Pocahontas County, WV
History

POCAHONTAS COUNTY.

The county was formed from parts of Bath, Pendleton, and Randolph, by act of General Assembly passed December 21, 1821. Section first defined the boundaries of the new county, the area of which was 760 square miles. In 1824, the southern boundary line was changed and 60 square miles taken from Greenbrier, thus increasing the area to 820 square miles.

The surface is for the most part rough and mountainous. Here the traveler beholds longitudinal and transverse ranges, trending to every point of the compass. As he stands entranced with the scenic grandeur spread out before him, he experiences the feeling of sublimity which ever impresses one when surrounded by lofty mountains.

Here is the culminating point of the Alleghany range; Mount Bayard, four miles west of Hillsboro, and formerly called Briery Knob, is the highest point in the range, and its summit is the highest land in the county. Along the eastern boundary stretch the Alleghanies proper, in the north are the Rich mountains, Cheat mountains, and Middle mountains; in the west are the Yew mountains and Black range, while in the south are the Beaver mountains, Cranberry range, and Knob mountains, the highest point of the latter being Drop mountain, now historical because of the fierce battle fought upon it and around its northern base, during the late war. In the centre lie the Brown Mountains and Buckley peaks.

Here is an interesting field for the geologist, who may find amid the general upheaval and subsidence of this entire region the stratified and unstratified rocks of almost every geological age or epoch. Perhaps the best examples of flexed and tilted strata to be found in the Appalachian system may be seen here. An inclination of 45 degrees is very common, while that exposed by the erosion of Little Buckle creek at the western base of Beaver Lick Mountains, is inclined at an angle of more than 60 degrees.

Pocahontas, the Indian princess for whom the county was named, was the daughter of Powhatan, the king of the Confederated tribes of Atlantic Virginia. Her real name was Matoka, but this was carefully concealed from the English because of a superstition prevailing among the Indians to the effect that no harm could befall one whose real name was unknown. She was born about the year 1595. The story of her friendship for the English, her marriage and subsequent death in a foreign land has been elsewhere related.

The First County Court, in conformity with the act creating the county, convened at the house of John Bradshaw on the 5th of March, 1822.

The following justices were present:

John Jordan,

William Poage, Jr.,

James Tallman,

Robert Gray,

George Poage,

Benjamin Tallman,

John Baxter,

George Burner. John Jordan became first High Sheriff of the county, with Abraham McNeel and Isaac McNeel, bondsmen.

Josiah Beard was appointed clerk of the court, and John Reynolds Commonwealth's attorney. Sampson L. Matthews was recommended as a "fit and able person to execute the office of surveyor of lands." William Hughes, with William McNeel and Robert McClintock securities, and James Cooper with William Slavans and Samuel Hoget securities, were appointed constables.

On the second day, March 6th, the court appointed Jonathan Jordan deputy sheriff. It then proceeded to appoint overseers or surveyors of the roads, completed and prospective, within the county. The names of those who assumed charge of the highways and thoroughfares through the mountains of what but a few years before had been the wilds of West Augusta were: James Collison, William Edmiston, John Hill, John Cochran, Alexander Wadell, John McNeel, Robert Moore, Martin Dilley, Benjamin Arbogast, William Sharp, William Hartman, and Joseph Wolfenbarger. Robert Gay was appointed commissioner of the revenue, with William Cackley and John Baxter, bondsmen.

The court then proceeded to organize the county militia as a part of the military establishment of the State.

The following persons were named as "fit and proper" to fill the respective offices, and the Governor and council requested to appoint the same:

John Baxter, for colonel commandant of the county of Pocahontas;

Benjamin Tallman, lieutenant-colonel;

William Blair, major;

Captains;

Boone Tallman,

William Arbogast,

Henry Harold,

Isaac Moore

Milburn Hughes,

Lieutenants;

Andrew G. Mathews,

Robert Warwick,

William Morgan,

William Young

James Rhea,

Ensigns.

Jacob Slavans,

James Wanliss,

Samuel Young

James Callison.

Abraham McNeel was then recommended as a fit person to execute the office of coroner.

Travis W. Perkins was granted license and became the first hotel proprietor of Pocahontas County.

Recommended as suitable persons to be appointed justices of the peace.

Jacob W. Matthews,

Thomas Hill,

John Slavans,

James Callison,

William Edmiston,

John Gilliland,

William Cackley,

Samuel Cummings,

John Bradshaw,

Joseph Moore,

Patrick Burfee,

James Waugh,

James Sharp.

The court, leaving military and civil affairs in complete order, adjourned.

Huntersville, the county seat, was laid out in 1821. Surrounded on all sides by lofty mountains, it has, perhaps, more the appearance of an Alpine village than any other town in the State. On the site where the town now stands, John Bradshaw, an early pioneer, built his cabin. Soon after the people of Bath County constructed a wagon road from the Warm Springs through the mountains to his house, and a man named John Harness began hauling goods from Staunton into these mountains for the purpose of trading with the settlers. He made Bradshaw's cabin his headquarters, and here he was met by hunters who brought their pelts, venison, ginseng and other productions of the forest to exchange for Harness' goods. From this, the place came to be known as Huntersville, a name it has ever since retained. It was established a town by legislative enactment, December 18, 1822, "on lands late the property of John Bradshaw." Robert Gay, James-Sharp, Levi Moore, Jacob Lightner and John Gilliland being the first trustees.

Early Settlers.—The first white men within the present limits of the county were Jacob Marlin and Stephen Sewell, who, in the year 1749, reached the mouth of Knapp's creek and erected a cabin on the banks of Greenbrier river, on what has ever since been known as Marlin's bottom, lying at the northern base of Marlin's mountain. These two came to the "far west" to verify the report of a man from Frederic county, who, laboring under some mental aberration, wandered away into the wilderness of what has since been known as the Greenbrier country, and returning, related to his friends that he had visited a country where the rivers flowed away to the west, a contrary direction to those of the Shenandoah valley.

Soon after their settlement a difficulty arose between them, and Sewell, leaving Marlin in the cabin, took up his abode in a hollow tree near by, and thus they were found living in 1751, when John Lewis and his son— afterward General Lewis, and the hero of Point Pleasant—came west of the mountains as the agents and surveyors of the Greenbrier Land Company.

Sewell afterward removed fifty miles farther west and soon fell a victim to savage ferocity.

Marlin, it is said, returned to the east. Both, however, left their names on the landmarks of the Greenbrier country, Marlin, as we have seen, on the mountain and bottom, near the centre of Pocahontas County, Sewell on the mountain and stream which still bears his name.

Colonel John McNeel was one of the earliest pioneers of West Augusta and the first actual settler on the Little Levels, now in Pocahontas County. He was born near Winchester, Virginia, but early in life went to the Cumberland valley, in Maryland. Here soon after his settlement he had an altercation with a young man which resulted in a hand-to-hand fight and McNeel believing that he had killed his antagonist, fled to the wilderness, and after some time spent in wandering amid the wild solitudes of the Alleghanies. He came upon what has ever since been known as the Little Levels. It is a beautiful little valley hemmed in on all sides by lofty mountain ranges. Here the wanderer and, as he supposed, fugitive from justice, decided to make his future home, and reared his lonely cabin. This was about the year 1765.

Shortly after McNeel completed his cabin, while hunting one day, greatly to his surprise, he met Charles and James Kennison, two white men who were searching for a suitable site to found a home. From them he learned that the man whom he supposed he had killed had not died, and in fact had not been seriously injured. To him this was joyful news, for the thought of having caused the death of a fellow man was most dreadful to contemplate. The Kenisons accompanied him to his lonely retreat, and with him as guide soon found lands upon which they resolved to settle, then all three returned east of the mountains to make preparation for their removal into the wilderness.

During their stay in the Valley, McNeel wooed and won the hand of a lady named Martha Davis. She was born in Wales in 1743, and early accompanied her parents to Virginia. Now she prepared to share the toils and hardships of a pioneer home. The man to whom she had given the best affections of her heart was worthy of the trust. All things were made ready, the journey completed, and the new home reached. A few acres of land were cleared then McNeel remembered his duty to his God, and with his own hands reared a small log cabin in which his neighbors and himself might worship. This rude temple, dedicated by its builder to the Builder of the Universe, was called the White Pole Church, and was most probably the first church building ever erected west of the Alleghanies.

At length, Dunmore's war broke out, and McNeel, together with his neighbors, the Kennisons, repaired to Camp Union, enlisted and accompanied General Lewis to Point Pleasant, where they participated in the bloody battle of October 10, 1774. During their absence, a child of McNeel's died, and the mother, true heroine that she was, constructed a rude coffin, dug a little grave, and with her own hands laid the infant away to rest.

The soldiers returned but not to remain. The struggle between the mother country and her colonies was rapidly verging to a crisis, and they at once crossed the mountains and joined the patriot army, in which they served until they saw the thirteen feeble colonies of 1776, the recognized nation of 1783.

Peter Lightner was among the first settlers in what is now Pocahontas County. He came from the eastern part of the State and settled on Knapp's creek. Prior to his coming, there were no mills nearer than Staunton, distant nearly a hundred miles through the wilderness. This being too far to "go to mill" the people prepared their own corn for bread. The mode was simple; a large tree was felled, from which a block or "cut" was taken, about three feet high. It was placed on end in front of the cabin, then a fire was kindled upon it, and so managed that an inverted cone was formed. From this the charred coals were taken and the "hominy block" was ready for use. A peck or more of shelled corn was put in and pounded until it was reduced to a coarse meal, from which bread was then baked. Another plan was to boil the corn until quite soft, then pound into a jelly, which was dried and used as needed. This preparation was called hominy meal. Mr. Lightner remedied all this. He erected a mill, and although some of the pioneers had to come thirty miles, they considered it an easy task to provide bread. This mill was located on Knapp's creek, and although a century has breathed its changeful breath upon the site, a portion of the old foundation and a trace of the race still remain to inform the traveler that it once existed.

Other Pioneers.—Of those who first occupied the cabin homes amid the mountains of Pocahontas county, the following is given in the census of what is now the county, at the beginning of the present century:

Isaac Moore, his wife and six children;

Moses Moore, his wife and four children;

Peter Lightner, his wife and four children;

Henry Harper, his wife and six children;

John Moore, his wife and nine children;

Felix Grines, his wife and seven children;

Samuel Waugh, his wife and thirteen children;

James Waugh, his wife and twelve children ;

Aaron Moore, his wife and nine children ;

William Moore, his wife and five children ;

Robert Moore, his wife and six children;

Timothy McCarty, his wife and six children;

Robert Gay, his wife and six children;

Jeremiah Freel, his wife and nine children;

Jacob Warwick, his wife and six children;

Andrew Gwin, his wife and two children;

Sampson Matthews, his wife and three sons;

Josiah Brown, his wife and six children;

John Sharp, his wife and five children;

William Sharp, his wife and nine children;

Levi Moore, his wife and six children;

and John Bradshaw, his wife and five children.

Little Levels Academy.—This institution was established in 1842, under a charter granted by the State of Virginia. The incorporators were Josiah Beard, S. D. Poage, Samuel L. Matthews, Moses H. Poage, John Hill, Thomas Hill, James Miller and Richard McNeel. The first principal was Rev. Joseph Brown, who served in that capacity for seven years. He was succeeded by the Rev. M. D. Dunlap, who remained at the head of the institution for eleven years, or until the war came on and the school closed. In 1865, the county purchased the building, since which time it has been used for public school purposes. This was the first school of a high order in the county, and notwithstanding the short period of its existence, it left its impress upon the educational interests of this mountain region.

The County Records During the Civil War.—When the Civil War broke out, William Curry was serving as both circuit and county clerk, and when it became evident that the Federals would invade the county, the Court ordered Mr. Curry to remove the records to a place of safety. In compliance with the mandate, he caused them to be taken to the private residence of Joel Hill, on the Little Levels. Here they remained until January, 1862, when Mr. Curry became alarmed for the safety of so valuable a charge placed in his custody, and therefore removed them to Covington, Virginia, where for a short time they lay in the clerk's office of Allegheny county. From here they were carried to the storehouse of Captain William Scott. In September, 1863, General Averill's command reached Covington, and Mr. Curry again removed the records, first to the residence of William Clark, and then to a stack of buckwheat straw, in which they lay concealed for three weeks, and were then conveyed into the mountains and stored away in the house of a Baptist minister, and there remained until after the surrender at Appomattox. The war being over, Mr. Curry, in June, 1865, returned with the records and once more deposited them at the house of Joel Hill. After one month they were taken to a vacant house belonging to the Rev. Mitchell Dunlap, and there left until September, 1865, when the first court, after the close of the war convened, November, 1865, in the Methodist church at Hillsboro. From that time they were kept in the old Academy building until June, 1866, when they were taken back to the county seat and deposited at the house of John B. Garey. More than five years had passed away since their first removal, and, strange to say, notwithstanding all the vicissitudes of war through which they had passed, but one thing was lost, and that was an old process book of no value.
[Source: History of West Virginia; By Virgil Anson Lewis; publ. 1887; Pgs. 646-655; Transcribed and submitted by Andrea Stawski Pack]

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