Abraham Litton - A Historical Sketch - by John A. House Published in the Jackson Herald, Ripley, WV, April 12, 1912 It was an ideal Autumn day in October, two years ago, when I visited Abraham Litton at his home near Gay. The night had been clear, cool, and sparkling, with the white glistening dew suggesting fog. But the cloudless day grew quite warm, with just the kind of Indian Summer and the crisp fragrant air hanging over the purple distant hills. The glad singing water danced in the bright sunlight. Apples shown scarlet in the yellow leaves and roadside trees or woodland areas were catching the first tinge of flame or russet. A toilsome climb of 3/4 of a mile brought me on top of the divide near the Christian Church and 400 yards above the level of Frozencamp Stream at the foot of the hill, and oh, what a grand, what a glorious view reached the eye! A broad sweep of meadow and pasture land dotted here and there with white farm houses and patches of woodland with trees like miniature outlines on the sky, As one looks out over miles and miles of worn ridges the higher hilltops rising like domes along their smoky summits, I can't help but wonder if those living on hilltops realize all the beauties the land of nature spreads every day so lavishly before their eyes. About a half mile beyond, I turned south following the Fork Run Road to the entrance of the right hand fork up which my route lay. After a time the valley narrowed into a gulch with steep rocky sides and in one place the shear cliff of sandstone and over-footing of hunting parties in pioneer days. A few minutes climb through this picturesque gorge brought me out upon the upper level of the plateau, the plain lying 100 yards and above the level of the creek and roughly speaking a mile wide and a quarter long. With streams and bottom ridges and a peak all in miniature was Turkeycamp Flats on Flatwoods of Elk. Soon I came to the house of my friend, W. M. Litton, surveyor, topographer, and silversmith, who had just returned from a visit to Charleston or somewhere, and was now busy coaxing the inner mechanisms of some ones old watch which had gone on a strike. He at once volunteered his services to go with me to his fathers house and act as sort of a go-between being the old gentleman so hard of hearing he could not easily talk with strangers. So after a good rest, the pleasant chap, with a sumptuous dinner prepared by Mrs. Litton, herself a grand-daughter of one of Reedy's early settlers, my friend and I walked over to his father's house which was on a high point below and near the mouth of Fork Run. The house, a typical pioneer home of better class, was old and weather stained, and stood on a gentle slope in the midst of an orchard. Everything suggested peace and plenty in the sunset of life. One could not imagine the old time cider mill, the threshing floor, the flax break, and room house of early days. Inside, we found the old patriarch, bowed by the weight of more than four score years yet alert and lively with excellent memory. One, like most old folk, glad to talk of the olden times. The early settlement of Mill Creek, Elk Fork, Bear Fork, and Frozencamp Wilderness, was the hunting ground of the pioneers. Famous hunters like Captain Billy Parsons, W. M. Find, Jacob Hire, Elijah Rawlings, and others used to roam these hills, watching the _ view of or camp in the solitude. The very names of the streams perpetuated the story. Frozencamp tells of an awful night of horror and suffering. _ _ and Willy Mallons, father-in-law of James Rader, lost his bearing and had to camp out on it's waters. And Turkeycamp and Turkeyspring are from the Rader's wild turkey hunts. And the name of Elk Fork comes from a pair of elks that Adam, the negro slave of Michael Rader, followed all day without getting a shot, so one account. But Mr. Litton and others told me they had often seen the horns of the elk at the Rader house. The names Wolf Pen, Wolf Run, Grass Lick, Camp Rum, and Panthers Knob, all speak of dog and rifle. Did space permit, I would tell some of the ventures met with by hunters in this region. When the tide of immigration gets from many localities to an El Dorado in some far off land where by chance of circumstances someone has gone, a neighbour of kinsman is sure to follow. Then another after that one and another until quite a company of old friends and neighbors has built up in the new country. Thus it was in this case that the settlers on the upper James river in Botetourt and Rockbridge Counties, Virginia. Just who was first in this movement would be difficult to ascertain. Possibly it may have been Ruben Reynolds who settled on a packet near Walton about 1825. Perhaps Archibald Skidmore who moved from Battlehorse(?) to the George Cass farm below the mouth of Tug Fork 1831 or '32. Then the stream thickened. In the year 1832 the son of Samuel Rhodes purchased the Fletcher farm on the west side of Mill Creek above Ripley. The same year William Talley came out and built the first house on the Jess Carney farm. And late that fall came David Litton, who moved temporarily into one end of a double log cabin on Charles Carney's ranch. About 1835 Sam Rhodes, a brother of David Litton's wife, made the first improvement at the mouth of Billy's Run, and John Talley moved to the Coous(?) place at the mouth of the creek where he remained for two years. In 1836 George Rhodes, David Litton's father-in-law, with his sons Abe and Alec, came to Billy's Run locating at the John D. Witten(?) farm. And another son Ben Rhodes at the Aplin(?) place and another son, Greg, followed later about 1837 or 1838. Old Josie Talley, Williams brother, located in the woods at Jalberts(?) on right fork of Elk, and Archie Thomas, whose wife was Elizabeth Rhodes, daughter of Samuel, at the mouth of Rough Run. Afterwards, Abe Litton, a brother of David, came to the left branch of Fork Run, and the widow VanDyne and family to the Skidmore farm, These, with perhaps others whose names I have failed to get, formed quite a colony on the James River just as Buck Andres and Hacks Creek each formed other colonies in the vicinity. When David Litton, Abraham's father, first came to Mill Creek, there were but five families on Elk Fork. _ _ at the mouth of the creek; the three Rader's Michael, James, and Joseph; and a man named Andy Welsh who had a little mill above the mouth of Welsh Run - an eccentric who moved over on Tug Fork a few years later where he and his wife both died. There was a hut at the forks of Elk which had been built by that curious Indianized character, Double Bill Parson, it was at that time unoccupied. The more immediate neighbors beyond were Bonnet, Harpole, Carns, and Skidmore, above Ripley. Rawlins, Casco, and Westfall on Tug Fork. Hire and Wolf on Lower Trace Fork. Captain Billy Ries(?) and John Parsons, John Borden, George Knapp, near the present village of Frozencamp. Some other early settlers on Elk were Steven and Andrew Westfall who moved over from Tug Fork. The latter married Mary's sister of Jacob Hire. He built the first cabin on this side of Gay 1834 but did not stay there long. I saw _ Rawlins and a man named John after _ _ were living in a house all before 1845. About 1840 John Borden(?) built near Gay, he came from Ohio and had a title bond from Watson for 200 acres of land on Turkeycamp Flats. Other settlers were John Greenleaf on the side of Elk Fork Church, James Whitman, David Harpold and Michael Waitright. Many, many, years ago in the early part of the 18th century, even before the formation of Frederick and Augusta Counties, there lived among the foothills a man named Rhodes with his wife and three children, two boys 10 and 12, a girl who was younger. There had been peace between Red men and White for several years and the settlers had lost that caution commonly used in dealing with the Indians when their clearing had spread up the little valleys among the hills, far from the friendly shelter of the fort. In this neighborhood this misplaced confidence had brought a shooting match which ended in sad tragedy. For the Indians, who were planning an uprising, waited until the White men engaged had tried all their skill, and when their rifles were empty, turned upon them and shot down, killed, and scalped all their unsuspecting victims, and then rushing to the scene, killed or made prisoners of all the men, women, and children. Rhodes was tomahawked and scalped in his doorway, and his wife and little girl carried into captivity. Later the women were also killed because they could not keep up with the savages in their flight across the mountains. But a chief took a fancy to the child on account of her red hair and adopted her. After peace was made she was returned to her friends. The boys, whose names were John and Chris, were out watching the shooting match and when the slaughter began dodged unobserved into the underbrush where they stayed in hiding until the Indians had left the vicinity about sundown. They crept cautiously to the cabin where they found a loaf of bread which the elder boy tied in a tablecloth and swung over his shoulder when they started across the hills on the long tramp to a fort and safety. As they travelled through the night along a high ridge, the valleys below were lit up by the glare of burning buildings. Once they met a large bear which, attracted by the bread, threaten an attach, but was kept off by the faithful hunting dog which accompanied them. This animal, with almost human audacity, neither barked nor made a noise, seemed to know the danger discovered by the savages. The boys succeeded in reaching the fort safely without further incident. One of the boys, Christopher Rhodes, grew to be widely famed as a hunter and marksman. He lived to be 115 years old and it is related that he won the prize of the Christmas shooting match when he was over 100. He's sitting in his doorway, and steadying his long rifle against the door face he out shot the whole lot. The married man's family lived in Rockbridge County. One son, Samuel, Mike's father, was renowned as a hunter and Indian fighter. Once his house was burned and his stock all killed but the family escaped in safety to the fort. The names of his six sons are given: Peter, Matthias, Michael, and Benjamin. Christopher, who married Catherine Peters, Lexington, Virginia; and Samuel, who married Parthiena VanDyne. The last three came to Mill Creek. Samuel removed to Middle Fork of Reedy(?) three miles above the three forks where he died years ago, the widow lived until 1844. George Rhodes was another son of Christopher and married either an Ashby or Peters and lived near the natural bridge, and he and six of his children settled on Elk Fork as has heretofore mentioned. David Litton was born in Berkeley County, August, 1799. He married Peggy, daughter of George Rhodes. When he first came to Mill Creek he first lived in one end of a double log cabin on Charles Carney's farm while he and Fox, the other occupant, built on a lease they had taken of James Rhodes on Spruce Run. He had completed a cabin at the mouth of that stream when Steven Westfall who had the title bond from Watson, took possession of his house. This man Watson was said to have been an agent for a large boundary belonging to J.D. Rosset, a Swiss, who was an extensive land owner in Mill Creek Valley. Westfall, however, helped Litton build another cabin into which he moved in February, 1883, before it had a door or window or chimney. Fox built the same winter where Elliot Pryor now lives. David Litton's children were Abraham, married Margaret Westfall, Alfred married Sarah Greenleaf, Alexander married Lucinda Rhodes, John D married Martha Fowley, Cynthia married (Llewellyn) Rhodes, Susannah married Noel Westfall, Emily married Henry (C Thomas ) of Arch Palms and settled in the vicinity. Margaret Litton was the daughter of Steven Westfall who, with his brother Jason, and his sister the wife of George Casto, first sheriff of Jackson County came from Hackard (Hackers?) Creek. Father John Westfall was in the battle of Point Clement and had his hunting shirt shot full of holes but not seriously injured himself. These bullet holes he had patched with red cloth and wore it with a little pride when he went to muster or in public places. Zachariah Westfall, John's brother, with Thomas Carney and David Casto are named as among the first pupils tending school at Buck Canyon settlement. Abraham Litton's second wife was Miss Louisa Harner, daughter of David Harner of Coxes Fork. When Abraham came to Mill Creek he was almost eight years old having been born November 8, 1824. He died on the 25th of last February, three months 17 days more than 87 years old, 79 of which was spent on Mill Creek and nearly all on one farm. When he came to Elk Fork the company had only been organized two years. John Quincy Adams was president of the United States and John Boyd governor of Virginia. All travel and conveyance of merchandise was by the pack horse trail. The nearest post office and grocery store was in Ripley, 12 to 15 miles away, and salt was carried by pack trains from the Canawa Sailings above Charleston. Ripley then had 12 dwelling houses and that year after Beauchamp opened the first store, 1833. Deer, wolves, wild cats and wild turkeys were very abundant in the forests. The bears were growing scarce and panthers had almost disappeared. Though the people were rustic and plain in their ways, they were honest and hospitable and enjoyed life as fully as those away in the hustling, hurrying, restless today, 1912...do you remember? --------------------- The non-commercial and independant WDC GenWeb Project has gathered a few descendant charts of these first settlers: Harner, Rhodes and Litton. These charts are html linked together, along with several other related families descendant charts. All 3,600+ people in these charts are indexed by full name and birth/death dates. If any of you who can make descendant charts of surnames mentioned in the above article and would like to participate in the WDC GenWeb Project the address for further details is: http://www.primenet.com/~dlytton/wdc One kind lady participant sent us a large box of Jackson Herald newspapers from the mid to late 1800's which we will look through for more historical sketches, and obits, which will be posted here in due time. Daryl Lytton e-mail: dlytton@primenet.com Copyright 1996 Daryl Lytton, Daryl has submitted this file for posting at the WVGenWeb Archives.