USA > West Virginia > Harrison County > History of Harrison County, West Virginia : from the early days of Northwestern Virginia to the present > Part 38
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 (link on the Part 1 page).
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 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50
And it was ordered that E. D. McCarty, Ed. Boggess and J. W. Wadsworth be authorized to act as comissioners, at the first charter election to be held in said town as required by law.
The officers elected at the first election held in 1901 were J. W. Wadsworth, Mayor, J. E. Boggess, Recorder, and George D. Griffin, Lee Boggess, J. B. Payne, E. D. McCarty and L. M. Harter, Councilmen.
There is recorded in miscellaneous order book No. Three, Page One, a plat of the town of Lumberport containing eight and one-half acres.
It is certified to as follows: "The above is a correct plat of the town of Lumberport laid out pursuant to an act of Assembly of Vir- ginia.
THOMAS ROBINSON, JAMES S. GRIFFIN, J. MARTIN."
To which is appended the following certificate: "Recorded pursuant to an act of Assembly of March 31, 1848.
ELI MARSH, Clerk."
Adamston.
The Circuit Court on October 3, 1903, issued an order incorporating the town of Adamston under chapter 47 of the code, and appointed John E. Boyles, John W. Flanagan and Maynard N. Shuttleworth, com- missioners, to hold the first election for officers of said town.
The town took its name from Josias Adams, who formerly owned the farm upon which it is situated.
349
HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY
Governors and Officials.
Jamestown had been burnt in 1676 during Bacon's rebellion and was rebuilt by Lord Culpepper, but in the last decade of the century was again destroyed by an acidental fire, and as the location was consid- ered unhealthy was not rebuilt.
The seat of Government was in 1699 removed by Governor Nicholson to the middle plantations, half way between the James and York Rivers, and named Williamsburg in honor of King William III, at which place the William and Mary college had been established in 1693, the first assembly being held in the college building in December, 1700.
Williamsburg remained the capitol of Virginia until the Revolution when in May 1779, an act was passed directing its removal to Richmond, the last Assembly being held in Williamsburg in October of that year, and the first one in Richmond in May, 1780.
Governors of the Colony of Virginia.
Sir Thomas Smith. .1607
Lord Culpepper 1680
Sir George Yeardly.
.1618
Nicholas Spencer
1683
Sir Francis Wyatt
1621
Lord Howard. 1684
Sir George Yeardley
1622
Nathaniel Bacon.
1687
Francis West.
1627
Francis Nicholson. 1690
John Pott. 1628
1629
Francis Nicholson 1698
Capt. John West.
1635
Edward Nott 1705
Sir John Harvey
1636
Edward Jennings. . 1706
Sir Francis Wyatt.
1639
Alexander Spottswood. 1710
Sir William Berkeley
1641
Hugh Drysdale. 1722
Richard Kempe.
1644
Sir William Berkeley
1645
William Gouch. 1727
Richard Bennett.
1652
Robert Dinweddie.
1752
Edward Digges.
1656
Francis Fanquier 1758
Samuel Matthews
1659
John Blair. . 1768
Sir William Berkeley 1659
Lord Bottetourt
1769
Francis Moryson . 1661
William Nelson.
1770
Sir William Berkeley 1662
John Murray, the
Sir Henry Chickerly
1678
Earl of Dunmore.
1772
The Earl of Dunmore continued Governor until 1775, when he fled.
The Interregnum.
Presidents of Conventions, who executed the office of Governor.
Peyton Randolph 1775 Edmund Pendleton .1776
Sir Edmund Andross 1692
Sir John Harvey
Col. Robert Carter 1726
350
HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY
Governors of Virginia under the Republic.
Patrick Henry. 1776
James P. Preston. 1816
Thomas Jefferson
1779
Thomas M. Randolph. 1819
Thomas Nelson.
1781
James Pleasants. 1822
Benj. Harrison
1781
John Tyler.
1825
Patrick Henry
1784
William B. Giles
1827
Edmund Randolph
1786
John Floyd. 1830
Beverly Randolph
.1788
Littleton W. Tazewell 1834
Henry Lee.
1791
Wyndam Robertson. 1836
Robert Brooke.
1794
Davison Campbell
1837
James Wood.
1796
Thomas W. Gilmer
1840
James Monroe
1799
John Rutherford .. 1841
John Page. . 1802
John M. Gregory 1842
William H. Cabell.
1805
James McDowell 1843
John Tyler.
1808
William Smith. 1846
James Monroe.
1811
John B. Floyd.
1849
George W. Smith
1811
Joseph Johnson.
1852
James Barbour.
1812
Henry A. Wise. 1856
Wilson C. Nicholas
1814
John Letcher 1860
Governors Under the Re-organized Government.
Francis H. Pierpoint. .1861
Governors of West Virginia.
Arthur I. Boreman ... June 20, 1863
A. Brooks Fleming .... Feb. 6, 1890
Dan'l T. T. Farnsworth, Feb. 27, 1869
William A. McCorkle. . Mch. 4, 1893
William E. Stevenson. . Mch.4, 1869 John J. Jacob . Mch. 4, 1871
Albert B. White ...... Mch. 4, 1901
Henry M. Mathews. Mch. 4, 1877
William M. O. Dawson. . Mch. 4, 1905
Jacob B Jackson .. Mch. 4, 1881
William E. Glascock. . Mch. 4, 1909
Emanuel W. Wilson. .. Mch. 4, 1885
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 Gov- ernor 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
George W. Atkinson. . . Mch. 4, 1897
351
HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY
by the people and the only one ever chosen from West of the mountains for the old State of Virginia.
Resident, Members of the Harrison County Bar who Served on the Bench.
United States Circuit Court, NATHAN GOFF.
United States District Court, JOHN G. JACKSON. The Virginia Court of Appeals, JOHN J. ALLEN. GEORGE H. LEE. The West Virginia Court of Appeals, WILLIAM A. HARRISON. EDWIN MAXWELL.
The Circuit Court, EDWIN S. DUNCAN. GEORGE H. LEE.
GIDEON D. CAMDEN.
WILLIAM A. HARRISON. THOMAS W. HARRISON CHARLES S. LEWIS. CHARLES W. LYNCH.
The Harrison County Criminal Court, HAYMOND MAXWELL.
Prosecuting Attorneys since the formation of West Virginia.
Andrew P. Davisson Alexander C. Moore John Bassel Charles W. Lynch
Philip Clifford James E. Law William E. Morris
352
HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY
William Haymond's Letters.
PALATINE HILL, VA., 18th. Feb'y. 1842.
Mr. Luther Haymond,
SIR :- Your letter was duly received some time past asking or re- questing something in relation to the education, residence, trade &c., of my father. I should have answered sooner only I have been unwell.
It is but little I can say in relation to his life, nothing scarcely of any consequence, some few anecdotes etc. It is, I think, likely he was raised on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, but I do not know. Let that be as it may he lived before moving to this country near Montgomery Court House, at or near Rockville. He, I suppose, was educated some- where there. He was one of the best arithmeticians, understood surveying &c. I believe he had learned the trade of wagon making, however he could make almost anything out of wood and iron.
I have understood he commanded a company at the taking possession of Fort Duquesne, now Pittsburgh. I have heard it said when living in Maryland, he being from home, his dwelling house was burnt, on his re- turn my mother was bewailing their loss, he in reply said they had a kitchen, and appeared to be contented.
At the above mentioned place near said Court House, I suppose I was born in the year 1771.
In the year 1773 my father moved to this country. It is strongly impressed on my mind that we stopped in the Forks of Cheat River, at or near Rogers Fort. We may have staid here a year or two. I think one of my brothers, a child, died. This can be known by reference to his family record. The next I recollect our family were living in the Monon- gahela Glades near Decker's Creek. It seems very strange that any per- son should have settled there at that date. When the whole country was almost vacant. I have no recollection of how long we lived there, but I presume not long. As soon as the war broke out we had to leave there and the whole family went to Kearn's Fort, opposite where Mor- gantown now stands. My father then had eight negroes. We planted and tended in corn the ground where Morgantown now stands. This was a stockaded fort.
At one time I think there was a company of soldiers there. While living there Coburn's Fort, about two mile this side of Kearns' Fort, was burnt by the Indians. I was at it when on fire.
How it happened that I was suffered to go I cannot tell. Miller and
353
HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY
Woodfin were killed on Miller's place, three miles from Kearn's Fort while we were there. They were brought into the Fort on poles, having their feet and hands tied and the pole running between them. I remember this perfectly. When we left the Glades we had two horses, Slider and Prince, the former a brown and the latter a black horse. They often ran away and went to the Glades, brother John and myself would go after them. These two horses I may hereafter mention. While living in Kearn's Fort we had the small pox in the natural way, all the family except my father who had had it. Two children I think were all that died there with that disease; however my father lost six or seven of his negroes there. It was said they were poisoned.
While living in said fort we boys would go on what was called the Hog-Back near the Fort to hunt ramps. We used the bow and arrow and were very good at shooting them. Once while in the yard someone shot an arrow straight. It fell and struck through the wrist of either Col. John Evans or one of the Wilsons. It was hard to draw out. This was all the accident I recollect happening while we lived in the fort.
We moved from the Fort what time I cannot say, went about two or three miles below town on the land of John Johnson, sometimes on the land of William Joseph. While living on these farms we were often called up in the night and moved off a mile or two to some house for safety. Once I recollect we went to our house, while there some person came riding by as fast as he could and said he saw an Indian just back. The men ran out with their guns but no Indians. On examining it was found that he had seen a dog wood which some person had cut, and a red substance had oozed out of it. We often had such alarms and often the Indians killed or took prisoners in three of four miles or less of us. Dur- ing what was called the hard winter the snow was very deep. We lived in an old house on Johnson's land. It had two doors. I remember We would draw large logs in the house with Prince and roll them on the fire. My father would go on to Wickwire's Creek, about sixteen miles from this place, and hunt in the Fall. This hard winter he had a number of deer skins hung around the house to keep the wind off.
In those days we wore short breeches and leggins: what else I do not now recollect. How we lived I have an indistinct recollection.
I remember Brother John and myself with Slider and Prince went to Ruble's mill in Pennsylvania, eleven miles and staid all night, next morning when on our horses to start for home, Ruble or some other person brought each of us a piece of light bread spread with butter. This I thought such a great feast that I have it in my mind to this day. While we were living, I think on Joseph's land, the Indians I presume, killed Madison, the surveyor of all this country. Hanway was appointed. I have understood, or heard at the time, that my father might have gotten the appointment, but I suppose he thought Hanway wanted it and he would not interfere.
While living here Albert Gallatin and Savory were at my father's to see something about land.
The surveyor's office was kept at a Mr. Pierpoint's about two miles
354
HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY
from where we lived. I was once there with my father. There were several gentlemen there from Philadelphia, getting or locating land. As my father had been in the country above this place, they applied to him to locate for them, how much I cannot say. 10,20 or 100,000 acres more or less. My father directed how their entries should be made. They wished to pay but he would have nothing. He or they said they might or would give me something; finally they gave me a dollar. I remember I think hearing my father say that he expected they would give me eight or ten dollars. Next day we started for home on Slider and Prince with the dollar in my pocket, if I had a pocket, but before we got home my father borrowed the dollar and sent me to Kearn's Mill to buy corn with it. I believe I got 11/2 bushels. I have often thought of this occurrence. He here had an opportunity to get a considerable sum if he would have made a charge, and although his family were perhaps on the brink of suffering, he preferred leaving it to their honor rather than charge them. It seems that no situation of circumstances would change his course. While living here at William Joseph's or Johnson's, the last negro, a man, died. While we were living on Joseph's land David Morgan killed the two Indians. They sent my father a piece of tanned Indian skin for a strop.
I went occassionally to school. I suppose a year or two. Two boys and myself were one day in the woods near Owen Davis' orchard. They concluded to go and get some apples and I staid back. On their return I helped eat them. This comes the nearest to stealing anything I have any recollection of in my life, my partaking of a part. How I happen to remember it so long I cannot say. In those days I used the bow and arrow, killed squirrels in the corn field, birds, etc.
I was with my father at the rope works making cords to make a hoppose. He was preparing to go in to the Revolutionary Army and had got ready when news came that peace was made. They had a great rejoicing meeting on the occasion, at Morgantown. The Indians were less troublesome than they had been. People began to stir about.
Harrison County was formed out of Monongalia in 1783 or 4. My father was appointed surveyor, we still living on Joseph's farm. Thomas Laidley had brought a store to Morgantown. My father bought a bear skin coat as he had to go to Williamsburg to be examined. The morning before he started Laidley and Mense the storekeepers came to our house with I believe twenty half joes, in all two hundred dollars in gold to send to Richmond to buy land warrants. I remember hearing my father say he was ashamed to wear said coat for fear people would say he was proud.
Of the old settlers I have no recollection. Whether my father was in the Revolutionary war or not I do not know. If he was it was while we lived in the Fort. How it happened that he was called Major I can- not say. He, I suppose, was in the army when Daniel Morgan was a wagoner there of which I suppose you have heard. It has always been my impression that he was in the Revolutionary Army. How it happened that he got the appointment of surveyor in Harrison I cannot tell, but I think he did not electioneer for it. I have omitted to say that sometime
355
HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY
before this he was appointed one of the Commissioners to settle the claims to unpatented lands in the country. During this time he obtained a certificate for his land in the Glades. He also got two other certificates for land in Harrison County. I may hereafter refer to them. In the Spring or summer of 1784 Brother John with others started from the mouth of Decker's Creek in canoes down the river and went to the mouth of Kanawha to survey for Vanderen.
On the return of my father from Richmond he went to Clarks- burg on his duty of office. In October following brother John, having returned from Kanawha, and myself, with those two celebrated horses, Slider and Prince, took two loads of plunder. I was then thirteen years old. Brother John went up to Jonathan, and got two or three more horses to help us move. I knew no person in Clarksburg, and was quite lost.
There I met David Prunty and went back of that hill with him to hunt chestnuts. Clarksburg was built by two rows of cabins extend- ing from near where the Court House now is to Jackson's house on the east side of Elk Creek. It had been built to answer for a Fort. Next day we started for home, which day the Indians attacked I believe Mr. West where Weston now stands. When we arrived at home we got a Mr. Tibbs to help us with a horse. We started and on the first day stayed or lodged on Tom's Run two miles below Smithton. Next day got to Prickett's settlement. Third day to the Valley River, Fourth day just above where William Martin's brick house now stands, and the fifth day we arrived in Clarksburg in the afternoon, having been five days on the road nearly.
If I feel like writing I will continue the narrative although a great part so far is in relation to myself. When I think of those times above mentioned, it seems strange to me how the people survived, many times without anything to eat and little to wear. I think I ought to have stated that when we were on Joseph's farm my father gave $1000 for a peck of salt.
He had a considerable quantity of Continental money. It is likely he sold his possessions in Maryland and took Continental money for the same.
WM. HAYMOND.
Letter No. 2.
PALATINE HILL, MARION COUNTY, VA., March 18th, 1842. Luther Haymond,
SIR :- In my first letter I informed you that I had a brother who died at Roger's Fort. On examination an extract from the record of our family I find my recollection was right, although I suppose I had not noticed it for fifty years. Walter, a brother was born in May 1774 and died in November of the same year. I am not able to say where your father was born. He was born in January, 1776, I suppose in the Glades or in Kearn's Fort, perhaps he can tell. Your Aunt Sarah Bond was
356
HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY
born in 1778, and sucked when her mother had the small pox. We then lived in the Fort
I omitted to tell you that in 1782 my father bought 330 acres of land I live on, for which he paid one hundred pounds. He intended to settle on it, and I suppose would have done so, had he not got the sur- veyor's office in Harrison County.
I will now commence my narrative. At Clarksburg where we arrived in the fall of 1784 we stopped at a house nearly opposite James P. Bart- lett's tavern. I have no recollection how long we stayed there; perhaps, but a few days, as my father bought 60 acres of land for sixty pounds, about three-quarters of a mile above town where we moved with Slider and Prince and built a house for an office.
You have heard, I suppose, that my father always kept an open house, we had considerable of company strangers, &c., coming to the office. While here my father purchased Dick, I suppose you remember him, and also a negro girl named Patience. On this place we farmed some with Slider and Prince, but it was but little. Here I laid my bow and arrows aside and used the rifle. We often had Company, Col. Lowther. J. Custard and others shot matches. I was not able to shoot them off hand. I took a rest the others shot off hand. I nearly always shot cutting shots, about 25 or 30 yards was the distance.
Sometime about the year 1787 there was a law passed to make a road from the mouth of the Little Kanawha to some point on Cheat or further East. My father was one of the commissioners. The first part of the road was I believe made from Clarksburg eastward. I was once with the Commissioners as far as Minear's on the Valley River viewing and mak- ing the road. The commissioners then commenced viewing from Clarks- burg to the Ohio River, but would get lost in coming back. They then started with a compass at Clarksburg, and ran a due west course and struck the Ohio River six or eight miles below Marietta. They then marked the road back to Clarksburg keeping the west line for a guide. The road was then cut out. On my father's return from one of these trips he found my mother sick in November or December, 1788. He also came home sick. A few days after my mother died. I can say but little about her as I scarcely had sense to know I had a mother before she was gone. Old Mr. Morgan Morgan has told me that she understood the scriptures better than any other person he ever knew. She, I believe, held to the Church of England. She was buried at the west end of Clarksburg. Two years past when I was at Clarksburg I went to see if I could find any sign of the grave. I hired a man to pale it in, which had been done about 53 years before. She, I believe, was a woman of strong mind and high temper. I had by this time become familiar with a gun and the woods. Killed turkeys and some deer. For some years the Indians had not been very bad or done much mischief. Once in Clarksburg I was at a draft to furnish men to be stationed on the frontier. My father stood draft but got clear. Some little I went to school, but spent much of my time in Clarksburg playing ball &c. But I never could find agreeable company with those high frolicking people, for I never attempted to dance more
357
HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY
than two or three times in my life. I believe that in the fall of 1789 my father married again.
I believe in the year 1790 I went with the commissioners to the Ohio River to view the road made. While at Isaac Williams' opposite to the mouth of the Muskingum and Marietta I laid out a town for Mr. Williams, for which he gave me a lot. By the by I neglected to get a deed for it and lost it, though after I moved to the place where I now live, I sent him a plan of the town with my name on the lot with the request that he would make me a deed, but he failed. This shows what a person may lose by neglecting at times to do a little writing.
On our way home we camped on the flat just this side of the lower crossing of Middle Island Creek, built fires to keep off the gnats. I had laid down and fallen asleep when one of the Company came to me and said the Indians were around or near the fire. We moved off a small dis- tance and stayed until near day when we started. I suppose they had heard some animal walking. This was the greatest alarm I ever had before or after, being awakened out of sleep was the reason I suppose.
Yours &c.,
WM. HAYMOND.
Letter No. 3.
PALATINE HILL, March 25th, 1842.
Luther Haymond,
SIR :- In my last I informed you of our alarm on the road just this side of the lower crossing of Middle Island. We proceeded home without being molested. About this time of the year before there was a great scarcity of grain in Harrison County. A great many people went to Pennsylvania after it, among the rest Brother John and myself. We went to John Hall's where Mr. Reeder now lives, and bought a canoe of said Hall, went down the river to the mouth of Whitely to Thomas Douglass'. He had married my sister Ann. There we bought I believe five or seven barrels of flour. Started up the river, hired a hand three miles above Morgantown. We continued and arrived with our flour at the mouth of Elk Creek after a week's hard labor. About or in the year, 1790 the Indians killed Johnson's family on Ten Mile Creek, you know the place. Johnson had gone on Saturday to watch a lick. On his return home he found his house in a dreadful situation. The bed tick had been ripped open. the feathers scattered, a cow killed, and I belive a hog in the yard. He judged the cause and immediately started for Clarksburg but took the contrary course. He went the same or nearly the same course the Indians did for a short distance, however, he got to Clarks- burg about 2 o'clock. About twenty of us started some on horseback and some on foot, ran nearly the whole distance and got to the house of Johnson about one hour before sundown, took the Indian trail, in about two or three hundred yards we passed a deer that Johnson had killed and there brought off his horse. We went about one mile on the trail to the top of the ridge, some of the men stopped to parley, some of us pro-
358
HISTORY
OF HARRISON COUNTY
ceeded a little further and found Johnson's wife and three children ly- ing dead. They had been tomahawked and scalped and were laid with their feet pointing east, west, north and south. This was an awful sight to me and the rest of the men, but nothing in comparison to that of Mr. Johnson. The bereaved husband and father seemed to be unable to bear the shock. If it was hard to bear in those days of hardships how do you think it would be borne in these days? We laid the dead together and covered them with a bed cover, and returned back to the house, went into the woods and staid till the next morning when we dug a grave and buried the four together. As we were about finishing Col. Lowther with about fifteen men came to us. We then took the trail. They kept along the ridge, up Ten Mile Creek, crossed the creek, raised the hill on the west side and fell on the head of a small stream of Rush Run near the mouth of the latter, crossed Rush Run, and took the hill, just leaving Owen Davis', now Marsh's place to the left. here we held a consultation and it was decided that the Indians had too long the start, and if overtaken would kill the prisoners and the chase was given up and we returned home. This Indian tale may perhaps be out of place but thinking of those days I could not forbear giving you an ac- count of this sorrowful event.
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.