History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia and representative citizens, Part 47

Author: Laidley, William Sydney, 1839-1917. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: Chicago, Ill., Richmond-Arnold publishing co
Number of Pages: 1066

USA > West Virginia > Kanawha County > Charleston > History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia and representative citizens > Part 47

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1787. The state of Virginia ordered the construction of a wagon road from Kanawha Falls to Lexington, Ky.

1788. George Clendenin built the first house and fort (Fort Lee) where Charleston now stands.

1788. Lewis Tackett was captured by In- dians and, on the way down the Kanawha river, was tied to a pine tree at Knob Shoals, while the captors went off hunting; a rain storm coming on, loosened his buckskin thongs, and allowed him to make a remark- able escape. The "Tackett Pine" stood until within the last few years, a prominent land- mark.

"Tackett, after this, built a fort at the mouth of Coal river lower side."

Later, this fort was captured, and several persons murdered. There are two versions of the story of the capture of fort Tackett. adopt that given by Mr. Atkinson, in his his- tory of Kanawha, derived from Mr. George Harmon, it is the less sensational, but probably the most reliable. John and Lewis Tackett, and their mother, were captured near the fort.

while gathering turnips. Chris. Tackett and John McElhany were the only men in the fort when captured. Chris. Tackett was killed in the action, McElhany and wife, Betsy Tackett, Sam Tackett and a small boy were taken pris- oners; McElhany was tomahawked near the fort. John Tackett succeeded in making his escape, but Lewis Tackett and his mother were taken to the Indian town on the Scioto, where they remained, as prisoners, two years, when they were ransomed and returned. In the Young family, of this valley, is preserved an interesting tradition in relation to the cap- ture of Tackett's fort. When the attack com- menced, John Young with a young wife and a one-day-old babe, was in the fort, but upon the final surrender, and under the friendly cover of the approaching shades of night, Young picked up his wife and babe and the pallet on which they lay, made his way, un- observed, to a canoe at the bank, laid them in, and through a drenching rain, poled his canoe, with its precious freight, up the river, during the night to Clendenin's fort, and they were saved. Neither father, mother nor babe suffered any harm from the effort, fright or exposure. That babe, Jacob Young, died but recently, aged about ninety years, leaving a large family of worthy descendants in this valley.

"Ben Eulin was out in the hills below Point Pleasant, hunting ; he was pursued by Indians, and, to escape them, jumped over a cliff, just below and in sight of the point, which proved to be fifty-three feet high. He fell in a clump of pawpaw bushes and grape vines which broke his fall and saved breaking his neck; he then jumped over another cliff twelve feet high, and finally escaped, but little worse for the wear and tear

"About this time, the family of Capt. Van Bibber was attacked, near the Point; his daughter, Miss Rhoda, was killed and scalped, and Joseph, a younger brother, taken prisoner to Detroit ; he escaped and returned home, in 1794, soon after Wayne's victory. Capt. Van Bibber, aided by his faithful negro servant, Dave, killed two or three Indians during the attack above mentioned."

1788-1789. Daniel Boone and Paddy Hud-

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dlestone caught the first beavers in Kanawha valley, at Long shoal. The steel trap is still preserved.

1789. Mad Ann Bailey made her famous solitary-ride, through the wilderness, to camp Union, for ammunition for the Clendenin fort. (Fort Lee.)

1789. Kanawha, or "Kenhawa," county was formed.

"William Wyatt, who lived at the mouth of Paint creek, dreamed that he was bitten by a snake, and interpreted it to mean that he would be shot by an Indian. To quiet his fears, his young wife went with him to the field, where he was working, and kept watch over him; but sure enough he was shot and killed by an Indian.

"A party left the Clendenin settlement by boat, bound for the new settlements of Mays- ville and Lexington, Ky. They consisted of John May, after whom Maysville was named : Jacob Skyles, a large land operator, and the father-in-law of James Rumsey, the original inventor of the steamboat; Charles Johnson, froni Botetourt county, the agent and clerk of Skyles; and John Flynn, Jr., once an Indian captive, and son of the murdered John Flynn, of Cabin creek. At Point Pleasant, they picked up the Misses Fleming, two sisters, recently from Pittsburgh. The expedition had a most thrilling and tragical ending. Descend- ing the Ohio river they were attacked by In- dians; John May and one of the Misses Fleming were killed, Skyles badly wounded, and Johnson, Skyles, Flynn and remaining Miss Fleming taken prisoners. Skyles and Johnson, after enduring great privations and tortures, succeeded in making their escape, by separate routes, and returned to the settle- ments : John Flynn was burned at the stake ; and Miss Fleming was rescued, after being sentenced to be burned, tied to the stake and wood piled up around her. Charles Johnson, after his escape, published in book form a his- tory of the personal experiences of each of the members of this unfortunate expedition; and it is one of the most thrilling narratives of early border dangers, sufferings and hair- breadth escapes that has ever been published. "Matthias (Tice) Van Bibber and his little

brother, Jacob, were fired on by Indians, near Point Pleasant. Tice was struck in the fore- head and slightly wounded, but succeeded in escaping. Jacob, the lad, was caught and made prisoner; he made his escape and got home, some two years later.

"William Carrol and family, of Carroll's branch, Kanawha, narrowly escaped being murdered; they escaped, but the Indians burned their house.

1790. Leonard Cooper and William Porter made the first settlements on Elk river, about Cooper's creek and Porter's island.

"Squire Staten was killed on his way home from court in Charleston, at the mouth of a branch which still bears the name of 'Staten's Run.

"James Hale was killed in the branch op- posite the Clendenin fort, which still bears the name of 'Hale's Branch.'

"Fleming Cobb poled a canoe, with ammuni- tion for the Clendenin fort (Fort Lee), sixty miles, up stream, from Point Pleasant, in fourteen hours.

"The Indians killed some cows on a creek in the upper end of Kanawha county, and hung the bells on swinging limbs, so they would ring as the wind blew. When the cit- izens went out to bring their cows home they were shot down. The creek was named, from this circumstance, 'Bell creek.'

1791. Jerry and Ben Carpenter, and some others, from Bath county, settled on the Up- per Elk, and, soon after, O'Brien. They had not been there long when Ben Carpenter and wife were killed, and their house burned; the others, being warned by the burning of Ben Carpenter's house, fled, secreted themselves and escaped.

"Thomas Lewis established the first ferries, at Point Pleasant, across both rivers, Decem- ber 9th.

"In May, a party of eighteen whites were attacked by about thirty Indians, about half a mile up the Ohio from the Point Pleasant fort. in 1782. He became a chief among the killed; Hampton and Thomas Northup, and a black boy belonging to See, were made pris- oners. The boy was the son of Dick Pointer, who fought so bravely to defend Donnally's

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fort, in 1872. He became a chief among the Indians, and fought with the friendly Indians on the side of the Americans, against the Eng- lish, in the war of 1812.

"Mr. Atkinson, in his 'History of Kanawha,' gives an interesting account of the sad fate of a Mr. Strange. He came over on to the up- per waters of Elk with a surveying party. He was not an experienced woodsman, and, be- coming separated from the party, soon got lost. His companions fired guns to indicate where they were, but it is supposed he thought the Indians were after him, and he fled for life. He was never seen alive again; but some years after, his skeleton, portions of his shot-pouch, and the remains of his rusted rifle were found, forty miles distant from where he was lost, at the foot of a beech tree at the mouth of a creek emptying into Elk which from that time has been called 'Strange creek.' Before he finally succumbed to hunger and ex- haustion he cut, with his penknife, in the bark of the tree, the following lines :

"Strange is my name, and I'm on strange ground, And strange it is that I can't be found."

"Two daughters of Henry Morris, who lived on Peters' creek of Gauley were mur- dered by Indians. Morris made the Indians suffer dearly for it afterward.

"George Clendenin and Daniel Boone were elected to the legislature of Virginia.

"By a ruse with cowbells, Indians captured the Misses Tyler, near the fort at Point Pleasant.

"John Wheeler, with wife and four chil- dren, lived opposite the mouth of Cabin creek. They were attacked by Indians, all killed but one boy, Nat, and their house and the bodies burned.

"Christiansburg, Montgomery county, Va., was established (October 10th) and the fol- lowing named gentlemen appointed trustees : Christian Snydow, Byrd Smith, James Bar- nett, Hugh Crockett, Samuel Eason, Joseph Cloyd, John Preston, James Charlton and James Craig."

1793. Collins says the first line of packet boats established on the Ohio were keel and flat-bottomed, making one round trip between

Cincinnati and Pittsburg per month, passing the mouth of Kanawha river. Passengers were allowed to work their passage if short of cash. There was one boat fortnightly, soon increased to one weekly; they each carried six one-pound guns. The cabins were bullet- proof and had port holes to fire from. There was a separate cabin for ladies.

1794. Shedrach Harriman, then living at the mouth of Lower Vanable branch, two miles above Charleston, on the south side, was the last person killed by Indians in the Ka- nawha valley.

"Gen. Wayne's crushing defeat of the In- dians, at "Fallen Timbers," August 20th, gave after peace and security to this region.

"December 19th, the legislature of Virginia established the town of 'Charlestown.'

"The legislature enacted 'the forty acres of land, the property of Thomas Lewis, at the mouth of Kenhawa, and in the said county of Kenhawa, as they are already laid off into lots and streets, shall be established a town by the name of Point Pleasant, and Leonard Cooper, John Van Bibber, Isaac Tyler, William Owens, William Allyn, Allyn Pryor, John Reynolds, George Clendenin and William Morris, gentlemen, appointed trustees thereof. December 19, 1794.

1796. Volney, the distinguished French author and infidel, was in the valley.

1797. The late Gen. Lewis Ruffner was born October Ist, in the Clendenin block house, probably the first white child born within the present limits of Charleston.

"Elisha Brooks erected a small kettle fur- nace and commenced the manufacture of salt, above Campbell's creek.

1798. Peter Bowyer, father of the late Col. John Bowyer, of Putnam county, made the first settlement in the New river gorge, and established a ferry at Sewell.

"Daniel Boone made his last survey in Ka- nawha ( September 8th) and probably the last he ever made.

1799. He left Kanawha for the Spanish Missouri territory.

1808. David and Tobias Ruffner bored the first salt well and erected a larger furnace for the manufacture of salt.

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1809. William Whitteker bored the first salt well and built the first salt furnace on the south side of Kanawha.

1810-12. Audubon, the naturalist, was here.

"Hon. Thomas Ewing, the elder, boiled salt and studied law and Latin here."

1815. Capt. James Wilson, boring for salt water, struck the first natural gas well of America.

"Last buffalo killed in the Kanawha valley. 1817. David and Tobias Ruffner first dis- covered and used coal here.

1819. The steamboat Robert Thompson, the first ever in the river, came as far as Red- House, but could not get farther up.

1820. The failure of the Thompson to get up induced the State of Virginia to direct the James River and Kanawha Company to im- prove the navigation of Kanawha river so as to give three feet of water from the mouth to Kanawha falls, all the year, and to construct a turnpike road across the mountains to the Kanawha falls.

"Last elk killed in the Kanawha valley.

1820. The Andrew Donnally was the first steamboat to reach Charleston.

1823. The Eliza was the next steamer to ascend the river as high as Charleston.

1838. Ingles' bridge built; the first bridge across New river or Kanawha.

1840. Billy Morris invented the "slips." or "jars," a simple tool which made deep well boring possible. It is now used wherever deep well boring is done, and its great utility and value entitle him to be ranked, among in- ventors, as a great public benefactor.

1841. William Thompson "struck" natural gas near the burning spring, and used it for boiling salt. He was the first person in Amer- ica to utilize natural gas for manufacturing.

1843. Dickinson & Shrewsberry got na- tural gas on the Burning spring tract orig- inally taken up by Generals Washington and Lewis. Messrs. D. & S. also used the gas in the manufacture of salt, as did several others in the neighborhood soon after.

1845. McAdam turnpike constructed from Buchanan, on James river, to the Tennessee line, crossing New river.

1846. Sutton Matthews discovered, on Falling Rock creek of Elk, the first cannel coal known in the Kanawha palley; perhaps the first in America.

1855. The Virginia & Tennessee, now Norfolk & Western railroad, was opened- the first railroad to cross the New river.

1855-6. The first commercial shipments of coal from Kanawha commenced.

"The first coal oil works (Cannelton) erected in this valley.

1861. The battle of Scary, one of the first during the late Civil War, was fought, July 17th.

"The highest water in Kanawha since the settlement of the valley-September.

"The southern forces, under Gen. Henry A. Wise, retired from the valley, and it was oc- cupied by the federals, under Gen. J. D. Cox, July 24th.

"Battle of Cross Lanes and Carnifex's ferry, on the Gauley. Gen. Lytle wounded, but not killed, as generally stated-September.

1862. The confederates, under Gen. Lor- ing. re-entered the Kanawha valley; the fed- erals, under Gen. Lightburn, retiring-Septem- ber.

"Gen. Loring retired from the valley and Gen. Cox again came in-October.

1863. Virginia divided, and West Virginia established as a separate state-June 20th.

1864. Battle of Cloyd's mountain, Pulaski county. May 9th : Gen. A. G. Jenkins, killed; Col. T. L. Broun and Col. Tom Smith wounded.

1873. Chesapeake & Ohio railroad opened. "United States government commenced im- proving Kanawha river.

"The Quinnemont company established the first iron furnace and the first coke works on New river.

1874. Centennial celebration of the battle of Point Pleasant, at the Point.

1878. William Wyant established the first coke works on Kanawha river.

1883. The New river branch of the Nor- folk & Western railroad opened to Pocahontas. I883-4. The late Col. P. W. Norris, who, it is claimed, was the original suggestor of the Yellowstone National park, and through whose

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efforts, largely, the government was induced to reserve and set apart that wonderland as a national pleasure park and who was, for several years, the government superintendent of the park, made several visits to this (Kana- wha) valley, under the auspices of the Smith- sonian institution, to examine and explore the numerous and extensive earthworks, stone cairns and other interesting remains of the pre- historic mound-builder race, which, at some early period, seems to have been very populous in this valley. Col. Norris opened and ex- plored many of the mounds, cairns, graves, fortifications, etc., and collected and forwarded from here to the Smithsonian institution sev- eral thousand relics of this ancient, interesting and mysterious people.

The Bettie Black-band Iron Furnace, the first in the immediate Kanawha valley, and the Davis' creek railroad, were constructed.

1884. The most disastrous mine explosion at Pocahontas (in March) that has ever oc- curred in America, causing the loss of over one hundred lives.

The Ohio Central, now Kanawha & Michi- gan, opened to Charleston.

1885. The railroad bridge across the Ohio river, at Point Pleasant, completed.

"The state capital of West Virginia per- manently established at Charleston, and the new capitol building occupied.

1887. Ohio River R. R. built, and bridge over Kanawha river at Point Pleasant.

1890. Steel bridge erected across Kanawha at Charleston.

"Peace, health, plenty, and a fair degree of prosperity prevail in the New-river-Kanawha valley, and throughout the borders of West Virginia generally."

WEALTH OF CHARLESTON AND KANAWHA, AS SEEN BY DR. J. P. HALE

Within a circle described by a radius of one hundred and fifty miles around Charleston as a center is an emparrassment of riches which in variety, extent and value is not equalled by any other locality of equal area on the conti- nent.

We have the Great Kanawha coal fields, the immense water power of the Kanawha and New River, the vast forest of timber, the great iron deposit of the Alleghenies, the prolific manganese mines of the valley of Virginia, the rich tin and zinc lodes of south-west Virginia, the historic lead mines of upper New River, the gold and copper belt of south-west Vir- ginia, the salt brines of Virginia, West Vir- ginia and Ohio, the vast plaster beds of south- west Virginia, the Petroleum fields of West Virginia and Ohio; the natural gas fields of West Virginia and Ohio, the great abundance of tile clays, pottery and fire clays and stones, the rich alluvial bottom lands of the Ohio and Kanawha rivers, the fine blue grass grazing lands, and the rich agricultural lands of West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio."

The Doctor does not stop even with all this, he says we have water and railroad connec- tion, the greatest medicinal springs and health and pleasure resorts, scenery that is not equalled, where one's health, happiness and personal comfort, are among the best, our death rate the very lowest and our longevity among the highest.

What more does the ordinary mortal desire in this world? Does he not know, if he does call for more, he will never get it? If not, such desires are evidence of his being fit for the lunatic asylum; and even these are all ready and convenient !

REV. JOHN C. BARR, D. D.

Representative Citizens

REV. JOHN C. BARR, DD., for more than fifty years a minister in the Southern Presby- terian church, and for many years a highly es- teemed resident of Charleston, W. Va., was born November 11, 1824, in Washington county, Pa., son of John and Mary (Cannon) Barr. His parents were members of the church of Dr. McMillen, the well known pioneer of education and Presbyterianism in western Pennsylvania. When Centre church was built in later years they became members of that church, John Barr being made a ruling elder. They were intelligent, godly people, kept the Sabbath according to the scriptures, and trained up their children in the standards of the church. Of their five children two became Presbyterian ministers, one of them an intelligent ruling elder, and two daughters devoted members of the church.

John Calvin Barr was reared on his father's farm and followed agriculture until reaching his twenty-fourth year, attending the local schools as opportunity was afforded him. He then entered Jefferson College at Canonsburg, where he was graduated B.A. in the class of 1855. In September of that year he began his preparation for the ministry in the Western Theological Seminary at Allegheny, where he continued his studies until 1858, although he had been licensed to preach in January of the previous year.

In the spring of 1857 he went to Pocahontas county, Virginia (now West Virginia), and commenced his labors there as a home mission- ary. In his Sabbath school work and in build-

ing up the churches of Liberty and Baxter, he had much encouragement. In April, 1858, he was ordained to the full work of the ministry, and now added to his field the beautiful Pisgah valley in Highland county, Va., making fre- quent journeys over Cheat Mountain to preach at Huttonsville and Beverly. In all these mountain regions his labors were so much ap- preciated that he would gladly have spent his days preaching to the pure minded people there.

In the spring of 1859 Rev. John C. Barr was married to Miss Maria Smith, the daughter of Joseph Smith, D.D. This change of relations required a more settled life than that which he had been leading over a wide evangelistic field. At the same time a pressing call came to him from the church at Lewisburg, Va. (now West Virginia), to become the assistant pastor with Dr. McElheney. After due deliberation, he accepted the call and entered upon his labors in May, 1859. He found Dr. McElheney a very delightful and profitable colleague. The two men labored together like father and son with- out a discordant note for nearly ten years. The junior pastor took the responsibility of preach- ing in the town church and the senior pastor preached at two points in the country. During this period of collegiate labor, there were two precious revivals of religion, one just before the war in which about thirty were added to the church and another just after the war in which ninety were added to the church.

Dr. Barr's labors were much blessed while he was at Lewisburg by assisting his brethren in holding evangelistic meetings at their respec-

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tive churches. In 1866 and 1867 he was troubled so much with his throat that he was compelled to resign his pastorate in 1868, and take charge of the school which had recently been established at Charleston, W. Va., namely, the Charleston Institute, of which he had the control for several years, became a feeder of the church. He afterwards taught in a house that stood on part of the grounds now occupied by the Charleston Hardware Company, and later in the old lecture room.

Dr. Barr was a ripe scholar and a most suc- cessful teacher, in which capacity he did a work for great good at a time prior to the develop- ment of our excellent public school system. Those who are not conversant with the facts can hardly apprciate the benefit derived by the church from Dr. Barr's connection with the old Charleston Institute. It is to be hoped that Christians will never forget that the school should be the handmaiden of the church, and that there must be something wrong about the school that does not, at least indirectly, achieve this relation.

After a few months' rest from preaching, his throat recovered, and he felt ready to supply the pulpit as well as manage the school. The church was divided between the two sections North and South, and as a compromise meas- ure it was agreed that they would not recog- nize presbyterial control on either side. The church became vacant, and Dr. Barr took charge first of the Sabbath school, which was large and flourishing, and during the year took charge of the pulpit. After a few months a gracious revival of religion followed, in which thirty of the older scholars of the school united with the church. The gospel was faithfully preached, with no allusion to any differences existing between the people. In three years a majority of the congregation longed to return to their old presbyterial relations. They made a friendly separation from those who desired to go to the northern branch of the church. Dr. Barr was regularly installed pastor of the First Presbyterian church, Dr. Stewart Robinson and Rev. John Brown conducting the installa- tion service. From that time the church with its surrounding missions has grown until it

is taking its place with the largest and most powerful churches in the synod of Virginia.

Dr. Barr tried to exemplify in his life the scriptural lessons of Faith, Hope and Charity, and to advance his Master's kingdom in so far as it lay in his power. His efforts were largely blessed and on his way through life he made many warm friends who are bound to him in ties of love. Despite his advanced years he still possessed to the end a fairly good share of his old time vigor and never felt so contented as when in the harness doing his Master's work. He had a comfortable residence at No. 809 Quarrier street, Charleston.

On Friday night September 8, 1911, he quietly breathed his last and entered upon the life eternal. He had lived a long life of faith and untiring fidelity, winning the esteem and love of a host of friends, and the confidence and honor of the whole city. The Southern Presby- terian Church of Charleston, W. Va., has set a fine example to the whole southern church in the splendid way in which they have taken care of the aged pastor and his wife since 1908, when he became disabled. He is survived by his wife and one son, a niece and two nephews.

HON. JAMES O. JACKSON, who con- ducts a mercantile business at Clendenin, W. Va., and is additionally interested in numerous successful enterprises of this section, was born January 18. 1873, at Osborn's Mills, Kanawha County, W. Va., and is a son of Almarine B. and Rosanna ( Atkinson) Jackson.

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History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia and representative citizens, Part 47

Author: Laidley, William Sydney, 1839-1917. [from old catalog] Publication date: 1911 Publisher: Chicago, Ill., Richmond-Arnold publishing co Number of Pages: 1066

Author: Laidley, William Sydney, 1839-1917. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: Chicago, Ill., Richmond-Arnold publishing co
Number of Pages: 1066