USA > West Virginia > Myers' history of West Virginia (1915) Volume II > Part 8
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In those days in Clarksburg, as in Virginia, family pedi- gree-rather than personal worth-was one's passport to so- ciety. Now. it is WHAT you are, not WHO you are, that counts. This change in social conditions may, in some degree at least, be explained in this way :
As life goes, the men and women of today are but grown- up children of yesterday. Human character and social condi- tions are, to a greater extent than some of us may imagine, governed by environment.
Clarksburg was situated in a wild country, remote from other habitations. The population was small, and for the sake of mutual protection the families of different degrees of social standing were. more or less. thrown together: and, while the aristocratically inclined separated themselves from the others in most of the social functions. their children were less af- fected by their parents' peculiar notions of social strata for children, after all, are very much the same the world over. They are always eager for children's sports, and the "rag tags" of the workman and the better clothed urchins of the genteel recognized no social barriers in their plays and pastimes. These promiscuous associations in youth tended to broaden the mind along social lines in after years. And today it would be difficult to distinguish one's past history by his present as- sociations. for a person is now valued -America over-accord- ing to his personal merits rather than by ancestral pedigree. The free school system has helped to improve social condi- tions. This process of social equalization has not sacrificed any traits of character worth retaining. Narrow vanity and excessive self-pride are supplanted by common sense, more liberal views and greater respect for the rights of others.
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While, on the other hand, the rude mannerisms and coarse customs of the "under dog" have gradually given way to the finer and more elevating influences of the other. Thus an as- similation of virtues and eradication of faults have produced a citizenship in Clarksburg unsurpassed for excellence of char- acter anywhere in the land. She has produced many able law- yers, doctors, ministers and statesmen, and people of all the useful walks of life, and when it comes down to real, shrewd business men-well, we will just give you an illustration of the reputation abroad of the business acumen of the Clarks- burgers as told by Mr. Haymond :
"A wholesale grocer of Parkersburg was asked what he intended to do with his oldest son, then coming of age. The reply was, 'I intend to set him up in business at Clarksburg with a thousand dollars, and if he can keep that for three months I will entrust him with all I have.'"
The writer does not wish to be understood to say that our foreparents who settled in Clarksburg were not desirable citizens. On the contrary, they were representative citizens of the mother State. They were brave, honorable, courteous, educated people, but they had been brought up in a social atmosphere repugnant to the democratic simplicity that gener- ally prevails throughout West Virginia today. From what- ever angle we may view the lives of the old Castellan stock who dared the perils of a life in the wilderness, their many noble traits of character more than off-set their few short- comings.
The following reminders of old times in Clarksburg are so vividly and interestingly told by Mr. Haymond that we reproduce them verbatim :
"In the early days the neighborhood of Clarksburg was a good boy's country.
"In the Spring was the fishing season by hooks, trot lines, brush seines, gigging and nets. A little later came mulberries, dewberries, wild plums, blackberries and raspberries. In the Fall there were wild grapes, persimmons, cherries, pawpaws, chestnuts, beechnuts, butter nuts, hickory and hazel nuts. The nuts were gathered and stored away for Winter use. Later in the Fall came the season for trapping snow birds,
History of West Virginia
snaring rabbits, trapping muskrats, and 'coon and 'possum hunts at night. The Point mill dam in the West Fork was famous as a fishing place for bass, as was the 'fishpot' in the bend below the dam. The mill dam in Elk Creek-called the Town dam -was another fishing resort.
"The swimming holes were for the town boys; the Mill pond was in Elk- called 'Saint Denis'; another was just below the Fourth Street bridge -- called the Pike Hole ; the next was at the bend of the creek below Broaddus College-called the Deep Hole.
"Then there was the old Ferry in the river at the foot of Ferry street, which was famous as a swimming place, mostly for men and big boys. It was too deep and broad for the little fellows.
"There was a ferry conducted at this place for many years by 'Daddy Eib' and hence its name.
"'Despard's corner,' at Third and Main streets, was a famous gathering place for boys of evenings, around the old horse block which stood out in front of the store room. Many expeditions for the purpose of fishing, gathering nuts, tramps through the woods, &c., were arranged there.
"The amusements were games of marbles, shooting at a mark with bow and arrows, town ball, pitching quoits, tag, Anthony-over. hunt-the-hare, jumping, wrestling and foot races and sliding on the ice, coasting and snow-balling.
"As the conditions of the country changed the boys' occupations and amusements changed also. As the woods were cleared out, with them went the nuts, fruits and wild game animals.
"During the existence of the militia laws each regiment of militia was compelled to assemble for drill once each year, generally in the Spring. The Eleventh Regiment assembled in Clarksburg, and the day was called 'Big Muster', and the boys looked forward to it with the greatest pleasure and in- terest. Nobody was in uniform. Here and there an officer would have a white and red plume in his hat or a sash or sword belted around him, and it was sometimes the case that a newly-elected officer would mount a pair of cpaulettes. Great crowds would collect around the fife and drum corps
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on the streets. A cavalry company, rather a party of men on horseback, with nothing military about them, would occasion- ally dash through the streets headed by a bugler, who would sound his bugle, which, with the dogs and shouts of the offi- cers, with clouds of dust and the delighted howls of the young population, created pandemonium and an amusing and excit- ing scene, one never to be forgotten. Alas, Big Muster is a thing of the past. The Civil War broke up the militia system and no one had a taste for military display after four years of actual conflict.
"On Big Muster day, as on all other public occasions, Mrs. Cline had her stand set up in the Court House yard, where she did a heavy traffic in ginger-bread and spruce beer. The author can cheerfully testify that in all his subsequent application to confection, beer and 'drinks of like nature', he has never yet encountered anything to equal Mrs. Cline's products, and all the old stagers of Clarksburg, he candidly believes, will verify this experience.
"The coming of a circus and menagerie was an event among the young population of the greatest moment, and nothing else was talked about for days before the perform- ance. At that time the whole outfit of the show travelled by wagons. as there was no railroad, and it was the custom for every boy in town to go out to meet the caravan, sometimes two or three miles out.
"The shows were held on Main street. east of the Presby- terian Church, between Pike and Main, on the Jackson place.
"In a Clarksburg paper published in 1847 appears an ad- vertisement that 'Robinson & Eldred's Great National Circus, composed of 100 men and horses, will exhibit in Clarksburg on August 21'.
"Occasionally small traveling troops would visit Clarks- burg and amuse the people by performances consisting of theatricals, dialogues, sleight-of-hand tricks, interspersed with music and song. Sometimes local thespian societies would give an entertainment. The Court House was always used for these amusements.
"The earliest menagerie or animal show of which there is
History of West Virginia
any account was one that held forth in a house on Main street, between Third and Fourth streets, in the carly twen- ties."
Early Newspapers.
The first newspapers published in Clarksburg appear to have been The Bystander, in 1815, followed by The Western Virginian, in 1816; The Republican Compiler, in 1817; The Independent Virginian, in 1819; The Clarksburg Gazette and The Rattlesnake. in 1822; The Clarksburg Intelligencer, in 1823: The Clarksburg Enquirer, in 1829; The Western Enquirer, in 1832; The Countryman, in 1835; The Clarksburg Democrat and The Clarksburg Whig, in 1840; The Scion of Democracy, in 1844; The Harrison Republican, in 1845; The Age of Progress, in 1855; The Clarksburg Register, in 1856: The Western Virginian Guard, in 1861, and The Telegram. in 1862. Since that time a number of other papers have come and gone. Clarksburg now has The Telegram, News and Herald, each with a weekly and daily edition.
On November 18, 1824, wheat was quoted in Clarksburg at $1.00: rye. 50 cents ; oats, 25 cents, and corn, 50 cents per bushel ; butter, bacon, hams and cheese, 1212 cents per pound. pound.
The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad from Grafton to Parkers- burg was completed to Clarksburg about 1854-55.
The population of Clarksburg in 1861 was about 1500. At that time there were five churches in town.
The highest number of slaves ever owned in Harrison County was 582, in 1860.
The first banking institution of Clarksburg was organized in 1812 under the name of Saline Bank of Virginia, with Benjamin Wilson, Jr., as president, and John Webster, cashier. This bank became insolvent and closed its doors the latter part of December, 1827, or the early part of January, 1828. No more banks were opened in Clarksburg until 1860, when the Merchants and Mechanics Bank was organized, being a branch of the Wheeling bank of the same name. Its first board of directors consisted of Nathan Goff, AAaron Criss. Cyrus Ross, Burton Despard and John Davis: Nathan Goff
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being chosen president and Luther Haymond cashier. In 1865 it entered into the national banking system as the Merchants National Bank and is now located on the corner of Third and Main streets. The Bank of West Virginia was organized in 1869. Thomas S. Spates, president, and John C. Vance, cashier. Following the above banking institutions came the Traders, Peoples, Farmers, Lowndes Savings Bank, Home Savings Bank and Empire Bank. The Traders and the Peoples banks consolidated and are now called the Union Bank.
Post Masters at Clarksburg.
Following is a list of persons who have served as post masters at Clarksburg :
John Webster, 1798; Joseph Newelle, 1808; William Williams, 1815; John W. Williams, 1820; William Williams, 1828: Hamilton G. Johnson, 1839; Elias Bruen, Benjamin F. Griffin, Cyrus Vance, Richard Fowkes, John H. Shuttleworth, William F. Richards, Lloyd Reed, Daniel W. Boughner, Lec H. Vance, Lloyd Reed, Stuart F. Reed (now Secretary of State of West Virginia), Sherman C. Denham and Carl Vance.
The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad entered Clarksburg about 1854: the Monongahela River Railroad, in 1889; the Short Line Railroad, 1901, and the West Virginia & Pittsburgh, in 1879.
Clarksburg in 1914. .
Although Clarksburg is over a century and a quarter old, practically the whole of the city as it now stands has been built within the last twenty-five years. Sixty years ago Clarksburg's only outlet to the world was by wagon or horse- back over the Northwestern Turnpike. Her population at the beginning of the Civil War was about 1500, and it took nearly thirty years to double, the number of inhabitants in 1890 being only 3008. In 1900 the population was 4050; in 1910 it was 9201, and on January 1st, 1914, it was about 12,000.
The financial strength of Clarksburg is evidenced by its
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eight banks-three national, four state and one foreign ex- change bank, ranging in age from eight to fifty-three years. On June 30, 1910, the combined reports of these banks showed the following :
RESOURCES.
Loans and discounts.
$4,810,428.98
Real estate, furniture and fixtures
372,204.98
U. S. bonds and premiums
715,450.00
Other bonds and securities
1,120,040.97
Cash on hand and due from banks
1,485,197.43
Due from U. S. treasurer
28,250.00
LIABILITIES.
$8,531,572.36
Capital
$ 993,200.00
Surplus and undivided profits
369,854.02
Circulation
645,850.00
Deposits
0,439,470.00
Dividends unpaid
18,197.00
Bonds borrowed.
65,000.00
$8,531,572.36
At a cost of about $270,000.00. Clarksburg installed a fine water system, with a capacity sufficient to supply 35,000 people.
Clarksburg's transportation facilities are first class. In addition to the main line of the Baltimore & Ohio, running from New York to St. Louis via Baltimore and Washington. that system has three branch lines entering the city. This. together with cheap fuel and raw material at hand, is rapidly pushing ' Clarksburg to the front rank as a manufacturing centre. It is said that this city has the cheapest gas rates of any town or city in the State, the rate for domestic purposes being only ten cents and for manufacturing purposes four cents per 1.000 cu. ft. ; and as to coal -well, it is coal. coal on every hand-the city is in the very midst of the "black diamond" field. Yet Clarksburg is not a typical mining town -such as are usually found in mining districts-the greater portion of the mine openings being in the suburbs, where the hill sides and valleys are dotted with miners' homes. It is due to this fact that Clarksburg's population is not greater.
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Following is a partial list of Clarksburg's manufacturing establishments :
The Phillips Sheet and Tin Plate Company, organized in 1904; employs 1,000 people ; annual pay-roll, $650,000.
LaFayette Window Glass Co-Operative Co., organized in 1899; employs 125 men ; weekly pay-roll. $3,000.
Peerless Window Glass Company, organized in 1905; employs 125 men ; weekly pay-roll, $2,000.
Lange & Crist Box & Lumber Co., established in 1909; employs 20 men.
West Fork Glass Company, established in 1903 ; employs 15 people ; annual pay-roll. $95.000.
Clarksburg Lumber & Planing Mill Company, organized in June, 1909; employs 26 men.
Clarksburg Casket Company, established in 1906; em- ploys several people.
Parr Lumber & Planing Mill Company; employs 32 people ; annual pay-roll $25,000 to $30,000.
Clarksburg Foundry & Casting Company, established in 1907 ; employs 20 men ; annual pay-roll, $12,000.
Tuna Glass Company, established in 1907 ; employs 235 men : annual pay-roll. $148,000.
Travis Glass Company, established in 1908; employs 175 people : monthly pay-roll, $12.000.
The A. Radford Pottery Company, established in 1903 ; employs 43 people ; monthly pay-roll, $2,500.
Southern Pine Lumber Company, employs 25 men ; monthly pay-roll, $1,200.
Star Rig, Reel & Supply Company, established in 1900: employs 33 people ; annual pay-roll, $35,000.
The Hazel-Atlas Glass Company, established in 1900; annual pay-roll. $125,675.
The Grasselli Chemical Company, established in 1903; employs about 1,000 men.
The Clarksburg Light & Heat Company and the Monon- gahela Gas Company are owned and operated by local people. The present domestic gas rate is 10 cents per thousand feet. and for manufacturing purposes 4 cents.
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General Information.
Clarksburg has 7 miles of paved streets : 8 glass factories employing 1400 people, with an annual pay-roll of $1,000,000; 2 zinc spelter plants, employing 500; 1 tin plate mill, employ- ing 1,000 people, with an annual pay-roll of $650,000; 9 whole- sale houses; 12 department stores; 70 retail stores; lo lead- ing office buildings; 20 churches; 13 hotels; 4 daily news- papers, and 2 hospitals.
The city and interurban street car service is high class in every particular. In addition to lines that are laid through the principal streets of the city, electric trains and large inter- urban cars are run to the neighboring towns, north, south, east and west.
Clarksburg has many fine buildings. The Empire National Bank building, the Goff building, the Hotel Waldo building are splendid structures and would do credit to a much larger city.
Schools.
The first school building in Clarksburg was known as the Randolph Academy and was erected by David Hewes, con- tractor, in 1795 for the sum of one hundred and seventy- nine pounds, George Jackson, John Powers, Joseph Hastings, H. Davisson, John Prunty. John McCally, Daniel Davisson, Maxwell Armstrong, George Arnoldl. William Robinson and Benjamin Coplin being the trustees, and Rev. George Towers. instructor. Rev. Towers was a Presbyterian minister, a native of England and graduate of Oxford University.
The Northwestern Virginia Academy followed the Ran- dolph Academy. in 1843. and after the establishment of the public school system was used for that purpose until the con- struction of the High School building, in 1894, on the same site. The institution was incorporated by an act of the Virginia Legislature in the year 1842, the following persons being named as trustees :
Edwin S. Duncan, John J. Allen, Samuel L. Hayes. William A. Harrison, Waldo P. Goff. Charles Lewis, George Prichard. John W. Coffman. Augustine J. Smith, Richard W.
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Moore, Walter Ebert, Nathan Goff, Gideon D. Camden, John Stealey, John Talbott, Solomon Parsons, Joshua Smith, Adam Carper and John J. Swayze.
The building was a two-story brick, 71 by ++ feet. Rev. Gordon Battelle was the first principal and remained in charge of the institution about twelve years, when he was succeeded by Rev. Alexander Martin.
The Broaddus Female College of Winchester, conducted by the Rev. Edward J. Willis, a Baptist minister, was re- moved to Clarksburg in 1876, and for a time occupied the old Bartlett Hotel building, the site of which now belongs to the Court House Park, which stood on Main and Third streets, having been purchased by the county court from Lloyd Lowndes. In 1878 a large brick building was con- structed in Haymond's grove and the school moved into it. The building was enlarged and did excellent work for many years. In 1908 the property was sold and the institution was removed to Philippi in 1909.
Clarksburg's High and Graded Schools.
Faculty-F. L. Burdette, supt. ; Helen F. Boardman, supr. Music : Bessie Boggess, asst. supr. Music ; and Nettie M. Nutter, supr. Drawing.
HIGH SCHOOL-Orie McConkey, principal : Frank Cutright, Frank E. Arnett, Z. R. Knotts,. James E. Kennedy, Mildred A. F. Dunn, Lucy H. Norvell, Flossie Snodgrass, WVilla Brand, Helen DeBerry, Joan Berry, Neonetta Iams, Ida M. Spahr, and C. E. Kile, teachers.
CENTRAL SCHOOL-Ida M. Higley and Alice Good- win, teachers.
GOFF AND BROADDUS-Lucy A. Robinson, princi- pal : Icie Williams, Lela Whetzel, Marguerite Israel, Angeline Flora, Grace I. Duthie, Florence A. Soder, Gladys Doney. Nannie R. Lowe, Gladys Gage, and Blanche Steel, teachers.
CARLILE SCHOOL-C. Guy Musser, principal ; Ro- manna Rowley, Emily Freeman, Aladine Jackson, Verna Kid- well, Fannie Hughes, Mabel Lee, Mildred J. Snider, Gordie E. Martz, Blanche Beer and Elizabeth Gordon, teachers.
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PIERPONT SCHOOL-J. F. Tracy, principal; Maleta Davis, Mayme Leatherman, Effie G. Brown, Hilda Gwinn, Pearl Long, Genevieve Brake. Josephine Sheets, Myra Bart- lett, Lena Wamsley and Elizabeth Carter, teachers.
KELLEY SCHOOL Frank Noff. principal: Neva B. West, Mabel Paugh and Blanche Chalfant, teachers.
ALTA VISTA SCHOOL-Ira L. Swiger, principal; Addie Young, Blanche Crummitt, Ella Cook. Ethel Pearcy, Mrs. W. B. Davis, Lucy K. Dawson, Ora Gibson, Late Davisson and Charlie Cassell, teachers.
WEST END AND MORGAN SCHOOLS-II. I. Wol- verton, principal ; Grace Wilson, Eunice Stealey, Flo Griffin, Isola Shinn, Eva M. Dodge, Willa Righter, Hariet Long and Lula A. Floyd, teachers.
MONTICELLO SCHOOL-Stella Paugh and Lucy C. Thomas, teachers.
WATER STREET SCHOOL (Colored)-L. R. Jordon. principal : D. H. Kyle, Willa Lee, Estelle Walker, Hannah Meade, Florence Ruffin, Lilly D. Allen and Marie O. Wash- ington, teachers.
Enrollment. 3,000. School term, 9 months. Year 1913-14.
CHARLES TOWN, JEFFERSON COUNTY.
Concerning the early history of Charles Town, the writer is indebted to Hon. Charles A. Johnson, Clerk of the County Court of Jefferson County, for the following :
"Charles Town is rich in Colonial and Revolutionary associations. It was a point on Braddock's march to Fort Duquesne, and the well which the soldiers dug one mile west of town gives refreshing drink to the thirsty of today. During the late war it was the scene of frequent conflicts, and it is conspicuous in the world's history as the place where John Brown was tried, sentenced and hanged. The records of the trial are in the clerk's office at the Court House. The scaffold on which John Brown was executed stood at the point of intersection of a line drawn from the eastern wall of the Baptist Church with another drawn from the northern side of the late John McCurdy's residence. The town was estab-
-
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lished in 1786, fifteen years before the formation of the county, and received the christian name of its first proprietor, Col. Charles Washington, a brother of the illustrious George Washington. It was originally laid off into eighty lots, with streets and alleys, and the following named gentlemen were appointed trustees : John Augustine Washington, William Darke, Robert Rutherford, James Crane, Cato Moore, Magnus Tate, Benjamin Rankin, Thornton Washington, William Little, Alexander White and Richard Ranson. Col. Charles Washington's residence was a small log house which stood a short distance from the town, and its location is marked by a fine spring. The whole of the land upon which the town is located, and much that is in the vicinity, was owned by Charles, Samuel and Augustine Washington. Charles settled at Charles Town, and Samuel (the eldest full brother of General George located at what is known as 'Harewood', a fine old place located about three miles west of town. Here, about the year 1752, he erected a house, which one of his descendents, John A. Washington, now owns. Col. Charles Washington was the founder of the town, and when it was laid out the land at the intersection of the two main streets was donated by the founder as a public square, the corners of which are now occupied by the court house, market house, jail and Farmers' and Merchants' Deposit Co. The first house erected in the town was known as 'Cherry Tavern', a log building occupied by Captain Cherry, who gave it the name, and served as captain of a company in the Revolution- ary War."
In 1910 Charles Town had a population of 2,662. The town, though beautifully situated in a rich agricultural com- munity, has been of slow growth, there having been an in- crease of only 375 people during the preceding twenty years.
Charles Town has three prosperous banking institutions. The National Citizens Bank has a capital of $50,000.00 and surplus of $25,000.00. Braxton D. Gibson is president ; B. F. Langdon, vice president ; Girard D. Moore, cashier ; A. M. S. Morgan, assistant cashier; Adrian G. Wynkoop, Jr., book- keeper.
The Bank of Charles Town, established in April, 1871. has .
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i .
Court House, Charles Town, W. Va., Where John Brown Trial Was Held.
The picture here shown represents the Court House at Charles Town as it appeared at the time of the trial of John Brown and his men in 1859. AAbout three years ago an anne costing about $20,000.00, was built to this structure. which has materially changed its appearance.
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a capital of $50,000.00 and $32,000.00 surplus. S. W. Wash- ington is president ; D. S. Hughes, vice president ; John Por- terfield, cashier, and J. Frank Turner, assistant cashier.
The Farmers' and Merchants' Deposit Co. has a capital of $50,000.00 and surplus of $45,000.00. R. L. Withers is presi- dent ; W. F. Alexander, vice president ; S. Lee Phillips, cashier, and Louis Albin, assistant cashier.
The Virginia Free Press, edited by Mr. William Camp- bell, is the oldest newspaper in West Virginia, having been established in 1811 -- one hundred and four years ago.
Rev. H. M. Moffett is pastor of the Presbyterian Church ; Rev. J. S. Alfriend, rector of the Zion P. E. Church ; Rev. J. C. Hawk, pastor M. E. Church, South ; Rev. W. R. Flannagan, pastor of the Baptist Church, and Rev. Father Lynch, rector of the Roman Catholic Church. There are also five other churches.
The town is well supplied with stores of all kinds, hotels, places of entertainment, etc., but not many industrial estab- lishments, being principally noted as an agricultural center.
Schools.
Charles Town has three schools: The Stephenson Semi- nary, a High School and a school for the colored.
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