History of Kanawha County, West Virginia

I have, however, searched the early records of the county, and conversed with many aged citizens, who grew up within its limits, and in fact constituted much of its history— thus securing many facts which were fading from the memory of those who are ripening for the grave. I have narrated events as our pioneer fathers had preserved them by tradition; and, while some of them may be imperfect, they may nevertheless, in their main features, be relied upon as correct. I have done no individual or family intentional injustice, nor have I "set down aught in malice."

In the outset I intended to prepare a brief historical sketch of the count: but finding, on careful research, a much larger amount of valuable material than I had anticipated, I have prepared the present volume, which I trust will not be discreditable to the second county in wealth and population in the State, How well I have succeeded in my undertaking is for the reader to judge. I am, however, gratified over the fact that I have placed on record, in permanent shape, many important occurrences which, ere another decade had passed away, would have been buried in oblivion.

 

List of Illustrations

HOME OF THE PIONEER To Face Title Page
BATTLE OF POINT PLEASANT " Page 34
SCHOOL AND MEETING HOUSE 106
TUB MILL 107
THE BLOCK-HOUSE To Face Page 108
THE HERMIT " 110
SURPRISING AN INDIAN CAMP " 116
DEATH OF WILLIAM WYATT " 132
CAPTURE OF LEWIS TACKETT " 136
SUGAR MAKING, THE OLD WAY 189

 

Table of Contents

CHAPTER I.
ORGANIZATION OF THE COUNTY.
Original Boundary — Great Kanawha River — New River and its Peculiarities — Elk River, its Fall, Timber, Coal, etc. — Elk Valley — Gauley River, its Natural Fortifications, etc, — Coal River, its Cannel Coal, Forests and Farms — The Coal River, Fort — Lewis Tackett — The Destruction of the Fort by the Indians — Miraculous Escape of John Young, with his wife and Child a few hours old — Jacob Young, "the Child of the Storm" — Pocatalico River and Valley — Kanawha's Present Rank as a County... 9

CHAPTER II.
COUNTIES FORMED FROM KANAWHA.
West Augusta, the Parent of all the Counties of Western Virginia — Formation of Mason County in 1804, its Original Area, Population, etc. — Point Pleasant, Mason City, Clifton, West Columbia, Hartford City, New Haven, and their Manufactures - A Shawnee Indian Town — Cabell County, its Organization in 1809 - Guyandotte, Barboursville and Huntington — Green Bottom — An Ancient City — Nicholas Founded in 1813 — "The Glades" — An Ancient Lake — Logan Established in 1824— The Lewis Campaign — Tug River — A Peculiar kind of Food — Fayette Created in 1831— The Great Kanawha Falls — Hawk's Nest - Grand Scenery — Formation of Jackson in 1831 — Ravenswood and Ripley — Braxton Organized in 1836, its Coal, Iron, Salt and Timber — Sutton and Bulltown — Boone Established in 1847 Its First Court of Justice, and Where Held — Juries Deliberate in the Bushes - Destruction of Courthouse and Jail by Fire — Peytona — Incidents of Daniel Boone and Scraps from Early Records of Kanawha — Formation of Gilmer in 1843— Glenville — Putnam Established in 1848, its First Officers, etc. — Calhoun Created in 1855 — Grantsville — Roane Founded in 1856, its Grazing Qualities, etc. — Spencer — Clay Organized in 186^— Occupation of its People — Formation of Lincoln, the youngest offspring of Kanawha, in 1867 — Mud River — Hamlin — Present Area of Kanawha County, etc... 16

CHAPTER III.
BATTLE OF POINT PLEASANT.
Formation of the Army - Lord Dunmore and General Lewis to form a junction at the Month of the Kanawha — Lewis' March from Fort Union— Captain Arbuokle as Guide - Lord Dunmore moves towards the Shawnee Towns on the Scioto — Two Soldiers fired upon by the Indians — The Beginning of the Battle — The 10th of October, the Great Field Day — Death of Colonel Charles Lewis and Colonel Fleming - Tactics of General Lewis - Plan of the Battle — Consternation and Defeat of the Indians — The Dead and Wounded — Cornstalk, the Great Chief, in Command of the Indians — Van Bibber's Account of the Battle — The Centennial Celebration — A Monument to be Erected... 88

CHAPTER IV.
EARLY SETTLEMENTS.
The Frontiersmen, their Peculiarities and Dispositions — Backwoods Life and its Sequences — Early Settlement of the Great Kanawha Valley — The Era of Peace broken - Stroud, the Pioneer — His Settlement on the Gauley River in 1772 - The Massacre of his Family — Retaliation by the Whites — The Destruction of the Bulltown Indian Tribe — Kelly's Creek Settlement in 1774 — "Tomahawk" and "Corn" titles to Land - Murder of Kelly by the Indians — Narrow Escape of Captain Field — Subsequent Murder of Kelly's Family — The Morris's, the first Permanent Settlers — Point Pleasant settled in 1774— Personal Incidents — Anecdotes of the VanBibbers — Eulen's Leap — Indian Incursions in 1791 — Dunmore's Patent to Major Bullitt — The First Settlement at Charleston — The Clendennin Fort, the first house in Charleston — Other old Buildings — The Incorporation of "Charlestown" in 1794 — Its first Trustees — Change of Name — The First Settlement on Elk River — O'Brien's Folly — Massacre of the Carpenters, etc., etc... 48

CHAPTER V.
MURDER OF CORNSTALK.
Cornstalk and Redhawk visit Point Pleasant, and are detained as Hostages - Lionel Skillern marches toward the Ohio — Failure of General Hand to meet his engagement — Gilmore killed by bushwhacking Indians — Narrow Escape of Hamilton — Determination to kill the Indians in the Fort — Cornstalk's son, Elinipsico — His fearfulness, and the coolness of Cornstalk — The atrocious Murder of the Hostages — Incidents of Cornstalk — His premonition of Death — Superstitions of the Old Settlers of Point Pleasant - Cornstalk's unpretentious Grave... 61

CHAPTER VI.
A PIONEER WEDDING.
The diversity of customs — Entreaty with the Parson — He consents — His reception at the Settlement — Appearance of the matron — Excitement among the poultry — A calamity within the household — 'Coon-skin bed — Narrow escape — Dress and appearance of the Bride — How the Bridegroom was "fixed up" — A strange objection — The "tieing of the knot " —The Parson's fee — The dance and Jubilee, etc., etc... 67

CHAPTER VII.
WILD GAME.
Adventures of Early Settlers — The Primeval Forests of the Valley — Beech Mast— Appearance of the Bottom on which Charleston now Stands — Herds of Bears — Their Tameness on Account of Fat — How they were Killed — Bear Crossing — Deer Stand - Wild Turkeys - How Caught — The Turkey Pen — Deer Hunting — Deer Licks — Small Game — Elk and Buffaloes — Wolf Pens — Panther Hunting — An Adventure by an Old Hunter — Narrow Escape - Peculiarities of the Panther, etc., etc... 74

CHAPTER VIII.
FIRST COUNTY COURT, AND PUBLIC BUILDINGS.
First County Court, and County Officers — Clendennin's Fort the First Court House — Particulars of the First Jail — Where Located - How Built — Protests of Sheriff Alderson — Second Jail — Its Cost — Col. Ruffner's Description of It — First Court House — A Peculiar Quotation from the County Records — Building of Present Court Edifice — First Clerk's Office Its Location and Description A Copy from the County Records Present Public Buildings What the County Needs, etc... 80

CHAPTER IX.
THE LEWIS FAMILY.
John Lewis Refugees to America — His Four Sons — Fort Lewis — War with the Indians - Heroism of Col. Charles Lewis — His Capture by the Indians — Leaps over a Precipice - Pursued by Indians — Narrow Escape from being Bitten by a Rattlesnake — His Sufferings Alone in the Forests — Attack upon Port Lewis by the Indian s— Bravery of its Inmates — The Eldest Son — His Defect of Vision, and Scholariv Attainments — General Andrew Lewis, the Hero of Point Pleasant — Invasion by the British — The Defense at Rockfish Gap — Patriotism of Mrs. Lewis — Eulogy by General Washington — Anecdote of John Lewis — Expedition of General Braddock — Timely Interference by Major Lexis — Washington's Opinion of General Lewis — He Recommends Him to Congress — Death of Genneral Lewis — What Stuart said of Him — The Lewis Family in Kanawha... 85

CHAPTER X.
ANCIENT CIVILIZATION.
Ancient Occupancy of Central America and Mexico — Early Settlement of the United States by a Prehistoric Race — Traditions of those Countries — Mythological Proofs cited — The Northmen Discover North America in the tenth Century — The Basques and Irish Fishermen — The Fu-Sang of Japanese History — Ancient Wall on Loup Creek Mountain — Its Peculiarities — Dr.Buster's Recollections in regard to it — Mystery as to its Builders — Possibility of Its being a Trap for Game — The Salt Spring on Loup Creek Island — Other Walls of a similar Kind — A Prehistoric City — Discovery of Ancient Relics — Sculptured Stones in the bed of the River - Ancient Fortification - Mounds and Mound Builders... 91

CHAPTER XI.
EARLY CUSTOMS, INCIDENTS, AND INVENTIONS.
Dress of Pioneers — Hunting Shirts, Short Gowns and Moccasins — Occupations of the First Settlers — Primitive Furniture — Of what it Consists and how Made — Table-ware, and Diet — House Warmings — Log Rollings — House Raising s— Corn Huskings — Quiltings — The Dance — "Black Bettie" — Scarcity of Professional Men — Pioneer Preachers — The "Doctors" and their Remedies - Lawyers and their Fees — School Teachers — Text Books for Scholars — Old-time Institutions — Hominy Blocks, Graters and Horse Mills — Home Tanneries and Shoe Shops — Mechanics — Snakes — Where Found and how Killed — Forts and Block-houses — When Occupied, etc., etc... 100

CHAPTER XII.
THE HERMIT.
The Settlement near the Mouth of Elk River — Character of the Settlers — Description of the Scenery — The Two Sons, and the Daughter — Their Occupations -The Flight of Time — The Peace of that Eden Broken — The Young Man abandons his Home and Friends — Reason given - His Western Home and Hermit Life — Visits Chillicothe — Wild Appearance — The Dog — Cave Discovered - Piketon — Turnpike and Canal — Death of the Hermit — His Tomb, and Monument... 110

CHAPTER XIII.
EARLY TRADITIONS.
John Young discovers Indian tracks near Jarrett's Ford — His alarm — Meets a party of Pursuers — Flight up Little Sandy Creek — Discovery of the Indians' Camp — Dawn of Day — Preparations for the Attack — Six Shots fired — Painted White Man Killed — Narrow Escape of John Griffith — His Narrative — Strange Creek — Interesting Circumstances Connected with its name — Massacre of Henry Morris' Daughters — The Flight to the Fort — Vow of Henry Morris — Narrow Escape of William Carroll — Massacre of the Wheeler Family — Murder of James Staten — Killing of Shadrach Harmon — Hale's Spring — Murder.of Hale — Paint Creek — Bell Creek — Indian Creek — Flight of Fleming Cobbs — He pushes a Canoe from Point Pleasant to Charleston in Fourteen Hours — Pursued by Savages — Capture of Robert Hughes — Two years a Prisoner — His Escape — Incidents of his Captivity — Murder of William Wyatt — A Presentiment — Ann Bailey — Her Services as Spy and Messenger — Tacketts Pine — Miraculous Escape of Lewis Tackett, etc., etc... 116

CHAPTER XIV.
SIEGES OF POINT PLEASANT AND LEWISBURG.
Second Attack on Fort at Point Pleasant — Demand to Surrender — The Decline — Siege Lasts One Week — Failure of Indians, and their March Towards Donnally's Fort — Bravery of Pryor and Hammond — Their Arrival at Lewisburg — Preparation for the Defense — Murder of Pritchet — Bravery of Dick Pointer — Defense of the Fort — Stuart and Lewis March to their Relief — Narrow Escape from an Ambuscade — They Rush to the House through a Volley of Musketry — Deception of the Savage s— Complete Routing of the Indians, etc., etc... 134

CHAPTER XV.
EARLY HISTORY OF CHARLESTON.
Charleston in 1803 — Its Streets and Buildings — Public Square, Court-House and Jail — Whipping-post, Pillory and Stocks — Their Uses — The "Thirty-nine" Lashes — Execution of two Negroes, Abram and Isaac — They are Falsely Accused of Murder, and Suffer the Penalty, While the Real Culprits go Free — Description of the Gallows, and the Scene at the Execution — Bravery of Abram — He Pleads innocence to the End — Accusations Against his Companion Peter — The Sheriff Removes the "Platform" — Last of Abram and Isaac — First Methodist Minister in the Kanawha Valley — Extent of his Circuit - Anecdote of Bishop Morris — Personal Incidents of Rev. Asa Shinn — First Methodist Class— "Billy" Morris — Anecdote of Him While a Member of the Virginia Legislature - Anecdote of Volney the French Infidel — Want of Persons Authorized to Celebrate the Rite of Matrimony — Amusing Weddings — Privations of Early Settlers — Kanawha Salines — Boring for Salt Water— Annual Elections — Kidnapping of Jack Neale — He Murders the Slave-dealer — His Arrest, Imprisonment, and Trial — His Sentence and Reprieve — His Subsequent Troubles - Rev. Dr. Ruffner - Personal Incidents, etc., etc... 144

CHAPTER XVI.
EARLY INCIDENTS.
Recollections of Ck>lonel Joel Bnffner— Names of First Settlers— Baifalo Lick— Killing Game— An Engraved Stone— Manufactare of Salt by the Indians— Transportation of Salt— Keel Boating— Biver Traffic— Cider Royal— Table-ware of the Pioneers— The First Blacksmith— Scarcity of Luxuries— Sagar Making— The First Physician— How he was Regarded— Scarcity of Leather— Want of Shoes— The Pioneer Judge— Court Days— Hunt- ing and Trapping— Captain John Bowyer— Bowyer's Ferry— Ann Bailey— One Trip as Mail Messenger— Observations by the W ay— Teays's Valley— Hog Drovers, and the Corn Crop— Navigation of the Kanawha River— Tradition of a Silver Mine— George Harmon- Facts of his History— Abla Reoo— Mrs. Hansford— Old Residences— The Champion Wood- Chopper— A Fre-historic Boad— Items from County Records— General Washington's Lands, etc., etc 186

CHAPTER XVII.
THE MORRIS FAMILY.
The Morrises the First Permanent Settlers of the Valley — Their Names — The White House — The Falls Property — Henry Morris, the Pugilist, etc., etc... 202

CHAPTER XVIII.
RELIGIOUS HISTORY OF THE KANAWHA VALLEY.
Wonderful Advancement of Religious Institutions — Organization of the First Society - Asa Shinn, the First Preacher — Names of Pioneer Preachers — Bishop Bascom, the first to Preach in Charleston — Bishop Morris — Dr. Power — Wonderful Conversion of Charles B. Baldwin, the Great Lawyer, and Skeptic — His Labors as a Minister of the Gospel— Quarterly Meetings — Presbyterianism in the Valley — The First Regular Minister of that Denomination Stationed in Charleston — Rev. Dr. Brown — His Usefulness in the Valley - Rev. Dr. Ruffner — Isaac Noyes — William Rand and Son — Their Usefulness as Citizens etc, etc... 205

CHAPTER XIX.
RESOURCES OF THE KANAWHA VALLEY.
Climate — Advantages it Possesses — Effects upon the People — Agricultural and Pastoral - Products, and Manufactories — Transportation of Kanawha, Elk, and Coal Rivers — Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad — Four Reasons why it will Ultimately be the Greatest National Thoroughfare — Kanawha Coal Field — Eighty-Nine Feet of Coal Measures — Positively Inexhaustible — Quotations from Professor Daddow — Iron Deposits — Richness of the Ore — Where Found — Varieties and Qualities of Timber — Kanawha Salt Works — Early Salt Making — The "Great Lick" — How Wells were Originally Bored — Improvements Introduced — Coal as a Fuel — Morris's Invention — Its Utility — Gas Wells — Anecdote of a College Professor — Soda Ash — Superiority of Kanawha Salt — Names and Capacities of Kanawha Furnaces, etc., etc... 211

CHAPTER XX.
BIOGRAPHICAL.
Judge Lewis Summers — Born in Fairfax County, Virginia — Removes to Gallipolis, Ohio, in 1808 — Comes to Kanawha in 1804 — Elected to the House of Delegates — Elected Judge in 1819 — His great services as a member of the Board of Public Works — His eminent services in Convention of 1829, etc. — Judge George W. Summers — His great powers as an orator — His success as a lawyer and politician — Is elected to the Lower House of Congress — His defeat for Governor — He raises his voice for the Union in 1861 — Isaac Noyes, the humble and devoted Christian — His remarkable life, and his general usefulness — Strange circumstance of his conversion, etc. — Col. B. H. Smith, the able jurist — His long and laborious life in the Kanawha Valley — His character as a citizen and lawyer — Dr. Spicer Patrick — A brief sketch of his life — Hon. Greenbury Slack, the self-made legislator from Elk river — Brief Personal Sketches, etc., etc... 250

CHAPTER XXI.
MISCELLANEOUS.
Newspapers which have been published in Charleston — Names and Publishers — Interesting Selections from County Records — Soldiers of 1812 who went out from Kanawha county — Modern Charleston - Location of the State Capital — Prominent Buildings — Mobbing of Dawson, Estep and Hines — County and City Officers — Formation of Charleston Gas Light Company — Other Towns in the County — Educational Advantages — Post Offices, etc... 328

 

Read the Book - Free

Download the Book - Free ( 8 MB PDF )

Vantages, except in a very limited degree. It is rich only in its mineral resources, and its timber. The soil, however, is quite productive; but outside of the river and creek valleys, the land is so broken that it will not pay for cultivation. The time is not distant, however, when it will be one of the wealthiest portions of the globe — when the blazes rushing from the smoke-stacks of great rolling-mills, foundries and furnaces, will produce, in this Valley, perpetual day. The iron, the coal, the clay, the salt, the lime, are all here, and only need money and muscle to develop them. The population of the county is about 23,000, and the value of the taxable property is $7,000,000.