Russell counties. Its bounds were all that part of the aforesaid
counties "beginning on the Kanawha line and running with the line which
divides Montgomery and Wythe counties to where the said line crosses the
top of Brushy mountain, thence along the top of the said mountain to its
junction with the Garden mountain, thence along the top of the said
mountain to the Clinch mountain, thence along the top of the said
mountain to the head of Cove creek, a branch of the Maiden Spring fork
of Clinch river; thence a straight line to Mann's gap in Kent's ridge;
thence north forty-five degrees west, to the line which divides the
state of Kentucky from that of Virginia; thence along said line to the
Kanawha line and with said line to the place of beginning." The name
honored Henry Tazewell, United States senator from Virginia 1794-1799.
In 1801, Virginia made a second attempt to honor Thomas Jefferson by
naming the new county taken from Berkeley in his honor. The Jefferson
County formed in 1780 was, in 1801, a part of Kentucky and this new
county was destined to fall in West Virginia; hence no county within the
present confines of the state honors this great Virginian.
Harper's Ferry, situated in Jefferson County at the confluence of the
Shenandoah with the Potomac River, is as well known for the beauty of
its location as for being the site of John Brown's Raid, the prelude to
civil warfare. Incidentally it may be noted that the Shenandoah afforded
an outlet to market for the produce of the Valley of Virginia since
boats could pass down its waters into the Potomac and thus to Chesapeake
Bay.
In 1804, the new county of Mason was formed from Kanawha. It was bounded
as follows: "beginning at the mouth of Little Guyandotte River running
from thence to the northwest corner of a survey of 1437-1/2 acres made
for Thomas Lewis in Teaze's valley near the house of Joshua Morris, from
thence to the mouth of Little Hurricane creek, thence crossing the
Kanawha river and taking a dividing ridge between Eighteen Mile and
Pocatallico creeks to the end thereof, thence pursuing a northeast
direction till it intersects the Wood County line to the Ohio, thence
down the Ohio to the beginning."
Within this county lies Point Pleasant, scene of the famous battle.
This was the second time that Virginia had attempted to pay honor to
George Mason of "Gunston Hall", author of the Bill of Rights. The
earlier Mason County formed in 1789 became a part of Kentucky three
years later, and the later Mason was destined to lie in West Virginia.
George Mason, Thomas Jefferson and the Marquis de la Fayette are not
represented in the list of Virginia counties.
The county of Giles formed in 1806 was created from portions of
Montgomery, Monroe and Tazewell counties, and is now a border county
between Virginia and West Virginia. Its boundaries are thus described:
"Beginning at the end of Gauley mountain on New River, where the
counties of Greenbrier and Kanawha intersect, thence up the river with
the Greenbrier and Montgomery lines to the intersection of Monroe line;
thence with the Monroe and Montgomery line to the upper end of Pine's
plantation; thence a straight line to the mouth of Rich creek, leaving
the plantation of Hugh Caperton on the right; thence with the Monroe
line to the intersection of Botetourt County line and with the Botetourt
and Montgomery lines to the top of Gap mountain; thence along the top of
the said mountain to New River crossing the same to the end of Walker's
creek mountain; thence along the top of the said mountain to the
intersection of Wythe county line; thence northwestwardly with said line
to the intersection of Tazewell line, and with the Tazewell and
Montgomery line to the top of Wolf creek mountain; thence along Wolf
creek mountain to a path leading from the Round Bottom to Harman's mill
about three miles below the mouth of Clear Fork of Wolf creek; thence a
straight line to the mouth of Militin's fork; thence a direct line to
the head of Crane creek on the top of the Flat-top mountain; thence a
direct line to the three forks of Guyandotte river; thence down said
river until it intersects Kanawha county line; thence with said line to
the beginning."
Mountain Lake is situated in Giles County, and is a well-known summer
resort. It is also of interest for the wide range of plant life found in
its vicinity. Members of the University of Virginia's Biological
Department maintain a field station there and in the summer study the
wide variety of plants growing nearby.
Giles County was named in honor of William B. Giles who in 1800 was
prominent in Virginia politics. He later served as Governor 1827-1830.
In 1808 Amherst County was divided according to its parish lines, the
western or upper part of the county which lay in Lexington Parish
retained the name of Amherst, and the lower or more eastern part took
the name of Nelson. This as will be recalled was the second attempt to
honor Governor Thomas Nelson, whose Yorktown home still holds buried in
its eastern wall two cannon balls, grim mementoes of the battle of
Yorktown.
Virginia has believed in honoring the men who have held the
gubernatorial office, nineteen having been thus commemorated, and Cabell
County formed in 1809 carried on the tradition. It honored William H.
Cabell, who served from 1805 until 1808 when he was chosen judge of the
General Court. It later fell into West Virginia, and lies along the Ohio
River.
1810-1820, DEVELOPMENT CONTINUES, FIVE NEW COUNTIES
In 1814, a Virginia county was formed from parts of Lee, Russell and
Washington and named Scott. This name was selected because of General
Winfield Scott, a native of Virginia who achieved fame because of his
successes in the War of 1812. Later in the Mexican War he decisively
defeated the Mexicans at Chapultepec, entering Mexico City as conqueror.
As a result of this war some 850,000 square miles became United States
territory.
The bounds of Scott County are as follows: "Beginning at the head of
Reedy creek where the wagon road crosses the same in the county of
Washington thence down the Tennessee line to the south fork of Clinch
river thence northward passing the Flag Pond to the top of Powell's
mountain in Lee County and along it to the county of Russell and with it
to the Kentucky line, thence along Cumberland mountain to the head of
Guese's river thence down the Clinch mountain thence to the western end
of Samuel Hensley's plantation and thence to the beginning."
"The wagon road" mentioned in the above description is most likely the
so-called "Wilderness Road" over which many west bound settlers
laboriously toiled. The other route west that was often used was north
to the present Pittsburgh and down the Ohio river. Powell's Mountain and
the river of that name commemorate Ambrose Powell of Culpeper County,
one of the earliest explorers of Kentucky who accompanied Doctor Thomas
Walker there in 1749. In Scott County is the Natural Tunnel, a rare
formation through which the trains of the Southern Railway Company pass
regularly en route to Tennessee.
Tyler, the next county established, lies now in the northwestern part of
West Virginia along the Ohio River but commemorates a Tidewater
Virginian, John Tyler, Sr. He was born at "Greenway" Charles City
County and served as Governor 1808-1811. His fame has been somewhat
obscured by that of his son, John Tyler, junior, President of the United
States.
The next county formed, Lewis, which was cut from Harrison, also lay
later in West Virginia in the north central area. It derived its name
from a heroic soldier, Colonel Charles Lewis who was killed at the
Battle of Point Pleasant in 1774. Point Pleasant, situated near the
confluence of the Great Kanawha with the Ohio River was the scene of a
day-long bloody battle between the Virginia troops and Indian warriors
led by Cornstalk and Logan. General Andrew Lewis, brother of Colonel
Charles, was the commanding officer. The battle was hardly decisive and
General Lewis wished to follow and annihilate the fleeing enemy. Lord
Dunmore, in command of another detachment which arrived later, forbade
this and allowed the Indians to escape. This may have been one of the
reasons that influenced the Indians throughout the Revolution to espouse
the British cause.
The establishment of Lewis County in 1816 was followed two years later
by that of another county, Preston, formed from Monongalia, lying in the
northeast corner of West Virginia, and adjoining Pennsylvania and
Maryland. Preston County honored James Patton Preston, Governor of
Virginia 1816-1819.
Parts of Greenbrier, Kanawha and Randolph were made into the new county
of Nicholas in the same year that Preston was organized. Nicholas lies
to the east of Charleston, the capital of West Virginia. Its name
derives from Wilson Cary Nicholas, Governor of Virginia 1814-1816, and
predecessor of Governor Preston.
1820-1830 TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATIONS IMPROVE, FOUR NEW COUNTIES
The next county to be created was taken from Hampshire and Berkeley and
represented a northern rather than a western expansion. It received the
name Morgan from General Daniel Morgan, one of the outstanding generals
of the Revolution who defeated Colonel Tarleton in the Battle of the
Cowpens.
The bounds of Morgan County are thus set forth: "Beginning at the mouth
of Cherry's Run at the river Potomac in the county of Berkeley, thence
up the middle of said Run to its source, thence due west to the top of
Sleepy Creek Mountain, thence along the top of said mountain to the line
that separates the counties of Frederick and Berkeley, thence with the
said line to the county of Hampshire, thence a direct line until it
strikes the river Potomac opposite Mitchell's Rock and thence by the
river Potomac to the beginning."
Pocahontas County created in 1821, a year after Morgan had been formed,
and likewise a West Virginia county, lies in the southeastern section of
the state opposite the Virginia county of Alleghany. Its name was a long
delayed tribute to the fine character and achievements of the Indian
maid Pocahontas. She both aided the settlers at Jamestown with gifts of
sorely needed food, and by her marriage to John Rolfe secured eight
years of peace for them. This period was vital to their survival.
Pocahontas lies in a mountainous region rich in bituminous coal
deposits, so much so that Pocahontas coal is known everywhere. The
description of the county's bounds notes the lines of Greenbrier, Bath,
Randolph and Pendleton counties and "Randolph court House." This is the
first mention of a courthouse anywhere in this area.
After discussing eight counties now in West Virginia, we come to a
Virginia county, Alleghany, formed in 1822 from Botetourt, Bath and
Monroe counties. It is the name the Delaware Indians gave both the Ohio
and the Alleghany rivers, but its origin is uncertain. Presumably, the
mountains took their name from the river. Within the bounds of Alleghany
County the Jackson and the Cow-pasture rivers unite to form the James
River, the longest river in the state and the most important in its
early history.
Its bounds were thus described: "beginning at the top of the middle of
Potts' mountain, where the road leading from Fincastle to the Sweet
Springs crosses the same; thence with said road to the top of Peter's
mountain; thence a straight line to the Greenbrier county line on the
top of the Alleghany mountain so as to pass between the Sweet and Red
springs; thence with the top of the Alleghany or Greenbrier line to a
certain point so that a straight line drawn thence to include in the new
county Captain Henry Massie's plantation in the Falling Spring Valley
may also include Archibald Morriss's plantation on Jackson's river in
said new county; thence a straight line from the said Massie's across
the Cow-pasture river immediately below William Griffin's on said river
to the Rockbridge county line; thence with said line to a point in the
Rockbridge and Botetourt line so that a line drawn from thence will pass
at or near the junction of Jackson's and Cow-pasture rivers to the
nearest part of the Rich Patch mountain; and this line to be so run as
to leave the house and yard of Captain John Jordan in the county of
Botetourt; thence with the highest points of the said Rich Patch
mountain next to Craig's creek so as to include the inhabitants of the
Rich Patch in said new county, to a point at which it unites with Potts'
mountain, thence with the top of the said mountain to the beginning."
In 1824 the county of Logan was formed from portions of Giles, Cabell,
Tazewell and Kanawha counties. It lay in the southwestern part of the
present West Virginia not far from the Kentucky line. The name derives
from the Mingo Indian chieftain whose famous speech preserved by Thomas
Jefferson was long a popular selection for young would-be orators.
1830-1840 LARGE INCREASE IN POPULATION NECESSITATES FOURTEEN NEW
COUNTIES
For seven years, there was no further expansion until in 1831 when the
Virginia county of Floyd was formed. This was taken from that part of
Montgomery County adjacent to the counties of Franklin, Patrick and
Grayson. The name is in honor of John Floyd, Governor of Virginia
1830-1834. It is a beautiful county of high mountains, fertile valleys
and good blue-grass pasture land.
Its bounds were thus prescribed: "Beginning at the widow Litterell's,
thence a straight line to John Thrasher's; thence a straight line to
John Cooper's old place; thence a straight line to where the Waggon road
crosses the Laurel ridge; from thence along the highest part of said
ridge to Little river; and down the same to Mack's mountain; and with
the same to the Grayson line and with the same to the Patrick line and
with the same to the Franklin line and with the same to the line of
Montgomery and Franklin, opposite the widow Litterell's; from thence a
straight line to the beginning."
In addition to Floyd, Fayette County was also formed in 1831. This
county, the second attempt Virginia had made to honor the Marquis de la
Fayette, fell later into West Virginia. Taken from parts of Logan,
Greenbrier, Nicholas and Kanawha, Fayette lies in the southeastern part
of the state, and is traversed by the New River.
The lengthy description of its bounds notes several streams besides the
New River; namely: Lick creek, Meadow river, Mill creek, Gauley river,
Twenty Mile creek, Kanawha river, Guyandotte and Cole (Coal) river. For
the first time we find mention of a turnpike, "the Kanawha turnpike." In
the decade 1820-1830, a great interest in highways developed, and
turnpikes and toll roads became numerous. In Virginia a well-known toll
road ran through the Valley of Virginia called "the Valley Pike."
National highway Route Number 11 largely follows its path.
The third county created in 1831 also is now a West Virginia county,
Jackson. Formed from Mason, Kanawha and Wood, Jackson lies in the
western part of the state along the Ohio River south of Parkersburg. It
was named for General Andrew Jackson, then in his first term as
President of the United States. A song popular at that time carried
these two lines complimenting his exploits:
"Glory be to Jackson for the Battle of New Orleans
For there he gave the enemy the hot butter-beans"
referring to his victory over the British in the battle of that name.
We come back to Virginia now and discuss the fourth county created in
1831. Formed from Shenandoah and Rockingham counties, it lies in the
Valley of Virginia with the famed Luray Cavern within its borders. It
was named in honor of John Page, Governor of Virginia 1802-1805.
Its bounds are as follows: "Beginning at a point in the line of the
counties of Rockingham and Orange on the top of the Blue Ridge opposite
to the headwaters of Naked creek in the county of Rockingham; thence a
straight line to the headwaters of said creek; thence with the
meanderings of said creek to its junction with the South river; thence
down the bed of said river to the upper end of Michael Shuler's island;
thence a straight line to the mouth of Shuler's run; thence with the
main branch of said run to its source; thence a straight line to the top
of the Massanutten mountain; thence with the top of said mountain to its
termination near Daniel Clem's; thence to the top of the eastern Fort
mountain; thence with the top of said mountain to a point opposite to
the mouth of Cunningham's run in the county of Shenandoah; thence a
straight line to the mouth of said run; thence with the said run to its
source; thence to a point in a direct line to the top of the Blue Ridge
in the line of the two counties of Shenandoah and Culpeper; and thence
with the top of the Blue Ridge to the beginning."
From Washington and Wythe in 1832 was established the new county of
Smyth situated in the southwestern section of Virginia and extending to
the North Carolina line. The name derives from General Alexander Smyth
of Wythe County, Inspector General of the Army in 1812 and Member of
Congress 1817-1825, 1827-1830. A portrait of him by Saint Memin is in
the Corcoran Art Gallery.
The bounds of the county are set forth as follows: "Beginning on the
main stage road at a bridge in a hollow at a point where the spring
branch of Phillip Griever deceased crosses the same; thence a direct
line, passing equidistant between Preston's and King's salt wells to the
line of Russell county; and from the said point on the main stage road
aforesaid where the said spring branch crosses the same running south
twenty-five degrees east to the southern boundary of Washington county;
and beginning on the main stage coach road leading by Abingdon and Wythe
courthouse, ten miles by the said road dividing Washington and Wythe
counties; running thence northwest to the northern boundary of Wythe
county and southeast to the southern boundary of Wythe county. The said
line through Wythe county running precisely parallel with the line
aforesaid through Washington County."
In the above we note the great development that had taken place in this
section, a "stagecoach road" and two towns, Abingdon and Wythe
Courthouse, being mentioned for the first time. A road over which a
heavy stagecoach could travel was a big advance over the bridle paths
and "rolling roads" of the preceding century.
In 1833, Rappahannock also a Virginia county, was established. This was
taken from Culpeper County and named for the river which traverses it,
and which, likely took its name from the Indian tribe living along its
banks. The settlers first called this river Pembroke in honor of William
Herbert, third Earl of Pembroke and brother-in-law of the famous Sir
Philip Sydney. The Earl was a member of the Virginia Company of London
and invested four hundred pounds sterling in the enterprise.
The bounds of Rappahannock County were as follows: "Beginning at the
corner of Madison and Culpeper counties upon the top of the Blue Ridge
of mountains and running thence with the line of said counties to the
point where it is intersected by Hugh's river above the junction of
Hugh's and Hazel's rivers; thence with Hugh's river to the junction of
the aforesaid rivers; thence to a bend in the river near a point called
the Giant's castle; thence to Horner's mill upon the Fauquier and
Culpeper line; thence with said line to the corner of the aforesaid
counties upon the top of the Blue Ridge, thence with said mountain to
the beginning."
The next county established in this continuous effort to make due
processes of law and order accessible to all lies now in the northern
tip of West Virginia. It is called Marshall, honoring John Marshall who
died in 1835, the year of the county's creation. John Marshall's career
and achievements are too well known to be recounted here; suffice it to
say that in his lengthy tenure as its Chief Justice he gave plan,
directive and purpose to the Supreme Court of the United States.
The bounds of Marshall County were set forth as being "all that part of
the lower end of the county of Ohio lying south of a line beginning on
the Ohio river at a stone to be fixed on the bank of said river, one
half mile above the mouth of Buggs' run; thence a direct line to the
northern boundary of the town of West Union and thence continuing the
same course to the Pennsylvania line."
In 1836 Braxton, also at present a West Virginia county, was created
from portions of Lewis and Nicholas counties. Its name honors Carter
Braxton, a Signer of the Declaration of Independence, the last one of
the Virginia signers to receive this distinction.
The description of its bounds though long is of interest because of the
number of place names used and is therefore quoted: "beginning at Salt
Works road at the head of Barbecue run and running thence with the
dividing ridge of the Kanawha and Monongalia waters to the head of the
Fall run; thence along the leading ridge to the forks of the Little
Kanawha; thence up the right hand fork to its head; thence with the
dividing ridge between Kanawha, Buchanan and Elk waters, to the corner
of Randolph and Nicholas county line; thence with the said line to the
top of the Point mountain above the Fork lick; thence along the top of
the Point mountain to the end thereof; thence a straight line to Joseph
Priam's (so as to include Joseph Priam's lands within the boundary of
the new county); thence a straight line to the top of the ridge between
Big and Little Birch rivers, and down said ridge to the mouth of Little
Birch river; thence a straight line to the mouth of the Rock-camp fork
of Big Buffalo (above Young's Bottoms); thence down the same to its
mouth, crossing Elk river; thence to the Lewis and Kanawha county line
at a point where a straight line to the mouth of the Long Shoal run will
include Jacob Shock on Steer creek within the boundary of the new
county; thence up the said Long Shoal run to the top of the ridge
between the Sand fork and Little Kanawha; thence with the dividing ridge
to the head of the left hand fork of the Three lick fork of Oil creek;
thence to its mouth; thence to the main fork of Oil creek; thence up the
Clover lick fork to the beginning."
From almost the center of the present state of West Virginia, we now
return to Virginia and note the creation from Frederick of the new
county of Clarke. Braxton, Clarke and Warren were all established in the
year 1836. Clarke, though incorrectly spelled pays honor to that native
of Albemarle County who won the Northwest Territory for the Continental
Congress, George Rogers Clark. The county, cut from the eastern part of
Frederick, adjoins Jefferson, Loudoun and Fauquier.
Its bounds are thus given: "Beginning at the point in the Blue Ridge
where the line dividing the counties of Jefferson and Loudoun meets the
line dividing the counties of Frederick and Loudoun, thence with the
line dividing the counties of Jefferson and Frederick to the middle of
the Opequon creek; thence up the middle of the Opequon to the mouth of
Wright's branch; thence up that stream to the mouth of Nations Spring
run; thence a direct line until it reaches Colin Leach's corner, next
to major Seth Mason's land on the road to Nineveh; thence eastwardly by
a direct line, passing south of the buildings and curtilages of doctor
James Hay and James M. Hite, to a point on the Shenandoah river, at the
mouth of Fauntleroy's mill run, on the north side of the Shenandoah
river; thence from the mouth of said run a straight line to the nearest
top of the Blue Ridge of mountains; and thence on the eastern boundary
of Frederick county to the beginning."
Curtilage, used for the first time in any description, is a law term
denoting the fenced-in area adjoining a dwelling house or a courtyard.
The term often used now is dependencies.
Warren, the third county created in 1836, lies over the Blue Ridge from
and a little to the south of Clarke. Its territory was taken from those
portions of Shenandoah and Frederick counties that adjoined "the
counties of Rappahannock and Fauquier in the southern part thereof." The
name honors the brave soldier Major General Joseph Warren who fell in
the Battle of Bunker Hill.