Fayette County WV Archives History - Books .....Chapter IV Fayette County A Part Of Virginia 1926
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/wv/wvfiles.htm
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com November 15, 2007, 1:37 am

Book Title: History Of Fayette County West Virginia

CHAPTER IV
FAYETTE COUNTY A PART OF VIRGINIA

  On the tenth of April, 1606, King James I, of England, granted a charter to
the London company to plant a colony in that part of America, called Virginia,
which had been named in honor of Queen Elizabeth, the "Virgin Queen."

  Three small vessels, the "Susan Constant," of one hundred and twenty tons
burden, the "Godspeed," of forty tons, and the "Discovery," of twenty tons, no
one of which vessels would now be deemed worthy to attempt the voyage, left
Blackwell, England, December 6th, 1606, bound for America. They were detained on
the south coast of England for six weeks. On April 26th, 1607 the fleet entered
Chesapeake Bay, the points on the sides of which were named Cape Charles and
Cape Henry in honor of the King's sons. Captain Christopher Newport, the acting
admiral of the fleet, steered the vessels up the James River, naming it in honor
of the King himself. Fifty miles up the river a landing was made, and, in honor
of the King, this place was named Jamestown. This was the earliest permanent
English settlement in America.

  The hardships for a few years were terrible, and the colony grew very slowly.
But soon afterward the population began to grow and the settlements began to
spread until by 1619 there were eleven boroughs, or towns, in the colony of
Virginia. On the 30th of June of that year the first meeting of the House of
Burgesses was held in the old log church at Jamestown. Two representatives from
each of the eleven boroughs were present. This was the first representative
legislative body of the New World. So rapidly did the population increase that
in 1671 there were forty thousand English speaking people in Virginia, all east
of the Blue Ridge.

  In this connection we will trace the county organization of the State of
Virginia, showing to what counties the territory now included in Fayette county
has successively belonged.

  In 1634 Virginia was divided into eight shires, which were to be governed as
were the shires in England. These people were very English then. In 1710 there
were twenty-five counties, or shires, as they had been called. The change of
name indicates that they were not so extremely English as they had been, and
they were now beginning to be Virginians. The county of Stafford on the Potomac
was the extreme one in that direction; that is, it was on the frontier.

  In 1716 Governor Spottswood became curious to learn what he might discover
beyond the "high mountain/' which for want of a better name, the Blue Ridge was
called; so he collected a squad of followers and marched to the west and crossed
said mountain beyond the frontier. He discovered a river running to the north,
which river he called Euphrates, but which afterwards was known as the Shenandoah.

  The county of Spottsylvania was formed in 1720. This was the first county that
extended west of the Blue Ridge. One of the reasons assigned for its creation
was that the frontier was exposed to danger from the Indians and the late
settlements of the French to the west of the mountains. This county extended
over the mountain to the river in the valley.

  Provision was made for the formation of new counties and in 1734 there were
thirty-two, all east of the mountains. The county of Orange was formed in 1734,
just one hundred years after the first eight shires were formed, for it was said
that the inhabitants were inconvenienced by their great distance from their
courthouse. Orange was made to extend "westerly to the utmost limits of
Virginia" and the boundary of Virginia was "from sea to sea." From 1734 to 1738
all the Virginia territory, west of the mountain barrier, which included what
was known as the northwest territory, was deemed to be in Orange county.

  In 1738 Augusta and Frederick counties were formed, both west of the Blue
Ridge, divided by a "line drawn from the head spring of Hedgeman's river at the
Blue Ridge, to the source of the north branch of the Potomac," Frederick county
being to the northward and Augusta to the southward. A glance at the map will
show that the present counties of Jefferson, Berkeley, Morgan, Hampshire,
Mineral, half of Hardy, half of Grant, and about one-tenth of Tucker were in
Frederick county, and the remaining portion of what is now West Virginia,
excepting the Northern Panhandle, was in Augusta county.

  It was said that great numbers of people had settled themselves on the Potomac
and its boundary on the northwest side of the Blue Ridge, and that the strength
of the Colony, the security of the frontier, and the King's revenue would be
augmented, should two counties be made out of Orange—Frederick at the lower part
of the valley with a courthouse at Winchester, and Augusta without limits and
with headquarters at Staunton. Although Augusta was called a tract of land,
taken from Orange, to encourage settlers on the waters of the Mississippi, they
exempted the same from public levies for ten years. The lower valley was settled
principally by the Germans from Pennsylvania, and the upper valley by the
Scotch-Irish. The people of the coast counties were too well satisfied at home
to cross the "high mountain," and indeed there were no reasons therefor; they
had plenty of room on the east side where it was safer, and they did not have to
associate with the Scotch-Irish and Dutch. So the valley was left alone and it
blossomed as the rose.

  Augusta extended from the Blue Ridge westward without limit, and included all
of Virginia, except Frederick (which was small), that was embraced in the
western part of the colony. It was not until 1743 that these counties were able
to organize, on account of lack of people, or settlers. In 1763, by the treaty
of Paris, the western boundary of Virginia was brought eastward to the
Mississippi river. In the meanwhile the French and Indian war had taken place.

  In 1769 Augusta county was divided into two counties by a line "beginning at
the Blue Ridge, running north 55 degrees west to the confluence of Mong's creek
(or of the South river), with the north branch of the James river; thence up the
same to the mouth of Kerr's creek (Carr's); thence up said creek to the
mountain; thence north 45 degrees west as far as the courts of the two counties
shall extend it," and all south of said line was Botetourt and all the rest
Augusta. This line crossed the Greenbrier river about six miles below the
present site of Marlinton, Pocahontas county, and crossed the Ohio near where
the present town of Bellville, Wood county, now stands. To give some idea of the
vast extent of Botetourt county, a provision of the act is quoted which states
that "since people living on the waters of the Mississippi river will be very
remote from the county-seat, they will be exempt from the payment of taxes."

  In 1772 Fincastle county was created out of a part of Botetourt and included
all that territory within a line "running up the east side of New river to the
south of Culbertson's creek, then a direct line to the Catawba road, where it
crosses the dividing ridge between the north of Roanoke and the waters of New
river; thence with the top of the ridge to the Bent (mountain), where it turns
eastwardly; thence a southward course to the top of Blue Ridge mountains."
Fincastle as a county lasted but a short while, in consequence of the change
that took place soon after its formation. Events that were marking changes in
the "Old Dominion" in so far as her English habits and customs went, were fast
approaching and she was asserting herself as Virginia.

  In 1776, the year in which the Declaration of Independence was signed, the
county of Fincastle was abolished, and out of it were formed the counties of
Kentucky (now a state), Washington and Montgomery. That part of the present
Fayette county southwest of the Kanawha and New rivers was included in
Montgomery county, which was bounded somewhat irregularly by the Kanawha and New
rivers on the east, the Big Sandy river and the Kentucky line on the west, and
the ridges that divide the waters of the Tennessee from those of the Great
Kanawha on the south.

  Greenbrier county was formed in October, 1777, from the counties of Montgomery
and Botetourt. The original act creating Greenbrier county was as follows: "That
from and after the first day of March next ensuing said county and parish of
Botetourt shall be divided by a line beginning on the top of the ridge dividing
the eastern from the western waters, where the line between Augusta and
Botetourt crosses the same, and running thence the same course continued, north
55 and west to the Ohio river; thence at the ridge of the said line of Botetourt
and Augusta, running along the top of said ridge, passing the Sweet Springs to
the top of Peters mountain; thence along said mountain to the line of Montgomery
county; thence along the same line to the Kanawha or New river; thence down the
said river to the Ohio: and all that part of the counties of Botetourt and
Montgomery between and to the westward of said lines shall be known as
Greenbrier county."

  Kanawha county was formed in November 1788 from parts of Greenbrier and
Montgomery counties and named for its chief river. It was bounded as follows:
"Beginning at the mouth of Great Sandy in the said county of Montgomery; thence
up the said river with the line of the said county to the mountain generally
known by the name of Cumberland mountain; thence a northeast course along the
said mountain to the Great Kanawha, crossing the same at the end of Gauley
mountain; thence along the said mountain to the line of Harrison county; thence
with that line to the Ohio river; thence down the said river, including the
islands thereof, to the beginning."

  From the Cumberland mountain to the Great Kanawha is meant the New river, or
what is now known as the New river. Just how far this line to the Kanawha was to
be extended depended on the beginning point and where it struck the said rivers.
Where it followed the river and where it found the Gauley mountain is rather
indefinite, and where said mountain struck Harrison county line may have been
very clear at that time, but it is not so clear now.

  Giles county was formed in January 1806 out of Montgomery county, and was
named in honor of William B. Giles, a Virginian statesman of note. It included
as a part of its territory all that part of the present Fayette county which was
left in Montgomery county after the creation of Kanawha county. Its boundaries
were as follows: "Beginning at the end of the Gauley mountain on New river,
where the counties of Greenbrier and Kanawha intersect; thence up the (New)
river with the Greenbrier and Montgomery county line to the upper end of Pine's
Plantation; thence a straight line to the mouth of Rich creek; thence with the
Montgomery and Monroe line to the intersection of Botetourt county line and with
the line of Montgomery and Botetourt to the top of Gap mountain; thence along
the top of said mountain to New river, crossing the same to the end of Walker's
creek mountain; thence along the top of said mountain to the intersection of
Wythe county line; thence northeastward and with said line to the intersection
of Tazewell county line to the upper end of Pine's Plantation; thence a straight
line to the top of Wolf creek mountain to a path leading from Round Bottom to
Harman's Mills, about three miles below the mouth of Clear Fork, to Wolf creek;
thence a straight line to mouth of Milton's Fork; thence a direct line from
Crane creek to top of Flat Top mountain; thence a direct line to the three forks
of the Guyandotte; thence down said river until it intersects the Kanawha county
line; thence with said line to the beginning."

  Nicholas county was formed in January 1818, from parts of the counties of
Greenbrier, Kanawha and Randolph, and named in honor of Wilson Cary Nicholas, a
Governor of Virginia. Its boundary lines were as follows: "Beginning at the
mouth of Gauley river, on the east side thereof; thence up the said river and
bounding thereon one mile and a half; thence to the mouth of Rock Camp Fork on
Bell creek; thence to the mouth of Buffalo, on Elk river; thence up the latter
to the mouth of Otter creek; thence up the west side of Otter to the dividing
ridge between Little Kanawha and Elk rivers; thence to include the inhabitants
of Holly; thence to Miller's old improvement on Elk river; thence to the Spice
Bottom on Williamson's river; thence to the fork of Cranberry; thence to the old
sixteen mile tree on the wilderness road; thence crossing the old state road on
the Dogwood ridge to New river; thence down the same to the beginning."

  Logan county was formed in January 1824, from parts of the counties of Giles,
Tazewell, Cabell and Kanawha, and named in honor of Logan, the Indian chieftain
of the Mingo tribe. Its boundaries were as follows: "Beginning at the junction
of the White Oak mountain and New river, proceeding with the meanders thereof,
until it meets the line of Kanawha county; thence with the line thereof, taking
the dividing ridge between Big and Little Cole rivers, until it comes on a line
with the head of Rock creek, then down the same to its mouth, then crossing
Little Cole, proceeding with the dividing ridge between Turtle and Horse creeks,
on the head of Ugly creek; thence down the same to its mouth, crossing the
Guyandotte in a straight line to the mouth of Narrow-bone creek; thence up the
Tug Fork of Big Sandy river to the mouth of Elk-horn creek, and then proceeding
with the dividing ridge between Elk-horn creek and the Tug Fork, and so on a
line with the Flat Top mountain, to the beginning."

  Then in February 1831, Fayette county was formed from parts of the counties of
Kanawha, Nicholas, Greenbrier and Logan, and named in honor of General
Lafayette, of Revolutionary fame. The boundaries of Fayette county are given
elsewhere in this volume.

  From the foregoing summary it will be observed that all or part of our county
territory has been for a time included within the limits of the following
counties: Orange, Augusta, Botetourt, Fincastle, Montgomery, Greenbrier,
Kanawha, Giles, Nicholas and Logan.

  Now if we add that in January 1850 a part of Fayette county in which the
present site of Beckley was then included was cut off to form the county of
Raleigh, and that in February 1871, under the West Virginia government, a small
part was cut off to form a part of Summers county, we have completed the general
outline of the history of boundary lines of counties with which Fayette
territory has been connected.


Additional Comments:

Extracted from:

HISTORY OF FAYETTE COUNTY
WEST VIRGINIA
BY
J. T. PETERS AND H. B. CARDEN

1926
JARRETT PRINTING COMPANY
CHARLESTON, W. VA.


Copyright, 1926. 
BY THE FAYETTE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, INC.
All Rights Reserved.


File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/wv/fayette/history/1926/historyo/chapteri12gms.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/wvfiles/

File size: 15.4 Kb