Fayette County West Virginia History
Transcribed and donated by Kim Torp
Taken From History of Fayette County, West Virginia
Charleston, W. Va.: Jarrett Print. Co., 1926 [Partial transcription]
Page 170
SEPTEMBER TERM 1836 - Ordered that so much of the Muddy Creek road as lies
in the bounds of Fayette county from George Alderson's old place to the Fayette
county line be attached to Wm. G. Bates' precinct.
Hiram Hill allowed $5.50 for carrying a press for the office, from McVey's
to Vandal's and for a desk made for said office, to be paid out of the levy
of 1836.
JANUARY TERM 1837 - On motion of Ezra Walker, agent of the James and Kanawha
River Companies, Jesse Miller qualified as a collector of tolls at the gate
erected at said Jesse Miller's.
FEBRUARY TERM 1837 - Wilson Abbott and John Cook having received commissions
from the governor appeared at court took the oaths and were seated with the
justices.
James Skaggs produced to the court a commission from the governor of the
commonwealth to execute the office of sheriff until the first quarterly term
of this court for the year 1838. He then appointed the following deputy sheriffs:
William Tyree, Francis Tyree, John Tyree, William Terry and John B. Miller.
Commissioners were appointed to superintend the election as follows:
To be held at Elizabeth Guinn's - Adam Hutchinson, Samuel Coffman, Samuel
Richmond, John Rhodes, Meehl. Kaller.
To be held at Gauley Bridge - John Carlon, John Huddleston, Isaac Jenkins,
James H. Miller, George P. Huddleston
To be held at George Alderson's - Jacob Kesler, William Carnafix, Jesse Miller,
Bailey Wood
To be held at Joseph Harper's - Lemuel Jarrell, Daniel, Shumate, Matthew
Ellison, John Cook, John Stover
To be held at Clarkson Prince's - Samuel Pack, Alfred Beckley, Clarkson Prince,
Charles Lawrence, Henry Hall.
To be held at the Court House - David Wilson, E.D. Vandal, O.L. Waite, Hiram
Hill, James Burgess
JULY TERM 1837 - Licenses granted to keep houses of private entertainment
to the following: William S. Stockton, John P. Huddleston, Thomas B. Hamilton,
WM.S. and Thomas McVey, Clement Vaughan, H.D. Roberts, George Alderson, Jesse
Miller, Francis Tyree, John Deam, John Mars, E.D. Vandal, Samuel Pack, Henry
Hull and William Blake
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Page 482
As early as 1790 the families of James Lykens, James Taylor, Bailey Wood, William Parrish, and others, settled on the present site of Ansted as “squatters”, who occupied the land without any title. The same year these pioneer settlers built the first church to be erected in Fayette county. It was a log building known as the Hopewell Baptist church, and stood on the Tree land immediately in the rear of the present Fountain Neal home.
An old Indian trail, originally a buffalo trail, followed by the Indians on their hunting and war expeditions, passed through Ansted. Traces of this trail have been observed on the land owned by Thomas Rule just outside the corporation limits of the town, between the Ansted National Bank and: the residence of Robert
H. Massey, along the spur or side track of the C. & O. railroad:
which is used for loading lumber, over the precise spot where the building known. as the Captain Page residence now stands, and in the neighborhood of the Sam Arrington property. This trail led from the present site of Lewisburg, Greenbrier county, through Ansted, over Gauley mountain, and after various meanderings down Rich creek, it followed up Bell creek, down Kelly's creek, striking the Kanawha river at the mouth of Kelly’s creek. This was the only route of travel till 1786, at which time the General Assembly of Virginia appropriated funds to open up a wagon road. In 1800 the old State Road was opened from Lewisburg to the Kanawha river valley at the Falls. In 1825 the James river and Kanawha turnpike was opened to travel.
One early historic incident in connection with this route occurred in 1791 when Indians appeared before Fort Clendennin, now Charleston, and laid siege. The ammunition was about to give out, and to save the fort from capture “Mad Anne Bailey” made her famous ride from Charleston, through the present site of Ansted, and on to Lewisburg, bringing back the much needed supplies which enabled the garrison to hold the fort: against the attack of the Indians.
In 1785 John Jones obtained a survey made by Mr. Welsh, the surveyor of Greenbrier county, and located a four hundred acre tract of land on the present Ansted site. A patent for this tract was issued to Charles Skaggs in 1792. The tract was divided into two equal parts. One part was deeded by Mr. Skaggs to his son James and the other deeded to his son Joseph. In 1810, James Skaggs conveyed his section of land to James Westlake….