History of the Lincoln District, No. 4 - Wayne Co. WV Source: West Virginia Heritage Lincoln District No. 4 is the most southern in the county, and is bounded on the north by Butler district, east by Grant, south by Logan county, and west by the State of Kentucky, from which it is seperated by the Tug River. The surface is broken. Some of the hills and knobs bordering on Tug river and its tributaries are from 300 to 500 feet in height, and in some places abrupt and rocky, but most generally the slopes descend in gentle grades to the valleys below. Over these slopes and summits is standing a dense forest, and beneath them the earth is literally full of coal of an excellent quality. The forest trees are of many varieties, such as oak, beech, maple, hickory, black and white walnut, poplar, ash, chestnut, sycamore, and on the high ridges, pine, hemlock and spruce. There are but a few streams. The eastern part is drained by the Right fork of Twelve Pole river and its tributaries. The streams falling into the Tug river have a general northwest course. Among them are Powdermill creek, Lost creek, Camp creek, Bull creek, Silver creek, Drag creek, and Jenny's creek, the historic stream of the county. The first cabin was built by a man named Nevens, in the year 1799. In the next year (1880) he was joined in his wilderness home by John Wilson, Jacob Noe, John Prinston, Richard Williamson, Hezekiah Wiley, Job Spence, Lazarus Damron, Daniel Cox, John Jarrell, and Henry Hampton. In the next ten years many other cabin homes appeared along the valleys and upon the hills of this region. Among those who assisted in establishing them were; William Thompson, Josiah Robinson, William Adams, Adam Crum, William Bromley, Micajah Frasher, James Vinson, Elijah Donathan, Richard Williamson, Thomas Copley, Jacob Marcum, William Crum, John Marcum, Josiah Marcum, Moses Marcum, James Kirk, William Ratcliffe, John Spaulding, Clemens Spaulding, Alexander Sutherland, Richard Evans, David Garred, John Cox, Samuel Damron, James Fraley, and Leonard Swearingen. Hezekiah Wiley, mentioned above, was a son of the celebrated Jenny Wiley, whose captivity among the Cherokee Indians is elsewhere noticed in this work. He made the first improvemnet of Twelve Pole river that is now within the bounds of this district. It consisted of clearing few acres on the river opposite the mouth of Moses fork, on what is now known as Potato bottom, His house (a log cabin) stood a short distance above the mouth of Wileys branch, a stream which derives its name from him. The first birth of a white child within the district was that of William Ratcliffe, which occured May 19, 1802, at the mouth of Lost creek, one-half mile below the falls of Tug river. The first election was held on Tug river, nine miles above the falls, and one mile below the residence of William Crum, in the year 1838. This place was called the Tug river precinct, then in Cabell county. The first blacksmith shop ever erected within what is now Lincoln District was that of Josiah Marcum, who was the first son of Vulcan, so far as known, who weilded the sledge on the bank of Tug river. He erected his shop and began business in 1811. It was located at the base of Bull mountain, near the river, and a short distance below where William Crum now resides. On a large and ancient beech tree, standing near the mouth of Billy's creek, cut in large rough characters, is the name of Daniel Boone- most probably the work of the founder of Kentucky a century ago. Shades of Daniel Boone! Is there any spot on the broad continent from the Atlantic to the Pacific where thou hast not been? The first grist mill was built in 1808 by Leonard Swearingen, at the mouth of Lost creek, one-half mile below the falls of Tug river. It was a log building with one run of stone, but an old settler who remembers it said to the writer, " It was a very good mill for that day and made excellent meal." William Thompson, at a very early day, had a small mill on the right fork of Mill creek, about nine miles southeast of the present town of Cassville. It was probably the second mill within the present limits of the district, but of the date of its erection or the length of time it was operated we have been unable to learn anything. The first sawmill was erected in 1815, by David Garred at the falls of Tug river. It was an old fashioned "sash saw", with vertical motion, water was the propelling power. The first post office was established in 1835 at the mouth of Lost creek, Wil> Transfer interrupted! 0000"> was the first postmaster and Nathan Holt was the first mail carrier. The office is still continued under the name of Yorkville, with James D. Adkins postmaster. Since it was established five others have been added, viz; Copleyville, Tick Ridge, Moses Fork, Ferguson and Forks of Twelve Pole. A man named Henry Hampton taught the first school here in 1820, at the place of an old cabin- no longer fir for a dwelling place - which stood on the bank of Mill creek. The first house erected for school purposes stood some distance up Joes fork of Mills creek, and was built about the year 1822. Today there are eighteen good school buildings in the district, of which two are frame and sixteen hewed logs. In them 941 pupils are taught the rudiments of an English education. No one can tell by whom the first sermon was preached, but the names of Reuben Giddings, Gorwin Lycan, John Jarrell, and Stephen and Joseph Workman are all well remembered as being among those who first proclaimed the glad tidings of salvation to the Tug river valley. The first religious society formed was that of of the Silver creek Baptist Church in the year 1821. Rev. Reuben Giddings was the founder, and among the first members were John C. Marcum and wife, Jacob and Rhonda Marcum, Clara Kirk, and Moses and Eda Marcum. This primitive church still exists, and now the numbers on its register the names of 121 members. They have a neat and commodious house of worship, located on Tug river between the mouths of Silver and Jennys creeks. The church property is valued at $ 700.00 Rev. Joseph M. Marcum is the present pastor. The second organization appears to have been that now known as the Vandevort M. E. Church about the year 1825. The society is now quite strong. They have a large hewed log church situate on Tug river, near the mouth of Bull creek. Rev. G.W. Marston is the present pastor. The third society formed was that of the Pleasant Baptist Church, which was organized at the house of James Bartram in the year 1827. This church still exists, and was reorganized on the 12th day of August, 1833, with 47 members. It is situated on the Left fork of Mill creek, six miles southeast of Cassville. Present pastor is the Rev. Burwell Akers. Membership 185. Value of church property, $300. There are at present several other organizations in the district. Among them is the Salem Baptist Church which was organized September 15, 1878. It is situated on the Right fork of MIll creek, and has a membership of 34, under the pastora; care of the Rev. J.C.Lambert, Samuel Pritt is the clerk. Zion Baptist Church is situated on the Right fork of Twelve Pole river, about 5 miles below the mouth of Moses Fork, and has a membership of 35. Yorkville is the only town in the district. It is located at the mouth of Lost creek, one-half mile below the Falls of Tug river. It contains a post office, Adkins store, Ratcliffe's grist mill, a blacksmith shop, and several dwellings. Gligal is a small hamlet stuated on the Right fork of Twelve Pole river, fourteen miles south of the county seat. There is a post office, store, blacksmith shop, and a half dozen dwellings. Submitted by Lorna Corns Workman **************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. 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