Early History

The first settler at the place where the town of Princeton is 
situated,was French C. Smith, who was a son of one Ezekiel Smith, 
who went to Texas in the early thirties, was captured by the 
Mexicans and kept in confinement for five years. French C. Smith, 
the son, shortly after his father left the country for Texas, 
also went there, and became quite a prominent figure in Texas 
politics, having been the Whig candidate for
Governor against General Sam Houston, the Democratic candidate, 
and by whom Smith was defeated by a large majority.

The first merchant to open a store at Princeton was Theodore 
Jordan, who was followed by Captain William H. Howe, George 
W. and Daniel H. Pearis,Ward and Gibbony, Johnston and Pearis, 
Pack and Vawter, John A. Pack & Co., Scott Emmons & Pearis, 
Pearis & Mahood, John W., Smith, Brown & Shumate. (Note:Dr. R. G. 
McNutt was the first resident physician.)

The first hotel keepers were James M. Bailey and Charles W. 
Calfee, who were followed later by George W. and Daniel H. 
Pearis and J. H. Alvis. Daniel Straley was the first Black smith, 
followed later by George B.Newlee, and later by J. W. Dorsey. 
The first shoemaker was Isham Brinkely, followed by Crockett 
Scott, and the first tanners were Thompson & Chapman.

The first Court House was built in 1839 by a man by the name of 
Ledbetter.

Mercer County enjoys the distinction of having had more Court 
Houses than any other county in the state and promises to build 
still more. The first Court House was so badly erected that it 
had to be taken down and rebuilt,and this was destroyed when the 
town of Princeton was burned in 1862. The third, in part built 
at Concord Church by George Evans, contractor, and
abandoned after an expenditure of several thousand dollars; the 
fourth built in 1874 by Andrew Fillinger was destroyed by fire 
in 1875, supposed to be the work of an incendiary; the fifth 
and present one with the additions thereto was built in 1876 
by D. W. McClaugherty in part and also later by John C. Darst; 
and it is now seriously proposed to build the
sixth one at Bluefield, that is, whenever the necessary vote 
of the people can be had removing the County seat to Bluefield.

For a number of years the Counties of Giles and Mercer sent 
a delegate to the Legislature. The political parties in the 
two counties were very closely and equally divided.

The census of 1840, the first taken after the creation of the 
County of Mercer showed a population of 2,243 people. Many fierce 
political battles were fought in the two counties. From the 
year of 1840 to that of 1854.These spirited political contests 
were usually over two offices, member of the house of Delegates 
and the office of Sheriff.

In the year of 1841 Oscar F. Johnston defeated Captain William 
Smith for the House of Delegates. In the year of 1842 William 
H. French defeated Chapman I. Johnston for the house of Delegates.

Before proceeding to relate incidents occurring in later contests, 
it will here be mentioned that two quite distinguished gentlemen 
and members of the bar, viz: Albert G. Pendleton and Nathaniel 
Harrison, over a trifling matter came very near venturing out on 
the field of honor to settle their differences; the interposition 
of mutual friends settled the difficulty, and no blood was shed.

In the year of 1843 the contest for the house of Delegates was 
between William H. French of Mercer, the Whig candidate and 
Albert G. Pendleton,of Giles, the Democratic candidate in which 
contest French won by eleven votes. At that day there were only 
two voting places in the county of Mercer, one at Princeton and 
the other at Pipestem. It was customary and
usual in those days for the opposing candidates to get together 
at the Court House on the day of an election and sit in the 
polling room. The voting then was viva voce, and when an elector 
cast his vote, the candidate for whom he voted expressed his 
satisfaction by publicly thanking him. 

A very amusing little incident as well as a clever trick
occurred at Princeton in the election between French and 
Pendleton, and is deemed worthy of relating here. French, the 
Whig candidate was at Princeton on the day of the election sitting 
in the polling place. Captain George W. Pearis, a very ardent 
democrat, and known to be the special champion and friend of 
Colonel Pendleton, lived at Princeton and had
charge of Mr. Pendletons interest at that place on the day of 
election. Only those could vote who had a freehold, and were 
assessed with some part of the public revenue and had paid the 
same.

One Samuel Waldron, who lived about 1 1/2 miles southeast of 
where the city of Bluefield is now located, but who under the 
law was not a voter, was present at the election at Princeton 
and expressed to Captain Pearis his desire to vote, and inquired 
of Captain Pearis whether he, Waldron, was a legal voter. Being  in
formed by Pearis that he did not think he was,
but that if he would vote for Pendleton he thought he could 
arrange the matter for him. Out of the three commissioners 
conducting the election,two of them were Whigs and known friends 
of French. Captain Pearis told Waldron to go in and offer his 
vote, and that when his name was called he, Pearis, would 
suddenly appear at the Court House door and challenge his
vote, and that he had no doubt that the commissioners would 
promptly decide that he was a legal voter. Waldron appeared 
before the commissioners and expressed his desire to vote, 
and the Crier called out "Samuel Waldron, who do you vote for?" 
Before he could answer Captain Pearis appeared at the door and 
shouted at the top of his voice, "I challenge that vote, that man 
is not a voter." From these circumstances French's friends 
concluded that Waldron wanted to vote for him, and they
promptly decided that he was a qualified voter, and being 
again inquired of as for whom he wished to vote, he replied,
"Pendleton," much to the chagrin and disappointment of French 
and his friends. 

Another incident occurring at this same election is worth telling 
as Mr. Pendleton was the butt of the joke this time. Mr. Pendleton 
very early on the morning of election day on his way to Pipestem 
voting place, went several miles out of his way to see Mr. John 
Comer, who lived on Christian's Ridge and after a talk with 
Comer, was led to believe that he was a friend and would vote
for him, so he took him up on his horse behind him and rode to 
the polling place about ten miles away, and when Comer's name 
was called by the Crier at the polls, Comer shouted "French."


A few years after this Cornelius White was elected to the House of
Delegates from the Counties of Mercer and Giles. Mr. White was a 
plain farmer, without much education, but a man of good native 
sense. After reaching Richmond and entering the House, he 
introduced a bill of some local nature, touching some local 
matters connected with roads, and seemed to have taken no further 
interest in the bill until within a day or two of
the close of the session, when he inquired of some friend if he 
knew anything of his bill and being answered in the negative, 
Mr. White inquired what he should do about it; his friend told 
him to call up the bill and ask for unanimous consent to put 
the bill on its passage. The next morning at the opening of the 
session., Mr. White addressed the Speaker telling him about the 
bill and how anxious he was to have it pass and then said "Mr. 
Speaker, if you will take up that bill and have it
passed I promise you that I will show you the frog of my foot 
to-morrow morning."