of Moundsville, fifty-two: Hiram Haymond of Palatine, fifty-fiye; Daniel Lamb, fifty-one; Peter G. Van Winkle, fifty-three; and Waitman T. Willey, sixty. Harmon Sinsel of Pruntytown was forty-four, and "Chap" Stuart of Doddridge, forty-one.
Of the sixty-one delegates, forty-six were born in Virginia ; six in Pennsyl- vania ; three in New York; two in Ohio; two in Massachusetts ; one in Ireland. Of whom, again, seventeen were lawyers, twenty-three farmers; five, ministers: three, physicians; three, merchants; one. a teacher and one, a bank cashier.
John Hall of Mason, was the lone son of the Emerald Isle; Daniel Lamb, born in Bedford county, Pennsylvania, was the bank cashier who did not go back to the bank, but took up his profession of the law after performance of his duties as legislator and publicist. Lewis Ruffner, freightened by nature with an uncommon cargo of the hardest horsesense, was a manufacturer of salt. Rev. Gordon Battelle of great native ability and superior culture, laid the foun- dations of the existing West Virginia public school system. He was the one man in the body who had the courage to advocate provision for Emancipation, and to declare that he entered into no compromises. Granville Parker, native of Massachusetts, a very astute lawyer, understood better and appreciated more than others the extraordinary abilities of Daniel Lamb and the work done by him, and in a book published by Mr. Parker after the war, he endowed Mr. Lamb with the merited title of "Our West Virginia Madison."
The working team of the convention embraced Lamb, Van Winkle, Battelle, Willey ; Chap. Stuart, Hervey of Brooks; Smith and Brown of Kanawha; Brown of Preston; Stevenson of Wood; Hall of Marion; Harrison of Harrison; Dering of Monongalia; Caldwell of Marshall, and Dille of Preston.
John Hall of Mason who was president of the first session, did not come back when the convention was recalled, for reasons of a personal and tragic nature, and Mr. Soper, as the eldest member, was made president. Mr. Lamb having assumed the chair and called the convention to order.
Ellery R. Hall of Pruntytown was chosen secretary and his brother Sylvanus of Fairmont, for many years afterwards clerk of the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals, was made his assistant.
James C. Orr, stationer and bookseller on Main street. Wheeling. was made sergeant-at-arms.
HISTORY OF THE FIRST WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE-(1863)
When, nearly fifty-four years ago, the first West Virginia Legislature con- vened at Wheeling, the Senate consisted of twenty members, ten less than at present; and the membership of the House of Delegates was fifty-one, while at the last session eighty-six members sat in the lower house of the Legislature.
Under the provisons of the old Constitution which was in effect from 1863 to 1872, the Legislature met annually, the Senators being elected for terms of
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SUTTON'S HISTORY.
one year. Under the present Constitution, the Senators are elected for four years, and the Delegates for two years.
The first West Virginia Senate was presided over by a minister as presi- dent. He was the Hon. John M. Phelph of Mason county. Ellery R. Hall of Fairmont was Clerk of the Senate; Edmund Kyle of Pine Grove, sergeant-at. arms; W. M. Dunnington, door-keeper; Charles M. Wheat and Alex. R. Camp- bell, then fifteen years of age, were pages. The members of the first Senate were :
First District-Chester D. Hubbard, Wheeling; John H. Atkinson, New Cumberland.
Second District-James Burley, Moundsville; Aaron Hawkins, Barnetts- ville.
Third District-John J. Brown, Kingwood; Edward C. Bunker, Morgan- town.
· Fourth District-Daniel Raymond, Federal Hill; Edwin Maxwell, Clarks- burg.
Fifth District-Edward S. Mahond, Ravenswood; William E. Stevenson, Parkersburg.
Sixth District-D. D. T. Farnsworth, Buckhannon; William D. Rollyson, Braxton Court House.
Seventh District-Greenbury Slack, Kanawha Court House; John M. Phelps, Point Pleasant.
Eighth District-John B. Bowen, Buffalo Shoals; William H. Copley, Quyandotte.
Ninth District-Aaron Betchel, Berkeley Springs; James Carskadon, New Creek.
While the seventh district furnished the first president of the state Senate, and Kanawha county was a part of this district, Kanawha county furnished the first speaker of the House of Delegates in Dr. Spicer Patrick, who a few months before was chairman of the first nominating convention ever held in the new state, which nominated Arthur I. Boreman for governor. Granville D. Hall was the first clerk of the lower house. The members of the first House of dele- gates were:
Monroe, Lewis Ballard; Marion, John S. Barnes and Isaae Holman ; Hampshire, James I. Barrick and George W. Sheetz; Doddridge, Ephriam Bee; Pendleton, John Boggs; Putnam, George C. Bowyer; Mason, Lewis Bumgard. ner; Wayne, Thomas Copley; Hancock, William L. Crawford; Wood, Horatio N. Crooks and Peter G. Van Winkle; Brook, II. O. Crothers; Taylor, L. E. Davidson ; Ritchie, S. R. Dawson; Raleigh, W. S. Dunbar; Marshall, Michael Dunn and Joseph Turner; Harrison, Solomon Fleming and Nathan Goff, Sr .; Wirt, Alfred Foster; Greenbrier, John C. Cillilan and Andrew W. Mann .; Pocahontas, Benoni Griffin; Boone, Robt. Hager; Lewis, Perry M. Hale; Logan, James H. Hickman; Jackson, David J. Kenny; Randolph, Cyrus Kittle; Mon- aognlia, Leroy Kramer and John L. Lough; Ohio, Daniel Lamb, Andrew F. and W. W. Shriver; Mercer, Thomas Little; Preston, James C.
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McGraw and William Ziun; Roane, J. M. MeWhorter; Hardy, John Michael; Kanawha, Spicer Patrick and Lewis Raffner; Nicholas, Anthony Rader; Wetzel, S. I. Robinson; Braxton, Felix Sutton; Tyler, Daniel Sweeney; Barbour, Joseph Tetler, Jr .; Morgan, Joseph S. Wheat; Gilmer, T. Wiant; Cabell, Ed- ward D. Wright.
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GOVERNORS OF WEST VIRGINIA
Arthur I. Boreman, June 20, 1863; Dan'l. T. T. Farnsworth, Feb. 27, 1869; William E. Stevenson, Mch. 4, 1869; John J. Jacob, Mch. 4, 1871 ; Henry M. Mathews, Mch. 4, 1877; Jacob B. Jackson, Mch. 4, 1881; Emanuel W. Wilson, Mch. 4, 1885; A. Brooks Fleming, Feb. 6, 1890; William A. McCorkle, Mch. 4, 1893; George W. Atkinson, Mch. 4, 1897; Albert B. White, Mch. 4, 1901; William M. O. Dawson, Mch. 4, 1905; William E. Glascock, Mch. 4, 1909 ; H. D. Hatfield, Mch. 4, 1913; John J. Cornwall, Mch. 4, 1917.
Under the constitution of 1863, the term of office of the Governor was two years. The constitution of 1872 increased the term to four years.
Hon. Daniel T. T. Farnsworth as President of the Senate became Governor upon the resignation of Governor Boreman, on February 27, 1869, who had been elected to the United States Senate, and served until March 4th.
Governor Wilson held the office nearly one year beyond his term owing to a contested election between Hon. Nathan Goff and Hon. A. Brooks Fleming. The Constitution of 1776 provided that the Governor's term of office should be limited to three years.
The Constitution of 1830 established the term at three years.
The Constitution of 1852 fixed the term at four years, and provided for the election of the Governor by the people, which had previously been done by the Legislature.
Joseph Johnson of Harrison county, was the first Governor elected by the people, and the only one ever chosen from West of the mountains for the old State of Virginia.
ELEVATION OF WEST VIRGINIA
Exact measurements showing the elevation of West Virginia in various parts of its area, when studied in connection with a map of the State, show clearly that the area rises in altitude from all sides, culminating in the nest of peaks clustered around the sources of the Potomas, the Kanawha and Monon- gahela. The highest point in the State is Spruce Mountain, in Pendleton County, 4,860 feet above sea level; the lowest point is the bed of the Potomac at Harpers Ferry, 260 feet above the sea; the vertical range is 4,600 feet. The Ohio, at the mouth of Big Sandy, on the boundary between West Virginia and Kentucky, is 500 feet; the mouth of Cheat, at the Pennsylvania line, is 775. The general level of Pocahontas County is about 3,000 above the sea. The bed
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SUTTON'S HISTORY.
of Greenbrier River where it enters Pocahontas is 3,300 feet in elevation. Where Shaver's Fork of Cheat River leaves Pocahontas, its bed is 3,700 feet. A few of the highest peaks in Pocahontas, Pendleton, Randolph and Tucker Counties are : Spruce Knob, Pendleton County, 4,860 feet above sea level ; Bald Knob, Pocahontas County, 4,800 ; Spruee Knob, Pocahontas County, 4,730 ; High Knob, Randolph County, 4,710; Maee Knob, Pocahontas County, 4,700; Barton Knob, Randolph County, 4,600; Bear Mountain, Pocahontas County, 4,600; Elleber Ridge, Pocahontas County, 4,600; Watering Pond Knob, Pocahontas County, 4,600; Panther Knob, Pendleton County, 4,500; Weiss Knobb, Tucker County. 4,490; Green Knob, Randolph County, 4,485; Brier Patch Mountain, Randolph County, 4,480; Yokum's Knob, Randolph County, 4,330; Pointy Knob, Tucker County, 4,286; Hutton's Knob, Randolph County, 4,260.
In Berkeley county, there is a small eminence near the old home of General Stevens from which you can see the residences of General Gates, General Lee and General Dark, three Major Generals and one Brigadier General of the Revolution. Is there a state in the union of even comparable historical great- ness to our own ?
COUNTIES OF WEST VIRGINIA AND DATES OF THEIR FORMATION
Following is a list of the counties of West Virginia, with the date of for- mation, area, from whom named and the county seat :
Hampshire, 630 square miles; formed 1754 from Augusta; named for Hampshire, England; settled about 1730; Romney.
Berkeley, 320 square miles; formed 1772 from Frederick; named for Governor Berkeley of Virginia; settled about 1730; Martinsburg.
Monongalia, 360 square miles; formed 1776 from West Augusta; settled 1770; named for the river; Wheeling. Morgantown
Greenbrier, 1000 square miles; formed 1777 from Botetourt; settled 1750; named for briers growing on the river bank; Lewisburg.
Harrison, 450 square miles; formed 1784 from Monongalia; settled 1770; named for Benjamin Harrison, Governor of Virginia; Clarksburg.
Hardy, 700 square miles; formed from Hampshire in 1785; settled 1740; named for Samuel Hardy of Virginia ; Moorfield.
Randolph, 1080 square miles; formed 1786 from Harrison; settled 1753; named for Edmund Randolph; Elkins.
Pendleton, 650 square miles; formed 1787 from Augusta, Hardy and Rockingham; settled 1750; named for Edmund Pendleton; Franklin.
Kanawha, 980 square miles; formed 1789 from Greenbrier and Mont- gomery; settled 1774; named for the river; Charleston.
Brooke, 80 square miles; formed from Ohio 1796; settled about 1772; named for Robert Brooke, Governor of Virginia; Wellsburg.
Wood, 375 square miles; formed from Harrison 1798; settled about 1773; named for James Wood, Governor of Virginia; Parkersburg.
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Monroe, 460 square miles; formed 1799 from Greenbrier; settled about 1760; named for James Monroe; Union.
Jefferson, 250 square miles; formed 1801 from Berkeley; settled about 1730; named for Thomas Jefferson; Charlestown.
Mason, 430 square miles; formed 1804 from Kanawha; settled about 1774; named for George Mason of Virginia; Point Pleasant.
Cabell, 300 square miles; formed from Kanawha 1809; settled about 1790; named for William H. Cabell, Governor of Virginia; Huntington.
Tyler, 300 square miles; formed from Ohio 1814; settled about 1776; named for John Tyler; Middlebourn.
Lewis, 400 square miles; formed from Harrison 1816; settled about 1780; named for Colonel Charles Lewis; Weston.
Nicholas, 720 square miles; formed 1818 from Kanawha, Greenbrier and Randolph; named for W. C. Nicholas, Governor of Virginia; Summersville.
Preston, 650 square miles; formed 1818 from Monongalia; settled about 1760; named for James P. Preston, Governor of Virginia; Kingwood.
Morgan, 300 square miles; formed 1820 from Hampshire and Berkeley; settled about 1730; named for Daniel Morgan; Berkeley Springs.
Pocahontas, 820 square miles; formed 1821 from Bath, Pendleton and Randolph ; settled 1749; named for Pocahontas, an Indian girl; Marlinton.
Logan, 400 square miles; formed from Kanawha, Giles, Cabell and Taze- well 1824; named for Logan, an Indian; Logan.
Jackson, 400 square miles; formed from Kanawha, Wood and Mason in 1831; settled about 1796; named for Andrew Jackson : Ripley.
Fayette, 750 square miles; formed from Logan, Kanawha, Greenbrier and Nicholas 1831; named for Lafayette; Fayetteville.
Marshall, 240 square miles; formed 1835 from Ohio; settled about 1769; named for Chief Justice Marshall ; Moundsville.
Braxton, 620 square miles; formed 1836 from Kanawha, Lewis and Nicholas; settled about 1794; named for Carter Braxton; Sutton.
Mercer, 400 square miles; formed 1837 from Giles and Tazewell; named for General Hugh Mercer; Princeton.
Marion, 300 square miles; formed 1842 from Harrison and Monongalia; named for General Marion; Fairmont.
Wayne, 440 square miles; formed 1841 from Cabell; named for General Anthony Wayne; Wayne.
Taylor, 150 square miles; formed 1844 from Harrison, Barbour and Marion; named for John Taylor; Grafton.
Doddridge, 300 square miles; formed 1845 from Harris, Tyler, Ritchie and Lewis; named for Philip Doddridge; West Union.
Gilmer, 360 square miles; formed 1845 from Kanawha and Lewis; named for Thomas W. Gilmer of Virginia; Glenville.
Wetzel, 440 square miles; formed 1846 from Tyler; named for Lewis Wetzel ; New Martinsville.
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Boone, 500 square miles; formed 1847 from Kanawha, Cabell and Logan ; named for Daniel Boone; Madison.
Putnam. 320 square miles; formed 1848 from Kanawha, Cabell and Mason ; named for Israel Putnam; Winfield.
Barbour, 360 square miles; formed 1843 from Harrison, Lewis and Ran- dolph; named for James Barbour, Governor of Virginia; Philippi.
Ritchie, 400 square miles; formed 1844 from Harrison, Lewis and Wood; named for Thomas Ritehie of Virginia; Harrisville.
Wirt, 290 square miles; formed 1848 from Wood and Jaekson; settled about 1796; named for William Wirt; Elizabeth.
Haneoek, 100 square miles; formed 1848 from Brooke; settled about 1776; named for John Haneoek: New Cumberland.
Raleigh, 680 square miles; formed 1850 from Fayette; named for Sir Walter Raleigh; Beekley.
Wyoming, 660 square miles; formed 1850 from Logan; an Indian name; Pineville.
Pleasants, 150 square miles; formed 1851 from Wood, Tyler and Ritehie; named for James Pleasants, Governor of Virginia; St. Marys.
Upshur, 350 square miles ; formed 1851 from Randolph, Barbour and Lewis; settled about 1767 ; named for Judge A. P. Upshur ; Buekhannon.
Calhoun, 260 square miles; formed 1856 from Gilmer; named for J. C. Calhoun ; Grantsville.
Roane, 350 square miles; formed 1856 from Kanawha, Jaekson and Gilmer ; settled about 1791; named for Judge Roane of Virginia; Speneer.
Tueker, 340 square miles; formed 1856 from Randolph; settled abont 1774; named for Judge St. George Tueker: Parsons.
Clay, 390 square miles; formed 1858 from Braxton and Nieholas; named for Henry Clay; Clay.
MeDowell, 860 square miles; formed 1858 from Tazewell; named for James MeDowell, Governor of Virginia; Weleh.
Webster, 450 square miles; formed 1866 from Randolph, Nieholas and Braxton ; named for Daniel Webster; Webster Springs.
Mineral, 300 square miles; formed 1866 from Hampshire; named for its eoal ; Keyser.
Grant, 620 square miles; formed 1866 from Hardy; settled about 1740; named for General U. S. Grant; Petersburg.
Lineoln, 460 square miles; formed 1867 from Kanawha, Cabell, Boone and Putnam : settled about 1799; named' for Abraham Lincoln; Hamlin.
Summers, 400 square miles; formed 1871 from Monroe, Mereer, Green- brier and Fayette; named for Lewis and George W. Summers; Hinton.
Mingo, about 400 square miles; formed 1895 from Logan; named for Logan, the Mingo; Williamstown.
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"THE WEST VIRGINIA HILLS"
There has been some controversy, and quite a lot of inquiry as to who wrote the "West Virginia Hills." Those not familiar with the history of the origin of this very popular music are not aware of the fact that there are two distinct songs written at different times and by different parties.
In 1885. Dr. D. H. King and wife from Vineland, N. J., were visiting Mrs. King's father, Captain Ruddill of Glenville, W. Va., and within the time of their visit, Dr. King who was a Presbyterian minister, wrote the verses and published them in the Glenville Crescent, crediting the production to Mrs. 'King. Mr. Everett Engle of Loydville, Braxton county, seeing the verses in the paper, composed the chorus to the lines and wrote the music for the song, entitled, "The West Virginia Hills."
In 1891, Dr. D. B. Purinton, President of the West Virginia University, published a song that he had written some years before, and also wrote the music, entitled, "West Virginia Hills." For some reason, Dr. Purinton laid away his manuscript and neglected to publish it until the above date which was six years after Prof. Engle had written the chorus and music to the "West Virginia Hills."
While there is some similarity in the wording of the two songs, there is none whatever in the music. Dr. Purinton wrote his song and "laid it away in a napkin." Dr. King and Professor Engle wrote their song without know- ing of the existence of the other, and copyrighted it six years before Dr. Purin- ton copyrighted his production.
Dr. King's song is called (The) "West Virginia Hills." This song has become deservedly popular. It has been sung in every public place in West Virginia, and all over the United States, and doubtless in foreign lands. Sen- ator Peck delighted in singing "The West Virginia Hills" to the great delight of the West Virginia Legislature, and those who had gathered at the Capitol from every part of the state. This song belongs to West Virginia, and par- ticularly to Braxton and Gilmer counties, and will be handed down to coming years as West Virginia's grandest and most inspiring song, keeping the names of Dr. King and Professor Engle in the role of popular authors and composers.
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SUTTON'S HISTORY.
CHAPTER III.
Braxton County; Its Origin; When Formed; Population; Wealth; Its Repre- sentatives; Its Rivers and Natural Scenery ; Its Wealth in Mineral Products; Its Schools.
FORMATION OF BRAXTON COUNTY
At the time of the formation, in 1836, the territory now embraced within the county formed parts of Lewis, Kanawha and Nicholas counties. A petiton praying for the formation of a new county was forwarded to Richmond and. laid before the general As- sembly then in session in that city. It was heard with favor by that body, and in the winter of 1836, Braxton county, with a population of 2,371 of whom 400 were voters, was checkered on the map of Virginia.
The county then formed was named in honor of Carter Braxton, one of · MRS. DELILA COGER the signers of the Declar- The only living grand-daughter of Capt. John Skidmore ation of Independence. Braxton county geograph- ically considered, occupies the central part of West Virginia, lying between the 38° 30' and 38° 57' parallels of north latitude, and 80° 27' and 81° 03' meridians of longitude west of Greenwich, and contains 621 square miles.
In the counties of which the territory now embraced in Braxton was a part, prior to 1710, the mountains were thought to be impassable, though the country east had been settled for over a hundred years. The first passage of the Blue Ridge, and entrance to the valley by white men, was made in 1716. The country thus discovered and claimed for the British Crown, became a part of the county of Essex. Essex was taken from old Rapahannock in 1692, the western boundary being undefined. Spottsylvania was formed from Essex and other counties in 1720, and Orange from Spottsylvania in 1734. Augusta was taken from Orange in 1738, Monongalia was taken from Augusta and West Augusta in 1776, and Harrison was taken from Monongalia in 1784, and Ran-
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dolph was taken from Harrison in 1786. Nicholas was formed from Randolph in 1818, and Braxton was formed from Nicholas in 1836.
In the succession of the counties named, we speak of them without refer- ence to the entrical parts of the other counties out of which they have been taken; thus we see that the county of Braxton wandered in the wilderness for 154 years, without a name upon the map or a line of history, only as a part of some other formation. Twenty-eight years in old Rapahannock, 4 years in the undefined territory of Essex, 14 years in Spottsylvania, 4 years in Orange, 38 years in Augusta and West Augusta, 8 years in Monongalia, 2 years in Har- rison, 30 years in Randolph, 18 years in Nicholas, and from 1836 to the present, we have had a place upon the map, and occupy the proud distinction of being the central county of the great state of West Virginia.
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