Guapter Tiree NATURAL SETTING _Pocahont Sept 23rd 1940 Racehontas County Part 2, Roscoe W.Brown, (See c) Pocahontas County te situated entirely within the Allegheny mounteins, THO the wain trunk Line of the ALegheny nountatn foming the astern Sountary therect; tho south-enst side of the MLeghentes are steep and wore abru “Pt than on the weet olde that Lede off inte Pocahontes county « Folloring the sain Klephery eountetna, and the County Aine , trae the commer ef Randolph, and Fecthontas ,on the Penfleton county 1ime to the Greenbrier County Line ; many mountains , branches and ¥ shaped valleys Read off tovard the croonbrier river j In the rlége and “mlley provinces the Mlemtion of the ridger range fron 3000 t0 4000 fect and the walleye from 2000 te 3000 feet tor the most part the valleye are narrow and rise in a series of steeply rounded hile te the main counteln tape, Marrow Y ahaped eps have been cut through one valley to an other,sherethe treme pasa through Min gives a docidodly trelitelixe arrangeront to te drainage eysten to the Easter part of Pocahontes county with the groantrier river as the s owing south-reeteerd, Pocahontas county ts virtually a pirth Place of Rivera” an all dratoage watere of tho county are formed within ite tounderten and flow oitward, It hae @ maxizun in elevation of epproximately 2666 feet and the highest sveragislovation of ary county in the State of wast Yirginin. The lovest pointy sisre Greenbrier river enters Creenbrier county ie at an SlegslenieeneE te ‘The streane are all swift y8nd for the most part still actively cutting Gera. The ridges through vhten the tranches lou are glenn Ste tops of the ALiecheny nountatn, although there are places viene * sides are jutted with large cliffe and rocke ‘that aid Gounty thet picturessus scenery whieh 4¢ a9 endnontiy marrow and rich, and cults vated,with the streme walleye,Beautiful h tor situated at those points that are favorable fer hon profusely through the vales and even to the mountain tops jonjthe County 1ine presents unty , and what ‘The main top of the Allegheny mountain or crest al whet is supposed to be the best exemple of penoplane in the Co is probetly the best in the State of West Virginia. It ean be seen to the best advantage near “Top of Allegheny " where it 1s crossed by the >tauntom and Parkersburg Turn Pikes ‘The mountain ie a broad surface with slight = - The average @issection , but preserves an even sky-line for several mil @leeation of the Allegheny mountain ie approximately 4400 fest - roplace in the Hille of West Virginia can affird more beautéful cenery than the top of the Allegheny mountain looking east; all the mountains may be ae gin the " East - ! seen as they pile up, between the main Allegheny and the Blue,’ -Virginia ", " Allegheny 46 the name that has been applied, or given to the Principal trunk line of the Appalachian syaten or ranges of mounteins in the Eastern United ota’ word é . the "*"Appalachain” was first used by the Spaniards under Desota, in naming the rang. of mountains "Apfalachee” in honor of the Apalachee Indians, Then later was incorrectly called Allegheny. ‘Tee word Allegheny derived from an Indian word with unase rearing, No matter what the word means , or meant in the Indian ian cf welody, of beauty, and @ concord of musical strains,The mountains that divide the head wat 8 of the Greenbrier River and the watere of ‘The Dry Fork and Glady Fork of Cheat River, and following the Randolph County Lin + hae beam lowally called t¥¥ and known as Middle Mountain but Le ahown on the Soil Survey Wap of Pocahontas County as The © Lynn Divide * The elevati of thie ridge or plateau thet extends from the main Allegheny jentaine to the Shavers Mountein averages approximately 3500 feet; at or near ‘She Mleghery mountain te 4000 feet, north of the Blister Swamp te 3708 fect, At the blietor Swamp 3637 feet,where it connects with the Shaver gountain ie 4065 ft te ‘Tee Shavers mountain divides the waters of the West Fork of She Greenbrier and the Shavers Fork of Cheat river , and {e the prolongation of the Back Allegheny mourttain which loo: ite self in the southern part of Tucke: County near the Bry Fork ef Cheat between Otter creek and they Glagy Fork, The crest or water shed of the Shavers Mountain that formes the Atriding Line Setween Randolph dnd Pocahontas countges from the Staunton andhtarke: burg tuen pike “ae has an elevation approximately 4000 feet ,xith the knob the Gaudines! Is located upon, at an elenation of 4445 feet which de the highest Point, t ‘The Fack Allegheny mountain ie the contimation or prolongation of the Shavere mountain fron the poiut where the Staunton and Parkereburg pike eresses at; The ‘The highoot point on the Back Alllegheny mountain de ‘the bala with an elevation of 4842 fe, and ie the highest point in i A contimuetton of the eme range of mountains er and Of the BLE River, © cranberry At ver, and enters the marth of RLe Great | me Peck ester aNATURAL SWTTING, CHabToR THutitis { Part a) ( See ») THOEAS CREXX . Thomas Creok giver ri: near the water shed of Thorny Creek near the site ef the Sonica C.c.c, Canp -aniflews , and flows North to connect vith the Sithington creek 1} niles zust of Sitlington, Tt has aneandering longth of 6 miles with « totel fall of 900 feet , with «rate of fall per mile sf 150 feet, and has hee un aren of drainage badin of 8.97 equare mile ‘The Thomas Creck.water drainage basin, was mostly covered -with the famous white pine trees, which was cut over, and operated about the y ie cituated The Sonica State Gane Forest , to the South and North: ir of 1885, et, and the Stob Gane and Fish Connteeicn, has erected, their care keepers home , near the he this branch . ‘Thoner Creek was f1 ret sottled by the decontents of the pioneer John Mc Leughlin and Willige Me Laughlin, about the time of the formation of Pocahontas County, whi Mocodsats were orong the most popular and proninent citizens of Pocahontes County ard were natives of Ireland, Robert Dunlap, Mecutchun, eettled on Thoxas Creek in the year of 1826. Fer and near this fenily vould attend religious worship , the weather be For yeare Greonbank , eight rtlee avay , and Huntersville twelye mame sts of the church service of their preference,that pertca ~ Nofere treakfast , a habit eo charketérietic of the Scotch- Irish of time, He wae interupted ty the breaking of a stick, and upon looking intently e eur five or rd eteadily in the direction whence the sound ceened to have con X warricre aiming their cune and moving cautiously upon him, Soeing there was no churce te escape, hermed in as he wae,he threw up his bade end made eigne for then te cone to him, he put the turkey before then and made eiers for the: to oat, By gestures and guteral grunting, they geve hir to understend thet they would not touch it,unlese he would eat eone firet. He did eo, ond thereupon th devoured it ravenously, and it was no time that scarcely @ frepment renained even of the bon Scon ao breukfaet was over , they started for their hone in Ohio. Having passa tut a few miles ,they halted at what the pioneer afterwarde called the Moses Sprig ard ever since that tire the little branch, been handed down from generation te generation ae the Yoees Spring Run. The prisoner was securely bound with buffalo raw hide thongs, and pinicned to the ground, a detachnont went off in the direction of Stoxy bottom , and were gore yy were loeded down with ore « two or three-hour en they Ind: 6 returned th ( It appears by the tradition that there was aleai mine somewhef in this locality) thie Ore was carried to « place where an othe halt was m and the ore wae # smelted and reduced in weight ; so thet one could carry what had required two te bring in as raw material. ‘The privoner ( Motes Yoore ) was teken as far as Chilacothe and the Indiand med to have been greatly elated over their capture. So much 6o thet as @ special compliment of the Indian Squews , it was decided in solemn council , of imuiry ‘The Indiane seemed to have known of nothing eo 4 ¢ geurtlet, and of no conplinentcore flattering te eve the: to form the sauntlet lines , andNATURAL SETTING Pocaheatas County. Koecos Ys Brown, CHAPTER THKER, Part (2) seed’) My 17-194. STEVENS HOLE RUN;- Stevens Hole Run is a small strem of little importance but has considerable local intere It has ite source in a limestone Spring duet west of the State highway 0..7 mile north east of will Pointand flows in « uthward direction to the Greenbrier River one mile north east of Seebert . Ler, It hes a total of 2 miles , with a fall of 305 fo + at a rate of 122 feet per A mile, with a drainage area of 3.75 Square mil Stevens Hole Run is so naned after Steven Sewell, whom Colonel Andrew Lewis found at at Marlins Botton, in 1751 with Jacob Marlin, Steven Sewell spent a winter soon after ina anall cave just at the head of the Run, ‘There is a tradition that the sane Steven Sewell was killed by the Indians some year: slater on big Sewell Mountain, farther down the Greenbrier River, ( But the same has been disputed by other writers ) There is a tradition story, that a certain Paymaster of a certain Ohio regiment stole the payroll when here for thezbattle of Droop Mountain , and hid the money in'stevons Hole". ( Réferred to a sthe Cave in wih which Steven Sévell lived ) In Bowers'book ti e Tragic Sea In writing up the carpet bag govenor of @ certain southern state, the writer says the said govenor had been accused of absconding with the pay roll of a certain Ohio reginent. A very interesting and well delineated description of this little brand and Cave,locally known as Stevens Hole, and the authentic history that it contains 48 portrayed ina special editorial written for the Pocahontas Tines ‘ date of July 14th 1927, by Anirew ‘rice, president of the Histori. The letter is herety given in full because ‘gives in regard to “Jeca> Varlin and [Stephen jer Valley and other historical data,Thureday July 24 th 1927, word came that the rock work at Stephen Hole fun on the Seneca Trasi. 80 T ‘the Indian di et Feeted £8 down there to investigate the rumor and delighted to find the ‘Te big jldnestone cliff a couple hundred feet high face It 8 of the Big Lime or blasted offthe face of the Ned Gentroyed the Cave in which Stephen Sewell lived in eave was etil) there, She State higheay ahout three hundred yande distance, ind tons have b Greenbrier Linestone and any thou SMET for uae in surfacing the road, The Quarry ie share the sath soriag deg what gavel rise to the reart ‘hat the cave hed been blasted out was that the po seine on the Chit? oitinae snd femme 1a of filed the specifications as « den or habitation, It vould be like living out of doors, The real cave is high up the litt sone two hundred yards south of the is not at all likely that it will ant it de safe for many years to cone ae works, eter be needed for road work , Stephon, Hole as it is called tine he wae outlawed for the he oxiled Stewort Kings , tow enough to ford, Abo ys he road the run has form on the bold clear strom: that iy Ta the old days there was e well founded belief that if horses afflicted with the Scratches , an affection of the skin in the fétlock, were watered, and thets fest weohed in thie Little etree: that they would be cured, and it was the custom to bri horeee there fron the surrounding Level connunity. ' Tm the touriet day that ie coming it will be the regular thing to halt the car at ‘hie pointivand the viditors will walk sone three hundred yarde and climb the elivity that bringe thea near the top of the cliff and inspect the cave. Tt will aleo afford then the boon of the finest drinking water, as cool and clear is to be obtained in this world of ours, I have never seen a cave that was eo well suited for a habitation as this one Oa Climbing the levi of the opening first ie found a moot platfors sort of place Perhaps thirty by forty feet rn site, Next is a creat roof or portico which shelters which sheltere a large portion of thie treace , with an outcurving roof perhaps ten feet high, Then in the wall is a room about six fect wide and ten fect deep, with a low ceiling . A fire across the openingwould keep this little retreat confortable in the coldest weather. Eack in thie room is an opening of unknown dimensions but emtending well back into the cliff. It is very dark there and would not be suitalh Place for living rooms but would be an ideal place to store food and supplie: The front roon is fitted with a level floor , and being open to the outer air is in Geed condition now withouta particle of fixing to afford a comfottable place to sleep and take shelter. No stream icsues fron thie cave , and there is no current of air. It ie an ideal place for camping and is one of the sights of the county. If you have occasion to visit it, follow the path ef-up bj an old abanded : sawdust heap. The place is Dr, H. 3, ve Neels fark, the top of the on @ividing line betweon his fers ani that of F. ¥, Rucknan land the cliff you will be on the Ruckzan land as well as of a landscape gardener | As you drive that it was the can with the‘Se eee creat possibilities in that 1ittle cove shich hue nee “Nore than a muste place so far. It hae boon talked of ap a place ¢ ‘And there has deen ous slight effort to transplant wild crenberrd: ‘Part of the shut in place, On th¢/othldr! every side 4s rich ‘has been unused except for sone indifferent pasture, which in a Mlue grane has not been auch esteaed . Fith very little work h ake fomei here of clear pure water, It would be surrounded by Mhoree and beotling crage would overlook it, there you would have and precipice in close hamozy, and it would be one of the b Mrginia, The highway would skirt one side of the park , and Stephe: ‘howwe would look down on it, 1¢ would be just the right distance , makean attraction for the town of Jarlinten , and dt would be an arives from Lewisburg , Ronceverte, white ‘Sulphur Springs, T have beon weighing the somewhat slight evid of the Pioneer Stephen Sewell. ie cane here with Jacob Marlin jn the | bOth of then long hunters . 1 an now informed ng¥ by competent authori: Yon, Boyd B. Stutler, the historian, that long hunter ie not a ay: tt wae a tem to distinguish the professional hunter, who crossed a bepand th, cuntaine for nonthe stay ,. es compared ial those. or so for the purpose of providing their winter meat, He owes hie fane like Merlin and every other notable to "ane got into print and was preserved that "oY. Oring to this tact ave cone to be first P was whore the twwa of Mari Lewis, 9) is Life here. He m ecentante herBoth the cabin and tree dwelling were located inthe narrow puss through whitch YPAPPS Creek breaks through to reach the Greenbrier River, This stream flows bet ween two peaks or headland martng the gate way to the great Knappe Creek Valley ome ® spur of the Buckley, Mountain and the other a spur of Varlin Wountain, These peaks have never been given nanes , and it is now proposed to name then lary and Slitabeth, after Elizabeth Dunlap, and Mary Vance ¥arwick. ‘The people of this county have specialized on the nume of Marlin, and have the nune-of Sewell. Thus tlowed the people in a distant part of the State to u Sewell is renenbered by Big and Little Sewell wountain, Sewell Creek, Sewell Valley, the town of Sewell, and one of the measures of coal of the New River section, known as the Sewell sean. Lt is the common belief baséd upon a tradition, that Stephen Sewell left here , ani moved to Sewell Crock which flows into the Gauley River , and that he there killed by the Indians. As a defender of tradition, I an sorry to say that I have come to the conclusion that Stephen Sewell never lived farther west than the cave at the Raahnat bears his nane in Pocahontas County, near Millpoint, ‘That he lived on the waters of Gauley is due to a statement prepared ty PRM Rieer® | the grand 014 man of Greenbrier county, in Sheenena 1798, and At is basedbn his report that Sewell moved forty miles farther west and lived on @ creek that bears hic nase . It is not at all likely that Sewell lived on Geuley ‘or any péint vest of the Greenbrier valley prior to 1756. ?avid Tygart had to leave nal settler west of the long intervening valley of the Greenbrier, At the sane time , it is probable thatSexell ranged widely and ‘been nared for hin . But wo have definite his It occurred on the llth day of Septen! In 1150, De. Thomas valker , er River at the mouth of its higher up on the riyraterced to people aiviag ab of near the mouth of z t ioe et ee a ts Eo ee eee ‘agreevent with the French at « place called the great near Brownsville Pennsylvania, Later in that year the I ttlere to be massacred by fenily at Beverly, the first and Indian var. The next year the settlers on the fronts while Braddock was forming hie amy but even before his Indians were killing on the Holston River and on the head he firet effect of Braddocke defeat in this section occurred | that tine when the Indians appeared at the mouth of Knapps © persons and took eight prisoners. This raid ended the hostilitie But in February and March 1756 they broke out again, This unfortunate expedition expedition led by Gen Andrew Lewis in the nat the Ohio Indians. he marched an army of 416 men clear rginia to strike the Indians in their towns on the Ohio, Tt is | voyage . It resulted in disaster and tne ren suffered from want of the cold weather,Ghickon House Rur.- Chicken House Run 48 unother minor tributry of the Greenbrier River joining the latter strem one-half mile south of watog Tt heads on the west elppe of the Pfle Mountain and flows almost due west for « distance of 2.8 miles, Ite drainage area is 2.42 square miles, Te hee a total fall of 790 feet, with a rate of fall per mile of 282.1 fee Bartnile, There is @ tradition that the tranch wae so nened from the fact that one of the old pionoor hunters of thie section of Pocshoxtas County Knowing that the branch was infested with Foxes and other vamints , and erder to catch then, he placed a eal chicken House on « stump with one or two chickens inside the coop, then placed spring traps ull around and about the Chicken House, ard therety caught many of the Foxes and Yamite by this method of enticeing then vith a chicken; And the branch has been there- after called"Chicken House Run", is made up of two branches with eeveral anall BEAVER CRERK:~ ‘ritutaries roughly forming a Y the southern branch heading well up on the weet eide“of Boaver Lick Mountain with th¥e northern branch heading oa the east side of the Buckley Wountain to join the Greenbrier River at Violet. ‘The old County Road fron Hilletoro to Huntersville followed along this strewn when Huntersville wes the County Seat of Pocshontas County . Beaver Creek has 8 drainege ares of 16,27 square miles, and has a tote f Yot 8.6 niles with a tdotel fall of 940 fect, with a rate of fall Per mile of 114.6 feet. * Beave Creck was so ned fron the fenous Beavers that once infésted ats waters. IMPROVEVENT LICK RUN:- THE Inprovenent Lick Run ie = enell stream Length of 3.6 niles , having ite source near the top of the and flowing wectward to join Greenbrier River one mile remedy dploneer ho had made some inpro t having | Impréverent Lick Run Per mile of 231.9 feet ,ONDAY LICK: and SUNDAY LICK BUX,S r the top of Buckley ourtain ané flow in # Those two mall Branches head ni atout 800 fect apart westward direction to join the Greentrier River eae. mile south of Stillwell. vonday Lick Run has arentire length of 2,5 mil with « totel fall of 700 feet , with a rate of fell of 260 fect por mile,with drainage aren of 2,02 square miles Sunday Lick Run, has an entire length of 2,4 miles ,with a fall of 950 feot, with a rate of fall of 395.8 feet per mile, and has a drainege area basin of 1.21 equare miles . In pioneer deys Deer Licks were frequented on these branches, and fenciful nemes were given then by the old pioneer hunters. ‘There is tradition that once e huiiter killed a deer on one of these branches on sunday at one of these licke ; and it was thereafter called Sunday Lick Run, Hunting on Sunday wae frowned upon by the early settlers snd the nane was given ae an enduring reproof. In order to designate the two Lick Rune the other branch was celled Mondey Lick Run. Lens Ridge ie situate between Monday Lick ,and Sunday Lick , and was eo named from an old pioneer hunter by the name of Lon Bonday, no doutt the branches were naned for him.. STILL HOUSE RUN:- nother run of mall importance heading near the north end of Buckley Mountuin is locally known es Still House Run , and is the {iret stream south of Knapps Creek end flows into the Greenbrier River at the Iomter town of Stillwell, Tte totel length ds 3.1 miles with a drainage area of 2.6 equare miles , Stil] House R un w ® Still House wee abseonded swaySWAGO CREEK;- Swago Creok is avtrean with a considerable volum of water i originating largely from springs that energe high up in the Suggo Mountain nd Days vountain; mear Spruce Flate , 1t is composed of the following branches or tributeries: Me Blintock Run, Overholt Run, Dry Run, and Buck Run Taie network of streams has cut a proninent cove between the range of Rodgers vountuin, Swago Yountain, and Spruce Flats. Swago Creek enters Greenbrier River at Buckeye, and has a drainage area of 12,92 square niles nd hae a total length of 3.3 miles with a total fall of 1295 feet, with « Tate of fall per mile of 392.4 feet. MeGlintocks flour mill wue sitedted on this branch , but is now not in use, Swago Creck has one of the oldedt settlements that wee made in Pocahon tae County ; The notable fanily of Ewings settled on Swago about the year 17710 , having sold their land holdinge to Wo Moore on Knapps Creek ; Willian Ewing known as " Swago Bill” was living on Swago Creck in the year of 1786, he bleted @ line of trees around the lands he selected , and afterwards had the tract patented . nee he wae plowing when the alam cene that the Zoltan wore preparing to atiack the esttlanast; he hid his plow 2 eee and with the other settlers nade hacte to the nearest fort which was Willpoint then known as Fort Day; a few daye afterwards he ventured tack to get hie plow, and while proceeding through the woods with his plow, he was alamsed by @ snsping sound , and turning to one side he sew three Indiane behind a log with their guns pointed at him , they had tried to shoot tut their powder was denp , and their guns had missed fire ; willie Ewing dropped his plow and started to the Fort fast as he could run , with the Indians after him. Going over a raise of the ground into a mall hollow he changed his couree , ran up the hollow a short distance and stepped, and then eaw the Ti th ty in the regular course, Bing then made his way to the fort This wae about the tine thet the Drennan raid eccurred, when0 naved fron the Oewega Indiune ; the Whave teen told that Swago Crook w "Swago word ie compounded fron the Indian word"otesgo” ‘ot* meaning a place of meeting, and the word Sago" an Indian term of salutation; and the two verde coined together emerged into the word SAGO which menas a meeting place- " A happy meeting place Swago" ie one of the beautiful Indian neme: that ie common among the Alleghent Tt has also been stated that Swago Crock was nened after Willian Swing | jocally known as "Swago Pill” Ewing , but records will chow that Swago Creek will antedate that of "Swago Bill” He was named Swago Bill because he lived on Swago Creek. On the head of Swago Créek there ie u"Natural Bridge" formed by a stratun of the limestone , about forty feet High in length and fifteen feet high ,unde which the etrean flows . This bridge is in a very rugged country in the forest. MARLINS RUN}- Marlins ®un is a small run of minor importance, except the local history that it bears in connection with its name-sake . Heading near the Marlin Vountain and flowing due we: for a distance of 2,7 mile ‘hrough the town of Warlinton to join Knappe Cresk one -half mile above its mouth, It has a total fall of 630 fest with a drainage area of 1,56 equere miles Warline Run , has the honor of having the first persone of English of aa Scotch Irish antecedents to spend a winter in what is now Pocahontas County sho were Merlin and Savelt This $a S00 S0e0 at ysoe shag in “arline Run and the Knapps Creok . In the course of 4; sree ~ over the question of their Religion , they epy * when they ware found by Colonel Andrew Levis, wart: Sows hed teke@R Uphds bode ine hollow sy casore ‘he slough ,Quite near where the walk now crosp to line with @ walnut tres now Court hous!at thie way of living apart fron Gelonel Andrew Lexie expresced hie surpri each ether , when eo distent from the hatitation of other human beings. in sentiments, and since they jewoll told him they differ NSS was more tranquility , or a better understanding , for now they were on SPeakibg terms, and upon each moening " itwas godd morning , Mr, Sewell," and " good morning u'r, Merlin", There hae been a tradition thet these two men Qwarrelled over their Religion one being a Protestant and the other u Catholic, Shen again, it hae been written that they diftdred over the form of bptien, and that " irmersior wus the thene of their cénténtion. were not 7¥ should be understood that these tro men,at dagger pointe with each other, while they lived near together on the banks of Uarline Run, they were in epeaking distance, : writes that he saw ‘Th lebe Tillis 7. Price inkie historicel not POP OM Syomere treo, ani was inside of 1 many times. ( from Be as follows) ‘The lower part’of the tree bore the striking resemblance to a ‘The cavity could ehelter five or eix persons, and the been often in it for shade or for shelter fron rain or heats At the top of the cone , come eight or ten fect from the ground »the tree was not more than twenty inches in dimeter , and in that height it was chopped off about the year 1639, to avoid shading the crops. Thus the otump was left for shade or shelter, until it disepeared during the war, being probably used for te = THe new arrangmont did not last long | and Semel eel search of Jess molestation about his religion, with drew about eight miles to acave at the head of Sewelbe nun near Y'arvin ( now known as Stephen hole Run, Stephen Hole Run) Then ha went forty miles farther mn to ‘Sewell slain by Indians, (NATURAL SETTIiG CHAPTER THREE ( Pocuhontee Counth ) (Part a) Roscos «Frown, a, Due sb ego The North Fork of Deer Creek , or ( North Fork Creek ) as the does not mean Rane ie appliod to kke branch , ie incorrectly named , the nam ] Sty thing whatsoever, ‘The branch of Deer creck called North Fork Creek is the @ee¥ branch of Deer Creek and is nt the North Fork as h been named . Te Worth Fork of Deer Creck ( or the origional warwicks Creek ) Mir * fret named “onrtmiiis creek © in honor of Thoans Cartmili who had secured ® Patent or land Grant, from the Commonwealth of of Virginia for 358 acres of Rand bearing dete of June 13th 178 while under the Tegime of ‘Augusta County. Tie tract of land is situated between the " Wine Bank # and the Eastern Part of the *8"of Greenbank including ‘the mouth of Roain Run and ie the first Survey of land taken up on the North Fork creek edjoining the Wermick lands ‘Mia branch of Deer Cresk was called cartmills creek for speriod of twenty five or thirty years from 1780 +111 about 1810 as shown in giving the Jocal description of the lande situated on the waters of Cartmille Creek. ‘Thomas Cartmill was a Revolutionary wer vetern ard was sworn in as a Captain of The Virginia Militia on May 11 th 1780 ( It should have continued under the nane of Cartmills creek +) The North Fork Creek ie cold end clear se cryated , has been infested with the tmous mountain Brook Trot, the hes on entire length 11.8 mit ® totel fall of 1570 fe end an ar of drabnage of 29.48 fron the source to the conjunctio: ee FOL permite of 131 5 rest. _ The facility for water power mille( Helletore Run J The Helletore Run ie a branch of the North Fork Creek , that fléwe due North a distance of 3,25 miles with a fall of 950 fect with a rate of fall per mile of about 292.3 feet. ‘The Helletore Run was named from the numerous Hellebore plants thet grew on the run, especially on the head of the run, where the plants grew mostly in the demp and wet partd of the narrow bottom . The Hellebore Run section was firet developed ty Jacob Hevener Sr a cattle raiser * ef Hightown Virginiay who had secured a land grant or patent of 650 acres beering dete of 1838 and later other tfacts adjoining, situated on the Allegheny mountain, Relebore Ridge ,and Helfebore Run, and employed John Spencer ss a tenant to clear the lange and herd his cattle, horees, and sheep, that he renged on the Allegheny mountains, now called the Hellebore Ridge grating farm ( but now in possession of the U.S, Forest Service ) About 1000 Acres of the Helletore Run section was fenced up by fatbing down the trees . The shining pleited leaves of the Hellebore plente put forth so eerly in the spring , and was eo tenpting to the young cattle, thet they would eet the young Hellebore which is very poisonous , and would die from ite ieoncue effect, and from this fact thet John Spe: tetore Aun , spent much of his time in the spring of the y crous Helleber plants and thereby he gave it the n snd the Hellebore Ridge , one of the highest péinte ©, received ite name from the Run, whis is ei of the Run . © plent from which the, very numerous , in etiff- branching, spike-like , dé flewered panicles, Perianth of 6 oblong segments ; 6 short curved stamens; 3 styles . Stem: ie stout, leafy 2 to 5 fect tall . Leaves : Plaiti ‘the lower exes broadly oval , pointed 6 to 12 inches long; parallel ribbed, sheathing ‘the stem where they clasp it ; with the upper leaves gradually narrowing; the leaves among the flowers are small. It preferre to grow in Swamps, Wet Woodds, and low Meadows , and blooms Detween the months of ay and July. and grows in the South Eastern part of t ‘the United Ste: i The Nene of Hellebore Run and Hellebore Ridge for some unknown reason is incorrectly spelled " ELLEBER " which appears inthe Geological Survey records of Pocchontas County, and the Topographical Surveys of U.S. F.8. {_ Should be spelled "HELLESORE, “ )CHAPTER THREE _ NATURAL SETTING. (POcahonti Roacco Y,Brown Arbo vale (7m County ) my ¢ : Parti Sept-24 -1940 (eee 8) Fron the stand point of climate Pocahontas might be divided in two parts » thet de, highlands and valleys or lowlands, Being a very mounteinous country With high elevations and locatedon the western eide of the main Alleghenies, it te subject to severe winters, the valleys ,however , being protected on either eide,have lese severe winter ‘LDuriug>tpe, summer months the weather ie ideal seldom averaging over 10 degrees Fehrerheit during July the warmest month of the year, _% Becsuse of the wide range in elevation and the varied directions at which the mountains and valleye lie, climatic differenc within the county a Ereat. Through the western and aothern parts, the winters are cold, and the and the summers aie cool with relatively few hot days; the lower Greenbrier River Valley and the ridge and Valley country to the east have less severe w winters and condiderably higher summer temperatures, With a few exceptions the nighte are cool and ideal for sleeping. ‘The results of killing frosts have beenb observed in a few places as iate as June 20, and considerable frost damage to tender vegetation have been observed een in July and August. Fag along the large streams and valleys in the spring and fall often prevents the severe frost denage that eure in the adjoining uplands, ‘The direction of the preveiling air currents and their by physiography often give a temperature 1 of on within @ distance of one or two miles. is & typical of a great upland mass(BLOCK RUX) all branch of the North Fork Creek 3.25 miles in length and k Run ie a and has a total fall in feet of 1085, and a rate of fall per mile of 29342 and a drainage area of 2,92 Saare mil ‘Tae Block Run has ite source near the Top Allegheny Battle Field, flows dm couthermly direction to unite with the North Fork Creck ae" Black Run" in the U.S, F.S. Maps Thie Branch has been quot . name But it is locally known as BLOCK RUN” and receive the from the fact that ebout the year of 1840 Jacob Yeager and his son John Yeager had erected an Up and Down water power Sew mill, below the forks of Bock Run , they built e dem acroes the run with stones which was a complete piece of masonry the well was about 13 feet high and 200 feet long; the inside wae filled with clay , at about an angle of one to one and a half,; When the dem was full of water it covered an acre of ground then the gate wee closed to fill the dem, to run the mill, the run was completely Flocked , The Yeager ill Dem Blocked the Run, hence the neme Block Run,( Page 2) Since the virgin forest timber de Practically ,alltaken out of Pocahonts County ,the winds have become stronger ; the air tends to move lengthwice of the tong valley of the Greenbrier River + And the winds are deflected by the topography so that at times they blow at right angles to their normal course ef the country at night, and in the winter tine, “inde in general blow harder at high altitud in Pocshontas Uounty and very few wind Cyclones are no{a connon occurence Storms and floods that are out of the ordinary, According to the Weather Bureau station at Marlinton, situated at an Stevation of 2131 feet, the anmel ( average) rainfall is 47.26 inches, with average depth of snow 33.7 inches, and the mean temperature id 48.1 F Degrees in not representative of conditions in the plateau sections of the This, however, i Morth-enstern part of the County, The Pickens station in Handolph County is more Andicative of the north-eastern part of Pocahontas County, it shows an average Snmial rainfall of more than 60 inches and a snowfal) ef 100 inchi ‘Te rainfall is well distributed through the year . 1t is greates during the »p Sumer,when needed for growing cropeand pasture, and least in fall and winter yeer ‘The heaviest snow fall is usually in January and Fetruary. Te average frost-free period reported at Varlinton,ie 4} months, between mg frost reported was June 17 th and the earliest May 16 and Octoberlet The last kil14, 1 figures are quoted fron the Soil survey of Pocshonta: County Sept 6th. ( th issued Feb 1938 ), Tt has elwaye been a common saying and belie by the old farmers of Pocahottés Retety Wat the Rast wind will 4i11 their buck-cheat or injure it to the extent that it wor't f411,make straw tut not much grain,Legh Generally the snows are vety heaw on the Allegheny mountains, the Back Allegheny and Cheat Vountains; The Staunton and Farkereburg turnpike cro e the Allepheny tains between Monterey Virginia ,and Travelers Repose , and crosses the Back Allegheny and Cheat Yountain between Durbin and Huttensville of Kandelph County, these points wi "the Pike crosse the mountains which ie at an elevation of approxizately 4000 feet will drift full of snow ,and untilrecent years the traffic and U,8.Mails would be held up for several peeks on account of the heaw drifting snows . In the olden times when the traffic and transportation was done ty the horse and buggy ,and the four and six horse wagons were opemon to the People of Pocshontas County, traffic would te blocked by the enow drifte on the : ‘Miecheny mountain, and the Gheat xountein the grester part of the winter dimes But of becent tines when the State Road Commi: fon 4e equipped with the modern now plows , and by the construction of th dern snow fences, elong the Sections thet are apt to drift up, the roads are thereby kept fr from the srow drifte ; and every day that it snows, th snow plows are kept running both dey and night to keop the roads open for the public in geneal, once a year during the winter months , frequently will stnp the trafic , ‘there will be heaw sleet but not longer than one or two days at a vo oth cr weather conditions Ahat/are out of thes imeem Pers natter of shifting the County, s economic welfare,Te appears to be an authentic fact that since the Virgin Forest of Pocahontas county have been cut out and especially the famous White Pine tre ‘that the early killing frost and the lat ®0 prevalent . killing frost are not Lato Killing frosts in the epring and early killing frosts an the fell made farming a precarious jouraonttle stence to early settlers, 4s late ap 1810, the fact that corn would ripen on Marline Bottom ( now varlinton ) sufficiently to make meal was of gre interest to the Surrounding settlers . Cultivating patch of buckwheat , corn,beans, and Potatoes comprised most of the pioneer farming enterprise for supplenenting supplé of geme and fish, ‘The steple egriculturek products are corn, oats, wh apples, peach rep) and rye, in their appeoxinete Of recent years it is found that Alfalfa has proven to be a succesefhl crop. Soy-beans have proven to te a successful crop . splendid paying crop. Sect potatoes , Watermellons : Poanuts, have been been atandoned on the account of climatie conditions, No industries of any nature have been ee thet have teen proven to be unsuitable .NATURAL SETTING Focuhentas County Roscoe W, Prown. ak cis. Rove Growl Pert 1) Nay we, eae jf seedy GAULEY RIVER;- The Cauley River drainage ie of minor impor’ ¢ bounds of Pocuhente ‘to Pocahontas County except that it has ite source within County limits, in three branches - NorthFork, South Fork, and widdle Fork, ~ Bigh up in the west eide of the Bow and Cauley Vountaine, Flowing west across te e three forke unite at cute angle of the southern end of Randolph County th Three Forks of Geuley af the Randolph- Webster County line and there the main Gaulp continues ir a general south weet direction,draining, with ite tributeries, all of ster Webster County eouth of Elk River. It continues well entrenched, acsoss ™ end Nicholas Counties, to unité with New River at Gauley Bridge, Fayette County, to form the Great Kanuveha, Its principal tributeries within the area touching Poshonter are Cherry , Cranterry, and williaxs River: The Gauley River has an entire length of 104 miles, as it meanders in its = natural course ; tut bh with a totel fall an air line distance of only 59,2 mili of 3,352 feet or at the average rate of 32.23 fect per mile. And according tb the Geological Survey for Yebster County , has a drainage area of 1350.37 square miles. CHERRY RIVER OF THE GAULEY, The Cherry River heads in two forks, North and South , in south westa’” Pocshor:tus County , and flows west ecross nothern Greenbrier County into Kicholas County , to join Gauley River at Curtain . The Cherry River in Pocahontus County 3 hae a drainage area basin of 5.20 square mi: How the River got the nme of " GAULEY* or what it signifies, question that ie vague, and obscure. Sone folks ure of the ‘ so nme by the French explorers, nothing cound be more. But there is a:current tradition | M ere ‘Section, thet on chy bluffPocuhontas County . 1¢ Addle Vowteine: to « pod a ttli / | TAOIAN DRarT , ‘The Indian Draft , is @ mall branch that tises in the Elk DMAIn South of Gay Knob and flows ina southernly direction to convect with and has a fall of 1060 Story Creek at Campbell Town, a total distance of 5.2 mil of Foot with a rate of fall of 203.8 feet Per mile, and has a drainage ar 7649 equare mid The Indian Drag: is one of the small branches of Focahontas County . Be he with 8 , sore nistortoat incidents), dn tts cia aes ary other of the many events Pe PPMHeh an the county; And in order to give an 44 REE MAMDY spparte , upon, and around shout the dedien Aneee and which incidents of the,are found ine lette Bes letd to the nming of the * INDIAN Draft, af mettten ty Calvin y. Price, in Me Pacshontes Times bearing date of April 10 th 1941 Which is herety given in full: F have been asked to write sone things I know about the Indian Draft, A draft ie narrow valley between two leading ridg: Indian Draft reaches fron Elk Mountain ‘¥o Stony Creck at Canpbell Town, The Indians traveled it; the trails forked just bela Biray. One trace, a section of the war Path from New York to Georgia went by Edray “The firet roads followed to cross Elk Mountain , and the other to Clover Lidl When the Kerlin Fotton and Indian trails, and our highways still do, more of les erly a century ago, the route was taken up on Drennin Ridge, Huttonsville Turnpike 4s aconzodation to homes and farms on the ridgdrather than up ths water grade of the narrow Draft where no one lived below the forks, 3 recall hearing tack in my childhood sone of the older people spesking of enall bands of Indians cumping at the mouth of the Indian Draft , ‘back aod forth from Ohio to Yesington, The lands around the Bray branch of the _ Indian raft were firdt opened by Tuomas Drenmin, The tract exbraced I know now that the site of the Drennin cabin was by « t In my young days no one was supposed to