USA > West Virginia > Wetzel County > History of Wetzel County, West Virginia > Part 10
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CHRISTIAN CHURCH. New Martinsville
ARCHER'S FORK.
It was named from Archibald Woods, who patented a sur- vey of land, which consisted of 6,000 acres in the year of 1796. The first permanent settler was William Ice, who took up about one hundred acres of land and erected a long cabin on it in the year of 1815, (the land is now owned by Emilia Shrew) and later his son, Abraham Ice, took up a tract of land which consisted of one hundred and twenty acres, where the present towns of Arches is now situated, and the farm :s new owned by his grandson, J. H. Dawson. Near the town the first oil well that was drilled in the county was located, being the well known as the Robinson No. 2, and was drilled by David Mc. Cain for the South Penn Oil Co., in 1893, and is still producing oil. The largest well in the county is also situated there, known as the Robinson No. 33. The town has two school houses, two churches (Methodist and Christian), and one store owned by Carlin Brothers. Among the prosperous farmers around the town are L. G. Robinson, J. H. Dawson, Carlin Brothers, William Springer, Isaac Shreves, and J. A. Edgel. The town is situated on the Short Line Railroad.
Note-The author is indebted to William Carlin for infor- mation concerning the early settlement of Arches.
PINE GROVE.
Is a town situated on Big Fishing creek and the Short Line Railroad. It has a population of about 500. The first set- tlement was made by Morgan Morgan (Spy Mod), who came to that place about the year of 1804, and erected a cabin on the present site of the livery stable, owned by Hennen. He also erected a grist mill near the saw and flour mill of Joliffe Bros. Other early settlers about Pine Grove were James Joliffe, Uriah Morgan and Mr. Wilson. The town took its name from a beautiful grove that at one time stood near the town; it has one school house, one church (Baptist), one clothing store, owned by Gooldfoos Brothers, one dry goods store, owned by J. W. Brookfield; one meat market, owned by W. J. Wharton & Sons; one barber shop, owned by Frank Myers; two black- smith shops, owned by Cook Brothers, and Halbert & Co .; one hardware store, owned by Thomas Bucher; one general store, owned by William Long; one harness shop, owned by Dave Renner; two bakerys, owned by J. G. Wallace and Meck Pi- azzro; three grocery stores, owned by J. Brookfield, McQuain and Stone Brothers; three hotels, owned by Roome & Garvey, Mrs. Garvey and Mrs. Burley. The place has three doctors, Dr.'s Stone, Depew and Mccluskey.
READER.
Reader is a town situated fifteen miles east of the county seat. It has a population of about one hundred. The first settlement was made in the year of 1788, by James Troy, who erected a cabin on what is now known as the negro quarters. He afterward sold his title to Benjamin Reader for a ten gal- lon copper kettle and a bay mare. The title consisted of six hundred acres. He afterwards sold his title to Morgan Mor- gan (Spy Mod) for a flint lock gun, and erected a cabin on what is known as the negro quarters, which got its name from him. He had negro slaves and had them stay on the place while he was living at what is now Pine Grove. The cabin was erected in 1804 and stood until 1896, when John Lantz, who owned the property, had it taken down. Several other men came to that neighborhood; among them were Jasper Strait, who moved in the same house with Morgan Morgan; William Snodgrass, Benjamin Hays, Thomas Bowl and James Booth, and Jacob Swisher. The pioneer school teacher of that neighborhood was Caleb Headlee, who taught in a six by ten log house. Morgan Morgan was lawed from the land by Jeremiah Wil- liams, who was surveyor at the time, who sold it to Alexander Lantz, who transferred the land to John, the present owner. The land west of the negro quarters was patented by Zachwell Cochran in 1792. It consisted of 500 acres of the best farming land in the county and he lived upon this land until 1814, when he died, and the land became the property of his son, James Cochran, who died in 1893. When the land became the pro- perty of his heirs, who consisted of Jacob, A. S., Zachwell, Oli- ver, J. C., B. F., and Irvin Cochran, Druzela Hart, Margaret
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HISTORY OF WEZTEL COUNTY.
Cook, Emiline Millburn and Frances T. Long. John Millburn patented 200 acres south of the Cochran patent, lying on the waters of Brush run, in 1800. The land is now owned by W. M. Milburn and Martha Britton, who are living in the cabin that he erected in 1800. Among the prosperous farmers around Reader are Joseph Fair, George Sturge, Z. J. Morgan, John Springer, Stephen Brown, Samuel Springer, Oliver Coch- ran, Wm. Burgess, Rev. J. W. Gadd, W. A. Headlee, H. D. King, Benjamin Fox. J. D. Wayne, Wm. Kennedy, Wm. Kirk- man, Louis Connely, Solomon Workman, Wm. and John Con- nely, C. Kidder, John McCalaster, N. Harris, James Harris, J. Springer, Chas. McCalaster, J. and R. Crosgry, Sam'l Harrison, Sam Leap, Foster Clark, also hotel man and merchant, James Cochran, Presley Q. Martin and Harvey King.
SMITHFIELD.
Is a town situated thirty-one miles east of New Martinsville. It has a population of about 1,200. The first settlement was made by Aiden Bales in the year of 1796. It has three ho- tels, Brown Front, J. A. Davis, proprietor; the Shuman, M. D. Shuman, proprietor; and the Wilson, D. W. Wilson, proprietor. It has four dry goods and notion stores, owned by D. Carmi- chael, Howard and Calvert, L. G. Robinson, and W. A. Smith; one confectionery and news stand owned by T. J. Connely, and one barber shop, owned by Morris Sheon; the South Penn Oil Company has an office here; one blacksmith shop, owned by Geo. Beechman, and one meat market, owned by B. C. Rug- gles. Among the prosperous farmers around the town are A. J. Slider, James Gump, F. C. Hays, H. S. Hays, L. Johnson, Henry Johnson, O. B. McIntire, C. A. Headlee, William Bar- ker, Sr., William Barker, Jr., Charles Gilbert, J. J. Jackson, William Brewer, L. F. Cain, I. D. Morgan, Jas. A. Edgel, C. W. Ezra, and Grant Edgel, E. E. Ice, T. V. Ice, Dave Shuman, Henry and Levi Shuman, P. Minor, W. A. Wade, James A. Wade, H. J. Miller, C. S. Lowe, J. W., J. T., and H. Headlee, Gus and William Wyatt, Mrs. W. P. Morris, Louis and L. Mor- ris, . Morris L. Wyatt, Richard, J. M., and Johnson Anderson, I. Ice, F. Price, Oliver Bates, Curtis and Dawson Lemasters, L. G. Robinson, H. L. Smith, Geo. Hannan, Marion Shrieves, John and J. L. Welch, Jasper, George and Jackson Shrieves, David Ice, Albert, Sam and Dulin Edgel, L. E. and S. R. Cain, William Taylor, James Lively, John Leach, John Francis, John Showalter, William Carlin, Nelson Myres, John and Wash Carroll.
BURTON.
Burton is a town situated twenty-five miles east of New Mar- tinsville, the county seat; it is situated on Fish creek and the B. & O. R. R. It has a population of about 250. It was settled by George Bartrug, whose father came to what is now known as Cottontown in the year of 1810, and erected a cabin on the land now owned by his heirs, Geo. Bartrug. After living with his parents for a short time, in 1812 erected a cabin on the site of the B. & O. R. R. The name of Burton should have been Bar- trug, and it is presumed that when the name of what was then a landing place was given to the railroad company, that they took the name to be Burton. Peter Bartrug's patent consist- ed of 250 acres, which took in both Burton and Cottontown. Other settlements were made around Burton, of whom were Daniel Bartrug, brother of George, Peter Colwell and John Soles. Thomas Dawson was also a very early settler.
It has two dry goods and notion stores, of whom are Hennen & White, W. W. Robinson and John A. Hoge; one millinery store, Mrs. Dr. Lemley, proprietor; one blacksmith shop, W. S. Barrick, proprietor; one barber shop, owned by John Mal- lery; one flour mill, owned by John A. Hoge; one livery barn, owned by T. V. Ross; it has two hotels, the Central, owned by T. V. Ross, the Commercial, owned by Mrs. A. Homer. E. E. Cunningham is postmaster.
M. E. CHURCH .- SOUTH.
VINCEN.
Was settled in the year of 1865 by Levi Merrett, who is still living on a part of the land where he made the settlement. The place has one store, owned by Andrew Rice. Among the pros- perous farmers around the town are A. J. Rice, David Founds, Vincent, Amos and Levi Merett, J. T. Blair, Thomas Burgess, Ned Carroll, Henry Egan, E. W. Lemasters, J. S. Cross. I. J. Workman is the postmaster.
PROCTOR.
Is a town situated on the Ohio river and the Ohio River Rail- road. It was settled at an early date by Jacob Moore, a car- penter and cabinet maker, who came to that place and erected a cabin near the present site of the steamboat landing place. The town, like the district, was named from a man by the name of Proctor, who was the first to own the land where Proc- tor now stands. The town has two churches, Methodist and Christian; one school house, three dry goods and notion stores, owned by Todd & Whipkey, Monroe and Miller, and J. A. Dop- ler; one hotel owned by Fleming Brothers; one barber shop, owned by John Young; one blacksmith shop, owned by Charles Oblinger, who also owns a hardware store; one harness shop, owned by K. Gates, two livery and feed stables, owned by Jas. Fitzsimmons and A. C. Ruby; one machine shop, owned by William Lee, and one flour mill, owned by Watson Brothers. J. F. Watson is postmaster. The town has one doctor, Dr. Haught. Among the prosperous farmers around the town are John Price, W. F. Moore, John Newman, William Lowrey, A. H. Haught, Friend Parsons, Israel Parsons, John Moore, Jacob Yoho, M. and A. J. Moore.
EDUCATION OF WETZEL COUNTY, OF THE PIONEERS AND THE PRESENT DAY.
The children of the pioneers had very few educational ad- vantages. The settlers were so poor that they could scarcely afford the small tuition. As soon as the children were able to travel the long distance usually required they were able to as- sist the father in clearing the land or the mother in her arduous tasks. Occasionally an itinerant schoolmaster found his way into a neighborhood, and for a few dollars he was engaged to instruct the youths for a period of two or three months. If an unoccupied dwelling house could be secured, it was furnished with a few long benches, made by splitting a small sapling . and after smoothing one side slightly, holes were bored in the ends and pins inserted. Boards were placed on pins in the walls for writing desks. A three legged stool or block of wood was prepared for the teacher. The room was heated by a large fireplace, usually occupying the greater part of one end of the house.
The boys cut and carried the wood during the noon hour. Quite frequently the boys who attended these schools had to walk a distance of five miles and before starting for school in the morning two or three hours of work had to be done at home and a like number on his return. Those were days wnen "Jack" found no time for play. From such surroundings sprang the founders of our government.
The teachers of those days deserve much credit, for they cer- tainly engaged in the work for the love they had for it. The remuneration was very meager. They "boarded around," that is, a week or two with one of their patrons and then with an-
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HISTORY OF WEZTEL COUNTY.
other. It did not take long for the teacher at that time to pack his belongings and change his boarding place. Besides assist- ing the children with their work at night the "master" was ex- pected to help do the chores in the evening and on Saturdays take the ax or grubbing hoe and make a hand with the farmer. By reason of this method of boarding the pioneer teacher un- derstood his patrons and pupils better than do the teachers of to-day.
The school boy of that day was not made "bandy legged" by carrying a load of books. Instruction was given only in the three R's, Readin', Ritin', and Rithmetic; that was just about all the "master" could teach; but that served to lay the foundation of the men who conducted the business of the coun- ty for many years.
In 1864 the Free School System was inaugurated in Wetel county. At that time no school houses were found, but the majority of the people were alive to their best interest and buildings began to be located. These were built of hewed logs. The fire place gave place to the wood stove and the long-slab- backless benches were replaced by the straight-backed seats.
The demand for better equipped teachers was made. Teach- ers were scarce. The schools were generally supplied from Ohio and Pennsylvania. It was soon found that there was tal- ent at home, and the young men and women of Wetzel county birth began to "wield the birch."
The last log school house has disappeared. It was burned down in 1900. Every community is furnished with a compara- tively comfortable building, furnished with the patent seats. Not a child in the county is beyond reach of a school house. In 1900 there were 135 buildings, employing 154 teachers. The enumeration of the school youth that year was 6,982; enroll- ment, 6.010; average attendance, 3,647.
The teachers are paid according to the grade of certificate. The average wages for No. 1 in 1900 was $31 1-7; No. 2, $27 2-7; No. 3, $18 4-7. The average school term was 5 1-6 months. Can
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HISTORY OF WETZEL COUNTY.
we look at these figures calmly and considerately without say- ing that something must be done for the young men and women who are devoting their best energies to the noble work of teaching? Is it any wonder the teacher is using the profession as a stepping stone?
The finnancial condition of the schools is good. In 1900, the teachers' fund had a balance in the hands of the sheriff of $2,968.52; the building fund, $2,731.16.
The county superintendents have been among our leading educators; such as U. G. Morgan, Dr. Thos. Haskins, C. A. Mc- Allister, John S. Wade, W. T. Sidell, L. W. Dulaney, and the present incumbent, F. W. Parsons, who is serving his second term.
The Magnolia Hig School is the only high school in the coun- ty. It was established under the general law for the estab- lishment of high schools in 1880. The school is a district high school; that is, persons living anywhere in Magnolia District may send children entitled to enter the Intermediate Grammar or High schools.
The high school course of study was prepared by E. E. Um. stead and adopted by the Board of Education October, 1887. It has been several times revised, and at present is as follows:
JUNIOR CLASS.
Algebra-Ray's Elementary completed.
Arithmetic-Ray's Higher completed.
Grammar-Harvey's.
Civics-First and second terms.
Book-keeping-Last term.
Physiology-Cutter's Comprehensive.
Spelling-Reed and Kellogg's completed to page 113.
MIDDLE CLASS.
Spelling-Reed and Kellogg's to page 153.
Algebra-Ray's Higher completed to Ratio and Proportion.
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HISTORY OF WEZTEL COUNTY.
Rhetoric-Hill's completed.
Physical Geography-Houston's first and second terms. Mental Arithmetic-Completed.
General History-Myer's completed.
Latin-Chase and Stuart.
SENIOR CLASS.
Spelling-Reed and Kellogg completed.
Geometry-Wentworth's Plane completed.
Latin-Four books of Caesar's Gallic War. Physics-Avery.
English and American Literature.
The following persons have been principal of the school: A. F. Wilmoth, S. B. Hall, S. W. Martin, Frank Burley, E. E. Um- stead, J. N. Van Camp, W. W. Cline, J. M. Skinner, D. W. Shields, W. E. Maple, B. H. Hall and W. J. Postlethwait.
The high school library is composed of 905 well selected vol- umes. The school is supplied with $250 of laboratory appa- ratus.
ยท
AN INDIAN MASSACRE NEAR THE BOR- DERS OF WETZEL COUNTY.
On the 5th of December, 1787, a party of Indians and one white man, Leonard Schoolcraft, came into the settlement on Hoker's creek, and meeting with the daughter of Jesse Hughes, took her prisoner; passing on they came upon an old man by the name of West. He was carrying some fodder to the stable, and they likewise took him captive and carried him to where Hughes' daughter had been left in charge of some of the party. Here the old man got down on his knees and prayed fervently that they would not deal harshly with him, on which he was answered by a stroke of a tomahawk, which sent him to death's eternal sleep.
They then went to the house of the old man's son, Edmund West, where were Mrs. West and her sister, who was but eleven years old, daughter of John Hoker and a brother of West, a lad of twelve years. They forced open the door, Schoolcraft and two of the savages entered and one of them immediately tomahawked Mrs. West. The boy was taking some corn from under the bed and was drawn out by his feet and tomahawked. The girl was standing behind the door and one of the savages made toward her and aimed a blow at her head. She tried to evade it, but it struck her on the side of the neck, though not with sufficient force to knock her down. She fell, however, and lay as if killed. Thinking their work of death accomplished here, they took from a press some milk, butter and bread and placed it on the table and sat down to eat. The little girl observed all that was happening in silent stillness. When they had satisfied their hunger they arose, scalped the woman and boy, plundered the house, and depart-
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HISTORY OF WEZTEL COUNTY.
ed, dragging the little girl by the hair about fifty yards from the house. They then threw her over a fence and scalped her, but as she evinced symptoms of life, Schoolcraft exclaimed, "That is not enough," when immediately a savage thrust a knife into her side, and they left her. Fortunately the point of the knife came in contact with a rib and did not injure her much.
Old Mrs. West and her two daughters were alone when the old gentleman was taken. They became uneasy that he did not return, and fearing that he had fallen into the hands of the savages, they left the house and went to the house of one Alexander West, who was then on a hunting expedition with his brother Edmund. They told them of the absence of the old man and their fears of his fate, and as there was no man here they went over to the house of Jesse Hughes, who was also uneasy as to the absence of his daughter, and on hearing that West, too, was missing, he did not doubt Mrs. West's predictions, and knowing of the absence of the younger West he deemed it advisable to apprize his wife of danger and re- move her to his house. On which he started toward the house, accompanied by Mrs. West and her two daughters. On en- tering the door a horrible spectacle was presented to their view. Mrs. West and the lad lay upon the floor welting in their blood, but not yet dead. The sight overpowered the girls, and Hughes had to carry them off. Seeing that the savages had just left them, and aware of the danger that they would be menaced with if the alarm be given to the Indians, Hughes guarded his own house that night and in the morning spread the sorrowful news of the massacre, and organized a company of men who went in pursuit of the Indians and to try to find the missing ones. Young West was found, standing in the creek about a mile from home, where he had been toma- hawked. The brains were oozing from his head, yet he sur- vived in extreme suffering for three days. Old Mr. West was found in the field where he had been tomahawked. Mrs. West
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HISTORY OF WETZEL COUNTY.
probably lived but a few minutes after Hughes and her sisters- in-law had left there. The little girl (Hoker's daughter) was found in bed at the home of old Mr. West. She related the story to Edmund West, and said that she went to sleep, when she was thrown over the fence and was awakened by the scalp- ing. After she had been stabbed, at the suggestion of School- craft, and left, she tried to re-cross the fence to the house, but as she was climbing up she again went to sleep and fell back. After awakening she walked into the woods and sheltered her- self as good as she could in the top of a tree and remained until morning.
Remembering that there was no person left alive at her sis- ter's house, she proceeded to go to the house of old man West. She found no person at home, the fire nearly out, but the hearth warm. She laid down on it, but the ashes produced a sicken- ing odor which caused her to get up and go to bed, where she was found. She recovered, grew up and was married, and gave birth to ten children. She died, as was believed by many, from an affection of the head, caused by the wound she re- ceived that night. Hughes' daughter was ransomed by her father the next year, and for a long time lived in sight of the theatre of those savage enormities.
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THE HEROISM OF MRS. BOZARTH.
An Incident of Border Warfare in Monongalia County.
After the combat of Capt. David Morgan and the two sav- ages the alarm caused the settlers of the neighborhood of Prickett's Fort to gather at the house of Mrs. Bozarth for safety, and on the 1st of April, 1778, when only Mrs. Bozarth and two men were in the house, the children, who were out at play, came running toward the house in full speed, exclaiming that there were "ugly red men coming." Upon hearing this, one of the two men in the house went to the door to see if Indians really were coming, and received a glancing shot on his breast, which caused him to fall back. The Indian who had shot him sprang in immediately after, and grappled with the other white man, and was quickly thrown on the bed. His antagonist having no weapon with which to do him any injury. called to Mrs. Bozarth for a knife. Not finding one at hand, she seized an axe, and at one blaw let out the brains of the pros- trate savage. By this time another savage entered the door and shot dead the man engaged in combat with his com- panion. Mrs. Bozarth turned on him and with a well directed blow knocked him in the head and caused him to call out for help. Upon this the others who were engaged with the chil- dren in the yard, came to the door, and as each one would stick his head in the door he would be sent to the happy hunting grounds by the hand of Mrs. Bozarth. The children in the yard were all killed and one of the men, but by the coolness and infinite self-possession of Mrs. Bozarth she succeeded in saving her own life and that of the man who was first shot, and keeping the savages from taking possession of the house.
AN INDIAN MASSACRE IN TYLER COUNTY.
In August, 1787, five Indians on their way to the Indian set- tlement on the Monongahela river, met two men on Middle Is- land creek, Tyler county, and killed them. Taking the dead men's horses the continued their journey until they came to the house of William Johnson, on what is now known as "Ten Mile," and made prisoners of Mrs. Johnson and some children; plundered the house, killed part of the stock, and taking with them one of Johnson's horses, returned toward the Ohio. When the Indians came to the house Johnson had gone to a Lick not far off, and on his return in the morning, seeing what had been done, and searching until he found the trail of the savages and their prisoners, ran to Clarksburg for assistance. A company of men repaired with him immediately to where he had discovered the trail, and keeping it about a mile, found four of the children lying upon the ground dead and scalped, and their bodies laid in a form as to represent a cross. The dead were buried and further pursuit given over.
ADAM POE'S FAMOUS FIGHT WITH BIG FOOT.
Some time near the year of 1780, a party of Wyandotts, con- sisting of five of the most distinguished chiefs of that nation, came into one of the intermediate settlements between Fort Pitt and Wheeling and killed an old man, who was alone in the vast wilderness, and robbed him of all that was in the cabin. After doing this, they commenced retreating with the plunder, but they were soon discovered by spies, among whom were Andrew and Adam Poe, two brothers, distinguished for their build, physical strength and bravery, who went in pursuit of them, coming near them not far from the Ohio river. Adam Poe, fearing that the Indians were in ambush, left his com- panions, where he started toward the river under cover of the high grass, with a few to attack them unawares, should they be in such a position. At last he saw an Indian raft at the edge of the water, but saw no Indians; presently he walked cautiously through the grass, and had gone but a few steps when he saw below him under the bank the big Wyandott chief, "Big Foot," and a little Indian side by side, muttering something in a very low tone, and watching the party of whites who were lower down the bottom. Poe then raised his gun to shoot, aiming at the big chief; the gun snapped, which betrayed his presence; seeing no chance for retreat, he immediately sprang upon the big chief, and seizing him by the breast and at the same time putting his arm around the neck of the smaller Indian, threw them both to the gorund, knocking the two Indians senseless for the time being. They then struggled for a while, on which the smaller Indian succeeded in getting loose from the grasp of Poe, and af course, as soon as he got free grabbed a tomahawk and started toward Poe, but a vigor-
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