DEVELOPMENT OF HOME SITES AND FORTS: BROOKE COUNTY WV

DEVELOPMENT OF HOME SITES AND FORTS

Transcribed and Donated by Jo Ann Scott

Settlers were wary of the water courses and low grounds whether in locating their roads or their residences. The former, if it could be done, always followed the ridges instead of valleys; and their clearings were preferably on the hill tops and slopes instead of on the richer bottoms--the cabin, as a general thing, near and above a spring of water, which determined the location. Generally speaking, their improvements were located well back from the river. At convenient intervals on their most traveled routes and at points accessible to as many people as possible, they located their strongholds for defence and protection in case of danger and for convenience in traveling back and forth.

These forts in some cases were recognized by the authorities and were fitted out at the public expense, but much oftener, they appear to have been private property.

The post at Fort Henry and most probably at Holidays Cove, was of the former class. Of which ever class, they are described as consisting of one or more log houses, substantially built, with port holes for use in firing, of capacity to shelter several families and of strength to resist back woods assaults. These buildings, possibly half a dozen or so together, were surrounded with a stockade of logs set endwise into the ground enclosing sufficient space to contain the cattle, horses, bogs, &c., of the neighborhood, which would otherwise be killed or driven off, in case of attack.

Wheeling Creek, Short Creek and Buffalo, were noted Indian trails in those days. The mouth of Big Wheeling was early an important outpost, but so far as history has it, the mouth of Buffalo seems to have been regarded as of little importance, as a stragetic point. There was a trading stand there, known as "Wells," as far back as 1780 and possibly it was fortified; but we read much more about Fort Van Metre and Rice's Fort, some miles back on the hills, than we do of any fort on the bottom where Wellsburg now stands. Van Metre was a convenient stopping place for travelers by either of the creek routes, and proceeding on in the direction of Holiday's Cove they struck successively Rice's Fort, Doddridge's, McGuire's, Cox's and others at convenient distances apart.

Van Metre's Fort was about three miles southwest of West Liberty: Rice's was on the Dutch fork of Buffalo, in Pennsylvania, on the west bank of the stream, in sight of what is now Bird's mill. The land was long owned by the De Frances. There was a block-house on Colonel Alex. Campbell's land, near where the pike crosses the creek, known as Ramsey's, and there was Doddridge's Fort on the hill overlooking the bottom at Charlestown; Cox's was on the bottom just north of the town site; McGuire's was on what is now the Devinney farm, north of Cross Creck, while at Holiday's Cove was a considerable settlement of whites at a very early day. The sites of these ancient block-houses are almost obliterated, though it is said that Van Metre, Rice's and McGuires can be identified by relics left.

A block-house of some importance stood at Beech Bottom very near where is yet an Indian mound, as early as 1772; Cox's stood on the river bank about a mile above the mouth of Buffalo but the site was a long time ago washed away by the river and the town boys for many a year picked up buttons, trinkets, tools and small pieces of money on the beach. All traces of the establishment were gone half a century ago. The road, however, then ran along the river bank.

By orders from a council of war, held at Fort Pitt, on the 24th of March, 1777, twenty-five men were ordered to be sent to the following places: "Logstown, Holiday's Cove and Cox's." This latter, it is taken for granted, was the block house referred to, but no subsequent mention seems to be anywhere made, of Cox's Fort. The Cox family settled in the immediate vicinity.

In 1790, according to Patrick Gass, who was here at that date, a young man of 19, the bottom above the mouth of Buffalo was a narrow ridge along the river, and back of it, next the hill, was a morass, overgrown with wild plum trees and bushes. On this narrow ridge, answering to our present Main street, Indian bones and relics are frequently dug up and it appears to have been a place at some day of very general Indian resort. There were very few signs of occupation, however, beyond as a trading post, at that date on the site of the present town.

Even as late as 1810-15, women rode across the mountains on horseback, and an old lady tells us a story of a bridal trip from Philadelphia to Louisville; in the saddle to the Ohio at Charlestown, thence down the Ohio by float. The most prominent incident that lingered in her memory for the sixty odd years was the ducking she got when horse and apparel went overboard going aboard the boat at the landing. Luckily she was afoot then but by some mischance she got into the water and damaged her entire Philadelphia outfit of finery. As late as 1834 trips were made to Cumberland in the old-fashioned barouche and it was not until as late as 1845 to 1850 that the road wagons ceased to carry goods from Baltimore and Philadelphia to points on the Ohio. Some of these old high-pooped land schooners are yet seen in Pennsylvania doing menial duty. Old residents speak of the almost continuous string of emigrant wagons winding down the old road, the marks of which are yet seen on the hill side facing the river and extending down to the ferry landing, by way of Liberty street, while the "forty wagons a day" was long the boast at Wheeling. Statistics bearing upon the point are somewhat scarce, but the impression is, that at that date, the Wellsburg crossing was the most frequented of the two. There was, at any rate, from the very first, a rivalry between the two places in this very matter, which increased and made much hard feeling in future days. The evident determination of trade and travel westward by this route early suggested an improved road at the national expense and those interested were not slow to perceive the advantage of securing the crossing.

(source: Original data: Jacob, J. G. Brooke County: Being a Record of Prominent Events Occurring in Brooke County, West Virginia from the Settlement of the Country, until January 1, 1882, Wellsburg, WV, USA: Herald Office, 1882)