Brooke County WV Archives History - Books .....Brooke County History 1889
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Alice Warner Brosey http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00015.html#0003503 April 17, 2010, 6:56 pm

Book Title: History Of West Virginia In Two Parts By Virgil A. Lewis

BROOKE.

Brooke county, the smallest in the State, has an area of 80 square miles. It was
formed from Ohio county by act of Assembly passed November 30, 1796, and named
in honor of Robert Brooke, a grandson of Robert Brooke, who in company with
Robert Beverly the historian accompanied Governor Spottswood to Virginia in
1710. Both of these accompanied the Governor in his famous expedition over the
Blue Ridge in 1716. Robert, in honor of whom the county was named, together with
his brother Lawrence, was sent to Edinburgh to be educated, the former for the
profession of law, the latter for that of medicine. When they returned, the
Revolution was in progress. Lawrence, going to France, was through the influence
of Benjamin Franklin appointed surgeon of the "Bon Homme Richard," and was in
all of the engagements of that historic ship. Robert was captured on the voyage
to America and sent back to England. Escaping, he went to Scotland, thence to
France, and sailed for America in a French cruiser laden with arms for the
colonial troops. He entered the army, and in 1781, was taken prisoner in an
engagement at Westham, six miles from Richmond. He was soon exchanged, and
returning to the army served to the close of the war. In 1794, he was a member
of the General Assembly from Spottsylvania county, and the same year was elected
Governor of Virginia. In 1795, he was made Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of
Ancient Free and Accepted Masons. He was elected Attorney-General of Virginia in
1798, over his opponent, Bushrod Washington, a nephew of George Washington. He
died in 1799, aged fifty-eight years.

The first Court in Brooke county convened May 23, 1797, at the house of William
Thorpe, in Charlestown, now Wellsburg. The following were the justices composing
it: John Beck, William Griffith, John Henderson, Alexander Stephenson, John
Connell, Richard Elson, Francis McGuire, Isaac Meek, George Hammond, Josiah
Gamble, Robert Colwell, James Griffith. John Beck qualified as sheriff for the
county. John Connell was elected clerk and John Relfe, Commonwealth's Attorney.
The following were appointed constables for the county: Samuel Litton, Roger
Hill, William Baxter, Elijah Rittenhouse, Jacob Walker, James Perry, Samuel
Dunlap, Hugh Brown and Adam Sullivan. John Relfe and Philip Doddridge were
granted license to practice law in the courts of Brooke county.

Pioneers.—Henry Hervey settled in Brooke county in 1772, entering his land
midway between the Ohio river and the Pennsylvania line. Richard Wells the same
year located a tract of 400 acres in what is now Brooke county, between Cross
and Harmon's creeks. He returned to his native State, Maryland, and brought back
with him a party of Irishmen from an emigrant ship. In 1790, he brought with him
from the east his aged parents, James and Honora Wells. William and Samuel
Strain, natives of Ireland, settled on Cross creek in 1774. Ten years later
their brother John settled near them. William Boner came to Brooke county in
1774. Charles Wells settled on Buffalo creek in 1775. About the same time his
brothers, William, Absalom, Caleb and Amon, settled in the county. Joseph Colben
settled on King's creek about the year 1776. About 1787 Moses Decker, Peter Cox
and Benjamin Wells located patents in this county. Two years previous Benjamin
Johnson located 7000 acres ofland. In 1786, William McMahon located a tract of
land embracing the hills back of Wellsburg. Samuel Archer removed from
Pennsylvania to Brooke county in 1798. Bernard Brady settled on a farm near
Cross creek, in 1799. Asa Owings in 1796, purchased a tract of land south of
Harmon's creek. Jeremiah Browning, with his sons, Lewis, Joseph and Jeremiah,
Jr., with their families, moved to "Mingo Bottoms" in 1812.

Here, as elsewhere on the frontier, the pioneers suffered much from the Indian
wars.

Captain Van Buskirk Killed.—In the summer of 1792, the last contest between the
Indians on the upper Ohio and a party of Virginians organized for that purpose
took place. The settlements in that part of the Panhandle now comprised in the
counties of Brooke and Hancock had suffered greatly from savage marauders. A
party of men organized under the leadership of Captain Lawson Van Buskirk—a man
well adapted to lead such an expedition. He was able and courageous, and more
than any other in the company had reason to desire revenge—his wife having been
murdered by the savages less than a year before.

A band of savages, about thirty in number, on no mission of mercy, were on the
Virginia shore, and it was quite certain that, retreating, they would attempt to
cross the Ohio at a point not far below the present site of Steubenville.
Captain Van Buskirk with his forty brave frontiersmen crossed the river and
marched cautiously in search of the Indian trail. After following it some
distance it was lost, but as the party neared the river again near the site of
an old Mingo town, near where they had crossed the stream, they discovered the
Indians concealed in a dense thicket of pawpaw bushes. Captain Van Buskirk fell
pierced by thirteen bullets. The contest lasted more than an hour, but the
Indians were defeated. Several of their number were killed. The Virginians lost
only their brave captain.

John Decker was the last white man killed by an Indian in Brooke county. He
lived in this county, but only a short distance from West Liberty. As he was
riding to Holliday's Cove along the ridge on the east side of Scott's run he
discovered Indians in pursuit. They fired and a ball broke his horse's leg. He
then attempted to escape on foot, but was overtaken and killed. Thomas Wiggins,
who lived near, alarmed by the firing, seized his rifle and hastened to the spot
whence the sound proceeded. He found only the lifeless body of Decker.

Wellsburg.—The town was laid out by Charles Prather, and in honor of the
proprietor received the name of Charlestown. It was established by legislative
enactment, December 7, 1791, with William M'Mechan, Benjamin Biggs, George Cox,
George White, James Marshall, James Griffith, John Green, John Connell and
Samuel Brown, trustees. By act of the General Assembly passed December 27, 1816,
the name of Charlestown was changed to that of Wellsburg, in honor of Alexander
Wells, who married the only daughter of Charles Prather. It became the county
seat at the formation of the county.

Brooke Academy was incorporated by Act of Assembly passed January 10, 1799, with
William McKennan, Bazaleel Wells, Charles Wells, James Marshall, Joseph
Doddridge, Philip Doddridge, John Connell, Moses Chapline and Thomas McKean
Thompson, trustees. By an Act of Assembly passed in 1852, the trustees of Brooke
Academy were authorized to transfer their property to the Meade Collegiate
Institute. But by Act of February 6, 1862, the Corporation of Brooke Academy was
revived, and Hugh W. Crothers, Danforth Brown, Sr., David Fleming, Obadiah W.
Langfitt and Samuel George appointed trustees.

Bethany.—The village, seven miles southeast of Wellsburg, was laid out in 1847
by Alexander Campbell, and as his home will ever be prominent in history.

Captain Oliver Brown, who resided many years in this county, was a native of
Lexington, Massachusetts. His ancestors were among the first settlers of that
State. He was an eye witness of the "Boston Tea Party," and a participant in the
battle of Lexington. He commanded the party of volunteers who converted the
leaden statue of King George into bullets for the American army. He served
throughout the war, and in 1790, moved west and settled in Wellsburg, then
Charlestown, where he died in 1846, aged ninety-three years.

Alexander Campbell.—This noted man was born in Ireland, September 12, 1786. His
maternal ancestors were French Huguenots, and fled from their native country
upon the revocation of the Edict of Nantes by Louis XIV. in 1685. He completed
his studies at Glasgow University, and in 1808, came to America and joined his
father, who was laboring as a Minister of the Gospel in Washington county,
Pennsylvania. In 1811, he married Margaret Brown. Shortly after his marriage he
removed to what is now Bethany, Brooke county. Here in his own house he opened a
school which was designed to prepare young men for the ministry. It was called
Buffalo Academy, and resulted in the founding of Bethany College. He died in
1866. Samuel M. Schmucker says of him : "Alexander Campbell, the chief founder
of this denomination—the Disciples of Christ—was, without question, one of the
ablest polemics and theologians in this country. He spent a long and active life
in preaching the doctrines he believed and establishing churches and
institutions which are intended to diffuse education and theological knowledge."
Two thousand churches, with one hundred thousand members in our own country and
many followers in other lands, attest his success.

Patr1ck Gass, author of Gass' Journal of the Lewis and Clarke Expedition to the
Pacific, was long a resident of this county. He was born near the present site
of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, June 12, 1771. Soon after the family removed to
Maryland, but soon returned to Pennsylvania, and settled near where Washington,
in that State, now stands. In 1792, Patrick served as a soldier on the frontier,
and after the close of the hostilities on the upper Ohio, accompanied the
command of General Wilkinson in the descent of that river. In 1802, he was with
the detachment of Captain Bissell on the Tennessee river, and the next year went
with the same to Kaskaskia, Illinois. Here he enlisted as a member of the Lewis
and Clarke Expedition, then fitting out at St. Louis for the exploration of the
Pacific Coast. The story of his adventures, together with that of his
companions, is told in his "Journal" printed at Philadelphia in 1812. After the
return of the expedition, he lingered for a few months at Wellsburg, then again
went west. When the War of 1812 came on, he was at Nashville, Tennessee, and
enlisting in the command of General Gaines, served throughout the struggle,
participating in the battles of Chippewa, Lundy's Lane and Fort Erie. In 1831,
he wedded a daughter of John Hamilton, of Brooke county, and reared a family of
seven children. He died April 2, 1870, at the advanced age of nearly ninety-nine
years. He was the last survivor of the Lewis and Clarke Expedition.


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