USA > West Virginia > Braxton County > History of Braxton County and central West Virginia > Part 36
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SUTTON'S HISTORY.
"Mr. Speaker, this is a critical period in the history of West Virginia's development. The boundless variety of our resources makes the state an empire of material wealth within itself. The hour has arrived when we are to decide whether we will remand the state baek to a condition of retrogression and ex- tinetion of industrial life, or whether we will advance in the spirit of progress and liberality to the high destiny which awaits us, if wisdom should control our counsels."
I think it was in July, 1881, said Colonel Moffett, that I piloted a notable party over this projected linc, and it was a trip that had some historical in- terest attached to it. You will remember that when Senator Davis and Mr. Elkins organized the West Virginia Central company, it was known as the "Senatorial Syndicate" on account of the number of United States Senators and other distinguished persons ineluded in the directory of the company. The list ineluded James G. Blaine, William Windom, Henry G. Davis, Johnson N. Camden, Arthur P. Gornian, Stephen B. Elkins, Pinkney Whyte, W. H. Bar- num, Senator Chaffee of Colorado, U. S. Grant, Jr., and the late Major Alexan- der Shaw of Baltimore. At the time I speak of, Mr. Davis had arranged to take the direetors over the projected line, and the trip was made on horseback. Unfortunately, Mr. Blaine was prevented from accompanying the party on ae- count of the assassination of President Garfield which occurred a week or two previously, and Mr. Blaine being Secretary of State, was compelled to remain in Washington. In speaking of it afterwards, he said it was one of the great disappointments of his life as he had looked forward to this trip with univer- sal interest because of his great faith in the future of West Virginia.
"Colonel Tom Davis furnished the mount for the party from his fine stables. The start was made from Oakland on the B. & O., and it took ten days to make the trip through to the Greenbrier White Sulphur Springs on the C. & O. road, a distance of over two hundred miles, and a great part of it through the virgin forests. Two horses laden with commissary stores were taken along, which made it convenient for eamping out when a settlement eould not be reached. The trip was interspersed with many pleasant incidents, and all enjoyed it. Occasional stops were made for trout fishing in the clear moun- tain streams. The big trout catch at Cosner's in the upper "Canean Valley" is one of the ineidents of which I have a vivid recollection. Then there were some amusing things by the way, and one of the really funny speetaeles was the sight of old Secretary of the Treasury Windom, a corpulent man of Fal- staffian build, in his shirt sleeves chopping down pine trees to make a bed from the boughs, the night the party slept out at the MeDonald eamp on the Blaek- water fork of Cheat.
"The event of greatest historieal interest oeeurred the sixth day out, at the point known as the "Sinks," which is the divide between the waters of the Cheat and Greenbrier rivers, and the highest elevation in the state. Although there was not a wagon road within twenty-five miles of this place, about three thousand acres of land had been eleared out long before the war by the Van
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SUTTON'S HISTORY.
Meters of the South Branch Valley, and at the time of which I speak it was covered with the finest blue grass sod that I ever saw. There is nothing in Kentucky to equal it. Here is a rich limestone region that gets its name of "The Sinks" from the frequent caves and depressions in the ground, a feature peculiar to limestone countries. The owners of this territory who lived on the South Branch of the Potomac, near Moorfield, drove their young cattle through the mountains to this rich pasturage land every spring, and then drove them back in the fall season. They kept a tenant here, and old man named Kyle who looked after the cattle on the big ranch. and although he had no neighbors within many miles of him, lived here with his family all the year through. Kyle's cabin stood at the foot of the highest peak of the transverse range which made the divide between the Cheat and Grenbrier waters, and it was at this hospitable cabin the party camped the fifth night out. I recall the bounti- ful supper Mrs. Kyle spread for us on that occasion. As I passed down by there the week before, I gave them notice that the exploring party would be along, and that we would make it a point to stay over night at their place. And . they were ready for us with a feast that would make a fit banquet for royalty. Two large wild turkeys had been killed and roasted to the queen's taste; we had fresh venison, trout piled up on large dishes, and milk and butter as sweet as the clover blossoms. And then the cooking and seasoning could not have been surpassed by a skilled chef. Senator Bayard, who was considered a coinnois- seur in epicurean matters, unqualifiedly honored it the best meal he ever ate. But, I have wandered from my story.
"The tall peak that sat up from the Kyle cabin, and towered above its majestic fellows, had been cleared to the top and was clothed with a matted covering of blue grass. When we asked the name of this towering peak, we were told that it was known as "Snake Knob," not because it was inhabited by snakes, but on the contrary, old man Kyle had once killed a rattler there, the only one of the specie ever seen in that locality. All agreed that this ma- jestic mountain deserved a more euphonious name. Hence, it was pre-arranged between Senators Davis, Camden and myself, without communicating our secret to the others of the party, that on the morrow we should ascend to the summit of the mountains and with proper ceremony give it a name to be known in his- tory. The next day was one of those rare summer days peculiar to these high elevations of rarified atmosphere. There was a cloudless sky, and as we as- cended the mountain in the early morning the sunlight lay in golden bands across the greensward. When the summit had been reached, the party dis- mounted and for an hour partook of the glories of the prospect spread out be- fore them. There was nothing te obscure the view except the limit of vision. Looking northward, we could see away into the state of Maryland. Looking southward, we could sce in dim and distant outline the Peaks of Otler towering above and beyond the Blue Ridge Mountains. To the West and East, lay a vast amphitheatre of mountains, outlines of their summits gradually receding like the waves of the ocean. Since then ,I have stood on Pike's Peak and other
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SUTTON'S HISTORY.
high points of the Roekies, I have elimbed over the Caseade ranges and the Sierras, yet I have never had a view that impressed me as this one. Right at the erest of the summit springs of water were gushing forth, and dancing down the sides of the mountain in a sueeession of easeades rolled on to mingle with other limped streams which make the fountain source of West Virginia's great rivers. Here on the northern erest was a spring that flows into the Laurel ! Fork of the Cheat river. Just over there on the southward erest, seareely a stone's throw distant, another spring gushes out to make the fountain souree of the east prong of the Greenbrier, one spring emptying into th Ohio at Pittsburg, the other into the Ohio at Point Pleasant, at the mouth of the Ka- nawha.
"At length Senator Davis mounted the dead trunk of a fallen cherry tree and ealled the assemblage to order. He annonneed that he had been eommis- sioned to perform a pleasant duty, and in a few appropriate remarks explained that it had been decided to name the mountain in honor of the distinguished Senator from Delaware, and would proceed with the christening ceremony. He took from my hand a eup of water I had lifted from the spring near by, and sprinkling the sparkling fluid over the ground said, 'Majestie Child of Nature, I christen thee, Mount Bayard ' When the Delaware Senator and future am- bassador to England mounted the log to make response, it was apparent that he was struggling with deep emotion. He was overwhelmed by the suddenness as well as the impressiveness of the oceasion. In faltering voiee, he thanked the party for the honor that had been conferred upon him. He said he would treasure it as the proudest distinction of his life, for when he had gone henee and his publie aets had been forgotten, his name would still be perpetuated in this god-ereeted monument. Here his voiee failed, and the tears eoursed down his eheek. In deferenee to the great statesman's emotion, we silently remounted, and as we rode down the southern slope of the mountain, each one experieneed the feeling akin to that of the old apostle of the Mount of Transfiguration, that it was good for us to have been here."
Mount Bayard is the greatest elevation on the Bison Range .- THE AU- THOR.)
THE NATURAL SCENERY ON PISGA'S TOP. (BY REV. A. B. RIKER.)
I was requested by Rev. J. M. Grose, one of the trustees of the West Vir- ginia Conferenee Campmeeting Association, to aecompany him on a tour of in- speetion to the top of Pisgah mountain, the prospective location of the Meth- odist Campmeeting and Chatauqua.
The Elk river was swollen, and being unable to ford with our horses, we erossed in a boat at the little village of Henry, the county seat of Clay county, and ascended the mountain on foot, pulling ourselves up by shrubs and vines when they were in reaeh, and catehing our fingers in ereviees among the roeks
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SUTTON'S HISTORY.
when they were not. Indeed, we literally went upon hands and feet. At the base of this towering, almost precipice, winding its way in graceful curves, is the beautiful elk-its waters elcar as the crystal dew drop, now rushing with deafening roar over the rocky shoals, now sinking into peaceful repose and si- lence. in the broad expanse of a crystal lake that lay at our feet like a mighty mirror reflecting the crags and cliffs and lofty peaks against a background of fleecy clouds. What a picture to turn one's back upon! When informed that it was a plan of the association to construct a railroad up the mountain side, I mentally resolved that I would always ride up backwards.
Slowly and laboriously, we thus ascended six hundred feet. and we could roll a pebble into the river below. Here we reached a kind of plateau sloping back to the hills. This was covered with ferns and evergreens and dotted all over with massive oaks on which hung the moss of centuries, fitting eniblem of their age and dignity. At our back, upon our right, and also at our left, was the beautiful river whose roar made a melancholy music in harmony with the eloquent silence that surrounds us, but in front of us rose up in majestic gran- deur the grand, shapely, tapering cone that has associated with its name such beautiful scriptural sentiment. Upon one side, the ascent is not difficult, but it is on the side opposite to our view. In fact, from the plateau, a buggy can be driven easily to the very summit.
After we had recovered our breath, all but the preacher lit a cigar, and we walked rapidly on. Did you ever stand by and watch the outlines of a pic- ture appear under a master's hand? Up, up. higher, higher, and cach step seemed to add another touch to the beautiful picture, until we stood upon the very top, and the scene was complete. A picture of all that is beautiful, grand and sublime-a mingling of the celestial and terrestial -- a picture of earth on the background of heaven. To the north, the south, the cast and the west, noth- ing obstructed our vision but the limit of our eye sight. Range upon range, peak towering above peak, until the blue lines of earth melted into the blue canopy of heaven.
Away yonder to our right, hanging over the hills of Greenbrier was an angry cloud and the rain was pouring down, while the lofty peaks of Nicholas basked in the beautiful sunlight. Through a break in a bank of clouds that hung over Braxton county, we could see a stream of sunlight like a great shin- ing road, a bright paved thoroughfare from earth to heaven. Here was sun- shine and shadow; here was the crystal dew-drop, glittering in the morning sun ; here was the valley below; here was the towering peak; here was nature and here was nature's God. I lay it down as one of the impossibilities for any- one to stand a half hour on Pisga's top and not go away better than he came- go away with a bigger heart, a grander soul, a broadened intellect and a greater love for the sublimity of God. Fartherest away from all that is bad-nearest to God and all that is good. I felt like saying to the committee who has the matter in charge, "Brethren, here let us build a tabernacle, a splendid and capacious edifice, and let us entice the men and women from the valleys below,
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SUTTON'S HISTORY.
whose hearts have become cold and callous, and whose noble impulses have been smothered and cramped, and every one that comes will be a better man or a bet- ter woman, for it is good to be here."
This peak rises seventeen hundred feet above the sea level, and is the high- est point in all the surrounding country. Its top comprises a. smooth rolling surface, covering something over one acre of ground. Imagine yourself stand- ing upon an elevated pinnacle, looking over five thousand square miles of the most picturesque scenery in the world, and you have a faint conception of what your sensation will be on Pisga's summit.
NAMES OF PERSONS LIVING 100 YEARS AND MORE.
:
Katie Wilson, mother of Eli Wilson 100
Dolly Hyer, who became a county charge 106
James M. McCourt, Webster Co. 113
Mrs. Catharine McQueen, Nicholas Co. 100
Mary Coger, wife of Peter Coger 104
Jacob Coger, Webster Co. 106
Eunice Mace, married Jacob Conrad, said to be 118
William Coger, Webster Co. 108
Benjamin Wine 100
Lewis Young, colored, Nicholas Co., said to be. 135
James Sutton, Lewisburg, now living 106
Jack Nappels, colored, Charleston 123
Wm. M. Craig, Lewis Co. 100
Levi Bond, Lewis Co., now living 102
Andrew Wilson, said to be
114
Barbary Sands
104
Dolly Murphy 110
Mary Berry Smith, daughter of William Berry and wife of James Smith, Smithfield, Ohio.
104
Hugh Gartin, of Lewis Co., (One month and 20 days) 100
It was said of Jacob Cogar that when he was one hundred and four years old he climbed to the top of a tall pine tree and trimmed the limbs off from the top down.
NAMES OF PERSONS NEARING THE HUNDRED MARK.
Elizabeth Westfall 99
Simon Prince 98
Nellie Rodgers, Roane Co. 98
Mrs. John Eubank 93
Isaac Riffle
93
And his son Absolum 98
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SUTTON'S HISTORY.
John B. MeCourt, son of James M., (6 mo. and a few days) 99
Marcellus Byrne
92
Lueinda Singleton 93
Eviline Berry, now living 93
Margaret. Rodgers, now living
92
Peter Bosley, now living
93
Hon. Henry G. Davis
93
Betsy Squires
93
Wm. Collison, Clay
90
Thomas Dixon, Nicholas Co.
90
Eli Shoek, Gilmer Co.
91
Sarah Shields
94
Enoch Roberts
99
Jessie F. Coger, Webster Co.
94
Delila Coger, now living
93
James Carroll
90
Benjamin Huffman, living 93
Susan Harper, living 93
Luther Haymond of Clarksburg
99
NAMES OF PERSONS WHO LIVED TO CELEBRATE THEIR GOLDEN WEDDING ANNIVERSARY.
Yrs.
Simon Prinee and his wife Margaret (Sisk) Prinee 50
Thomas Skidmore and his wife Catherine (Hamrie) Skidmore 57
Andrew Skidmore and his wife, Margaret (Hoskins) Skidmore 61
Capt. Henry Bender and his wife, Eliza (Engle) Bender. 53
Rev. George H. Williams and his wife. 51
James W. Morrison and his wife, Naney (Grims) Morrison. 57
Asa Squires and his wife, Sarah C. (Eastep) Squires 58
Bailey Stump and his wife, Sally (Sutton) Stump 58
Levi J. Huffman and his wife, (Stump) Huffman.
52
Jessie F. Coger and wife lived together over 74
S. I. Stalnaker and wife, Drusilla (Frame) Stalnaker. 50 Wm. R. Pierson and wife 57
W. F. Morrison and wife, Sally (Berry) Morrison 51
E. D. Camden and wife, E. A. (Newby) Camden 53
J. D. Sprigg and wife, Jennie (MeCoy) Sprigg. 51
James Berry and wife, Betty (Squires) Berry. 53
Isaae Loyd and wife, Catherine (MePherson) Loyd. 54
Isaac Rodgers and his wife, Margaret (Lough) Rodgers. 66
Wm. M. Craig and his wife, Lewis Co. 63
J. D. Sutton and wife, M. V. (Morrison) Sutton. 53
Samuel Bennett and wife, Annary (Mayfield) Bennett. 51
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SUTTON'S HISTORY.
Benjamin F. Skidmore, now living in Kentucky, and Rebecca Daily are the only children of Benjamin and Mary Gordon Skidmore, now living and the only living grand children of Andrew and Margaret Johnson Skidmore. Andrew Skidmore was a Revolutionary soldier.
David Chenoweth of Calhoun county and Delila Skidmore Cogar are the only living grand children of Capt. John Skidmore, soldier of the Revolution. Mrs. Cogar is in her 93rd year.
David Chenoweth and Calvin Hart of Randolph county are the only two grand children of John Chenoweth, soldier of the Revolution. Mr. Chenoweth has the distinction of being the living grand son of two soldiers of the war for Independence. He is now in his 86th year.
LARGE FAMILIES.
Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Bennett of Roane county are the parents of twenty- nine children, including seven pairs of twins who died before being named. There are thirteen children living at this time.
Riley Crites by his two wives had 21 children.
Mrs. Naomi Rodgers had 19 children.
Jacob Shaver had 16 children that lived to be grown.
Jennings Skidmore had by his two wives 16.
James W. Morrison had 14 children.
Jacob Summers of Clay county had by his two marriages twenty-one chil- dren, fourteen by his first wife and seven by his latter marriage. They all lived to become heads of families.
In 1787, Colonel Wilson left Randolph county, and made his home in Har- rison county where he entered largely into business. In 1795, he built a mill on Simpson creek, and subseqeuntly enlarged it to do spinning, weaving, color- ing and cloth-dressing. On June 18, 1795, occurred the death of Mrs. Wilson who had become the mother of twelve children.
On December 15, 1795, Colonel Wilson married Phoebe Davisson of Harri- son county, then in her nineteenth year, and she became the mother of seven- teen children. She died June 24, 1849.
The names of Colonel Wilson's children, with the date of each birth, are as follows: Mary B., born July 9, 1771; William B., born January 23, 1773; Stephen, born October 21, 1775; Benjamin, born January 13, 1778; Sarah, born September 11, 1780; Elizabeth, born August 17, 1782; Ann, born January 17, 1786; John, born July 5, 1788; Archibald B., born July 25, 1790; Josiah D., born October 12, 1796; two children died without names; David, born Feb- ruary 18, 1798; Edith, born November 9, 1799; Elizabeth, born October 15, 1801; Thomas W., born May 12, 1803; Margaret, born March 26, 1805; Deborah,
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SUTTON'S HISTORY.
born October 17, 1806; James P., born June 9, 1808; Daniel P., born July 30, 1810; Phoebe D., born August 29, 1811; Martha M., born January 23, 1813; Philip D., born June 29, 1814; Noah L., born March 9, 1816; Julia Ann, born September 28, 1817; Harriet B., born November 13, 1818; Rachel, born July 20, 1820. Two infants died without names.
Twenty-four of these children lived to adult age, and were living at his death.
A Mrs. Vanoy of Gilmer county had twenty children.
James Edgel of Wetsel county had seventeen children, nine girls and eight boys. He lived to see them all married. One son and two daughters are now dead. Mr. Edgel was a soldier in the Civil war, and also his son, W. N. Edgel, was a Chaplain of the Grand Army of West Virginia for several years, and is a highly respected citizen of Clarksburg, West Virginia.
SAMUEL BENNETT.
Samuel Bennett and Annary Mayfield were married Dec. 28, 1866, by Rev. George McIntire, M. E. preacher in Tyler county. Their living children are John, Permela, Porter, Lymon, Mariah, Charles, Scott, James, Henry and Mar- tha, twins, Sarah, Samuel, Jr., and Ollie. There were seven sets of twins who died before being named, thus Mrs. Bennett gave birth to twenty-nine children.
Porter relates that he taught a school in which ten of his brothers and sis- ters attended.
Mr. Bennett was a soldier in the 15th West Virginia Infantry. He and his wife are yet living, and still enjoy good health. Their home is near Tan- nersville in Gilmer county, this state.
Mr. and Mrs. Bennett celebrated their golden wedding anniversary Dec. 28, 1916, and are residents of Roane county.
Jacob Summers of Clay county had by his two wives twenty-one children, fourteen by his first marriage and seven by his latter marriage. They all lived to become heads of families.
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SUTTON'S HISTORY.
FIVE GENERATIONS.
Generation
Name
Born
First
Simon Prince
August 21, 1815
Margaret Sisk
Second
Rachel Jane Prince
August 13, 1837
Taylor Sutton
Third Maggie Sutton
February 15, 1867
James Hoover
Fourth Mamie Hoover
Albert Hefner
Fifth Spurgeon Hefner
September 5, 1907
Generation
Name
First
Lewis Perkins
Susan H. Rogers
Second John R. Perkins
December 15, 1851
Third Hallie Perkins
June 18, 1875
Fourth Guy Perkins
May 1, 1895
Fifth Mildred Perkins
February 23, 1917
Generation
Name
Born March 20, 1780
First
Andrew Skidmore Margaret Hudkins
Second
Naomi Skidmore
Levi Rodgers
Third Hannah Rodgers
March 30, 1826
Adam J. Hyer
Fourth Naomi J. Hyer
August 10, 1846
1
Fifth Naomi Gillespie
----
, 1869
Generation
Name
Born
First
Jas. R. Kennedy
Rebecca Dennison
April 28, 1823
Second
George Pickens
Rachel Kennedy
October 11, 1845
Third Dory Pickens
S. Wise Stalnaker
February 8, 1867
Fourth Fdna Stalnaker Ord. Neely
August 9, 1886
Fifth
Neely
Agnus Nealy
August 10, 1908 -
Jonathan Y. Gillespie
June 27, 1887
Born April 1832
342
SUTTON'S HISTORY.
Generation
Name
Born
First
Wm. W. Craig
Emily Brown
Second
Susan Craig
Adam Swecker
Third
Mary Swecker
David Dotson
Fourth
Dora Dotson
Wm. Hopkins
Fifth
Hope Hopkins
Roy R. Hopkins
Wm. Craig lived with his wife sixty-three years, and the five generations lived in one house for a period of two years after Mrs. Craig's death.
But what would seem remarkable in the Craig family, Wm. Craig had three daughters who lived to see their fifth generation, Virginia who married Freeman Sexton, Lucy who married John Cunningham and Susan who mar- ried Adam Swicker.
Generation
Name
Born
First
Capt. John F. Singleton
Lucinda Byrne
Second
Uriah Singleton
Elizabeth Heater
Third
Sarah Singleton
Addison Wyatt
Fourth
Ursly Wyatt
John Fox
Fifth
Three children of above David and Sarah Fox
Mrs. Lucinda Singleton, widow of John Singleton, lived to see her fifth generation at her own table. There were present, her son, Uriah Singleton and his daughter, Mrs. Addison Wyatt; also Mrs. Wyatt's daughter and grand daughter. Mrs. Singleton was married at the age of thirteen, and as stated elsewhere, lived to the good old age of ninety-three or eighty years after her marriage. Her husband died many years before.
YOUTHFUL MARRIAGES.
Stanley Morrison, aged thirty-seven years, married Georgia Perkins, daughter of Washington Perkins. She was married May 29th in Maryland, and attained her twelfth birthday on the 25th of the following September.
Jessie F. Cowger of Webster county lived to see the fifth generation of her family.
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SUTTON'S HISTORY.
KENNEDY FAMILY AND FIVE GENERATIONS
One of the very interesting pictures of our collection is the above where the aged great, great grandmother sits in the presence of her descendents, the fifth generation leaning against the first, and the second, third and fourth stand- ing as a support to youth and old age. The Hope of Youth, the Wisdom of Old Age, the Strength and Courage of Middle Life adorn this picture with Meak- ness and Adoration.
1
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SUTTON'S HISTORY.
OUR FIFTH FOREIGN WAR.
On April 4, 1917, the Senate adopted a joint resolution recognizing a state of war between the United States and Germany. At a few minutes past three on the morning of April 6 the House of Representatives adopted the resolution by a vote of 373 to 50. At a quarter past one that afternoon President Wilson affixed his signature. The news was flashed by wire and wireless, by eable and signal flag, to every army post and every ship of the navy from Guantanamo to the Philippines. The war was on. Immediately the War Department an- nouneed that it wanted to train more than a million men in twelve months. It proposed: To reeruit the regular army to a full war strength of 287,846. To raise the National Guard to its war strength of 440,000. To choose an addi- tional foree of 500,000 men by seleetive draft. But greater drafts have been made upon the country, and now, 1918, we have over a million well armed and equipped young men in Franee, with two million and more preparing for the great struggle that is to free the world from the iron elutehes of autoeraey and send the nations forth in the new garb of demoeraey and freedom. A spirit of patriotism is sweeping through the land uniting the people as they have never been united before. We have been unable to get a full roster of soldiers going to the war from Braxton county, nor could it now be completed as additional numbers will be ealled from time to time until the great struggle shall end.
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