USA > West Virginia > Preston County > History of Preston County (West Virginia) > Part 7
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Turnpike The Fishing Creek and Brandonville Turnpike by way of Morgantown was to connect with the Brandonville Turnpike by Kingwood to the Northwestern. This connec. tion was to be made close to Brandonville. The Fishing Creek and Brandonville Turnpike had secured a loan of twelve thousand dollars on the 14th of February, from the board of public works, to enable them to complete the road. On the 9th of April, the General Assembly passed an act to amend the act for the construction of the Beverly road, de- creasing the amount to be raised by the county court of Preston from two thousand, the original apportionment, to one thousand three hundred and thirty-three and one-third dollars.
During this year, Valley Furnace, in the northern part of the county, was in blast under the firm management of Cald well and Ochiltree. It was built within two miles of the State line. The iron was hauled to Cheat, and sometimes to New Geneva, Pennsylvania, and boated to market in the same manner as Greenville disposed of her metal.
At the close of this year, the Northwestern Turnpike was open clear through Preston County, and was stretching rap- idly westward to the banks of the Ohio, and its projection and construction outside the county is worthy of a moment's notice, and will give a better understanding of the place it occupied in the history of the county.
General History .- The construction of the Northwestern Turnpike across the Alleghanies was a mile stone event along
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HISTORY OF PRESTON COUNTY.
the highway of progress and development in the history of Virginia. The French, while struggling with the Englishs for mastery of the Mississippi Valley in 1753, regarded the' Alleghanies as physical barriers to the westward advance of her daring rival. Anglo-Saxon perseverance has leveled that barrier in many places. The United States Government, in 1818, carried the National Road over this barrier, to bridge a possible chasm of disunion, threatened by consequences likely to grow out of Burr's attempt to sever the Mississippi Valley from the Union. This road connected the East with the West, and opened a way for the exchange of the products of the western soil for the fabrics manufactured in the cities on the sea board. Virginia foresaw the great advantages of this road, and the benefits derived by eastern markets from its construction, and considered the possibility of carrying a rival road across the barrier ridges of the Alleghanies to secure commercial intercourse between the eastern markets of Virginia on the sea board, and the vast stretches of terri- tory north of the Ohio, then rapidly filling up by a westward tide of emigration. Having but limited means at command, Virginia pondered long over this subject of vital interest without taking definite action upon it. The practicability of many different routes for such a road was considered, but none were selected. The great enterprise was finally under- taken, when the General Assembly, on the 27th day of Feb- ruary, 1827, passed an act for the construction of a road from Winchester across the mountains, to some proper place on the Ohio River, between the mouths of the Muskingum and the Little Kanawha rivers. The North West Road Com -- pany was incorporated to construct it, and was to organize at Kingwood when fifteen thousand of their seventy-five thou- sand dollars capital was subscribed. This great road, while connecting the eastern and western interests of the State and increasing population in the counties through which it passed, would open intercourse between Virginia and a num- ber of States, and several millions of people whose only access to the seaboard was by the National Road. Its effect on
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FROM 1818 TO 1863.
Virginia would be to increase the population by thousands and the wealth by millions. It would build up great enter- prises west, and develop mighty interests east of the moun- tains, and would contribute to the general welfare and rapid improvement of the whole State. Like any other great en- terprise, it had to encounter its reverses as well as to achieve its triumphs. Improperly understood, hence ill-supported measures for its construction marked the time from 1827 to 1831. From 1831 to 1838, better understood, measures were undertaken for its completion. It was taken out of the hands of a private company and placed under the charge of a board of public works, whose head was the Governor. It was rapidly constructed in anticipation of the career of un- exampled prosperity it was expected to bring about. A lit- tle later it was completed, and starting from Winchester came to Romney, and across the southwest corner of Mary- land, crossing over Preston's mountain ridges, and on, climb- ing and descending long hills till it arrived at Clarksburg, and then continuing on over intervening valley and succeed- ing mountain until it reached Parkersburg, its western ter- minus, two hundred and thirty-seven miles from Winchester. The road, when finished and opend to the Ohio, was an achievement of the State, to be justly regarded with pride. It was wide and well built, in places being macadamized, with substantial bridges crossing all streams of any size. When finished, an amount of travel passed over it, which we can hardly credit to-day. Great numbers of travelers on foot passed and repassed over it, mail stages ran night and day, horsemen thronged it, two-horse wagons, four-horse wagons and six-horse wagons, singly and in streams, wound up and down its hills, and every night at some point along the road was a tide of travel claiming food, drink and shelter. The emigrant, with his little all, was daily pushing westward over it to the Ohio, to seek, or better, his fortune. Vast droves crowded and blackened it from the west to the east. Long lines of horses, flocks of sheep, and droves of hogs, in- termingled with the cattle, and all together worked their
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HISTORY OF PRESTON COUNTY.
way by the week slowly to the eastern markets. They were collected in from the valleys of the Muskingum, the Wabash and the Scotia. The men in charge at night were hungry and tired, and to provide for their wants, taverns and stop- ping places sprang up as by magic all along the road .. Provision and forage had to be gathered in large quantities: from the surrounding country. The immense business made the road a lively place, and forward and backward ran the. farmer's wagon over a hundred country roads, transporting to these stands, flour and pork and beef and corn and po- tatoes and vegetables to feed the hungry traveling multi- tudes ; while hay by the ton, oats and corn by the wagon load, came în to feed the animal masses. The productions. of the soil found a ready market at home, and sold at the highest prices. Everything and everybody-was all bustle and stir, this was business; yes more, it was the life of busi- ness itself, and stimulated every industry to its highest ca- pacity of production, bringing great prosperity to the coun- try. If all this seems like the picturing of a fairy tale, it must be recollected that there were but two grand trunk lines between the East and the West, crossing the Ohio less. than one hundred and fifty miles apart, and that this road described was one of them, and was an outlet and inlet to the rapidly growing, farmer millions of the West in need of wares and goods and manufactures of the eastern markets. only to be obtained by them in exchange for these, droves and. grain and feed. Towns sprang up along the road wherever a favorable spot was found, whither on plain or mountain, by- stream or rock, on fertile tract or barren waste. In summer's, heat or winter's cold, alike through storm or sunshine pressed on this great stream of travel. Two miles apart, and some- times for every mile post on the road was a tavern, or stop- ping place for this great travel. with stabling, wagon-yards. and fields fenced in for droves.
These stands and stopping places were stage-stands .. wagon-stands; and in some places along the road the lines, of demarkation were so closely drawn, that a stage would
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FROM 1818 TO 1863.
not stop on any consideration at a wagon-stand, nor would the landlord of a stage-stand allow a wagon to stop with him, no matter what the necessity, while a wagoner would not think of stopping with the keeper of a drove stand, but gen- erally wagoners and drovers stopped together.
It was one of the greatest, if not the greatest, State road that was built on the American Continent, prior to the intro- duction of steam as a motor ; and its builders with their many scores of hands armed with picks and shovels, provided with carts and wheelbarrows, crossing the mountains, spanning the streams and sweeping over the valleys, left behind them a broad highway as a marvel of human energy.
The road had a splendid opening with brilliant pros- pects of unexampled prosperity before it, in the future to be increased by the augmented business of each succeeding year. The time was anticipated-not far in the future- when its road-bed would have to be widened and paved with rock to accommodate the increasing wants of the traveling public, and to entertain and feed the mighty moving throngs, houses would have to increase in numbers so that an almost continuous line would extend along each side of the great highway. The anticipation was founded on, and justified by the rapidly increasing travel, and fast-springing up taverns and towns along the great thoroughfare. The toll-gates or turnpikes along the road were gathering a harvest of toll, ample within itself to defray the expenses of proposed im- provements on a large scale.
The traveler, crossing it by stage or on horseback, enjoyed a wild and romantic scenery, presenting some new and un- expected pleasure at every turn. Following its winding track up the mountain-side, he would gain its summit with an elevation of several hundred feet above some stream in a dark ravine below, whose waters from their great distance down looked like a thread of silver. Companion mountains . hemmed him in on every side. Descending the mountain, he enters a valley, and crosses a lovely stream whose bright waters were hid from him by its overarching foliage, in his
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HISTORY OF PRESTON COUNTY.
descent of the mountain. Onward for mile after mile, and day after day, he thus pursues his journey, cheered by new scenes each hour, if he gives heed to Nature's beauties.
Above him often soared the majestic eagle, and from the forest came the warbling of innumerable songsters, while now and then across his range of vision would pass, with the swiftness of an arrow, the fleet-footed deer. Before him mountains on mountains arise till lost in the distance; now a stream broad and shallow, crosses the road, gently mur- muring on its way to the river, and a few yards on a moun- tain rivulet, dashing down a steep hill-side, rushes across the road, and leaping from rock to rock, hurries on to swell the waters of some turbulent stream below, whose sullen roar falls upon the ear. Still following the road, he comes to a. level plain, but before him in the distance "the blue outlines of distant mountains meet his view."
The advent of the Northwestern Turnpike, besides inau- gurating a wonderful career of material prosperity, and open- ing to the traveler the romantic and beautiful scenery of Northwestern Virginia, was calculated to advance the intel- lectual, social, moral and religious interests of the communi- ties through which it passed.
The stream of travel brought ideas of an advanced civiliza- tion from the East, and in time would give culture and re- finement, and would awaken the same aspirations and ambi- tions in the West, that were born in the East.
The location and construction of the Northwestern Turn- pike through Preston County, was a great event in its his- tory. Entering the county on the east from Maryland, it swept forward over the high elevated plains extending from Laurel Hill Ridge. Striking Laurel Hill Ridge, it descended along the side of the Wolf Creek mountain by innumerable turns. In this descent of nearly three miles the beautiful view of the elevated plain was changed to one of wild and romantic interest. On the right the traveler looked down upon the tops of tall trees, many feet below the road-bed. and a hundred feet or more below them, scarcely discernible,
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FROM 1818 TO 1863.
wound the waters of Wolf Creek. Beyond the creek and across the mighty chasm at whose bottom it ran, rose up a mountain, like a barrier wall, cutting off the range of vision in that direction. Turning to the left, steep up from the road to the summit of Wolf Creek mountain, it was a hun- dred feet or more, covered with a heavy forest growth.
As the descent continued toward the west, steeper and higher rose up that part of the mountain above the road, and steeper and deeper that part of the mountain below the road down to the waters of Wolf Creek, until the road left the creek and descended by the mountain to the narrow valley of Cheat.
At the foot of Wolf Creek mountain the road ran through the Valley of Cheat, heavily timbered, and mountains rose up on every side. Spanning Cheat with a splendid wooden bridge, costing 18,000 dollars, it followed the river down to the mouth of Big Buffalo Run, crossing it and a smaller stream called Flag Run, and again mountains heavily tim- bered rose up on every side, and every now and then a glance was caught of the wild, turbulent waters of Cheat forcing their way here through the heart of the mountains. Across the valley of Cheat was a wild and lonesome stretch crossed by Cheat, and mountain-hemmed. An air of romantic inter- est broke the solitude of deep loneliness that rested over it, and arrested many an involuntary glance from the traveler and the passer-by.
The road passed out of the Cheat River valley, under the shades of the afterward famous "ice mountain," and entered . in the shadows of the great Briery mountain. It ascended the mountain by innumerable short turns, round the heads of deep gorges, presenting a wild and varied scenery at every bend of the road. Attaining the summit of the mountain, it began the descent to the western base in the same winding manner that it had made the ascent from the eastern base, and the same scenery ascending, was presented descending. Now and then in ascending or descending at the heads of the wild gorges, looking down them glimpses of the country
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HISTORY OF PRESTON COUNTY.
for miles around the base of these gorges could be obtained, where hills rising on hills, and hills swelling back of hills, re- sembled billows on the ocean; and far away in the distance, looming up against the horizon, other mountains could be seen, standing in the solemn convocation of the everlasting Alleghanies.
At the western base of the mountain the road struck the valley of Little Sandy Creek, and passed down its valley over the site of Fellowsville and along the waters of Little Sandy, to the town of Evansville, then growing into quite a local center of business. Leaving Evansville, it passed with the waters of the creek over the western boundary line of the county.
For nearly thirty miles it climbed over the wooded hights and wound through the mountain valleys of Preston County. From afar off it appeared like a silver strand in the landscape -here in sight-there lost-here in sight again-again lost -then coming in sight and narrowing down to a single thread, losing itself in the clouds on some distant hill.
The road was built from the Maryland line to Cheat River under contract. Jacob W. See, an eastern man, was the contractor. He was to receive eight hundred and fifty dol- dars per mile. After working some time on the road he saw that he was likely to lose money on his contract at the rate it was costing him to build it. See, it is said, was eccentric, and would have prayers offered every morning when the men were called out to commence their day's labor. He had about 40 hands, and they soon discovered his weakness; and, in addition to the work time consumed by the daily prayers, would only perform about a half-day's work. He sub-let the Wolf Creek mountain part of the road to a man by the name of Kinkaid, at eleven hundred dollars per mile. Kinkaid contracted to make three miles. He employed about thirty men, and paid them 50 cents a day and boarded them-the same as See did his. These three miles were harder to make than any other three miles of the contract. Kinkaid was a better manager than See. He omitted pray-
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FROM 1818 TO 1863.
ers during work hours, got a better day's work done than See did; but having taken his three miles too low, he became indebted to the merchants for supplies for his men, and seeing he was going to come out in debt, ran away and left his sub-contract on See's hands.
Josiah Kidwell took the contract for the bridge, and built it for the sum of eighteen thousand dollars.
Some Eastern men took the contract from Cheat River to the top of the mountain, as Briery mountain was often called. in those days.
Samuel Byrne took the next contract, which extended from the top of the mountain to a point just east of Evansville.
Hall and Vick Johnson took the next contract, extending from the termination of Byrne's to where Thornton now stands, in the County of Taylor.
It is said that none of these contractors made any money, as they all took their contracts too low; a fact that speaks well for the financial management of the directors of the road.
The road, when finished, was very wide, splendidly made, and carried through at the low maximum grade of five de- grees of elevation. County roads came into it at different points along its route through Preston; and the Brandon- ville, Kingwood and Evansville pike was projected to con- nect it with the great National Road.
Along this road after it was finished, came several classes of men whose faces were to be very familiar along its thor- oughfare for the next fifteen years.
First-There was the wagoner, with honest, weather- beaten face, driving his ones, his twos, his fours and his sixes, meaning these different numbers of horses in a team. There were the "regulars," who followed the road year in and year out ; and the "privates," who only hauled for short lengths of time on the road.
Second-The stage-coach drivers generally were red-faced and hale, and of rough but jolly manner. They drove month in and month out; one week or month by day, and the suc.
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HISTORY OF PRESTON COUNTY.
ceeding week or month by night, as the old stage-coach never stopped except for repairs, and its driver only for a holiday. The stage-coach, painted in yellow and vermilion, was dear to its driver. It was built with portly body and plush-lined interior, with heavy boots fore and aft, as recep- tacles for trunks, with four or six horses attached. It stood a heavily constructed, lumberly looking, but easily riding ve hicle of the pre-railroad period, surmounted by its insepara- ble accompaniment, the driver, with reins in hand. In that coach men have rode and talked and slept, have read and thought and meditated of matters of private interest and public importance.
The old stage-coach, like the street-car of our cities to-day, always had room for one more, even if he had to be dis- posed of by occupying a seat on top of the coach; and the driver was then ready to take another passenger.
Third-The drover with keen eye, questioning look and voluble speech, generally traveled alone on horse back, like one of G. P. R. James's conventional horsemen, and was fa- miliar with every crook and turn of the road, and the people living along. There was no animal submitted for his inspection, but had a blemish lessening its value in price, and which disappeared after once in his posession and for sale; or was of such small consequence that it did not affect its value in the least.
A Tragedy .- During this year (1838), according to dif- ferent parties, a tragedy occurred on the Northwestern Turnpike. Stephen Blue and his brother John went out with Samuel Byrne, to watch for two darkey runaways from the East, that were reported to be on Cheat, robbing and plundering milk-houses. They secreted themselves in the bushes by the road side, about one mile and a half east of the site of Fellowsville, and watched for the appearance of the darkeys. After some time they discerned two negroes approaching ; one of them was a large man, the other was small. When they approached sufficiently near, the Blues sprang out from their place of concealment. Stephen
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FROM 1818 TO 1863.
caught the small negro, while John caught the larger one, who refused to submit and attempted to break away, and in the scuffle that ensued between him and Blue, put his hand quickly in his pocket and commenced drawing out a knife. Samuel Byrne, who was still remaining in the bushes, saw the act of the negro, and in the excitement of the moment raised the gun with which he was armed, and shot the negro to prevent him from killing Blue with the knife. The shot was fatal, and the negro fell with the knife in his hand.
Another Killing .- Some time between 1836 and 1838, a terrible tragedy occurred in the Green Glades, close to the site of Cranberry (Portland). A planter from the South had been at Baltimore, and purchased some eight or ten slaves to take to the State of Mississippi. The males were all children, except a boy about 18, called Ned. Among the women was one called Hetty, who was said to have been good-looking. Martin, the planter, in purchasing her, failed to obtain her husband, who was a very valuable slave. Hetty was terribly grieved at being separated from her husband. The planter loading up his slaves in a light spring-wagon, started by land to reach the Ohio at Parkersburg, and embark on a boat for home. He had made his overland trip as far as the Green Glades, a much used camping-place close to a good spring of water, where he stopped. The farther westward they came, the greater was Hetty's grief.
After they had lain down for the night, Hetty could not sleep for thinking of her husband; and finally, after the rest had sunk to slumber, she thought that if her new master was out of the way, their journey westward would be stop- ped, and she might be sent back to Baltimore, and be with her husband again. Pondering over this idea till near morn ing, she cautiously arose, and approaching her sleeping mas- ter, stole the pistol out of his pocket without awakening him. Quietly returning, she awakened Ned, and prevailed upon him to kill his master, persuading him that that would save then all from being taken South. Ned took the pistol, and plac ing it to his master's head, shot him. It was just before the
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HISTORY OF PRESTON COUNTY.
break of day. Ned, as soon as it was daylight, and before sun-up, started toward a house, and, meeting a man, told him that somebody had killed his master. The man took him to a house near by, where, on the repetition of his story, he was secured by the men, and returning with him to the camping- place, they found his master dead with a circle of holes in his skull made by the buckshot with which the pistol was loaded.
Charles Hooton was coroner, but could not attend; and John S. Murdock held the inquest over the body, after which it was given decent burial, and his money and property were cared for and proper disposition made of them. The slaves were lodged in jail. Trial by jury not being a right of slaves in Virginia, Ned and Hetty were put on trial before the County Court. The Hon. William G. Rrown defended the prisoners. Hetty was cleared on grounds of insanity occa- sioned by grief, but Ned was sentenced to be hanged for the willful murder of his master.
Silly creature that he was, he could no more realize the meaning of the death-sentence-the passport of his doom- than he had realized the enormity of the crime that he was the instrument in committing. He was an ignorant, imbecile being, having "no mind of his own," cowering and cowed, turned to the right by the gee, and to the left by the haw of the stronger will, that, mastering, controlled his own at pleasure. Unthinking as the beast of burden, moral sense he had none. The minister, picturing before him the aw- ful terrors of death, the wickedness of his foul deed, and the only way of escape from sin could not hold his attention. The thought of punishment here or hereafter moved him not -- he had no conception of it. While the man of God was faithfully endeavoring to impress the simplest truths of re- ligion on his heart-with an opening grave before him, and the folding doors of eternity creaking in his ears-he broke out, "There's a mouse," as the little creature ran across the floor. This he did more than once.
Must the prisoner die whose moral sense is a blank, and
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FROM 1818 TO 1863.
whose accountability rests with the stronger will of another that directs his volitions ? He must. Must Ned die on the scaffold where a man's reason and moral sense ought never to bring him, and yet where his reason and moral sense only can legally bring him? He must.
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