A 58186 6

K
K
GENERAL LIBRARY
-OF-
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN.
PRESENTED BY
Board of World's Fair Managias of
W Va
1893----
TO READ MERING IN PARet Au
3..
+

OAN TI
F
241
$45
THE MOUNTAIN STATE.
1
A DESCRIPTION OF THE NATURAL RESOURCES
OF
WEST VIRGINIA.
PREPARED FOR DISTRIBUTION AT THE
WORLD'S COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION
BY
1
GEO. W. SUMMERS, B. PH,
EDITOR OF THE CHARLESTON DAILY GAZETTE.
UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE
BOARD OF WORLD'S FAIR MANAGERS FOR WEST VIRGINIA.
CHARLESTON, W. VA.
MOSES W. DONNALLY, PRINTER.
1893.
:
.
:
15538
BOARD OF WORLD'S FAIR MANAGERS FOR WEST VIRGINIA.
HON. W. N. CHANCELLOR, President..
HON. GEORGE M. BOWERS, Treasurer.
HON. ROBT. S. CARR.
HON. JOHN S. NAYLOR.
HON. SIDNEY HAYMOND..
M. C. MCKAY, Secretary
· •
•
•
Parkersburg.
Martinsburg.
Charleston.
Wheeling.
..Quiet Dell.
Ravenswood.
·
D
:
4
Pen
Reclass
Į
?
INTRODUCTORY.
By an Act of the Legislature of West Virginia, approved March
sixteenth, 1891, the Board of World's Fair Managers for West.
Virginia was created, and the Governor directed to appoint the
members of the Board. On the seventh day of May, 1891, the
gentlemen named on the preceding page were appointed. At
their first meeting, held in Charleston, an organization was effected
by the election of Hon. W. N. Chancellor, President; Hon. Geo.
M. Bowers, Treasurer, and M. C. McKay, Secretary.
In June, 1892, contract was made by the Board with Geo. W.
Summers to prepare, as a supplement to the State's exhibit at the
Columbian Exposition, a work on the resources of West Virginia,
and several months were spent by him in visiting the various.
counties of the State in search of the information desired to be con-
tained in the work. Circumstances beyond the control of either
the Board or Mr. Summers put a stop to the work and it was not
till in March, 1893, after the publication of the book had been pro-
vided for by an additional appropriation by the Legislature, that a
new contract was made and steps taken to complete the work.
In the main the work has been prepared from personal visits to
every county in the State and from interviews with the leading and
best informed citizens of each of the counties, and it may be relied
upon as being as nearly accurate as any similar work extant.
While some of the statements made concerning the resources of the
State may seem extravagant, investigation will show that they are
in the main correct. Every effort has been made not to over-esti-
mate the value or extent of any resource, but to present for the in
MY
4
INTRODUCTORY.
formation and guidance of those who wish to know more of the
magnificent commonwealth of the Alleghanies than they do, the
facts as they are found, without any attempt at exaggeration. Be-
lieving that more injury could be done to the State by making
erroneous claims which could not be substantiated, than by leav-
ing unsaid a part of the truth, the aim has been to err in the latter
way rather than in the former. Mistakes will undoubtedly be
found, but the intent of the board and of the writer to present to
those who seek it such information as will give them valuable
knowledge of the State has never been lost sight of and the work is
presented to the public with the hope and in the belief that it may
draw to West Virginia more of the capital required to make her
vast resources available, the labor that must go hand in hand with
capital, the settlers who are to people our hills and valleys, the pros-
perity that must come, soon or late, to a State so endowed by kind-
ly Nature as is West Virginia.
To those who have rendered their assistance in the preparation
of the work, the writer desires hereby to tender his acknowledge-
ments, knowing that without their generous aid he could not have
prepared it.
G
2
-
Į
9
WEST VIRGINIA.
5
い
​J
[1
WEST VIRGINIA.
Born
West Virginia had an unfortunate start in life as a State.
in the midst of that fearful civil strife which plunged the entire na-
tion into a debt from which it has never yet recovered, which
plucked in their prime so many thousands of the fairest flowers of
all the land and saw them wither and decay, which plunged deep
into debt and desolation the whole fair southern land, wrecking at
once great fortunes and happy homes, bringing death and destruc-
tion and poverty over all the southern States and sadness over all,
the early days of West Virginia were not conducive to the rapid ad-
vancement of the State. In the old State, that part west of the
mountains had always been looked down on as more of a wilderness
than anything else, and little attention was ever given to it. The
people complained for years that they were permitted by the State to
do nothing but pay their taxes. Their representation in the coun-
cils of the State was small, and by the "Old Dominion" that portion
of her domain west of the mountains was practically ignored. Ham-
pered and held down by the proud and powerful "Mother of Pres-
idents," at the beginning of the civil war the part of Old Virginia
which was afterwards set apart to form the new State gave but little
promise of the glorious destiny that was in store for her. Her wealth
was little known. The immense value of her timber forests, the al-
most inexhaustible deposits of her coal, the flowing wells of oil and
gas, the richness of her iron ores, the great fertility of her hills and
valleys were never dreamed of, and, aside from the desire to have the
new State pay the old State debt, Virginia did not care for the loss,
by separation, of her better half.
6
WEST VIRGINIA.
At first the new State's prospects were not bright. Along the
border of the north and south, the sympathizers of both sides were
numerous in the new State's bounds, and both sides felt most keenly
the depressing results of the terrible civil war. The unhappy polit-
ical situation, the poverty of the country, particularly of the people.
of this State, many of whom had lost their every dollar, the un-
settled condition of the times in general, prevented at the first the
development of any of the vast resources of the State. After the
lapse of a few years, when the situation had been somewhat relieved,
when the constitution had been altered and the liberties of the
people much increased, when capital was coming in and the State
was building up, then came the panic which brought again disaster
through the Union and set the State of West Virginia back ten
years.
*
The Centennial Exposition in 1876 brought prominently before
the world the wonderful resources of the State and West Virginia
took a fresh start. With its fine exhibit of the coals and irons and
timber here to be found the State attracted capital from all parts of
the world. The development of the State dates practically from
that time. Soon after the State had shown to the world the vast-
ness of her resources and had drawn the attention of the entire
civilized world to her possessions, new mines were opened, new
saw mills built, new people came in and settled among us, and rail-
road building took a start that brought the State up gradually to
the front, till last year no other State in all the Union exceeded
West Virginia in the amount of its railroad mileage completed with
in the year.
From practical oblivion, known only as the muddy, mountain-
ous part cut off from old Virginia, our State has grown and still is
growing until it now stands near the top among the list of States,
and takes high rank among them all in the production of all those
things to which her hills and vales are fitted. We have come out
of the woods and in the place of the forests are springing up new
towns. The State is not yet fully explored, the real extent of all
her vast resources is hardly known, each new year adding some
new discovery of value to the State; but step by step the forest
fastnesses are being penetrated, the homes of man replace the haunts
of beasts of prey and every part of the State is being brought in
#
ང་
J
مه
WEST VIRGINIA.
7
!
0
LI
U
.
43
touch with the busy life of the outside world. In 1863 a single
line of railroad passed through a few of the northern counties of the
State. To-day there are but 11 out of the 54 that have no railroad,
and from the present prospects, within the next few years the iron
arteries of trade will pierce the confines of them all and not a
county in the State will be without its railroad and the industries.
that always accompany and follow the building of a road. In 1863
a few small coal mines produced a little coal principally for domes-
tic consumption, and some was used for the manufacture of "cannel.
coal oil," but the coal trade so far as the shipment of coal to other
markets than our own was concerned was almost unknown. In
1870 the coal production was but 608,878 tons. Last year two
hundred mines were in operation, employing over 15,000 men and
producing nearly nine million tons of coal in addition to the small
mines for local consumption which still exist in the State as they
did at that day. The timber then was only cut to get it out of the
way of the farmer who wished to improve his land, and was burned
or deadened and allowed to decay To-day the timbering and
lumbering industries of the State employ some fifteen thousand
men, saw mills are in operation in every county of the State and
the lumber produced from the West Virginia forests is shipped to
every country in the world. The oil production of the State is
next to that of Pennsylvania now, while thirty years ago the only
oil produced was that which was extracted from the cannel coal.
To-day the Sistersville oil field is the largest oil field in the world
or rather the oil field producing the largest amount of oil. In 1863
no coke was made in West Virginia. Last year there were 1,314,-
449 tons of coke made in the State. In every way the State is rap-
idly forging forward toward the front. The population is rapidly
increasing, the increase for the last decade being about 19 per cent.
The capital invested is many times that of a few years ago. Devel-
opment is bringing to the markets of the world the hidden riches
Providence has bestowed upon the Mountain State. Manufactur-
ing is growing in extent and variety and we stand upon the thresh-
hold of a new era of prosperity, which will cause the State to grow
in people and in wealth, in the variety of its products and in all
that goes to make a State great and prosperous.
{
The abundance of opportunity and the absence of capital for the
#
8
WEST VIRGINIA.
proper development of the State invite the attention of all who are
in a position to aid in bringing West Virginia to the front and at
the same time to reap a share of the prosperity that is surely com-
ing to the State. The possibilities for West Virginia are not ex-
ceeded by those of any other State in the Union, and to the atten-
tion of those who will aid in its development these possibilities are
in this volume called.
WHA.
t
#
湿
​COAL.
9
..
COAL.
.
It is a difficult matter to convey to the mind of one not familiar
with the facts any adequate idea of the immensity and value of the
West Virginia coal fields. To say that sixteen thousand out of the
twenty-four thousand square miles of the territory in the State is
underlaid with coal, gives but a vague idea of what there really is.
To say that over ten million acres of West Virginia is coal land, on
which there is an average thickness of ten feet of coal, means but
little more. When we say that there is a sufficient quantity of coal
hidden away in the hills and beneath the surface of the State to
supply the wants of the entire world for centuries to come, then
does the mind begin to realize the real extent of the coal deposits of
the State. Going further and estimating the amount of the coal in
the State at the usual average rate of production, the ten million
acres would yield one hundred billion tons. The coal production
in this State for 1892, the greatest for any year in the history of the
State, was something over eight million tons. Increasing this to an
average rate of ten million tons a year, the coal of West Virginia,
constantly mined, would last ten thousand years. The entire amount
of bituminous coal consumed in the United States during the year
1889, according to the last census, was a little over ninety-five million.
tons. Increasing this to one hundred million tons a year, the coal
in West Virginia alone would supply the entire United States with
all its coal for the next one thousand years. If all the coal in West
Virginia were, by some miraculous means, mined at once and loaded
into railroad cars of twenty tons capacity, the whole would make a
continuous train that would reach one thousand five hundred times
10
COAL.
2
2
..
;
around the earth. According to the last United States census, the
average value of the coal of the United States, on cars at the mine,
was 99 cents a ton. At this rate the value of the coal of West Vir-
ginia, still unmined, would be ninety-nine thousand million dollars,
enough to make ninety-nine thousand millionaires in the State of
West Virginia. When the facts are looked at in this light, and the
value of the hidden deposits of coal within the State are made
apparent in such a way that they can be appreciated, there seems
little room to doubt the statement made by Professor I. C. White,
one of the best authorities in the country on geological matters, that
the coal alone of West Virginia is worth more than all the gold and
silver of the Pacific coast. Of the fifty-four counties in the State,
there are but three-Jefferson, Hardy and Monroe-in which no
coal has yet been found. Every other county in the State contains
coal of some kind in varying quantities, most of them having an
abundance. All kinds are found-anthracite, splint, bituminous,
cannel and all the intermediate varieties--in some places all of them
except the anthracite being found in the same counties and fre-
quently on the same property. The veins range in thickness from
a few inches to nearly thirty feet, and frequently the veins are found
on the same property one above the other until the entire thickness
of the combined veins aggregates very many feet. In one mountain
in the State there are no less than eleven veins, one above the other,
from 2 feet 7 inches to 20 feet in thickness, aggregating 68 feet 11
inches of coal. Aggregate thicknesses of from 25 to 50 feet of coal
over the same property are not infrequent.
The following brief description of
WEST VIRGINIA COAL FIELDS
is taken from an article written recently by Prof. White for the
Kanawha Gazette:
To the largest and most valuable coal field in the world, geolo-
gists have given the name Appalachian. It covers an area of
nearly 60,000 square miles, and beginning near the northern line of
Pennsylvania extends southward across that State, and taking in
nearly the whole of West Virginia, and a broad strip from the
southern part of Ohio, passes on through eastern Kentucky and
Tennessee to end in Alabama, nearly 900 miles from its northern
+
1
COAL.
11
1
I
77
۱۳
JA
P
terminus. The shape of this great field is roughly that of a canoe,
and West Virginia lies within the zone of its broadest and richest
portion.
In only four of the fifty-four counties in West Virginia is it im-
possible to find bituminous coal, viz: Jefferson, Berkeley, Morgan,
and Monroe.
The column of rocks which holds the coal beds in the Appa-
lachian field has been subdivided into several groups, and as these
come to the surface in different portions of the State, and contain
coals of distinctly different qualities, I shall briefly describe each,
and trace the lines of their outcrops across the State.
At the base of the series, and therefore the lowest group of the
true coal measure rocks, we have what is usually termed the con-
glomerate measures; because the great sandstones which are there
interstratified with the beds of coal and slate often contain pebbles
of quartz and other hard rocks in great abundance. The group
has also received several other names, among which may be men-
tioned No. 12 conglomerate, Pottsville conglomerate, seral conglom-
erate and the millstone grit of the English geologists. The group
of coal beds which these rocks contain have been termed the New
River coal series, from that region of our own State where the beds,
as a whole, have their grandest development.
-
The sandstones of this series are noted for their hardness and con-
sequent power to resist the action of the elements. Being com-
posed almost entirely of quartz pebbles and sand grains, they form
great sheets of protecting rock which is almost indestructible by
atmospheric influence, and thus it happens that this group of beds
is the principal factor in forming the picturesque scenery of our
Mountain State. The wild gorges and canyons of the Cheat, the
Gauley, the New, the Guyandotte, the Big Sandy and other West
Virginia rivers are all formed by this series of rocks. All of the
ridges and peaks of the Alleghanies are capped and protected by
this friendly mantle. Wherever these rocks come to the surface,
wildness, barren soils, and precipitous slopes prevail, but when they
dip below the drainage levels the mountains disappear, and in their
stead we find rounded hills, with gentler slopes and broader valleys.
Another peculiarity of this series is that although it forms a con-
tinous sheet of beds under all of the 60,000 square miles of the Ap-
;
12
COAL.
:
Eve
palachian coal field, yet it contains coal in workable thickness
and purity only around the borders of the field in a comparatively
narrow rim. Thus while there are valuable coal beds in Jackson
county, Ohio, along the northwestern border of the group, and also
opposite this along the southeastern border, in Fayette county, West
Virginia, no workable coal would be found, if a shaft shoul 1 be sunk
to the series, say at the mouth of the Great Kanawha, or at any
other point 20 to 30 miles distant from the respective borders of the
field. The same hard sandstones and pebble-beds would be encoun-
tered, but they would hold only thin streaks of coal and bituminous
slates.
Another feature of these conglomerate coal measures is the great
purity of the coal beds when they attain workable dimensions.
These early formed coals are singularly free from injurious quanti-
ties of sulphur and ash, the bane of some coals. Their purity in
this respect is probably due to the fact that just previous to the
spread of the great peat swamps of this early epoch, the floor of the
entire Appalachian coal field was sheeted with a deposit of clean
sand and gravel, thus effectually covering up the muddy sediments
of a previous epoch, and causing the streams which drained into
the peat or coal marshes of the time to be clear and free from im-
purities, like our own mountain brooks of the present; but however
this may be, the fact remains that these conglomerate coals are of
exceptional purity.
Another strange thing about these coals is that along the north-
western border of the Appalachian field, the quality of the coal is
entirely different from that found on the opposite, or southeastern
rim of the field. Along the former, through Pennsylvania and
Ohio, these coals are nearly always non-coking and can frequently be
used in furnaces just as they are brought from the mines, and are
hence often called "block" coals; but on the southeastern side,
through West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky, &c., the coals of this
series are universally of the coking kind, and being so pure they
are fast becoming justly celebrated for the production of coke of the
highest grade.
The conglomerate rocks crop out on the surface in West Virginia
through the following counties, beginning at the north: Preston,
Mineral, Grant, Tucker, Randolph, Webster, Pocahontas, Greenbrier,
COAL.
13
}
13
ti
Nicholas, Fayette, Raleigh, Summers, Mercer, Wyoming, McDowell
and Logan.
Until we get southward as far as Nicholas and Webster, there ap-
pears to be but one workable bed of coal in these conglomerate
measures, and it lies near the bottom of the series, I have observed
it at several localities, however, in Preston, Tucker and Randolph,
in each of which the bed is about three feet thick, and very fair
coking coal But on southward through Webster and Nicholas,
into Fayette, the whole group of rocks increases in thickness very
fast, and when we come to the New River, in Fayette county, these
rocks have a thickness of 1,400 feet, and contain three workable
coal beds, with thicknesses of three to five feet. It is from these
beds that the famous New River coke is manufactured, which now
sells in the market at a higher figure than the Connellsville product.
But although Webster, Nicholas, Greenbrier, Fayette and Sum-
mers all have splendid fields of these purest of coals, yet it is not,
however, till we come to Raleigh, Mercer, Wyoming and McDowell
counties, at the extreme southwestern corner of the State, that we
find the thickest and most productive coal beds in this series of
rocks; for here the great Pocahontas bed attains a thickness of six
to ten feet over an area of several hundred square miles, while at
many localities two other beds may be found above the Pocahontas
vein, with a thickness of four to six feet.
The proximity of this great field of pure coking coals to the im-
mense iron ore deposits of the South, renders it valuable beyond
computation. and yet its development has only just begun. It is
only about six years since the first car load of coal was shipped
from the Pocahontas region, near the line of Mercer county, and yet
during the past year, one million tons of coal and coke have gone to
market from this region alone.
Lying on top of the conglomerate, or New River coal measures,
we find another group of rocks with valuable coal beds included,
and to this series has been given the name of Lower coal measures.
To this group belong the coal beds which have recently attracted so
much attention and capital to Clearfield, Jefferson and Cambria
counties, Pennsylvania. Within the limits of these measures there
are usually five coal beds which at one time or another furnish
valuable fuel, viz: in descending order: Upper Freeport, Lower
¿
14
COAL.
Freeport, Upper Kittanning, Middle Kittanning, Lower Kittanning
and Clarion Coal beds.
This coal series enters West Virginia from Pennsylvania in
Monongalia and Preston counties, with a thickness of 250 to 300
feet, and contains two valuable coal beds, the Upper Freeport and
the Lower Kittanning, the former being locally known as the "Austin
coking" coal, and the latter as the "Newburg shaft" seam, on the
Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. These two beds are separated by an in-
terval of shales and sandstones 100 to 180 feet thick, and they are
both easily accessible over a very large area in Monongalia and
Preston. They have an average thickness of five to six feet each,
and both make splendid coke. The same two beds reappear on the
North Potomac, where they underlie an immense area along the
West Virginia Central Railroad, in Mineral, Tucker and Grant
counties. They are both mined near Davis, the upper one being
called the "Thomas seam," and the lower one the "Davis seam.
Both have been successfully tested for coke in the Davis region.
On southward from the counties already mentioned, the outcrop of
this series may be traced through Taylor, Barbour, Randolph
(where the U Freeport is the celebrated "22-foot seam"), Upshur,
Braxton, Webster, Nicholas, Clay, Kanawha, Fayette, Raleigh, Wy-
oming, Boone, Logan, Lincoln, Wayne and Cabell. These are the
counties along the eastern side of the Appalachian field, where the
coals of this series come up to the surface, while on the opposite
side of the fields the only locality where they come up to daylight
is in Hancock county, and for a short distance along the Volcano up-
lift in Wood and Wirt. The series, hovever, underlies all the other
counties of the State, which lie west from the belt first mentioned,
and unlike the conglomerate series below, seems to have valuable
coal beds in it at every locality. This we learn from the records of
drill holes which have been made in nearly every part of the State.
One of these beds is now mined at Wellsburg by a shaft 200 feet
deep, and the drill shows that the same valuable bed underlies
Wheeling at a depth of only 500 feet, while at Parkersburg a good
bed of coal seven feet thick and belonging to this same series was
passed at a depth of 1,100 feet, and the same bed has been drilled
through at Mannington, 1,300 feet below the valleys. These depths.
may be regarded by some as rendering the coal beds in question en-
4
19
:
COAL.
15
..
"
tirely valueless, but such should remember that the development of
this country has only just begun, and that England raises nearly all
her immense output of coal from depths of 1,000 to 3,000 feet.
These facts are mentioned simply to show the vastness of our resour-
ces in coal, and the permanency of supply of this "main-spring of
civilization," and hence that the railroads, cities and manufactories
which may be built within our borders, can depend on an abund-
ant supply of fuel for many centuries, even from the beds of coal
which can be operated from the surface; but when these shall have
been exhausted, we shall still have an infinite wealth of these "black
diamonds," which can be easily obtained by going down a few hun-
dred feet below the surface. When that time comes West Virginia
will possess a monopoly of coal in the Appalachian field, for it will
be practically exhausted from all the States around us before that
from our easily accessible beds is used up.
In passing from the northern part of the State south-westward to the
region of the Great Kanawha, the lower coal measures expand won-
derfully in thickness, and instead of a rock series of 250 or 300 feet
as in Preston and Monongalia, we get 1,000 feet of rock between the
uppermost coal bed of the group and the top of the conglomerate
series below. Accompanying this expansion of the measures there
is a great change in the character of the coal in the different beds.
Instead of soft coking coal, we find cannel (in Wayne, Lincoln and
Boone, the Upper Freeport coal forms one of the largest areas of pure
cannel known in any country of the world) and "block" and "splint,"
which being quite hard, and crumbling with difficulty, make splen-
did shipping coals, and the perfection of domestic fuel. The lowest.
bed, however, the Clarion or Eagle seam, makes a splendid coke, and
the Lower Kittanning or Campbell's Creek seam, can also be coked
successfully in some regions. Hence the territory along the Elk
and its tributaries, the Great Kanawha and its tributaries, as well as
the Guyandotte, Twelve Pole and the Big Sandy, abounds in splen-
did coal beds of this Lower coal measure series.
To the next higher group of rocks geologists have given the name
of Barren measures, because the coal beds they contain are usually
thin, irregular in thickness and poor in quality. Along with much
group of beds con-
sand stone, thin limestone and other rocks, this
tains a great deal of soft red shale, and hence it makes a broad belt
3
16
t
COAL.
of red soil almost exactly in the central line of the State, from Mon-
ongalia clear through to Wayne. The thickness of the series varies.
usually between 500 and 600 feet, except toward the southwestern.
portion of the State, where it expands in thickness like all the other
groups, and measures 800 feet near Charleston.
Although usually meriting the name "Barren Measures," yet oc-
casionally some good coal is found in this group over restricted
areas. The Masontown coal or "four foot" bed of Preston county,
is one of those exceptions, and the Brush Creek bed which caps the
hills at Coalburg on the Kanawha, and furnishes some fine "block"
coal in several counties of the southwestern part of the State, is
another. These two beds belong in the lower half of the group, and
the last named is the lower one. The "Barren Measures" are lim-
ited above by a great bed of coal, the most important one in the
Appalachian field, the famous Pittsburg bed. This bed marks the
beginning of another, and the last of the groups of the true coal
measure rocks, which is termed the "Upper Coal Measures." This
series, unlike those below it, attains its maximum thickness and
importance at the northern end of the State, instead of the southern.
In Monongalia county it has a thickness of 380 feet, and contains.
four valuable coal beds, disposed as follows: At base, the great Pitts-
burg bed, with a workable thickness of seven to nine feet; forty feet.
above this comes the Redstone bed, with a thickness of four to five
feet; sixty feet above the latter lies the Sewickly bed, having a
thickness of five to six feet, while 260 feet above the last, and capping
the series, we get the Waynesburg bed, with a workable thickness
of six to seven feet. Thus it happens that in many of the hills of
Monongalia twenty to twenty-five feet of merchantable coal may be
mined without shafting.
In coming southward from Monongalia the Pittsburg, Sewickly
and Waynesburg coals hold their usual thickness through Marion
county, but the Redstone beds thin out before reaching there, and
on beyond Marion the Sewickly and Waynesburg beds dwindle
down to thin and unimportant layers, leaving the Pittsburg as the
only valuable coal in the group, but the latter maintains such
a standard of thickness and value as to amply compensate for the
loss of the higher members possessed in more favored Monongalia
and Marion. As we pass westward from the Monongahela river, in
Ca
¦
COAL.
17
the last mentioned counties, these Upper coal measure beds dip be-
neath the surface down into the great trough of the Appalachian
basin and do not come up to daylight again till we reach the Ohio
river valley near Wheeling, and here we find that only the Pitts-
burg remains important, the others being represented by thin and
slaty beds, hence it will be observed that so far as our State is con-
cerned the Upper coal measures derive their chief importance from
the presence of one bed, the Pittsburg, but it is so valuable as to
merit a more detailed description than could be given to the other
individual seams within the limited space of this article.
This Pittsburgh bed, as we have already stated, is the most im-
portant seam in the entire Appalachian field. It is the same bed
which furnishes the coal for the manufacture of the famous Con-
nellsville coke, and hence is often called the Connellsville and
Youghiogheny bed. Coming as it does so high up in the series of
rocks, it has suffered more from erosion than any other of the coal
beds below it, having been worn away from many thousands of
square miles, where it once existed. This we realize when crossing
the Alleghanies to Piedmont, and find the same Pittsburgh bed
represented in the "Big Bed" of that region and the George's creek
basin, where it is fifteen to twenty feet thick. We also discover the
same coal bed on the heights at Elk Garden, on the West Virginia
Central Railroad, and in the isolated patch at Fairfax Summit,
more than 3,300 feet above the sea. The remnant of this bed in
Copeman's Knob, near Kingwood, the scattered patches on the hill
top around Newburg, and the few acres of it on the highest sum-
mits near Belington, taken in connection with the Fairfax and
Elk Garden areas will give the reader some idea of the vast inter-
mediate surface from which it has already been mined by the cease-
less action of the elements. But fortunately for our State, the
deepest portion of the Appalachian trough passes across its territory
from the Pennsylvania line clear through to the Kentucky border
in Wayne county, and has thus preserved for us in its ample fold,
a very large area of this valuable bed. Its outcrop has been fol-
lowed from the State line southward past Morgantown, Fairmont,
Clarksburg, Weston, Troy, Glenville, Sutton, Sissonville, and on
the Great Kanawha at Raymond City. Beyond this river the coal
is thin, and found in interrupted patches, but it has recently been
}
"A
!
18
COAL.
opened in the tops of the hills back from Huntington, and the last
patch of it within the State is in the summit of a high knob over-
looking the Big Sandy, and ten miles above its mouth. Kentucky
receives all of the coal beds under this one from our State, but she
gets not an ounce of the great Pittsburgh seam, for it passes into the
air over the tops of her highest hills, from a point in our State with-
in a stone's throw of her territory.
On the Ohio river side of West Virginia, this bed comes into the
tops of our hills opposite Steubenville, and dipping down from the
north is only 100 feet above water level at the mouth of Wheeling
creek. It has thus been the bed rock of Wheeling's industries and
prosperity, and it is the foundation stone on which her sister city,
Pittsburgh, has built such a grand superstructure of manufacturing
interests. And notwithstanding the temporary advantages of natu-
ral gas, this coal bed will be the main source of the future greatness
of the two cities.
Followed below Wheeling, this coal gradually approaches the river
level and passes beneath the same a short distance below Benwood,
and although it is reached by the shafts at Moundsville, the horizon
of the coal keeps constantly below water level till we reach the Vol-
cano oil uplift, a short distance below St. Marys. Here the place
where it should be is lifted 250 to 300 feet above the river for two or
three miles, but the coal is wanting or so thin that it is practically
absent, and the same thing is true all along this arch from Eureka
through by Volcano to Burning Springs and beyond toward Spencer.
How broad this barren belt may be we cannot yet certainly deter-
mine, owing to want of observations in the central part of the State,
but there are some reasons for believing that this barren region is
coincident with the course of the Volcano arch, and that it thus
extends from Eureka through to Burning Springs on the Great
Kanawha, 10 miles above Charleston; and that along this line for a
distance of several (10 to 15) miles on each side, no valuable deposits
of this coal can be found. We know, however, that the coal comes
in again west of this arch, for when the Ohio turns north below
Letart Falls the rise of the rocks soon brings the coal to the surtace
at Hartford City and other points in that region, where it is still a
valuable bed, though much reduced in thickness from its normal
size at the northern end of the State.
COAL.
19
N
The counties then which have this great coal bed may be enumer-
ated as follows: About one-half of Brooke, nearly all of Ohio, all
of Marshall, Wetzel, Tyler, Doddridge, the eastern halves of Ritchie
and Gilmer, the northern half of Braxton, the large areas in western
Upshur, Barbour and Taylor, much of Lewis, nearly all of Harrison,
three-fourths of Marion, and two-thirds of Monongalia. On the
west side of the barren strip, this coal will be found in the portions.
of Putnam and Mason north from the Great Kanawha, probably all
of Jackson, and the most of that portion of Kanawha north from the
Elk and Kanawha rivers.
Of course under much of this large area, the bed can only be
reached by shafting, but a depth of 300 to 400 feet will reach it
along most of the valleys, even where it is deepest, except near the
summits of the divides, where it is deeper of course, but still within.
the limits of easy access whenever the time shall come that it is
needed for fuel supply.
One of the finest areas of this coal, and the most easily accessible,
lies along the Monongahela river, between the Pennsylvania line
and the tier of counties through which this river flows, viz: Lewis,
Harrison, Marion and Monongalia. The distance from the State
line to Weston, by the meanders of the river, is more than one hun-
dred miles, and throughout this long distance the great Pittsburgh
bed is almost constantly above water level, and cropping out from
either bank of the stream at a moderate elevation above the same, so
as to be most fortunately situated for cheap and successful mining.
The universal excellence of this coal for all purposes of fuel, gas,
coke and every other use to which coal can be put, renders the field
in question one of the most valuable in the country, or in the
world for that matter, and the railroad that first opens it up to
market will have a monopoly of good things in the coal traffic for a
long time.
It was formerly supposed that this coal would not make mer-
chantable coke, but the successful working of nearly 200 ovens at
Montana, on the Fairmont, Morgantown and Pittsburgh railroad,
together with the successful plants at Fairmont, Clarksburg, Tyr-
connell, Monongah, etc., have set this question happily at rest, and
proven that the coal in question will make a coke but little inferior,
20
COAL.
¿
if any at all, to that from the celebrated Connellsville region, of
which the Monongahela country is simply a southward extension.
THE BASIS OF OUR PROSPERITY.
-
It will be seen from the hasty and imperfect review of the coal
fields of our State that the quantity of this valuable fuel which
underlies the surface of our hills and valleys and mountains, is al-
most beyond conception, and it does not aid the mind much to be
told that if we put the workable thickness of coal underlying the
10,000,000 acres of our coal field, at only ten feet, the available.
product will be at least 100,000,000,000 tons. But impossible as it
may be to comprehend the real meaning of such an array of figures,
we can at least be assured that the basis of our future prosperity is
grounded so firmly in this wealth which lies hidden in our hills,
that nothing conceivable to human reason can thwart our growth
or prevent our continued progress in everything pertaining to in-
dustrial welfare.
J
The West Virginia coal field is one and a half times larger than
that of Great Britain, the production of whose mines is now nearly
two hundred million tons annually. In the not distant future
when the network of railways which the benefactors of our State
are now planning for its development, shall have connected our
mines with links of steel to the great arteries of trade and com-
merce, and our production of coal shall have risen to even half
what Great Britain's is, then will our people begin to realize more
clearly the enormous value of the fuel wealth to which we are heirs.
Sp
The outline of the distribution of the coals of West Virginia,
by Professor White, given above, together with the brief descriptions.
of the coal of each county given in the subsequent pages of this
volume, will suffice to give a general idea of the coal fields of the
State. The space at our command is not sufficient to permit a more
full description.
With this almost limitless amount of coal locked up in the bowels
of the earth, comparatively little has ever been done toward its
development. With sixteen thousand square miles of coal but 200
collieries are now in operation. The total capital invested in the
production of coal in this State, according to the last census, is
$
سم
COAL.
21
7
..
e
$10,508,050. The total number of persons employed in and about
the mines of the State in the last year was 15,393.
It is only
within the last few years that the coals of West Virginia have
attracted any attention from the men in other States who had the
capital to develope them, but the growth of the mining industry
since that time has been rapid. Twelve years ago less than a sixth
as much coal was produced annually as is now mined. In 1880 the
State ranked seventh in the Union in the production of coal; last year
but three other States produced as much as West Virginia. The
growth of the business is shown by the following table:
1880...
1881
1882..
1893..
1881..
1885.
1886
1887.
1888.
1889..
1890 .
1891..
1892.
..
YEARS.
···
Inside
Miners.
2.553
3,063
3,573
4,438
4,627
5,4861
6.081
7,023
7,269
7,764
9,173
10,434
9,884
Outside
Laborers
and
Coke W'rk'rs
1,173
1,407
1,641
1,956
1.724
1.806
1.181
1,582
1,705
1.882
2,324
2,589
5,509
Total
Production
Ton 2,000 lbs.
1,404,008
1,803,984
2.416,960
3,142.234
3.249,839
3.369,062
3,598,664
4.936,820
5,375,564
5,405,173
6.002,080
8,155,202
8,710,888
Percentage
of
Increase.
28.48
33.90
30.00
3.40
3.60
6.80
37 18
8.89
0.55
11.04
35.87
6.81
Average
Annual
Increase.
Average annual percent-
age of increase from
1881 to 1892, 17.21.
This increase, rapid as it has been, would have been much larger,
but for the want of adequate facilities for the transportation of the
coal. Every railroad in the State that passes through coal regions
has all it can do to handle the product of the mines along its line
and the development of new fields is much retarded from this cause.
The construction of new roads, the double tracking of old ones,
and the purchase of hundreds of new cars and other equipments
are assisting materially in developing the coal, but still there is room
for more.
The railroads can little more than handle the present
output of the mines and as fast as new ones are built they are
crowded to their fullest capacity. Those sections which are favored
with river transportation suffer less from this cause than the others,
but every new facility for reaching the market materially increases
the output of the mines. The activity in railroad building in this
State indicates that this can not longer remain the cause for the
want of proper growth of the mining industry. Last year the State
22
COAL.
¿
stood first of all in the amount of railroad built within the year,
and from all the indications, bids fair to do the same again this year.
New lines are projected in every direction and through all the coun-
ties of the State, and ample facilities will soon be afforded for all
the shipments of coal that may be desired.
Several causes combine to give the coals of West Virginia their
enormous value—the great area and thickness of the beds, making
the largest deposit of coal in any State in the Union; the purity of
the coal, which is singularly free from sulphur and other impuri-
ties; the variety of the kinds found, anthracite, splint, cannel and
bituminous all being found, and all but the first in enormous quanti-
ties and frequently upon the same property; the value of the coal,
much of which commands a higher price in the market than other
similar coals; the ease with which it can be worked, in half the
State, perhaps, the coal all being above the water level, and in all
the rest being much nearer the surface than is the coal of other
places which is constantly worked, as in England where shafts are
put down as deep as 2,600 feet below the surface of the earth, the
shaft costing half a million dollars; the nearness to market, being
much nearer to the southern and western markets than is the coal
of Pennsylvania, its only competitor, and having several through
lines to the north-west and the east; its nearness to the great Vir-
ginia iron ore fields, where much iron is now made and more will
be; the cheapness of the lands upon which the coals are found and
the cheapness with which it can be mined, the average cost of min-
ing coal in West Virginia being lower than in any other State in
the Union save one.
ANTHRACITE COAL.
The amount of anthracite coal in the State is comparatively small,
though there is enough of it to be of considerable value. It is found
in but two counties -- Berkeley and Morgan-lying in the hills that
separate the two. As long ago as 1835 the owners of some property
in these counties had some investigations made to see what amount
of coal there was there and the value of it. A six-foot vein of an-
thracite coal was then found, but water filled the mine and it was
abandoned. At various times since then efforts have been made
to ascertain the extent and value of the coal deposit, but until
f
COAL.
23
At the bot-
This is cut
recently nothing was done in a determined way, and little more was
known than that there was anthracite coal in the hills, and that
it was pretty hard to get at. In 1883 further efforts were made
by other parties to get at the coal and a ten-foot vein was struck.
This shaft also filled with water and remains so to the present
time. In 1889 an experienced mining engineer was sent from
Pottsville, Pa., to look into this property and report upon it. His
report says the coal is "of fair quality and compares favorably with
Pennsylvania anthracite coal." Later a New York geologist was
sent to look into the field. He made an opening and at five feet
from the surface, struck the top of the largest seam of coal yet
found. The shaft was sunk to the distance of forty-two feet.
His
report >ays: "At five feet from the surface the top of the coal was
reached and the shaft continued in coal to the bottom.
tom a cut is made across the vein from east to west.
from wall rock to wall rock, and is 24 feet 9 inches wide and de-
velopes a width of 15 feet 7 inches of good anthracite coal." The
coal is found in four beds, separated slightly, one of which con-
tains 5 feet 9 inches of solid coal, another 4 feet, one 26 inches and
the fourth 44 inches. He says, "There are not less than five seams
of anthracite coal in 'Third Hill' mountain." This seam has been
followed and its presence shown by openings for a distance of twenty-
five miles. No coal has ever been mined here save the few samples
taken out by persons prospecting. Several analyses have been
made of the coal from this deposit, a few of which we give
as follows: One gives the water and volatile matter at 11 per
cent., the fixed carbon 82.54, and the ash 6.46. Another gives:
fixed carbon 88.05, volatile matter 5.28, and ash 6.66. Still another
gives: moisture at 100 degrees, 2.45, volatile matter 6.85, fixed carbon
86.29, ash 4.40.
SPLINT COAL.
The splint coal is a very hard variety found principally in
the Middle and Lower measures and almost entirely in that part
of the State between Braxton county in the center and Wayne
in the southwest, the borders of the area extending for a consider-
able distance on either side of the central line. The coal is thus
spoken of by Professor Maury: "For the combined purposes of
?
24
COAL.
AMPATTI, ATKAKAA
betale
steam, domestic use and the manufacture of iron, it may be looked
upon as the most useful and valuable coal of the State. Its value is
due to its firmness and solidity, which enables it to be handled,
shifted and stored with very little loss; it burns well, leaving but
little ash; has both high calorific power and intensity; is usually
remarkably free from sulphur (iron pyrites) and other impurities;
has little or no tendency to clinker; is free from the danger of firing
by spontaneous combustion-a great desideratum in storage and
ocean transportation; is first rate as a steam and household fire and
has a particular adaptability in the raw state to the manufacture of
iron in the blast furnace, for which purpose it is eagerly sought in
districts accessible to market, as it makes a quality of iron which
can only be surpassed by the use of charcoal." It is an especial
favorite for shipping because of the small loss in handling or from
exposure to the weather and finds a ready market from the variety
of uses to which it is adapted. It is mined extensively in the Great
Kanawha valley and along the western end of the Norfolk & Wes-
tern railroad in this State. The coal is very hard but splits easily
and smoothly and is mined in large lumps. In some of the Wayne
county mines the coal has a tendency to split into long and thin
pieces so that it has been likened by some to fence rails.
CANNEL COAL.
The cannel coal is one of the most valuable varieties found in the
State. It is rich and oily, and contains a larger proportion of vola-
tile matter than any of the other coals found in the State.
Its ap-
pearance is doubtless known to all our readers. Of a dull, black
color, the coal will take, when polished, a brilliant lustre. It is more
tenacious and less brittle than other coals and may be cut or carved
into any shape. The coal is clean and will not soil the whitest sur-
face and yet contains a large amount of oil. It was from the rich
and oily cannel coal that oil was made before the war.
From good
cannel coal from 40 to 80 gallons of crude oil were produced to the
ton; the Peytona coal yielding 20 gallons of crude illuminating oil,
52 gallons of crude lubricating oil, and 7.2 gallons of oily paraffine.
Total 79.2 gallons to the ton. The discovery of petroleum made oil
so much cheaper than it could be made from coal that the "cannel
coal oil" was soon displaced and gradually fell into disuse. But for
COAL
25
12
making gas there is no better coal, more gas and that of greater
brilliancy being produced from a pound of cannel coal than from
any other coal found in America. For fuel the cannel coal is not
surpassed. It burns with a brilliant light, makes an intense heat
and leaves but little refuse. It brings a much higher price than any
other coal found in the State.
BITUMINOUS COAL.
By far the most widely distributed coal found in the State is the
ordinary bituminous coal, valuable for fuel, gas, steam and coking.
purposes. It is found in almost every county in the State and in
great variety. Not only is it found in counties where the other coal
is not, but nearly always in the same veins with other coals, bitu-
minous is also found. This coal is mined more than any other in
the State, and by reason of the greater variety of uses to which it
may be put and the cheapness with which it may be mined, the
demand for it is greater than for any other kind.
The veins vary
in thickness from a few inches to more than 20 feet and the char-
acter of the coals varies almost as much. While splint and cannel
coals are largely mined, it is the softer coals that give the value to
the coal fields of West Virginia, and employment to thousands of
its people. From them the fa.nous West Virginia coke is made,
which rivals the celebrated coke from Connellsville, and in the
manufacture of which long rows of blazing furnaces may be seen.
from almost any passing railroad train, brightening the hillsides
with their lurid light and filling the valleys near them with their
smoke.
The character of the West Virginia coals can be seen from the
analyses given in the following tables. Their richness in both vol-
atile matter and fixed carbon, their freedom from injurious sulphur
and ash, their many points of excellence and their superiority over
other coals whose analyses are also given may all be noted by the
careful observer.
!
26
COAL.
*
NAME OF COLLIERY.
Crown Hill
Coalburg...
Paint Creek..
Paint Creek..
Acme.
Acme.
Black Band..
•
Blacksburg.
Cedar Grove.
Winifrede..
Peel Splint Coal Co..
Average Kanawha Gas
Coals..
Gauley Mountain.
Powellton..
Clements.
Montana
Monongah.
Despard..
Howard.
►
·
W
Tug Fork..
Cassville.
Ferguson..
Peytona Canne)……
Cannelton Cannel...
Lost Run Canuel...
Twelve Pole Cannel.
Redstone Coal.
Redstone Coal..
Sewickley Coal.
Waynesburg Coal.
•
·
-- +4
+
•
Austen
Davis...
Thomas
Boggs Run.
Moundsville..
·
·
County.
Great Kanawha..
Great Kanawha.
Crescent.....
Black Peerless...
Campbell's Creek.
Nuttallburg.
Nuttallburg.
Fire Creek..
Quinuimont
Average of all New River
•
*
Mines...
Average of 10 samples Mercer and
Flat Top Coal...
Pratt's Lands......
Twelve Pole…….
Stevens' Branch..
$6
CL
(4
0.35
6+
Kanawha . 62.61 33.26 2.14 0.18
62.00 33.50 3.65
63.74 30.13
..
Li
66
Fayette
MA
เเ
6.
6.
60
*
SA
$6
CC
""
Kanawha
*
Fayette
"
26
..
Wayne.
"
McDowell.
Webster....
ANALYSES OF COALS.
·
Marion..
""
Preston
Tucker.
<
→
Harrison...
66
61.18 38.74
44.89 43.22
51.35 38 70
41.00 46.00
Kanawha .. 23.50 58.00
Boone,
Taylor...... 42.32 23.08.
Wayne.
42.59 49.40
Monongalia 54.36 37.88] 0.37
Marion ... 50.33 40.97 1.01
Monongalia 54.31 35.78 0.44
AL
Fixed
*G
Carbon.
Ohio
Marshall.
Volatile
Matter.
Water.
60.77 36.26 1.84
57.90 37.09 1.93 0.62
53.22 41.36 1.66
0.80
57.48 38.58 2.24
56.75 41.17 1.23
61.27 36.83
58.73 36.33 1.36
57.781 35.34 1.75
Sulphur.
56.26 37.36. 1.25
64.00 32.60 1.40
1.28
0.23
61.75 34.91 0.94 0.16
58.43 38.48 0.62
0.56
0.81
59.89 34.61 1.14
59.10 36.72
1.27
0.77
0.37
0.57
58.62 38.05 0.90
61.07 35.64 1.51
70.67 25.35 1.35
69.00 29.59 0.34 .0.78
75.50 22.42 0.73 0.53
79.29 18.65 0.76] 0.23
74.04 23.20
0.83
0 50
0.76
0.55
74.06 18.83 0.69
68.20 29.40 0.95
56.35 37.60 1.60
60.10 36.40 1.70
0.57
0.72
•
1.56
3.45
0.36
1
0.82
1.92
Ash.
1.81 Dewey, Vance & Co.
1.50 D. G. M. Levette.
6. 13 R. O. Doremus.
1.13 P. B. Wilson.
3.08 E. L. Howard, U. S. G. S.
3.75
1.70 R. M. Byrnes.
0.85
1.90
2.72 Winifrede Coal Co.
5. 13 A. R. Otter.
3.85 C. & O. Coal Agency.
2 00 W. N. Page.
2.40 Hy. Froeling.
1.91
("
2.87
4.27 7,691
3.10 9.47
56.36 35.36 0.74 0.70 7.55
55.02 37.00 1.00 0.80
56.57 36.78 1.42 0.71
53.48 36.92 1.52 1.08
53.03 34.00
55.76 37.36
1.10
58.00 38.00 1.50
1.82
0.50
67.18 26.84 0.80 1.68.
72.76 22.90 0.96 0.59
46.30 43,29 1.20
44.30 45.17 1.01 1.23 8.29
4.36 A. S. McCreath.
2.91 J. W. Mallet.
2.43 F. P. Dewey, U. S. Govt.
1.21 Riverside Iron Co.
Authority.
2. 10 Prof. Eggleston.
1.07 C. E. Wright.
0.80 A. S. McCreath.
1.11 Prof. Eggleston.
1.43 M. F. Spruce.
5.64 A. S McCreath.
1.45 Hy. Froeling.
6.05 Wormley.
3.50
..
1.88 Taylor.
10.33 Dwight,
6.50 Hy. Froeling.
13.00 Manhattan Gas Light Co.
18.50
66
34.01 C. E. Dwight.
7.41
7.39
66
*
66
(6
(L
C
6.00 A. S. McCreath.
4.51
(C
7.00
6.07 Washingt'n Gas Light Co
3.96 S. C. Ford.
0.20 P. B. Wilson.
3.50
66
2.79 J. W. Powell.
9.30 C. E. Dwight.
:
*
7
TIMBER.
27
TIMBER.
The claim is made, and figures are given to prove it, that West
Virginia has a greater amount of hard wood timber in its forests.
than any other State in the Union. Ex-Governor Wilson says: "I
have the statistics to prove that West Virginia has more of a surplus
of hard woods than any other ten States in the Union." This is rather
an extravagant claim for so small a State but a thorough examina-
tion of the forests will show that nearly or quite one-half the State
is still uncleared, and by far the greater portion of the uncleared
lands is still in virgin forests where the axe of man has never found
its way and where the magnificent specimens of forest growth stand
thickly side by side and reach a towering height which gives the
forests of the State their splendid values. Except in California
where the redwood trees attain tremendous size no finer timber
may be found within the confines of the Union than that which
grows in West Virginia. The splendid forests of thousands of acres.
of untouched timber, where nearly every kind of timber found in
the North American continent may be seen, where trees grow to
such size that ordinary methods will not suffice to handle them and
where the forests are so thick that the light of day scarce penetrates
their shade and pathways must be cut before the axemen can find
room to work, have yielded annually many million feet of timber
which has gone to nearly every country on the earth and given the
West Virginia timber a world-wide reputation. From European
countries capital has come and been invested in the woods of West
Virginia, and agents come from England every year to purchase
West Virginia timber. No finer oak or poplar grows beneath the
sun than that which may be found in almost any county in the State.
The magnificent size, the excellent quality of the timber and the
great variety give to the timber lands of West Virginia unusual
value and have, particularly in the last few years, attracted
*M
28
TIMBER
the attention of timber men from almost every quarter. Some
ten or fifteen thousand men are now engaged in one way or
another in timber, lumber, sawmill or kindred business. Tre-
mendous onslaught has been made upon the forests. Great armies
of choppers have, with their axes, made inroads on the woods
throughout the State and every rise brings out of every stream, how-
ever small, its quota of logs or ties or other timber. It is almost
impossible to get any statistics on the lumber business and the
amount of lumber cut annually in the State. In 1880 the total
amount of various kinds cut within the State was about 180,000,-
000 feet. To-day it is far more than twice as much.
New saw-
mills are building every day, new territory being opened, and it is
safe to say that now the total cut of all the mills is no less than
500,000,000 feet a year. The forests are being rapidly destroyed.
Not only trees of proper timber size are being cut, but smaller ones
for telegraph poles and railroad ties are also taken out. The trees
both large and small, the bark for tanbark and small hickories for
hoop-poles are all removed and but a short time is required to change.
a forest to a farm, to bare the mountain tops and clear their sides,
to turn the timber into ties or work it into lumber or its products.
To show the size of some of the trees cut from the West Virginia
forests we give the following measurement of a poplar tree recently
milled at Camden on the Gauley, cut in Nicholas county in one of
the finest poplar regions in the State:
2 Logs 60 Iuches Diameter, 16 Feet Long, Scaled 5,912 Feet, Board Measure.
*)
6.
63
*C
66
16
CA
6.802
63
69
Broken, Sca led
1
1
に
​*
46
་་
Total..
++
L6
›
66
61
12
10
(
܀
<<
66
CC
2,611
2,611
6,761
24,727
66
66
66
66
DISTRIBUTION AND VARIETY.
+
•
¿
"
(i
(¿
Writing of the forests of West Virginia for the World's Fair edi-
tion of the Baltimore Evening News, Maj. Jed Hotchkiss, one of the
best posted men in the South, particularly on the resources of the
two Virginias, has the following to say:
"West Virginia is undoubtedly the timber State of all the States
east of the Mississippi; in fact of all the States on the Atlantic slope
+
TIMBER.
29
$
[
1
1
of the continent.
Fully three-fourths of its 24,645 square miles of
area are still covered by virgin forests, and in all the remainder of
the State where the forest maps indicate that the valuable timber
has been largely removed, there are still large numbers of timber
trees included in the portions of farms that are held for forest pur-
poses.
"This State is very favorably located for the growth of forests. It
is in the favored belt of temperature between about 37 degrees and
41 degrees of north latitude. Within its boundaries, trending
northeast and southwest, thus opening the country to the damp,
warm winds from the Gulf, are numerous ranges of the great Appa-
lachian, or Atlantic Highlands, but by far the larger portion of the
State lies on the westward slope of these mountains in the Trans-
Appalachian belt, the waters of which mostly run to the north west-
ward to the Ohio. The altitude of the country descends from the
Backbone or Alleghany range of the Appalachians, from an alti-
tude of from 2,500 to 4,500 feet to from 500 at the southwestern
corner of the State on the Ohio, at Kenova, to about 600 on the
same river at Wheeling. The altitude of the eastern corner of the
State at Harper's Ferry is 272 feet; so the range of altitudes in the
State is from 272 feet to about 5,000, giving a climatic range of 4,728
feet or the equivalent of about 16 degrees of latitude; consequently
this State has extensive areas of adaptability for every variety of
forest growth that is found within the limits of the United States
east of the Rocky Mountains. Dr. Charles F. Millspaugh, in his
Preliminary Catalogue of the Flora of West Virginia, 1892, says of
this State: 'It appears to be the southern limit of many boreal,
the northern of many austral and the eastern of many occidental
forms. It bids fair also to continue to present many novelties.'
"The most e'evated portion of the State, the great eastern border
of the ridgy plateau from which the Trans-Appa achian country
descends, a territory some 200 miles in length from the head waters
of the Big Sandy to the head waters of the North Branch Potomac,
a region that in the main is from 3,000 to 5,000 feet in altitude,
furnishes a congenial home to the black spruce, the white pine, and
other evergreen trees peculiar to northern latitudes.
"It is probab'e that nowhere in the United States are now exist-
ing denser forests than those of black spruce in the belt of country,
30
TIMBER.
:
more than 100 miles in length and from 10 to 20 in breadth, that
extends through Greenbrier, Pocahontas, Rando'ph and Tucker
counties. From measured acres of this territory as many as 60,000
feet of board measure of lumber have been cut. Only the northern
end of this vast spruce forest has been penetrated by railways,
the West Virginia Central & Pittsburg R. R. being the only one
that has yet really entered into it. In this same e'evated region
there are extensive forests of wild cherry of a luxuriant growth.
One white pine belt, with a length of 70 mi es and an average
breadth of 10 miles, borders this spruce belt on the southeast in the
basin of the Greenbrier river. Another white pine belt, some 60
miles in length and having an average breadth of 10 miles, pene-
trates this spruce belt from the northeast up and along the basin of
Cheat river; while another white pine area, some 30 miles in length
and 10 in breadth, is found in the counties of Raleigh and Wyo-
ming. On the crests and higher slopes of the dozen or more moun-
tain ranges of the Appalachian system that traverses the State in a
northeast south west direction from its eastern border to the west-
ward, are found other species o pine and several species of birch,
oak, maples and other trees such as are peculiar to the higher alti-
tudes of the country.
"The remainder of the State is covered mainly with hard-
wood forests interspersed with a per centage of the soft-
woods such as poplars, ash, etc. As an illustration of the kinds
and distribution of these trees an example may be taken from
the southwestern portion of the State, from the basin of the West
Fork of 12-Pole river, in Wayne and Logan counties, where the
merchantable timber on 12,263 acres, or nearly 20 square miles, was
actually measured and counted. The trees that were measured
were those that were 18 inches in diameter and upward, four feet
above the ground, with the exception of locusts, hickories and
black walnuts which were measured from a diameter of 10 inches
and upward. The varieties and numbers of commercial timber
trees at this time growing on this area are as follows:
n

TIMBER.
31
2
**
1. White Oaks.
2. Chestnut Oaks.
3. Black Oaks..
4. Red Oaks..
5, Hickories..
6. Chestnuts...
7. Locusts..
8. White Maples.
9. Sugar Maples.
10. Birches..
11. Gums..
12. Black Walnuts.
13. Sycamores.
•
•
1. Tulip-Poplars
2. Pines....
1.—TABLE OF HARDWOODS.
Whole number of Hardwood Trees
3 Lindens
4. Cucumbers.
5. Buckeyes..
6. Ashes..
7. Hemlocks..
*
D
·
2.--TABLE OF softwoods.
24,760
38,848
8,525
943
21,298
7,681
1,996
1,583
450
1,344
1,044
393
13
. 108,878
12,450
3,472
2,325
240
28
271
903
Whole number of Softwood Trees.
19,689
"This summary shows that this area contained 128,567 timber
trees of 32 species; 25 of these kinds or 108,878 trees, were hard-
woods; and 7 of these, or 19,689 trees were softwoods; making the
percentages of the whole number of timber trees as 84 per cent. of
hardwoods and 16 per cent of softwoods. The average number of
these timber trees to the acre is ten and a fraction.
"Interspersed with the trees of these tables are found nearly all
of the varieties of smaller trees that are subsequently named in this
article as exhibited in the West Virginia collection at Chicago.
These countings were made on lands extending from the West 12-
32
TIMBER.
Pole River up to the summits of the dividing ridges on either side
taking in a range of altitude from about 650 feet to a little over
1,000 feet. This specimen of forest fairly represents the entire north-
western portion of the State from the Ohio River to the southwest
for about 75 miles. In other words, a belt of country 160 miles long
from northeast to southwest and 75 miles wide from northwest to
southeast.
"Another illustration of the distribution of commercial trees for
the intermediate country between the high plateau and the belt
above mentioned may be taken from the counting of a thousand
acres on the headwaters of Cherry River in Greenbrier county,
West Virginia, in a region having from 2,500 to 3,000 feet of alti-
tude. The trees counted and measured were all from 18 inches and
upward, except the hickories and locusts. The species and numbers.
were as follows:
1. White Oaks...
2. Chestnut Oaks.
3. Red Oaks
4. Hickories.
5. Chestnuts..
6. White Maples.
7. Sugar Maples.
8. Locusts
9. Beeches.
10. Birches.
11. Gums..
12. Cherries
13. White Walnuts..
•
1.—TABLE OF HARDWOODS.
•
Whole number of Hardwood Trees..
2.—-TABLE OF SOFTWOODS.
1. Tulip-Poplars..
2. White Lindens
3. Yellow Lindens.
4. Ashes...
5. Hemlocks..
6. Yew Pines.
Whole number of Softwood Trees..
•
•
G
132
159
889
86
1,513
3.258
7,291
4
1,965
1,120
104
349
1
16,871
529
1,014
937
576
2,303
34
5,393
1
TIMBER.
33
"Of these 19 species of trees, 13 are hard woods and 6 soft woods.
The whole number of trees is 22,264, of which 16,871, or 76 per
cent. are hard woods, and 5,393, or 24 per cent. are soft woods. The
average number of timber trees per acre is over 22.
"The differences in the varieties, numbers and percentages of trees
The timber belt
shown in these two tables are quite remarkable.
which is represented by this second table is one that extends across
the State for full 200 miles, from McDowell county in the south-
It has an average
west to Preston county in the northwest.
breadth of about 25 miles and is probably the most valuable of the
timber regions of the State. As it is bordered on the east by the high
region of evergreen timbers first described, it is evident that, taking
this belt and that together, making a belt of timber extending
somewhat centrally across the State from southwest to northwest
for 200 miles, and with an average breadth of about 35 miles, that
West Virginia has in this 7,000 square miles of territory one of the
most valuable timber regions, in the extent, variety, quality and
quantity of its timber now remaining in the United States."
VALUE OF TIMBER.
-
In addition to this, further information as to the extent and
value of the timber forests of the State may be found in the fol-
lowing extract from the article written recently by Maj. John
Moulton for the Kanawha Gazette, at Charleston, in which he esti-
mates-and his estimate is rather low than high-the value of tim-
ber standing in the State at seventy million dollars.
He says:
"With the exception of the highest mountain ranges, where there
are to be found large forests of white pine and spruce, the timber
throughout the State consists almost wholly of hard woods, comprised
of the different kinds of oak, chestnut, hickory, poplar (tulip), cherry,
black walnut, white walnut, ash, birch, locust, sugar maple, etc.
Of these, the oak family is by far the best represented, comprising
probably one-third of the entire growth; and of the oaks the white
is by far the most plentiful. Next among our valuable timber
trees in quantity is the poplar which, owing to its adaptability to
so many uses, makes it one of the most valuable timber trees in
the whole country. Black walnut and cherry are our most valu-
able woods and are found scattered throughout the State, but no-
34
TIMBER.
7
¿
where in great quantity. Ash is also found throughout the State,
in greater quantities than walnut or cherry, but much less than
poplar.
"Of all the different species of hard woods, oak, poplar, black
walnut, cherry and ash comprise principally the hard woods which
have been manufactured into lumber, owing to the fact that they
only furnished lumber whose price would justify the cost of manu-
facturing and transportation to distant markets and of these, only
excepting walnut, such trees have been used as would make largely
the better qualities of sawed lumber, or in oak, staves.
"The mountainous character of the State has also confined opera-
tions in lumbering to streams large enough to float logs on to the
lines of the railroads, leaving a large part of the State untouched.
"While this characteristic of the State increases the cost of put-
ting the manufactured lumber into the hands of the consumer and
preventing its manufacture entirely over large districts, it is not
without its future benefit to the State and to the owner as it has
curtailed the manufacture, preventing a cut of timber beyond the
demands and increasing its value in decreasing the aggregate amount
by use only of that more attainable.
"Any estimate of the standing timber in the State can only be a
matter of opinion but taking the amount of the surface of the State
still covered with timber, which I believe is nearly two-thirds, and
deducting from it the lands cut over for good timber along streams.
and railroads, by a liberal estimate two-fifths of the State is still in the
virgin forest or about seven million acres which estimating at two
and one-half thousand feet per acre at an average price of two dol-
lars per thousand would make the large sum of thirty-five million
dollars as the value of the standing good timber.
"This estimate of the number of acres of timber lands and amount
per acre, may be considered small, but it must be taken into con-
sideration that I am only considering such timber, oak, poplar,
walnut, cherry and ash, as would make lumber mostly suitable for
shipping, and also that parts of the land, such as barren south
hillsides, are substantially bare of timber, and that I do not include
the white pine and spruce of the upper mountain regions.
"But in regarding the timber values of the State, shipping lum-
.
+
TIMBER.
35
#
ber, or the best grades, should not by any means be alone taken into
account.
"Our wild lands, it is well known, are held very generally in
large bodies, and valued to a great extent for the minerals under-
lying them. For the development of these minerals all the coarser
grades of timber, comprising every kind of hard wood, will be
needed, and will aggregate in value for this home consumption
fully as much as that of the higher and better grades.
!
"Again, unlike some other sources of national wealth, the quan-
tity and quality of the timber of our State, depends on no contin-
gency, and its value must increase, as everywhere the consumption
of lumber is greater than the natural growth of the forests.
"Of the quality of our timber there is no longer any question of
its being eagerly sought after by manufacturers all over the
country.'
*
$
36
IRON.
In 1856
In 1867
In 1878
In 1889
In 1890
In a recent pamphlet on the iron ores of the two Virginias, Judge
Homer A. Holt, of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia,
and Adam C. Snyder, ex-Judge of the same court, give facts and
figures to show that in the world's iron production in the future
the Virginias must take a prominent part. From an exhaustive
treatise on the subject we take the following extracts:
The world's production of iron in round numbers has been as fol-
lows:
-
IRON.
6,600,000 gross tons.
46
(C
9,300,000
14,100,000
25,000,000
26,500,000
(L
(6
(C
((
((
(6
The ratio of increase is thus shown to be for the first period of
eleven years about forty per cent.; for the second period over fifty-
one per cent; for the third a little less than eighty per cent., and for
the single year ending in 1890 nearly seven per cent. If this accel-
erating ratio of increase is maintained, and the probabilities are
that it will be greatly exceeded, then the production for the year
1900 will be in excess of fifty million tons.
A
:
J
IRON.
37
!
The relative per cent. of the world's product from 1867 to 1890
has been as follows:
United States
Great Britain
52.80
France, Germany and Belgium 26.00
All other countries
6.70
MAG
In 1856 the product was
(C
66
In 1867 "
In 1878 "
In 1889 "
In 1890 "
66
It is thus shown that the production of the United States, which
was only 14.50 per cent. in 1867, rose in the succeeding twenty-
three years to 33.00 per cent., equal to one-third of the entire pro-
duction of the world, while Great Britain, which up to 1889 pro-
duced more iron than any other nation, fell off in the same twenty-
three years from 52.80 to 28.23 per cent., nearly five per cent. less
than the United States, which is now the leading iron producing
country of the world.
66
The following table shows the pig-iron production in the United
States for the past thirty-five years and the per cent. of increase at
stated periods:
(6
((
1867.
Per cent.
14.50
(6
(6
1878.
Per cent.
16.80
45.20
28.75
9.25
1889
Per cent.
30.57
33.16
27.98
8.29
-
1890.
Per cent.
33.00
28.23
Nel tons. Increase.
883,137
1,461,626 65 pr. ct.
2,577,361 76 pr. ct.
8,516,068 238 pr. ct.
10,309,028 20 pr. ct.
This presents the capabilities and progress of the iron industry in
the United States in a degree unprecedented in any othér country
of the world. The rate of increase in the eleven years ending in
1889 was more than three-fold as great as it was for the eleven years
immediately preceding, and that for the year 1890 was over twenty
per cent. more than the very heavy product of 1889.
Great Britain, France, Germany and Belgium, together with the
United States, produced more than ninety per cent. of the entire
iron product of the world. In regard to these the statistics show
that neither Great Britain nor France has produced as much in any
one year since 1882 as it did in that year, and that the aggregate
production of Germany and Belgium in any year since 1883 has ex-
ceeded their aggregate product for that year less than one million
38
IRON.
tons. Since these, the principal iron producing countries of Europe,
have not increased their production to any appreciable extent in the
last seven years, during which period the United States has doubled
its production, it is safe to assume that they are not likely to increase
it to any greater extent in the future.
The increased production of iron in the United States for the year
1889 over the year 1888 was about 800,000 tons greater than it was
in all the other countries of the world, and notwithstanding this
startling fact the consumption of iron in one form or another by
the people of the United States during the year 1889 exceeded the
domestic production of that year nearly one million tons It will
therefore be concluded that the increased demand of the world for
iron must be mainly, if not entirely, supplied by the United States.
In support of this conclusion, Mr. Edward Atkinson, in a paper on
the future situs of the principal iron production of the world, says:
"What will be the product in the United States in 1900 as com-
pared to 1889 if the world demands forty to fifty million tons of
iron? Where will it come from? Who will supply it? Will it
not be sixty per cent. of the whole or more? *** If the increase
from 1890 to 1900 should be ten per cent. per annum the product of
the year 1900 will be about 42,000,000 tons. From what other sec-
tion of the earth's surface will an additional supply of iron, rated at
the lowest at 1,000,000 tons a year, year by year, and perhaps rising
in years of extensive railroad construction to double or treble, be
derived? * * * I may not venture to say in this treatise that the
supremacy in this branch of industry has passed away from Great
Britain, but the increasing scarcity of her fine ores, the increasing
depth of her coal mines, the great heat and difficulty in working
them, the near exhaustion and consequent high price of coking coal
and the change in the condition of the workmen in Great Britain.
may sustain such a conclusion. The question is not, however,
whether the United States will take away any part of the present
iron production from Great Britain. The true question is: Can the
iron producing countries combined, readily meet the prospective increase of
demand?"
Ever since iron has been produced by the use of mineral fuel in
this country, Pennsylvania has made more than one-half of the entire
output. Next to Pennsylvania, though far behind her, the States
2
IRON.
39
#
i
of Ohio, New York, Illinois and New Jersey have, until the last few
These older pro-
years, been the principal iron producing States.
ducing States have, in a measure, exhausted all their easily available
ores. They are obliged to depend largely upon a basis of supply
hundreds of miles from their furnaces. Of these States, Pennsyl-
vania and Ohio are the only ones that have any considerable quan-
tity of both iron ore and coal within their own territory, and each
of these States obtains the greater part of its iron ore supp'y from
the Lake Superior mines, or by the importation of foreign ores on
which latter they have to pay a duty of seventy-five cents per ton.
Neither New York nor New Jersey has any coal, and Illinois has no
iron ore within the State.
In the growing competition of the iron industry and the lessening
of its profits, iron must be made where the conditions are most
favorable and where it can be made the cheapest, and not where it
is made at present, simply because it has been made there hereto-
fore to advantage.
Industry must, and always will, sooner or later, adjust itself to
the most favorable conditions. It finally becomes simply a question
of "the survival of the fittest." The present state of the iron pro-
duction in these older States is largely maintained by the momen-
tum of the great capital invested in plants and ways for transporta-
tion in the centres of iron making. This cannot be changed on a
sudden, but when competition from points possessing more favor-
able conditions reduces the price of the product below the cost of
production, then, if not sooner, the change will be made. It may
not be ventured to assert that this state of affairs has already
arrived, but it is possible to believe that the present depression in the
iron industry is in part, if not largely, due to the persistent efforts of
interested capitalists and railroad companies to maintain the major
part of the industry at points. where iron production has ceased to
be remunerative. If the capital which is invested in plants and
means of transportation in the older iron producing sections were
transferred to more favorable localities, iron could be produced
there at present prices at a fair profit. The depression, therefore, is
due less to the price of iron than to the disadvantages and unfavor-
able conditions under which it is produced.
Three things are essential to the production of iron, namely, ore,
22.
40
IRON.
S
coal and limestone; and these must be so situated geographically
as to be cheaply brought together; for the value of raw material
does not more consist in what it is than where it is.
The "centre of gravity" of the iron industry will, sooner or later,
adjust itself at the point where the facilities for obtaining the raw
material are the best and the cost of assembling them at the furnace
is the least. These requisites, as we have seen, do not, to the extent
desirable, exist at the points where the principal iron production is
now and has heretofore been maintained. The important inquiry
then presents itself: Are there any points within the United States
possessing conditions more favorable for the production of iron
cheaply?
In maintaining that the South has superior natural resources for
the production of iron, and that in the near future it will attain an
important, if not the controlling, position in this industry, it is not
necessary to assert that there will be any immediate decrease in the
production in other sections. It is maintained, however, and the
facts seem to warrant the conclusion, that in view of the more
favorable natural conditions of the South, it is not probable that
any important part of the increased production necessary to meet the
prospective demand will be had in the older producing States. It
may, and probably will for years, tax the capabilities of all points
and sections within the United States to supply, not only the
present, but the enormous prospective demands of the world.
In 1870 the South produced only 184,540 tons of iron; in 1880
she increased her production to 359,436 tons, and in 1890 she made
the phenomenal advance to 1,780,909 tons, or over eighteen per
cent. of the entire product of the United States. This was an in-
crease of seven per cent. of her relative production in the decade
from 1880 to 1890, thus showing that the North and West fell off
that much.
ایل
The greatest activity in the development of the iron industry in
the South during the last decade was in Alabama, and in the past
few years it has been very great in Virginia. The increase over
the production in 18S0 in the former was 1,328 per cent. and in the
latter 1.589 per cent. Of the thirty-nine furnaces under construc-
tion at the close of the census year 1890, nine were in Virginia and
seven in Alabama and only five in Pennsylvania.
IRON.
41
The facts above stated show the great importance that must
attach to West Virginia ores, which, though yet practically unde-
veloped, nevertheless are known to abound in many, if not most,
of the counties of the State.
At various times, before and since the organization of the State,
iron has been made from West Virginia ores. Small furnaces
have been operated in nearly all the counties where iron ores are
found and in many counties utensils are now in use which were
made many years ago at local furnaces and foundries. The ores,
in nearly every instance, produced an excellent article of iron and
made the business profitable while it lasted. The mountainous
character of the State, the absence of railroad facilities and the
difficulty of getting articles of iron into the country homes
from far-away markets, was the necessity which brought about the
erection of iron furnaces throughout the counties of the State
where iron ores are found. They were operated only for local use
and were necessarily small. When railroads began to be built into
the State and iron made at larger furnaces in older localities and
with better facilities began to be sent in by rail, the business of the
local furnaces ceased. Gradually they all closed down, and now
there is not a furnace running in the State. But still the ores are
here, of sufficient richness and in sufficient quantities to be prof-
itably worked, if railroads were to open up the valuable ores. In
nearly all the counties through the centre of the State, from Monon-
galia and Preston southward clear to Wayne, ores of greater or less
value may be found. In many of these counties iron has been
made but the finest ores, the richest and the most, are found in the
eastern border counties along the Alleghany mountains. In all
these counties ores abound, of splendid quality and in large seams,
but owing to the difficulty with which they can be reached by rail,
no development has ever yet been made. Just across the border,
in Virginia, numerous furnaces have been in operation making
iron for years, and for all these furnaces the coal and coke is taken
from the West Virginia beds to use in making iron. On this side
of the mountains we have the same iron ores which are so success-
fully worked in the old State, we have the limestone for the fluxing,
we have the finest coking coal in the world and almost at the mouth
of the ore pits, so that iron at least the equal of the Virginia iron.
·
܀
S
42
IRON.
vladavati A
;
could be successfully made in our own State and at a smaller cost
than on the eastern side of the line.
The Alleghany mountains form the entire eastern border of the
State, and from Jefferson county, in the north-east, to Mercer and
McDowell on the south-west, the same kinds of valuable iron ores
are found in great abundance. The same are found on both sides of
the mountains in the two Virginias. In the old State more has
been done toward their development than in the new and they are
better known, but in some parts, at least, of the western State, the
ores excel those of the eastern neighbor and in nearly every part.
are similar to those similarly situated across the border. Professor
Orton, a somewhat noted geologist of Ohio, who has made an exam-
ination of the Potts Valley ores, lying partly in Virginia and
partly in West Virginia, has made a very favorable report upon
them. As the greater part of the iron ores in the eastern border
counties of the State are similar to these described, we quote from
Professor Orton to give a general idea of the ores of the Alleghany
counties of the State.
He says:
Iron
Silica
-
"The Oriskany ore is in all cases a hydrated peroxide or limonite,
popularly known as brown hematite. * * * Potts Creek ores,
which I sampled in the field and the analyses of which have just
been completed by Prof. N. W. Lord, Chemist of the State Geolog-
ical Survey of Ohio, show the composition given below, the samples
having been selected from eight different points in the ore field,
numbered, respectively, from one to eight.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 S
49.90 50.03 51.94 50.00 49.90 49.90 55.50 56.00
11.61 13.26 10.15 9 67 15.76 12.05 4.45 10.69
.18 .11 .14 2.96 .39 .25 .29 .09
Phosphorus
1.64 2.78 .65 .68 18 .95 1.07 .18
"The average of the eight is as follows: Iron, 51.70; Silica, 10.95;
Manganese, .55; Phosphorus, 70.
Manganese,
"In regard to these results it remains to be said that so far as the
first three elements are concerned we have nothing to ask. The Potts
Creek ores will certainly give a larger yield of iron than any of the
Oriskany ores now worked in Virginia. They can be depended upon
for nearly fifty per cent. of iron. One sample is seen to contain an
exceptional amount of manganese, but even this is scarcely outside
IRON.
· 43
the allowable limits. In any case, it would be easy to exclude this
phase of the ore in mining.
"There remains to be considered the last of the constituents re-
ported in our analyses, viz., phosphorus. It would be too much to
expect that all possible advantages should be concentrated in a
single district, and accordingly we find by examination of the fore-
going analyses that some of the Potts Creek ores run higher in
phosphorus than is to be desired. Excluding, however, a single
sample (No. 2) from the list above given, the average of the seven
remaining samples is .574.
"When account is taken of the high percentage of iron that these
ores carry, it is obvious that they must come within the limits of
acceptance.
* * *
"I must not fail to call attention to the splendid showing of
the Upper Bennett bank (No. 8) in the table of analyses. The finest
outcrop of brown hematite in Virginia is at the same time the richest and
purest ore of its class.”
Of the same ores Prof. A. S. McCreath, a Pennsylvania geologist,
says:
"These ores may be classed as Brown Hematite, which are hy-
drated oxides of iron. But the proportion of chemically combined
water varies considerably, and they may be said to vary between
the extremes of a true Limonite with 14.40 per cent. combined
water, and Red Hematite with theoretically no combined water.
far as the percentage of iron is concerned, the ores are all of high grade,
and many of them equal the very best brown ores that are mined.”
The ores thus described in the pamphlet above referred to lie in
the counties along the southern border of West Virginia, while
northward through all the border counties of the State the same va-
rieties of ore may generally be found. In subsequent portions of
this work where the counties are taken up separately and described,
more full descriptions of the iron ores of those localities will be
found. The red fossiliferous ore, which is found in large deposits
in some of the north-eastern counties, is a valuable ore, comparing
most favorably with the ores of more successful and more noted
iron regions of the country.
While most of the best and most valuable iron ores are found
along the eastern border of the State, they are not all found there,
:
2
44
IRON.
2
*
N
for to the westward throughout most of the counties of the State
ores of greater or less value are to be found. The western border
counties do not seem to have much iron, but through the center of
the State to the eastward the ores are plentifully scattered. Through
the central part of the State in the coal measures two kinds of ores
are found-carbonates of iron and black band ores. Speaking of
the former, Prof. M. F. Maury says: "Under this head may also be
classed the brown hematites of the coal measures, as they are merely
the results of the decomposition of the carbonates, and in fact, when
a seam of the former is discovered, we may expect it to turn into
the latter as soon as we go far enough under ground to get beyond
atmospheric influences.
"We see the result of this decomposition in the pieces of Brown.
Oxide that are found on the hills in every portion of the State.
These have led to many erroneous ideas as to the richness of certain
localities in this mineral, which came originally from the carbon-
ates of iron existing in the beds that were once superimposed upon
the present strata, and have long since been worn away by erosion.
As this took place, the lighter materials were washed off by the cur
rents, while the heavier ore settled down and was left resting on our
hill sides. Sometimes a great deal was deposited in one place, and
the soil is full of it, while in others but a single lump was left, and
hence it is that on many of our mountains we find the 'blossom' of
good ore, and yet have no bed of it near by."
Of the black band ore, a very valuable ore, found in the central
to the south-western part of the State, principally south of the Great
Kanawha river, Prof. Maury says:
"This is nothing more than a carbonate of iron, of a more or less
black color, by reason of an admixture of bituminous matter. So
far as yet known, it is confined entirely to the southern part of the
State, where it has been discovered only within the last few years.
From the fact of its very often resembling black slate in its struc-
ture, it may often have been passed over unnoticed, and careful
search will no doubt show it in many places, where it is not now
suspected.
"It is a class of material that makes an excellent iron, and from
which much of the celebrated Scotch-pig is smelted. It possesses
an especial value, from the fact that, in many cases, a low grade ore
IRON.
45
22
2
:
F
can be roasted into a higher grade. For instance take that from
Davis Creek, in Kanawha county. When mined, it contains 33 per
cent. of metallic iron, and 26 per cent. of carbonaceous matter. By
piling it in heaps, and setting fire thereto, the carbonaceous matter
is burnt out, and in the process of combustion, generates enough.
heat to convert the carbonate of iron in the ore into a richer oxide,
so that the mass, after being thus roasted, analyzes 65 per cent. of
metallic iron.
"Unfortunately, we can never reckon or depend upon any seam
of it continuing of a uniform value, for in one place it will contain
an ore well worth working, while half a mile off it may become so
mixed with slate or earthy impurities as to be utterly valueless.
As an example: On Bell creek, Fayette county, an excellent bed
about 4 feet thick was found by Mr. L. Bemelmans, of Charleston.
Some 2 or 3 miles from this place, up a ravine a short distance be-
low the mouth of Bell, the same seam showed only 12 to 14 inches
of the good material, while on Little Elk run, of Gauley river, some
three miles to the north, the results of two analyses from the same
seam gave only 5 and 7 per cent. respectively of metallic iron. If
we search for it in another direction, it may open to a very valuable
deposit. From this irregularity and from the fact that it has been
well proven in this field, it will be readily understood that careful
search may find it in many places where it has never yet been no-
ticed, and wherever it is found in workable quantity its presence.
adds great value to the land."
Otto Wuth, of Pittsburg, who made an analysis of some black
band ore found in Kanawha county, says: "Thoroughly roasted, it
would then contain about 65 per cent. of metallic iron, while there
is more than enough carbonaceous matter to roast it. I consider it
a black band ore of the first quality."
Analyses of the iron ores taken from various counties of the State
will be shown in the following table:
2
46
IRON.
ܢ
..:
KIND OF ORE.
Carbonate.
CL
(
(6
6
"C
เ
Average of vari
ous Samples. )
Carbonate..
*
↓
看着
​**
CC
16
&&
..
<<
(C
เ
Brown Hematite..
Fossil..
Pipe..
Hematite
Bluff Ore..
Brown Hematite..
Red Fossiliferous.
Red Hematite..
Red Fossiliferous.
Red Hematite
Brown Hematite.
Red Fossiliferous
"K
Co
(6
6
<
[(
* •
<<
C
County.
Red Fossiliferous.
Manganetic
Mineral 38.42
34.29
and
Grant
38.28
16.
33. 17
44.43
39.87
46.67
Preston
46
CC
44
เ
GA
C
32.52 0.66 0.13
"C
Monongalia 31.86 0.23 0.15
34.69 0.31 0.12
49.69 0.19 0.13
41.94 0.16 0.20
0.87 0.30
41 35
40.71
30.24
0.27 0.22
0.30 0.33
44.95
43.04
CC
38.91 0.29
35.98 0.20
39.10 0.23
Raleigh 55.54 0.81
Greenbrier 52.23
}
("
<+
<<
(3
Taylor
156.58
159.36
51.09
62 01
52.52
Grant
.88
Brown Hematite.. Hampshire 51.47 .10
("
..
((
Li
52.67
.03
Monroe 58.83 0.44
0.71
66
58.40
48.50 1.02
(6
C
4.
(6
17
Hardy
66
.c
CC
CC
C
"
tt
Metallic
Iron.
66
+
Pendleton
66
''
Phosphorus.
61.75
57.17
36.69
44.42
56.23
.13
.58
.012
.69
.05
.16
57.11 0.71
151.95 0.59
50.22
1.04
45 92
0.66
52.09
1.25
51.80 1.06
57.10 .438
55.15
.5881
542
.292
·
Sulphur.
0.05
0.48
0.42
0 35
.73
.42
.169
.04
.03
.04
.09
.48
.82
Silica.
24.96
Manganese.
2.82 0.21
3.60 0.74
17.67 0.27
6.23 0.08
14.85
15.34
0.14
21.20 0.10
12.74
0.11
0.10
13 02
3. 64
7.31
19.11 140.78
AUTHORITY.
Prof. W. B. Rogers.
CC
(6
<L
LI
..
CL
Re
C. E. Dwight.
{{
CC
"C
CC
เ
(i
Prof. Rogers.
(C
C. E. Dwight.
64
60
เ{
J. B. Britton.
.
"
<<
CE. Dwight.
C
((
(C
(C
66
(C
!!
(i
Hy. Froehling.
66
66
(C
"C
C
••
(.
"{
W. H. Boggs.
"
.60
COKE.
47
}
1880..
1881
1882
1883.
1884
1885.
1886
Analyses and tests show that the coke of West Virginia is superior
tɔ that of Pennsylvania, which for so long a time held the highest
place in the markets of the United States. Statistics
Statistics show that
there is more coking coal in West Virginia, many times over, than
there is in Pennsylvania, and that in the production of coke West
Virginia ranks next to Pennsylvania. With the best coking coal
in the United States, if not in the world, and more of it than in any
other State, and with a rapidly growing demand for coke, the fact
is readily seen that West Virginia must soon become one of the
greatest coke making centers in the world. Already there are no
less than four large coking districts in the State in active operation,
producing annually enough coke to make the State even now among
the largest coke producing States of the Union.
But few years ago
the production was almost nothing. Last year the State produced
almost a million and a half tons of coke. The growth of the coke-
making industry in the last twelve years is shown in the following
table:
1887.
1888..
1889.
1890
1891..
1892.
YEARS.
631
689
8781
962
1,005
1,078
1.154
2,080
2,137
2,453
3,442
4,117
5,490
COKE,
み
​40 206,034
189 272.163
811 321,625
43 360,664
121,715 $ 318,797 3
161,058 429,571
520,437
202,103
225.893
563,190
127 385.588
228.472
260,571
264,168
317
442
63 415,533
425,002
698,327 442,031
786,139 499,985
562,739 360,716
68
142
184 1,377,299
892,490
777 1,899,122 1,238,418
777 2,011,668 1,313,449
•
425,952
485,188
513,843
976,732
2 30
2 30
2 26
2 191
1 91
1 86
1 94
2 21
60.0
61.0
63 0
63.0
62.0
63.0
62.0
63.3
63.6
64.1
64.8
65.21
65.29
48
COKE.
52
J
ų
The regions of the State which now produce the greatest amount
of coke each year are those along the Monongahela river near Fair-
mont, where the Pennsylvania coal fields extend up into West Vir-
ginia, and where last year a quarter of a million tons were made;
the great New River and Upper Kanawha district, which extends
for nearly a hundred miles south-east from Charleston, and last year
produced 682,527 tons of coke; and the Pocahontas region, in the
extreme south of the State, yielding in the last year from Mercer
and McDowell counties 282,687 tons. It is in this latter region that
the increase is now most rapid.
The table just preceding shows a marked and constant increase
in the percentage of coke yielded by the coals. This is due to the
improved methods constantly being adopted in its manufacture.
Many and valuable have been the improvements in the method of
making coke since first it became an important industry in the
State, and now the figures show that in its making but little over a
third of the coal is lost or wasted. In fact the refuse is put to use
and very little of the whole is lost except the smoke. Wherever
proper coals are found coke making proves more profitable than the
sale of coal, and now there are some 6,000 coke ovens in blast in
the State, giving employment to over 1,500 men, besides those who
get out the coal which goes to make the coke. Long rows of blazing
ovens, shedding their lurid light the landscape o'er, line almost
every railroad track that passes through the State and pour their
clouds of smoke on high to hide the mountain tops and dim the
sky.
In high percentage of fixed carbon, low percentages of ash and
sulphur, and freedom from water and phosphorus the cokes of West
Virginia stand pre-eminent.
A previous chapter shows the extent and distribution of the
coking coals of West Virginia, and the following table will show
the analyses of the cokes now made in different sections of the
State, as compared with those made in other States and foreign
countries:
СОКЕ.
49
COLLIERY.
Cedar Grove..
East Bank.
Powellton...
Great Kanawha..
Crescent..
Eagle and
St. Clair.
Nuttallburg..
Echo..
Caperton..
Fire Creek.
Stone Cliff..
Quinnimont.
Echo..
4
Clements
Montana..
Monongah
Pocahontas.
Pocahontas No. 3.
Stephenson
and Mohler (
Austen
Davis.
Thomas
Bradford
•
·
+
Caperton
Seymour..
·
Holmes & Bro..
Pratt Bed………
Dade Mines.
Etna
い
​·
Bromney
Mons
Westphalia.
Kanawha
CL
Fayette
(3
"
เ
((
LC
66
ར
"
(6
46
C
Mercer and/
McDowell
[
"
Marion
"
C
Georgia
Tennessee
Preston 87.98
Tucker
C
90.60 1.49
190.05 1.16
Connellsville 89.57
Pennsylvania 89.15
Blossburg, Pa. 84. 76
Beaver Co., Pa. 81.72
Alabama 188.87 0.75
75.91
185.45
Eugland 191.58
Belgium 191.30
Germany 185.06
4.40
9.13
0.29
0.23
0.10
0.06
;
195.02
89.95
193.25
95.86
1.50 5.15 1.10
3.62
7.92
Hy. Froehling.
0.51 A. S. McCreath.
0.59 J. W. Mallett
90.31 1.77
90.48
9.00
0.50 Porter and Going.
93.00
6.76
1.86
97.71 0.14
194.62 0.24 4.91
0.27 C. E. Dwight.
0.56 J. B. Britton.
0.54
0.53 A. S. McCreath:
0.66 Heager & Wickham.
0 30 J. B. Britton.
91.94 0.49
6.92
89.66 2.68 6.60
93.85
5.85
92.73 0.71 5.15 1.41 0.58 Heager & Wickham.
92.58 0.49 6.04 0.19 0.67 McCreath and d'Invilliers.
92.21 0.71 6.28 0.18 0.56
92.81 1.05 4.91 0.66 0.54
87.50
11.00 0.30
89.85 .90 8.40
.76
191.08 1.85 6.17 .24
0.45
11.57
6.96
7.94
9.11
.18
.15
9.65
113.34
12.63
8.99
1.09 21.75
1.10 11.08
6.86
6.20
0.40
0.19
054
0.85
AUTHORITY.
0.58 M. A. Scoville.
0.378
40
((
LC
1.20 A. S. McCreath.
0.82
.66
C
<C
P. B. Wilson.
.77
4
.70 J. W. Powell.
.82 A. S. McCreath..
1.20 B. Crowther.
.998 A. S. McCreath.
1.99
1.18 McCreath and d'Invilliers.
0.67
"C
1.45
66
CL
Bell.
De Maisilly.
Mueck.
50
EDUCATION.
*
:
EDUCATION.
BY B. S. MORGAN, EX-STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF FREE SCHOOLS.
-
The educational advantages offered by the State comprise an ex-
cellent system of public schools, six State Normal schools, a State
University, an institution for the higher education of the colored
people, a reform school, a school for the Deaf and the Blind, and nu-
merous private and denominational institutions.
FREE SCHOOLS.
The people of West Virginia have always manifested a deep in-
terest in public education, and long before the organization of the
State, a number of counties under special acts of the mother State
had established systems of free schools.
The present efficient system of public schools rests upon the fol-
lowing constitutional requirement: "The legislature shall provide
by general law for a thorough and efficient system of free schools."
The Constitution, however, does not limit the State in its encour
agement of education to a system of free schools, but requires the
Legislature "to foster and encourage moral, intellectual, scientific
and agricultural improvement, and when it may be practicable, to
make suitable provision for the blind, mute and insane, and organize
such institutions of learning as the best interests of general educa-
tion in the State may demand." That these requirements have also
been met by the Legislature in a spirit of liberality, will appear
from the ample provisions made for higher education in the Normal
schools and the State University, the State Reform School, and the
EDUCATION.
51
}
institutions for the education of the deaf, dumb and blind, and for
the care of the insane.
The law establishing the free school system was passed December
10, 1863, and was put into operation just as rapidly as practicable.
The system has steadily grown in popularity and increased in effi-
ciency until it will compare very favorably with those long in op-
eration in the older States.
The law was re-enacted in 1873, with such improvements as the
practical working of the system had indica'ed to be necessary; and
this law, with some slight amendments made from time to time,
constitutes the present school law.
ADMINISTRATION AND PLAN OF SYSTEM.
In the organization of the free school system the existing political
divisions have been used as far as practicable. Every magisterial
district in each county is made a school district, which is divided
into as many sub-districts as may be necessary for the convenience
of the schools therein.
The regular civil, county and State officers collect and in part
disburse the school revenues.
The officers charged with the administration of the free school
system are:
(1.) District boards of education.
(2.) Sub-district trustees.
(3.) A county superintendent of free schools.
(4) A State superintendent of free schools.
The general control of the schools of each district is placed in
the hands of a board of education, composed of a president and
two commissioners elected by the people, which is made a corpora-
tion capable of suing and being sued, of contracting for and buying.
and selling property for the school purposes of the district. The
school year begins the first of July, and the board is required to
hold its first meeting on the first Monday in July.
The principal duties of the board are to lay the school levies, deter-
mine the number of sub-districts, locate and build the school houses,
supply them with furniture and appliances, fix the salaries of
teachers, transact the financial interests of the district and exercise
:
BE
52
EDUCATION.
* Q
Parde
a general supervision over all the educational interests of the district.
The trustees of each sub-district serve three years and are ap-
pointed by the boards of education. They have charge of the
school or schools in their respective sub-districts, appoint the teach-
ers, purchase fuel, see that the school house is kept in repair and
proper condition and exercise immediate control over the educa-
tional interests of the sub-district.
The county superintendent, who is required to be a person of
temperate habits, and skill and experience in the art of teaching, is
elected by the people and serves for a term of two years. His
duties are to distribute the State school fund to the several districts,
distribute the school blanks to boards of education, encourage and
attend county institutes, to act as president of the county board of
examiners, and keep a register of teachers certificates, visit the
schools of his county at least once each year, and report the condi-
tion of the schools to the State Superintendent.
The
The State Superintendent is elected by the people, and serves for
a term of four years, and is required to reside at the capital.
law requires that he shall be "of good moral character, of temperate
habits, of literary acquirements and skill and experience in the art
of teaching." He receives a salary of $1,500, paid out of the general
school fund. He exercises a general supervision over the free school
system and is charged with the preparation and distribution of all
school blanks, the apportionment of the State school fund, and the
organization of teachers' institutes. It is his duty also to collect
the school statistics and make an annual report to the Governor of
the condition of the school system.
There is a County Board of Examiners for each county, composed
of two experienced teachers appointed by the presidents of the dis-
trict boards of education, at a meeting held for that purpose in July
of each year, and the county superintendent, who is ex-officio pres-
ident of the board, which is authorized to issue three grades of
teachers' certificates. The first grade is valid for a period of four
years, the second grade for two years, and the third grade for one
year.
There is also a State Board of Examiners, consisting of four com-
petent teachers appointed by the State Superintendent, which is au-
thorized to issue two grades of certificates, valid throughout the
:
1
EDUCATION.
53
State, the first grade being granted for a period of twelve years, and
the second grade for a period of six.
No person is authorized to teach under the general school law,
who has not been licensed by one of these boards.
REVENUES FOR THE SUPPORT OF THE FREE SCHOOL SYSTEM.
The Constitution has made the following provision for the crea-
tion and management of an invested or permanent school fund:
"The existing permanent and invested school fund, and all money
accruing to this State from forfeited, delinquent, waste and unap-
propriated lands; and from lands heretofore sold for taxes and pur-
chased by the State of Virginia, if hereafter redeemed or sold to other
than this State; all grants, devises or bequests that may be made to
this State for the purposes of education or where the purposes of such
grants, devises or bequests are not specified; this State's just share
of the literary fund of Virginia, whether paid over or otherwise liq-
uidated; and any sums of money, stocks or property which this
State shall have the right to claim from the State of Virginia for ed-
ucational purposes; the proceeds of the estates of persons who may
die without leaving will or heir, and of all escheated lands; the pro-
ceeds of any taxes that may be levied on the revenues of any cor
porations; all moneys that may be paid as an equivalent for exemp-
tion from military duty; and such sums as may from time to time
be appropriated by the Legislature for the purpose, shall be set apart
as a separate fund, to be called the "School Fund" and invested
under such regulations as may be prescribed by law, in the interest-
bearing securities of the United States, or of this State, or if such
interest-bearing securities can not be obtained, then said "School
Fund" shall be invested in such other solvent interest-bearing se-
curities as shall be approved by the Governor, Superintendent of
Free Schools, Auditor and Treasurer, who are hereby constituted
the "Board of the School Fund," to manage the same under such
regulations as may be prescribed by law; and the interest thereof
shall be annually applied to the support of free schools throughout
the State, and to no other purpose whatever. But any portion of
said interest remaining unexpended at the close of a fiscal year shall
be applied to and remain a part of the capital of the "School Fund:"
Provided, that all taxes which shall be received by the State upon
▾
•
+
..
54
EDUCATION.
..
P
delinquent lands, except the taxes due to the State thereon, shall be
refunded to the county or district by or for which the same were
levied."
The constitution also requires that "the Legislature shall provide.
for the support of free schools, by appropriating thereto the interest
of the invested "School Fund," the net proceeds of all forfeitures
and fines accruing to this State under the laws thereof; the State
capitation tax, and by general taxation of persons and property or
otherwise. It shall also provide for raising in each county or dis-
trict, by the authority of the people thereof, such a proportion of
the amount required for the support of free schools therein as shall
be prescribed by general laws."
In carrying out this provision the school law provides "that for
the support of free schools there shall be a State tax levied annually,
of ten cents on the 100 dollars valuation of all real and personal
property of the State," which with the interest on the school fund,
and the amounts received from capitations, forfeitures and fines,
form the State fund which is annually distributed to the several
counties.
1
\
The school law also provides that district boards of education
"Shall annually levy by the authority of the people such a tax on
the property taxable in the district, as will, with the money re-
ceived from the State, be sufficient to keep such schools in operation
at least four months in the year; provided the said tax in any year
shall not exceed the amount of fifty cents on every one hundred
dollars valuation. The amount of this levy and the fund received
from the State tax constitute the "Teachers' Fund," and is used
only in paying teacher's salaries.
To provide school houses, grounds, furniture, fuel, &c., &c., the
district boards are required to lay an annual levy not to exceed
forty cents on the one hu dred dollars valuation of all property.
The amount secured by this levy constitutes a "Building Fund,"
and can be used only for those purposes named above.
The school law has made provision for three grades of free schools,
primary, graded and high schools. It is the duty of the board of
education to establish at least one primary school in every sub-dis-
trict. Graded schools may be established by the board on its own
authority in towns, villages and densely populated neighborhoods;
:
EDUCATION.
55
:
but before a public high school can be established, the question
must be submitted to a vote of the people and receive not less than
three-fifths of the votes cast. The number of schools of all classes
reported in the State Superintendent's report for the year ending
June 30, 1892, was 5,167.
In the primary and graded schools the branches of learning required
to be taught are, orthography, reading, penmanship, arithmetic,
English grammar, history, geography, physiology, single entry book-
keeping and civil government. These branches are arranged in a
graded course of study, which prescribes the order in which the sev-
eral branches shall be taken up and studied, and the time to be de-
voted to them respectively, with provision for advancement from
class to class, also for examination and graduation of all pupils who
satisfactorily complete the prescribed course. This course of study
is accompanied by a manual of instruction prepared by the State
Superintendent, which is intended for the general guidance of the
teacher in the discharge of his duties.
The schocl law seeks to secure proper moral instruction, and "all
teachers, boards of education, and other school officers are charged
with the duty of providing that moral training for the youth which
will contribute to securing good behavior and manners, and furnish
the State with exemplary citizens."
SPECIAL OR INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
Under special acts of the Legislature the larger towns of the State
have been cut off into separate districts, and made independent for
school purposes of the magisterial district or districts of which they
formed a part. This course has been found necessary in order to
provide these rapidly growing towns with adequate educational fa-
cilities.
As early as 1849 the city of Wheeling was made an independent
school district, and was continued as such when the first free school.
law was passed by the State. Since the organization of the free
school system forty-five more special districts have been established,
and under the larger powers granted them for taxation and other
school purposes these districts have been enabled to build splendid
modern school buildings and provide in addition to primary, thor-
ough graded and high school facilities,
4
}
backtritt Reebok
•
56
EDUCATION.
Among the towns that may be noted as having made special ad-
vancement in the improvement of their public schools, are Wheel-
ing, Parkersburg, Huntington, Charleston, Martinsburg, Fairmont,
Clarksburg, Grafton, Wellsburg, Moundsville, Morgantown, Pied-
mont, Keyser and Buckhannon.
No other State has made a more marked public school growth than
West Virginia. Beginning with 133 school houses and 387 teachers
in 1865, the State Superintendent's report for 1892, shows a total of
5,004 houses, and 5,747 teachers. The total value of school prop-
erty in 1865 was $52,856, and in 1892 it was $2,746,234.
The average school term throughout the State for 1892, was five
months and a half. The statistical tables appended hereto, com-
piled from the latest report of the State Superintendent, (1892), show
the most important statistics connected with the history of the free
school system, since its organization, such as the enumeration, en-
rollment, and daily average attendance of school youth, for each
year, the number of schools and school houses, the value of school
property, the amounts of the general and invested school fund each
year, and the amount expended each year on building fund and
teachers fund. These tables make a record of progress of which
any people might justly be proud.
$
:
EDUCATION.
57
1865...
1866
1867
1868
··
1869..
1870..
1871.
1872.
1873.
1874.
1875..
1876..
1877.
1878...
1879.
1880.
1881....
1882.
1883.
1884.
1885..
1886.
1887..
1888..
1889.
1890..
1891.
1892..
1865.
1866..
1867
1881
1882
1883.
1881.
1885.
1886.
1887
1888.
1889.
1890
YEAR.
1891.
1892
·
1868..
1869..
1870.
1871.
1872.
1873
•
...
..
D
→
·
1874...
1875..
1876..
1877.
1878
1879.
1880...
AL
*
13
YEAR.
$
Value of
houses,
lands, &c.
52,856 $ 106,122 78 $
322,946
375,822
88,772 55
172,023 15
208,397 37
216,761 06
693,677
་
945,621
1,012,932
1,064,717
1,164,578
1,401.655
1,540,460
1,605,627
1,660,467
1,714,599
1,688,319
1,676,871
The School
Fund.
229,300 00
278,069 92
284,717 18
316.152 31
1
315,320 48
325,213 34
339,987 97
344.531 45
354,811 48
375,154 52
423,988 85
1,670,534
1,753,143
441,947 25
1,823,987
1,841,661
474,305 11
504,461 26
514,159 33
549,258 00
1,964,945 570,473 18
1,871,235
1,979,847
2,041,128 590.493 25
2,045,456 606,462 08
2,330,718 619,962 08
2,483,528 620,011 48
2,151,336 678.203 93
2,746,234 706,025 75
Number of Dis-
tricts.
✡
Number of Sub-
Districts.
General
School Fund.
Numb'r of School
Houses.
Cost of Edu-
cation based.
on Enumer-
ation.
67,348 96/$.
195,562 16
175.394 24
183,496 68
149,568 58
233,139 02
174.896 35
237,215 88
231,435 92
214,791 32
209,124 38
207,263 98
195,183 75
251,414 50
220,233 54
221.616 38
183,783 88
272,842 33
252,529 90
218,208 53
161,520 50
367,724 96
402,396 87
390,561 88
300,168 83
300,431 23
361,487 89
336,389 61
2 82
4.00
3 12
2.90
3 35
3 48
3 53
4 14
4 24
4 25
4.00
3 33
3 44
3 37
3.56
4.00
4 27
4 32
442
Number of
4 27
4 36
5 62
5 07
4 89
4 69
5 16
Schools.
es
Number of
133 431
387
412 935
63,458
937 118,607
1,517 702 1,143 1,222 115,340
1,825 1,306 1,756 1,810 130,893
2,380 1,618 2,198 2,283 151,848
2,567 2,113 2,516 2,405 162,432
2,059 2,323 2,468 172,337
2,216 2,516 2.645 153,916
2,612 2.857 3,082 171.793
2,830 3,021 3,345 175,612 110,530
310 2,634 2,959 3,233 3,461 179,897 117,846
356 3,124 3,137 3,343 3,693| 184,760 125,504
3,216 3,390 3,789 192,606 125,332
3.297 3,511 3,747 301,237 130,184
361 3,383 3,479 3,725 4,131 206,123 135,526
363 3,529 3,557 3,811 4,134 210,113 142,850
365
3,704 3,912 4,287 213.191 145.203
370 3.779 3,839 4,028 1,360 216,503 155,544
375 3,855 3,945 4,116 4,455 220,980 160,904
378 3,887 4,097 4,254 4,643 228,185 166.272 102,012
372 4,035 4,159 4,078 4,811 236,245 166,257 105,904
373 4,142 4,260 4,437 4,925 242,752 179,501 103.214
374 4,288 4,465 4,603 5.089 248,178 172,257
248,178 172,257 108.293
377 4,302 4.567 4,819 5,238 256,360 189.251 122,020
384 4,549 4,655 4,868 5,341 258,934 187.528 119,990
383 4,651 4,814 4,784 5,491 266,326 193,061 121,700
377 4,755 4,899 5,026 5,600 271,334 198,376 123,987
4,866 5,004 5 167| 5747 276,452 200,789| 188.044
378
Teachers.
on
Amount Ex-
pended
Building
Fund.
244,386 67
246,470 96
207,267 66
212,033 51
124,791 42
150,880 95
224,337 02
255.233 29
247.630 45
209,740 50
180,113 70
204.874 55
185,069 67
212,877 56
265,674 84
302.254 49
305,567 83
324.188 46
301,431 10
330,727 84
116,950 59
457,633 99
397.903 31
546,019 83
491,757 05
Enumeration of
Youth.
$.
on
Amount Ex-
Teachers'
pended
Fund.
Number Enroll-
ed.
15,972 7,761
34,219
35,304
13,037
20,288
53,724 30,566
73.111
69,463
87.330
76.999
277,465 77
329,152 73
262,891 77
365,685 21
411,945 18
456,110 23
480.430 84
508,579 19
544,035 15
539,273 32
501,764 61
504,196 35
522,483 24
539,647 69
600,203 57
645,116 48
691,863 58
719.080 60
735,089 36
756.946 86
823,699 32
$56,667 04
895,201 67
914,673 71
944.305 50
Average Daily
Attendance.
55,083
51,336
85,765 56,317
81.100
61,214
69,908
76,468
72,278
83.469
$
Education.
Total cost of
86,768
90.268
91.704
91,266
96,652
98.190
7.722 90
172,734 00
324,517 31
520,852 44
576.623 69
470,129 43
577,718 72
536,736 60
606,991 18
704,767 86
763,812 45
786,117 94
770,658 86
681,848 31
709,071 30
707,552 89
758,475 22
865,878 41
917,370 97
997,431 46
1,043,269 06
1,036,020 46
1,087,744 70
1,240,649 91
1,313,701 03
1,293,164 98
1,360,693 54
1,436,062 53
58
EDUCATION.
NORMAL SCHOOLS.
K
The State has in successful operation six normal schools, geo-
graphically located so that every section of the State is conveniently
accessible to some one of them. Their chief work being the edu-
cation and training of teachers for the public schools, they really
form an essential part of the free school system. In all of them,
however, there is established an academic department, in which
students may prepare for entrance to college, or for active business.
There was enrolled in these schools, for the year 1892, one thou-
sand and fifteen students.
1
They are controlled and managed by a board of regents, composed
of the State Superintendent, who is x-officio president, and one
member from each Congressional district appointed by the Gov-
ernor, whose service continues during his pleasure.
The board has full authority to adopt and establish such by-laws,
rules and regulations for their government, as it may deem neces-
sary; to appoint and remove teachers and fix their salaries; to pre-
scribe the preliminary examination of pupils, and the terms on
which they shall be received and instructed and the branches of
learning to be taught in each department; to determine the num-
ber of pupils to be received in the normal department from each
county and the mode of selecting them.
It is the duty of the State Superintendent to prepare suitable
diplomas to be granted to the students of the normal department
who have completed the prescribed course of study.
The board is required to appoint three persons, residents of the
county in which each school is located, who shall constitute a local
executive committee for the care and management of each school,
subject to the rules and regulations prescribed by the board.
The Rules and Regulations of the Regents, published in 1891,
contains the following in regard to the management of these schools:
One thousand normal pupils, with free tuition, are entitled to
attend the six schools, apportioned among the several counties,
according to the census of 1890, as follows: Barbour 12, Berkeley
17, Braxton 5, Boone 9, Brooke 6, Cabell 13, Calhoun 6, Clay 3,
Doddridge 10, Fayette 11, Gilmer 7, Grant 5, Greenbrier 15, Hamp-
shire 10, Hancock 5, Hardy 6, Harrison 20, Jackson 16, Jefferson
15, Kanawha 32, Lewis 13, Lincoln 8, Logan 7, Marion 17, Marshall
:
EDUCATION.
59
18, Mason 22, Mercer 7, Mineral 8, Monongalia 15, Monroe 11,
Morgan 5, McDowell 3, Nicholas 7, Ohio 37, Pendleton S, Pleasants
6, Pocahontas 5, Preston 19, Putnam 11, Raleigh 7, Randolph 8,
Ritchie 13, Roane 12, Summers 8, Taylor 11, Tucker 3, Tyler 11,
Upshur 10, Wayne 14, Webster 3, Wetzel 13, Wirt 7, Wood 25,
Wyoming 4.
Application for appointment to the normal department must be
made to the principal of the school or to the county superintendent
of the county in which the applicant resides. Male pupils must
not be less than fourteen years of age, and females not less
than thirteen. Each applicant must obligate himself to teach at
least one year in the free schools of the State, or refund the amount
of the tuition fees paid by other pupils while under instruction.
Two departments, a normal and an academic have been estab-
lished in each school. The normal course consists of three years,
viz. junior, middle, and senior. The Junior year embraces Orthog-
raphy, Reading, Writing, Arithmetic, Geography, Language Lessons
and Elementary English Grammar, U. S. History and Physiology.
The Middle year embraces: Orthography by written exercises,
Reading, Sentence Analysis, Rhetoric and Composition begun,
Physical Geography, Algebra to Quadratics, Elements of General
History, Pedagogy, Theory and Practice of Teaching, School Law,
Ancient and Modern Languages optional.
The Senior year embraces: Spelling, English Literature, Rhetoric,
Algebra, Plane Geometry and Trigonometry, Elements of Physics,
Natural History, Botany, Civil Government, Drawing, Book-keeping,
Psychology and History of Education.
There are regular exercises in composition and declamation
throughout the course, and frequent exercises in hearing classes
recite, methods discussed, school organization exemplified, &c., &c.
Diplomas are conferred upon the graduates, and this diploma
entitles the holder to receive a State certificate after having taught
three years on a first grade county certificate.
The Academic Course of Study consists of two years, Junior and
Senior.
The Junior year embraces: Geography, Arithmetic, English
Grammar, Latin Lessons, Reader and Grammar, Physiology and Hy-
giene,
:
-
60
1
EDUCATION.
The Senior year embraces: Algebra, Book-keeping, U. S. History
Cæsar (two books), Cicero (three orations) Virgil (three books),
Eneid, Latin Grammar, Greek, First Lessons, Reader, Grammar,
Xenophon (two books), or German. -
:
The Principal is authorized to issue to the student completing
this course a CERTIFICATE which will be received at the State Uni-
versity as equivalent to its Preparatory Course.
The school year consists of forty-two weeks, divided into three
The rate of tuition for pay scholars is as follows:
terms.
Junior Normal Course, per year.
Middle or Senior Normal Course, per year
Academical Department, per year..
Incidental Expenses for ail Students, per session or frac-
tion thereof...
•
•
•
$ 20 00
24 00
24 00
1.00
There were one thousand and fifteen students enrolled in the six
schools during the year 1892, and seventy-two graduates. The total
number enrolled since the schools were opened is 13,971, and the
number of graduates is 1,125.
The majority of these students and graduates have become suc-
cessful teachers, and the efficiency and advancement of the free
school system has been due in a large degree to the good work per-
formed by the Normal Schools.
The total amount expended by the State for the purchase of
ground and the construction of buildings, and for repairs, furniture,
libraries, apparatus and fuel for the several Normal Schools up to
September 30th, 1892, is $145,802.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE STATE NORMAL SCHOOL AND THE
SEVERAL BRANCHES.
MARSHALL COLLEGE, THE STATE NORMAL SCHOOL--Is located at
Huntington, in Cabell county, and was established in 1867 The
buildings are ample for the accommodation of at least three hundred
pupils, with dormitories for about one hundred. The grounds oc-
cupied by the institution consist of seventeen acres situated almost
within the heart of the city, and fronting on two of the principal
streets. Excepting those occupied by the State University, these
are the most beautiful and ample school grounds in the State. The
!
EDUCATION.
61
institution has a well selected library of several hundred volumes,
which receives an annual appropriation from the State, and a good
working equipment of chemical, physical and philosophical ap-
paratus.
The enrollment for 1892 was 183, and the number of graduates 8.
The present Principal is Thos. E. Hodges.
FAIRMONT BRANCH OF THE STATE NORMAL SCHOOL - Is located at
Fairmont, in Marion county. This school was established in 1868,
when the State purchased the grounds and buildings devoted to a
private Normal school, and made it a branch State Normal school.
The institution has enjoyed uninterrupted prosperity from the day
it was opened. Although the original building was enlarged more
than once, it was found necessary a few years ago to provide larger
and more commodious buildings and grounds The old building
and grounds were sold by the State in 1891 to Fairmont Independ-
ent Public School district, and a spacious site purchased just outside
the corporate limits of the town. The new normal building is one
of the best school buildings in the State, and will accommodate at
least five hundred students. The school is well supplied with ap-
paratus and has made a creditable beginning toward the collection
of a suitable library.
For the year 1892, the number of pupils enrolled was 260 and the
number of graduates 27. The present Principal is J. Walter Barnes.
SHEPHERD COLLEGE BRANCH STATE NORMAL SCHOOL.-This school
is located at Shepherdstown, Jefferson county, and was opened as
a State Normal school in September, 1873. The building occupied
by this school is a two-story, commodious brick structure, well ar-
ranged for school purposes, and sufficient to accommodate two hun-
dred and fifty pupils. It is beautifully situated on an eminence in
the center of the town and surrounded by beautiful grounds. This
school is also supplied with suitable apparatus and a library.
The number of pupils enrolled for 1892 was 90, and the number
of graduates 7. The present Principal is A. C. Kimler.
GLENVILLE BRANCH NORMAL SCHOOL-Is located at Glenville, Gil-
mer county, and was opened to students January, 1873. The build-
ing in which the school was organized and conducted for several
years proved inadequate to the growing needs of the school, and in
:.

62
EDUCATION.
1885 the legislature made an appropriation for the erection of a
larger and more commodious building.
The school has been well supplied with suitable apparatus, and a
library of well selected standard books. The enrollment for 1892
was 107 and the number of graduates 7. The present Principal is
Rev. M. D. Helmick.
WEST LIBERTY BRANCH NORMAL SCHOOL-IS located at West Lib-
erty, Ohio county, and was opened for instruction in 1870. The
building and grounds occupied by this school were formerly owned
and used by the West Liberty Academy, and were purchased by
the State in 1870. While this school has suffered some reverses and
interruption since its organization, it has on the whole been suc-
cessful and prosperous, especially is this true during the past seven
years. The town is admirably situated for the location of an edu
cational institution. The legislature at its last session made an
appropriation for the erection of a new and better building for this
school. It is well equipped with suitable apparatus and a good li-
brary.
The enrollment for the year 1892, was 130, and the number of
graduates 11. The present Principal is Robert A. Armstrong.
THE CONCORD BRANCH NORMAL SCHOOL-Is located at Concord,
Mercer county, and was opened for instruction May, 1875. This
school has grown and prospered under greater obstacles than any
other normal school in the State. The building in which it was or-
ganized in 1875, was quite a primitive structure for a State Normal
school. In 1885, the legislature made an appropriation for a new
building, and in 1887 an appropriation for an addition to this
building, and again in 1891 an appropriation for the erection of a
boarding house for young ladies. The school in point of attendance.
has grown to be the second school in the State. It has been well
supplied with apparatus and library.
The enrollment for 1892 was 245, and the number of graduates, 7.
The present Principal is John D. Sweeney.
:
EDUCATION.
63
WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY.
The West Virginia University, located at Morgantown, Monon-
galia county, is the head of the State educational system.
This institution had its origin in the grant of lands made by the
United States in 1862 to most of the States for the establishment
of agricultural colleges. West Virginia received in this way land
scrip to the amount of $90,000, which was the proceeds of the
sale of 150,000 acres of land. To this the State has since added
$20,000, making an endowment fund of $110,000, the income from
which alone being used to pay current expenses of the institution.
The act establishing these institutions provided that the interest
of this fund should be used for the support and maintenance of at
least one college, where the leading object shall be, without ex-
cluding other scientific and classical studies, and including military
tactics, to teach such branches of learning as are related to agri-
culture and the mechanic arts, in order to promote the liberal and
practical education of the industrial classes in the several pursuits
and professions of life.
By the union of State and National funds, it has been possible
to carry out the provisions of the act in a broad and liberal spirit.
Five splendid buildings for the purposes of the University have been
erected, as follows: University Hall, Preparatory Building, Agri-
cultural Experiment Station, Commencement Hall and Gym-
nasium, and Mechanical Building. A building for the departments
of Physics, Chemistry, Civil Engineering and Geology is now being
erected. The cost of these buildings, including the scientific build-
ing now under construction, is about $175,000.
The revenues for the current support of the University are de-
rived from the interest on the Endowment Fund, the appropria-
tions made by the legislature, and since 1890, by additional appro-
priations by the Congress of the United States.
The University is under the control and management of a board
of thirteen Regents, one from each Senatorial District, appointed by
the Governor.
The following departments, or schools, have been established:
the Collegiate, Military, Law, Preparatory and an Agricultural Ex-
periment Station.
64
EDUCATION.
1
The Collegiate Department embraces the following groups of
study: Agriculture, Ancient Languages, Biology, Chemistry and
Physics, Civil Engineering, English, Geology, History, Mathematics,
Mechanical Engineering, Mechanic Arts, Metaphysics, Modern Lan-
guages, and Political Science.
In the Collegiate Department the following degrees are conferred
upon graduates: Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor
of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Bachelor of Science in Civil.
Engineering, and Bachelor of Agriculture. Post graduate courses.
are also offered for the degrees of Master of Arts and Master of
Sciences.
-
The course of study in the Law Department, covers the branches
of common and statute law, constitutional and international law,
commercial and criminal law, maritime law, equity jurisprudence,
evidence, pleading and practice. Graduates of this department are
admitted to practice in any of the courts of the State without ex-
amination. Instruction in military science and tactics is given by
a graduate of West Point, detailed from the United States army
The United States also furnishes arms and equipments for this pur-
pose. The law provides for the appointment of eight cadets from
each Senatorial district, who receive tuition, books and stationery
free.
The Preparatory Department has been established for the purpose
of preparing young men for admission to the higher classes of the
University.
The Agricultural Experiment Station was organized in 1888, and
owes its existence to an act of Congress, approved March 2, 1887.
The work of the Station, according to the act, is chiefly devoted to
researches and experiments concerning agriculture and to the diffu-
sion of the results of such experiments among the people. Since
its organization the Station has been under the directorship of John
A. Myers, Ph. D.
Tuition is practically free to all students from West Virginia.
Young women are admitted to the classes of the Collegiate De-
partment.
The University possesses a library of several thousand volumes
of standard books and special libraries and an adequate equipment
of apparatus for the special use of the various departments.
c
ÉDUCATION.
65
i
The present faculty consists of the President, E. M. Turner,
LL. D., and seventeen professors and one assistant professor.
There have been 3,776 students in attendance and 163 graduates
in the Collegiate Department and 97 in the law department since the
University was opened.
WEST VIRGINIA COLORED INSTITUTE.
This institution, located at Farm, Kanawha county, was estab-
lished by the State in 1891 to carry out an act of Congress approved
August 30, 1890, entitled "an act to apply a portion of the proceeds
of the public lands to the more complete endowment and support of
the colleges for the benefit of agriculture and the mechanic arts, es-
tablished under the provisions of an act of Congress approved July
2nd, 1862."
The location is a most eligible one for the purposes of the school.
The grounds consist of thirty acres of Kanawha River bottom land,
and the building is a three-story brick structure.
The institution is under the management of a Board of Regents,
appointed by the Governor, one from each Congressional district.
The funds for its support are derived from Federal and State ap-
propriations.
The curriculum embraces the following courses of study:
1. A course in pure mathematics; arithmetic, algebra, geometry
and trigonometry.
2. A course in the English language.
3. A course in natural and applied science, philosophy and chem-
istry.
4. A course in practical agriculture.
5. A course in practical mechanics.
A normal department has been established for the normal educa-
tion and training of teachers.
The Agricultural and Mechanical Departments have been supplied
with all necessary apparatus, machinery and tools. Although not
yet a year since the insitution was opened to students, its growth
and progress has been very satisfactory.
This institution and Storer College afford ample and convenient
facilities for higher education to the colored people of the State.
The present principal is J. Edwin Campbell.
:
66
EDUCATION.
WEST VIRGINIA REFORM SCHOOL.
This institution, located at Pruntytown, Taylor county, was es-
tablished under an act of the legislature passed in 1889. It was
opened July 21, 1890, for the reception of inmates.
It is exclusively devoted to the reformation and care of male
minors (under sixteen years of age), but white and colored inmates
are required to be kept separate.
The institution is under the control of a board of directors ap-
pointed by the Governor. Boys may be committed by all courts
of record for offenses against the law and for incorrigibility and va
grancy.
While under the care of the school, boys are taught some useful
trade. At the present time, besides farming, they are taught tailor-
ing, shoe-making and printing. About one hundred and twenty-five
boys have been enrolled since the institution was opened. The
present Principal is C. C. Showalter.
PRIVATE AND DENOMINATIONAL SCHOOLS.
Besides the foregoing educational institutions, established, con-
trolled and supported by the State, there are some sixteen private
and denominational institutions, ranging in grade from the academy
and seminary up to the well equipped college; the most prominent
among which are the following:
BETHANY COLLEGE-Located at Bethany, Brooke county, in the
western Panhandle, and under the control of the Christian Church,
was founded in 1840 by the renowned Rev. Dr. Alexander Campbell.
This is not a theological school, but a literary college of high grade,
and open to both sexes. The grounds are ample, and the college
building, over four hundred feet in length, is noted for its artistic
beauty. The institution possesses an extensive library and a fine
equipment of apparatus.
The matriculates of the college number about six thousand and
the graduates between seven and eight hundred, many of whom
have achieved distinction in this and other States.
The present
President is the Rev. Hugh McDiarmid.
BROADUS COLLEGE-Located at Clarksburg, Harrison county, was
opened in 1876. At first young ladies only were admitted, but in
fratte
5
E
•
EDUCATION.
67
1888 it was opened to young men also. The institution is under
the general control of the Baptist Church. The curriculum
offers four courses of study, Primary, Preparatory, Collegiate and
Ornamental.
The number of students enrolled in 1892, was 120.
The main building is a three story brick structure 40 by 70 feet,
with boarding accommodations for young ladies.
The present
President is Rev. R. R. Powell.
NORMAL AND CLASSICAL ACADEMY -Located at Buckhannon, Up
shur county, was established in 1882, under the auspices of the
United Brethren Church.
The institution has an endowment fund of $15,000, but it is
mainly supported by tuition fees and voluntary contributions of
friends.
The building is a two-story brick structure of ten rooms. The
enrollment for the year 1892, was 176. Since the opening of the
school there have been 44 graduates in the Literary Department, 7
in the Musical and 33 in the Commercial.
The present Principal is W. O. Mills.
WEST VIRGINIA CONFERENCE SEMINARY-Located at Buckhannon,
was established in 1887 under the auspices of the West Virginia
Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and was opened in
September, 1890. The institution owns an extensive plat of forty-
three acres. The building is a beautiful three-story structure 80 by
106 feet. It has no endowment, but depends for its support upon
tuition fees and the contributions of friends. The property is val-
ued at about $60,000. The curriculum covers the usual Classical,
Scientific and Literary courses.
Departments in Music and Military Science have been added.
The number enrolled for 1892, was 246. The present President
is the Rev. Dr. B. W. Hutchinson.
-
-
SALEM COLLEGE - Located at Salem, Harrison county, was estab-
lished in 1889 under the auspices of the Seventh-Day Baptist Edu-
cation Society. The school is conducted, however, as an undenom-
inational institution. The support of the school is derived from
tuition fees and contributions. In addition to the regular classical
21
68
EDUCATION.
Juma
and scientific courses of study, there are Normal and Business De-
partments. The enrollment for 1892, was about 100. Rev. T. L
Gardner is the present President.
SHELTON COLLEGE-Located at St. Albans, Kanawha county,
was opened in 1872, under the auspices of the Baptist church. The
present college building, a large two-story brick, was completed in
1875. The course of study does not extend beyond academic or
preparatory work. The school is at present under the charge of
W. G. Miller.
COLLEGE--Located
at
BARBOURSVILLE
Barboursville, Cabell
county, was established in 1888, under the auspices of the Methodist
Episcopal Church, South. The school possesses ample and com-
modious buildings. In addition to the regular classical and scien-
tific courses, there are provided Normal and Business Departments.
It has no endowment, but is supported by tuition fees and contri-
butions. The enrollment, for 1892 was 153. Prof. R. W. Douthat
is the present President of the college.
LINSLEY INSTITUTE--Located at Wheeling, was established in
1814, being named after its founder, Noah Linsley. The institu-
tion is a high-grade academy. Instruction in military tactics is
given, an officer for this purpose being detailed from the United
States Navy by the Government.
The institution is controlled and managed by a Board of Trustees.
The enrollment for 1892 was one hundred and twenty-five, and
the number of graduates eleven. The present Principal is John M.
Birch.
GREENBRIER SEMINARY - Located at Alderson, Greenbrier county,
was established by B. E. Goode in 1885. The curriculum of study
embraces two departments, a preparatory and collegiate. The
school is open to both sexes. This institution, although in opera-
tion but a short time, has made an auspicious beginning.
LEWISBURG FEMALE INSTITUTE-Located at Lewisburg, Green-
brier county; established about the year 1810, and STEPHENSON
FEMALE SEMINARY, located at Charlestown, Jefferson county, estab-
lished in 1882, may be noted as schools doing excellent work.
EDUCATION.
69
:
WEST VIRGINIA COLLEGE-Located at Flemington, Taylor county,
was established in 1864. The institution is under the control of the
Freewill Baptist church. The work of the school is largely devoted
to preparatory and normal instruction. The present President is
Rev. Thomas E. Peden.
ST. JOSEPH'S ACADEMY-- Located at Wheeling, was established in
1865 and is under the charge of the Sisters of St. Joseph The
school is open to young ladies only. For the year 1892 the enroll-
ment was one hundred and thirteen.
MOUNT DE CHANTAL--Located near Wheeling, was founded by Rt.
Rev. R. V. Whelan in 1848 In 1865 it was removed to its pres-
ent beautiful site, about two miles beyond the city limits.
in charge of the Sisters of the Visitation.
It is
The grounds are extensive, the buildings ample, and provided
with all modern improvements. The library contains six thousand
volumes. The course of study is wide and thorough.
The institution has enjoyed the reputation for a number of years
as a superior school in the department of vocal and instrumental
music.
The annual enrollment for several years has averaged about one
hundred.
The parish schools of the Catholic Church, at Wheeling, Parkers-
burg, Grafton, Clarksburg, Benwood, Huntington, Coalburg, Charles-
ton and Coal Valley enrolled for the year 1892, about two
thousand pupils
STORER COLLEGE-Located at Harper's Ferry, Jefferson county, was
established in 1868, and named in honor of John Storer, who gave
$10,000 toward founding the institution. A farm of one hundred
and fifty acres on Bolivar Heights was purchased for the location of
the school. In 1868 the Congress of the United States donated to
the College four government buildings, formerly used as residences
by officers of the Armory at Harper's Ferry. The grounds donated
with these buildings together with the purchase of one hundred and
fifty acres, form the picturesque site of the institution. Three new
buildings have been erected since 1870. Anthony Hall, Lincoln
Hall and Myrtle Hall. Anthony Hall contains a chapel, lecture
A
70
EDUCATION.
pathwa
room, recitation rooms and quarters for the principal's family;
Lincoln Hall and Myrtle Hall are used for boarding halls for young
men and women.
Although chartered as a college as well as a normal school,
the institution has not yet attempted to establish a "college"
course. The departments thus far put into operation comprise a pre-
paratory course, a normal course, and an academic course. Within
the last few years an industrial department has been established,
which is meeting with excellent success. In this department in-
struction is given in cooking and house keeping, carpentering and
typesetting.
The institution is under the control of a board of trustees.
Students are admitted "without distinction on account of race, color,
sex or religious preferences," but the school is attended only by
colored pupils.
The catalogue for 1892 shows an enrollment of 54 pupils in the
preparatory department; 186 in the normal and 58 in the academic.
The present principal is N. C. Brackett, who has been in charge
since the organization of the institution.
COMMERCIAL SCHOOLS-The Wheeling Business College, at Wheel-
ing, under the management of J. M. Frasher, is the leading school
of its kind in the State. It is the outgrowth of the National Busi-
ness College, established in that city in 1872.
The school is thoroughly equipped with all modern conveniences
for giving young men and women a thorough business éducation
and training. The annual enrollment for several years has num-
bered over two hundred.
THE MOUNTAIN STATE BUSINESS COLLEGE. -Located at Parkers-
burg, was opened in 1889. This school has been under the suc-
cessful management of A G. Sine.
Successful commercial schools have been opened also in Clarks-
burg and Charleston.
1
EDUCATION.
71
EDUCATIONAL PUBLICATIONS AND THE WEST VIRGINIA EDU-
CATIONAL ASSOCIATION.
The educational papers that have been published from time to
time have contributed in no small degree to the advancement of
education, by the spread of sound ideas, the elevation of public
opinion, the presentation and illustration of new and improved
methods of teaching, and the criticism of all unwise educational
measures, or ill advised legislation.
There are at the present time two magazines devoted to the gen
eral educational interests of the State, the West Virginia School
Journal and the Public School Mirror, and a number of papers pub-
lished in the interests of the various educational institutions.
The West Virginia Educational Association was organized in 1865.
It holds annual meetings which are devoted to the discussion of
all questions connected with the advancement of education. Among
its membership are enrolled a large number of teachers and school
officers, and many prominent citizens.
This Association has been instrumental in creating and fostering
an organized interest among teachers and the friends of education,
and has done much to promote the advancement of sound educa-
tional policy.
Those desiring more detailed information, than could be given in
the foregoing sketch, are referred to State Superintendent Morgan's
bi-ennial report for 1891 and 1892, in which will be found a com-
prehensive history of education in the State.
:
72
SALT.
Salvagnen
SALT.
When first the daring pioneers of old Virginia set foot on western.
soil and crossed the Alleghanies to find and settle and subdue the
land that now composes West Virginia, they found the Indians on
the banks of the Great Kanawha making salt. In 1753 Mrs. Mary
Ingles, the first white woman who ever crossed the Alleghanies,
was captured by the Indians and taken across the mountains, down
the Kanawha and Ohio rivers to a point near where the city of Cin-
cinnati now is built. After several months spent among the In-
dians, she made her escape, retraced her steps and finally returned
to her friends and relatives east of the mountains. While in the
service of the Indians Mrs. Ingles was forced to spend several days
at the salt wells, near the present site of Charleston, boiling salt, a
supply of which the Indians carried with them on their march.
This is the first account of salt being made from brine anywhere
west of the Alleghanies, and it is a noteworthy fact that the great
grand-son of this same Mrs. Ingles, Dr. John P. Hale, of Charleston,
was in after years one of the most extensive salt manufacturers in
the State, at a time when fully sixty furnaces were in operation
along the Great Kanawha valley.
Before the beginning of the nineteenth century the boiling of
salt had been begun and soon became a profitable industry, the pio-
neers for hundreds of miles around depending entirely on the salt
makers in the Kanawha valley for their supply. Primitive methods
sufficed for many years, but when the western country became
more thickly settled and markets were provided which had to be
supplied with all the necessaries of life, the demand became so great
that newer methods were adopted and the manufacture of salt on a
:
SALT.
73
very extensive scale became the principal business of the Kanawha
valley. On the Great Kanawha the principal salt wells were at the
"Kanawha Salines," about five miles above the city of Charleston,
but for miles on either side more brine was found by boring, and
many furnaces throughout the valley built up an industry that
made the country thrive, and gave employment to many hundred
men. For many years the manufacture of salt was the principal
business of the Kanawha valley, and the region attained a notoriety
throughout almost the world, not only for the quantity of salt pro-
duced, but also for its quality. None other ever sold for higher
prices or was in more general demand than the Kanawha salt which
even now successfully competes in market with other salts which
are more cheaply made. For pork packing it is particularly in de-
mand, possessing qualities which cannot be dispensed with in the
packing of pork, and cannot be found in any other salt. Hundreds
of thousands of barrels were annually shipped by river to the lower
markets, principally to Cincinnati, the great pork packing center,
before the industry began to decline. The discovery of salt in
Michigan with the cheap pine fuel close at hand by which the salt.
could be made cheaper than it was being made here, caused the
business to grow less, and gradually decline until now in the entire
Kanawha Valley there is but a single furnace making salt. By the
use of natural gas found near the furnace the expenses are reduced
to a minimum, and for many years this furnace has been in opera-
tion making a vast amount of salt every year, much of which is
consumed at home, but the greater part of which is sent to Cincin-
nati. Along the Ohio river in Mason county were also many furn-
aces for the manufacture of salt. But there, as elsewhere in the
State, the profits have decreased until there are now but a few
furnaces in that vicinity where salt is ever made. But the industry
will not always remain prostrate. In Michigan where the principal
competition was located, the cost of fuel is advancing. The destruc-
tion of the forests leaves the boiling of salt a more expensive pro-
cess than it has hitherto been found, and ere long the West Vir
ginia brine with cheap and limitless fuel close at hand, and unex-
celled shipping advantages will once again become the source of a
great revenue to the regions where it is found. In the Kanawha
valley the wells are bored about a thousand feet as an average
74
SALT.
depth, and the brine is found in apparently inexhaustible quan-
tities.
From the products of the brine many chemicals are made, such as
soda-ash, bromine, bicarbonate of soda, and other chemicals of a
similar nature. Soda ash is largely used in the manufacture of
glass, soap, paper, and numerous other articles, and is an important
article of commerce. Nearly all the soda-ash used in this country is
made in England, over 140,000 tons being imported annually. The
cost of making it in England is 87 cents per hundred pounds; the
tariff and the transportation charges raise the cost of soda-ash laid
down in America to considerably over a dollar a hundred pounds.
After a full investigation the late Hon. Henry S. Walker and asso-
ciates found that in the Kanawha valley salt region with fuel cheap
and close at hand the same product can be made for about 80 cents
a hundred pounds, showing a large difference in favor of American
manufacture.
The supply of soda-ash has been for a long time short of the de-
mand in this country and many glass factories have been, at times,
forced to suspend on account of their inability to get it. With a
manufactory in this country able to put out all that would be de-
manded of it, at a lower price than is now paid the foreign manu-
facturers, there should be no shutting down of glass works or any
other works depending on soda-ash for their raw material.
Some years ago a number of Baltimore importers of soda-ash
organized a company of English capitalists and had selected the
Kanawha valley as the most suitable field in America for the man-
ufacture of soda-ash. But their plans were never matured and the
company never went to work. Only a few years ago the late Hon.
Henry S. Walker spent several months in England investigating
the process of making soda-ash, and had organized another company
for its manufacture near Charleston when his sudden and untimely
death put an end to all his projects and nothing was ever done by
his company.
But the fact remains that here in West Virginia is
one of the most favorable sites in the world for the manufacture of
soda-ash, an article which is largely used in the manufacture of
many of the articles of every day use throughout the world. With
the salt for the boring, the coal almost for the digging, cheap labor
and ample transportation facilities, the cost to make it here would
•
SALT.
75
be much less than that in other countries and a large and profitable
business might readily be worked up in an article for which there
is almost constant demand, and on which a large profit could be
made.
The salt wells of the State, while not at present proving them-
selves so, are really among the most valuable of the State's resour-
ces, and the time will come, as in the past, when they will yield
from their abundant stores and cause a revival of an industry which
for many years was the principal one within the State.
Their pro-
ducts will be used in making soda-ash and other chemicals, and
with glass sand, wood pulp, and other materials close at hand, the
various products in which the soda-ash is a principal part--such as
glass, paper, etc.-will be manufactured here. In her salt water
West Virginia has a true source of future greatness.
Ats
The Great Kanawha valley and the Ohio valley in Mason coun-
ty are not the only places in the State where salt is found, but these
are the places where it has been principally made. Many of the
other counties possess as strong salt water as that which has been
mentioned, but in other places little salt has ever been made. The
descriptions of the counties in pages following will give the places
in which salt is found.
76
OIL AND GAS.
45
܀
OIL AND GAS.
"In 1775 George Washington visited the Kanawha valley in per-
son and located some very valuable lands for his military services.
About eight miles above Charleston he set apart and deeded to the
public forever an acre of land near the river, on which was a great
natural wonder, then little understood, called a 'burning spring.'
For many, many years afterward it was visited by every one who
came to or passed through Kanawha, as one of the curiosities of the
region. It was simply a hole in the ground which filled with water
when it rained, and up through which issued a jet of gas, giving
the water the appearance of boiling, and when lighted burned with
a bright flame till blown out by high wind.”
Such is the brief description, given by Dr. John P. Hale, of the
first natural gas ever discovered in America. From the same vicinity
gas is still produced to-day and is piped to the furnace of John Q.
Dickinson, near Malden, where salt is made by steam from natural
gas. At the time referred to the gas was not understood, its value
was not known, and it was allowed to escape as freely as it might.
In 1815 Capt. James Wilson, an old Kanawha citizen, and one of
the early salt makers of the valley, was boring for salt water. He
failed to reach the water at the depth expected, but being of a very
determined nature, declared he would reach salt water or bore into
hell. Soon after this his men struck gas. The tools were blown
out, the gas caught fire and poured its flames far upward from the
earth, which seemed to be emitting great volumes of fire. The
Captain concluded he had told the truth and had actually bored into
the lower regions, and had his workmen stop.
The first natural gas field developed and put to practical use was.
••
..
1
OIL AND GAS.
77
that in the northern pan-handle near Wellsburg, where the gas is
still in use, though with much smaller pressure than at first. To-day
in perhaps half the counties of the State natural gas is known to
exist. It often bubbles up through the water and sand along the
edge of a water course, and on being lighted gives to the stream the
appearance of being on fire. In many parts of the State the gas is
utilized for lighting, heating and manufacturing purposes. Its
value is depreciated by its apparent uncertainty, in many places
the gas having given out after being used for some time.
"Before the war" oil was found in West Virginia in the Burning
Springs region in the Little Kanawha Valley, near Parkersburg. It
was found in shallow wells, and at the prices charged in those days
for it, caused the most intense excitement, scarcely equalled by that
in California over the discovery of gold. Towns sprang up, der-
ricks were built and oil wells bored. Money was invested and in
many instances lost. In others great fortunes were made.
Oil was
barreled, floated down the river in rafts, and Parkersburg was made
the distributing point from which the oil was shipped by rail or
river in almost every direction. The war, with its terrible results,
broke up the oil excitement, destroyed the derricks and machinery
and for a time broke up the business. But later on it rallied, and
has been growing ever since. When, a few years ago, the deep wells
were first put down the excitement was for a time renewed. In
vicinities where the oil was found the old exciting times were again
renewed, and towns sprang up almost in a day. In other places
many "wild cat" wells were bored in the vain attempt to find the
oil at random. The presence of oil in almost every county in the
State is suspected, and in very many of them it has been proven to
exist in small quantities, while in some it is found in enormous
quantities, making West Virginia the only rival for Pennsylvania as
an oil producing State. The Sistersville (W. Va.) field is today the
greatest producing oil field in the world. Though many counties
contribute to the aggregate oil production of the S´ate, there are but
three large-producing fields in the State-the Sistersville field, the
Eureka-Belmont field, both along the Ohio river, and the Marion
county field in the northern part of the State. In these producing
fields, the derricks stand in every yard and street corner, and even
the property devoted to religious worship is not free from them.
*
C
:
78
OIL AND GAS.
:
⠀
One small struggling church in an oil town leased its property for
an oil well, and now derives enough revenue from the well in its
back yard to build a handsome house of worship and still to keep
the church treasury well replenished. From these centers pipe.
lines are constructed to the oil markets and oil is constantly pumped
through these pipes, frequently hundreds of miles in length, in-
stead of being shipped by rail.
Prof. I. C. White, the foremost geologist of our State, who knows.
more of the mineral resources of West Virginia than probably any
other man, and who has done more for the development of the oil
and other resources, at a banquet given in Charleston two years
ago to arouse interest in the then proposed World's Columbian Ex-
position, delivered the following address on the oil of West Vir-
ginia:
The desire to search out new and hidden things is universal. It
weds alike the astronomer to his telescope, the chemist to his cruci-
ble, the philosopher to thought. Led by this enchantment, men.
explore the depths of the sea, delve into mountains, and seek to
penetrate the earth itself to unveil its hidden mysteries. This all-
prevailing impulse is the mainspring of human progress. It led.
Colonel Drake to drill the historic oil well in the valley of Oil creek,
below Titusville, which gave to civilization a new illuminant and to
the business world a new industry.
true.
The credit of originating the industries dependent upon oil and
natural gas is usually awarded to Pennsylvania. This is not really
West Virginia, and not Pennsylvania, is the true birth place
of both. Right here in this beautiful valley of the Kanawha was nat-
ural gas first utilized for manufacturing purposes, thirty years before
such use in Pennsylvania, while from the other Kanawha, at Burn-
ing Springs, oil was shipped in barrels and a regular traffic in it
built up many years before Pennsylvania's first well was drilled.
In fact it was right here in the county of Kanawha (which gen-
erally leads the procession in business as well as politics) that drill-
ing tools and the method of casing wells were both invented, with-
out which the oil and gas industry would have been impossible. All
honor to the memory of Col. Drake for first conceiving and execut-
ing the plan of drilling into the earth to obtain oil. But in this
connection let us not forget the names of the Ruffner Brothers,
S
K
¿
OIL AND GAS.
79
whose busy brains invented casing; nor "Billy" Morris, who con-
structed the first pair of "jars," for without both of these discoveries
deep drilling would have been impracticable.
The question is frequently asked, why it is that, if West Virginia
really contains so much oil, it was not discovered and developed
along with that of her sister State. The answer is at hand. The
first wells to find oil in our State were on the Little Kanawha,
where a great arch in the rocks throws the oil sands much nearer to
the surface than elsewhere in the State, and hence it happened that
although wells were drilled in nearly every county west from the
Alleghanies, none of them, until recent years, penetrated the earth
far enough to reach the oil bearing rock.
About eight years ago your speaker took up the serious study of
oil and gas problems in Pennsylvania. The following year I became
convinced that the great oil belt of that State would extend into
and across our own. Acting on this conviction I had a map pre-
pared almost exactly like the one you see here now. This I submit-
ted to a Pittsburgh firm, and the theory of a southern extension of
the Pennsylvania field appeared so plausible to them that they were
induced to undertake the oil development of West Virginia on a
large scale.
Under my direction over four hundred thousand acres of West
Virginia lands were leased by my brother, H. S. White, who now
does business for the United States. The Pittsburgh syndicate
drilled two wells on this immense area, and erected about eight der-
ricks. The first was drilled for gas with which to supply Wheeling.
Some gas was found, but not as much as the company expected.
The second well was for oil, and located near Board Tree Tunnel at
the southwest corner of Pennsylvania. This found only a small
quantity of the golden fluid. The syndicate was discouraged. Its
President declared there was neither oil nor gas in West Virginia,
and bankruptcy would be the result of any further effort to find
them. The "shut down" movement came on and a property which
would have made Rockefellers of its owners was permitted to lapse
and the leases to become void. Within sight of the Board Tree ven-
ture a valuable oil well was completed by the Standard Oil Company
during the past year.
One of my locations, made in 1885, before Mr. Hukill had drilled
B
i
"
80
8
OIL AND GAS.
Ch
his first well at Mt. Morris, was one on the Youst farm near Fair-
view, in Marion county. Here a derrick had been erected, and I
plead with Pittsburgh men to make this test before finally aban-
doning West Virginia. They were deaf to my appeal, and this old
derrick today stands in the midst of a dozen oil wells, gushing from.
100 to 500 barrels each, and sending 2,000 barrels of the finest oil
in the world throbbing through the pipe line on its way to the sea.
The Mt. Morris, Doll's Run, Fairview, Mannington, oil and gas field
whose southern end no one has yet found, and which, in my opin-
ion will prove the largest and richest oil and gas belt the world has
ever known, was largely covered by the leases which the Pittsburgh
syndicate held.
Until the year 1889 the oil magnates of the country paid no
serious attention to West Virginia. This date, however, is a "red
letter" one in our oil history, for it marks the opening of Doll's
Run, Mannington, and the rise of Eureka to prominence. These
three developments brought the Standard Oil Company to realize
that here in West Virginia was to be the great oil field of the future,
and that much berated monopoly has come into our State to take
possession of its oil business. How many hundred thousand acres
it has leased or purchased I do not know, but the territory it con-
trols is a vast one, and the million and a half dollars it has expended
in building a pipe line from Morgantown to the sea attest that it is
with us to stay.
G
It is my firm belief that this great oil belt, which has come down
to our State through a distance of 200 miles, will extend clear across
the same from Hancock to Logan. Only today I received a tele-
gram that a large flow of gas had stopped the drill at a well in Gil-
mer, while Major Hotchkiss, the eminent Virginian who has so elo-
quently depicted our rich mineral resources this evening, and who,
although a native of another State, has done more to develop ours
than any citizen in it, tells me that a well being drilled by his com-
pany in Lincoln has had to shut down for the same cause. The
gas wells at Warfield, on the Big Sandy, and those at Burning
Springs, above this city, complete the chain of evidence that the oil
belt will extend entirely across our area from the Pan-Handle to
Kentucky, for wherever the gas occurs the heavier fluid is not far
away. How much of luxury and comfort this underground wealth
OIL AND GAS.
81
will bring to the homes of our State, no man can estimate, but our
future in this respect could not be brighter.
:
With the greatest coal field in the world, giving us an ample sup-
ply of solid fuel for all time to come; with this great stream of
liquid gold coursing through our rocks, only waiting to be tapped;
with the largest fields of natural gas the world has ever seen, to
bring comfort and ease to our homes, where is the commonwealth
whose future is brighter than ours? All that we need do is to let
the world know what we have. This we must depend upon our
representatives now in session in this city to accomplish. Business
men pay very little attention to statements that do not bear official
sanction. Hence it is to be hoped that in providing for a proper
display of West Virginia's resources at the approaching World's
Fair you will adopt a broad and liberal policy. And now whatever
you may do be sure to make provision for the preparation of an ac-
curate map of the State. The miserable caricatures that we now
have that are called maps of West Virginia, although infinitely bet-
ter than none, are a disgrace to the State, so that if you do nothing
else, at least provide a splendid map upon which our wondrous re-
sources in timber, in coal, in ore, in oil and gas can be exhibited.
}
82
FIRE CLAY
Sa
..
1
FIRE CLAY.
One of the least developed and at the same time most wide-spread
of all the natural resources of the State is its clay. There's scarcely
a county in the State in which there are not found beds of valuable
clay, in few of which it has been utilized, though in nearly all it
has been tested and found to be of value. Building brick is made
at almost any place and some of them are remarkably fine. In the
Kanawha valley the ordinary soft red brick are often so smooth and
clean in their appearance as to almost pass for pressed brick. They
are so hard that they are used for street paving and a test block put
down in Charleston twenty-one years ago on a much used street is
now as good as ever. A sandy, clayey soil is used for ordinary brick
and its presence is almost universal in the State.
But other clays, more valuable than these, are found in nearly
every county of the State The fire clay is a companion of the coal.
measures and along with the beds of coal are nearly always found
beds of fire clay. Often they may be mined together and some-
times, as is the case in Hancock county, a seam of either would be
too small to work alone, but by digging both from the same mine
both are made profitable. The uses to which fire clays may be put
are numerous and varied and the demand for the products of the
clay is rapidly increasing As showing the uses to which the clays.
are put we quote from a report of the U. S. Geological Survey as
follows:
"The uses made of fire clay are best shown by a brief statement
of the wares manufactured from them in New Jersey, since this
FIRE CLAY.
83
State probably produces three-fourths of the entire amount of such
manufactured articles. The largest use of the white clays of New
Jersey is in making fire brick and retorts for gas works and zinc
works. Refractory clay is also used for making sewer pipe and
chimney tops, and the poorer qualities are shipped in enormous
quantities to other States, to be used there for sewer and drain pipe.
Terra cotta is also made from the poorer grades. Porous brick and
terra cotta lumber are made in large quantities, and are used for
fire-proof partitions, doors, ceilings, roofs, etc., for safe and refrigera-
tor linings, and for other purposes where non-conducting and fire-
proof materials are required. Roofing tiles and hollow brick are
also made. These clays are largely used by paper manufacturers in
glazing and weighting paper. A considerable quantity is used in
the manufacture of alum."
In this State the fire-clay industry is growing, but paving brick
is the principal article manufactured from it. In 1867 there were
less than seven million fire brick made in the State. In 1892, in
Hancock county alone-the principal fire-clay county of the State
-some seventy million brick were made, besides sewer pipe, tile
and pottery. In 1872 the first brick roadway ever paved was made.
in Charleston. It was a West Virginia invention and a small
square was put down as an experiment. It proved to be a great
success, and now in many of the larger cities of the Union, as well
as in the smaller ones, the system of paving streets with brick is
the one most universally adopted. Within the last few years this
system has been coming more generally into practice, and with the
growing demand for paving comes the increased demand for paving.
brick. In the experience of practiced engineers the fire brick,
made of the fire-clay which is found almost at any place in West
Virginia, is unsurpassed. The brick is hard and lasting, does not
crack or crumble or decay and lasts much longer than the soft-
burned brick with which the first street pavements were all laid.
The growing popularity of the brick-paving system and the excel-
lence, for that purpose, of the clays of West Virginia, will give to
them an increased value and make more profitable even than in the
past the fire-clay beds which so abound.
Another use to which it may be put, which helps to give a value
to the clay, is the making of coke ovens. Already it has been
84
FIRE CLAY.
shown that making coke is one of the principal and most rapidly
increasing industries in the State. Coke ovens must be built in
which to burn the coal in the process of coke-making, and here the
clay, which seems to follow up the seams of coal, comes into special
service. The manufacture of tile and sewer pipe and chimney
pots, etc., brings into great demand the best fire-clays, but the prin-
cipal use from which the chief value of the clay is to be derived, is
in the making of fire-brick for paving and for making coke ovens.
In making brick for both these purposes there is considerable profit.
Good fire-clay may be found in many places, plants for working it
are not expensive, and the past has proved that there is money in
it and that those who embark in the fire clay business receive a
rich reward for their investments.
The varied uses to which it may be put, the increasing demand
for the products of fire clay, the excellence of our clay and the
cheapness with which it may be worked, all go to indicate that in
this line a great industry will be built up among the people of our
State. Already, as shown above, the paving brick industry has in-
creased remarkably and, with the new demands for brick to pave
with, must continue to increase at least as fast as it has in the
past, and there are those who now most confidently predict that
West Virginia will ere long outstrip New Jersey in this line and
stand at the head of all the States in the manufacture of fire clay
products.
Prof. M. F. Maury, describing fire clay, says: "Fire clay is fre-
quently found in the coal measures, often underlying a seam of coal.
It results from the decomposition of siliceo-argillaceous shale, and
its plasticity and impervious nature, when collected in a bed, pre-
vents it from being carried away by infiltration."
C. E. Dwight, speaking of a Marion county clay, says: "The clay
is superior to the Mt. Savage (Pa) clay, which has obtained such a
reputation here in Wheeling as to exclude all other clay for blast
furnace use. The analysis of Mt. Savage clay shows 1.5 per cent.
of rotoxide of iron, while this clay has no trace of this greatest
enemy to the refractory nature of fire-clays "
Beds of fire-clay may be found in all parts of the State. In Han-
cock county the greatest development has been made, but in nearly.
every other county clays of varying value may be found. The beds
FIRE CLAY.
85
¿
range from several inches to many feet in thickness, and are mostly
found beneath the level of the earth.
Analyses of a few of the fire-clays found in the northern part of
the State are as follows:
Silica..
Aluminà
Oxide of Iron..
Lime..
Magnesia.
Potash and Soda.
Moisture, bygroscopic
Moisture, combined.
Organic matter.....
·
*
·
POTTER'S CLAY.
Marion
County.
45.86
44.23
0.00
0.24
0.36
trace.
0.70
8.35
Preston Monongalia
County.
County.
68.16
24.11
0.01
trace.
trace.
trace.
0.85
6.66
trace.
54.27
33.83
0.01
trace.
0.02
trace.
1.00
10.86
0.15
"This clay," says Prof. Maury, "results from the decomposition of
granite and shales. That in West Virginia comes from the latter.
source entirely, of which there is great abundance and variety, so
that we may look for very many deposits of the material. When it
is yellow or red it denotes the presence of oxide of iron, which
tinges the manufactured articles red. When the clay is white there
is no iron present. Potter's clay has a peculiarly unctious feel and
has the valuable property of resisting heat without cracking."
Though not so plentiful as the fire clay there is still a great deal
of the potter's clay throughout the State, much of it being found
along with or near to the fire clay. The uses to which it may be
put are not so varied as those which give its value to the fire clay
and yet the finer grades of work for which it is adapted give to the
potter's clay more value than to the other. For making crocks and
jugs and jars and other pottery wares the finest kind of clays are
found in West Virginia. This is no theory but a fact amply demon-
strated by years of practical illustration. At many places in the
State the clay is now in use, and various kinds of earthenware are
daily made. Some of the works have been in operation many
years and always found a market for their products. In fact the
home demand has never been supplied with home production. The
canning season never comes but with it come great quantities of
jars and earthenware from Pennsylvania or some other State besides
86
FIRE CLAY.
*
our own. Every year immense amounts of earthenware in the
shape of jars and jugs and crocks come in from other States while in
our own lies hid beneath the surface of the earth the finest kind of
clay in quantities ample to supply not only this but many other
States with all they need. The kind most often found and used the
most extensively is a white clay which burns into a sort of blue.
In counties in almost every section of the State these clays are to be
found. From the northern extremity to the southern it may at in-
tervals be found and probably in nearly every county of the State
it would be disclosed if properly sought. These potter's clays with
the fire clays previously mentioned will some day make of West
Virginia the greatest clay working State in the Union.
When improved processes are learned for making aluminum and
that metal which promises to attain such an important position
among the metals of the world comes into universal use, the clays
of West Virginia will play a most important part in its production.
From nearly every kind of clay now found in West Virginia
aluminum may be made. The material is here, the product is in
demand. A simpler process for its manufacture is all that is needed
to bring it into general use and give intrinsic value to the clays for
which our hills are famous.
{
8.
**
STONE.
87
✓
STONE.
**
A straight line drawn from the southwest corner of the State of
Pennsylvania directly southward through the center of West Vir-
ginia would describe roughly the western border of the limestone
section of our State. In some of the counties west of this good
limestone may be found, but east of it are the principal limestone
counties of the State. In many of the best of these the limestone
soil is equal to the very best in the famous limestone belt of Ken-
tucky.
In the "Resources of West Virginia," Prof. Maury, writing of the
common limestone, says:
"In great abundance and of great purity, this stone is found in
the region between the coal measures and the eastern border of the
State. In the counties in the coal formation in the northern half of
the State it is also very abundant, the Lower Barrens and the
superincumbent strata containing, in some districts, an aggregate
of 75 to 80 feet.
"In the southern counties of the coal field there is a striking
scarcity of this mineral, the seams being thin and usually of very
poor quality.
"The limestones of West Virginia are suitable to all the purposes.
of the farmer, builder and blast furnace use. Where there is so
much land that would be most materially benefitted by the use of
lime, this material should attract the attention of the agriculturist
far more than it does. Indeed it is rather a matter of surprise that
the agriculture of this State has hitherto been suffered to reap so
little benefit from this source of improvement so easily within
reach. As yet, its application as a manure has been restricted to
particular neighborhoods, though there is no portion of the uplands,
88
STONE.
+
especially of the limestone regions themselves, where it could not
be used advantageously. The impression that the soils of a lime-
stone country are already impregnated with calcareous matter, in
consequence of the proximity of the limestone, which in many
places rises to the surface in the fields, seems more than any other
circumstance to have lead to the erroneous idea that lime could be
of no benefit to the soil. It may, therefore, alter the opinions of
many to state that in a great many cases the soils, even when in
contact with this class of rock of the best quality, contain little
or no available calcareous matter, for to have it the material must
be in the form of a soluble salt, and the ledges which crop out on
the surface are carbonate of lime, which may be said to be insoluble
for all practical purposes. When, however, it is burnt and applied
to the land as quick-lime, it imparts fertility partly by being dis-
solved in the surface waters, and so passing into the soil in such a
shape that the roots of plants can seize hold of it, but mainly by
tending to decompose vegetable matter and so form a fertilizing
humus."
•
The following are analyses from various portions of the State, and
will tend to show the great purity in
which
this mineral may be
found:
COUNTY.
Grant..
(6
Greenbrier.
K
<<
66
Harrison.
Jefferson
46
Monroe..
(+
(6
Ci
(
Mineral...
Monongalia.
¡¡
14
Ohio.
Preston.
แ
•
•
•• •
*
•
Locality.
Knobly Mountain.
Near Petersburg
Fort Spring...
On C. & O. R. R
Blue Sulphur Springs.
Muddy Creek Mt…….
Near Clarksburg.
Harper's Ferry.
2 miles S. W. H. F
**
C
4
W
+
Patterson's Creek.
Grenville Furnace.
Red Sulphur Springs,.
Union...
Dunlap's Creek.
Little North Mt.
Willow Grove.
Jenkins' Lime-Kiln
Richard Foreman's.
Below Coal No. 2..
Carbonate of
Lime.
Carbonate of
Magnesia.
Oxide of Iron.
Alumina and
ceous matter.
Insoluble Sili-
Water and
Loss.
Authority.
90.08
4.56
4.00 0.72
3.24
88.52
6.00
5.04
3.92
0.40
1.52
90.11 2 49 2.02
93.76
0.29 1.12
98.20 0.00 0.48
88.64 9.60 0.12
95.52 1.88 0.96
81.16 10.80 0.52
53.88 43.40 0.48
1.201 0.44
0.92
0.72
0.84
6. 68
1.68
1.46 trace. 1.83 0.85
0.56
95.86
92.44
0.68
88.32 0.00 2.52 7.24 1.92
1.40 0.76 4.96
90.92 trace.
46
1.20 6.201 1.68
95.92
0.56 1.88 1.62
86.52 9.52
0.52 2.96 0.48
78.48 9.20
0.52
1.00 10 80
85.95 1.38 4.10 7.61
88.16 2.32 1.16 5.80
91.80 5.72 0.40 1.36
79.52 2.80|
3.12 13.80
0.61 W. B. Rogers.
"6
0.72
0.34 J. B. Britton.
0.91 C. E. Dwight.
0.92 W. B. Rogers.
(6
((
1.
(6
*C
((
"C
"
(C
"
CL
0.96 C. E Dwight.
2.56 W. B. Rogers.
"L
1.72
0.76]
"
STONE.
89
:
A tufa limestone is found in some of the eastern border counties
of the State. "It is formed by the precipitation of calcareous mat-
ter from limestone water and may therefore be looked for in those
neighborhoods where the springs thus impregnated are of general
occurrence." In some of the counties thick deposits of this chalky
material are found. Prof. Maury says:
"Its utility in agriculture, added to the facility with which the
deposit may often be obtained (no quarrying being necessary to
separate it from the mass), renders it a very advantageous substi-
tute for the limestones of the same neighborhood. Moreover it
should be remembered that in its more friable and powdery state,
it may, as in Europe, be very beneficially applied as a marl without
being burnt Although it is of the same composition as limestone,
yet when it is spread on the ground in a pulverized state, it pre-
sents so large a surface to the action of the carbonic acid that exists
in the atmosphere, and is generated by the decay and decomposi-
tion of vegetable matter, that a portion of it is converted into a sol-
uble bi-carbonate of lime, which can then be taken up by the soil.
But as this chemical change is slow, a larger quantity has to be ap-
plied to the land, than if it was first burnt. If the ordinary pure
limestone was ground to powder, it would have the same effect, but
the expense forbids it being done, and besides, burning the hard
stone is cheaper, as well as produces a more active fertilizer. The
immense improvement that tide-water Virginia has derived from
calcareous marl must render any illustration of its beneficial effects
quite superfluous, when it is understood that its composition cannot
be distinguished from the better classes of pulverulent marls, inde-
pendent of which its value has been unequivocally tested in other.
countries, where it has been found to have the most decided amel-
iorating effects upon land to which it is properly applied."
Hydraulic limestone is found in many portions of the State, par-
ticularly in the north-eastern part where much cement is made from
it. In Berkeley and Jefferson counties the burning of lime and
cement form an important industry and give employment to a
great many men. In a few other counties lime is made but not in
any quantity, though nearly all in the district named above have
stone from which excellent lime might be burned.
* 90
STONE.
•
**
MARBLE.
In
True marbles are not found in great quantities, but there are in all
the eastern counties along the Alleghany range carbonates of lime
which much resemble them and in places true marbles do exist.
the descriptions following of the counties of Greenbrier, Hampshire,
Jefferson, Monroe, Pocahontas and others, some accounts will be
found of the marbles which exist in those counties. Nothing has
ever been done toward their development, principally for the reason
that they are found in the most mountainous and inaccessible por-
tions of the State, but as pretty specimens of black and white mar-
bles as were ever seen have been taken from the mountains of our
State, and once within the reach of railroads the opening of the
marble quarries is assured.
BUILDING STONE.
Most excellent building stone abounds throughout the State. The
hard and flinty limestone which is thickly scattered over a great
part of the State makes the most substantial and durable of build-
ing stones, and many buildings made of it have stood the wear and
tear of time for more than a century.
In Jefferson county a fine variety of building limestone is found.
It is quarried in large quantities and finds a ready market. Many
tons of it have been floated in barges down the Potomac where some
of the finest buildings in the national capital attest its beauty and
its value as a building stone.
At Weston the West Virginia Hospital for the Insane, a building
of from three to five stories in height and with a frontage of over
1600 feet, is built entirely of a native blue sandstone. It is a splen-
did stone, does not crumble, is hard and durable and very pretty.
In the Great Kanawha valley is a white sandstone which has been
extensively used, in the construction of the State capitol, the hand-
some Kanawha county court house, the government locks of the
Great Kanawha improvement, bridge piers in the Kanawha and
Ohio rivers and for many other purposes. The stone is peculiarly
adapted to use beneath the water, resisting the action of the water
and lasting for years with no indication of decay. In the New river
valley near Hinton is a similar stone which has been used exclu-
STONE.
91
sively by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company in the con-
struction of its piers on the seaboard, the stone being taken from
that place because of its peculiar fitness for the ocean use for which
it was intended.
Near Hinton also, in Summers, Greenbrier and Monroe counties.
along the line of the Chesapeake and Ohio railway are ledges of red
and brown sandstone of considerable value. The brown stone is a
beautiful one, of unvarying color, fine grain, hard and durable.
Specimens of it are seen in some of the handsomest buildings not
only in this State but in eastern cities as well, where it has been
shipped in large quantities.
GRINDSTONE GRITS.
In several places in the State good grits are found for making
grindstones, whetstones, etc. Near Parkersburg, on the Ohio side of
the river, the largest grindstone works in the United States are said
to be located, and the same ledge of stone is found on the West
Virginia side of the river. Good grits for millstones, whetstones,
etc., are found in many other counties of the State.
GLASS SAND.
In Morgan county, near the Berkeley Springs, is a ridge of sand-
stone, which when crushed yields a beautiful white sand of excep-
tional purity. It is about the best glass sand found in the United
States, and large quantities of it are shipped to points where glass
is made. Great quarries are scattered along the ridge where the
sand is gotten out and crushed and daily heavy shipments are made.
The supply of sand is almost inexhaustible and being of unusual
purity and easily secured affords a source of considerable wealth to
the county.
In Hampshire county is a similar ridge of glass sand, but from
this little has ever been shipped. It is a splendid sand, said by
some to even surpass the Morgan county sand. It is found in
great quantities and is of exceptional purity and whiteness.
In Marion county an excellent glass sand is also found and used
in the glass works at Fairmont. In Monongalia, Kanawha and other
counties good sand is found, but little used.
92
STONE.
analge
MANGANESE.
This important ingredient in the manufacture of steel, which is
largely used for other purposes as well, is found in more or less
purity in nearly all the eastern counties of the State along with the
iron ores.
It is found as a black oxide of manganese, frequently
containing a large per cent. of manganese. Ánalyses of a few sam-
ples will be found in the table of analyses of iron ores on one of
the preceding pages.
GRAPHITE is found in Hampshire county, and will be described
in the following pages, under the heading of Hampshire county.
GYPSUM, or plaster paris, is found in one locality of Greenbrier
county and will be mentioned under that heading.
OCHRE is found in several counties of the State-notably in Lewis,
Hardy, Pendleton, Wayne and Cabell, but no developments of it
have ever been made. Other mineral paints are found in places.
SALTPETRE is found in some of the caves of the lime-tone region
in the eastern portion of the State.
GOLD and SILVER ores are often found in the mountainous regions
of the Alleghanies, but they contain at best but slight traces of
these precious metals, and only serve to raise delusive hopes. There
is no gold or silver of value in the State despite the finding of these
ores.
LEAD in small fragments is found in many of the counties of the
State, and in some of them enough was one time found to enable
the pioneer settlers to run their own bullets out of native lead.
Many stories are in circulation of hidden veins of lead from which
the Indians moulded ornaments and balls, but none of the veins
have ever yet been found. There is more lead than gold or silver in
the State, but not enough to be of any value, or to warrant the
mention of lead as one of the resources of the State.
Of ZINC, TIN and COPPER much the same thing may be said, ex-
cept that the quantities in which they exist are even smaller than
the lead. A few scattering ores containing little of the metal are.
found in some of the mountain counties, but zinc or tin or copper
never will amount to anything in West Virginia.
MINERAL WATERS.
93
1
MINERAL WATERS.
Throughout the mineral region of the State are many mineral
springs, the waters of which, holding in solution various chemi-
cals gathered from the soil, are of great value as medicinal waters.
Following the Alleghany range which forms the eastern border of
the State, and about equally divided by the State boundary is the
mineral spring region of the two Virginias. Throughout this re-
gion springs abound, and for many years the numerous hotels that
have been built around them have been frequented by hundreds of
those from all parts of the country who go each year in search of
health or pleasure.
The eastern part is not the only one in which these springs are
found, but more of them are there than in any other portion.
There's hardly a county in the State but has some mineral spring
of value, and while in money value the springs of West Virginia
are not among her chief resources, if valued by their capability to
bring health and comfort to humanity, and restore the strength and
vigor so often lost, the springs are certainly among our best resources.
As health and the consequent happiness are more to be desired than
riches the springs of West Virginia are probably of more real ben-
efit to mankind than all the coal or iron or timber in the State.
A writer in "Resources of West Virginia," prepared under the
direction of the State Board of Centennial Managers in 1876, de-
scribes the springs of West Virginia as follows:
"The springs of this State present considerable variety of chem-
94
MINERAL WATERS.
:
!
ical character, and therapeutic adaptation-comprising various and
differently compounded sulphur waters; the chalybeates, simple, and
compounded; the acidulous, or carbonated; the saline; the alumi-
nated chalybeates; with thermal waters, not of very high tempera-
ture.
"Of these springs, the sulphur waters, so far as such springs have
yet been developed, are found in greatest abundance, and in great-
est strength, on the southern border of the State, and on the west-
ern and northern slopes of the Alleghany mountains. The simple
chalybeates are found in every great section of the State, but in
greatest strength, so far as they have been tested, along the course
of the great Appalachian ranges, extending from the northeastern
to the southwestern extremities of the State. The acidulous car-
bonated waters, as well as the aluminated chalybeates, are found in
different parts of the State, but have been most developed on its
southern border.
"The most valuable mineral waters of the State, so far as they
have been tested in the treatment of diseases, are the sulphurous,-
the alum waters, as they are called commonly, and the compound
acidulated waters. The latter especially, are generally found adja-
cent to faults in the strata, or where the rocks give evidence of dis-
placement from their natural position, and near the juction of slates
with limestone.
"The alum waters, so far as I have ever known, are an infiltration
through slate, which generally lies a few feet below the surface of
the earth, but often cropping out considerably above it. I have ex-
amined numerous specimens of these waters, obtained from different
sections, and found them all to possess the leading chemical charac-
teristic of the springs of this class, which have been brought into
popular use.
"My observations are to the effect that the mineral waters of the
State generally, and certainly those within the ranges of the disturb-
ances of the rocks so common in the southern section of the State,
are slightly thermal, compared with the temperature of the common
springs in their vicinity, or of the earth through which they flow. The
decided thermal waters, some of them running up as high as 107°,
are found immediately on the eastern slopes of the Alleghany in
MINERAL WATERS.
95
D
Virginia, and within a few miles of the southern border of West
Virginia."
THE BERKELEY SPRINGS at the town of that name, the county
seat of Morgan county, are among the leading and longest known
mineral springs in West Virginia. They are owned by the State,
and are in the care of a board of trustees appointed by the Governor,
by and with the consent of the Senate. The waters are very valua-
ble in cases of rheumatism and kindred diseases. Bath houses,
swimming pools, etc., are provided by the State. The water comes
from very bold springs which flow enough to create constantly a
good sized stream of fast flowing water. The temperature remains
always at 74 degrees Fahrenheit, never varying in summer or win-
ter. In the Colonial days before the Revolutionary war, General
George Washington and other makers of history were among the
visitors at the Berkeley Springs, and the reputation of the water
given to it more than a century ago, has always been retained. In
cases of nervous disorders, rheumatism, debility, etc., they have
effected many cures.
THE WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, in Greenbrier county, are among
the most noted of the fashionable summer resorts of the country
and are visited annually by thousands of people, particularly from
the south. Hotel capacity at "the White" is ample to accommo-
date from 1,500 to 2,000 people and in the season there are nearly
always visitors enough to tax accommodations to the utmost. The
water contains sulphates of lime, magnesia and soda and other in-
gredients and flows at a uniform temperature of 62 degrees at the
rate of over 30 gallons a minute. The use of the water is very
benefical in many cases, its influence on the system being cathartic,
diuretic, sudorific and alterative. Bath houses are supplied for exter-
nal as well as internal application of the waters. The spring is at
an altitude of 2,000 feet above sea level and the fresh air and beauti-
ful mountain scenery combine to make the springs a pleasant place
to visit.
THE SALT SULPHUR SPRINGS, in Monroe county, are another popu-
lar resort. The water contains much the same ingredients as that
of the White Sulphur Springs, though in different proportions. It
is a very popular resort for health and pleasure.
THE RED SULPHUR SPRINGS, also in Monroe county, have had for
:.
..
96
MINERAL WATERS.
years a high reputation for their effect in the treatment of lung dis-
eases.
THE OLD SWEET SPRINGS, in Monroe county, are among the oldest
resorts in the Virginias, which have constantly been kept up and
maintained their reputation. The waters contain much the same
ingredients as those of the White and Salt Sulphur Springs.
CAPON SPRINGS, in Hampshire county, are unlike any of the other
springs of the State, containing silicic acid, soda, magnesia, bromine,
iodine and carbonic acid. The water is beneficial both as a bath
and a beverage.
PENCE'S SPRING, in Summers county, has recently acquired a con-
siderable reputation and while the accommodations for visitors are
few, many are using the water and all with beneficial results.
THE WEBSTER SPRINGS, at Addison, in Webster county, have for
many years afforded relief to many persons suffering with stomach
troubles. The springs are 1430 feet above sea level and surrounded
by mountains as much as 1400 feet higher. The springs contain
sulphur and salt and after a short time the water becomes very pal-
atable.
In all the counties along the eastern border springs are
numerous, and space forbids the mention of them all. In almost
every county waters of more or less medicinal virtue have been
found and have attained a local reputation.
AGRICULTURE.
97
1
AGRICULTURE.
Except in some of the older portions of the State where experi-
ence has taught the value of the soil, the proper attention is not
paid in this State to agriculture. While much of the State is moun-
tainous and rocky, there are on the other hand some lands as fine
for agricultural purposes as ever the sun shone upon, and there is
scarcely in the State a square mile of earth that is not fitted for
some kind of agriculture. The rough character of much of the
land, the thinness of our population, the difficulty of reaching a
market with the products of the farm, have all combined to prevent
the tilling of the soil, and hardly grain and garden stuff enough are
raised to supply the demands of the population of the State, while
much should be exported. "The way in which the State was set-
tled," says Professor Fontaine, "and the consequent habits of her
inhabitants, have been unfavorable to the existence of extensive or
skilled farming, and have directed the industry of the people into
almost every other channel. The original settlers were to a large
extent men without means, who, on entering this country, then cut
off from all exit to market, were content to clear small patches of
ground, whose generous response to even poor cultivation, yielded
returns sufficient to supply their limited wants. His little 'clear-
ing,' selected in the most convenient spot, was cultivated by the
pioneer year after year, in corn, and vegetables, which served to
support his family, along with a hog or two, and possibly a horse
and a cow, and with fowls, and the abundant game in the forests
around, there was abundance of meat and bread. Even now, in
many parts of the State this is the mode of life.
1-
98
AGRICULTURE.
:
A
"When the original clearing was exhausted by long tillage, an
addition was made by felling more timber. Thus the cleared lands
gradually grew around the cabins, until extensive openings were
made, but still without causing attempts at establishing communi-
cation with the outside world. This independent mode of life im-
pressed upon the people habits of thought and action, which, though
calculated to foster industry, frugality and hardiness, were not most
favorable for the promotion of undertakings which require commu-
nication with, and dependence upon, other countries.
"We see at the present day the influence of this training. Until
of late West Virginians have paid but small attention to the raising
of agricultural products for exportation. They are usually content.
with the production of a sufficiency for home consumption. But
rarely is an improved system of farming employed, and the culti-
vation is of the rudest kind. The tendency is to look to other
sources than the farm for products of exchange. As an example,
this spirit has led our people along all the streams which can float
a raft, to denude the forests of the magnificent timber which they
afford, often sacrificing it in the most prodigal manner. So, too,
they turn their attention, when the finer timber has been removed,
to the getting of tan-bark, hoop-poles, etc., which business oc-
cupies a very important position among our industries. All of
these causes have led to a neglect of agriculture, and stock farming,
industries for which, especially the latter, our State is peculiarly
fitted."
Of course this is not true of all the State. In some sections the
tilling of the soil is the principal industry, new and improved
methods are employed and farming on a large scale is conducted.
But as a rule the methods are primitive and the business carried on
in but a small way. Too much attention has been paid to cutting
timber and not enough to the cultivation of the soil after its re-
moval. Because our State is small and rather rough with many
mountains breaking the surface and giving grandeur to the scenery,
because it is young and has not long had rank with other States,
new settlers often shun it and seek the poorer soil of western
States. Some think that coal is all we have, and do not know that
West Virginia can produce more and better blue grass than the
world famed Kentucky. We are too often passed by through igno-
.:
AGRICULTURE.
99
rance. The words of Prof. Fontaine are as true today as they were
when in 1876 he penned the following:
"For the general and thorough working of our lands, we greatly
need an immigration of industrious settlers. Thousands pass yearly
through our State to the far west, not knowing that here they can
find an abundance of untouched virgin land, at nominal prices, and
with a fertility not surpassed by any which they can hope to gain
in the remote west. But suppose that lands were higher, and poorer
here, our climate and proximity to the great markets, must ever
give us a great advantage over farmers who, when they make a good
crop, find it destroyed at one blow, by the ravages of insects, by
tornadoes, or floods of rain; and who, if successful in escaping their
numerous enemies, find all profits swallowed up in charges for
transportation to markets which lie at our doors."
In the same line of thought, as to the need of industrious settlers,
Governor Wm. A. MacCorkle in his inaugural address, delivered
March 4, 1893, gave utterance to the following language:
I do not
"We welcome into our State the immigrant who comes to us with
the idea of home seeking and home building with all its profits to
the State, with its family ties, with its clearing of the forests, its
building of church and school house, its expenditure of all that is
made in our State and its exercise of citizenship.
in any way wish to be understood as decrying incoming wealth or
offering obstruction to its advent in our midst, but believe that
West Virginia, the south and south-west, should take steps to bring
into their borders the small immigrant or home builder, and thus,
by the actual settlers' efforts, our lands will be developed by those
living upon them and spending in our State the fruits of our mines,
forests and fields. The effort should be made by us to bring the
small settler as well as the large land owner, but not one to the ex-
clusion of the other. At this time, the reflex tide of immigration
is again directed to the south and south-west and away from the
north-west. Whilst we welcome the incoming of the wealthy land-
owner, still, in my opinion, he should not be welcome alone, but
every intelligent effort should be made by the State to induce the
small land owner and actual settler to come amongst us. I believe
that this is the best corrective of the influence of large non-resident
ownership of lands in this State, the burden of which we shall in a
Dor M
6
1
100
AGRICULTURE.
Share Familla with
short time feel. I shall offer any assistance in my power to legis-
lative or other action, looking to the inducement of actual settlers
to come to our State. The great area and richness of our coal and
hard wood timber, in both of which we are first in this great coun-
try, the great production of coke in which we are second and soon
will be first, the great development of railroads, in which last year
we were first in the United States, our splendid soil, equitable cli-
mate and good school system, all offer unparalleled inducements
to the incoming citizen and actual settler "
With altitudes varying from 500 to 4,000 feet, producing a cli-
matic range of 14 degrees of temperature, with every variety of
land and soil within the confines of the State, its crops are nat-
urally produced in great variety. The greater part of the State is
fine agricultural land. The upheaval of the mountains left many
of their sides too steep and rocky for cultivation and yet the land
that is not fit for cultivation is but a small part of the State. Upon
the very tops of some of the highest mountains in the State are
cultivated farms which, while not as rich and productive as the
fertile valleys, still yield good crops. Few mountain sides are found
too steep for the hardy mountain farmer, and much of the corn of
the mountain districts is raised on steep hillsides on which, to one
who had not seen it grow, it would seem impossible to raise a crop
at all.
CORN.
Corn is the principal crop of the State. There are several reasons
for it, principal of which is the better adaptability of the soil to
raising corn. Rough lands on which wheat and other crops could
not be grown at all yield well in corn. From early years the in-
habitants of the State have been accustomed to making corn their
principal crop as well as their principal article of food In one form
or another it enters into nearly all the articles of food that find their
way into the mountain cabin and could not be dispensed with.
For animals, as well, it forms the principal article of food, and be-
ing thus the chief supply for man and beast, it is most largely.
raised. A good, rich soil is needed to produce good corn, and
newly cleared lands possess this requisite so that following the clear-
ing of the land the first crop raised is nearly always corn. Taking
I
AGRICULTURE.
101
the State as a whole, good land and bad, the average yield of corn
Some lands fall as
may be taken as about 35 bushels to the acre.
low as 25 bushels to the acre, while some would not bring corn at
all.
Twenty-five bushels is about the minimum on unfertilized
land, while in the best river bottoms the yield runs frequently up
to a hundred bushels, and in Hardy county one yield of 166 bushels
to the acre is actually on record.
WHEAT.
Next to corn the most important crop is wheat. Unlike the
corn this cannot be raised to good advantage on newly cleared land.
Comparatively level land, well cleaned of roots and stumps, is neces-
sary, and only in the older portions of the State is wheat much
grown. The Ohio river bottoms afford an instance of the best
wheat country. Rich and level, easy to cultivate, they produce
large crops and with good shipping facilities the markets are readily
reached. The yield varies from ten to twenty bushels to the acre.
Much of the wheat raised in the State is ground at home, compara-
tively little being shipped, and even then the home supply is not
equal to the demand, and wheat and flour are both imported from
other States.
OATS.
In the grain production of the State oats rank third. They are
raised principally for feed for stock, and often the grain and stalk
are fed together, making excellent feed for animals. They grow
well on almost any soil, and as a rule yield well. About 30 bushels
to the acre is an average yield.
BUCKWHEAT.
This is a crop to which the mountain lands are well adapted, the
high cold portions being particularly well suited to its growth The
wet, cold glade regions seem to possess the necessary qualifications
for its growth, and there buckwheat does well. In the high and
mountainous county of Preston, most of the buckwheat of the State
is produced, though in many other counties it forms quite a crop.
The average yield is about twenty bushels to the acre.
It grows
with little attention, ripens rapidly, and tends to drive out weeds.
102
AGRICULTURE,
hand
2
SUGAR CANE.
In many of the counties of the State the Chinese sugar cane is
largely grown. No sugar is made from it, but its use is exclusively
for the manufacture of sorghum molasses. The juice is extracted.
from the cane by pressure and boiled into a thick molasses which is
very generally used throughout the country. A good yield is from
200 to 300 gallons to the acre.
TOBACCO.
Another crop most excellently adapted to the mountain soil of
West Virginia is tobacco. The rich new earth of hill or valley,
after the timber which has long stood over and enriched it is re-
moved, is just the soil required by tobacco. The rich valleys of the
streams which water all the State are also suitable for its growth,
and a good deal of it is grown. In certain portions of the State it.
is the principal crop, and very fine tobaccos are sent to mar-
ket where they command the highest price. In Lincoln, Fayette,
Raleigh and other southern counties a splendid grade of tobacco is
grown, which always brings a high price in the market. The high
hill lands of most of the State are suited to the growth of tobacco,
and in almost any part of the State good crops might be raised.
High prices may always be secured, and more attention to tobacco
would bring annually much money to the farmers of the State.
GARDEN STUFF.
The nearness of much of the best agricultural land of the State to
large and growing cities, and the easy access that may be had to
them, has brought about a great demand for garden products The
bottom lands particularly make the finest of gardens, and when
properly managed yield much larger profits as such than when
put to any other use. The miners, who form a large part of
the population of the State, as a rule make no pretense of raising
their own vegetables, and gardening for them as well as for the
towns and cities is quite a profitable industry
All kinds of vege-
tables suited to this climate grow in West Virginia, and the wide
climatic range, before referred to, gives within the State long seasons
for all the vegetables that are grown. Wild berries may be had for
*****
AGRICULTURE.
103
nearly six months in the year by following them from the warmer
parts through cooler ones and up the mountains, where they ripen
many months later than in the lower parts. A great deal of atten-
tion is paid to the coarser vegetables, such as cabbage, potatoes, tur-
nips and the like, much of which is shipped to city markets, while
tomatoes, corn and fruits are sent to canning or preserving works.
Some fruit and catsup works purchase in advance the entire crop of
all the tomato farms they can secure.
FRUITS.
The cool, high hill-tops where late frosts hold back the buds and
prevent too early maturity, thus avoiding danger of being killed
by late frosts, are admirably suited for all kinds of fruits. Apples,
particularly, are suited to the State and in some counties form al-
most the principal crop. The cool, fresh air of the higher lands
gives a flavor to the fruit not to be obtained elsewhere and makes
for the crops a constant demand. The summer fruit, which readily
decays and must be used at home, is often too abundant to be used
and much of it goes to decay unless made into vinegar, but in the
fall the fruits that ripen are mostly good, sound winter fruits that
keep all winter, and for these there is always a splendid market.
Hancock county alone last fall shipped 50,000 barrels of apples. In
other counties not so much is grown, though in all, the conditions are
favorable and usually the demand is good.
Peaches do well in most of the counties and a good many are
raised. But still the markets are usually supplied from other States,
and frequently the expensive prices prevent their sale, while if
grown at home a handsome profit might be made and the fruit still
sold at reasonable prices. The northeastern part of the State has
many peaches and very delicious ones.
Pears, plums, cherries and other small fruits all do well in every
county of the State. Berries of all kinds yield well, and in places
are grown in considerable quantities.
For grapes most sections of the State are peculiarly adapted.
"The vine clad hills of sunny France" are not nore favorably sit-
uated for grape culture than are the hills of West Virginia. On
this subject J. H. Diss Debar says: "On a surface so diversified
as that of our State, it would be difficult to survey off a one-
Dat
104
AGRICULTURE.
Vi
hundred-acre tract anywhere without including at least one suitable.
exposure for a vineyard of from five to twenty acres, either in the
val'eys or on the slopes, of from five to twenty-five degrees. Ger-
man wine growers, who prefer steeper grades, will find the rock
necessary for walling up a few feet below the surface everywhere."
Few grapes are grown, those which are being raised chiefly in small
vineyards and principally for local use In only a few places are
vineyards of any size cultivated, though there is scarcely a section
of the State where they would not be profitable.
Too much of West Virginia land has been tilled merely for sub-
sistence, the owner only caring to raise enough to live on. In the
country where hog and hominy are the staples the hogs are turned
loose to earn a livelihood, and the farmer raises a little corn to keep
himself, his family and his stock until the next year's crop is ripe.
Properly cultivated the soil of West Virginia would yield good crops
and not only supply the farmers with what they need to eat, but
give them a large surplus. Except in comparatively few places farm-
ing for profit, or for anything else except as a means of subsistence
has seldom been engaged in, but the soil and climate are here pre-
senting excellent opportunities to farmers, who as a rule heretofore
have been induced to give up farming for the more promising work.
of cutting timber, ties or poles, and so the land has been neglected.
More good steady farmers are needed in West Virginia to help those
we now have to make the farms of the Mountain State bring forth
abundantly and feed the people already engaged in getting out our
hidden treasures or in other profitable pursuits.
GRAZING AND LIVE STOCK.
In many of the counties of the State the blue grass is indigenous
to the soil. It springs up, as soon as the forests overhead are taken
off, and covers hill and valley with a most luxuriant growth. This
finest of all grasses, which has given Kentucky its fame, exists in
even greater quantities in West Virginia than in Kentucky. Ex-
Governor A. B. Fleming, in a speech two years ago, made use of the
following language:
"Kentucky is called 'the blue grass State,' and it is generally be-
lieved that blue grass nowhere else abounds as in Kentucky. I
would not detract from our neighbor or seek to diminish the just
1
AGRICULTURE.
105
SA
pride every Kentuckian feels in that which has made his State
famous; but I assert upon information and belief that there are
more acres of blue grass sod in West Virginia than there are in
Kentucky. It is the predominant grass though not our chief re-
liance. Clover flourishes every where, timothy grows in rank luxu-
riance on our limestone and other soils, while to the possessors of
light lands orchard and mixed grasses come almost as a special gift
from Providence, affording an excellent hay and abundant pastur-
age. Thus the entire State is particularly adapted to stock raising,
which affords a most delightful and usually a most profitable pur-
suit to our land owners. West Virginia's live stock, horses, cattle
and sheep, command the highest prices; her wool is at the top of
the market, and her dairy products are sought after by those of the
most epicurean tastes.
""
The limestone region of West Virginia, as previously mentioned,
covers about half of the entire State, and throughout all this por-
tion blue grass grows in great profusion. In many of the other
counties it grows as well, but its principal home is in the limestone.
soil. When once it gets a start it makes a splendid sod, and has a
vigorous growth. No soil is too poor for it, and on the mountain
side it climbs and reaches to the very tops. Thus hills that are not
fit for cultivation produce the best of pasture, and soil which other-
wise would be washed off the steep hillsides is held in place by the
sod, and barren land is thus reclaimed.
The larger part of the State is splendidly watered, great streams
of purest water flowing down from among the mountains through
nearly all the counties, and these assist in keeping fresh and green
the pasture lands. The excellent grass, the pure fresh air and
sparkling water that are found in nearly all parts of the State are
conditions unexcelled for raising stock, and West Virginia should
become one of the greatest stock raising States in the Union. Al-
ready a good deal of attention is paid to stock, and cattle particu-
larly are raised in great numbers. In Harrison, Greenbrier, Monroe,
Gilmer and the South Branch counties cattle are raised in large
numbers. In the valley of the South Branch, in Hampshire, Hardy,
Grant and Pendleton counties, export cattle are raised almost exclu-
sively. For the foreign markets cattle of unusual size are required
and in the counties mentioned the largest, finest cattle are raised,
i
106
AGRICULTURE.
:
which in the markets of Baltimore and other places command the
topmost prices. Statistics are not to be had but in all the counties
mentioned, and in many more beside, the raising of cattle is an im-
portant branch of agriculture and is conducted with much profit.
Another branch, to which by no means so much attention is
given as should be, is dairying The State possesses all the requi-
sites for a good dairy State. The pasture, nearly always green, the
fresh, pure water and the nearness to market make the dairy busi-
ness profitable, In some sections of the State a few creameries have
been erected and with the uniform result of proving very profitable.
From Greenbrier county, where a large creamery is located, butter is
sent to the principal city markets, while in the summer butter,
cream and buttermilk are all supplied to the hotels at the springs in
the neighborhood. Last year the company paid a floating debt of
several thousand dollars and paid a dividend of ten per cent. be-
sides. At Morgantown the creamery at the Agricultural Experi-
ment Station has proven very profitable and shown without a doubt
that West Virginia farmers, if the proper attention were given to
dairying, could build up a large and paying business.
Dr. John A. Myers, Director of the Agricultural Experiment Sta-
tion, in an article on the live stock interests of the State has this
to say:
"West Virginia is emphatically a stock-growing State, and farm-
ers who contemplate settling in this State should shape their plans
with reference to the development of this industry as their chief
source of profit upon the farm. At the same time, butter and cheese
may be manufactured in this State of as excellent quality and in as
large amounts and with as great ease and as little care as it can be
produced in the dairy regions of the north, so that the farmer by
combining the diversity of crops that will grow in this section with
the live stock industry, either sheep, cattle or horses, with the poul-
try and dairy interests and the raising of fruits, has an opportunity
the whole year round of having something to sell, and of making
money in this State that is offered by few, if any other, of the
States of the Union. We are most emphatically of the opinion
that the freedom from malaria, the rich soil, the pure air, the salu-
brious climate, fresh spring water, the general freedom from diseases
and insect pests, the ready accessibility to the markets, the cheap-
}
¦
AGRICULTURE.
107
ness of our lands, and the constantly increasing demand for our
products, offer inducements to persons wishing to engage in farm-
ing in West Virginia superior to most States in the Union.”
There is one thing for which the lands of West Virginia are pecu-
liarly adapted, and that is raising sheep. The splendid sod that
covers our hills makes the finest pasture, the hills afford a shelter to
the sheep from the cold winds of winter, and the land is high and
dry which wards off disease and keeps the sheep in excellent condi-
tion. There is something in the atmosphere, the water or the grass
that tends to produce fine wool and has given the West Virginia
sheep a reputation equal to the best in any market. The northern
panhandle counties produce the finest wool, which stands at the top
of the wool produced any where in the United States. In every part of
the State where sheep are raised they have always proved profitable.
They are easily raised, require but slight attention, and most of the
time require no feed except the grass they pick up for themselves.
Turned out upon a bare hillside they never fail to find enough grass
growing here and there to keep them well supplied with food, and
it is a well known fact that land upon which sheep are kept is con-
stantly improving. Bare hillsides that would hardly produce a
blade of grass become rich and productive after sheep have been al-
lowed to run upon them. For the farmer who takes proper care and
gives the right attention to his sheep there is no more profitable
branch of farming. The experience of those who have raised
sheep shows this, and with the abundance of grass and the peculiar
fitness of the State for raising sheep it is certainly destined to be-
come a great sheep State. The wonder is that more are not now
raised.
Horses, though not bred in such numbers as are cattle and sheep,
are still raised in goodly numbers in the State. In some of the
counties, where much attention is given them, some splendid horses.
are seen. Long years of breeding have given to horses of other
States more speed than those of West Virginia, and still our horses
are by no means unknown on the race course. Draught horses are
bred in many counties of the State and find a ready market. The
abundant grass which fits the State for grazing tends to make horse
breeding a profitable business, and the scores of farmers who make
this part of their business indicate that there is profit in it.

108
AGRICULTURE.
ì
.
EK
Hogs are one of the staple products of the farm. With plenty of
unused land on which to turn them out they are easily raised, and
there is always a good demand for pork and lard and all pork pro-
ducts.
Poultry, raised in a small way, is one of the paying items of every
well conducted farm. The chickens, turkeys, geese and ducks,
which provide for themselves and need but little care, amply repay
all that is bestowed on them. The chickens and eggs that daily go
from West Virginia to the larger markets, form no small part of the
income of our farmers.
♥
P
TRANSPORTATION.
109
}
...
TRANSPORTATION.
High and mountainous, the State gives rise to many water courses.
the eastern shed in the vicinity of Pocahontas and Pendleton coun-
ties sending waters into every direction. Rising in the higher por-
tions of the State but few of them attain much size within its
bounds, so that, while excellently watered with large streams, but
few sections of the State are traversed by navigable waters.
The Ohio river along the western boundary of the State, is the
chief water course, affording, except in seasons of low water, trans-
portation facilities for all the country tributary to it. Between
Cincinnati and Pittsburg there are daily steamers carrying passen-
gers and freight, while tow-boats push immense fleets of coal barges
from the mines above us, along the whole western border of the
greatest coal State in the Union and take it to the markets below,
where it is sold in competition with the West Virginia coal. The
Ohio river affords transportation at the minimum price and is easily
reached by at least one-half the State.
The Great Kanawha river is the next in size, and on account of
the valuable territory through which it flows the United States gov-
ernment has undertaken the improvement of the river by a system
of locks and dams.
In 1873 the improvement was begun and in 1880 the first two
locks and dams were completed and put in operation. Since that
time five more have been completed and the remaining three which
will complete the system and carry slackwater from the mouth of the
110
TRANSPORTATION.
•
river to within 5 miles of Kanawha Falls, have been contracted for.
The works are planned to make an available depth of 63 feet, or full
shipping water for coal, at all seasons. The chambers of the locks.
below Charleston are 342 feet long and 55 feet wide (those above
Charleston are 300 by 50 feet) sufficient to admit four large size
coal barges
The cost of these locks and dams has been as follows:
Up to June 30, 1892, there had been appropriated for the first seven
of them $2,579,500. On July 13, 1892, a bill was passed by Con-
gress authorizing the remaining three to be put under contract and
appropriating $225,000 for work on them. It is estimated that the
additional appropriations necessary to complete the system will be
about $1,080,700, making the entire ccst of the system $3,885,200.
Addison M. Scott, U. S. Resident Engineer, in charge of the im-
provement, shows in a pamphlet, from which we quote, that the
Kanawha river furnishes the cheapest transportation in the world.
We
take the following from his pamphlet on the Coal, Commerce and
Development of the Great Kanawha Valley:
The first "movable" dams in America in connection with slack
water improvement were built on the Great Kanawha; Nos. 4 and
and 5, as stated above, being completed and put in operation in
1880. The usefulness and adaptability of movable dams are thor-
oughly established, and all on the river below No. 3 are to be of this
type.
Movable dams are kept up during low stages and down in high
water. Their advantages over the ordinary fixed dams for a com-
merce and river like the Great Kanawha are decided, furnishing the
benefits of the usual slack water without its most serious inconven-
iences and drawbacks With fixed dams everything must pass
through the locks. With them navigation is entirely suspended
too when the river is near or above the top of the lock walls The
difference between the fixed and movable dams in the scour and
wash of the banks about the works, is also greatly in favor of the
modern type.
With movable dams the locks are used only when the water in
the river is so low as to make them necessary. At all other times
the dams are down flat, practically on the river bottom, out of the
way, affording unobstructed, open navigation. This is a great ad-
vantage to all classes of commerce, and is particularly so with coal,
TRANSPORTATION.
111
transported as it is (and empty barges returned), in "fleets" of large
barges. More barges can of course be taken by a tow boat and
much better time made in "open river," where there is water enough
for such navigation, than when the stage or discharge of the river
compels the use of the locks.
The gauge record of the Great Kanawha, kept at the U. S. En-
gineer Office at Charleston, for the last 16 years, shows there are on
an average 196 days in the year when there is 5 feet or more of
water for "open navigation" from Charleston down; the average for
16 years shows 142 days of 6 feet or more. From this it appears
that coal can be shipped by open river on about 6 months of the
year, during which time the movable dams will be down. The rest
of the time, or in other words, when the river falls below a coal boat
stage, the dams will be kept up, and make an available slack water
depth of 6 feet.
The manner pursued in shipping coal on the Great Kanawha and
Ohio rivers is generally understood and need not be particularly de-
scribed. It makes remarkably cheap transportation, probably with-
out exception, particularly when length of routes are compared, the
lowest inland freight rates in the world.
The coal barges themselves, considering their capacity and service,
are cheap carriers; they cost from $800 to $1,200 and last about ten
years. The barges are generally 130 feet long, 25 feet wide and 74
deep. A barge carries from 10,000 to 14,000 bushels, or from 400 to
560 tons; 480 tons, or 12,000 bushels per barge, is a fair average,
equal it will be remembered to a train of 24 cars of 20 tons each.
A small tow of 4 barges, easily handled by a small tug or tow
boat, and passed through the locks when the dams are up at one.
lockage, will have nearly or quite 50,000 bushels or 2,000 tons,
enough to fill 100 freight cars of 20 tons each.
In open navigation a tow boat handles from 4 to 14 loaded barges
in the Kanawha, depending on the stage of the river and the size of
the tow boat. In the Ohio river, or from Point Pleasant down, the
Great Kanawha tow boats take from 14 to 34 barges. A fleet of 30
barges has about 375,000 bushels or 15,000 tons; this amount o coal.
loaded into 20 ton cars would make 30 trains of 25 cars each, or a con-
tinuous line of cars nearly five-and-a-half miles long.
The general rate at present from the Charleston pool to Cincin-
į
E
;
112
TRANSPORTATION.
nati is one cent per bushel, or 25 cents per ton. Operators who hire
barges pay half a cent a bushel barge rent, making the cost to Cin-
cinnati, to operators who hire both barges and towing, 1 cents per
bushel or 37 cents per ton. This includes the return of the
empty barge to the mine. This rate to Cincinnati (distance from
Charleston 263 miles,) is 1.42 mills (or about one-seventh of a cent),
per ton per mile. For longer distances, or to points on the Ohio and
Mississippi below Cincinnati, the rates per mile are much less. The
usual rates from Cincinnati to the mouth of the Kentucky river,
Louisville and points between, amount to about 10 cents per ton,
making the cost from the Charleston pool to Louisville, including
towing and rent and return of barge, 48 cents per ton. The distance
from Charleston to Louisville being 394 miles, makes the rate 1 21
mills per ton-mile.
The above rates, it will be noticed are both for comparatively
short distances.
A considerable quantity of the Great Kanawha coal is towed to
different points on the lower Mississippi, as far down as New Or-
leans.
The rate for these long distances is exceedingly low. Take it to
New Orleans, for instance; the cost to the Kanawha operator any-
where below Lock 3, who hires both barge and towing, is 5 cents per
bushel or $1.25 per ton. The distance from Charleston to New Or-
leans, 1776 miles, makes the rate .7 mill, or about one-fourteenth of a
cent per ton per mile.
The next lowest inland rates are undoubtedly those of the Great
Lakes of the Northwest, where enormous quantities of heavy freight,
such as iron ore, lumber, grain and coal, are carried, mainly by a sys-
tem of towing in large barges. The average rate on the Lakes in 1888,
determined from records kept at the St. Mary's Falls Lock, under
direction of Gen. O. M. Poe, Corps of Engineers, was 1 mills per
ton per mile. The average length of route was 806.9 miles. In
1887 the rate was 2.3 mills per ton per mile for an average route of
811.4 miles. See report of Chief of Engineers for 1889, page 2,220, &c.
The average railroad rate last year on freight from Chicago to New
York (distance 913 miles) was close to $4.50 per ton or 5 mills per
ton per mile; the lowest rate on grain was about $4.00 per ton or
4.38 mills per ton per mile.
*
{
RAILROADS.
N
TRANSPORTATION.
The rate on all the freight carried by the railroads in the United
States in 1889, according to the Inter-State Commerce Commission,
averaged 9.22 mills per ton per mile.
Mr. Scott then goes on to show the advantages to be derived from
the completion of the system of locks and dams in the Kanawha
valley, and concludes that "the continuation of the locks and dams
to the mouth of the river will not only nearly or quite double the
time for shipping coal, but will, in effect, put the Great Kanawha
coal fields about 300 miles nearer to the markets of the lower Ohio
and Mississippi valleys."
The Little Kanawha river is navigable for small steamboats from
its mouth at Parkersburg to Creston in Wirt county, a distance of
52 miles by river. The river is improved with locks and dams
owned and operated by the Little Kanawha Navigation Co.
The Big Sandy river on the south-western border of the State is
navigable up as far as Logan county in certain seasons of the year.
The Monongahela river which is improved by locks and dams is
navigable from Pittsburgh up through Pennsylvania as far as Mor-
gantown in Monongalia county.
Other rivers in the State are navigable for flat boats, "push boats"
and canoes but are not fit for steam navigation. In times of fresh-
ets, though, there is scarcely a stream of any size within the State
which does not bring out a large supply of logs and ties. With
transportation of this kind every county in the State is well sup-
plied.
113
Twenty years ago there were scarcely a dozen counties in the
State which were penetrated by a railroad. Today, of the 54 cou 1-
ties there are but 11 which have no railroad, and in the direction of
every one of these new roads are now projected, so that within the
next few years probably every county in the State will be upon the
line of at least one railroad. For many years after the B. & O. first
pushed westward through the State but little more was done in rail-
road building, but twenty years have made a wonderful change.
The wealth of the hidden treasures of the State has been made
known, the possibilities of the State have been realized, the de-
mands for transportation been perceived and the construction of
—
114
TRANSPORTATION.
:
railroads in the State has so increased that last year in no other
State in the Union were there as many miles of railroads built as
here in West Virginia. We led the entire United States in railroad
construction. This fact alone will show the estimation in which the
resources of West Virginia are held by capitalists who have most
thoroughly investigated before investing. Millions of dollars are
not poured blindly into any scheme, and the fact that many mil-
lions have been spent by the best financiers in the world in build-
ing West Virginia railroads shows beyond a doubt the value of our
resources and the future there must be in store for the State.
ور
The oldest and the longest line of railroad in the State is the
Baltimore and Ohio, which after more than a quarter of a century
of experience in the State is so well satisfied with its investment
and the prospects for the future that it is now engaged in buying up
all the small railroads which connect with it and extending them
on further into the undeveloped portions of the State. The main
line of the great Baltimore and Ohio system, coming west from
Baltimore, enters West Virginia at Harper's Ferry, on the extreme
east of the State, follows up the Potomac river, sometimes in this、
State, sometimes in Maryland, through the counties of Jefferson,
Berkeley, Morgan, Hampshire and Mineral, then passing into Mary-
land comes back to West Virginia in Preston county, thence through
Taylor, Marion, Wetzel, Marshall and Ohio, into Wheeling, and on
beyond to Chicago and the west. From Grafton, in Taylor county,
a branch of the same road runs west to Parkersburg and thence to
Cincinnati. At Harper's Ferry the Valley branch of the road runs
up the Valley of Virginia to Staunton and Lexington, Va. A short
branch connects the Berkeley Springs with the main line in Mor-
gan county; another connects with Romney, in Hampshire county.
Kingwood, the county seat of Preston is on a narrow gauge road,
connecting with the B. & O., and so is Ritchie C. H. A few other
short lines connect with the B. & O., while at Grafton a branch runs
south, up the Tygart's Valley to Belington, to a connection with the
West Virginia Central and Pittsburg. Another branch runs down
from Fairmont to Morgantown and is being extended on down the
river to a Pittsburg connection. From Clarksburg, the W. Va. & P.,
built with bonds guaranteed by the B. & O., extends on southward
through Lewis, Upshur, Braxton and Webster counties, into per-
TRANSPORTATION.
115
haps the finest timber region in the State. The Monongahela River
railroad connects Fairmont and Clarksburg and the Pittsburg branch
of the B. & O. leaves Wheeling eastward through Ohio county to-
wards Pittsburg. The Pittsburg, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis
connects Wheeling and the Panhandle counties with Pittsburg and
the west.
The West Virginia Central and Pittsburg follows the Potomac
river from Cumberland Md., to its source and thence through Ran-
dolph county into Barbour to a connection with the B. & O.
The Cumberland Valley railroad connecting Harrisburg, Pa., with
Winchester, Va., passes through Berkeley county and Martinsburg.
The Ohio River Railroad is the only line connecting the east and
west lines of the State. It runs from Wheeling to Kenova along the
Ohio river all the way. It has branches to Spencer and to Jackson
Court House.
The Chesapeake & Ohio is the next great east and west line, enter-
ing the State at the southwest corner and passing through Wayne,
Cabell, Putnam, Kanawha, Fayette, Summers, Greenbrier and Mon-
roe, connecting Cincinnati and Chicago with the seaboard at New-
port News, Va., and with Washington and New York.
A half a
dozen short line railroads connect with this along the line, princi-
pally coal roads from the mines to the C. & 0.
The Kanawha & Michigan, a portion of the Ohio Central system,
enters the State at Point Pleasant and follows the Kanawha river,
up by Charleston to the mouth of the Gauley river, where it con-
nects with the C. & O. Another line is thus afforded from Toledo
and northern Ohio to the East.
From Charleston up Elk river runs the Charleston, Clendennin
& Sutton railroad, built by Charleston local capital, for twenty
miles, and soon to be completed on to Sutton, there to connect with
the W. Va and P., and make another north and south line through
the State.
The Norfolk & Western, the great developer of southern West
Virginia, enters at Kenova from Columbus and Chicago, passes
through Wayne, Logan, Wyoming, Mercer and McDowell counties
and on through old Virginia to tidewater at Norfolk. Another
branch following down the Shenandoah valley passes north and
south through Jefferson county.
116
TRANSPORTATION.
4
Numerous short line roads are in the State, but all are local roads.
and will be referred to in the description of the counties where they
are located.
OPENINGS FOR RAILROADS.
With all the roads the State now has, there is ample room for
many more. Freight facilities are scarcely yet sufficient and the
opening of new regions by new railroads always builds up business
along the line. In many portions of the State new roads might be
built to advantage, but some regions are especially in need of rail-
roads, a few of which we mention.
One of the richest sections of the State, the valley of the South
Branch of the Potomac, is entirely without a railroad. Along the
northern border of Hampshire county and up the valley 16 miles.
to Romney runs the Baltimore and Ohio, but the rest of the dis-
tance through the counties of Hampshire, Hardy, Grant and Pen-
dleton is one of the richest agricultural regions in the State, with
mountains on the borders full of iron ores, and covered with tim-
ber, while fresh pure water and mineral springs pour out from be-
neath the rocks. The descent of the river is gradual and the grad-
ing of a railroad up the valley could be done at very little cost.
There is now a project for a road from Cumberland, Md., up Patter-
son's creek to Franklin, and through the Petersburg gap to Moore-
field. It is said that there is enough tanbark alone in Pendleton
county to pay the entire cost of a railroad to the county.
Pocahontas county is another very rich in all the resources of the
State except coal, and it is now without a railroad. With splendid
farming land, the finest timber and valuable mineral resources a
railroad would develop the county wonderfully and build up for
itself a splendid business. Extensions of the West Virginia and
Pittsburg and of the C. & O. are contemplated. The road that
would develop Pocahontas should also pass through Greenbrier, one
of the finest counties in the State.
A short line from Hinton up the New River to connect the C. &
O. and N. & W. would undoubtedly pay.
The road already started up Elk river from Charleston to connect
with the W. Va. & P. and B. & O. will be a much used road.
:
TRANSPORTATION.
117
A
*
Already the first 20 miles are paying well, though in use but little
more than a month.
Coal river drains the finest coal basin in the State and the railroad
that first gets into that field will reap a fortune. From Boone to
Wyoming counties a railroad could be built beneath a mountain,
through a coal vein, the coal from which would pay the entire cost
of making the tunnel. Such a road could be made to connect with
the C. & O. at one end, the N. & W. at the other and would be a
profitable road. Steps are now being taken to build a road up the
river from its mouth near Charleston.
The Guyandotte river, flowing through Wyoming, Logan, Lin-
coln and Cabell drains much the same kind of a country and several
roads have been projected from Huntington up. The country
along its banks is filled with valuable coal and covered with timber.
A road up it would certainly pay well.
The Little Kanawha valley, from Parkersburg up through Wood,
Wirt, Calhoun and Gilmer, is a rich agricultural country, and the
splendid coal veins of Gilmer would be tapped by a road up this
valley. It is a road that should be built, and doubtless will be
soon.
These are by no means all the roads that should be built, but
with them completed nearly all the counties would be well supplied
with transportation, and the others could follow later. Railroad
building is by no means ended in this State, and those that have
been built but show what may be done. Other roads are needed,
and there is no more money to be made in any way than by pur-
chasing cheap wild lands in West Virginia and developing them by
building railroads into them.
118
BARBOUR COUNTY.
:
I
THE STATE IN DETAIL.
BARBOUR COUNTY.
LOCATION AND CHARACTER. -Situated slightly to the northeast of
the center of the State, Barbour county lies at the base of the Lau-
rel mountains, the westernmost of the numerous ranges of the Ap-
palachian system which parallel the main Alleghany range. Through
the center of the county from south to north flows the Tygart's
Valley river, along the east bank of which a railroad extends from
one end of the county to the other. Philippi, the county seat, situ-
ated near the center of the county, is distant by rail from Wheeling
124 miles, Parkersburg 128, Martinsburg 204, Baltimore 318, Pitts-
burg 195, Cincinnati 323, Chicago 590. The county is in the main
hilly with narrow valleys, but the hills are neither high nor steep.
Timber, coal, iron, manganese and fire clays are the principal pro-
ductions of the county, and aside from the farming interests com-
prise the chief sources of wealth.
TIMBER.--As yet but a small part of the county has been cleared,,
fully one-half of it remaining covered with timber. Oak and pop-
lar are the principal woods, hickory and maple are abundant and
the usual other woods found in the forests with these are found.
The poplar timber is especially fine and some magnificent specimens.
are found. Lands from which the largest poplars were long since
taken off are still considered fine timber lands, trees which were at
first rejected being now equal to the best found in many other sec-
tions. The Buckhannon and Middle Fork rivers and numerous
BARBOUR COUNTY.
119
smaller streams empty into the Tygart's Valley river which, flowing
through the entire length of the county, affords cheap and easy
transportation of timber to suitable sawing and shipping points.
The West Virginia Central and Pittsburg railroad in the southern
part of the county, and the Baltimore and Ohio railroad through
the center afford ample means of railroad transportation and much
timber is sawed along these lines. The estimated amount of tim-
ber standing in Barbour county at $10 per acre would be worth
$1,280,000.
COAL.-Though not generally known Barbour county is abund-
antly supplied with coal. There is not a section of the county
without it, and though none has ever yet been mined, save for do-
mestic consumption, nearly every property owner in the county has
his own coal bank. What is known as the Roaring Creek coal un-
derlies the entire county. At Roaring Creek, in the western part of
Randolph county, near the Barbour line, this coal is in veins piled
one above the other until the coal reaches a thickness of from 16 to
30 feet. West of this these veins separate, the distances between
them increasing to as much as 30 feet or more. But though in veins.
of only 5 to 12 feet and widely separated the aggregate thickness
is still retained. In many places the coal is found cropping out of
the mountain side, in others, especially in the northwest, toward
which the coal dips, the veins are under ground, the top one
30 feet or more below the surface. In this northwest portion of the
county, where the strata dip low, another vein-the Pittsburg coal-
is found in a vein about 7 feet thick and above the other.
Both are
good coking coals and could be easily mined.
IRON.--In a comparatively small area in the northeastern part of
the county iron ores are found. A 24-foot vein of spathose ore has
been found over about 8,000 acres of land. Spathose ore is never
very rich in iron and while this contains about as large a percentage
of iron as this kind of ore ever does-40 per cent-it is very low in
phosphorus and sulphur, containing but .04 of one per cent. of the
former and but a trace of the latter.
A hydrated brown oxide of iron is found in a four foot ledge over
some 1,200 acres in the same portion of the county. This contains
59.86 per cent. of iron and but .12 of one per cent. of phosphorus.
This is a very close, fine grained ore, so fine that it takes a polish
interpore manager is
•
120
BARBOUR COUNTY.
.
3.
like marble. It makes a very close grained, tenacious metal and
was manufactured before the war to a considerable extent. In some
of the homes of the county kitchen utensils are still in use which
were made in a Barbour county iron furnace over thirty years ago.
There are also a 7-foot vein of black band iron ore and a 6-foot
vein of argillaceous ore that have never been analyzed but exist in
considerable quantities.
MANGANESE, CLAY AND OIL.-In the same vicinity in which the
iron is found there is a 5-foot vein of manganese ore which analyzes
35 per cent. manganese, 24 per cent. iron, .09 of one per cent. phos-
phorus and shows merely a trace of sulphur.
A bed of fire clay has been found which is very fine grained and
hard and makes excellent bricks and tiling. It extends over a dis-
tance of several miles and has been opened to a depth of 7 feet.
How much thicker it is, is not known.
+
?
An oil well has recently been put down near the county seat and
oil was found, though to what extent can not be ascertained from
the company.
AGRICULTURAL. --The best farming land is in that portion of the
county west of the Tygart's Valley river. The soil is rich, the
mountains are not steep, and while the valleys are few and narrow
the hills are fertile and make good grass sod. Some of them are
farmed and when tilled yield well, but little attention is paid to
farming, not enough grain being raised for home consumption.
Most of the cleared lands are in grass which springs up naturally,
grows thick and tall and makes good hay. Cattle raising is the
principal agricultural pursuit, fine large cattle are raised in great
numbers and vast herds are shipped out of the county every year.
A few horses are raised and some attention is paid to sheep, though
not so much as might be profitably.
BERKELEY COUNTY.
LOCATION AND CHARACTER.-In the extreme eastern part of West
Virginia, almost separated from the rest of the State by Virginia
and Maryland which nearly surround them are three counties, the
last to dissolve their relations with old Virginia and to be admitted
as part of the new State. The central one of these is Berkeley. It
lies at the northern end of the famous Valley of Virginia, which is
BERKELEY COUNTY.
121
among the finest agricultural regions in either of the Virginias.
The county is about 25 miles long with Maryland on the north and
Virginia on the south. The Baltimore and Ohio railroad connects
the county with the east and west, the Cumberland Valley railroad
with the north and south, and the Chesapeake and Ohio canal with
all points between Cumberland, Md., and Washington, D. C. The
distance from Martinsburg, the county-seat, to Washington is 74
miles, to Baltimore 100, to Parkersburg 284, to Wheeling 280, to
Cincinnati 479, to Chicago 746 miles.
The county embraces almost every variety of land to be found in
the State. The Sleepy Creek mountain is on the west and the Po-
tomac river on the north and east and between them is every variety
of soil from the alluvium and loam of the river bottom, through
c'ays, sand and limestones to the shales and conglomerates of the
mountains, underlaid in many places with marl and phosphates of
much value though undeveloped. Though Berkeley county is in
the earliest settled portion of what is now West Virginia, and con-
tains the fourth city in the State in population, still it is undevel-
oped as to its natural resources and in parts so nearly uninhabited
that there is one strip of 16 miles between two mountain ranges in
the western part of the county in which there is but one house.
The climate is mild and wholesome, the mountains on the west pro-
tecting the county from the severity of winter and the intensity of
the summer heat.
COAL.-It has long been known that there was a little anthracite
coal in Berkeley county, but recently further investigations have
proven that it exists along one mountain range in Berkeley and
Morgan counties for a distance of some 25 miles at least. At inter-
vals along this mountain as many as 35 openings have been made
and each one disclosed the same vein of coal. It is a very good
quality of anthracite coal and when developed will be the means of
bringing a good deal of money into the county. There is no bitu-
minous coal in the county.
IRON. In many portions of the county iron ore is found in con-
siderable quantities and a good deal is taken from the county to
other places to mix with the ores found and used in the furnaces
there. In the northern and western portions of the county the ore
S
122
BERKELEY COUNTY.
is principally brown hematite. Some specular iron ore is found,
and near Martinsburg a fine quality of pipe ore has been mined.
OTHER MINERALS. Some manganese has been found though the
extent of the deposit is not known.
Indications of some other minerals have been found such as gold,
silver, copper and lead, but they are not found in paying quantities
and no faith is placed in the value of the deposits.
LIMESTONE AND CLAY.-Limestone of a very excellent quality is
abundant throughout the county and is largely manufactured into
lime. Berkeley county lime stands high, commands a good price
and finds a ready market. There are several large lime kilns in the
county and plenty of stone to supply numerous others.
There is an abundance of building stone throughout the county,
a semi-marble limestone which is found making a very fine stone.
for building purposes
Fire clay is found along with the anthracite coal and a very fine
quality of soapstone, but they have never been developed.
*
There is a fine quality of potter's clay in the county which has
been manufactured into pottery for many years at Martinsburg.
TIMBER. The county having been settled so many years the tim-
ber is pretty well cut off. What is left, which covers not more than
a third of the county, is principally hard wood. Some pine is
found and considerable very fine poplar. Oak is still found in large
quantities and is in good demand for the export trade, being near
tidewater, and of excellent quality. A great deal of second growth
hickory is found, suitable for spokes, handles, etc., and its manufac-
ture would be a profitable business.
AGRICULTURAL --Except in the mountains the soil of the county
is admirably adapted to agriculture Half a dozen streams flow
through the county, watering it well in every portion. The hill
lands are sowed in grass, and horses, cattle and sheep are raised, par-
ticularly the latter, which are more profitable. The county is an
excellent one for sheep raising, and more attention will undoubtedly
be paid to it in the future.
A portion of the fertile Valley of Virginia, the county is unsur-
passed for farming. Wheat and all the other cereals yield well and
farming forms the principal occupation of the people.
Much of the county seems especially adapted for fruit culture,
52
BOONE COUNTY.
123
?
•
and thousands of peach and apple trees are already yielding an-
nually large returns to the orchard owners.
The fertility of the soil, the absence of steep mountains and the
nearness to markets make this county a desirable one for farming,
and there is plenty of good land that may be secured, ranging in
price from $8 to $100 per acre for improved land, or averaging about
$30. Wild lands range from $2 to $10 per acre, averaging about $5.
MARTINSBURG, the county seat, is shown by the last census to be
the fourth city in the State, with a population of 7,226, an increase
of 14.06 per cent. in the last ten years. It is the center of a rich
agricultural section and is assuming large proportions as a manu-
facturing city. The large distillery alone pays out in taxes, wages,
etc., some $2,000 a day. Knitting factories, wood working establish-
ments, grain elevators and flour mills are the principal industrial
establishments. The city has macadamized streets, street railway,
electric light, gas, water works and sewerage.
BOONE COUNTY.
LOCATION AND Character.—Boone county lies in the south-west-
ern portion of the State. The Kanawha river on the north, the
Guyandotte and Big Sandy on the south flow almost parallel to
each other, while Big and Little Coal flow through the entire length
of Boone county in the same general direction until they unite just
beyond the county line and flow north into the Kanawha 12 miles.
below Charleston. On either side of each of these streams are divid-
ing ridges, so that the surface of Boone is principally mountain-
ous, the ridges almost parallel. The fall in the rivers is very slight
and the valleys, though narrow, afford ample room for a railroad
which could be built along these water courses with easy grades
from one end of the county to the other. At present the county is
without a railroad and the nearest railroad point is Brownstown, 30
miles distant from Boone Court House. From Brownstown to
Charleston by rail is 10 miles, to Huntington 60, to Richmond 359,
to Cincinnati 221, to Chicago 526.
Before the war, that bloody period from which so many events in
the south are dated, Boone county was undergoing a rapid develop-
ment which has never been equalled since. Big Coal river from its
mouth to Peytona, some 30 miles, was locked and dammed, making
124
BOONE COUNTY.
:
*
it navigable for boats and barges. A railroad several miles in length
connected rich cannel coal mines with Peytona and the river and great
quantities of coal were mined and shipped. Then came the war,
property was destroyed, the dams were broken, the railroad went to
decay and Boone county is now in as primitive a state as it ever
was. But it is not destined to remain so. So richly endowed with
natural resources as it is, Boone county can not long remain back-
ward and it will be but a short time till it is the scene of as much
activity as any other county in the State.
COAL.-Boone county is undoubtedly one of the richest counties
in the State in coal. The chief of a geological corps, after spending
six or eight weeks investigating Boone county coal, exclaimed that
it seemed as if the Almighty after sprinkling his coal around in the
rest of West Virginia had set his basket down in Boone county.
Splint, cannel, bituminous and coking coals are all found in Boone,
in inexhaustible quantities in thick and numerous veins.
Prof. W. M. Fontaine, of the University of Virginia, says that
"apparently the Kanawha coals reach their maximum in thickness
and good qualities in the Coal River district. The Kanawha coals.
here meant are those that display themselves between Kanawha
Falls and Charleston. They are highly bituminous and contain
both splint and cannel. In the Coal River district I believe the
cream of these exist. They dip gently to the northwest, are undis-
turbed, and lie mostly in hills and mountains formed by erosion.
As they are pretty high above the streams, they are favorably situ-
ated for working by gravity, at the same time they have sufficient
coping to give safe roofs.
"Beneath the level of the streams the New River coking coals are
to be found, and can be reached by shalting."
Prof. I. C. White, of the West Virginia University, says: "In
Wayne, Lincoln and Boone the Upper Freeport coal forms one of
the largest areas of pure cannel known in any country of the world.”
One mountain on the Pond fork of Big Coal river, 1350 feet high,
contains no less than eleven veins of coal ranging from 2 feet 7
inches to 20 feet in thickness, and aggregating 68 feet 11 inches of
coal from top to bottom. One vein is pure cannel coal 42 inches
thick; another vein has 34 inches of pure cannel coal overlaid with
splint coal; one vein is 20 feet thick with 2 feet of parting 7 feet
!
BOONE COUNTY.
125
A
from the floor; one vein four feet thick is supposed to be the
"Eagle" vein, from which coke is made at Eagle in the Kanawha
Valley.
Another mountain in the same county was examined by an en-
gineer who reported as follows:
"Beginning at the base of the mountain is seam No. 1, 2 feet 7
inches of gas and coking coal, and 30 feet above this is my No. 2 of
the same quality, 3 feet 8 inches of coal, and on above is 3 feet 4
inches of gas coal No. 3. Then comes No. 4, 3 feet 10 inches fine
splint. No. 5 is 2 feet 7 inches fine coal; No 6 is 10 feet 6 inches,
but with only 9 feet available; No. 7 is 5 feet, including 1 foot can-
nel; No. 8 is 5 feet coal; No. 9 is 9 feet coal; No. 10 is 22 feet high,
to-wit: 13 feet coal, 2 feet slate and 7 feet coal. I also found 10 or
12 small veins which seem to have been split from the others."
These ten or eleven seams of coal extend over the entire county,
and beneath them all, be it remembered, are the New River coals.
The cannel coal of Boone county is of two kinds-the smooth
black and the "bird's eye," and is in veins from 3 to 6 feet thick. The
bituminous coal equals the best found in Pennsylvania, while the
splint coal for fuel or shipping purposes is unsurpassed. The value
of the cannel coal in this and adjoining counties can hardly be
estimated though some idea may be gained when it is known that
the only other cannel coal vein in the southern part of the State
yields the owner a royalty of 2 cents a bushel or about $2,000 per
acre.
TIMBER.-An enormous amount of timber has been taken out of
Big and Little Coal and their tributaries annually for many years
and yet is estimated that fully one half the poplar timber of the
county remains untouched and three fourths of all the other kinds.
As rapidly as it is being taken out, the timber will last for many
years to come. One man has a contract for clearing a single tract
which it is estimated will require ten years for its completion. The
principal forest trees are poplar, walnut, oaks, ash, hickory, maple,
beech, birch, lynn, pine, hemlock, cherry, chestnut and locust. Pop-
lar and walnut timber is especially fine in Boone and trees of enor-
mous size are reported quite often.
A pop'ar tree was cut in 1889 on the waters of Big Coal river in
Boone county, the dimensions of which are given by Maj. Thos. L.
XX.
126
BOONE COUNTY.
1
Broun, of Charleston, as follows: The tree measured eight feet and
nine inches in diameter at the base, and the distance from the
ground to the first limb was seventy-one feet. From the tree were
cut six logs, each twelve feet in length, the diameters of which at the
small ends were respectively seven feet, four inches; seven feet; six
feet, eight inches; six feet, one inch; five feet, nine inches and five
feet, six inches. The market value of the lumber cut from the one
tree was $186.
Wm. C. Reynolds, civil engineer, says: "I found on the West
fork near the head and over one thousand feet above the foot of the
mountain, a walnut tree eight feet in diameter and tall enough to
furnish half a dozen average length logs."
By means of splash dams logs may be gotten from the remotest
parts of the county into the rivers and then readily floated to
market.
IRON AND CLAY.-Iron ore may be found in considerable quantities,
principally black band, gray and red hematite ores. The value and
extent of these ores is not known, no investigations having ever
been made.
Excellent fire clay is found in abundance and has, until recently,
been made into vessels at two potteries, but want of transportation.
facilities shut them up.
Good building stone is found throughout the county.
AGRICULTURAL.—The entire county has fewer people than either
one of the largest five cities in the State, and less than a fourth of
the county has ever been cleared, so that it may readily be seen
that little farming has ever been done. But there are great oppor-
tunities. Lands that produce such fine poplar and walnut timber
as Boone lands do, are more than usually fertile. Corn is the prin-
cipal crop now, though the soil is well adapted to tobacco and grass.
No better country could be found for cattle or sheep raising than in
Boone county. The soil and climate also make it an excellent
county for fruit culture.
·
BRAXTON COUNTY.
Location and CHARACTER.-Braxton is the central county of the
State, from which fact a station on the new railroad takes its name-
BRAXTON COUNTY.
127
Centralia. Sutton, the county seat, is 100 miles by river from
Charleston, from which place until recently all the Braxton supplies
were taken in push boats. Now the West Virginia and Pittsburg
railroad reaches Sutton, and the Gauley branch, completed within a
few months, extends through the eastern part of the county into
Webster and on to Gauley river, whence an eastern connection will
undoubtedly soon be made. Sutton is now distant by rail from
Parkersburg 151 miles, from Martinsburg 272, from Baltimore 386,
from Wheeling 192, from Pittsburg 263, from Cincinnati 346 and
from Chicago 658 miles.
The entire county is high, portions of it hilly and even moun-
tainous, but a large part is merely a high plateau through which
the streams flow deep down below the level of the lands. Five
rivers have their courses through this county-Elk, Little Kanawha,
Big and Little Birch and Holly--by means of which and their trib-
utary streams the entire county is well watered, and excellent water
power afforded for manufacturing purposes.
Hitherto unfavorably situated for development, Braxton's ad-
vantages have not received the attention they deserved, but with
the completion of the railroad through the county and the pros-
pects of the building of a railroad from Charleston, which is already
completed a portion of the way, with Sutton as its destination, de-
velopment must follow, and the resources of the county will soon
command their share of public attention. Some counties may have
better coal than Braxton, others better iron or better farming lands,
but as an all round county Braxton is not surpassed by any other
in the State. The gifts of nature have been bestowed with a lavish
hand and Braxton will stand high in the list of counties from any
stand point.
COAL.-The entire county is underlaid with valuable coal in great
abundance. The Lower, Barren and Upper coal measures are all
found in Braxton and are very prolific. In the western portion of the
county in the Upper coal measures the Pittsburg or Connellsville
seam of coking coal is found along with several others ranging from
23 to 16 feet in thickness. These coals have been tested and are re-
ported to be as fine for coking purposes as any in the State. In the
eastern part are the Lower coal measures where the Thomas and
Davis seams, which are mined along the West Virginia Central rail-
128
BRAXTON COUNTY.
road, and which make excellent coke, appear again in 5 and 6
foot veins. Splint, peacock and cannel coals are also found, giving
to Braxton as great a variety and as good coal as any county in the
State.
IRON.In the southern part of the county iron is found and has
been manufactured. At the mouth of Strange creek, on Elk river,
25 miles from Sutton, the old charcoal blast furnace is still standing
where ten years ago pig iron was made. It was floated down Elk to
Charleston and shipped from there to Cincinnati where it was used
for the manufacture of car wheels, and the iron found to be of good
quality. But the cost of shipping down Elk, which is navigable for
small bateaux only, was too great and prevented its further manu-
facture. The ores found are black band, kidney, red and gray hem-
atite. There is plenty of excellent coking coal and good limestone.
in close proximity to the iron which should render the making of
iron cheap and profitable when cheap transportation is secured.
TIMBER.-Probably one-half of Braxton county is still clothed in
the original forests among which some of the most magnificent tim-
ber in the State is to be found. A great deal of the very finest qual-
ity has been cut out, but only the most accessible, and large tracts
in all parts of the county remain untouched. All the varieties
common to the altitude and latitude of the county are found. Pop-
lar and the various kinds of oak are the most plentiful, though
there is an abundance of hickory, ash, maple and some walnut.
The latter, however, is pretty well exhausted. The poplar of this
county is remarkably fine, the rich soil having produced a very large
growth and the trees reach enormous proportions. The oak timber
is also very fine and in much demand. There are a number of saw
mills within the county which cut daily hundreds of thousands of
feet of lumber, but the larger part of the timber now used is floated
down the Elk and sawed up at points nearer to the lumber markets.
The water courses above mentioned furnish ample means of getting
the timber from every portion of the county cheaply to market.
AGRICULTURAL.-This is one of the best agricultural counties in
the State. With a small part of the county cleared of timber
there has as yet been but little opportunity for Braxton to gain
much of a reputation as a farming county, but the soil is good and
what farming has been done shows conclusively what may be done
BROOKE COUNTY.
129
and that Braxton will some day become one of the principal agri-
cultural counties of the State. The soil is fertile, the climate good.
Wheat, corn and all the other cereals yield well, and a magnificent
growth of blue grass clothes the hills as soon as the timberis taken
off. Farming of all kinds is profitable and largely engaged in, but
grazing and stock raising pay better than the cultivation of the soil.
The soil is black loam and red clay enriched through most of the
county with a light stratum of limestone, and well adapted for the
production of fine grasses. Timothy and clover are sowed, but the
blue grass soon drives them out and forms an excellent sod. Pas-
turage is plentiful from early in the spring until midwinter. Four
inonths feeding out of the year is all that is ever required for cattle,
and frequently, in favorable seasons, cattle run at large all winter.
Considerable attention is paid to sheep which yield fine wool and
prove quite profitable. The lands are high and rich and conse-
quently Braxton is in a fine fruit growing region.
BROOKE COUNTY.
LOCATION AND CHARACTER. -Brooke, the smallest county in the
State, lies in that narrow strip of West Virginia known as the north-
ern panhandle. But one county of the State is north of it, on the
east is Pennsylvania, on the west Ohio. The average width of the
county is about 7 miles, its length about a dozen. Along the west
ern border for the entire length of the county flows the Ohio river-
along the banks of which runs the Pittsburg, Cincinnati, Chicago
and St. Louis railroad, which follows along the northern boundary
of the county and goes east into Pittsburg. Wellsburg, the county
seat is 16 miles from Wheeling, 50 from Pittsburg, 279 from Cin-
cinnati and 473 from Chicago. Close to the railroad centres, Pitts-
burg and Wheeling, and upon the Ohio river, the county enjoys
cheap transportation rates for its people and products in all direc-
tions. The Ohio river bottoms are wide and level, the country
back from the river is rolling, but no part of it so high or steep as to
be unfitted for cultivation. Several creeks cross the county, and
flow into the Ohio, watering the lands well and giving good water
power.
•
COAL. Brooke is abundantly supplied with coal which is found
over the entire county, but has been little developed. A 4 foot
:
1
130
BROOKE COUNTY.
2
vein of the Pittsburg seam is mined, but principally for home con-
sumption. The report of the Mine Inspector shows that for the
year ending June 30, 1891, 52 employes dug from two mines
33,999 tons of coal. This vein is found in the hills above the sur-
face of the earth. Two other veins are found beneath the surface,
a 5 foot vein at 200 feet and a 6 foot vein at 600 feet. Boring for
gas at Wellsburg showed a 6 foot vein at 145 feet, but at other places
it is not reported and is probably valueless. Little has been done
hitherto to develop the coal, but recently a large purchase of coal
lands has been made by a company which proposes to develop it
extensively.
CLAYS AND STONE.-The fire clays which are so extensively used
in the adjoining county of Hancock are deep under ground in
Brooke, but could easily be gotten out by shafting. Three veins of
clay have been found and tested and are equal in all respects to
those worked north of Brooke. The first vein, 22 feet thick, is
found about 115 feet below the surface; the second, 40 feet in thick-
ness, 150 feet below, the third at 200 feet is 17 feet thick.
<d
Limestone is plentiful throughout the county and lime is made.
The Ohio river bed furnishes an abundant supply of building
sand, and building stone of excellent quality is quarried in various
parts of the county.
TIMBER. The marketable timber of the county is about exhaust-
ed. There is some oak left, but scarcely more than enough for
fencing and other farming purposes. There is still some walnut
timber left, though in the past year or two much of that has been
removed. But aside from this there is little timber left--none of
any consequence.
AGRICULTURAL.-Brooke is one of the best agricultural counties in
the State. A large part of it is Ohio river bottom land, the rest almost
as good and the entire county is in a very complete state of cultiva-
tion. Wheat and corn and garden stuffs are raised and excellent.
fruits. These all yield well, the garden stuffs and fruits finding
ready market in the cities close at hand.
are the principal agricultural pursuits. The county is a limestone
one and the blue grass is almost as fine as that of Kentucky. The
panhandle is widely known for its sheep and wool, the quality of
the wool being particularly fine, and Brooke county is about the
Sheep raising and grazing
CABELL COUNTY.
131
1
best of the panhandle counties in this respect. A great many sheep
are raised, the annual wool clip in the county being about 200,000
pounds, all of which brings prices equal to the best wool in the
market. Cattle and horses are raised to some extent and the stock
of all kinds is being very much improved.
WELLSBURG, the county seat, is a manufacturing town where.
glass, straw paper, paper sacks, cigars and other articles are made,
has foundries, machine shops, etc. The streets are paved with brick,
and are well lighted. This city had when the census of 1890 was
taken, 2,325 population, an increase of 23.14 per cent in ten years.
CABELL COUNTY.
Location and CHARACTER.-Wayne is the westernmost county of
the State and Cabell adjoins it on the north and east. For thirty-
five or forty miles the county is bounded on the north-west by the
Ohio river. From the south-east through the county flows the
Guyandotte river, its mouth at Guyandotte on the Ohio river. It
is not sufficiently large to admit of steamboat navigation but on its
waters ply the push boats that form such an important part of the
smaller river navigation in this State. These are small flat bottom
boats of light draught which carry large loads of provisions and are
pushed along the river by men with poles. Canoes are also used on the
river and log rafts bring out on every rise innumerable logs. The
Guyandotte river for its entire length flows through most excellent
timber forests and though, for years, the timber has been coming
out, as yet but little has been done to denude the hills and valleys
of the timber that so richly clothes them, and every rise now brings
out immense rafts of logs and ties and timber. A sudden rise a
year ago brought out all the logs for miles above the river's mouth
and piled them up against a gorge which formed just at the mouth.
As far as one could see the river was one solid mass of logs, jammed
so tight together that it took a month after the gorge was broken to get
the logs apart, using a steam engine to pull them out with. It was
estimated that there were 75,000 logs in the river at one time. And
this is how the Guyandotte principally benefits Cabell county. The
Mud river and other smaller streams flow into the Guyandotte and
help to water the county. From east to west through the center of the
county runs the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad. From the Great Ka-
132
CABELL COUNTY.
:
nawha to Huntington the C. & O. follows a low valley which is sup-
posed at one time to have been the bed of the Kanawha river which
then emptied into the Ohio at Huntington some 40 miles below its
present mouth. The main line of the C. & O. connects the county
directly with Cincinnati, Richmond and Washington; a branch of
the same connects with Lexington and Louisville, Ky.; the Ohio.
River Railroad connects with Wheeling and the northern part of
the State, while the Huntington and Big Sandy, a short line road,
connects Huntington with the Norfolk & Western at Kenova.
Huntington, the county seat, is 50 miles from Charleston, 121 from
Parkersburg, 215 from Wheeling, 415 from Richmond, 161 from
Cincinnati and 466 from Chicago.
The county is principally rolling. The Ohio river bottoms, broad
and fertile, along the western part of the county are bordered by a
row of hills, back of which the county is undulating and good for
farming.
COAL.-Little coal is found in Cabell and less has ever been dug.
Bordering along the splendid coal fields of Lincoln, Wayne and the
counties east of them, some coal extends into Cabell, but it is of no
great value and the veins are small. Beneath the surface the coals
that underlie many of the counties of the State would probably be
found. The county is sufficiently close to the coal fields of the
State to be amply and cheaply supplied with all it needs.
STONE. Building stone is found in the county, very desirable in
quality and appearance. Its use is frequent in the buildings being
erected in the city of Huntington and elsewhere. Sand and other
building material are abundant.
CLAY.-Good fire and brick clay is found in abundance in the
county, and many brick are made. At Huntington a paving brick
company is making brick for paving, while in various parts of the
county splendid bricks are made and in large numbers. Fire clay
is not now used though there is much of it.
Ochre has been found in small deposits in the county, but not in
available quantities.
TIMBER.-Much of the best timber of the county has been re-
moved, but still perhaps a third of the county is yet in woodlands.
Along the streams and in the more thickly settled portions of the
CABELL COUNTY.
133
county the timber is about all gone. Oak is the principal wood
remaining.
AGRICULTURAL.-Cabell is a splendid farming county. The broad
Ohio river bottoms extending along the entire western portion of
the county are unsurpassed for all kinds of farming. Magnificent
wheat crops are grown upon them and other crops, corn, grass, vege-
tables, etc., grow well. The hills produce good grass and are not
high or steep, making most excellent grazing lands, and consider-
able attention is given to stock. Outside of Huntington, the prin-
cipal city, the chief interests of the county are in agriculture.
HUNTINGTON, the second city in the State in population, had, by
the census of 1890, 10,108 people, a gain of 218.46 per cent in ten
years. Its growth has been phenomenal. But twenty-one years of
age the city now has fully 15,000 people, while the town of Guyan-
dotte on one side of it and Central City on the other, will add at
least two thousand more. The city is chiefly a manufacturing one,
employing in the different industrial plants no less than 2,500 men.
Car building and repairing shops, wood and stone working houses,
glass factories, a large brewery, flouring mills, foundries and other
enterprises make up the list of industrial plants. The city has
broad and well paved streets, sewerage, electric light and power, gas,
water works, a good fire department, electric and horse cars, many
handsome buildings and plenty of room to grow.
CALHOUN COUNTY.
LOCATION AND CHARACTER. -The southern end of Calhoun touches
the western side of Braxton, the central county of the State.
Through the northern portion of it flows the Little Kanawha river,
navigable from its mouth to Creston, a few miles within the Cal-
houn county line, and sometimes farther up. Through the entire
southern and western parts of the county flows the West Fork,
reaching the Little Kanawha just below the edge of Calhoun county.
The county is hilly, almost mountainous in some portions, but the
hills are not steep, and there are few that are not suitable for pasture,
if not for farming. Grantsville, the county seat, is about 70 miles
by river from Parkersburg, its most available railroad point, mak-
ing Grantsville 164 miles from Wheeling, 468 from Baltimore, 265
from Cincinnati, and 570 from Chicago. Numerous railroads have
1
134
CALHOUN COUNTY.
been projected at various times to follow the Little Kanawha valley
and thus pass through Calhoun, but none has yet been built.
COAL. In the southern portion a little coal is found in the hill-
sides above the water level, but in most of the county none is to be
found above the surface of the earth. The entire county is under-
laid with coal some 60 feet or more below the ground. At Grants-
ville a 7 foot vein of coal was found 70 feet under ground, but none
has ever been mined either for domestic use or for shipment. The
coal is good, and a 70 foot shaft might easily be constructed, so that,
were transportation facilities afforded, the Calhoun coal fields might
be profitably operated.
IRON.Surface specimens of iron ore may be found in almost any
part of the county, but the extent or value of the ore has never been
ascertained. A gentleman who has investigated the entire Little
Kanawha valley, says: "Just at the county line on the left bank
of the Little Kanawha, is a mountain, or rather a high hill, which
is underlaid with iron. So powerful is the magnetic attraction that
no storm accompanied with lightning passes over this mountain
without balls of fire shattering the trees. This has been constantly
noticed. The needle of the compass will not settle when near it,
and fine specimens of iron ore have been found on these lands."
OIL. It is thought that oil may be found in Calhoun. Signs of
it have already been seen, and this, with the fact that it is found in
such quantities in Wirt county on the west, Ritchie on the north,
and that some has been found in Gilmer on the east, gives rise to
the opinion.
TIMBER. -Fully one half the county is still covered with the
original forests. The county is splendidly drained with numerous
streams which afford cheap transportation for timber of all kinds, and
along the banks of which most of the poplar timber has been cut.
For as much as two miles back from the streams the poplar timber
has been cut, but oak is never hauled more than a mile, and the
timber in the greater portion of the county has been scarcely
touched. In the eastern part is some white pine, but the principal
woods are poplar, the oaks, chestnut, beech, maple, walnut and
other hard woods. There is some magnificent timber in Calhoun.
Logs 60 feet long may be seen floating in the Little Kanawha almost
any time. Tramways, frequently 10 miles long, are built along
CALHOUN COUNTY.
135
*
some of the smaller streams and convey the logs to water deep
enough to float them. In this county the writer saw a country
home, full 60 miles from a railroad, with an interior as handsomely
finished in quartered chestnut as could be found in any city home.
It was cut, sawed and dressed by the owner of the house who owned
a small saw-mill. Some of the lands are owned in large tracts, but
those of 1,000 acres or more are the exception, and most of the land
in the county is owned in small tracts. The price per acre for tim-
ber lands is from $4.00 to $10.00-less than the value of the
timber upon it.
AGRICULTURAL.-Had more attention been paid to agriculture
and less to timbering, which has pretty well monopolized the peo-
ple of Calhoun, far better results might be seen upon the farms.
The county is well adapted for all kinds of agricultural pursuits.
The hills are neither high nor steep, but rather elevated plateaus.
The soil is fertile with plenty of limestone, blue grass grows well
and the county is particularly suited to sheep and stock raising.
Cattle turned out upon the hills find splendid pasture nearly all the
year and the rich lands that are not in grass yield abundantly of
the grains that are necessary to feed them for the few remaining
months. Some sheep are raised and more should be.
A crop well
suited to the soil of Calhoun and which yields well is tobacco. Very
fine tobacco is grown in some parts of the county and it might be
made one of the important crops. Excellent advantages are offer-
ed here to the agriculturist-rich soil, land lying well, fine grass
springing up spontaneously and cheap property, improved lands sell-
ing at from $8 to $25 per acre.
CLAY COUNTY.
LOCATION AND CHARACTER.—Clay county lies near the center of
the State, slightly to the southwest. Elk river, navigable for push-
boats but not for steamboats, flows through the county and empties
into the Kanawha, a navigable stream, at Charleston, 50 miles from
Clay Court House. Up this stream in canoes or push boats all the
Clay county supplies are taken. No railroad penetrates the county,
though the Charleston, Clendennin and Sutton railroad has been
built, within a few months, from Charleston to the Clay county line,
and will eventually pass through the county and extend to Sutton,
:
136
CLAY COUNTY.
50 miles above Clay C. H. The distance from the county-seat to
Charleston is 50 miles, to Huntington 100, to Cincinnati 261, to
Chicago 566, to Richmond 419 miles. The county is very hilly,
the hills high and steep with narrow tops, scarcely wide enough in
places for a road along the top of the ridge. The valleys are nar-
row with scarcely any "bottoms" along the creeks. Seven-eighths
of the county is owned by non-residents and held for speculation.
This fact, the rugged character of the county and the want of
transportation facilities have caused Clay to remain among the
most backward counties in the State. It is also the least popu-
lous, save one. The county has, however, a wealth of natural re-
sources which will make it when once developed one of the princi-
pal ones of the State.
COAL. The county is remarkably favored with coal, but as yet
none has ever been mined save for domestic consumption, and a
very small quantity has supplied this demand. In a few places
coal veins are now being opened up, with a view to their develop-
ment upon the completion of the railroad through the county. The
entire county is underlaid with coal in veins as high as eleven ieet
in thickness Soft bituminous, splint and cannel coals are all found
and all in large veins. Much of it is the famous Pittsburg vein of
excellent coking coal, and the Elk river field will, when once opened
up, undoubtedly become as famous for its coke production as the
New and Monongahela river fields now are. The Clay county coals.
are all found above water level and may be easily mined.
IR N.--"In Clay county," said Prof M. F. Maury, "at the mouth
of Standing Rock run, 246 feet (barometric measurement) above.
Elk river, is a fine deposit of nodular brown oxide of iron, the re-
sult of decomposition from the carbonate. The nodules are very
thickly embedded in a soft, gray clay, and will yield from 35 to 40
per cent of metallic iron, and being soft and cellular work well in
the furnace." The thickness of this bed is from 6 to 7 feet and it
is known to extend for many miles along the banks of Elk river.
This bed of ore was worked along with some from Braxton county
at the charcoal cold blast furnace mentioned under "Braxton Coun-
ty," a few pages back. Several other beds of iron ore of various
thicknesses have been found in Clay, but little is known of them
more than that they exist in paying quantities.
CLAY COUNTY.
137
CLAYS, ETC. — There is a good quality of fire clay in this county,
but like so much else it has lain unknown or unnoticed for want of
facilities for development.
There is limestone and sandstone of very excellent quality for
building purposes and an abundance of building sand
TIMBER.-Though Clay is a finely timbered county; no better
timber being anywhere found, scarcely an eighth of the timber of
the county has been removed. The lands, owned principally in
large tracts, are held by persons who have not cared to sell their
timber at the low prices that have hitherto prevailed. But with the
approach of the railroad lands will go up, better markets will be af-
forded, and the timber will soon be cut out. Considerable black
spruce may be found in the county, some of it very fine. Oaks,
poplar, walnut and other hard woods are the principal kinds of tim-
ber. A good deal of curly walnut is found, but it is so rare and
commands so high a price in the markets that it is quickly
bought up and will not last long. Possessing most excellent timber
the county is also advantageously situated for getting it out.
tween the steep hills are streams in which by means of splash dams
timber may be floated from any hillside to the river and there.
drifted down to market. The Elk river is under the charge of the
national government and more or less money is spent every year in
clearing the channel of rocks and other obstructions for the benefit
of the timber men.
Be-
AGRICULTURAL.-With scarcely more than 40 square miles out of
the original forest it may readily be seen that little farming has ever
been done in Clay. The soil is fertile having a depth of from 4 to
6 inches on the hills and a foot or more in the level lands. The
steepness of the hills is all that keeps Clay from being an excellent
farming county, and this does not interfere with stock raising. The
hillsides are rich and bring good grass. They are excellent for pas-
turage and stock, and sheep raising would be as profitable here as in
any of the surrounding counties. The county is also well adapted
for fruit growing.
DODDRIDGE COUNTY.
Location and CHARACTER. -Doddridge county lies north of the
center of the State, about equi-distant between this center and the
#
:
L
138
Doddridge County.
-
southern end of the panhandle. Through the center of the county
from east to west the Baltimore and Ohio road extends, by way of
which West Union, the county seat, is distant from Parkersburg 55
miles, from Wheeling 150 miles, from Martinsburg 225, from Balti-
more 339, from Cincinnati 250, from Chicago 555 miles Rising in
the south eastern portion of the county and flowing toward the north
west, Middle Island creek divides the county about in halves. The
northern half is watered by McElroy creek, the southern by Hughes
river. The surface of the county is rolling and hilly, not moun-
tainous nor steep. The valleys are numerous with broad and fertile
bottoms along the many creeks. A rich and productive soil covers
the entire county, hills and all, making Doddridge one of the best
agricultural counties in the State.
COAL.--Through nearly all the county coal is found in the hill
sides but in veins not over 3 feet thick. None is mined except for
local use and very little for that. The same veins that are worked
in Harrison county are found in Doddridge from 80 to 100 feet be-
neath the earth. They are about 7 and 11 feet thick respectively.
Options were recently secured by Eastern parties on several thous-
and acres of land in the county their intention being to shaft and
mine these underground coal veins, but financial difficulty prevent-
ed the carrying out of the enterprise.
TIMBER. - Fully half the county is still in timber, a good deal of
which has been culled, leaving from a fourth to a third in untouch-
ed timber. What has been taken out has gone down the water
courses which liberally supply the county with transportation for
timber, or has been hauled to the railroad over tramroads which are
numerous and of considerable length, one of them being 20 miles
in length and over which vast quantities of timber have been
hauled. In most places where the timber has been removed it has
been all taken, staves, ties, telegraph poles, hoop poles and tan bark
all going along with the saw timber and leaving the land cleared
and ready for farming. The timber that is left embraces oak, asb,
hickory, poplar and a little walnut. Others are numerous but
these are the principal kinds. The rich soil, which produces good
crops of all kinds, has also produced a good timber crop and the
trees are large and fine, making excellent timber and a great deal of
it. With good timber and accessibility to market the forests of
DODDRIDGE COUNTY.
1
139
Doddridge are very valuable. Wild lands can be bought for from
$8 to $10 per acre.
OIL AND GAS.-Little is known of the Doddridge county oil field
except by the producers. Oil is found in nearly every part of the
county north of the railroad, but little is known of the value of the
field save that oil is found, and that, whatever the quantities, there
is enough to make the business profitable, the operating companies
keeping to themselves all they know. Nearly all of the county is
taken up in oil leases, though some tracts are not yet leased. A
new field has recently been opened up near the center of the county
and one of the wells there produces at the rate of 50 barrels per
day. Little is known of the others, but pipe lines and tanks are
being constructed, indicating plenty of oil. South of the railroad
and near the Harrison county line one of the strongest gas wells
known has been bored, and pipes are now laid, piping the gas to
Clarksburg to light and heat that town.
AGRICULTURAL. Of the 160,000 acres in the county about one
half is in farms. The entire county is well adapted to farming, well
watered, fertile, gently rolling, the hills productive as well as the
low lands, with an excellent climate for farming and stock raising.
Wheat, corn and the other cereals yield well, and all the products
of the farm consumed in the county are raised at home, but not
much more. More attention has been given to timbering and oil
than to farming, but the latter is now receiving more attention than
formerly, and is a growing industry. Farm lands are cheap, selling
at from $8 to $20 per acre, and as good a farm as there is in the
county can be bought for $15 per acre. The county is particularly
adapted to sheep, and a good deal of attention is given them, and
indeed all kinds of stock. The county has a limestone soil and
produces magnificent blue grass, equalling that grown in any por-
tion of the State Cattle are raised in large numbers and shipped
to eastern markets, principally to Baltimore. The excellent grass
and the abundance of water make Doddridge a fine stock county.
Horses are raised and recently the stock has been much improved.
The same is true of sheep, and last summer Doddridge county
spring lambs brought in eastern markets a higher price than any
others on the market.
う
​Ang a w
140
FAYETTE COUNTY.
FAYETTE COUNTY.
LOCATION AND CHARACTER.--About midway between the center
of the State and the southern border is Fayette county, in size the
fifth one in the State. It is high and mountainous, the surface
badly broken. Taking a general north-western course the New
river flows through the county, joining with the Gauley river to
form the Great Kanawha which flows some 13 miles within this
county. The entire course of these rivers through the county is
marked by canyons, precipices and bluffs. They cut deep down
below the level of the greater part of the county and wash and
tumble over and among the great rocks that fill their beds, between
steep walls of rock several hundred feet in height. The grand
canyon of the New river which delights the eye of every passen-
ger on the C. & O. R'y is seven or more hundred feet above the bed
of the river while back on either side the surface of the county,
somewhat broken, but principally rolling table land, is far above
the level of the river. In the northern part the county is very high,
some of the mountains reaching a considerable height. About three
miles below the junction of the New and Gauley rivers are the falls
of the Great Kanawha, 14 feet in height. Numerous streams flow
into these three rivers in the county, but none are navigable save
the Kanawha beginning several miles below the falls. The other
streams are rough and rocky and scarcely suitable for floating tim-
ber even. Fayette, particularly along the railroad, is thickly set-
tled, its people being principally engaged in mining and coke mak-
ing. Following the banks of the New river the Chesapeake & Ohio.
railway passes through the county. Most of the distance it is built
on both sides of the river, the banks on either side being too nar-
row to admit of double tracking. Several short coal roads connect
the mines located up the creeks with the C & O. R'y, and recently
the Kanawha & Michigan railway has been extended up from
Charleston to the mouth of Gauley river where a connection with
the C. & O. is made. Fayetteville, the county seat, is four miles
from Fayette station on the C. & O., situated on the high land
above the river. From Fayetteville to Charleston is 54 miles, to
Huntington 104, to Wheeling 282, to Richmond 323, to Cincinnati
265, to Chicago 570.
FAYETTE COUNTY.
141
:
COAL. -Fayette stands far above all the other counties in the
State in coal and coke production. For filty miles along the C. &
O. is almost an unbroken line of coal mines and coke ovens, there
being 42 coal mines in operation in the county. In the year end-
ing June 30, 1891, Fayette employed 3,656 men at her 42 mines and
1,158 coke ovens. The coal production was 1,737,617 tons, the coke
326,984. In 1892 the number of employes had grown to 4,301, of
coke ovens to 1,334, with 32 more building The coal production
was 1,564,579 tons, the coke 680,216. The coal found in the county
is all magnificent coking coal, analyses of which may be seen in
preceding pages of this work. The coke is higher in fixed carbon
and lower in sulphur than most of the other cokes made in America,
and is coming into general use. The increase in the coke produc-
tion of Fayette county in the last year will be seen by the above
figures to be over 100 per cent. and still the industry is growing.
New railroad lines are projected in all directions, new mines are
being opened, and the coal and coke industry in Fayette county has
just begun to grow to great proportions. The workable seams of
coal within the county are given as follows: Quinnimont, 3 to 6
feet thick; Fire Creek, 3 to 4 feet; Nuttallburg, 3 to 4 feet;
Clarion, 5 feet; Lower Kittanning, 7 feet; Upper Kittanning, 5 feet;
Lower Freeport, 5 feet; Upper Freeport, 7 feet. In many places
several seams are found, one above the other.
IRON.-Good iron ores are found in Fayette, and have been suc-
cessfully worked. But little attention has ever been given to them
because of the greater importance and prevalence of the coal.
FIRE CLAY.-In a county where so much fire brick is used in the
construction of coke ovens as in Fayette, deposits of fire clay must
be of great value. In Fayette beds are found of varying thick-
nesses ranging up to eighteen feet. Hitherto it has not been put to
use to any great extent, though why it should not be is hard to see.
The clay is equal to that found anywhere, and is close to the mines.
where it is used. It is also on a line of railroad which would offer
cheap freight rates for fire and paving brick for which there is al-
ways good demand.
mala
TIMBER.-Fayette is filled with the finest timber. Along the
rivers and the railroads about all has been cut out, and in the better
upland farming regions much has been removed, but still perhaps

142
GILMER COUNTY.
VE AN ANI
one half the county is now in timber. Oak is the principal wood,
though many other kinds abound and fill the forests. Timber op-
erations are largely carried on, and several large saw mills are run-
ning in the county, cutting up the products of the forests.
AGRICULTURAL.-While parts of the county are rough and rugged
the greater portion is well suited to certain kinds of agriculture. The
high, rich lands of the greater part of the county are admirably
adapted to the raising of tobacco and none raised in the State will
excel in quality that which comes from Fayette county. Last year
in Lynchburg and Richmond markets Fayette tobacco brought very
near the highest price brought by any tobacco raised in the United
States. Corn is grown to some extent but tobacco and grass take
the place, to a large extent, of the cereals. The land produces ex-
cellent grass and pasturage, and sheep and cattle thrive. But not
much attention is given to farming, the chief industries of the
county being the mining of coal and making of coke.
C
GILMER COUNTY.
LOCATION AND CHARACTER -Gilmer lies slightly to the northwest
of the centre of the State. The county, like those about it, is not
mountainous, but rolling and hilly. Through the centre of the
county winds the Little Kanawha river, which is in times of high
water navigable as far up as Glenville for steamboats, and at all
seasons furnishes means of transportation for logs and light mer-
chandise. The waters of the Little Kanawha are well distributed
over the entire county. The soil is clay and loam enriched with
limestone and very productive, and no part of it is valueless. Glen-
ville, the county seat, is 96 miles by river from Parkersburg. The
closest railroad point is Weston, 28 miles from Glenville, which is
by this route 175 miles from Wheeling, 369 from Baltimore, 330
from Cincinnati and 631 from Chicago. Upon the completion of
the Charleston, Clendennin and Sutton railroad the distance from
Glenville to Charleston by Weston and railroad will be 172 miles.
The Ravenswood, Spencer and Glenville railroad is now completed
to Spencer and its extension to Glenville is contemplated within
the near future. The construction of a railroad up the Little Kan-
awha valley from Parkersburg to a connection with the West Vir-
ginia and Pittsburg railroad is contemplated and will undoubtedly
GILMER COUNTY.
143
be built within a short time, giving to all the Little Kanawha coun-
ties railroad connection both east and west. The roads of Gilmer
county are very good and well kept up.
COAL.-Going up the little Kanawha valley the first coal above
the water level is found in the hills near Glenville, where a 5 foot
vein, 75 feet above the river, supplies the town. In the western
portion of the county coal is found but it is under the ground.
The entire county is full of very fine coal, the veins ranging from
21 to 16 feet in thickness. The 16 foot vein is found in the south-
ern part of county. For want of shipping facilities none of the
Gilmer coal has ever been mined save for the local needs of the
people of the county, but with a view to inducing railroad construc-
tion the coal has been opened and tested and it is found to be equal
to the very best West Virginia coking coal. The county is abund-
antly supplied with the finest of coals and only a railroad is needed
to develop it and bring Gilmer up to a high rank among the coal
producing counties of the State.
OIL. Recently some oil has been found in the county. A test
well at Glenville was put down some months ago and some oil was
found, but the company had difficulty in boring and while indica-
tions of a good well were found, the boring stopped before oil was
reached in any quantities.
TIMBER-Over half the county is still covered with magnificent
timber, principally oak. Poplar timber is pretty well removed from
Gilmer county, but the very finest kind of oaks remain, all kinds
of which abound. Some white pine is found in the western por-
tion of the county, but the principal kinds of timber are the hard
woods, linn and poplar. A few saw mills are at work in the county,
hut the most of the timber is floated down the Little Kanawha to
lower markets, transportation being afforded in this way at all sea-
sons of the year. In some portions of the county the timber re-
mains as yet untouched, and offers an inviting field to lumber men.
Tanbark is found in abundance.
IRON, CLAY, ETC.--Some iron ore is found in the county, but it
has never been developed at all, and the value or extent of it is not
known. Limestone is found though not in large quantities. There
is a very fine quality of fire clay, which is found in abundance, but
it has never been utilized.
144
GRANT COUNTY.
|
AGRICULTURAL.-Stripped of its timber the land in Gilmer is very
fine for agricultural purposes. It is in West Virginia's fine blue
grass belt and this, the finest of all grasses for stock, springs up
spontaneously and forms an excellent sod. The hills are produc-
tive to their tops, and excellent hillside pasturage is afforded in every
portion of the county. Cattle and sheep are now raised in consid-
erable numbers, but the fact that over half the county is still in
forests in which the blue grass grows as soon as the timber is taken
off, shows the opportunities still offered to cattle and sheep raisers.
The climate is mild and the feeding period short. But not alone
for grazing is the county suited. The soil is fertile and very produc-
tive, and crops of all kinds yield well. Farming lands will range in
value from $5 to $15 per acre, with $10 a fair average. Unimproved
lands will average about $3 per acre.
GRANT COUNTY.
LOCATION AND CHARACTER.--The Potomac river which forms the
northern boundary of the entire eastern portion of the State, has
its source at the corner of Grant and Tucker counties, from which
point the State boundary line passes directly north to Pennsylvania.
From this point the Potomac runs along the northwestern border of
Grant in its course to the sea. Through the center of the county
passes the main Alleghany range of mountains, and through the
southern portion of the county flows the South Branch of the Po-
tomac river. The entire county is very mountainous, though with
fertile valleys between the ranges, many of them broad and all pro-
ductive. The mountains are all high and most of them steep,
though in most places suited for pasturage, and lie in ranges between
which the surface is level. These valleys compose a portion of the
finest farming lands in the State. The roads between the moun-
tains are very good, those across the mountains rough. Through
the entire length of the county, from the Potomac to the South
Branch of the same, a railroad has been surveyed and a large sub-
scription has been voted by the county for its construction. Along
the Western border the West Virginia Central and Pittsburg rail-
road has been constructed, giving connections north and south. The
most accessible railroad point for Petersburg, the county seat, is
Romney, 38 miles away, on a branch, or Keyser, 42 miles away, on
ľ
GRANT COUNTY.
the main line, of the B. & O. By Romney the distance to Martins-
burg is 118 miles, to Baltimore 232. By Keyser it is 221 miles to
Wheeling, 225 to Parkersburg, 421 to Cincinnati and 689 to Chicago.
The completion of the W. Va. C. & P. to a connection with the
Chesapeake and Ohio, which is contemplated, would put Grant
much closer to Charleston and the southern part of the State.
:
145
COAL.--The Pittsburg or Connellsville coking coal covers about
one half of Grant county, extending as far east over the county as
the eastern front of the Alleghanies. Until recently no coal had
ever been mined in this county, but the construction of a railroad
through the county gave coal mining an impetus and some mines
were opened along the line of the railroad. But while coal abounds
in fully half the county, few if any developments have been made
save immediately along the railroad. The coal is the fine coking
coal which has made Connellsville famous, and is now being worked
in several counties in West Virginia. The "Big Vein," 14 feet thick,
is found in Grant and worked a little. Other veins are found of vary-
ing thickness, but though they are workable, none of them have ever
been opened or mined. A railroad through the county, one which
would do more than skirt along the edge, would do much toward
developing the coal of Grant county.
IRON.-The mountains of Grant county are liberally stored with
red and brown hematite and red fossiliferous hematite iron ores.
The latter ore is that worked in the prosperous iron regions of
Pennsylvania, and at Birmingham, Ala. But there seems to be a
thickening of the veins in West Virginia, and while only a few
inches in thickness both north and south of West Virginia, it here
reaches a considerable thickness. In Grant county five parallel
strata or seams of the red fossiliferous hematite ore are found, of the
following thicknesses: 8 feet, 18 feet, 13 feet, 11 feet and 7 feet, mak-
ing a total thickness of 57 feet of valuable iron ore containing from
50 to 60 per cent. pure iron. This ore is richer and in thicker beds
than that of Pennsylvania and Alabama, is within a few miles of
the finest kinds of coking coals, and among inexhaustible quantities
of limestone, and only transportation is wanting to make this one
of the great iron producing sections of the country. Above the
red fossiliferous ores are vast quantities of brown hematite ores of
great value. From these ores iron was made before the war, and
@
:
.:.
Panda angkat anta
146
GRANT COUNTY.
..
A
there are now in use a number of stoves which were cast of pig iron
made from native ores within the county.
LIMESTONE, CLAY, ETC.--Limestone is found in inexhaustible
quantities, and of several different varieties in all parts of the
county. A hydraulic limestone is also found, and excellent lime,
both common and hydraulic, is made. The lime is of the finest
kind, equal to the Berkeley county lime, which is in good demand.
A very fine quality of fire clay is found, but it has never been
utilized, and the extent of it is not known.
A soft sandstone, very valuable for building purposes, is found in
several places in the mountains of this county. When quarried
the stone is very soft and may be sawed or cut into any shape de-
sired, but after exposure to the air it becomes almost as hard as
flint. It makes an excellent building stone.
TIMBER. In over half the county the timber is still standing.
A good deal of farm land has been cleared, and since the construc-
tion of the railroad in the western part of the county, considerable
timber has been taken out, some of the largest lumber plants in
the State being along that line, but there are from 150,000 to 200,-
G00 acres of the county still covered with magnificent timber of
every kind. The high mountain regions are covered with white
and other pines, and black spruce, much of which has been dead-
ened by the pine destroying insect, and most of which is now being
cut to save it. The most of the remainder of the timber is white
or chestnut oak, though cherry, ash, poplar, beech and maples are
abundant. But the distance from market and the difficulty in
reaching it have offered little incentive to timber men to cut this
timber, except along the railroad where a great deal of timber is
now being cut There is an enormous quantity of tanbark in the
county, the oaks being the most abundant timber, with their wealth
of tanbark, and there are a few tanneries in the county, one quite
large one. Getting out tanbark will long be one of the principal
industries of the county.
principal occupation
most valuable farms
AGRICULTURAL.-Farming is at present the
of the people of the county, and some of the
in the State are found in the valleys of Grant and the other South
Branch counties. The price of farming lands in the county runs
up to $50 and $100 per acre, and will average about $25. The soil
-
GRANT COUNTY.
147
in the valleys is like that of Hardy and the other South Branch
counties, almost inexhaustible. One man in Grant county has a
river bottom farm on which corn has been raised without alterna-
tion year after year since the oldest resident of the county can recol-
lect, certainly for 80 or 90 years, perhaps for 100, and the yield is
just as good today as it ever was. The soil seems never to wear out
and produces magnificent crops.
Yields of 100 bushels of corn per
not rare
All kinds of farming is
acre, or even more, are
conducted, but the raising of cattle and corn are the principal
industries of the county.
The river bottoms are princi-
pally used for cultivation, the hills for pasturage. Very fine cattle
are grown, principally for the export trade, for which those over
1400 pounds in weight are chiefly used. Large numbers of cattle
are raised and shipped annually. Not so much attention is paid to
sheep raising as to cattle, though a great many are sold every year.
Cleared of its timber this county would afford pasturage and grains
for several times as many cattle and sheep as are now grown.
MINERAL WATERS. - There are a great many sulphur and chalyb-
eate springs in this county, some of the waters of which possess
very valuable medicinal properties.
GREENBRIER COUNTY.
LOCATION AND CHARACTER. Greenbrier, next to the largest county.
in the State, borders on the Virginia line, south of the center of
West Virginia. The eastern border is along the top of the main
Alleghany range of mountains, and the entire eastern portion of the
county is very high and mountainous. In the western portion are
also many mountains, while the central portion-about one-half the
county-is an elevated plateau, undulating but not hilly, very fer-
tile and productive. East of the center of the county, dividing the
plateau region from the mountains, the Greenbrier river flows from
north to south through the entire county, turning in the southern
portion toward the west, and uniting in the next county on the
west with the New river. The Greenbrier river flows almost the
entire length of the county through a deep gorge, the mountains on
one side, the level plateau far above the river on the other. The
central portion of the county is of limestone formation and caverns.
underlie it, so that streams of water frequently disappear beneath
148
GREENBRIER COUNTY.
:
the earth never, so far as known, to re-appear again At other places
great streams of pure spring water gush out of the sides of hills and
make excellent power for water mills, many of which are built to
utilize this power. In the north and west of the county are Cherry
and Meadow rivers, both tributaries of the Gauley, which water
well that portion of the county, and afford means of transportation
for the timber. Good turnpike roads penetrate nearly every portion
of the county and center at the county seat. Through the southern
portion of the county, from east to west passes the Chesapeake and
Ohio railroad. Lewisburg, the county seat, is 4 miles from this rail-
road, by way of which the distance to Charleston is 135 miles, to
Richmond 242, to Cincinnati 346 and to Chicago 651 miles. Green-
brier is perhaps the most highly favored with natural resources of
all the counties in the State.
COAL.-The Flat Top or New River coking coal field, so exten-
sively worked in those districts, and from which the finest coke in
the State is made, extends into Greenbrier county from the west,
covering about one-third of the county, or some 200,000 acres.
Throughout all this section of the county three workable seams of
coal are found, besides several smaller ones The three that may be
profitably worked are the Quinnimont seam, about 3 feet 4 inches
thick, the Fire Creek seam, just above, 4 feet 2 inches thick, and
above this the Sewell or Nuttall seam, ranging in places from 5 to
7 feet thick. These thicknesses will vary some, but a recent
opening which gave them as 3 feet 8 inches, 4 feet 2 inches and 6
feet 11 inches respectively showed about the average thickness.
These veins are all above the level of the earth, and are found in
the hill sides. No coal has ever been mined in the county, there
being no means of getting it to market, and no developments have
been made, but throughout all that territory watered by Clear creek,
Meadow river, Hominy and Cherry and extending into Fayette
and Nicholas counties the coal is known to exist.
This is the very
best coal for making coke and its proximity to the iron of the
county makes it the more valuable. The same veins are all worked
on New river, in Fayette county, and successfully coked, New River
coke being unsurpassed by any.
IRON.-This county lies in the heart of the richest iron region in
the State. Following the Alleghany mountains for almost their
GREENBRIER COUNTY.
149
entire length deposits of iron ore are found, and though the ores
have never been developed in West Virginia, some investigation of
them has been made and something is now known of their value and
extent The iron of Greenbrier is found in the mountains in the east-
ern portion of the county in great abundance and of fine quality.
Brown hematite is the principal ore, and analyses of the ores found
in the mountains of Greenbrier and similar ores in counties ad-
joining, where investigations have been carried further, show that
the amount of iron in the ores ranges from 45.92 to 58 83 per cent.
The value of the ore is considerably, enhanced by reason of the
proximity of limestone and coking coal, necessary for making iron
from the ores. Placed by direct railroad communication within
easy reach of the ore beds there is nothing to prevent this region,
which includes the neighboring counties of Pocahontas, Greenbrier
and Monroe, from becoming one of the greatest iron producing re-
gions in the United States. Greenbrier is the central one of these
three, and has already railroad communication, and the opening of
the iron mines will mark a new and prosperous era for the county.
TIMBER.-Every variety of valuable timber found in the State
grows in Greenbrier county. And although the county has a mer-
ited reputation as an agricultural county and for the extent of its
agricultural interests, there are still from one-half to two-thirds of
the county covered with the natural forests. In the highest alti-
tudes in the northern portion of the county are found large forests
of the black spruce or "yew pine." This black spruce, together
with cherry, birch and sugar, grows principally along the waters of
Cherry river. In the northeastern part of the county is a very
large tract of fine white pine, which has until recently been un-
touched. The ravages of the pine destroying insect have threatened
the destruction of the white pine forests, and as a means of protec-
tion a portion of the timber is being cut. There was at one time
an abundance of the finest walnut timber, but it was destroyed and
wasted, and today fences may be seen in the county built of black
walnut rails. Spruce, pine and poplar are the principal soft woods,
while the hard woods, which are found both in the eastern and west-
ern portions of the county, are principally oaks, cherry, chestnut,
maple, birch, hickory, ash and locusts. The Greenbrier, Meadow
and Cherry rivers and their tributaries make the timber of the
150
GREENBRIER COUNTY.
county accessible to market. The mountains in the eastern portion
of the county are covered with magnificent oaks of several varieties,
and the value of the tanbark in the oak forests is almost incalcula-
ble. With plenty of hides and tanbark in abundance there would
seem to be inviting openings for the establishment of tanneries.
MARBLE, STONE, CLAY, ETC.-In the northeastern part of the county
among the Beaver Lick mountains a carboniferous limestone or
marble is found, very fine grained and soft, susceptible of a high
polish and very pretty. It is exactly the same as the famous Ten-
nessee marble, and can be traced along the mountains all the way
from Tennessee. In the southwestern portion of the county near
the mouth of Muddy creek, in the hills above the Greenbrier river,
a ledge of very pretty gray marble has been found, but it has never
been developed.
In the western part of the county appears the brown sandstone,
which is found on both sides of Greenbrier and New rivers, in
Greenbrier, Monroe and Summers counties. This is a beautiful
brown stone, and the quarries which have but recently been opened.
are in constant receipt of more orders than they can conveniently
fill. Quite a large area of this sandstone lies in Greenbrier county.
Other building stones are abundant, both sand and lime stones.
Under the central portion of the county there are some 800 feet of
limestone, but this runs out just a little to the west of Greenbrier
river, and east of the river some very fine fire and potter's clays are
found. Little is known of their extent or indeed of anything more
than their existence.
At the mouth of Second creek, in the southwestern corner of the
county, gypsum or plaster paris is found, but it has never been.
utilized.
AGRICULTURE,Under this heading Greenbrier county would
stand close to, if not at, the top of the list of counties in West Vir-
ginia. The most magnificent blue grass springs up in every portion
of the county as soon as the forests are removed and no part of
Kentucky can excel the plateau region of Greenbrier county in the
production of fine blue grass sod The luxuriance with which this
blue grass grows and the excellent pasturage it affords for almost
the entire year have caused this to become a famous stock raising
county. Nearly 4,000 head of cattle alone are exported from Green-
GREENBRIER COUNTY.
151
brier annually. Many of them go to the eastern markets, though
the best market for the larger stock is in Liverpool, and many of
them weighing 1400 pounds and over are sent every year direct to
Liverpool where they bring a better price than at home. Greenbrier
cattle are eagerly sought in the Baltimore and New York markets
also. A great many horses are raised and none but good ones. The
horses of the county are nearly all of blooded stock and some of
them have made records on the race course. The roads are kept in
good shape and the horses used a great deal and there is encourage-
ment to breed none but good stock. Sheep raising is a prominent
industry in the county and a profitable one. With little attention
the sheep flourish and yield a handsome profit. Spring lambs at
six months will average about 75 pounds in weight and the average
weight of a sheep's wool in the county is about 6 pounds. Cattle
and sheep raising are the principal occupations of the people, though
other branches of farming receive attention. The soil of the coun-
ty is fertile and produces well, whatever the crop.
Even the lands
now in forests are rich and very productive and need only to be
cleared to make fine farms. Cereals of all kinds yield well. Wheat
and corn are raised and fruits do well, a good deal being produced
every year. With pasture unsurpassed, the county is naturally a
good one for dairy products, and Greenbrier creamery butter is
favorably known in many places During the summer months a
great deal of cream, milk and buttermilk is sent to neighboring
summer resorts while in the winter the entire product is made into
butter. The county is excellently watered and the grass is green
almost the entire year.
MINERAL WATERS.-Greenbrier has as fine limestone springs as
can be found in any place. The entire county is supplied with
clear, pure, spring water, almost ice cold the year round. Besides
these there are numerous sulphur and other mineral springs. Several
kinds of sulphur water pour forth from the interior of the earth
emitting odors suggestive of the place commonly supposed to occupy
the center of the earth, and fashionable pleasure and health resorts
are kept at the springs. At one hotel, at least, in the county, the
guests are numbered among the thousands every summer. Many
of these waters are remarkable in their health giving properties.
152
HAMPSHIRE COUNTY.
@
HAMPSHIRE COUNTY.
LOCATION AND CHARACTER.--The first county West of the three
which compose the eastern "panhandle" is Hampshire. On the
north it is separated from Maryland by the Potomac river. The
eastern boundary separates the two Virginias. Through the west-"
ern portion of the county from south to north flows the South Branch
of the Potomac river, uniting with the main Potomac river in this
county. In the eastern portion of the county, almost parallel to
the South Branch, flows the Capon river. The Baltimore and Ohio
railroad follows the Potomac river along the northern boundary,
while a branch of the same road extends 16 miles from the main
line to Romney, the county seat, which thus has direct railroad con-
nection with the world. The distance to Martinsburg by rail is 80
miles, to Baltimore 191, to Wheeling 232, to Parkersburg 236, to
Cincinnati 431, and to Chicago 699 miles. Parallel to the B. & O.
railroad on the opposite side of the Potomac river, flows the Chesa-
peake and Ohio canal, affording cheap transportation from Cumber-
land, Maryland, to Washington, D. C. The county is principally
mountainous or hilly, not over a fifth of the county being level
land, but what is level, and even the hilly portion is very rich and
productive. The valleys between the mountain ranges are broad
and parts of them rolling or hilly, the hilly portion being about
equal in extent to the mountainous. Hampshire is one of the most
favored counties in the State, possessing perhaps a greater variety
of resources than any other county, though not in such abundance
as some others.
i
COAL Though not claiming much in the way of coal, Hamp-
shire county is not without that valuable commodity Near the
top of one of the highest mountains in the county a 7-foot vein
of bituminous coal has been found. The extent of the vein is not
large, being over a comparatively small portion of the county. It
has been found in but one place as yet, but there is another moun-
tain near by which shows identically the same geological formation
and reaches the same or a greater height on which it is supposed
the same coal may be found. There are traces also of anthracite
coal which is found in the adjoining county of Morgan and in
Berkeley, but sufficient explorations have not been made to prove
HAMPSHIRE COUNTY.
153
i
its existence in Hampshire. A kind of shale is found at about the
level of the river which does not burn like coal, but when mixed
with coal or wood and kept burning with them, emits a much more
intense heat than either one. It is thought that underlying this
shale anthracite coal may be found.
IRON —There are vast deposits of brown hematite iron ore of the
finest quality throughout Hampshire county, samples of which
show upon analysis 51 and 52 per cent. of metallic iron. This ore
exists in enormous quantities in the greater part of the county, it
being believed that one entire mountain is composed mainly of it.
Eighty years ago three charcoal iron furnaces were established in the
county and considerable iron was produced, but competition with
furnaces on railroads run with cheap coal was too strong for them
and they were abandoned, the last of them some ten years since.
There are also found fine samples of red hematite, magnetic, man-
ganetic and specular iron ores, but their extent is not known, no
one ever having prospected for them very much. The red hem-
atite in particular seems to be very abundant. Samples of these
ores are found in various parts of the county and especially near
gaps in mountain ranges where the mountains have been broken
off and at the ends of ranges which have been broken, indicating
that the ores underlie the mountains and if proper efforts were made
to discover the deposits of these ores there is little doubt but they
would be found in abundance, for traces of them are innumerable.
But the people of the county have never thought they had the
money to expend in properly searching for these ores, and very lit-
tle work of this kind has ever been done. The abundance of the
evidence, though, makes it almost certain that the ores are to be
found in great quantities.
MANGANESE-The same reasons that have prevented the thorough
investigation of the iron ore deposits have prevented the discovery
of the full extent of the manganese deposits; but manganese is
known to exist in considerable quantities, several veins of it having
been already discovered.
PLUMBAGO, Plumbago or graphite is found in several places in
veins 2 and 3 inches thick Its discovery has been purely acci-
dental, no search has ever been made for it and its extent is un-
known, but it is hardly probable that the veins so far discovered
R
?
154
HAMPSHIRE COUNTY,
*
are all there are, and proper research would undoubtedly reveal
more.
OTHER MINERALS.-Besides those already mentioned traces of
other minerals are found, such as gold, silver, lead, copper and tin.
Specimens of ores have been found in Hampshire county bearing
each of these metals, but most of them show but slight traces.
Pieces of copper ore are found in a great many places, and the late
Prof. Baird, of the Smithsonian Institution at Washington, gave it
as his opinion that by going deep under the mountains copper
might be found. Lead is more abundant, and although the vein
has not yet been discovered, great pieces of almost pure galena are
frequently found, and it is known that in the early days the settlers
ran bullets from native lead, but the location was lost and search
has never been made for it.
MARBLE.
=
Among the limestone formations of the county are
found some beautiful black and white marbles. The black is known
to be found in abundance; the white is found in smaller quantities,
but it is supposed there is more of it hidden away in the earth's re-
cesses, awaiting only the looking for to reward the discoverer and
reward him richly.
STONE Limestone is found throughout the county, which is
valuable for building stone and from which lime is burned. There
is also a building sand stone that is found in the mountains. When
quarried it is soft and may be easily cut or sawed. Exposed to the
air it hardens and becomes as hard and durable as limestone.
GLASS SAND. - Glass sand of remarkable whiteness and purity is
found in the mountains along the South Branch valley in large
quantities
CLAYS.-Fire clays are abundant throughout the county in all
shades from almost a scarlet to blue and white. A potter's clay is
also found which but for a slight discoloration due to the presence.
of iron, would make porcelain ware.
TIMBER. About half the county is still well covered with timber.
The valleys have been cleared for years but the mountains are all
well timbered with oak, hickory, ash and other hard woods, some
pine and poplar. The pine has mostly fallen a victim to the ravages
of the pine destroying insect. The South Branch and Capon rivers
flow through the entire length of the county and afford the means
HAMPSHIRE COUNTY.
155
of timber transportation at all seasons of the year. Chestnut oak
is abundant and tanbark is a source of considerable wealth to the
county. Several tanneries are located in the county, utilizing most
of the bark that is now produced.
AGRICULTURAL.-There are some very fine farms in Hampshire
county. The river bottoms are well adapted to agriculture, the hill
and mountain lands to grazing. With this combination stock
growing is the natural consequence and Hampshire cattle are well
and favorably known in cattle markets. The level lands produce
good crops, being specially suited for corn, which is used for fatten-
ing the cattle which graze the greater portion of the year upon the
hills. Blue grass grows luxuriantly and Hampshire shares the rep-
utation of the entire South Branch valley as a most excellent agri-
cultural region. Sheep thrive with little care and are very profit-
able. Fruit does well upon the high lands and a good deal is pro-
duced.
MINERAL SPRINGS.-There are a number of sulphur, iron and
chalybeate springs in the county, one sulphur spring in particular
being remarkably fine water, equal in all respects to the White Sul-
phur water of Greenbrier county. The Capon springs have been for
many years a favorite resort for persons in search of health.
Less than 20 miles from Romney is a remarkable natural curiosi-
ty, the wonderful "Ice Mountain," where ice stored by nature is
kept packed away in the loose rock that composes the mountain
and may be found all through the hottest summer.
HANCOCK COUNTY.
LOCATION AND CHARACTER. -In the extreme north of the State,
the last county in that narrow strip of West Virginia which sepa-
rates Ohio from Pennsylvania, is Hancock county, the smallest but
one in the State. The Ohio river separates it on the north and west
from the State of Ohio, and on the east lies Pennsylvania. A
branch of the P. C. C. & St. L. railroad extends from the main line
in Brooke county to New Cumberland, the county seat of Hancock,
a distance of some 10 miles. The county, it will thus be seen, is
admirably situated, having communication with the world by both
river and rail. The distance by river from New Cumberland to
Pittsburg is 60 miles, to Cincinnati 445. By rail the distance to
[

156
HANCOCK COUNTY.
A
Pittsburg is 49 miles, to Wheeling 37, to Huntington 252, to Balti-
timore 430, to Chicago 528. The county is in the main hilly, the
valleys narrow. But hills and valleys are both fertile and none of
the land too steep for pasture. The county is well developed, and
has several very profitable resources. There is practically no tim-
ber in the county, merely enough being left for use on the farms.
But other resources fully make up for the want of timber.
COAL Three workable veins of good coal underlie the entire
county. These veins are high in the eastern part of the county, but
dip toward the west until they pass beneath the bed of the Ohio
river, being found some 25 feet beneath the water level on the Ohio
shore. The coal is a good soft fuel coal, not suited for coking, but
burns well. The upper vein is about 4 feet, the second 3 feet, the
lower one about 3 feet in thickness. Immediately below the lowest.
vein is a ten-foot bed of fire clay, which is extensively mined.
When once the clay is taken from beneath the coal the latter is
readily mined. The coal is cut along the sides, a wedge is driven in
above and the entire thickness of the vein is brought down at once.
The cost of mining coal in this way is not over one cent a bushel.
The coal is used in the brick kilns and potteries, but the thickness
of the vein is not in proportion to the thickness of the clay bed,
and not enough is mined for use in the county, and a part of the
coal used in Hancock is brought in from Pennsylvania.
FIRE CLAY.-An inexhaustible supply of fire clay, extends over ·
the entire county, and forms the basis for what has grown to be the
largest fire and paving brick industry in the United States. For
several miles along the river in this county brick, tile and pottery
works follow each other in as close proximity as possible. Most
excellent clay, cheap fuel and good shipping facilities make the
business profitable, and New Cumberland, a flourishing town of
nearly 3,000 people, has been built up by this one industry alone.
There has been a constant growth in this business, and as the paving
of roadways with brick comes more into use the business will in-
crease the more. In 1867 there were 6,800,000 fire brick made in
Hancock county. In 1878 there were a million more. In 1892 the
estimated production of the county was 70,000,000 brick. These sell
for from eight to ten dollars per thousand at the kiln, so that the
value to the county of the brick business is now something like
M
HANCOCK COUNTY.
157
P
two-thirds of a million dollars a year. Besides the brick business
the tile and pottery industry consumes a great deal of clay and is
worth a good many thousand dollars a year to the county. Clay
products from Hancock county are sent to all parts of the world,
the demand is increasing and the supply of clay is practically in-
exhaustible.
STONE. Limestone is found in abundance, there are large quan-
tities of sandstone suitable for building purposes, and a flagstone is
found in a portion of the county that is very desirable for paving
and always finds ready sale in the Pittsburg market.
OIL Hancock county was in about the first oil and gas field de-
veloped in the country. Gas was found there several years ago in
great quantities, and was used in the kilns and potteries at a great
saving in fuel, but the flow has ceased. Following the gas develop-
ment oil was sought in Hancock county and not in vain. The yield.
was large and though diminished some the field is still productive.
The depression in the price of oil has removed the inducements for
large production and the quantity of oil produced annually is now
smaller than it was some years ago. The present output is esti-
mated at 100,000 barrels a year, on which the farmers receive as
royalty something like $5,000, without so much as turning a hand.
AGRICULTURE —The soil of Hancock county is rich and produc-
tive. It is a remarkably fine grazing county, and its fruit interests.
are perhaps the largest in the State. All the Ohio river counties
have a good soil, and this is no exception. Corn, wheat and all
kinds of grains do well. Vegetables of all kinds are raised to a con-
siderable extent, the cities in close proximity creating a market for
all that is grown.
This county shares the reputation which all the panhandle coun-
ties have for sheep raising. Very fine sheep are raised, and the
wool is of the best quality, bringing, along with that from neighbor-
ing counties, the top of the market price. Somewhat discouraged
by prices the farmers do not raise so many sheep as a few years ago,
but the number is beginning to increase and will eventually be very
considerable.
Fruit raising is a very important industry of this county, apples
receiving the principal attention. Though there was not over half
a crop last year the yield in Hancock county was something like
158
HARDY COUNTY.
:
50,000 barrels, a great many of which were shipped direct to Liver-
pool, competing in England with the markets of the world, and
bringing in return to the county of Hancock about $100,000 for
apples alone.
NEW CUMBERLAND, which in 1890 had 2,305 population, an in-
crease in ten years of 89.24 per cent, is the site of most of the brick
making plants. Thirteen large clay working plants are in operation
in the city. It is an enterprising place with wide, paved streets,
well lighted, handsome public buildings and some nice homes.
HARDY COUNTY.
LOCATION AND CHARACTER. The second county south of the east-
ern panhandle, and along the Virginia border, is Hardy. It is im-
mediately south of Hampshire county to which it is similar in
every respect, the same rivers, the same mountains passing through
both in the same direction. The division between the two counties
is purely an artificial one. In the western part of the county are
the South Branch river and the South Fork of the same. In the
eastern part is the Lost river, which disappears under a mountain
near the county line, to reappear in Hampshire as Cacapon river,
the Indian word for "found again." The county has the same high
mountains, the same broad and fertile valleys, the same general
character as Hampshire county, the valleys perhaps more fertile.
Moorefield, the county seat, is at the confluence of the South Branch
and the South Fork rivers, 27 miles above Romney, the closest rail-
railroad point, by way of which the distance from Moorefield to
Martinsburg is 107 miles, to Baltimore 221, to Parkersburg 263, to
Wheeling 259, to Cincinnati 458, to Chicago 726 miles.
Up to the present time no coal has ever been found in Hardy, and
it is probably one of three counties in the State without coal.
IRON.-The real extent of the iron ores of this county is hardly
known, though enough is known to make it certain that the depos-
its of iron in Hardy county are among the richest in the State.
Three veins of red fossiliferous hematite iron ore are found, their
thicknesses 8 inches, 1 foot 6 inches and 3 feet 3 inches respectively,
containing about 60 per cent. of iron. Above this bed three other
beds are found, 25 feet of red hematite, 30 feet of brown hematite,
and 14 feet of brown hematite, containing from 45 to 62 per cent.
HARDY COUNTY.
159
of iron
The thickness of another bed of brown hematite, which
was worked years ago, is unknown, having been dug into for 70 feet
without finding the bottom. There is every reason to believe that
the mountains in every portion of the county are filled with valua-
ble iron ores. Three charcoal furnaces were formerly operated in
this county but were abandoned because of competition with fur-
naces on railroads. Some of the ores found are almost pure iron.
A horseshoe made before the war in a Hardy county blacksmith
shop, direct from the ore, now hangs in the office of the Secretary
of State at Richmond. Several others have been made since.
STONE.-There is an abundance of limestone in every part of the
county in close proximity to the iron ores and valuable for use in
making pig iron. Lime is also burned from it of as excellent qual-
ity as that produced in any portion of the country. The supply of
limestone is inexhaustible and extends to every portion of the
county. There is good building limestone and sandstone in abun-
dance.
CLAYS. An excellent quality of fire clay is found in the county
in considerable quantities, while pipe and potter's clays are also
found. The latter has been worked to some extent and only its
unfavorable location prevents its becoming an important industry
in the county.
MINERAL WATERS. - Near Moorefield is a very fine white sulphur
spring and others are found in various parts of the county, all of
which are regarded as equal in value to the white sulphur springs
of Greenbrier county, which are so famous and to which they are
so very similar. Alum and chalybeate waters are found in many
places but none of the springs have ever been used save locally and
their properties are unknown beyond the limits of the county.
TIMBER.—The timber of Hardy county, is not, as a rule, fine,
though there are some good tracts. About a fourth of the county
is in good timber, but nearly three times as much is wooded. The
pine has nearly all been killed by the insect which has been so des-
tructive to all the pine forests of the State. The principal timber
of the county consists of white, chestnut and other varieties of oak,
which are found in great numbers in all the mountain regions of
the county. There is also some hickory and walnut. There is
very little poplar and the walnut is fast disappearing. As in the
160
HARDY COUNTY.
Na
other counties of the South Branch valley, there are enormous
quantities of tanbark, which together with the fact that there
are a great many cattle raised causes tanneries to flourish.
There are several large ones in this county and a good deal of
bark is sent out besides. There are vast quantities of timber suited.
for ties and te'egraph poles standing in the woods.
*
AGRICULTURAL.-Hardy is chiefly an agricultural county and
possesses some magnificent farms. There are three parallel valleys
in the county extending north and south-the South Branch, the
South Fork and the Lost River valleys. All are very fine with
broad bottoms and rich productive soil. This soil has been culti-
vated in places for over 100 years and is still as good as ever. No
fertilizers are needed. The soil is from 12 to 14 feet thick and if it
ever gets worn out needs only to be sown in clover for a while to
liven it up again and make it as good as ever. Corn is the principal
crop of the county and a magnificent corn country it is, too. The
average yield is over 50 bushels to the acre and not unfrequently a
good field will run up to from 65 to 90 bushels an acre and there is
one field the yield from which is said to have actually reached the
enormous amount of 166 bushels per acre. Wheat yields well
though it is not raised much. The soil is so strong the wheat grows.
rank, producing too much straw and not enough grain. Hardy is
one of the best stock-raising counties in West Virginia. Blue grass
grows spontaneously and covers the county with excellent pastur-
age wherever the trees are cleared away. Stock raising proves profit-
able and is largely engaged in. Hardy cattle are favorably known
in the cattle markets and are shipped in large numbers. Most of
them are export cattle, which must be unusually large and fine, and
are shipped direct to Liverpool or London. Sheep are not raised in
great numbers, the stock men believing cattle more profitable.
Some very fine horses are bred in Hardy county and all the horses
used in the county for farming or other purposes are well bred and
of good stock.
HARRISON COUNTY.
LOCATION AND CHARACTER.-The county of Harrison lies in the
northern part of the State about midway between the State of Mary-
land on the east and that of Ohio on the west. Dividing the county
HARRISON COUNTY.
161
&
almost into equal parts the West Fork river, a tributary of the Mon-
ongahela, flows toward the north. The river in this county is not
navigable, but with its numerous tributaries abundantly waters the
country through which it passes. From Clarksburg, the county
seat, southward runs the West Virginia and Pittsburg railroad, pen-
etrating the heart of West Virginia and reaching the richest coal
and timber lands in the State. A continuation of this line, under
the name of the Monongahela RiverRailroad connects Clarksburg with
Fairmont in the next county north and the Parkersburg branch of
the Baltimore and Ohio railroad runs through the county east and
west. The distance by rail from Clarksburg to Wheeling is 122
miles, to Parkersburg 82, to Martinsburg 202, to Charleston 216, to
Baltimore 316, to Cincinnati 277, to Chicago 582. The surface of the
county is rolling with low hills, mostly flat on top and all suitable
for grazing and cattle raising. In the western part of the county
the hills rise to a somewhat greater height than in the rest of the
county, but nowhere are they high or rugged. The county is almost all
available for farming or grazing purposes. It is one of the oldest
counties in the State, and consequently has been more thickly settled
and more generally cleared than many of the others. The early build-
ing of the B. & O. railroad through the county gave it an impetus.
that has pushed the county forward in advance of many others.
The later construction of the other roads mentioned has added
greatly to the prosperity of the county.
COAL. Harrison county lies in one of the best parts of the great
Pittsburg coal field, and for a great many years the develop-
ment of this coal has been going on. The principal vein in Harri-
son county averages from nine to ten feet in thickness, and pro-
duces an average of about 16,000 tons to the acre. The coal is
found above water level and is easily mined It is the finest kind
of bituminous coal, suitable for coking, steam and gas. It is ship-
ped to Chicago, Cleveland and the west generally as well as to the
east. In the New York markets last year the Harrison county coal
commanded 25 cents more on the ton than any other gas coal on
the market. Thirty feet above this principal vein is another smaller
one, and 70 feet above is still another from two to three feet in
thickness, but these are both too small to pay to work, and the only
operations in the county so far have been confined to the one vein.

162
HARRISON COUNTY.
}
Beneath the surface of the earth, some 480 feet below the Pittsburg
vein of coal, is a bed of the Upper Freeport coal from 4 to 5 feet
thick. This too is a good coking coal and will doubtless some day
be mined and sold. The reports of the State Mine Inspectors show
that for the year ending June 30, 1891, the six mines in Harrison
county produced 113,268 tons of coal and that 6,214 tons of coke
were made in the county. For the year ending June 30, 1892, the
production of coal was 142,960 tons and of coke 5,590 tons.
IRON.-Fifty years ago the iron industry in this county was a
thriving one. Iron abounds in all parts of the county and at that
time it was largely manufactured and products, such as nails and
various kinds of hollow ware, were floated down the Monongahela
river in great quantities and taken to the present great iron market.
of Pittsburg. But the industry has died out in this county. The
ore is still found in great quantities but not so rich as is found in
other places and the facilities for its manufacture and shipment are
not so good, so that now there is no iron made in the county.
CLAYS.--Fire and brick clays are found in considerable quanti-
ties but their real extent is yet unknown. Excellent ordinary red
brick are made, as good as are made anywhere, and are shipped in
large quantities, but no tests of the fire clays have ever been made.
They exist though, and it is thought that they are widely distrib-
uted and of excellent quality. Fine potter's clays are found and
these are worked at Shinnston and Bridgeport where crockery and
hollow ware are made in considerable quantities. The clay is found
with the coal.
STONE. —Limestone abounds throughout the county, and some
Besides the limestone there is
very fine specimens of it are found.
a very fine quality of building sandstone that is found in various
places. It is a pretty stone and is a valuable one for building pur-
poses.
OIL AND GAS.-Twelve miles west of Clarksburg in the Dunkard
sand a little oil has been found, but it is just being developed and
whether it will be found in large quantities or not remains to be
seen. The people of Harrison county think there is oil in their
county though, and one of them, Prof. Jackson, is preparing to sink
a test well ten miles west of Clarksburg, that will be bored clear
into the lowest sand with a view to testing fully the county for oil.
$
HARRISON COUNTY.
163
The county is in the midst of one of the largest gas fields in the
world, and the city of Clarksburg is heated by gas from a well
which if not the largest is one of the largest in the world, which
pours forth its tremendous volumes of gas with the highest pressure
known in any gas well in the country. With an abundance of gas
and oil surrounding the county, it is reasonable to suppose that oil
will some time be found there.
TIMBER. Being one of the oldest settled counties in the State, the
timber has long since disappeared to give way for the cultivation of
the rich soil the county possesses. Much of it has been cut and used
upon the farms of the county; much was in the earlier days floated
down the West Fork river, and now not over a tenth part of the
county is still in timber. What there is, is principally the oaks.
There is a good deal of wooded land, covered with trees suitable for
rails and other rough timber, but there is practically no saw timber
left.
AGRICULTURAL.-Agriculturally the county of Harrison is one of
the best in the State. Its soil is a rich limestone soil that produces
the finest kind of blue grass sod, and also brings good farm crops.
Among the counties of the State Harrison stands first in the pro-
duction of horses, cattle, milch cows and dairy products. Grazing
is the principal occupation of most of the citizens of the county, and
the splendid lands, rich, productive and well watered, are made to
do their best in the production of fine stock. Immense quantities.
of cattle and sheep and other animals are shipped every year from
this county. It is also especially well adapted to the culture of
fruits-apples, pears, grapes and other fruits producing abundantly
and of splendid quality. A few mineral springs are found in vari-
ous parts of the county, red and white sulphur waters being the
principal ones found.
CLARKSBURG is seventh of the West Virginia towns in population,
having in 1890, 3,008 people, a gain of 30.39 per cent. in ten years.
It is a railroad center and commercial town with some manufactur-
ing, and is in the midst of a splendid agricultural country. There
are handsome public buildings and homes and much wealth in the
town.
164
JACKSON COUNTY.
MAA
.....
JACKSON COUNTY.
LOCATION AND CHARACTER.- Jackson county lies along the western
border, immediately west of the center of the State. It includes
within its borders the larger part of the great Pomeroy bend in the
Ohio river, and just beyond is the State of Ohio. Its river front-
age is over 25 miles, while through the county flow Mill creek and
Sandy creek, which with their tributaries water the entire county
well. Along the bank of the Ohio river runs the Ohio River rail-
road. The Ravenswood, Spencer & Glenville railroad leaves the
Ohio river at Ravenswood, passes through the county eastward and
on to Spencer, in Roane county. The Ripley & Mill Creek Valley
railroad leaves the Ohio River road at Ripley Landing, and follows.
up the Mill Creek valley to Ripley, the county seat. Ripley is 12
miles from the river, 56 from Parkersburg, 150 from Wheeling, 89
from Huntington, 250 from Cincinnati and 555 from Chicago. The
county is rolling and hilly, with some high plateaus and well
watered valleys In the southern part of the county some small
mountains appear, but most of the county is not mountainous.
COAL. There is no surface coal in this county, but plenty may
be found deep in the earth. The coal dips low under Jackson
county, reappearing above the surface in Mason county and at Pom-
eroy, but in boring for oil in Jackson county the first coal was found
at 120 feet below the surface. This vein is from 7 to 10 feet thick,
and is an excellent fuel coal, but not suitable for coking.
IRON. There are some scattering iron ores in Jackson county,
but there is not known to be any valuable deposit of iron in the
county. Some years ago a purchase of iron property was made by
an iron company in the Mill Creek valley, but it was never devel-
oped, the iron probably not being in workable quantities or of suffi-
cient value.
TIMBER -The county was at one time well timbered, but the
value of the timber and its accessibility to market have caused the
destruction of most of the forests so that now not over a fifth of the
county is covered with valuable timber. The poplar is almost gone
and the walnut entirely so, but there is still much good oak left.
In the southern end of the county, along the waters of Poca river,
which flows through Kanawha and Putnam counties into the Ka-
-
JACKSON COUNTY.
165
nawha river, there is still a great deal of very fine timber, but the
rest of the county is so well watered with streams suitable for float-
ing logs, and so close to places where the timber is exhausted that
the best has all gone out. A few years ago the stave business was a
tremendous one. In Ravenswood, the principal town of the county,
acre after acre was covered with staves a few years ago, and from 50
to 60 wagon loads were brought in daily from the country. Even
now there is a good deal done in the stave trade, though not so
much as formerly. Railroad ties are one of the principal products
of the Jackson timber lands, and many of them are left where saw
timber is all taken out.
AGRICULTURAL.—This is pre-eminently an agricultural county, and
is an example of the coming condition of many of the counties in
the State after their timber is exhausted, and before their minerals
are developed. There is some very excellent farming land in the
county. Some of the finest farms in the Ohio valley are located in
Jackson county, and there is none of the county but what is suited
for grazing. Sleek, fat cattle are raised in great numbers, and sheep
are very profitable. A portion of the county has a limestone soil
and produces an excellent blue grass sod. The land, though not
mountainous, is high and dry, and sheep and cattle thrive exceed-
ingly well. The farm lands produce abundant crops of grain, wheat
and corn being chiefly raised. The experience of farmers in this
county is that sheep are very little care and very profitable. Lands
are cheap, pasture good, and with little trouble a nice profit may be
made on sheep.
JEFFERSON COUNTY.
LOCATION AND CHARACTER.Jefferson is the easternmost county
in the State, the last one in the eastern panhandle. It lies in the
magnificent Valley of Virginia, between the Alleghany mountains
on the west and the Blue Ridge on the east, one of the finest agri-
cultural regions in either of the Virginias. Along the northeast
border of the county flows the Potomac river. At the base of the
Blue Ridge, which forms the southeastern border of the county,
flows the Shenandoah in a northeast direction, emptying into the
Potomac at Harper's Ferry, where Maryland and the Virginias meet.
The main line of the Baltimore and Ohio connecting Baltimore
+12
1

166
JEFFERSON COUNTY.
with Chicago and the west, passes through the county. The
Virginia Valley division of the same road, connecting the main line
with Staunton and Lexington, also passes through the county. The
Valley division of the Norfolk and Western also runs the entire
length of the county, north and south, crossing the B. & O. at
Charles Town, the county seat. Any part of the county is easily
accessible from railroad points. Charles Town is 65 miles by rail
from Washington, 105 from Baltimore, 313 from Parkersburg, 309
from Wheeling, 508 from Cincinnati, and 776 from Chicago. By
way of the valley Charles Town is 116 miles from Staunton, Va.,
252 from Richmond and 349 from Charleston, W. Va. On the
Maryland shore of the Potomac river is the Chesapeake and Ohio
canal, affording cheap transportation to Washington and the bay.
The county was among the earliest settled portion of the State and
contains an old established population. The county is rolling.
throughout its entire extent, save in the southeast where the Blue
Ridge mountains rise to a considerable height. Jefferson is one of
the three counties of West Virginia in which coal has not been
found, but its close proximity to rich coal fields affords plenty of
cheap fuel for local use.
TIMBER. ---Though the county is almost without timber, with cer-
tainly not over one-tenth of the original amount still standing,
there is still enough left for all farm purposes, and a little to spare.
There are no large fracts, but small pieces are reserved, and what
ang farmer needs is close at hand. There is besides the oak, hick-
ory and poplar left, a little walnut which has not been taken out,
but very little. Some tanbark is gotten out also, but not in great
quantities. Timber is cut to a considerable extent to supply several
pulp mills which are in operation in Jefferson county. The soft
goods that have hitherto been thought valueless are now being
utilized by the pulp mills for making wood pulp for paper
IRON. --- Iron ores may be found in almost inexhaustible quanti-
ties, a single mine having yielded ore for over a hundred years, and
still producing liberally. The same deposit is mined today, and
many tons are taken out daily to furnaces outside the State. The
output is gauged only by the demand and the will of the owner.
This ore which is a rich quality of brown hematite, extends over
about the entire portion of the county, and has been mined in sev-
!
*
JEFFERSON COUNTY.
167
eral places, always making good iron. It contains from 50 to 60
per cent. of metallic iron. The cellular, honey-combed and pipe.
varieties of the brown hematite are found. There have been fur-
naces in Jefferson county, but the ores now mined are taken outside
the county.
LIMESTONE. This may be found in every portion of the county
except the small part east of the Shenandoah river, which is of
sandstone and slate formation. Lime of excellent quality is made
at numerous places in the county from the abundant stone, and
commands a good price in the markets.
A hydraulic limestone is also found in portions of the county,
from which a superior quality of cement is made. These cement
works have been in operation for some time, and Jefferson county
cement is well known to the trade.
A very handsome limestone for building purposes is abundant,
and is in great demand in the city of Washington. All the stone
for the building of the British Legation and other handsome struc-
tures in the national capital, was quarried in Jefferson county and
taken down the canal on flat boats. This stone is very plentiful
throughout the county.
MARBLE. Some of the limestone approaches and even becomes
marble, and in several places in the county a beautiful marble is
found of good color and taking a high polish, but no development
of these deposits has ever been made.
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
AGRICULTURAL.--It is principally as an agricultural county that
Jefferson is known. Lying as it does in the best part of the Valley
of Virginia, its soil is remarkably productive. It was settled among
the first of all the counties now comprised in West Virginia, and its
value as farming property has been known ever since, so that almost
the entire county has been long since devoted to farming. Little of
the county is rough, and most of it is beautiful, level or rolling,
rich farming land. The average yield of wheat through the county
is from 20 to 23 bushels to the acre, of corn 50 bushels. The soil
is a limestone one, and brings magnificent blue grass. Cattle are
raised and many sold every year, principally to the export trade.
Some sheep are also raised, but not so many as might be. The
proximity to market, added to the productiveness of the soil, makes
Jefferson doubly valuable as a farming county. Farm products of
168
JEFFERSON COUNTY.
..
all kinds may be put into the markets of Washington and Balti-
more in a few hours from almost any part of the county. Fruit
culture offers vast possibilities in this county, though not so much at-
tention is paid to fruit as could be done profitably. The most mag-
nificent peaches are grown in the county, as most persons who have
passed through the county by rail have discovered, for boys with.
baskets board every train, with this luscious fruit for sale. Cream-
eries and canning works would undoubtedly prove profitable in
Jefferson county.
CHARLES TOWN, the business and banking point for a large and
prosperous agricultural community, had in 1890 a population of
2,287, a gain of 13:44 per cent. in ten years. There is some manu-
facturing done in the town but it is principally as the center of the
rich farming country that it has attained its present position. It
has a delightful climate and many prominent people live there.
KANAWHA COUNTY.
LOCATION AND CHARACTER.-Kanawha, the third county in the
State in size, the first in population, lies on both sides of the Great
Kanawha and Elk rivers, southwest of the center of the State. Its
surface is varied, mountainous in the east and south, hilly in the
other parts with broad bottom lands along the Kanawha valley.
There are a good many smaller water courses in the county and all
have fertile level lands in their valleys. Much of the county,
though neither rough nor broken, is high, but there are few moun-
tains in the county unfit for cultivation. The Great Kanawha river
flows for nearly 50 miles through the county, navigable all the way,
by means of which cheap transportation is given the enormous quan-
tities of coal and timber that go annually out of the county. The
Elk river, which empties into the Kanawha at Charleston, flows for
some 20 miles through the county before it reaches the Kanawha,
and is navigable in favorable seasons for small steamboats to the
county line. Coal river, Pocataligo river and other smaller streams
are large enough to bring out a great deal of timber whenever there
is a rise. What these rivers are to the county may be seen from
the report of A. M. Scott, Resident U. S. Engineer at Charleston, in
charge of the rivers. His report for 1892 shows the tonnage of the
Great Kanawha river as recorded at Lock Six, four miles from
KANAWHA COUNTY.
169
Charleston, for the year ending June 30, 1892, to be as follows:
Coal, 26,787,788 bushels or 1,071,511 tons; timber, 39,585,000 feet
B. M. or 65,975 tons; tanbark 590 cords, 590 tons; railroad ties
924,650 or 138,697 tons; hoop-poles 980,000 or 2,450 tons; shingles
2,750,000 or 4,125 tons; brick 150,000 or 337 tons; merchandise and
produce by steamboat 74,800 tons; total tonnage 1,360,750. The
report also shows that 44,400,000 feet (B. M.) of logs and lumber,
380,000 railroad ties, 1,405,000 oak staves and 240 cords of oak tan-
bark came out of Elk river in the year ending June 30, 1892, a total
of 139,800 tons. From the report we quote: "The 44,400,000 feet
of lumber is divided in kind about as follows: Poplar 33,000,000;
white oak 8,000,000; hemlock 1,500,000; the rest being mainly wal-
nut and ash. The amount of general merchandise and produce
carried on the river is estimated at 10,000 tons, making the total for
the year with the timber product as above 149,800 tons."
In addition to the river transportation the county is well sup-
plied with railroads. For its entire length through the county the
Kanawha river has a railroad on either side, the Chesapeake and
Ohio on the south connecting Cincinnati with Richmond and
Washington, the Kanawha and Michigan on the north, connecting
the C. & O. in Fayette county with Toledo and Columbus, Ohio By
way of these railroads Charleston, the county seat, is 50 miles from
Huntington, 228 from Wheeling, 387 from Washington, 369 from
Richmond, 191 from Columbus, 310 from Toledo, 212 from Cincin-
nati and 517 from Chicago. By river Charleston is 261 miles from
Cincinnati. The Charleston, Clendennin & Sutton railroad, design-
ed to be a connecting north and south line through the center of
the State, is already completed 20 miles up Elk river, and is soon
to be extended. Several short line roads in the southern part of
the county connect large coal mines with the C. & O. R'y. The
most populous and one of the largest, Kanawha is also one of the
richest and most varied in its natural resources of any of the coun-
ties in the State.
COAL. All the soft coals found in the State are found in Kana-
wha county. The splint, steam, gas, fuel, coking, cannel and semi-
cannel are all found in the county and there is no part of the coun-
ty in which coal is not found. Along the Chesapeake & Ohio rail-
road and the river it is extensively mined, but elsewhere little has
?
·

170
KANAWHA COUNTY.
been dug. In the eastern and southwestern portions of the county.
cannel coal is found and has been mined at Cannelton, on Mill
Creek of Elk river and a ong Big Coal river. North of Charleston
and along Elk river some little coal is mined for local use and
splendid coal it is. The reports of the State Mine Inspector show
that in the year ending June 30, 1891, there were 48 mines in the
county, employing 2,710 men and producing 1,209,386 tons of coal,
and 12 coke ovens producing 5,637 tons of coke. For the year end-
ing June 30, 1892, the production of coal was 1,175,371 tons and of
coke 2,311 tons. The completion of the railroad up Elk river from
Charleston, and of the Kanawha & Michigan railroad up the Kana-
wha from Charleston will open up a large number of new mines
and materially increase the output of Kanawha coal.
IRON. Scattered through nearly every part of the county are iron
ores of greater or less value. In the southern part of the county a
few years ago, a black band iron ore was found in considerable
quantities, and an iron furnace was operated at Spring Hill, six
miles west of Charleston, in which this ore was used, but deposits of
black band are variable, and the ore in this one soon became too
thin to be profitably worked. Veins of ore from fifteen inches to a
few feet in thickness have been found throughout the county, both
hematites and gray carbonates. In the hills at Charleston is a small
seam which was opened up some years ago, and in 1872 the erection
of a furnace to use this ore was begun, but financial difficulties pre-
vented the completion of the furnace and no iron was ever made.
SALT. Five miles from Charleston, on the Kanawha river, the
first salt ever made by white people west of the Alleghanies was
made, and since that time hundreds of thousands of barrels of it
have been made and sent to market. At one time there was scarcely
a distance of a mile along the river for 20 miles where there were
not one or more salt furnaces in operation. The brine is found at a
depth of 1,000 feet or more, is pumped into vats and evaporated,
leaving the crystallized product. The Kanawha salt is especially in
demand by pork packers, possessing peculiar qualities necessary for
that use. At present a single furnace is in operation in the county,
making salt with natural gas for fuel. Bromine is also made from
the salt, and other chemicals might be. Soda-ash, so largely used.
?
KANAWIA County.
171
I
throughout the country, and all imported, might be as cheaply
made here as anywhere, and ought to be.
MINERAL WATERS.-Besides the salt water other mineral waters
are found. Sulphur, alum, chalybeate and lithia waters are found
in the county, all possessing more or less medicinal virtue. They
are only used locally.
OIL AND GAS.--In the days when George Washington was carry-
ing the chain and compass across the Alleghany mountains, before
the war of the revolution, natural gas had been discovered in what
is now Kanawha county, and since that time it has been put to
practical use in the making of salt. There is undoubtedly much
of it though all the wells as yet bored for it have brought but a
small flow of gas. Proper search will doubtless reveal large quan-
tities of gas, and yet, with coal so close and cheap, gas is not needed
by our people Oil has been bored for and in portions of the
county has been found in small quantities, but no investigations
have yet proved its existence in paying quantities, though there is
every indication that the great oil belt of Pennsylvania which has
been followed into West Virginia, extends on through the southern
part of the State, and through this county.
CLAYS.--Excellent brick clays are found in abundance in the
county, and millions of brick have been made. The clay makes a
beautiful smooth red brick, very desirable for building purposes, and
so hard that several miles of Charleston streets have been paved
with them. Fire clays are also found in large deposits, but none
have yet been worked. The demand for fire brick, sewer pipe, etc.,
will doubtless cause the development of fire clay before long.
STONE.-No finer building stone is found anywhere than that
which fills the hills of Kanawha county. A hard, clean, lasting
sandstone, it is of great value for building and extensively used.
The capitol, court house, several churches and building blocks in
Charleston show to good advantage the beauty of the stone. It is
particularly adapted for use under water, resisting the action of the
waves for years, and for this purpose it has been extensively used.
The government locks of the Kanawha river have all been built of
it, and bridge piers in the Ohio river have been constructed of stone
from quarries in Kanawha county.
GLASS SAND. Though none has ever been used here the glass
:
172
KANAWHA COUNTY.
2
>
::
.
sand of Kanawha has been tested, and found to be well suited for
making glass. There is much of it awaiting development.
TIMBER. Though Kanawha has been cleared and settled until it
now contains more people than any other county in the State, there
is perhaps a half the county still in the original forest. The valleys
of the rivers and the streams have all been cleared, but back from
the water courses where timber would have to be hauled several
miles little or none has ever been cut. Statistics given above give
some idea of the size of the timber business in the county. Some
of the timber mentioned is cut in other counties, but Coal and Po-
cataligo rivers both bring down great quantities of timber, neither of
which figure in the statistics given. The saw mills of Charleston.
also cut enormous quantities of timber that is not included in the
figures given. Oak, poplar, chestnut, hickory and some walnut are
the principal woods left in the county.
AGRICULTURAL.-The Kanawha valley farms equal in fertility of
soil and productiveness the broad bottoms of the Ohio river, and
form the principal part of the county that is farmed. Corn, wheat,
oats, tobacco and garden crops are principally raised. The hill
lands grow good grass and make splendid pasture, but cattle are not
extensively raised. In some parts of the county tobacco is the
principal crop, and just as good tobacco is grown as in the neigh-
boring counties where it forms the chief crop. Fruits are largely
grown and are productive. Most luscious peaches grow in portions
of the county, while apples, pears and grapes, and all kinds of
small fruits yield abundantly. The raising of crops for the towns
of the valley and the miners, who depend principally on the stores
for their garden products, is an important branch of the farming in-
dustry.
CHARLESTON, the capital of the State, is a flourishing commercial
city, the banking and business center for all the mining country in
the New and Kanawha river valleys. Its population was given in
1890 as 6,742, an increase of 60.83 per cent in ten years.
Elk City,
immediately adjoining, but under separate city government, with
the growth since 1890, give the place at least 10,000 people now.
The city has some 20 wholesale houses which supply the entire
southern end of the State with goods, five banks all doing a splen-
did business, wood working and other factories employing over a
*
LEWIS COUNty.
173
ร
thousand men, has paved streets, electric light and gas, water works,
good sewerage, electric street railway, bridges across both rivers,
handsome city, county, State and United States buildings, and is a
rapidly growing prosperous city.
LEWIS COUNTY.
LOCATION AND CHARACTER. --Lewis is situated near the center of
the State, a little to the north of it. It is in the high, hilly part of
the State, west of the mountainous portion, and is rather rolling
than rough. In a few places the hills rise to a considerable height,
but are nowhere mountainous or broken. Rising in the southern
part of the county and flowing northward through the center is the
West Fork of the Monongahela river. In this county it is not nav-
igable for vessels of any kind, but waters the country well, its trib-
utaries reaching every section of the county. North and south
through the county runs the West Virginia and Pittsburg railroad,
connecting the center of the State with the Baltimore and Ohio
railroad. From Weston a branch of the same road runs into Upshur
county, opening another almost entirely undeveloped country.
Lewis is one of the older counties of the State and has been pretty
thickly settled. Good roads connect all parts of the county and
there are several small towns throughout the county. From Wes-
ton. the county seat, the distance to Parkersburg is 107 miles, to
Martinsburg 227, to Charleston 240, to Wheeling 147, to Baltimore
341, to Cincinnati 302 and to Chicago 614.
COAL.-Throughout the county veins of valuable coal are found,
from 5 to 6 feet in thickness, and in places the veins reach as much
as 14 feet. The coal belongs to the Pittsburg bed and having been
tested is found to be valuable coking coal. For local use the coal
has been mined, but not for any other purpose. None has ever been
shipped although it might easily be mined, and the quality is as
good as any to be found in the State, and it is believed that the
new railroads recently constructed in the county will tend to de-
velope it.
GAS.—Natural gas has been found in several places in the county
and there is reason to believe that oil may be found also when
properly sought for.
CLAYS.--There is an abundance of valuable clay in the county,
s: 2x

174
LEWIS COUNTY.
the ordinary brick clay, fire clay, and potter's clay all being found
in large quantities. From these clays considerable brick, tiling,
sewer pipe, etc., is made and there is enough of the material in the
county to warrant a large increase of the business.
Near Weston there is a deposit of fine yellow ochre, about 3 feet
thick, of a rich orange color, which when burned yields a pure, rich
red. It is very valuable as a mineral paint.
STONE.There is a good deal of limestone in the county, though
it is principally in thin veins. There is also a good yellow sand
stone, though neither is as wide spread as the blue sand stone that
is found in nearly every part of the county. The latter is a fine
building stone, hard and durable and from it is built the large hos-
pital for the insane at Weston. It is a bluish gray in color, retains
its color well and is free from sulphur and iron.
A good quality of glass sand is also found in the county, but is
not in general use.
TIMBER. -The county was settled about the first of the present
century and was formed into a county in 1816, and since then the
valuable timber has practically all disappeared. There are still a
good many small tracts that are kept in timber to supply the wants
of the farmers, and a few tracts of timbered land. Possibly half
the county is still wooded but of this part a good deal of the best
timber has been taken off. Still there are large areas of fine white
and chestnut oak and other hard woods.
AGRICULTURAL --Lewis is essentially a grazing county. Of the
counties in West Virginia Harrison probably stands first in the
production of cattle and as a grazing county, with Lewis second.
The county is principally rolling with low and gently sloping hills
en which blue grass grows naturally to the very tops. The lands
when cleared of their timber produce naturally a luxurious growth
of fine blue grass and the county has come to be a great grazing
Cattle are grown in great quantities and of the very finest
kind, sheep are raised in larger numbers than formerly and horses.
are also raised. Some of the finest blooded horses to be found in
the State are raised on the Lewis county stock farms. The soil
of the county is all rich and productive and
crops are raised besides grass. Wheat and corn yield
is raised to a limited extent and fine fruits are raised.
grapes do particularly well.
one.
some other
well, tobacco
Apples and
:
175
LINCOLN COUNTY.
LINCOLN COUNTY.
LOCATION AND CHARACTER. —Lincoln county lies slightly to the
east of the most western point in the State. It is almost equally
distant from the Ohio, Kanawha and Big Sandy rivers. In the
south-western part of the county are the Guyandotte mountains, the
only ones within its borders, though the entire county is rough and
hilly. Through the southern and western parts of the county flows
the Guyandotte river, navigable for push-boats through the entire
length of the county and into Logan. The waters of Mud river, a
tributary of the Guyandotte, water the central portion of the county,
while for a short distance in the north-eastern part of the county
flows the Little Coal river, uniting with Big Coal to form the north-
eastern boundary between Lincoln and Kanawha. The prospective
railroads up the Guyandotte and Mud rivers have not yet been
commenced, but will undoubtedly some day be built. At present
the nearest railroad is the Chesapeake and Ohio, from which Ham-
lin, the county seat, is distant 18 miles over a good road, and some
parts of the county are much closer. This puts Hamlin but 36
miles from Huntington, 50 from Charleston, 251 from Wheeling,
419 from Richmond, 197 from Cincinnati, and 502 from Chicago, all
by rail save 18 miles.
COAL.-Lincoln is underlaid with magnificent coal deposits, which
only await transportation to be developed. The magnificent deposits.
of coals found in Boone and Logan counties, which are in the richest.
region in the State, extend into Lincoln, which contains a portion
of what Prof. White, of the West Virginia University, terms "one of
the largest areas of pure cannel coal known in any country of the
world." Lincoln coals are similar in character and thickness to the
coals of Boone and Logan, but the area of the thickest veins is not
so large in Lincoln as in some of the neighboring counties. There
is coal in every part of the county, but in the northern part the
veins are smaller, being not much over three feet in thickness,
while in the southern part of the county rich deposits of the very
finest coal are found in abundance. One vein of coal in the south-
ern portion of the county has a thickness of 11 feet. Cannel, splint
and bituminous coals are all found in Lincoln county.
TIMBER. —Considerable poplar timber has been cut out of Lincoln
?
2400
176
LINCOLN COUNTY.
1
axe.
county for the last twenty years, and all the walnut there ever was,
but there still remain magnificent tracts of tens of thousands of
acres of timber which have never been touched by the woodman's
Fully one-half the county is yet covered with magnificent
oak forests, and the greater portion of this with poplar also. There
is also much ash and beech, some chestnut, a little pine, and some
other timber, all of which may be easily gotten to market by means
of the Guyandotte, Coal and Mud rivers and their tributaries.
Little timber has ever been sawed at home, it being cheaper to float
the logs out and saw them closer to market. Even staves are taken
out in this way, not being sawed or split till they have reached a
railroad point. The northern part of the county has been cleared
and settled to a greater extent than the southern, where the greater
part of the timber that is still standing is to be found.
AGRICULTURAL. -The eastern portion of the county is a famous
tobacco region. Some of the finest tobacco in the country is raised.
in Lincoln county, and commands as high prices as that grown any-
where in the United States. Heavy burleys are raised all over the
county, but the fine light colored leaf is grown principally in the
eastern portion and has an excellent reputation in the tobacco
markets of Richmond. The rich lands of the county, as soon as the
timber is taken off, prove to be excellent soil for the culture of to-
bacco. It is raised principally by Old Virginia farmers who know
how. The soil of Lincoln is all fertile and yields good grain crops
when cultivated, but aside from the tobacco culture little farming is
done. Some corn is grown, but not more than is consumed in the
county. Grass grows well, and the county is well covered with
good grass sod. Cattle are raised to a considerable extent and do
well. Some attention is paid to sheep raising, and they too thrive
and prove profitable. The county is well adapted for stock growing
and fruit culture, though little fruit is now to be found in the
county.
LOGAN COUNTY.
LOCATION AND CHARACTER.-Logan is one of the border counties
of the State, lying along the southwestern boundary, adjoining the
State of Kentucky, and at its southern corner, touching the corner
of the State of Virginia The Tug Fork of Big Sandy river, the
LOGAN COUNTY.
177
:
western bank of which forms the dividing line between the States
of West Virginia and Kentucky, follows along the edge of Logan
county. This river is navigable in favorable seasons for steamboats,
which have at times come well up into Logan county, and is at all
times navigable for push boats. Flowing almost due north through
the entire county, is the Guyandotte river, which is also navigable
for push-boats and was at one time locked and dammed about half
way from the mouth to Logan Court House. But the war broke up
the company which owned the dams and they were cut out to
make a channel for the logs which are taken out. Until the con-
struction of the railroad in the last few months most of the mer-
chandise used in Logan county was taken there in push boats up
the Guyandotte river, some 80 miles from the mouth, or were hauled
in wagons from the railroad near Charleston, some 55 miles. The
Norfolk & Western railroad has recently been completed
through the county, following closely along the southern border,
and this road will have a wonderful effect in developing the resour-
ces of the county. Logan Court House is 65 miles from Charleston,
all but 10 miles of which is over country roads, is 12 miles from
the Norfolk & Western, by way of which it is 93 miles from Hunt-
ington, 515 from Norfolk, 238 from Cincinnati and 543 from
Chicago. Most of the county is mountainous or hilly, the valleys.
not attaining any considerable width, but hills and valleys are
alike fertile and productive. The waters of the Guyandotte and
Big Sandy rivers water well the county and afford means of getting
out timber. The Guyandotte valley and some of the smaller ones
are very rich in natural resources and have been pretty thickly
settled, but the greater part of the county has been held in large
tracts for speculative purposes and has never been developed to any
extent. The construction of the railroad, however, has had a re-
markable effect on the value of lands, those which might a few
years ago have been bought for 50 cents an acre now commanding
an average of about $10 an acre, and even at that most of them are
cheap.
COAL-Every known kind of coal except anthracite is found in
Logan county and there is not a portion of the county that is not
well supplied with it. Developments in many places show about
ten veins of coal over 2 feet in thickness, and it is thought this
:
178
LOGAN COUNTY.
number will be found over the greater portion of the county, the
same being found in Boone county. Besides this enormous amount
of coal which may be found in the hill sides, the New River veins.
are supposed to underlie the entire county, though no investigations.
have ever been made below the surface of the earth. The veins so
far discovered range from 2 to 13 feet in thickness and are piled one
above the other to almost incredible heights. Between the Guyan-
dotte and Big Sandy rivers one mountain has been developed and
the ten veins of coal from top to bottom, all over 2 feet in thickness,
aggregated 52 feet of coal. Another mountain but partly developed
shows two veins of 4 feet, one of 5 and one of 7 feet. Investiga-
tions were carried no further. But even if there were no more
coal in the mountain, which there probably is, there are known to
be 20 feet of good coal in four workable veins. One coal vein is 13
feet thick with two partings which aggregate about a foot, leaving
12 feet of solid coal. In this vein there are three different kinds of
coal separated by the partings-a fine burning, soft bituminous
coal, splint and peacock coal. Some of the finest cannel coal known
is found in the region of which Logan county is a part, and this is
said to be the largest field of pure cannel known in the world. In
Logan cannel coal is found in veins as large as 4 feet thick. Almost
anywhere a pick is struck into the earth coal may be found. Many
of the streams flow over beds of solid coal, from the tops of which
the earth has been washed away, and coal may be dug right out of
the bed of the creeks. In other places where the base of a moun-
tain has been cut slightly into, to make room for a road, the coal
crops out, and it is no uncommon thing in Logan county to drive
along a road that is walled in on one side with several feet of coal,
while the stream on the other side flows over a broad bed of the
same material. Every family in the county may have its own coal
bank and many of them do. And yet, with all this abundance of
coal on every hand, not a bushel has ever been mined for market.
There have been no means of reaching a market with it. The coal
still lies where it has lain for countless ages, scarce hidden from the
eyes of man, and waits the time when human enterprise shall
penetrate the forest fastness and reap a rich reward from treasures
buried there.
TIMBER. But coal is by no means Logan's only wealth. While
LOGAN COUNTY.
179
all or nearly all the county is covered with coal, three fourths of it
is also covered with untouched timber. Magnificent forests of oak,
poplar, ash, lynn, maples, beech, birch, pines, hickory and other
varieties still cover the greater part of the county in their primitive
state. For thirty years timber men have been at work, destroying
the forests and still in all this time not over a fourth of the timber
has been removed. The rest still stands, exceeding in value, in
most cases, the price at which the land on which it grows is held.
Some of the finest timber in the State is found in Logan county.
The soil is rich and strong and has produced tremendous growths
among the forest trees. One poplar tree in Logan county measures
30 feet in circumference at the base, while others are said to be as
large and many are found from 7 to 8 feet in diameter. All the
other varieties of timber grow to proportionate size. The oaks in
particular reach prodigious sizes. No county in the State is more
favorably situated for getting out the timber than is Logan. The
Guyandotte and Big Sandy rivers afford cheap and easy means of
floating timber to markets or shipping points, while their tributary
streams, which are quite numerous, may be utilized in times of
rain for floating the logs to the rivers. Splash dams are used a good
deal to get logs out of the smaller streams. As an estimate of the
value of the timber still standing in Logan county, three million
dollars will not be far amiss. And like the coal, this awaits the
*
man who will take it out to make him rich.
IRON-Iron ores are found in most of the county, though the ex-
tent and value of them are unknown. No one has ever had the
iron interests of the county looked into, and its possibilities in this
respect are unknown. As Logan is but a continuation of Wayne
county and in all respects so similar to it, it is not at all improb-
able that all the ores which are found in Wayne county may also be
discovered in Logan. But this is speculative. That there is some
iron ore in the county is certain.
LEAD-A little lead is found in small quantities in some portions.
of the county and in the olden time the pioneers used to run their
own bullets out of native lead. But whether there is any lead of
commercial value in the county is not known.
Oil and Gas-While no oil has ever been found in the county,
there are indications which encourage the people to hope that some
BorM
Simila
LOGAN COUNTY,
tee.
180
day it may be found.
oil has been found.
test well was put down.
tremendous flow of natural gas, which usually goes hand in hand
with oil. All over the county natural gas bubbles up through the
surface of the earth and it is thought by many that underlying the
vast coal field of this and adjoining counties is a great sea of oil.
CLAY, ETC.- An excellent quality of fire clay is found and is sup-
posed to exist in great abundance. Building stone is plentiful. In
connection with the coal a good roofing slate is found.
But none
of these materials which will some day manifest their value, have
as yet been more than found to exist.
AGRICULTURAL-The hills of Logan have principally a black,
gravelly soil, that is very fertile. But as a rule they are most too
steep for cultivation. The valleys are well tilled. The hills where
not too steep are excellent land for corn, which yields in the county
from 40 to 60 bushels an acre. Other grains are not raised much.
The old Virginia settlers raise very fine tobacco. The new rich
soil is just what it requires and they know all about its culture.
This is an excellent cattle county and especially adapted to sheep.
The latter do well, seldom suffer from disease on the wide range
they have and for their wool as much is paid in eastern markets as
for that from any section of the country. In this, as in many
other counties, sheep raising will follow up the clearing of the hills
and will some day become one of the principal industries of the
State.
In Kentucky, not far from the county line,
Near the line, recently, on the Logan side, a
While no oil was reached there was a
MARION COUNTY.
I
LOCATION AND CHARACTER-In the northern part of the State,
separated by a single county from Pennsylvania on the north, from
Maryland on the east and from Ohio on the west, is Marion county.
The Tygart's Valley and the West Fork rivers both flow into the
county, uniting near Fairmont to form the Monongahela river. Fol-
lowing the Valley river from Grafton down to Fairmont is the main
line of the Baltimore & Ohio railroad which connects Chicago by
way of Wheeling and West Virginia with Baltimore and the east.
From Clarksburg down the West Fork river to Fairmont runs the
Monongahela River railroad, while from Fairmont on down the Mo-
Muou
MARION COUNTY.
181
nongahela river to Morgantown runs the Fairmont, Morgantown
nd Pittsburg branch of the B. & O. road, the intention being to
extend the road on down to Pittsburg. Fairmont, the county seat
is 78 miles from Wheeling, 126 from Parkersburg, 202 from Mar-
tinsburg, 316 from Baltimore, 260 from Charleston, 321 from Cincin-
nati, and 545 from Chicago. The county is high and rolling or hilly,
with no mountains and few steep hills, and besides possessing val-
uable mineral resources is nearly all excellently adapted to agricul
ture. The county is in the older portion of the State, is thickly
settled, prosperous and growing.
!
COAL-The county is abundantly supplied with splendid coal in
veins from 18 inches to 10 feet in thickness. The splendid Pitts-
burg vein of coking coal underlies the county throughout its entire
area and along the railroads is largely mined and coked. Indeed,
Marion has become the center of the coal and coke industry of the
northern part of the State and is far ahead of any other county in
that part of the State in coal and coke production. The reports of
the mine inspectors show that in the year ending June 30, 1891,
the coal production was 245,899 tons, the coke 52,852 tons. For
the year ending June 30, 1892, the coal production was 904,896
tons, the coke 227,291. The coal is good and finds a ready market.
while the coke sells easily in competition with the coke of Connells-
ville and other Pennsylvania districts. The excellence and preva-
lence of the coal, the splendid shipping facilities and the easy ac-
cess to markets make the coals of Marion county assume a great im-
portance. While recently the business has rapidly increased, it
really has but just begun to grow, and the immense coal fields of
the county will some day be the basis of an industry that will give
employment to many times the number of men at present engaged
in digging coal or making coke.
OIL-In Marion county is one of the largest oil fields in the State
--the Mannington field. Pushing south from Pennsylvania the oil
was followed into Monongalia county and thence down through the
western end of Marion where a splendid field was found. At the
time of its discovery it was the best field in the State and though
it has been partly drained the flow of oil continues to be large and
the fortunes already made by those who were fortunately situated
in the right part of the county are still increasing. The wells are
¿
*
182
MARION COUNTY.
..
}
¥
all good producers, a single well when first opened yielding at the
rate of 700 barrels of oil a day. This flow, of course, diminished,
but the yield of the field is large. Gas is found in abundance and
used for lighting and for fuel.
CLAY-For many years most excellent fire clay has been worked
in Marion county. Fire and furnace brick, sewer pipe, tile, etc., are
made from it and the clay is valued highly. The brick has been
used in Fairmont for street paving, as well as for other purposes and
sustains its reputation well. There are almost inexhaustible quanti-
ties of clay in the county and the growing demand for products of
fire clay will cause its further development and build up the indus-
try in the county.
STONE.-Building stone, both lime and sand, is found in the
county in abundance. Glass sand is also found and worked at
Fairmont in the manufacture of glass bottles. It is a clear white
sand and makes a splendid article of glass.
TIMBER. The county is perhaps a third covered with timber.
Much of it has been cut both for commercial use and to make room
for farming, yet there is much remaining. Oaks, poplar, chestnut,
maple and hickory are the most abundant though other timbers
usually found in the forests of this latitude and altitude are found.
The numerous streams and railroads which pass through the county
offer cheap and easy means of getting timber out and several saw
mills are in operation in the county. Staves and poles and rail-
road ties and all the other products of the forests are also taken out.
The coal and oil operations in the county have afforded a home.
market for much timber in addition to what is sent away.
AGRICULTURAL.-Possessing principally a limestone soil, rich,
deep and productive, the county is an excellent one for agriculture.
Corn, wheat and other grains grow well, both on the hills and in
the valleys, and in the higher parts buckwheat is raised to some ex-
Blue grass grows in all parts of the county and grazing is a
principal feature of the work upon the farms. Dairying and stock
raising are carried on largely and many cattle are annually shipped
from Marion county. For fruits the county is well suited and
many kinds are raised, all yielding well.
tent.
FAIRMONT is a manufacturing and commercial city, the banking
and business center of the entire coal and coking region of the
MARSHALL COUNTY.
183
county. It had by the census of 1890 a population of 1,023 which
has largely increased since. It is now a growing flourishing busi-
ness place of about 3,000 people, upon which a large territory of
surrounding country is dependent. Several manufacturing plants
are located at Fairmont, many public improvements have recently
been made and it is one of the most prosperous of the smaller cities
of the State.
MARSHALL COUNTY.
LOCATION AND CHARACTER. Of the four counties comprising the
northern "panhandle" Marshall is the most southern. On the east
is Pennsylvania, on the west Ohio. Following along the western
border the entire length of the county is the Ohio river, which af
fords the cheapest transportation, and whose valleys are always fer-
tile. The Ohio River railroad follows the Ohio river along the
western border of the county, connecting all the east and west rail-
roads that pass through the State, while the Baltimore & Ohio rail-
road parallels it about half the length of the county and then turns
eastward in its course toward the seaboard. The river distance from
Moundsville, the county seat, to Pittsburg is 109 miles, to Cincin-
nati 371 miles. The shortest distances by rail from Moundsville
are: to Wheeling 11 miles, to Pittsburg 82, to Parkersburg 83, to
Martinsburg 268, to Baltimore 382, to Huntington 204, to Charles-
ton 218, to Cincinnati 278, to Chicago 478 miles. The county is
principally rolling in character, with wide bottom lands along the
Ohio river and the several streams that pass through the county and
flow into the Ohio.
All y
COAL.-Marshall has no surface coal, but the entire county is
underlaid with two veins of the Pittsburg coal. The first is about 4
feet thick and is found at a depth of from 80 to 100 feet below the
surface. The other, at a depth of 150 feet, is about 6 feet thick.
This is a good fuel coal and coke is sometimes made of it, but is not
really a good coking coal. It is considered very good for fuel and is
mined cheaply. Two mines are operated in the county, by means
of shafts. The report of the State Mine Inspector for the first dis-
trict shows that for the year ending June 30, 1891, the production
of coal in Marshall county was 118,242 tons, and for the year end-
ing June 30, 1892, the production was 166,893 tons.
184
MARSHALL COUNTY.
..
TIMBER. -Perhaps a fourth of Marshall county is still covered
with good timber, though a great deal has been going out constantly
for many years. What is left is principally oak, though there is
also a good deal of very fine poplar, particularly in the southeastern
part of the county. There is some walnut left but not in large
quantities. The accessibility of the timber of Marshall county is
not to be overlooked. The hills are not steep and the land is well
watered with streams that may be used to float timber. The county
is also well supplied with railroad transportation, and is close to
the markets of Wheeling and Pittsburg. There is also in the
county a great deal of hickory timber suitable for use in wagon mak-
ing and for other purposes. It is easy of access and is being used
to a considerable extent. There is a great deal of tanbark in the
county, which might be profitably gotten out.
CLAYS.-Clays of several kinds are found in this county, suitable
for making the ordinary red brick, fire brick, sewer pipe, tiling and
other materials made from clays. The growing favor with which
brick pavements for roadways are regarded, and the abundance of
suitable clay for their manufacture in Marshall county seem to in-
dicate that this will some day become a great brick making region.
STONE. Building stone of excellent quality and in the greatest
quantity is found throughout the county. It is in tremendous
ledges and may be quarried at a trifling cost. Limestone is abund-
ant in portions of the county and may be used for building, fluxing
or agricultural purposes. There is also found in the county a bank
of cement rock, from which a good quality of cement may be made.
Furnace sand for foundry and rolling mill purposes is found in
abundance and is already shipped to some extent to furnaces in
the neighboring cities where it is considered excellent for the pur-
poses required.
M
OIL.-Some natural gas and oil have been discovered in this
county, though they have never been found in large or profitable
quantities. But the county is in such close proximity to the pay-
ing oil regions of Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia that it is
probable that oil will one day be found here.
Salt water has been found in great abundance, but has never been
utilized.
AGRICULTURAL.-Marshall is one of the best agricultural counties
23
:
MARSHALL COUNTY.
in the State. A large proportion of the county is river bottom
land or creek bottoms, and very productive, while no part of the
county is so high or hilly that it is unfitted for farming. Crops of
all kinds as well as fruits yield well and are raised largely. The
soil is principally a rich loam and the nearness of the county to the
city markets makes it well adapted to market gardening. Grass
grows luxuriously and makes the county a suitable one for stock
raising. More attention has been given of late to the stock and
much improvement has been noted in stock of all kinds. Sheep are
principally raised, and like all the wool from the "panhandle" coun-
ties, that from Marshall county sheep commands a high price in the
markets. Agricultural pursuits are the principal sources of wealth
in Marshall county and much suitable property for farming or
grazing purposes may be secured.
185
MASON COUNTY.
-
BENWOOD, with a population of 2,934 is a manufacturing suburb
of Wheeling, which has sprung up in the last ten years. Large
nail and glass works and other factories are located in the town,
which is in reality a part of Wheeling.
MOUNDSVILLE, where the State penitentiary is located, is a pros-
perous and growing town, with brick paved streets and other evi-
dences of enterprise. It is becoming a manufacturing town. The
population in 1890 was 2,688, an increase of 51.52 per cent. in ten
years.
LOCATION AND CHARACTER.-- Mason is one of the Ohio valley coun-
ties, lying along the western border of the State, directly west of
the center. The Ohio river, which marks the western boundary of
the county, bends in such a way that about a fourth of the county
is surrounded on three sides by it. In a northwesterly direction,
dividing the county almost equally, flows the Great Kanawha
river, pouring its waters into those of the Ohio at Point Pleas-
ant. With a river frontage of 56 miles on the Ohio and 18 miles
on either side of the Kanawha, with an average river bottom
width of a mile, it is seen that about a fourth of the county is river.
bottom, and that consequently this is an exceedingly fine agricul-
tural county. The greater portion of the county is not rough,
though there are some high lands. The latter are in a measure
ง
ን
186
MASON COUNTY.
A
level, forming what are known locally as "the flats." But some
parts of the county are quite rough and hilly. Situated, as it is,
upon two navigable rivers, the county is afforded the advantage of
the cheapest transportation in the world in three directions. The
rivers are seldom so low that no boats can run and for the greater
part of every year both are navigable for the larger steamers. Along
the shore of the Ohio river runs the Ohio River railroad the entire
length of the county, while along the north bank of the Kanawha
passes the Kanawha and Michigan railroad, connecting the capitals
of Ohio and West Virginia. From Point Pleasant, the county seat,
to Wheeling is 172 miles, to Huntington 43, to Charleston 56, to
Cincinnati 204, to Richmond 425, and to Chicago 497 miles. The
distance by river to Pittsburg is 277 miles, to Cincinnati 203, to
Charleston 60.
COAL.The entire county is underlaid with coal. The Pittsburg
seam, which in the neighboring counties is below the ground, here
appears above the earth and is mined at nine places in this county.
There are two veins of 3 and 6 feet respectively. South of the Ka-
nawha river the coal is not found, but on the north of the river
these veins are found. The coal is that excellent kind always seen
in the Pittsburg seam, which is good fuel, gas and coking coal, all in
The reports of the State Mine Inspector for the second dis-
trict, show that for the year ending June 30, 1891, the coal output
of Mason county was 116,598 tons, while for the year ending June
30, 1892, it was 123,323 tons. The number of employes about the
mines increased from 264 in 1891 to 305 in 1892. The coal from
Mason county is used in all the towns near the mines and is in great
demand in other places. A great deal is shipped, principally by
one.
rail.
SALT. For many years salt has been made in Mason county.
Many of the furnaces that were at one time operated have gone to
decay, and their ruins may be seen in passing through on the train.
But there are five salt furnaces now in operation, making an aver-
age of about 720 barrels of salt a day, each containing 7 bushels-in
other words, about 5,000 bushels a day are produced in Mason county.
The brine is found at a depth of about 1,000 or 1,200 feet and is
pumped into the vats in the furnaces, where it is boiled and the
water evaporated, leaving the crystallized salt in the vats. The salt
MASON COUNTY.
187
is made cheaply and the cheap Ohio river transportation enables the
makers to compete with all other salt and still make a reasonable
profit. West Virginia salt has always had an excellent reputation,
and still maintains it. Salt may be found at almost any point along
the Ohio river in Mason county.
STONE AND CLAY.--A handsome grey sandstone, suitable for build-
ing and paving purposes, is found in great abundance. It is val-
uable for masonry of all kinds and many quarries are operated in
the county. Bridge piers in the Ohio and Kanawha rivers are made
from this stone and do not seem to be affected by the action of the
water.
An excellent article of fire clay is found in considerable quanti-
ties at and near Mason City, a town in Mason county, on the Ohio
river, where cheap transportation would be afforded should the clay
be worked.
TIMBER. All that part of the timber which was most easily ac-
cessible has bec taken out and the land converted into farms. And
yet a fourth of the county is still covered with timber. The greater
part of the timber is oak and poplar, though there is some very fine
walnut that has been preserved from the destruction that is
going on among most of the walnut timber of the State There is
also considerable hickory timber in the county. There are numer-
ous streams in the county, emptying into the two rivers, on which
timber may be taken to market with little difficulty. There are
several saw and stave mills and one large furniture factory that are
all working native timber. Railroad ties are gotten out in consid-
erable quantities. Cheap fuel and cheap raw material offer induce-
ments to wood working establishments of all kinds.
AGRICULTURAL. ---From the days when the Indians lived in the
valleys which meet in Mason, and fought with the whites for the
possession of the soil, many evidences of which still remain, the
lands of this county have been farmed. And the broad river bot-
toms are most inviting still. Wheat yields from 25 to 30 bushels
an acre, and is the principal crop in the valleys. Corn is also a
staple and the yield is large. Some are on record of from 100 to
125 bushels an acre. Blue grass is indigenous to the soil and Mason
is one of the principal grazing counties of the State. Blooded
horses, cattle and sheep are raised and some very fine animals are
2:
ܥ
۲۰ ؛
188
MERCER COUNTY.
bred. Race horses are numerous and some world's records are held
by Mason county horses. Cattle are bred, both for milk and beef.
Very fine beef cattle are raised and large numbers of them are
shipped. Sheep are receiving special attention and many more are
now raised than have been heretofore. The blue grass grows beau-
tifully, and some magnificent pasturage is afforded, unexcelled by
that in any part of the country. All kinds of farming prove profit-
able and very few of the farmers are not prosperous. The county
is a good one for fruit, and a good deal of it is grown. Quite a rep-
utation is being secured by Mason as a melon raising county. Last
year 1,400 acres in this county were planted in melons, and one.
man shipped 20,000 crates of "nutmeg" muskmelons, the kind so
much used for pickling.
MERCER COUNTY.
LOCATION AND CHARACTER. -Next to McDowell the southernmost
county in the State and slightly to the east of it is Mercer county.
The East River mountains separate the county from the State of Vir-
ginia, while the Flat Top and other mountains are within the lim-
its of the county. New river touches the eastern corner of the
county in its northward course and through the western part of the
county flows the Bluestone, a tributary of the New river. Though
high, the county is not very mountainous, the principal part being
a high rolling plateau, with some mountains, but not enough to cut
the county up much. It is not as rough and broken as the adjoin-
ing counties and contains some good farming country. The eleva-
tion of the county gives it an excellent atmosphere and healthful
climate. Along the entire southern border of the county runs the
Norfolk & Western railroad, several short branches of which pen-
etrate the county in various directions for the opening of coal mines.
Another railroad down the New river to Hinton, connecting the
Norfolk & Western and the Chesapeake & Ohio railroads, is projected
but has not yet been begun. At present the Norfolk & Western
railroad is the only means of transportation afforded the people of
the county, the distance by way of which from Bluefield, is 365
miles to Norfolk, 364 to Cincinnati, 219 to Huntington, 269 to
Charleston, 434 to Wheeling and 524 to Chicago. Princeton, the
county seat, is off the railroad about 10 miles from Bluefield.
MERCER COUNTY.
189
West of
COAL.--Mercer is partially in the Flat Top coal field.
the Bluestone river over a territory about 3 by 14 mi es the coal is
found. Its thickness in Mercer county is not as great as in the ad-
joining county of McDowell, being but about 7 feet on the average,
while in McDowell it averages about 10 feet. There is but one vein
in Mercer county, but it contains some of the finest coal in the
country. The field is pretty well opened up but there is still an
abundance of coal untouched in the county. As in McDowell, the
coal lands are held principally by a few large corporations which
lease to operators on favorable terms. The coal is of the same vein,
and exactly the same in character as that found in McDowell
county. The reports of the State Mine Inspectors show that for the
year ending June 30, 1891, there were 13 coal mines and 714 coke
ovens in Mercer county, employing 2,104 men, producing 1,210,723
tons of coal and 254,780 tons of coke. For the year ending June
30, 1892, the number of coal mines was 17, coke ovens 734 with 12
under construction, number of employes 1,962, coal production
1,175,141 tons, coke production 88,297 tons.
IRON.—The county is one of those eastern border counties of the
State all of which contain more or less of iron ores, and in Mercer
are found large deposits of brown hematite ore. No developments
have ever been made of this ore but its quality is known to be
good and the mountain ranges along the eastern border are filled
with it. Being in the iron region of the two Virginias, with plenty
of good limestone at hand and in the heart of the finest coking coal
field, Mercer county will some day probably become a large iron
producing county. While not existing in as large quantities as in
some of the adjoining counties, there is still a large amount of it and
in paying quantities in Mercer county.
MARBLE AND STONE - The county contains an abundance of lime-
stone, suitable for building and agricultural purposes and for flux-
ing. It is in large quantities, easy of access and easily quarried.
There is in the mountains along the border of the county a fine
variegated marble which has not been developed, but specimens
of which show it to be a beautiful marble and of excellent quality.
There is also a good millstone grit in a portion of the mountains
of the county.
CLAYS - Fire and potter's clays are found in the county in large
1
190
MERCER COUNTY.
¿
deposits and the potter's clay has been worked, all kinds of pottery
being made in the county. The clays are also useful in making
brick for the construction of coke ovens, a great many of which are
required, and for general building purposes. There is great de-
mand for brick in the county which is growing up very fast and re-
quires a large amount of building material.
TIMBER-A good deal of the timber has been removed from the
county, but perhaps a half of it is still standing. The timber is
principally the hard woods, with some poplar and a little pine in
the higher parts of the county. Mercer never was a specially fine
timber county and does not now rank well up among the best tim-
ber counties of the State, but, for all that, there is still some very
good timber in the county. Much of it is being used at home and
some shipped over the Norfolk & Western, though the principal
item transported over that road is coal or its product, coke.
AGRICULTURE-The county is well adapted to some kinds of agri-
culture. Corn grows very well and tobacco on the new, high
ground, produces excellent crops. The county, though, is especially
adapted to grazing. Grass grows luxuriantly over all the land,
most of which is high limestone land, and makes excellent påstur-
Cattle and sheep do well, though few are raised as yet, most
of the country being given up to mining. Fruits do well but are not
much cultivated.
age.
BLUEFIELD is a town of almost magic growth, being but a few
years old and claiming now 5,000 people. It is dependent on the
coal and coke industries of Mercer and McDowell counties. It is
an enterprising place and growing rapidly.
MINERAL COUNTY.
LOCATION AND CHARACTER. -Mineral county is in the north-eastern
part of the State, the second county west of the eastern "pan-
handle." It is one of the border counties, being bounded on the
west, north and for a short distance on the east by the State of
Maryland. Forming the boundary of at least one half the county
is the Potomac river, the dividing line between the two States. Fol-
lowing this river, sometimes on one bank, sometimes on the other,
are the Baltimore & Ohio and the West Virginia Central & Pitts-
burg railroads, which have parallel lines for half the length of the
MINERAL COUNTY.
191
•
:
county. Leaving the W. Va. C. & P. at Cumberland, Md., the B.
& O. continues eastward, while from Piedmont, where they again
separate, the W. Va C. & P. extends southward to the interior of
Randolph county. The Cumberland & Pennsylvania railroad runs
from Piedmont through Maryland to Cumberland, touching
Mineral county at each end. From Cumberland eastward, on the
Maryland shore, runs the Chesapeake & Ohio canal. From Keyser,
the county seat, it is 102 miles to Martinsburg, 202 to Baltimore.
183 to Parkersburg, 179 to Wheeling, and 646 to Chicago. Through
the county run several parallel mountain ranges, at the base of each
of which is a broad valley. This alternation of mountains and
broad valleys makes up the entire county. The mountains are
not the "hog-back" ridges, such as are found in some parts of the
State, too steep and sharp to farm, but are flat on top and most of
the county is thus level and suitable for farming. Through the
county flow several streams, watering the county well and afford-
ing means for floating out logs.
COAL.-Only in the extreme western part of Mineral county is
coal found, but there are in that part of the county no less than five
veins of very fine coal, aggregating over 30 feet. One of these is
the celebrated "14 foot vein." One is 7 feet, one 6, one 4 and one
from 1 to 3 feet thick. The coals are bituminous and semi-bitu-
minous, the latter including the "peacock" coal. The 14 foot vein is
the Pittsburg vein, and is very valuable for steam and smithing pur-
poses. Coke has not been made yet in this county, though the coal.
is suitable for coking. The "big vein," which is the only one work-
ed in this county, varies a little in thickness, running up in places
to 16 feet and down to 13 in others, but 14 feet is the
average thickness. This is solid coal, too, without any slate or part-
ing in the vein. East of Piedmont no coal is found. The reports
of the State Mine Inspector show that for the year ending June 30,
1891, there were produced from the eight mines operated in Miner-
al county 623,067 tons of coal. In each of these mines the vein is
14 feet thick except in one where it is but 13. The number of
miners and employes was 666. For the year ending June 30, 1892,
the number of employes was 608, the number of mines worked 5,
and the output 473,862 tons of coal.
IRON.-In Abram's Ridge, just cast of the New Creek mountains,
ܘ
ܐܐ
*
C
}
192
MINERAL COUNTY.
which extend from north to south through the centre of the county,
iron ore is found in great quantities. The deposit of ore is said to be
from 60 to 70 feet thick, but has never been developed. "Billions of
tons" is the expression used to denote the quantity of the iron ore.
by one who knows more about it than any other person, and its
extent is over the entire length of the mountains in the county.
The ore is not so rich as that found in some of the adjacent coun-
ties, but is in large quantities and of paying quality. It is a brown
hematite ore, containing from 30 to 40 per cent. metallic iron.
This ore is easily accessible and in close proximity to the
splendid coals and limestones to be found within the bound-
aries of the same county and within a few miles of the iron ores.
It would seem to offer an inviting field to the iron producer and
capitalist.
Maga
STONE. A portion of the county is of limestone formation and
a portion sandstone. Of both kinds there is an abundance of good
building stone, which can be quarried cheaply. Some of the limestone
is very pure and an exceedingly fine quality of lime is burned. The
lime from West Virginia limestone stands high in the markets and
more might be profitably made in Mineral county.
CLAY.-Fire clay is found in great quantities in many parts of
the county and brick are made to a limited extent. Clay suitable
for the manufacture of fire brick and tile is found in abundance and
some potter's clay, though the latter has never been developed.
TIMBER. Good timber, principally oak, poplar, chestnut, ash,
lynn and similar woods, covers still more than half the county. On
lands that have been cleared there still remains sufficient timber for
farming and fencing purposes, but the timber that is valuable for
sawing is in large tracts on the mountains, principally in the
western part of the county. Until recently the south-western part
of the county has been inaccessible and little of the timber had ever
been taken out until the construction of the W. Va. C. & P. rail-
road along the border of the county opened the territory along the
upper Potomac and afforded the means of transporting the timber.
Since that time large forces of men have been at work and the tim-
ber is being rapidly removed. Still there is a great deal left of ex-
cellent quality.
-
AGRICULTURAL.-The county is similar in many respects to all of
-
f
A
MINERAL COUNTY.
193
the counties of the South Branch valley, and the soil is just as fer-
tile. The long parallel valleys between the mountain ranges are
broad and contain as fine farming lands as can be found in any part
of the State. The soil is principally a sandy loam and reaches an
average depth of many feet. That on the hills is not so deep, but is
very fertile. Grains of all kinds in the bottom lands and high plateaus
grow well and yield about as well as in any county in the State.
Part of the county is limestone in character and blue grass grows
and makes an excellent sod. Cattle and sheep are both raised and
with considerable profit. The county is especially adapted to grains,
cattle and sheep raising and fruit culture.
KEYSER, an important railroad town, has shops and yards of the
B. & O., and is reached also by the W. Va. C. & P. It is a beauti-
ful town and does considerable business as the center of an agricul-
tural region. Its population in 1890 was 2,165, an increase of 41.36
per cent over 1880.
PIEDMONT is a thriving town on the banks of the Potomac. It
has railroad shops and yards, large pulp and paper mills and other
factories and important commercial interests.
MONONGALIA COUNTY.
LOCATION AND CHARACTER. -Along the northern border of the
State, separated from the State of Pennsylvania by only an imagi-
nary line, and about as far west of the Maryland line as it is east of
the Ohio, is the county of Monongalia. The county like all those
in this section of the State, is rolling and hilly and only in the ex-
treme east of the county do the hills rise into mountains, the Laurel
ridge reaching a considerable height there. Through the eastern part
of the county the Monongahela river flows northward, and east of
that is the Cheat river, also flowing northward and uniting its
waters with those of the Monongahela just below the Pennsylvania
line. The Cheat is not navigable at any part, but the Monon-
gahela, improved with several dams, affords slack water navi-
gation as far above Pittsburg as Morgantown, the county seat of
Monongalia county. A branch of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad ex-
tends from Fairmont down the east bank of the Monongahela river to
Morgantown, is being extended into Pennsylvania where a connec-
tion will be made with the B. & O. system in that State, and an
-
P
194
MONONGALIA COUNTY.
"
:
:
other road is under construction along the west bank of the same
river, which will also give connection with roads in Pennsylvania.
Morgantown, the county seat, is 104 miles from Wheeling, 152 from
Parkersburg, 228 from Martinsburg, 263 from Charleston, 347 from
Cincinnati and 571 fro:n Chicago.
ures.
COAL.-Six veins of coal, varying from four to eleven feet, are
found in Monongalia county, in some places one above the other,
so that in parts of the county there are from 20 to 30 feet of mer-
chantable coal, all of which can be mined without shafting. Two
measures cover the county-the Lower and the Upper coal meas-
In the former are two veins of excellent coking coal, aver-
aging about 5 or 6 feet each. In the other are four veins, averaging
from 4 to 9 feet each. One of these is the great Pittsburg vein, one
of the most important veins in the State, and as good a coking coal
as can be found. The Monongalia coals stand high in the market,
make excellent coke, are free from ash, sulphur and slate partings.
Reports of the State Mine Inspectors show that for the year ending
June 30, 1891, there was but one mine reported in the county, and
10 coke ovens, the production being 46,100 tons of coal and 4,900
tons of coke. For the year ending June 30, 1892, there were two
mines reported, and 57 coke ovens in blast. The production was
70,062 tons of coal and 13,517 tons of coke. The completion of the
railroad recently finished and the one now projected will give an
impetus to the development of the mining industry, and a great
mining region will doubtless be made of the Monongahela valley.
IRON.-In years past, before the completion of railroads into
richer territory, there were as many as half a dozen iron furnaces in
Monongalia county, but today none of them are operated, and the
ores still remain stored away in the hills of the county.
As many
as nine seams of ore have been reported, ranging in thickness from
18 to 30 inches. The ores are carbonates of iron containing from
27 to 49 per cent metallic iron. The ores are found principally in
the eastern part of the county.
OIL.-Monongalia county was one of the first in which the recent
oil developments were made, and since the days of the shallow wells
in the Little Kanawha valley, was among the first to produce oil.
There have been and still are good producing wells in this county.
The western part of the county is where the oil is found and there
MONONGALIA COUNTY,
195
•
are numerous wells there. Natural gas is found in profusion and is
used for heating and lighting purposes at Morgantown and other
places in the county.
STONE. A good building limestone is found in the county and
there are blue and gray sandstones throughout the county which
are valuable for building purposes. They are pretty, hard and
durable stones, which are valuable for building purposes. There is
found a good glass sand in the eastern part of the county, which
has been used for making glass.
CLAYS. Several kinds of clays are found in the county, suitable
for the manufacture of paving and fire brick, sewer pipe, tiling, terra
cotta work, etc. In various parts of the county these clays are to
be found and in some places they are worked. Most of them are
on the east side of the river where they could be worked to ad-
vantage, and are near the railroad where shipping facilities would
be good.
TIMBER.- Fully a third of the county is still in timber.
A great
deal of the timber of the county has already gone down the Monon-
gahela and much of the better land for farming has been cleared,
but there is still standing in the county a great deal of fine timber,
consisting of the oaks and other hard woods, some poplar, but prin-
cipally white oak, which is very fine. The eastern part of the
county is almost untouched, much of the original forest remaining
on the mountains. The facilities for getting out timber and the
means of getting it to market would seem to offer inducements to
persons in that line of business.
AGRICULTURAL.-Monongalia is a splendid agricultural county.
The surface is but slightly broken, the only mountains in the
county being in the eastern portion and the rest of the county being
undulating or hilly, fertile and free from rocks. Grains, including
buckwheat, do well in the county and a good deal of them is raised.
West of the river the best land in the county is to be found and
most of this possesses a rich and productive soil.
Grass grows spon-
taneously in nearly every part of the county. The soil is for the
most part a blue grass one and well watered, producing fine crops
of grass. Cattle raising and the raising of all kinds of stock is there-
fore much engaged in and proves a profitable business. Fruits of
all kinds grow well in the county.
196
MONROE County.
MONROE COUNTY.
LOCATION AND CHARACTER.- Monroe is one of the southern bor-
der counties of the State, lying a little to the east of the most south-
ern portion, and directly south of the center. To the south and
east is the State of Virginia, from which it is separated by Peters
and Potts mountains, portions of the main Alleghany range. The
Greenbrier river flows around the northern portion of the county,
forming its boundary for a short distance, while the New river
which comes from the south and unites with the Greenbrier in the
adjoining county, barely touches the southwestern corner of Mon-
roe. The waters which flow into these rivers are well distributed
through the county, which is thus well watered. In the eastern
part, just west of the Potts mountain, is Potts creek, which flows
northward and empties into Jackson's river at Covington, Va. The
southern portion of the county is but a very short distance from
the Norfolk & Western railroad, while the Chesapeake & Ohio rail-
road passes through the northwestern corner of it. Union, the
county seat, is 12 miles off the Chesapeake & Ohio railroad, by way
of which it is 137 miles from Charleston, 256 from Richmond, 402
from Wheeling, 348 from Cincinnati and 653 from Chicago. The
county is mostly mountainous, and all high. A large part of it is
rolling table land, interspersed with mountains, those along the
eastern border being quite high-from 3,000 to 3,600 feet. The cli-
mate is delightful and healthful, and the county is much sought in
the summer by persons in search of health. Monroe is one of the
three counties in the State in which coal is not found. A kind of
shale, resembling coal has been found, and some people have called.
it coal, but it is not. When placed with other fuel in a fire it will
get red hot and emit a powerful heat, but does not burn and re-
quires other fuel to make it hot. Even this is found in small quan-
tities only.
IRON.-The mountains which mark the eastern boundary of the
county contain enormous deposits of iron ores, and form a part of
what is probably the richest iron field in the Virginias Through
the entire eastern extent of the county continuous beds of ore are
found both in Oriskany and Clinton formations. The ore is brown
hematite, containing from 46 to 58 per cent. of metallic iron, averag-
MONROE COUNTY.
197
ing about 52 per cent. It is all above water level and easily mined
by simple open cut work. The Oriskany bed, which covers the
eastern part of this county and extends on down the valley into
Virginia, where it is mined and used in numerous furnaces, is found
to be in various places from 5 to 15 feet thick, oftener the latter.
It is a neutral ore, out of which a high grade of iron can be made
without a mixture of ores. Above the Oriskany beds is found
the Clinton ore. This, in extent, is equal to the Oriskany, but not
quite so thick, ranging from 3 to 10 feet. Judges Holt and Snyder,
of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia, in a paper on
the iron ores of this State and Virginia, reach the conclusion that:
"It would be within the just limits of the facts heretofore given to
estimate that in the Potts' valley, along the Potts' and Peters'
mountains, their foot-hills and ridges, there are one hundred miles
of outcrop of brown Oriskany ore (Rogers VII), to say nothing of
the large quantity of Clinton ore (Rogers V), of an average thick-
ness of ten feet, that can be stripped and mined six hundred feet
above water level, which, allowing two and one-fourth tons to the
cubic yard of ore, would yield 233,000,000 tons of ore, and taking
three hundred days as a year, this would run one 100-ton furnace
4,000 years or forty 100-ton furnaces for one hundred years." There
was, some years ago, a small furnace in the eastern part of the
The force
county, where an attempt was made to make pig iron.
of men went to sleep on the first attempt, the big cupola burst and
no further effort was made to operate it. It has recently been pur-
chased by eastern men who propose to operate it as soon as railroad
communication can be secured. The dozen or more furnaces now
being operated in the western part of Virginia, within a short dis-
tance of the Monroe county iron, are all using the same ore that is
found here and are being worked successfully.
MANGANESE.-Some little manganese is found in the mountains
along with the iron ores, but little is known as to its extent or
value. There is probably a good deal of it stored away in the
mountains.
STONE AND MARBLE. --The county is in the midst of a limestone
outcrop and the limestone is so prevalent in places that there is
scarce room for any soil. There is the greatest abundance of it for
building, road making, agricultural and fluxing purposes and for
$
...
198
MONROE COUNTY.
burning lime. Sandstone is found in places, but there is very little.
of it, compared with the vast quantities of limestone that exist.
Some of the limestone is very fine and at times becomes marble.
Several quarries of fine black and grey marble are found and it is
claimed by some that there is a lithographic stone in one part of
the county. The marbles and lithographic stone are little known,
few investigations ever having been made as to their value or ex-
tent.
MINERAL WATERS.--Monroe has perhaps a greater variety and
abundance of mineral waters than any other county in the State.
There have been since long before the war numerous fashionable sum-
mer resorts in the county, where people go to escape the heat of other
places and to drink the health giving waters of Monroe. The waters
have various properties and are beneficial in a great many of the
ills that flesh is heir to.
TIMBER -Monroe was never a well timbered county. There was an
abundance of small growth, but little good saw timber, and probably
not over a tenth of the area of the county is now covered with val-
uable timber. What is left is principally oak, cherry, chestnut
and maple, with a little pine in small tracts. Sugar maples are left.
in places for the sap, but are not of much account for timber. There
is considerable small timber suitable for railroad ties, telegraph
poles, hickory for wagon material and a good deal of tanbark but as
a timber producing county Monroe does not rank well.
AGRICULTURAL.-The limestone soil of this county produces a
most excellent blue grass sod and, along with Greenbrier, the adjoin-
ing county and quite similar in most respects, Monroe bears an ex-
cellent reputation as a cattle raising county. The ground, where
cultivated, produces well and all kinds of grain are raised. Corn,
oats, wheat and buckwheat are the principal crops. In the western
part of the county very fine tobacco is raised The soil there seems
to be especially adapted to the culture of tobacco and there is a great
deal of it grown.
The people are principally from old Virginia and
they all understand the culture of tobacco Grazing is the prin-
cipal industry of the county and fat cattle in great numbers are sent
out of the county every year. All kinds of stock are raised-fine
horses, hogs and sheep as well as cattle Sheep are very profitable.
In much of the land the limestone crops out so thick that it is im-
MORGAN COUnty.
199
possible to plow it and on this land where there would seem to be
hardly room for the sheep to step without standing on rock, they
pick up a splendid living and thrive. It is good for nothing else
and the blue grass grows spontaneously, and sheep raising is the only
way to get any yield at all out of the land. This rocky land is not
prevalent in the county and there is much very fine pasturage. The
people find stock raising profitable and there are many opportuni-
ties to purchase good farms cheap. The high, rich lands of this
county are admirably adapted to fruit culture and principally im-
proved varieties are cultivated. Fruits of all kinds are very fine
and yield well.
MORGAN COUNTY.
LOCATION AND CHARACTER.-Morgan is one of the three counties
in the eastern "panhandle" almost separated from the rest of the
State, being connected by a narrow strip only at the northeastern
corner of Hampshire county. To the north is the State of Mary-
land, and the southern corner borders for some distance along the
State of Virginia. The northern boundary is the Potomac river, on
the West Virginia side of which is the Baltimore and Ohio railroad,
and on the other the Chesapeake and Ohio canal. The Great Caca-
pon river flows northward through the western part of the county
into the Potomac river, and Sleepy creek waters the eastern part of
the county. Berkeley Springs, the county seat, is reached by a
branch line from the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, 5 miles long.
The distance from here to Martinsburg is 28 miles, to Baltimore 128,
to Parkersburg 262, to Wheeling 258, to Chicago 725 miles. The
county is principally mountainous and rocky, though the valleys of
the streams are fertile and of good width.
*
COAL.--Morgan is one of the two counties in West Virginia, in
which anthracite coal has been found. From six to ten thousand
acres are embraced in the field, lying in the counties of Berkeley
and Morgan. The first anthracite coal found in the State was in
Morgan county. It was a 6 foot vein. The shaft which had been
dug was unprotected, soon filled with water and was abandoned.
This field being the same as that in Berkeley county the description
under the head of that county will answer for this also. Further
information may also be had in the chapter on coal, in this vol-
There is no bituminous coal in Morgan county.
ume.
N
200
MORGAN COUNTY.
IRON --Iron ores in abundance have been found in Morgan county,
principally brown hematite, and are shipped in considerable quan-
tities to furnaces in Pennsylvania, where they are made into pig
iron. The ores are found principally in the Sandy ridge, which
passes north and south through the center of the county. Some
other iron ores are found, but they are of little importance.
LIMESTONE. This section of the State seems to contain about the
purest limestone found in any part of it. The lime burned from
the stone found in this and adjacent counties is of excellent char-
acter and sells well. Burning lime is quite an industry in this
county and a good deal is made.
GLASS SAND --The Sandy ridge, in the center of the county, is
almost entirely composed of a white sandstone which is nearly pure
silex and said to be the finest glass sand in the world.
There are
several quarries where the stone is gotten out and crushed. The
sand thus obtained is shipped to glass factories all over the coun-
try and its preparation forms one of the principal industries of
the county. The sand is also used by the railroad company on its
locomotives where sand must be carried to keep the wheels from
slipping. But it is too valuable to be used in this way long, and
while the county is full of it, more pains will be taken in the future
to preserve it for the purpose to which it is so well adapted.
CLAY.--A good potter's clay has been found in small quantities
in the county and was at one time worked, but it has lain untouched
now for many years.
TIMBER Perhaps one half the county is still uncleared, but not
all of this is in timber that is valuable for lumber. Still there is a
large amount of good timber standing. It is principally white,
red and chestnut oak, some of these varieties growing to immense.
size, hickory, poplar, ash, walnut and cherry. Not much is gotten
out for saw timber, but the amount of ties, staves, hoop poles and
tanbark produced is large.
AGRICULTURAL. --The valleys of the various streams of the county
are broad and fertile, and make fine farms. Much of the mountain
land is not suited to farming, but makes excellent pasturage. The
county is full of limestone and blue grass grows luxuriantly. Stock
raising has come to be one of the principal industries of the county
and all kinds of stock are raised. Horses and cattle do well but
add
MCDOWELL COUNTY.
201
particular attention is given to sheep, which are raised in consider-
able numbers and the probabilities are that sheep culture will be
largely increased in the future, owing to the natural adaptation of
the county to them. The county is also well adapted to the cul-
ture of grapes and other fruits, though little fruit of any kind is
now raised. All that is grown, though, does well.
MCDOWELL COUNTY.
LOCATION AND CHARACTER,-The southernmost county in the
State is McDowell. Three sides of the county are almost sur-
rounded by the State of Virginia and the county is bounded by
mountain ranges. Rising in the eastern part of the county and
flowing westward is the Tug fork of Big Sandy river, into which
flow several tributaries of small size. Along this river, through the
northern part of the county runs the new extension of the Norfolk &
Western railroad, the first to penetrate the mountain fastnesses of the
county and to bring to the reach of the world the abundant mineral
wealth that is hidden away in its mountains. Practically a wilder-
ness a few years ago with only a scattering population among the
mountains and scarcely any degree of civilization, the county is
now rapidly becoming one of the foremost in the State in a busi-
ness way and the development of its coal is rapidly bringing the
county into prominence. The Norfolk & Western railroad gives
direct connection in all directions, by way of which Welch, the
county seat, is 400 miles from Norfolk, 329 from Cincinnati, 234
from Charleston, 184 from Huntington and 399 from Wheeling. The
county is principally rough and mountainous. Except along the
railroad it is still in a very primitive state and even there the fact
is evident that the country is a newly opened one. The topography
of the county is similar to that of the neighboring counties except
perhaps that here it is rougher and more broken.
COAL.—McDowell county is in the midst of one of the finest
coal regions in the United States, the Flat Top field. An area about
twenty by forty miles is underlaid by the finest coking coal known.
The Fiat Top coal has achieved a national reputation and the rapid
development of the coal and the ready sale with which it meets at-
test the value of both the coal and the coke made from it. In Mercer
:
8.
202
MCDOWELL COUNTY.
Pla
county there is but one vein of the coal, but in McDowell the vein
separates and forms two veins about 60 feet apart, respectively 4 and
6 feet thick on an average. These thicknesses vary a little but the
average of the two is about ten feet. The coal is a most excellent
grade of the finest coking coal known in the country. It is a supe-
rior grate and steam coal, giving an exceedingly bright, hot fire. It
is low in volatile matter and ash and high in fixed carbon. The
coal property of the county is principally owned by two corpora-
tions who lease it out to mining companies on liberal terms. The
reports of the State Mine Inspectors show that for the year ending
June 30, 1891, the 20 mines of McDowell county and the 966 coke
ovens, employed 1,497 men, produced 336,259 tons of coke and 704,-
871 tons of coal. For the year ending June 30, 1892, there were 25
mines, 1,992 coke ovens completed and 626 under construction, em-
ploying 1,655 men and producing 194,390 tons of coke and 1,100,-
882 tons of coal.
TIMBER.—But little of the timber of the county has ever been taken
out and fully two thirds of the county is still in untouched forests,
embracing all the finer kinds of the hard wood timbers of the State.
Oaks of the finest quality and size are abundant and poplar is found
in large quantities. The waters of the Sandy river afford an easy
outlet for the timber of the county and the railroad, now opening
up the country, also affords a means of reaching the market. The
timber is being worked up now quite rapidly but there is still an
enormous quantity of it standing in the county.
AGRICULTURAL. -The county is too rough and broken to afford
much of an opportunity for successful farming. Corn in places
grows well and there are some bottom lands and levels in various
parts of the county which yield good crops. Grass grows well on
most of the hills when once the timber is removed and the clearing
of the forests will be followed by a greater cultivation of the soil
and grazing is sure to become one of the principal forms of agricul-
ture in the county. There is a good market for all kinds of farm
products among the mines and towns that are springing up along
the line of the new road.
2
NICHOLAS COUNTY.
203
}
NICHOLAS COUNTY.
LOCATION AND CHARACTER.--Nicholas county lies immediately
south of the center of the State. Through the center of the county
in a southwesterly direction flows the Gauley river, into which
within the boundaries of this county flow the Cranberry, Cherry,
Hominy and Meadow rivers and several smaller streams. The
county is full of springs of the purest water and the streams are well
supplied with water at all seasons of the year and the waters are sel-
dom muddy Gauley river is navigable at times for small push
boats but the principal means of bringing goods into the county has
been by hauling them from the Chesapeake & Ohio railroad. The
completion of the West Virginia & Pittsburg railroad to the Gauley
river in Webster county has given to the northern part of the
county closer railroad connection than by the C. & O. Summers-
ville, the county seat, is 30 miles from the C. & O., by way of
which it is 68 miles from Charleston, 279 from Cincinnati, 361 from
Richmond and 584 from Chicago. From the W. Va. & P. Summers-
ville is about 15 miles, and by this way the distance is 241 miles to
Wheeling, 299 to Baltimore. The county is largely mountainous
and all elevated. Much of the county is an elevated and rolling
plateau. The Gauley river for most of its course in this county, is
cut down deep below the level of this plateau and its banks are
high and steep. The mountains in some parts become quite high,
but are not steep and may be cultivated to the tops. The roads in
the county are mostly turnpikes and are all kept in good condition.
A branch of the Chesapeake & Ohio railroad is under construction
from the mouth of Gauley river up to the Nicholas county line
from which point it will probably be extended up Twenty Mile
creek into the western part of the county. The C. & O. Ry. Co. also
contemplates the construction of a branch up the Meadow river
through the southern part of Nicholas county, connecting with the
main line of the C & O. east of the new river canyons.
COAL.-The conglomerate or New River coal measures cover the
eastern portion of the county and some splendid beds of this fa-
mous coking coal, termed by Prof. White the "purest of coals," are
found. The veins here do not reach the same thickness that they
do further south but the coals are just as good and in workable
204
NICHOLAS COUNTY.
veins and it is to reach this field of fine coking coal that the Mead-
ow river branch of the C. & O. is to be constructed. In the west-
ern part of the county the coal belongs to the Lower coal measures
and several varieties are found. Splint and cannel coals are found
in thin veins, which thicken as they go southward. The cannel
coal of Nicholas county is most too thin to be of any value, but
some good splint coal is found. A good coking coal is also found
in large veins and over considerable area. Nine-foot veins are being
opened up in the valley of Twenty Mile creek, toward which the C.
& O. is pushing. To summarize: Workable beds of coal may be
found over the entire county from 3 to 9 feet in thickness, including
the best varieties of the New River and Kanawha coals. Coking,
fuel, splint and cannel are found, the latter seldom in workable
veins. Not a bushel of coal has ever been mined in the county ex-
cept for local use and this immense territory of valuable and un-
touched coal is awaiting merely a developing hand to prove un-
questionably its enormous value.
IRON-Little is known of the iron ores of this county save that
there are rich veins of valuable black band ore. The ore crops out
along Little Elk creek and in some other places but no efforts have
been made to discover the value or extent of the ores.
-
Stone and ClaY.-There is an abundance of fine building sand-
stone throughout the county and in some places good millstone and
grindstone grits have been found.
Fire and potter's clays are found in abundance and a small pot-
tery has been successfully operated in the county.
TIMBER.-Some of the finest timber in the State is found in
Nicholas county and the best of it all remains untouched. From
not over a fourth of the county has the timber been removed and
some magnificent forests yet remain. Along the eastern border
and extending into Greenbrier, Pocahontas and Webster counties is
what is called "The Wilderness," where a space 25 miles square is
said to be without a human habitation. Unbroken forests cover
this entire region, deer paths being the only openings. A large part
of this is in the "yew pine region" and there is a great deal of
black spruce as well as other kinds of timber. Most of the spruce,
though, is in that portion which is in the other counties and poplar
and the hard woods are the most prevalent ones in Nicholas. Much
NICHOLAS COUNTY.
205
of the land has been owned in large tracts and the timber has been
saved, although a great deal of very fine quality has been taken
down Gauley river. Poplar has been cut more than any other
kind and still covers the greater part of the county. The roads pass
through these forests in many places and the traveler passes along
through the midst of thousands of acres of splendid poplars, from
four to eight feet thick and 50 feet or more to the first limb. Oaks
of enormous size grow also in abundance. Besides the oaks and
poplar the principal timber trees of Nicholas county are hickory,
chestnut, cherry, ash, lynn, walnut, maple, beech, birch, locust and
holly. There has been a good deal of fine walnut in the county
but it is being rapidly removed. There is enough of the other
kinds still standing, though, to last the largest mills for years to
A few mills are located in the county and some logs are ta-
ken out the Gauley to be sawed at other places but the timber sup-
ply is being almost imperceptibly reduced by this.
come.
AGRICULTURAL.--Though blessed with magnificent timber forests
and rich deposits of minerals, Nicholas is still essentially a farming
county. The soil is rich and much of the land lies well. The
broad open area of the plateau land that forms a considerable por-
tion of the county, makes excellent farming land and it is utilized
for that purpose. Grains grow well and so does grass. Corn is the
principal crop though wheat and the other cereals all yield well.
The county is a splendid one for grass and blue grass flourishes.
The farmers all raise cattle though the stock has not the reputation
of that from some of the surrounding counties. Sheep are raised
to some extent and it is an excellent county for them, adapted by
soil, character and climate. The rich uplands are particularly
suited to fruit culture and all kinds of fruits grow well. Apples,
peaches and grapes are grown equal to the best the markets afford
anywhere in this part of the country.
OHIO COUNTY.
LOCATION AND CHARACTER. — About the centre of the northern
panhandle, that narrow strip wedged in between Ohio and Penn-
sylvania in the extreme north of the State, is Ohio county. Brooke
and Hancock are the only counties north of it, also the only ones in
the State of smaller area. Though one of the smallest counties in
***
206
OHIO COUNTY.
:
;
the State in size, it is second in population and contains the largest
city in the State. The county is similar in topography and char-
acter to the other panhandle counties. None of it is very high,
though the greater part of the county is hilly. Some of the hills
are rough and steep but few of them too steep to be of value for
farming, grazing or some other purpose. The Ohio river forms the
western boundary of the entire county, by way of which Wheeling,
the county seat, is 96 miles from Pittsburg, 384 from Cincinnati.
By rail Wheeling is 71 miles from Pittsburg, 280 from Martinsburg,
94 from Parkersburg, 228 from Charleston, 215 from Huntington
and 467 from Chicago. Several railroads pass through Ohio county,
the Baltimore & Ohio and Pennsylvania systems being the largest.
The Ohio River railroad connects all the western counties of the
State while numerous other roads from Ohio cross the river into
Wheeling, making this a splendid shipping point and placing the
county in direct communication with all parts of the country. The
county is well supplied with splendid roads. The National road.
and all the rest are carefully looked after and well kept up Sev-
eral streams flow through the county and empty into the Ohio river,
but all are small. The county is the most thickly settled in the
State.
COAL.-The Pittsburg seam of coal is found in Ohio county and is
worked in half a dozen places in the county. The vein averages 5
feet in thickness and the coal is of an excellent quality, being used
exclusively in many of the large iron working mills of Wheeling.
The principal vein is found at Wheeling about a hundred feet above
the water level and this it was which formed the basis of Wheeling's
early prosperity and caused its growth to its present large propor-
tions. The reports of the State Mine Inspectors show that for the
year ending June 30, 1891, the coal production of the county was
80,738 tons. For the following year it had increased to 82,534
tons. The coal is all mined exclusively for local use, little, if any,
being shipped outside the county.
STONE. Good building stone may be found in any part of the
county both sand and limestones being abundant, and much of it
has been used in the many handsome buildings which are to be seen
in Wheeling.
CLAY.-In Ohio county several kinds of clays are found in
1
OHIO COUNTY.
207
abundance. Brick clay, fire clay, potter's clay and a cement clay,
from which cement is made, are all found in large quantities. They
form the foundation on which are built some of the most substan-
tial industries of Wheeling. Potteries, brick and fire brick works
are numerous and employ a large number of men.
TIMBER. So thickly populated as the county is and has been for
years, with all the land made valuable by its proximity to the city,
but little timber has been allowed to stand, and to-day the entire
county is practically stripped of all its timber.
AGRICULTURAL. --The soil of the county is uniformly good and
most of it is worked. A dark loam, rich and productive, it is
adapted to nearly all kinds of crops and produces splendid yields.
Wheat and corn are grown to some extent, garden products in great
quantities, while all the land, on the hills as well as in the valleys,
produces most excellent grass. There is a good deal of limestone in
the county and the blue grass grows magnificently, the county shar-
ing with the others of the panhandle the excellent reputation which
they have as grazing counties. Sheep, cattle and horses are largely
raised, particularly the former, which yield a wool of most excel-
lent quality, commanding a high price in all the markets. In
grazing or in farming about all the land in the county outside of
the city is under cultivation and ready markets are found at home.
Many tomatoes, cucumbers, etc., are grown for the catsup, canning,
pickling and preserving works of Wheeling.
WHEELING, the largest city in the State, claims 40,000 people.
The census of 1890 gave the city 34,522, an increase in ten years of
12.31 per cent. This, however, does not represent the real popula-
tion of the city. The numerous suburbs, in all except in name a part
of Wheeling, would nearly double the population of the city as given
above. It owes its prosperity almost exclusively to its manufac-
turing interests. Millions of dollars are represented in the capital
employed in manufacturing in the city. At one time Wheeling
was the greatest nail producing city in the Union and was given
the name of "the Nail City." But other manufacturing has taken
its place since then and nails are but a small part of the product of
the city's factories. The principal factories now in operation are
the iron and steel works, wood working establishments, glass facto-
ries, potteries, breweries, tobacco houses, canning, pickling and pre-
208
OHIO COUNTY.
serving works. As showing the volume of the manufacturing
business in Wheeling the following figures of the exports from
Wheeling for 1890 will be of interest. The tons sent out of Wheel-
ing in that year were as follows: Pig iron, 380,000; steel, 328,000;
muck bar, 68,000; nailplate, 140,000; nails, 132,000; bar, sheet and
plate iron and steel, including galvanized and corrugated iron, roof-
ing, etc., 115,000; steel pipe, 30,000; glass, 18,000; merchandise,
100,000; miscellaneous manufactures, including pottery, 140,000;
wool, 1,200; total, 1,452,200
The following is but a partial list of the more important indus-
tries or manufactures of the city of Wheeling: Bessemer foundry
and pig iron; bessemer steel ingots, billets and nail plate; steel nails
and spikes; steel, iron and sheet steel; bar iron, bar steel and rails;
plate iron and steel plates; galvanized and corrugated iron and
steel; cold rolled iron and steel; iron roofing and car roofing iron;
iron cornices and shaped iron for builders; iron and steel axles;
stoves and grates; hollow ware; engines and boilers; nail machines;
steamboat machinery; iron vats and tanks; iron chimneys and
stacks; machinery and castings of all kinds; tacks, hob nails and
wire nails; general iron castings and forgings; iron and metal ceil-
ing; wire signs, netting and wire work; flint and lead glass table
ware; cut glass; glass chandeliers; lanterns and lantern globes; bot-
tles, flasks, jars and cruets, crystal and colored; table queensware;
porcelain china; decorated ware; pottery of all kinds; wagons and
carriages; sashes, doors, and shutters; barrels, kegs, staves and
.bungs; sawed and planed lumber; furniture; pork packing; flour
and meal; roasted coffee; baking powder; ground spices; mustard
for fine fancy trade, and in bulk; mince meat, canned goods, pre-
serves and jellies; catsup; pickles; horse radish; soap and candles;
illuminating and lubricating oil; calico; stockings; gloves and sus-
penders; leather; sails, awnings and tents; brass and bronze cast-
ing; copper kettles; electro plating; galvanizing; cigars and smok-
ing tobacco; beer, wine and ale; bricks, lime and cement; chemicals;
artificial ice; glue; saddles and harness; trunks and valises; monu-
ments and headstones; patent medicines.
Not only as a manufacturing city is Wheeling known, but it is a
city of great and growing commercial importance. Business inter-
ests are very large. Wholesale houses do a tremendous business
OHIO COUNTY.
209
throughout this State and others The city has excellent
rapid transit using both steam and electric power, plenty of bridges,
excellently paved streets and all that goes to show progress and en-
terprise in a growing city. The Wheeling Intelligencer, in a recent
issue, said: "From her infancy Wheeling has enjoyed a prestige in
the surrounding country for her culture. Her churches, her schools,
public and private; her literary and social circles, her press, all have
always compared with the best anywhere. Her streets and her
business houses, her homes and public buildings are modern and
tasteful. Her physicians are skilled, her lawyers shrewd and
learned, her people progressive and public spirited. The city im-
presses the visitor not as a town of 40,000 people, but as one of the
leading metropolises of the country. Indeed, her population,
while nominally not 40,000, should be, as large cities count, several
times that. North and south of her, on both sides of the river, is a
population equal to her own, tributary to her--a homogeneous pop-
ulation of 75,000. They are in all but nominal extent of the city
limits a part of the population of Wheeling. Easy access to the
business establishments, the theatres and the other facilities of the
larger city have made Bellaire, Bridgeport, Martin's Ferry, Benwood
and other near-by towns, all of considerable size, substantially parts
of the greater Wheeling, and inured to the material advantage of
them and her alike. Creditable as her position among the commu-
nities of America has always been, Wheeling is but entering upon
the career which she is destined to have. An era of enterprise, of
progress, of metropolitan energy and vigor is opening. On all sides
signs of it are seen; and as West Virginia moves forward in the line
of her destiny, her metropolitan city will always be found abreast of
the vanguard--possibly still a little in the lead."
PENDLETON COUNTY.
LOCATION AND CHARACTER -Along the eastern border, directly
east of the center of the State, is Pendleton county. On the east
and south of it is the State of Virginia. In the southern part of
the county, near the headwaters of the South Branch river, is Pan-
ther Knob, the highest point in the State, the altitude of which is
shown by the aneroid barometer to be 4,800 feet above sea level.
The entire county is high, but rises gradually from the northern to
:
****
210
PENDLETON COUNTY.
the southern end, which is the dividing ridge between the waters
flowing north and those flowing south. Near the southern border
of the county is a barn, from the roof of which the water runs in
opposite directions. That from one side of the barn flows north
into the Potomac river, from the other south into the Jackson and
James rivers and the waters of the two unite again in the Chesa-
peake bay. The South Branch of the Potomac and the North and
South Forks of the South Branch all rise near the southern end of
Pendleton county and flow almost parallel northward, uniting in
the counties below. Though rising in a high altitude, their fall is
slight and gradual so that their course might easily be followed by
a railroad with very little necessity for cuts or fills. Between and
on either side of these streams are parallel ridges of high mountains,
extending on into Grant, Hardy, Hampshire and Mineral counties,
which are very similar in most respects to Pendleton county except
that the valleys in Pendleton are neither quite so wide nor so fertile as
in the lower counties. The air and water are pure and fresh, the
scenery beautiful, the climate delightful. Only better connection
with the outside world is needed to make this one of the most de-
sirable residence portions of the State. The nearest railroad point
to Franklin, the county seat, is Harrisonburg, Va., which is 40
miles distant across rough mountain roads and several ridges. It is
70 miles down the South Branch valley to Keyser and the B. & O.
railroad. By Harrisonburg the distance to Charleston is 299 miles,
to Richmond 202, to Baltimore 195, to Cincinnati 510. By the B.
& O. the distance to Wheeling is 250 miles, to Chicago 717.
COAL.-A small quantity of coal has been found in the north
western part of the county-merely enough to say that there is coal
in the county and no more. It is bituminous coal and is found
near the tops of the mountains, from which it dips westward and
passes into the counties beyond.
Years ago,
IRON.—The principal natural resource of Pendleton county is its
iron, which is widely distributed and very valuable.
before the war, some iron was made here and a number of stoves,
moulded at that time, are still in use in the county. The varieties
of ore found are red fossiliferous, red shale, brown hematite and
shaly brown hematite. The red fossiliferous, the most important
of these ores, is found in five veins, one 52, one 30, one 27 inches in
PENDLETON COUNTY.
211
$
thickness, the other two smaller. One of these veins, the larger one,
has been followed for 45 miles, the entire length of the county, from
Hardy until it dips under the Highland, Va., county line. The two
other large veins were followed, the one for S, the other for 3 miles,
and both went under the limestone within sight of the Virginia
line. This red fossiliferous ore, which analyzes about 55 per cent
metallic iron, is found in Pennsylvania in very small veins and is
what has made that State so great a producer of iron. It is seen
again here in West Virginia, and then disappears to crop out again
at Birmingham, Ala., where the same kind of ore that is found here
has made that city the most famous iron producing center in the
south. The Alabama ore is not nearly so rich in iron as this, nor is
that in Pennsylvania so thick. Properly developed, this iron should
make Pendleton county as prosperous and prominent in iron circles
as is either of the regions mentioned. Besides the red fossiliferous
ores, a brown hematite, just as rich in metallic iron, is found be-
tween the North Fork and the South Fork mountains for the entire
length of the county. The average thickness of the vein is 16 feet.
In addition to these two very valuable deposits of ore, there are also
some other ores found in various parts of the county which are of
less value and not so wide spread in extent.
MANGANESE.—For a distance of about ten miles along the same
valley in which the iron ores are found, there is a very rich vein of
manganese, very low in phosphorus. It is easily worked, and the
deposit should prove to be of great value.
STONE, SAND AND CLAY.-Very fine limestone is scattered in great
abundance throughout the county and for fluxing ores might be
obtained from the same property from which the ore was obtained.
Only the coal or coke would have to be brought into the county to
produce iron from the native ores. Limestone for building purposes is
also plentiful. There is also found a considerable amount of crys-
tallized limestone, from which a superior quality of lime may be
burned.
Glass sandstone, from which a pure, white glass sand is crushed,
is found in the county in several places and to a considerable ex-
It is about the same as that found in Morgan county.
Some fire and potter's clay have been found in the county and
tent.
212
PENDLETON COUNTY.
small samples of them have been successfully worked. There are
thought to be great quantities of them in the county.'
TIMBER. Aside from what has been removed to make a little land
available for farming purposes, the timber is practically all stand-
ing yet. Probably four-fifths of the county is still in timber, which
is very fine and embraces many different varieties. The principal
wood is oak, the different varieties of which compose the larger
part of the forests. Other kinds are chestnut, maple, hickory, some
walnut and a little pine. There is but a comparatively small por-
tion of the county that is covered with pine, and that has been.
pretty well killed by the pine destroying insect, but the other kinds
of timber mentioned abound in every part of the county. The
South Branch and its forks are not navigable, but in times of high
water they may be used for drifting logs to market and afford the
only means of transportation at present available for getting them
There is an almost inexhaustible quantity of tanbark in the
county. Thousands of acres are covered with tanbark-producing
oak trees and there is enough tanbark alone standing in the forests.
of Pendleton county to pay the entire cost of constructing a rail-
road from one end of the county to the other.
out.
AgriculturaL.-With so great a part of the county still covered
with forests there has been but little opportunity for farming to
any extent in Pendleton county. But when the county is once
opened up and the immense quantity of timber that covers its hills
and valleys is taken out, this county will certainly come to be a
great grazing and stock raising one. Already a good many cattle
are raised, and this is the chief line on which farming is carried on
in the county. Some grain is grown but hardly more than is con-
sumed at home, principally in fattening the cattle. The valleys of
the streams that flow through the county are fertile and in some
places broad. Here farming is successfully carried on.
But a great
part of the county is unfitted for cultivation On every part of it,
however, grass will grow well and naturally, and stock raising will
come to be more and more the principal line of farming. Sheep are
raised to a considerable extent and are profitable. So are horses
and hogs. In short, all kinds of live stock do well, the county
being specially suited to them. It is is also a fire country for fruit.
:
POCAHONTAS COUNTY.
213
I
POCAHONTAS COUNTY.
LOCATION AND CHARACTER. Pocahontas is an eastern border
county, the top of the Alleghanies being the dividing line between
Pocahontas and the State of Virginia. It lies about southeast of
the center of the State. The northern portion of the county is a
part of that high region in which the waters of nearly every river
of the two Virginias find their starting points. The entire county
has a great elevation, some of the highest points in the State being
within the county lines. Three knobs ranging from 3,300 to 3,800
feet are in Pocahontas county or partially so. Rising in the high
lands in the northern part of the county and flowing through the
central portion of it the entire length is the Greenbrier river. In
the western part of the county is the Williams river, which emp-
ties into the Gauley in Webster county. In general character Poca-
hontas is very similar to Greenbrier county, which joins it on the
south. The east is mountainous, well timbered and full of iron;
the center is limestone land, well cleared, with plenty of grass and
nearly all cultivated or in grass; in the west are more mountains,
much timber and some coal. The western portion, along with that
of Greenbrier, is in the "Wilderness" region, which, as its name in-
dicates, is an unbroken wilderness. The level parts of the county,
smaller in extent than those of Greenbrier, are elevated plateaus
from 2,000 to 2,500 feet above the sea, above which on all sides rise.
mountains, at least two ranges of which may nearly always be seen,
one beyond the other, and the rivers are in deep gorges cut down
far below the level of the plateaus. Throughout the county there
is an abundance of pure, fresh water, some of which comes from
the earth, even in the midst of summer, at a temperature little
above that of ice water. The entire county seems to be underlaid
with water and from the earth and mountain sides flow great
springs, large enough to run a water mill. At one place the
town is called Mill Point on account of the number of flour mills
there, each run by its own particular spring of never ceasing water.
Great streams which start thus from a hillside frequently disappear
entirely, only to suddenly appear again from some unexpected open-
ing in the earth. In some parts of the county wild game is plen-
teous. The county affords the most beautiful mountain scenery
A
is
214
POCAHONTAS COUNTY.
PA TAMA
imaginable, has pure air and water and for the summer months par-
ticularly no more delightful place could be found to live in. Mar-
linton, the county seat, is 45 miles over an excellent turpike from
the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad. It is some closer to the West Vir-
ginia & Pittsburg, but the latter is not so accessible. The exten-
sion of it through the county is contemplated but has never gone
further than the survey. By the C. & O. Marlinton is 176 miles
from Charleston, 387 from Cincinnati, 283 from Richmond, 441
from Wheeling and 692 from Chicago.
COAL.-Little is known of the coals of Pocahontas, no develop-
ments ever having been made. Some investigations have been
made but no coal has ever been mined for use either at home
or abroad. A large area in the western part of the county is under-
laid with the New River seam of coking coals, in veins of 2 feet and
upwards, reaching in one instance, it is said, a thickness of 18 feet.
The coal has been tested and proven equal to the best New river coking
coal, which has given to the New river region in Fayette county and
the Mercer and McDowell fields further south their fame as coke
producing regions. This coal is about the closest coking coal known
to the iron producing region of Virginia and West Virginia, and
railroad transportation and the development of the coal is all that is
needed to create a great demand for it.
IRON.-The entire portion of the county lying east of the Green-
brier river is full of iron ores, from one end of the county to the
other. The ores found are principally the brown hematite and red
fossiliferous, the latter not being found in very thick veins or over
a great extent. Of the brown hematites, though, there is an almost
inexhaustible supply. They are found in large veins, over great
areas and of excellent quality. The ores are of the same character
as those from Monroe and Greenbrier counties, and are found in
continuations of the same veins that they are found in.
MARBLE AND LIMESTONE. For building purposes there are some
beautiful specimens of blue, grey and fossil limestone in this county,
the latter, in particular, very pretty. There is also a beautiful grey
sandstone, valuable for building purposes. Limestone for burning
and fluxing is found in abundance and close to the iron deposits.
In the southeastern part of the county, near the Greenbrier line
some very pretty black marble is found, and in the same mountains
POCAHONTAS COUNTY.
215
。
a large ledge of the most beautiful white marble has been discov-
ered. While only in a few places has marble been found, it is be-
lieved that the mountains contain a great deal of it and that the
samples so far seen are but specimens of what will later be discov-
ered. The black and white marbles so far found are beautiful spec-
imens and very valuable.
TIMBER. From a half to two-thirds of Pocahontas county is still
covered with timber, and no greater variety or finer timber grows in
any county in the State. In the eastern portion of the county, in
the high altitudes of the Alleghany mountains, grows one of the
largest areas of white pine in the State. The amount of white pine
in Pocahontas and Greenbrier counties has been estimated at
600,000,000 feet, and of this the greater part is in Pocahontas. Large
inroads have been made in this timber in the last few years, but
there is yet an enormous quantity standing. The logs are hauled
to the Greenbrier river where they are rafted and taken out on the
spring rises in rafts of thousands of logs at a time. Lumber camps
where hundreds of men are housed and fed are scattered through
the mountains in the east of the county, but there is an abundance
of timber left. In the high altitudes of the western part of the
county grow great forests of the "yew pine" or black spruce and
cherry. These forests are principally in the "wilderness" country
and have never been touched. Besides these valuable kinds of tim-
ber, which are not found in many of the counties of the State, and
not in very great quantities in any, there is also an abundance of
timber of the commoner kinds. The oaks are found in greater
quantities than any other kind, followed by poplar, chestnut and
the common forest trees in great abundance. The value of the
standing timber of all kinds in Pocahontas is estimated at over
$2,000,000.
AGRICULTURAL.-East of the Greenbrier river the soil is not so
well adapted to farming as it is west of the river, where its fertility
is seldom surpassed. Even to the tops of the mountains in the
western portion the soil is good and grains, fruits and grasses all
grow well. Many of the mountain sides are not too steep to culti-
vate and on these are grown good crops and fine pastures. All the
cereals produce large yields and wheat and corn are raised in abun-
dance. Many mills are required in the county to grind the pro-
216
POCAHONTAS COUNTY.
ducts of the farms for home consumption. The soil and climate
are well suited for tobacco culture and for fruits. The former is not
cultivated to any considerable extent but there is a great deal of
fine fruit raised. In the limestone soil blue grass grows spontane-
ously and over a large part of the county may be found blue grass
sods of as luxuriant growth as can be found in the sown fields of
Kentucky. "Timothy, clover and numerous other choice varieties
contest the right of the blue grass to the field; so we find them
growing together, each trying to choke out the others and to climb
high enough to hide all the rest." This blue-grass-producing soil
is in the greater part of the county and there is but a small part of
the county where grasses do not flourish. Consequently a great
many cattle and sheep are raised. Pocahontas cattle are as fine and
as marketable as those raised in any part of the State. Sheep are
raised in large numbers and command as high prices as any on
the market. Buyers from other States come to this county after
them and do not wait for them to be sent to market. Splendid
blooded horses are raised and few counties can show finer live stock
of any kind than can and does Pocahontas. When the remaining
half or more of the county is cleared the opportunities for farming
and stock raising will be greatly enlarged and Pocahontas will then
rank well up with any part of the country in that line.
PRESTON COUNTY.
LOCATION AND CHARACTER-Preston county is in the northern
part of the State, about midway between the two panhandles. On
its north is the State of Pennsylvania and its eastern boundary is
the western boundary of the State of Maryland. From the south to
the north and northwest, dividing the county into two almost
equal parts, flows the Cheat river which empties into the Mononga-
hela just below the Pennsylvania line. It is not navigable. The
Baltimore & Ohio railroad passes through the county from east to
west slightly south of the centre, and from Tunnelton, a station on
this road, the Tunnelton, Kingwood & Fairchance narrow gauge
railroad runs to Kingwood, the county seat, a distance of 11 miles.
The distance from Kingwood to Martinsburg is 171 miles, to Balti-
more 285, to Wheeling 131, to Parkersburg 135, to Charleston 269,
to Cincinnati 330, to Chicago 598 miles. Through the county the
PRESTON COUNTY.
217
:
Briery mountains extend from south-west to north-east and at
Rowlesburg the Cheat river breaks through them, forming some of
the grandest and most picturesque scenery to be found in the State.
Principally mountainous, the county is all high, the elevations of
the B. & O. railroad from west to east in this county ranging from
1,157 to 2,550 feet above sea level. Above these elevations rise the
mountain ranges. This high country is not much broken, being
hilly and level over a large part of the county. Some of the
mountain portions of the county are too rough for agricultural
purposes but the greater part of it is well suited for grazing and
farming. The climate is delightful, the air in summer being cool
and fresh, by reason of the altitude, and attracting every summer
hundreds of visitors.
COAL.-Every part of Preston county is supplied with coal, the
part west of the river in more abundance than the rest. The work-
able veins are five in number ranging from 3 to 12 feet in thickness.
Veins of coal are worked in every part of the county for local use
and in five places for market. The principal coals found belong to
the Upper Freeport and Lower Kittanning measures and are of ex-
cellent quality. All the coal is good gas, steam and coking coal
and at every mine in the county coke is made. The coke from
these ovens has become quite well known in the markets and holds
an excellent reputation. There are large fields of the same kind
of coals from which this is produced, in all parts of the county,
awaiting development. The coal is all in workable veins above.
water level and may be easily mined. There is also some cannel
coal in the county, but it has never been worked. It is said to
reach a thickness of several feet. From the reports of the State
Mine Inspectors it is seen that the coal output of Preston county
for the year ending June 30, 1891, was 134,467 tons, and of coke
60,541 tons. There were 255 ovens in blast and 50 more building.
For the year ending June 30, 1892, the output of coal was 82,089
tons, of coke 19,773 tons. The number of coke ovens in blast was 139.
-
IRON.--Iron ore in paying quantities is found in every part of the
county, and numerous furnaces have at different times been in op-
eration, but most of them, for want of transportation facilities have
had to be abandoned. One located near the B. &. O. railroad, and
connected with it by a short standard gauge road, has done well,
218
PRESTON COUNTY.
and though shut down for some time, the news has recently come
that work is to be commenced again in the spring. The veins of
ore which have been opened in every portion of the county range
in thickness from a few inches up to 10 feet, most of them being
between 3 and 10 feet. The ore yields from 35 to 50 per cent. of
metallic iron and some of the ores are of limestone character so that
other ores more siliceous may be worked with them without the
addition of limestone. For the ores that require fluxing the lime-
stone is found upon the same property that produces the ore and
coal. The ore, coal and limestone are found and the coke made
upon the furnace property, without going away from it for anything
required to make iron. Ores have also been mined and shipped to
furnaces outside the State, where they have been successfully
worked. There are numerous places in the county where the iron
has never been touched and which will undoubtedly yield well
when developed
LIMESTONE.-Near Rowlesburg, along the railroad, a vein of re-
markbly pure limestone has been found, which is about as fine a
quality as is ever seen. The vein is about 2 feet thick and has been
traced for 10 miles. How much farther it goes is not known. The
stone is 99.8 per cent. calcium and when burned to make lime leaves
almost no waste at all. It makes a superior quality of hydraulic
cement and the only reason it has not been utilized for this pur-
pose is that no company has yet been willing to pay the salary de-
manded by the few men in this country who understand the manu-
facture of hydraulic cement. It has been tested, though, and makes
a very superior article of cement. There is also an abundance of
fine limestone for building purposes, in ledges as high as a hundred
feet thick, in nearly every part of the county. Some sandstone of
excellent color and quality for building purposes is found.
GLASS SAND—A sandstone that is very white and pure is found
in large quantities, suitable for glass sand but has never been quar-
ried to any extent. It might profitably be crushed and shipped, or
glass works operated here would doubtless prove profitable.
FIRE CLAY.-Shafts and railroad cuts have demonstrated the
great extent of the fire clays of Preston county and actual tests
have proven their value. At one place in the county a shaft sunk
into the earth passed through 44 feet of good fire clay. At other
PRESTON COUNTY.
219
*A
places veins of several feet in thickness have been cut into by railroads
or in other digging. These clays are equal to the well known Mt.
Savage clays. None of them have ever been worked but being
of good quality and existing in large and accessible beds the man-
ufacture of brick and tiling might be made a profitable business.
Potter's clay is also found in considerable quantities.
OIL AND GAS. - Some years ago some borings were made for oil
but no great depth was reached and no oil was found. Since then
there have been no more borings, but there is a constant issue of
natural gas from a creek in the western part of the county and the
supposition is that there is both gas and oil in the county in good
quantities.
TIMBER.—Probably three-fifths of Preston county is still covered
with timber, of which the principal kinds are the different varieties
of oak. The oak of Preston county is particularly fine and many
English buyers come direct to Preston county to buy oak on ac-
count of the superior quality of the timber It is very close grained
and hard and commands the highest market price. There are some
tracts of hemlock and spruce but the principal woods beside the
oaks are poplar, chestnut, hickory, ash, walnut, cherry, linden and
other varieties. The Cheat and its tributaries afford ample means
of getting timber out and there is plenty of fuel for wood manu-
facturing enterprises. There are thousands of dollars represented
in the standing forests of Preston county which await the cutting
to reward the men who cut them.
AGRICULTURAL. -Only a small part of the county is unfit for
farming purposes. Most of the mountain tops are level and many
of them are not so steep that they may not be cultivated entirely to
the tops. The soil of the county varies considerably but most of
it is rich and several inches deep. The principal crop raised is
buckwheat. Corn, oats and some other grains are raised, but Pres-
ton pays more attention to buckwheat than to any other crop and
the yield is greater than that of any other. The soil and climate.
are well suited to tobacco and considerable of that is grown. But
it is chiefly as a grazing county that Preston is known. Cattle and
all kinds of live stock are raised to a great extent.
The soil pro-
duces splendid crops of timothy and clover and pasturage affords.
all the feeding that is required for cattle and sheep. The abund-
220
PUTNAM County.
•
A
ance of good pasture, pure water and good air causes the production
of the best of beef and mutton. Good horses are also bred. The
sheep raising industry is carried on to such an extent that woolen
mills have been constructed to manufacture the wool at home. The
wool is of very good quality. Fruit raising is an important branch
of agriculture and no better fruit country can be found anywhere.
Apples, grapes, pears and all kinds of small fruits of excellent qual-
ity are produced.
PUTNAM COUNTY.
LOCATION AND CHARACTER.—Putnam county lies slightly to the
northeast of the westernmost point in the State, not far from the
Ohio river. Flowing in a northwesterly direction and dividing the
county into almost equal parts is the Great Kanawha river, naviga-
ble for large steamers for a hundred miles from its mouth. In the
eastern part of the county for a short distance is the Pocataligo
river, which empties into the Kanawha. Other smaller streams
water the county, those in the northern portion flowing into the
Kanawha, in the southern into the Guyandotte. The county is
principally hilly with broad bottom lands and much rolling land
back from the rivers. In the northern part of the county the hills
have become mountainous but are nowhere much broken. The
Kanawha river, improved by the United States with locks and dams,
affords slack water navigation and when the works now under con-
tract are completed steamboat navigation will be afforded every day
in the year regardless of the stage of water. Following the Kana-
wha river for its entire length is the Kanawha & Michigan railway
connecting the Kanawha valley with Columbus, O., and the great
lakes at Toledo. Through the southern part of the county from
east to west is the Chesapeake & Ohio railroad, connecting Louis-
ville and Cincinnati with the seaboard. From Winfield, the county
seat, to Charleston is 25 miles, to Toledo 284, to Parkersburg 110,
to Wheeling 204, to Richmond 395, to Cincinnati 210, to Chicago
515 miles.
COAL.The Pittsburg vein of coal, known locally as the Ray-
mond City vein, underlies the entire county and has been mined
for many years along the banks of the Kanawha. The coal is a
hard splint, unexcelled for shipping, gas, steam and fuel. In the
entire north-eastern part of the county this coal is found above
PUTNAM COUNTY.
221
The coal is a
water level in a vein averaging 6 feet in thickness.
very valuable one and holds a very high position in the markets of
Cincinnati, Chicago and the west generally. South of the Kana-
wha the same coal is lower and has been found in boring for oil five
miles from the river at a depth of 180 feet. This is near the
southern limit of this Pittsburg coal, the last being found in Wayne,
where it runs out just before reaching the Kentucky line. There
is above this vein another one, several unsuccessful attempts to de-
velope which have been made and its value is not yet determined.
The Raymond coal is mined to a considerable extent and shipped
by river and rail. The reports of the State Mine Inspectors show
that for the year ending June 30, 1891, there were four mines
operated in Putnam county, employing in all 424 men and produc-
ing annually 156,856 tons of coal. For the year ending June 30,
1892, the same mines employing 503 men produced 154,692 tons of
coal.
OIL.-Oil has been bored for on several different occasions in Put-
nam county and none has been found, still the territory has never
been properly developed. In Jackson county near the Putnam
county line a well was bored which flowed several barrels a day but
it was cased off to bore to a deeper sand when the well was aban-
doned unfinished. In Putnam indications of oil have been found
but none of the wells hitherto bored have been carried down to the
best oil sand. They have been abandoned before reaching the best.
sand. It is very probable that further development will be carried
on this year and it will be ascertained definitely whether there is
any oil in Putnam or not. Natural gas has been found in several
places in the county.
FIRE CLAY-Good fire clay in large deposits has been found in
Putnam. A thick bed of clay near the county seat was opened and
the samples sent for analysis and practical tests of its usefulness.
showed it to be equal to the best found in the State. Beneath the
coal vein is a smaller vein of good fire clay. No developments of
the clay have ever been made.
TIMBER. --Easily accessible by river and rail Putnam has been
stripped of most of its timber. Magnificent oak timber grew here
in great plenty and there is some left yet, as fine as is often seen,
but the greater part is gone, not over an eighth of the county re-
222
PUTNAM COUNTY.
...
:.
:
more
maining in good timber. A considerably larger part of the county
is covered with woods, some of which are suitable for staves and
other small timber but not for saw tiraber. Tanbark may be found
in abundance and there is a great deal of good hickory, some poplar,
a little pine and other kinds of timber. South of the
South of the Kanawha
of the timber has been removed than north of it where
there is a good deal left but this has begun to be cut.
AGRICULTURAL.-Farming is the principal occupation of the peo-
ple of Putnam. The hills, when cleared of their timber, make ex-
cellent pasture lands, the grass grows well and cattle flourish. The
broad Kanawha river bottoms make splendid farms Broad, level,
rich and productive they make the finest kind of farms and produce.
magnificent crops. Corn and wheat are the chief crops now raised.
The land is well adapted to garden stuffs, and the railroads and
rivers put them in easy reach of markets. The hill lands are well
adapted to tobacco, and some very fine light leaves are raised. Put-
nam stands along with Lincoln as a tobacco growing county, pro-
ducing, perhaps not so much, but just as fine a quality of tobacco
as does Lincoln. Across the county from the Kanawha to the
waters of Mud and Guyandotte rivers is the fertile Teays' valley,
through which the C. & O. railroad takes its course, and which is
supposed at one time to have been the course of the Kanawha
river, which then would have joined the Ohio at what is now Hunt-
ington. This valley is low and level. It is fertile throughout and
enclosed between rich, rolling lands or hills. This and the Ka-
nawha bottom lands are the best in the county for farms.
RALEIGH COUNTY.
LOCATION AND CHARACTER. -Midway of the State from east to west
and but little north of the most southern point is Raleigh county.
The county is principally mountainous, the Guyandotte mountains
on the south being among the highest mountains in the State.
Their height is estimated at 4,000 feet. Several mountain ranges
pass through or outline the county. But most of them are the Flat
Top mountains and while the elevation of the county is high it is
not broken and the surface is principally level or rolling, with only
occasional ranges rising above the general level. The streams are
cut deep down in the earth and the most broken parts of the county
RALEIGH COUNTY.
223
;
are their steep sides which broaden out at the top into great pla-
teaus. Along the northeastern boundary for a short distance flows.
the New river, separating this county from Fayette and Summers.
In the eastern portion the streams flow northward and empty into
New river. Piney and Glade creeks are the principal waters in this
part of the county. In the western part rising near the center of
the county and flowing in a northwest direction is Big Coal river,
small of course in this county. Along this river are the "Coal
River Marshes," a section of high, level, marshy country, similar to
the "glades" of Webster county. Along Glade creek some of the
same kind of land is seen The glades are too wet to be of value
for agricultural purposes. Drainage and cultivation might make
splendid land of them but at present they are not considered valu-
able. Along the northern bank of New river, just outside the
county, for over 20 miles, runs the Chesapeake & Ohio railroad.
From Raleigh Court House to the nearest railroad point is 12 miles,
to Charleston 86, to Richmond 307, to Wheeling 351, to Cincinnati
297, to Chicago 602. The county is in a primitive condition, the
greater part of it at least, and awaits development. It will some
day be one of the best counties in many respects in the State.
COAL.-The county is practically covered with coal. It is the
Flat Top coking coal and the measures are about 1,800 feet thick.
There are several veins in the measures but only three are workable.
One is 6, one 5 and one 4 feet thick and the others are smaller.
Tests have been made over some eighty square miles and show
every where the same veins. Along the line of Summers and
Mercer counties they disappear over the mountain tops, while in
the western part of the county they disappear under the Fayette
county line and a new series, the Kanawha coals, come in. But
little of the Raleigh coal has ever been mined for market but there
is a tremendous amount stowed away in the earth in workable
veins, which will be mined and marketed in time. Opposite Prince.
station on the C. & O. railroad one mine, the only one in Raleigh
county, is operated. Coal mined far up the mountain side and on
the opposite side of the river from the railroad is swung across to
the cars in buckets, holding half a ton apiece, which are carried
over on an endless rope and the coal is lifted and swung from the
mine down the hill and across the river and there dumped into the
224
RALEIGH COUNTY.
2.
:
1
railroad car all at one operation. Thirty-two buckets are used with
a carrying capacity of about 400 tons a day. The coals of this
county are all good coking coals as well as suitable for gas and
steam.
TIMBER.— As much as seven eighths of the county is still in origi-
nal forests. Not until within a few years has any timbering been
done and never has there been but little. The products of the
farms do not quite support the people and the difference is made up
by dealing in timber. Poplar and oak are the principal woods in
the forests of Raleigh county. The county is in the finest timber
country in the State and some of it is very good. The high, rich
lands have produced splendid trees which make beautiful logs and
abundant timber. The poplars are large and the oaks are too.
Difficulty of access is all that has kept this timber from being util-
ized before. Along Piney creek and between that and Glade.
creek are some thirty or forty thousand acres of white pine, in all
perhaps a hundred million feet. This is being cut a little but
nearly all of it still remains.
AGRICULTURAL.-The high, level sections of the county which
compose the greater part of it are good for farming and grazing pur-
poses, particularly the latter. Very little farming has ever been
done in the county but those who have farmed are prosperous and
their farms produce well. Corn is the principal product aside from
grass, which is abundant. Tobacco grows well in some parts and
the whole county is well adapted to its culture. For fruits the
county is unexcelled, and some fine varieties are grown. Grass
grows well and the county is an excellent one for cattle and sheep.
RANDOLPH COUNTY.
LOCATION AND CHARACTER. The largest county in the State, lies
between the eastern boundary of the State and the center.
With a
territory larger than that of several of the States of the Union, and
almost every variety of soil and climate and natural productions,
Randolph offers a wide field for the person seeking a location or
place of investment. The county is just to the west of the main
Alleghany range of mountains and lies principally among the nu-
merous smaller ranges that lie immediately to the west of and par-
allel to the Alleghanies. The region is the highest in the State, all
RANDOLPH COUNTY.
225
{
the rivers in the State having their sources in or near the county.
Half a dozen mountain ranges run parallel through the county, and
between them are as many streams, uniting below to form the Cheat
and Valley rivers which flow into the Monongahela and help to
form the great Ohio river. The eastern or mountainous portion of
the county has an average elevation of about 3,000 feet, while the
western part, though high, is much lower. Through the center of
the county passes the valley drained by the Tygart's Valley river.
This is the best part of the county agriculturally and the least rugged.
The valley is some 40 miles in length and averages a mile in width.
The soil is fertile, the land level, surrounded by mountains, the cli-
mate good and the scenery beautiful. None of the streams that
pass through the county are large enough to be navigable for boats
of any kind, are besides too swift and have too much fall to make
them useful, except for taking out timber, for which purpose they
afford splendid facilities. The county, though settled back in the
latter part of the last century, has remained so inaccessible that few
people have settled within its borders. The families of the earliest
settlers still remain in some parts of the county, property first taken
up by them having descended from father to son for many years.
The difficulty of making good roads over the many mountain
ranges, and the distance of the county from railroad connections
have kept it in a wild and unsettled condition except for the Tygart's
Valley region, which has been pretty well settled and is prosperous.
Recently the West Virginia Central and Pittsburg railroad has been
built into the county and has been the means of improving and
building it up a good deal already. The road
road comes from
the northern part of the State where it has connection with the
Baltimore and Ohio railroad and the roads in Maryland, passes
southward about half way through the county and then turning
west connects with a branch of the B. & O. in Barbour county. A
branch also extends from Elkins, where the road turns west, to Bev-
erly, the county seat, 7 miles south of Elkins. By this road the
distance from Beverley to Martinsburg is 207 miles, to Baltimore
307, to Wheeling 167, to Parkersburg 171, to Charleston 306, to Cin-
cinnati 360 and to Chicago 627 miles.
COAL.-The western portion of the county is full of good coal,
belonging to the "Lower" measures. The same coal that is found
..
226
RANDOLPH COUNTY.
2
ܕ
in Grant and Tucker counties, along the lower part of the West
Virginia Central road, are also found in this county. The coal is
an excellent coking coal and the coke made along the line of this
road is equal to the best made in the State. The eastern part of the
county, among the mountains, possesses no coal, but in the western
part is the "Roaring Creek" vein, which is known to be 22 feet in
thickness and is said by some to be even thicker. No developments
have ever been made of the coal in this county. The value of it is
known and the fact that there is a great deal of it in veins of tre-
mendous size, but the inaccessibility has hitherto prevented the
mining of the coal, but since the railroads have been built into the
vicinity of the coal lands, plans are on foot for the development of
the property, and soon a good deal of coal will be carried out of
Randolph county over the W. Va. C. & P. railroad. The coal is an
excellent coking coal, good also for steam, gas and fuel and the tre-
mendous quantities of the coal make the lands on which it is to be
found extremely valuable.
:
•
CLAY.-Good fire clay is found in the county in considerable
quantities, but none of it has ever been worked. Some ochre has
been found but this has never been developed either, and its ex-
tent is not known, nor its value.
TIMBER. Probably the largest area of timber in any one county of
the State is standing in the county of Randolph. On account of the
excellent quality of the timber, the vast quantities of it and the ease
with which it may be gotten to market, there has been a great deal
of it taken out, but there is still standing over hundreds of square
miles of the county the finest of timber untouched by the woods-
man. In the higher parts of the county the pines, hemlock and
cherry grow in great quantities. The oaks and maple, beech, ash,
poplar and other varieties of valuable timber are found throughout
the county.
Large forces of men are at work in the mountains of
Randolph, clearing the forests of their timber, but with the im-
mense territory in the county which is still covered with timber,
the amount taken out is scarcely missed, so much more is left.
Though settled for over a hundred years, fully half the county is
still in the original forest. Many rare varieties of timber are found
in Randolph county, but the kinds mentioned above are the princi-
pal ones in the county.
A
{
RANDOLPH COUNTY.
227
AGRICULTURAL. —Broken as is the eastern part of the county with
mountain ranges, it is scarcely suited for farming purposes. The
timber taken off, though, the hills afford good pasture land and
grass grows in profusion. In the western part of the county, par-
ticularly in the valley of the Tygarts Valley river, there is some of
the finest farming land in the State. The bottoms are broad and
fertile and produce enormous yields of corn and other crops.
Many of the hills of the county are not so steep but that they may
easily be cultivated and on them such crops as require a high eleva-
tion and cool climate grow well. At the head of Valley river, is a
particularly fine portion of the county, known as the Mingo Flats.
The land in this vicinity is very fertile, the surroundings and climate
all that could be desired to make a pleasant dwelling place and some
of the best people of the county reside there.
GAME. The great portion of the county which is still in the
original state is filled with game of all kinds and in the mountains,
far from the railroad or settlements of any kind, a sportsman's
club has built a handsome club house. A large game preserve has
been purchased and members of the club who care to spend a por-
tion of every year in the mountains seeking rest and recreation
come here and hunt and fish to their hearts' content. Game of all
kinds, deer, bear and the smaller animals are plentiful and trout are
caught by the hundred.
RITCHIE COUNTY.
LOCATION AND CHARACTER. Ritchie county is north-west of the
center of the State, slightly east of the western boundary. Through
the county flow both the North and the South Fork of Hughes'
river, a tributary of the Little Kanawha. These streams, with the
waters that flow into them, water the county well. The county is
hilly, some of them quite high, but not steep, and the general char-
acter is that of a rolling county, with gently sloping hills, suitable
for cultivation to their tops. Through the county from east to
west, a distance of some forty miles, runs the Baltimore and Ohio
railroad. Harrisville, the county seat, is nine miles off this rail-
road, with which it is connected by the Pennsboro & Harrisville
narrow gauge railroad. The distance from Harrisville to Parkers-
burg is 51 miles, to Martinsburg 251, to Baltimore 365, to Charleston
228
RITCHIE County.
XTA
185, to Wheeling 145, to Cincinnati 246, to Chicago 612. The
county is traversed by numerous good roads and the Cairo and Lit-
tle Kanawha Valley narrow gauge railroad extends from Cairo, on
the B. & O., for a distance of 16 miles toward the Little Kanawha
valley, which is the point it expects to reach some day.
COAL.-In nearly every part of the county coal is found, but only
in small veins, very few of which are large enough to be worked.
The thickest of them are about three feet in thickness, and no coal
has ever been mined in the county save for local use. These are
the surface coals. Underneath the surface there is an abundance of
good coal. In boring for oil a 7 foot vein of good soft coal was
found at a depth of 150 feet, and an 11 foot vein at a depth of 200
feet. These are the Pittsburg coals, good for steam, gas and coking,
and their existence under the entire county in such thicknesses
means an enormous amount of coal in the county, available with
little difficulty. In England coal shafts are made a thousand feet
deep and other shafts are made hundreds of feet in depth, so that a
shaft of from 150 to 200 feet would be a small matter when from 15
to 20 feet of the best kind of coal is to be secured. An enormous
amount of coal will certainly be produced in Ritchie county.
OIL AND GAS.-At different times more than a thousand wells
have been bored for oil in Ritchie county, and never more than a
very few-a dozen at most-have been entirely dry. During the
early oil excitement, back in the sixties and seventies, there was a
great deal of oil produced. At that time the shallow wells were
productive. Later, wells have been sunk as far as the "Big Injun"
sand, and considerable oil has been produced from this.
But no
wells have been sunk as deep as the Gordon sand, the most produc-
tive sand yet struck. About a half of the rich and productive oil
field lying along the Wood and Ritchie county line, known as the
Volcano field, is in Ritchie, though usually credited to Wood be-
cause Volcano, the town from which it is named, is in Wood county.
Natural gas is abundant, the county seat is lighted and heated with
it and it may be obtained in enormous quantities.
FIRE CLAY. A vein of excellent fire clay, about 18 inches thick,
is found over a large area near the county seat. Samples of it have
been tested, and it is proven to be of good quality for making brick,
tiling, etc. There is probably clay in other parts of the county.
ሩ
RITCHIE COUNTY.
229
MARBLE.-A fine vein of marble, about 5 feet thick has been
found, which seems to be of superior quality. It is brown, colored
with gray, dark and bright colors of many shades. The vein has
never been found except in one small locality. It is fine grained
and takes an excellent polish.
TIMBER.-Probably a third of the timber of the county is still
standing. The poplar is more nearly exhausted than any other
kind of timber and not much over an eighth of the poplar is left.
The other timbers are principally oaks, with some walnut, ash,
chestnut, maple, birch, beech and a little pine. This timber is all
of excellent quality and is being rapidly removed. In the south-
eastern part of the county is where the greater part now stands.
AGRICULTURAL.—-The soil of Ritchie county is very rich and well
suited to all agricultural purposes. Red clay soils predominate on
the hills, a rich black loam in the bottoms. The entire county is well
watered by the numerous streams that flow through it. Grains and
grasses grow in great quantities. Grains are raised in the lower
lands and yield well. Corn is the principal crop. Some wheat is
raised and fruit is abundant. The hills and higher ground are ad-
mirably adapted to fruits and much fruit is raised. On the bills,
and in the valleys too, grass grows luxuriantly. Much attention is
given to stock raising. Cattle, sheep and horses are raised. The
pasture of this county is unsurpassed and lasts the greater part of
the year, and stock of all kinds does well. Numbers of cattle and
sheep are grown and special attention is being paid to horse breed-
ing. Clydesdale and Norman draft horses and some racers are bred.
The grazing interests are the principal ones of the county.
ROANE COUNTY.
LOCATION AND CHARACTER. -Roane county lies midway between
the center of the State and its western boundary. Its surface is
hilly and rolling, not mountainous nor high, save in the southern
portion, where the hills attain some height, and is undiversified in
character. It has no mountains and no streams of any size. In
the northern part of the county the waters flow northward, and into
the Little Kanawha river. In the south they flow southward to-
ward the Elk and Great Kanawha rivers. In the southern part the
headwaters of Poca river are large enough to float out logs on when
230
ROANE COUNTY.
there is a rise. From the northwest the Ravenswood, Spencer and
Glenville railroad extends into the county as far as Spencer, the
county seat, connecting that town with the Ohio river and the Ohio
River railroad at Ravenswood. This distance is 33 miles, and makes
the distance from Spencer to Parkersburg 68 miles, to Huntington
119, to Charleston 135, to Wheeling 162, to Baltimore 466, to Cin-
cinnati 280, to Chicago 585.
COAL. No coal has ever been mined in Roane county, except for
local use, though it is found over all the county above water level.
In most of the county the veins are small, not exceeding 2 or 3 feet,
but in the southeastern part of the county they run up to 8 or 10
feet in thickness. These veins are of the Pittsburg coking coals,
which extend into the county from the Clay county field. The
coal makes excellent coke, is easily mined and might, with proper
means of transportation, become a source of great revenue to the
county.
TIMBER. About half the county is still well covered with timber.
A large part of the poplar timber has been removed, but other tim-
ber remains over a greater part of the county, nearly all the oak is
still standing and in the southern part of the county no timber at
all has been taken off. The timber of Roane is very fine, and com-
mands first class prices in all the markets where it is found. The
principal varieties found in the county are oak, poplar, ash, walnut
sycamore, maple, beech, pine, chestnut and hickory. Some other
varieties are found in greater or smaller quantities. There is a great
deal of timber suitable for ties, and the streams that are not large
enough for logs will carry out ties. There are also vast quantities
of tanbark in the county.
OIL. It is thought. upon the basis of surveys and calculations
made, that Roane county lies in the Little Kanawha oil field, but
no search has ever been made for oil and there is not known to be
any in the county.
IRON. Iron ores exist in small quantities in this county but no
attempts have ever been made to ascertain their value. There is
also some limestone, found along with the iron.
H
STONE. There are large ledges of valuable building sandstone.
A beautiful grey sandstone, which is easily worked, susceptible of a
high polish and durable, is found in inexhaustible quantities and
ROANE COUNTY.
231
has been used to some extent in the county. A good deal of this
stone was used in the construction of the buildings for the Second
Hospital for the Insane at Spencer. Clay for the manufacture. of
building brick is found in abundance and the brick made from it
are pronounced by experienced workmen to be of very fine quality.
AGRICULTURAL. —-The soil of Roane county in every portion is
good, and its rolling character, with broad valleys and gently slop-
ing hills, affords available farm property in about the entire county.
The northern and western portions are those in which farming is
most extensively carried on at present, the other parts being more
in timber. Corn and wheat are grown, principally in the bottom
lands, the corn yielding better and being the principal crop. The
county is particularly adapted to grazing. Blue grass grows spon-
taneously in the uplands and covers the hills with magnificent pas-
turage. In the lower parts timothy grows very heavy and makes
excellent hay and a great deal of it. Clover grows well in all parts
of the county. Naturally, where so much pasturage exists, cattle
thrive and many of them are raised, as many, it is said, as in any
other county in West Virginia. Very fine stock is grown and this
is the principal occupation of the people. Sheep are also raised in
great numbers and prove very profitable. Hogs receive their share
of attention and much good pork goes out of Roane every winter.
Good fruit is raised in all parts of the county, the hills being well
suited to its culture. Fruits, poultry, butter and eggs, live stock
and the timber products are the principal sources of revenue to the
county and are all sent out in considerable quantities.
SUMMERS COUNTY.
LOCATION AND CHARACTER. --Summers is one of the most south-
ern counties in the State. It is south of the center, north-east of
the southernmost point, and not far from the south-eastern boun-
dary, the southern point barely touching the boundary of Virginia.
Through the centre of the county from east to west flows the Green-
brier river, along the bank of which runs the Chesapeake and Ohio
railroad. From the south the New river enters the county, uniting
with the Greenbrier at Hinton, on the western border. From the
south-west the Bluestone river enters the county and empties into
the New river above Hinton. None of these rivers is navigable. At
232
SUMMERS COUNTY.
I
one time a steamboat was built for the New river trade above Hin-
ton and it was run for a short time, but the water was found to be
insufficient and the boat was abandoned. The Chesapeake and Ohio
railroad is now the only means of communication which the county
has with the rest of the world, and by this the distances from Hin-
ton, the county seat, are: to Richmond 272 miles, to Charleston 97,
to Parkersburg 232, to Wheeling 326, to Cincinnati 308, and to
Chicago 613. The county is principally rough. The hills are high,
and in places steep and rugged. The rivers cut deep into the bases
of the hills and make the mountain sides along them steep and
rough. Back from the rivers, though, the mountains flatten out
and become much less rough, and in places spread out into good
farming country.
COAL.-Summers is not a good coal county. Into the western
portion the New River coal extends and in the southern part the
Flat Top coal is found, but it is only in a small part of the county
that any coal is found, and then only along the edges of fields that
are worked elsewhere. However, there is good workable coal in the
county, and the only trouble is that there is not enough of it.
IRON.--Iron ores are found scattered over nearly all the county,
but no developments have ever been made, and the value or extent.
of them is unknown. Surface samples may be picked up almost
anywhere and there are some apparently valuable samples too. Iron
ore in Raleigh county analyzes 55 per cent. of metallic iron and the
Summers county ore is probably very similar to this.
FIRE CLAY.--This and potter's clay are abundant in the county
and of good quality. Among the beds of clay now known to exist
have been found relics of prehistoric races--broken pottery, etc.--
showing that before the discovery of America by Columbus, the
value of these clays was known, and they were put to practical test
in the making of utensils of every day use in the wigwam. And
now, after a lapse of more than four hundred years, the clay is still
here and our people, so many years behind these prehistoric races,
are just beginning to learn of their value. The deposits are large
and the clay excellent for all the purposes for which it may be used.
BUILDING STONE.--In that entire portion of the county north of
the Greenbrier river and the New river below the mouth of the
Greenbrier-about half the county--several seams of a most beau-
SUMMERS COUNTY,
233
tiful brown sandstone are found. This is a splendid building stone
of a beautiful color, and has already given the county a wide spread
reputation. It is sent to all parts of the country from the several
quarries that have already been opened up, and may be seen in
some of the handsomest buildings in most of the larger cities. Some
of the same stone is also found in the southern part of the county,
but not so much as there is in the northern part. There is also a
red stone, similar to the brown except in color, but there is not so
much of it as of the brown. Large ledges of white and grey sand-
stone are also found. In the western part of the county is a very
fine sandstone valuable especially for bridge piers and for work un-
der water. It has been shipped largely for use on the Atlantic coast
for piers, etc. It is a very tough, tenacious stone and long slabs of
it will bend several inches before they will break.
Almost every
kind of stone except limestone may be found in Summers county.
TIMBER.- Fully two-thirds of the county has been stripped of its
timber, but some very fine tracts still remain. The principal woods
are oak, poplar, ash and other hard woods, including some walnut.
In the southern or Flat Top region there is a little pine but not
much as compared with the amount of other timber in the county.
The timber can not be floated down the New river owing to the
rapids and boulders in the river, but much is now being hauled to
the railroad where it is sawed and shipped.
AGRICULTURAL.—While not particularly an agricultural county
Summers is still well adapted to several varieties of agriculture.
Some grain is grown though not enough is now raised in the county
for home consumption, more being brought in than is taken out.
Part of the county is rocky and mountainous but there is a large part
of it that is well suited to farming. Most of the county is good graz-
ing land, grass growing well all over it. Some cattle are raised and
are profitable, though as a stock raising county Summers will not
compare with Greenbrier and Monroe, the adjacent counties on the
east. It is well adapted to sheep raising and although this industry
is now almost neglected it would undoubtedly prove profitable. The
southern part of the county has shown itself to be remarkably well
adapted to the culture of tobacco and some very fine tobaccos are
grown. All kinds of fruits do well in the county, particularly
grapes, apples and berries. The high, flat mountain tops, fertile
soil and cool climate are excellently adapted to fruit culture.
234
TAYLOR COUNTY.
TAYLOR COUNTY.
LOCATION AND CHARACTER. -South of the Pennsylvania line, west
of the Maryland line, and not over 30 miles from either, is Taylor,
one of the smallest counties in the State. Flowing in a north-west
direction, and dividing the county into almost equal parts, is the
Tygart's Valley river which unites in the next county with the
West Fork river to form the Monongahela. From Grafton, which
is about the center of the county, the Baltimore and Ohio railroad
runs in four directions, eastward to Baltimore and New York, west-
ward to Parkersburg and Cincinnati, to the north-west to Wheeling,
and southward through Barbour county to a connection with the
West Virginia Central and Pittsburg railroad. Grafton, the county
seat, is excellently situated with regard to transportation. The dis-
tance to Martinsburg is 180 miles, to Baltimore 294, to Wheeling
100, to Parkersburg 104, to Charleston 238, to Cincinnati 300, and
to Chicago 567. On the east are the foot hills of the Laurel moun-
tains, the roughest land in the county. Most of the land is rolling,
with gently sloping hills except along the river, where they are.
steep. The county is well watered with the small streams which
flow into the Valley river and the West Fork. The eastern half is
more distinctively the mineral part, while the west is similar to
Harrison, the grazing county on the west Though small, Taylor
county is favored with much natural wealth of various kinds.
COAL — About the entire county is underlaid with the coal of the
Lower measures, which in this county contain two workable beds,
the Upper Freeport and the Lower Kittaning, which are both worked
in the adjacent county of Preston, and are both excellent coking
coals. The veins are from 3 to 6 feet thick in this county. In a
portion of the county, the extent of which has not been definitely
ascertained, but over at least 10,000 acres, the Pittsburg coking coal
is found in a vein varying from 6 to 8 feet in thickness. In the
western part of the county there is a 9 foot seam of gas coal of as
fine quality as any in the State.
For the year ending June 30, 1891, the reports of the State Mine
Inspectors show that there were in Taylor county two coal mines
producing 83,851 tons of coal and 25 coke ovens producing 8,458
tons of coke. For the year ending June 30, 1892, the reports show
!
TAYLOR COUNTY.
235
that the two mines produced 74,000 tons of coal and the 25 coke
ovens 7,756 tons of coke.
IRON.-Iron ores in considerable quantities are found in various
parts of the county and have been worked to some extent. As long
ago as 75 years there was a furnace in Taylor county making iron
and since that time others have been in operation, but there is none
now. Iron ores, though, are abundant and are found throughout
the eastern part of the county in veins of from 1 to 16 feet in thick-
ness and showing, upon analysis, from 30 to 60 per cent. metallic
iron. There is also some manganese but it is not found in very ex-
tensive quantities.
FIRE CLAY.-Over several thousand acres in the eastern part of
Taylor county is found a twelve foot bed of the finest kind of fire
clay. It has not been worked but tests made of the clay show it
to be the equal of any fire clay known. There are two varieties, one
suitable for paving brick, the other for finer work. All over the
county good fire clay is found, being similar in the west to that of
Marion county. It is safe to say that in no county in the State is
there clay of superior excellence or in greater quantity than in
Taylor county and when that time arrives when West Virginia's
production of clay products shall equal that of New Jersey, then
Taylor county will be found producing as much as any county in
the State.
OIL AND GAS.-No oil has ever been found in Taylor county. The
Marion county oil field does not extend into this county, or at least
has never been found. There is, though, considerable natural gas
which bubbles up from beneath the earth in several parts of the
county. It is not improbable that future developments may show
that there is oil in Taylor county.
TIMBER.-Taylor county has been settled a long time, has had
railroad facilities and river transportation for logs, and its most val-
uable timber has been cut out. Not over a fifth of the county re-
mains in timber, which is principally oaks, poplar, walnut, chestnut,
hickory, etc. Grafton was at one time the market for all the timber
from the Buckhannon and Valley rivers, which was floated down
and caught in the boom above Grafton, but the railroads now con-
trol most of this business. The timber is sawed where it is cut and
the railroads carry it out.
236
TUCKER COUNTY.
AGRICULTURAL.-The soil of Taylor county is all fertile, hills and
valleys alike. Corn is the principal grain raised. Other grains are
not grown to any great extent, but grass covers a large part of the
county. The western and northern portions border along the graz-
ing lands of Harrison and Marion counties, and the county is in the
blue grass belt. For grazing Taylor county is about the equal of
any county in the State. The western half, particularly, is fine
grazing territory and good stock is raised. Cattle and sheep are
raised and there is almost no waste land, hills and valleys all mak-
ing good pasture. The county is well suited for fruit, which grows
well.
TUCKER COUNTY.
*
LOCATION AND CHARACTER. --The boundary line between West
Virginia and Maryland follows the Potomac river to its source and
runs thence due north to the Pennsylvania line. The source of the
Potomac, as ascertained and marked by Lord Fairfax is at
the point where the town of Fairfax now is in Tucker county. An
extension of the north and south line through the county would
divide it into almost equal parts. Tucker lies at the west base of
the main Alleghany range of mountains, and is one of the counties
connecting the main part of the State with the narrow strip of
counties east of the mountains. From south to north through the
county flows the Cheat river, a tributary of the Monongahela. The
eastern part of the county is watered by the Blackwater river, a
stream whose waters are always black, and which with several other
tributaries from the south flows into the Cheat in this county.
None of the streams are navigable, but afford the means of getting
out timber. The county is very mountainous and high but is not
much broken except along the rivers. A good deal of the surface.
is high table land. Through the county in a northeast and south-
west direction runs the West Virginia Central and Pittsburg rail-
road, making connections northward for the east and running up
into Randolph county, thence down the Tygart's Valley to a con-
nection with the Baltimore and Ohio branch road in Barbour county.
St. George, the county seat, is about 6 miles from the railroad by
which the distance to Martinsburg is 169 miles, to Baltimore 283, to
Wheeling 182, to Parkersburg 186, to Charleston 320, to Cincinnati
381, to Chicago 649.
1
1
TUCKER COUNTY.
237
COAL.- About one-half of the county is well supplied with coal,
the principal veins being the Upper and Lower Kittaning coal of the
Lower measures. At several places in the county the coal is mined
and since railroad communication has been established the produc-
tion of coal and coke along its line has increased tremendously.
There are two good veins of coal in the county, one about 9 feet
and the other 63 feet in thickness, excluding slate. Both are excel-
lent coking coals, analyses of the coke made showing it to be among
the best produced in the United States. For smithing the coal of
Tucker county is unexcelled. The reports of the State Mine In-
spectors show that in the year ending June 30, 1891, there were
four mines, employing 335 men and producing 189,050 tons of coal,
and 230 coke ovens producing 69,162 tons of coke. For the year
ending June 30, 1892, the number of mines was 6, employes 690,
coal production 396,320 tons, coke ovens 423, coke production 72,-
298 tons.
-
STONE. Large quantities of good building stone are found in the
county, both lime and sand-stone. There is no iron in the county.
TIMBER.-Over a third of Tucker county is still covered with valu-
able timber. This comprises cherry, oak, maple, poplar, spruce and
hemlock. The two latter have suffered from the ravages of the pine.
destroying insect, but still offer thousands of acres of valuable tim-
ber. A great deal is being done to bring the timber of Tucker
county to market, and the activity is very marked, particularly
since the completion of the railroad. Saw mills are placed on every
creek, and at very short distances along the railroad, and planing
and wood working mills of every description are following. Large
crews of men fill immense lumber camps in the forests, and are fast
stripping the county of all its valuable timber. There is, however,
a considerable portion of it that is untouched yet. The forests are
very thick and the timber growth is large. An undergrowth of
laurel grows among the trees, higher than a man's head, and so
thick that crews of "swampers" have to be sent out ahead of the log-
gers to clear passage-ways so they can fell the timber.
AGRICULTURAL.There is very little farming of any kind done in
Tucker county, the work in timber and coal taking the place of that
on the farm. Much of the land, though, is well adapted to farming.
Cereals grow well, corn being the principal one raised. Grasses form
238
TYLER COUNTY.
!
the most important crop of the county, and grazing the principal
line of agriculture. Cattle of excellent quality and large size are
raised, and no region of the State raises better cattle than can the
region of which Tucker is a part. The county is especially adapted
to sheep raising. There is hardly any part of the county that will
not produce good grass, and sheep in this county do well and prove
profitable. The county is also suited for fruits.
TYLER COUNTY.
*
LOCATION AND CHARACTER. --Tyler county is one of the counties.
lying in the Ohio valley. It is the second county south of the
northern panhandle and borders along the Ohio river for about 15
miles. Through the center of the county flows Middle Island
creek, which with its tributary streams waters well the whole county,
emptying into the Ohio in the adjoining county of Pleasants. This
stream is navigable for small flat boats in favorable seasons, while
the Ohio river which follows the western boundary of the county is.
navigable for the largest steamers, except in occasional seasons of
low water. The county is mostly rolling and hilly. The Ohio
river bottoms are broad and level and the valleys of the smaller
streams are also broad. The hills are not high or steep and most of
them are well suited for cultivation. The soil in the valleys and on
the hills is alike good and productive. The only railroad in the
county is the Ohio River road, which follows along the western
border for the entire length of the county. Middlebourne, the
county seat, is off the railroad about 10 miles, the nearest point
being Sistersville, by way of which the distance from Middlebourne
to Wheeling is 57 miles, to Parkersburg 37, to Charleston 171, to
Cincinnati 232, to Chicago 524 miles.
COAL.-The county is situated in the Upper coal measures, and
the Pittsburg vein, the most important one in the measures, is found,
with its excellent coking coals. The vein which is worked in Har-
rison county near the Tyler county line, and which is there above
the water level, is found in Tyler from 50 to 350 feet below the sur-
face of the earth, being deeper toward the western part of the
county. The vein is from 8 to 10 feet in thickness and contains
excellent coal. None of it has ever been mined in Tyler county, it
TYLER, COUNTY.
239
being easier to bring the coal in by rail from other places than to
shaft for it here.
OIL.-In Tyler county is located the last large producing oil field
discovered in the State, and which is now the best one of them all.
It is known as the Sistersville field, from the town of Sistersville,
which is right in the midst of it. No place in the field is held
sacred and on every available lot a well or two has been put down.
One is in a church-yard, while others are in private yards so close
to the homes of residents that the great walking beams almost
scrape the houses as they move up and down. The first well shot
in this field was in February, 1891. It pumped nothing but salt
water for four months and was then abandoned.
About a year
afterward pumping was renewed and the well showed oil It is
now the best well in the field, pumping about 300 barrels of oil a
day. The field was actively opened in February, 1892, and at the
first of the present year there were 225 producing wells, 50 more
being drilled, and 30 riggings going up. The total production of
the field at that time was about 15,000 barrels a day. The pumps
bring up both oil and water, about five times as much water as oil,
but the production given above is in oil, exclusive of the water.
The field is oval in shape, the oil pool clearly defined, its greatest
width being about two miles, its length about five miles. The dis-
tance to the oil sand at water level is about 1,400 feet. The sand is
250 feet thick, the first 50 feet producing oil. There have been very
few dry holes in the field, most of the wells drilled in proving to be
good producers Along with the oil there is plenty of natural gas,
and this is piped for many miles to all the cities and large towns in
reach, where it is used for fuel and lighting purposes.
IRON. Some iron ores are found in this county, but no investiga-
tion of their value or extent has ever been made. The ores are
brown hematite and nodular ores, some of them thought to be very
rich, and the deposits are quite large.
STONE.-Limestone for building purposes and an excellent hard
sandstone are found in the county and used locally for building.
CLAYS.-Fire clays and ordinary brick clay are found in several
parts of the county and are thought to be in valuable deposits. The
location is good for clay working establishments of all kinds and
the clay is as good as any that is found along the Ohio river.
240
TYLER COUNTY.
TIMBER. Not over two thirds of Tyler county has been cleared,
the rest remaining in timber. Oak, poplar, hickory, chestnut, ash
and walnut are the principal woods, though there is very little of
the latter left now. The lands along the streams have all been
pretty well cleared, but on the lands back from them and on the hills.
little has been cut. The waters which penetrate the county are
large enough to carry timber out on rises, and afford easy means of
getting it tc market. A great deal is worked up in the county. Saw
mills, stave mills and other wood working industries are numerous
in the county and the forests are rapidly disappearing.
AGRICULTURAL.—The soil of Tyler county is fertile and productive
the surface level in the valleys and sloping gently on the hills, so
there is hardly any portion of the county that is not suited for
cultivation. The Ohio river bottoms are very productive, the val
leys of the smaller streams are also rich and the hill lands are ad-
mirably adapted to some lines of agriculture Grains of all kinds
grow well, fruits are good and productive and grasses make excel-
lent sod. Cattle are raised in goodly numbers and sheep also do well.
UPSHUR COUNTY.
LOCATION AND CHARACTER. -Near the center of the State, but
slightly to the north-east of it, is Upshur county. The southern
portion of the county is in the high region which divides the waters
of the northern part of the State from those of the southern, and
the entire county is high and portions of it mountainous. Through
the centre of the county the Buckhannon river flows northward,
passing into Barbour county, where it flows into the Tygart's Valley
river. Along a portion of the eastern boundary flows the Middle
Fork of the Tygart's Valley river, and in the southern portion of
the county is the Little Kanawha river. These streams are all
small in Upshur and none of them navigable, but with their tribu-
taries abundantly supply the county with water.
The county,
though partly mountainous, is not much broken, the mountains
are not steep, and the surface, while mostly high, is level and roll-
ing. Buckhannon, the county seat, is located on a high level along
the Buckhannon river, near the center of the county. From it two
branches of the West Virginia and Pittsburg railroad run through
the county-one southward into the magnificent forests in the upper
UPSHUR COUNTY.
241
end of the county, the other westward to the main branch of the same
road at Weston. By way of this road the distance from Buckhan-
hannon to Parkersburg is 123 miles, to Martinsburg 243, to Balti-
more 357, to Wheeling 152, to Cincinnati 318, and to Chicago 619
miles. When the railroad up Elk river from Charleston is com-
A short rail-
pleted, the distance to Charleston will be 160 miles
road from Buckhannon to a connection with the B. & O. in Barbour
county is contemplated but not begun.
COAL.There is a good deal of coal in the county, Upshur having
the same two seams that Barbour county has--the Pittsburg, with
an average thickness of about six feet, and the Roaring Creek coal,
which is in several veins of varying thickness, running up to ten
feet, and is in all respects similar to the coals of the same seam in
Barbour county. There is a coal found in Upshur-found in "pock-
ets"-covering perhaps 8,000 acres of the county so far as now
known, which is a splendid blacksmith coal, has very little sulphur,
-less than one per cent.,-and is used in forges without coking. It
is a superior smithing coal, much sought for by those who know it,
and is similar to a coal valued highly for this purpose which is said
to be found in but two other localities. Notwithstanding the quan-
tity of coal that is hidden away in Upshur county, none has ever
been mined, save in a few places for local use.
IRON-Upshur has a little iron ore, but hardly in workable quan-
1
tities.
CLAY AND STONE --Fire clay, which has been tested and pro-
nounced very fine, is found widely distributed throughout the
county. The depth of the bed is not known, but it has been dug
into for 10 feet, and the bottom of the bed was not then reached.
The clay is of excellent quality and in enormous quantities, and
will undoubtedly bring the county into prominence as a center for
clay manufacturing at no distant day.
Building stone, both lime and sand, is found in the county. The
limestone is not found over a large extent, being only in a portion
of the county, but there is an abundance of fine sandstone for build-
ing purposes.
TIMBER. —About one half of Upshur county is still covered with
timber, which is being rapidly taken out. In this county is found
some of the finest timber in the State, and hitherto it has been
242
UPSHUR COUNTY.
comparatively neglected so that now, upon the completion of the
railroad into the forests, the timber is being rapidly removed. One
firm alone in the southern end of the county employs over 500
men in getting out and sawing up the timber. There are in the
southern part of the county numerous coves between the moun-
tains where the many streams which have their sources in or near
this county rise. These coves are rich in soil and well protected,
high and dry, so the conditions are most favorable for excellent
timber. There was once fine walnut in the county but most of it
has been taken out. Poplar, oaks, spruce, pine, hemlock, ash and
cherry are the principal timbers standing, and some of the finest
specimens in the State are found here.
AGRICULTURAL.- Farming and grazing are the chief interests of
the county. The soil, not so fertile as some, averages very well.
The mountains are not steep, and every foot of ground in the county
is available for agricultural pursuits. Blue grass springs up when
the land is cleared and forms an excellent grazing country. Horses
and cattle were formerly raised in great numbers, but the decreased
prices for stock discouraged the people and fewer horses and cattle
are raised. Sheep, though, are grown to a considerable extent, and
the county is well suited to them. Farming of all kinds may be
successfully carried on, though grazing is its favorite form among
the present occupants of the county. Fruit raising proves profit-
able and the county is well adapted to its culture. It is high--
Buckhannon, about the average, is 1,200 feet-and dry, and fruits
are well protected. Grapes and apples do particularly well.
WAYNE COUNTY.
LOCATION AND CHARACTER. Wayne county is the westernmost
one in the State. It forms the western corner where the States of
West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio join. Along the northern end
of the county flows the Ohio river. The western boundary is the
Big Sandy river and the Tug Fork of the same, which separate this
State from Kentucky. Through the county from south to north
flow the Right and Left Forks of Twelve Pole river, which unite
at Wayne Court House. The Ohio is nearly always navigable for
large steamers. The Big Sandy is part of the time navigable even
above Wayne county. Along the Ohio shore through the entire
:
WAYNE COUNTY.
243
county run the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad, which connects Cin-
cinnati and Chicago with the seaboard, the Newport News and
Mississippi Valley railroad, connecting central Kentucky with the
C. & O., the Ohio River railroad, connecting Wayne county with
Wheeling and intermediate points, and the Huntington and Big
Sandy railroad, running from the mouth of Big Sandy to Hunting-
ton. Through the length of the county, north and south, runs the
Norfolk and Western railroad, connecting Chicago with the sea-
board. Wayne, the county seat, is on the N. & W. railroad, 21
miles from the Ohio river, 30 from Huntington, 80 from Charleston,
224 from Wheeling, 173 from Cincinnati, 552 from Norfolk, and 478
from Chicago. The county is hilly, bordering on the mountainous
in places. The Ohio river bottoms are broad and there is much.
other good level bottom land in the county. The hills slope gently
and none of them are steep. The county is practically undeveloped
except along the rivers and railroads. These portions have been
pretty well settled and occupied, the rest remaining in its original.
state.
COAL.-Five miles above the Court House, on the left fork of
Twelve Pole, coal is found, while on the right fork the first is seen
13 miles above. From these points up, along both branches, the
coal is very abundant. The southeastern half of the county is thus
plentifully underlaid with coal, while the rest of the county has
none. In the upper part of the county the coal is very fine and
can be found almost anywhere, and of almost any kind. In the
western part the coal runs out over the hill tops or dips low under
the Big Sandy to reappear in Kentucky, as at Peach Orchard. The
coal of Wayne ranges from 2 to 11 feet in thickness, though from 5
to 6 feet are average veins. Veins of from 4 to 6 feet are more
easily worked than are thicker ones because they have usually no
partings of slate, and because less timber is required to prop up the
top. Several kinds of coal are found in this county, including an
excellent article of coking coal which has been tested and produces
a splendid coke. There is also a good splint coal which
contains little sulphur, is hard and excellent for shipping. Wayne
has also a good deal of cannel coal which reaches in places a thick-
ness of 4 feet. Wayne's coal is practically untouched. Until the
construction of the N. & W. railroad none of it had been mined at
244
WAYNE COUNTY.
all except for local use, and even now there are but four or five
mines along the line in Wayne. One 7 foot vein of coal is under-
laid with a 6 foot vein of fire-clay.
CLAYS.-Excellent beds of fire clays are found in various parts of
the county. The clay is of superior quality, and sample bricks
made from it surpass in hardness, firmness and capacity for absorb.
ing water some of the famous fire brick of the country.
There is a
great abundance of this fire clay and it is easy to get at.
tioned above, a 6 foot vein of clay underlies a 7 foot vein of coal,
so that the material and fuel for making brick and tiling may be
mined at the same time. A valuable deposit of patter's clay is also
found. but has not been worked.
As men-
OCHRE. A fine deposit of yellow ochre, several feet thick, is
found in the county, which has not been worked, but is valuable
for making paint. There is a considerable quantity of ochre await-
ing development.
IRON.-A good deal of iron ore is found all over the county and
of several different kinds. The veins range from 18 to 72 inches in
thickness, besides which "pockets" are found in several places. The
ore found near the Court House is the same as that used in the
furnaces at Ironton, Ohio, where its use has been markedly success-
ful. Over on the Sandy side of the county is the thickest deposit
of ore where it is 72 inches. Some of this iron is very rich, but it
has never been developed at all, and its value is scarcely known.
Wayne is one of the few counties in which the black band iron ore
is found. This makes an excellent iron and is the material from
which much of the celebrated Scotch pig is made. Limestone for
fluxing is also found in the county near the iron and coking coal.
OIL AND GAS.-Natural gas is plentiful and escapes from the earth
in many places in the county, while just across the line in Ken-
tucky one of the largest gas wells in this part of the country is daily
pouring forth its thousands of feet of valuable vapor. No oil has
as yet been found in Wayne, though the prevalence of so much
gas would indicate that oil might be found at no great distance.
SALT.-In boring for oil and gas salt water has been found in
large quantities and in Kentucky near the State line salt has been
made for market, but no attempt has ever been made in Wa
make any salt.
Wayne to
WAYNE COUNTY.
245
4
TIMBER.--But a comparatively small portion of Wayne county
has ever been develope l at all, and it is estimated that three-fourths
of the county is still in forests. Probably one-half of it is covered
with untouched forests, the other fourth with only the very finest
poplar taken off, leaving about three-fourths of the county covered
yet with good timber. The land is all well watered and easy to take
timber out of, but many large land owners have hitherto refused to
let the timber be taken from their lands, and thus so much has been
left. The timber comprises poplar, oak, ash, lynn, beech, birch,
maple, a little walnut and some pine. Several saw mills are at
work in the county cutting timber, but comparatively little is being
taken out. Besides the saw timber there are vast quantities of tim-
ber suited for ties, telegraph poles and staves and other small tim-
There is a good deal of hickory suitable for wagon and car-
riage works, and almost inexhaustible quantities of tanbark. The
market value of the tanbark alone is more than equal to the as-
sessment valuation of the entire county.
AGRICULTURAL.--Only the river bottoms and the sloping hills
close to them have ever been farmed, and this principally in the
northern part, but the entire county is suitable for farming, and as
the timber is taken off it will gradually be brought under cultiva-
tion. The bottom lands are rich and yield good crops of grain.
Corn in particular yields abundantly, in the best lands from 50 to
70 bushels an acre, and in some cases yields of 110 bushels are re-
ported. One of the crops to which the land seems specially suited
is tobacco The new land is the best adapted to it and excellent
tobacco is grown in the county. Grass grows well and the hills and
valleys where the timber is removed are covered with splendid pas-
tures. Horses, cattle and sheep are raised and shipped in goodly -
numbers. Good cattle are raised and the county is suited in all re-
spects to sheep raising, but the number of sheep is not so large as
it should be. In this line as well as in the developing of the nat-
ural resources, there is room for the assistance of many more peo-
ple than are now engaged in it.
WEBSTER COUNTY.
LOCATION AND CHARACTER.-Webster county lies slightly to the
south-east of, but very close to the center of the State. It is all
•
F
1
246
WEBSTER COUNTY.
high and principally mountainous. From east to west through the
center of the county flows the Elk river Through the southern
portion flows the Gauley, and for a short distance near the northern
border flows the Little Kanawha river. Addison, the county seat,
is at the junction of two forks of Elk, 1430 feet above the sea level.
and the surrounding mountains are from 800 to 1400 feet above that.
South of Addison is the dividing ridge between the Elk and Gauley
rivers, and across this ridge it is but three miles from the Elk to the
Gauley, while the bed of the latter is 800 feet higher than that of
the Elk at Addison. Hitherto distant from railroads and the high-
er civilization of the State, Webster has remained almost as it was
when, away back in seventeen hundred and ninety odd, old Mr.
Arthur, father of Rev. R. A. Arthur, of Addison, killed the last
buffalo ever seen in this section of the country. Webster Springs, at
Addison, was then a salt lick and the old buffalo trail over the moun-
tain to it is still visible. Buffalo are extinct but other wild animals
are numerous in the county. Frequently bears are seen; young
cubs are caught every year and an occasional fight between bears
and woodsmen is reported. One man has a couple of young native.
wolves and deer are slain every fall. Wild turkeys and other small
game are plentiful. The northern part of the county is a high plateau
but most of the county is very rough and the mountains are steep
and broken In the southern portion of the county are "the glades
These are marshy table lands at an elevation of about 2,400 feet
above sea level. They are probably the bottoms of some ancient.
sea, as shells and other evidences of marine life have been found
there Imbedded in the earth ten feet below the surface a white
pine log was found a few years ago. Where it came from is not
known as there is now no pine or evidence of any within ten miles
of the place where this was found The glades are absolutely level.
The soil is black, has absorbed water until it is soft and mushy for
ten feet deep and shakes, when disturbed, like a big bowl of jelly.
Below the marshes is a whitish yellow clay which absorbs no water.
There is no way for this water to run off and it remains and makes
the marshes. There are some 30,000 acres of these glades which
drainage would convert into excellent farming lands. The soil is
rich and only needs drainage to become productive. Until within.
a year there has been no railroad in Webster county but in the year
""
WEBSTER COUNTY.
247
past the Gauley extension of the West Virginia & Pittsburg has
been completed through the county, south-west of the center from
the main line in Braxton county to the Gauley river near the south-
ern part of the county. Addison, the county seat, is 13 miles from this
railroad, by which the distance to Wheeling is 220 miles, to Parkers-
burg 180, to Martinsburg 300, to Baltimore 414, to Cincinnati 375,
to Chicago 680. The distance to Charleston is 65 miles over land,
and 35 by rail. Upon the completion of the railroad up Elk river the
distance by rail will be 140 miles.
COAL.-Webster county contains a great deal of coal, principally
the New River coking coals, which are found in veins of from 2 to
6 feet thick. Near the top of one of the mountains the excellent vein of
coal operated by the Gauley Mountain Coal Company at Ansted, in
Fayette county, crops out. Near Addison one vein of coal has been
dug into for 9 feet without reaching bottom, but this was prob-
ably on a slant, and the actual thickness of the vein is not so much
as this.
Over in the glades are coal veins of 10 feet thickness with
a parting 3 feet from the bottom. The lower part of the seam is
good coal, the other a shale, rich in oil and giving out an intense
heat when used with coal, but which will not burn alone. Few of
the coal veins of Webster county have ever been discovered. It is
known that the county lies among the New River coal measures,
and some excellent openings of this coal have been made, but there
are undoubtedly more veins which are not now known. The west-
ern part of the county lies in the Lower coal measures, which also
produce most excellent coking coals. There are also known to be
other coals below the bases of the mountains, but no investigations
have ever been made as to their quality or extent. One vein re-
cently discovered measures 12 feet in thickness and is supposed to
underlie the entire county. Cannel coal of excellent quality is
found in the western part of the county over a considerable area.
While investigations have not been thoroughly made, it is known
that Webster county possesses plenty of coal of the very best quality,
in workable seams above the water level. Its development is a mat-
ter of but a short time.
IRON.-Some iron ore has been found in Webster county, but
none as yet that would pay for mining. In Braxton, the adjoining
248
WEBSTER COUNTY.
county, iron is found, and it is not at all improbable that it may be
found in Webster.
FIRE-CLAY.-In many parts of the county good fire-clay has been
found and bits of earthen ware are occasionally picked up among
the relics of pre-historic races, showing that the value of the
clay has long been known.
LEAD. Tradition tells of silver and lead being found between
Addison and Stroud's creek, which empties into the Gauley, and
mined by the Indians. White slaves were sometimes taken by the
Indians to the mines, but the few who knew their location, died in
the possession of the secret. At one place on Stroud's creek old
pottery, supposed to be Indian crucibles, has been found, and it is
supposed they were used to melt the ores in. At the mouth of
Stroud's creek, after freshets, nuggets of lead as big as buckshot have
been found. They have the appearance of being splashings or drip-
pings from the melting pot, and it is said that this is the place the
Indians took the ore to reduce it. An occasional search has been
made for the lead mines, but has always been unsuccessful.
SALT. The salt springs at Addison were discovered before the
last buffalo was killed by Mr. Arthur a hundred years ago, when
buffalo came across the mountains after salt. Later Mr. Arthur and
others made a good deal of salt here for domestic use and sold some
of it in neighboring counties. None is now made though the salt
water still pours from the ground from several springs. Sulphur
and other minerals are mixed with the salt in the water and make
a highly recommended medicinal water which brings hundreds of
people every year to test its virtue.
TIMBER-Nine-tenths of Webster county is still covered with
virgin forest. For seventy-five miles above Addison 200,000 acres
along the Elk and its tributaries are covered with untouched forests
of oak, poplar, black spruce, ash, black birch, cherry and other va-
rieties. The black spruce covers some 30,000 acres of land, and is
interspersed with cherry which is in places very abundant. Near
Addison a gentleman has a barn built entirely of cherry, showing
the abundance in which it is to be found there. There is in the
county considerable black birch which is a beautiful hard wood
somewhat resembling cherry. On the Gauley side of the divide
there are some 40,000 acres of untouched timber in Webster county
WEBSTER COUNTY.
249
कई
alone which are tributary to the new railroad town of Camden-on-
the-Gauley. The timber of Webster is among the finest in the
State, poplar trees measuring from 4 to 9 feet in diameter and from
40 to 80 feet in length. All the trees are of good size and the land
is all well covered with this splendid timber. The timber is all
easily accessible, growing as it does on the steep mountain sides, at
the foot of each of which is a stream large enough after rains to
float the timber cut from the mountains. Recently the cutting of
timber has been begun and at one time last summer a single lumber
firm had in Elk and its tributary streams in Webster county twen-
ty million feet of timber, all cut and waiting for flood tide to be
taken to the mill. At Camden-on-the-Gauley the largest saw mill
in the State has been erected with a sawing capacity of 80,000 feet
a day and the timber is beginning to be cut out pretty rapidly.
AGRICULTURAL.— -With so much timber standing, of course there
is very little of the county under cultivation. The soil is rich but
little of it has been cleared. Along the rivers and roads are a few
rough farms but only a few small clearings lie hid among the for-
ests. The soil is very productive and grains of all kind do well.
The very finest buckwheat is raised, and corn on the rich hill lands
yields 25 to 50 bushels to the acre. The plateau lands in the
northern part of the county will make splendid agricultural lands
when cleared, but much of the county is so steep as to be practi-
cally unfit for farming. For grazing most of the county is avail-
able, and it has been carried on to some extent. Blue grass springs
spontaneously from the soil as soon as the timber is removed. Ex-
cellent pasturage is afforded and cattle and sheep of the very best.
can be raised. The mountain mutton is very fine and many sheep
are already raised.
1
WETZEL COUNTY.
LOCATION AND CHARACTER. The first county south of the north-
ern panhandle, bordering on both Pennsylvania and Ohio, is Wetzel.
In the eastern part of the county rises the Big Fishing creek, a
stream which traverses the county, flowing into the Ohio at New
Martinsville, and with its tributaries waters the whole county.
This stream affords the means of transporting to market a large
amount of the timber of the county. Principally rolling, with
250
1
WETZEL COUNTY.
slight hills, the surface is broken in places with higher hills which
occasionally assume considerable proportions and are quite steep.
Much of the county, though, lies well and is not too steep for culti
vation. Through the western part of the county, following the
Ohio river for about fifteen miles, is the Ohio River railroad, con-
necting north and south with all the east and west lines which
cross the State. Running through the north eastern part of the
county for about the same distance is the main line of the Balti-
more & Ohio railroad connecting the east and the west. New Martins-
ville, the county seat, is on the Ohio river and the railroad bearing
that name. The distance from there to Wheeling is 39 miles, to
Parkersburg 56, to Charleston 189, to Baltimore 409, to Cincinnati
251, to Chicago 505.
COAL. In the eastern part of the county is a vein of coal above
the water level, said to be 12 feet in thickness, and good coal. The
coal has never been developed, but examinations show that there is
good coal here in workable quantities, while under the entire
county, from 200 to 300 feet below the surface, are found the other
coals which underlie all the counties in this part of the State.
None of them have ever been mined but their place has been found
by borings for oil and other purposes.
STONE.—Good sandstone for building purposes is found well dis-
tributed over the entire county. There is also limestone in por-
tions of the county suitable for building and agricultural purposes.
The fine sand found in the Ohio river is abundant here and in the
smaller streams of the county, and is valuable for building pur-
poses.
OIL.-Situated near the rich producing oil territory of Marion,
Monongalia, Doddridge and Tyler, almost surrounded by rich pro-
ducing territory, it would seem that there should be plenty of oil
beneath the surface of Wetzel county, but as yet the investigations
have shown but little as compared with the territory of the adjoin-
ing counties, Some oil has been found and a good deal of gas but
as yet the Wetzel field is not known as a good producer.
Still a
good deal of the land is bound up in oil leases and developments
are being made, which may yet show that there is oil in the county.
TIMBER. The county contains some valuable timber. Owing to
the proximity of the county to the markets and the excellent water
WETZEL COUNTY.
251
transportation afforded in all parts of the county a great deal of
the timber has been taken out, but about a third of the
county is still in timber. The oaks are the principal kinds of tim-
ber left though there is still some poplar and other kinds that may
be easily gotten out. Millions of feet come annually out of the Big
Fishing creek, every rise in the stream bringing out a great many
logs, ties and other forms of timber. There is some tanbark pro-
duced in the county.
AGRICULTURAL.-The county is well adapted to agriculture and is
carefully cultivated. The greater part of the county is under culti-
vation, a large part of it being in grasses. The Ohio river bottoms
and the valleys of the streams that traverse the county are the
most fertile in the county and are all in a high state of cultivation,
producing large crops every year. Some of the lands produce as
much as 80 bushels of corn to the acre and keep it up constantly.
The hill land is mostly cultivated also and the crops there are all
satisfactory. Garden stuff is raised by many of the farmers in the
county, the cities near at hand affording a good market for them.
Fruits of all kinds yield well. The climate is sufficiently cool to
make it a good one for apples, grapes, etc., and all kinds are raised
in considerable quantities. Clovers, blue grass and other kinds of
grasses grow in all parts of the county and make excellent pastur-
age. Cattle are raised, sheep grown for their wool and for mutton
and stock raising is about the greatest industry of the county. The
high and dry lands of the county, the fine grass and the abundance
of pure, clear and rapidly running water in the county make it a
good one for stock raising.
WIRT COUNTY.
LOCATION AND CHARACTER. -Northwest of the center of the S'ate
and about two-thirds of the way from there to the Ohio river is
Wirt county. The Little Kanawha river, navigable for steamboats,
flows in a north-westerly direction through the county, dividing it
in almost equal parts. The Hughes river, Reedy and Spring creeks
and the West Fork all empty into the Little Kanawha in this
county. The county is principally rolling in character, with some
hills but no steep ones. The valleys are in places broad and very
fertile. The Little Kanawha river is improved with locks and
252
WIRT COUNTY.
Į
dams owned by a navigation company, and daily packets ply the
river from the Ohio to a point in Calhoun county, and have occa-
sionally been able to reach Glenville in Gilmer county. From
Elizabeth, the county seat, to Parkersburg, where there is railroad
connection, it is 26 miles by river. From Elizabeth to Wheeling is
120 iniles, to Charleston 159, to Martinsburg 310, to Baltimore 324,
to Cincinnati 221, and to Chicago 526 miles. There is no railroad
in the county, but the Little Kanawha Valley railroad is projected
to run from Parkersburg up the Little Kanawha. The towns along
the entire length of this river are connected by telephone.
COAL-Only small veins of coal are found above water level in
Wirt county. From 18 to 30 inches is their thickness, and they are
too small to make it profitable to work them Below the surface
there is an abundance of excellent coal of the Lower measures. In
boring for oil veins of from 8 to 10 feet in thickness have been found
at a depth of from 60 to 100 feet below the surface of the earth.
These veins are supposed to underlie the entire county, and it would
be an easy matter to construct a shaft by means of which this coal
might be readily mined. The quantity of coal contained in these
hidden veins is almost inestimable, but it is beyond question that
there is to be found beneath the surface of Wirt millions of tons of
it, and the day will come when the out-put of coal from Wirt
county will equal that of any other county in the State.
IRON. Iron ores may be found in almost every part of Wirt
county, and in veins from 7 to 11 feet in thickness. Analyses made
of specimens selected at random from this county show them to
contain from 50 to 64 per cent. of metallic iron. Railroad trans-
portation would afford an opportunity to test this iron in a practi-
cal way.
OIL.-Wirt county was the scene of the earliest oil excitement in
the State. Away back in 1861 Burning Springs was quite a town.
Many of the now prominent people of the State were among those
who made money then in oil, and Senator Camden, owner of so
many West Virginia railroads, forests and coal fields, is said to have
gotten his start on the road to fortune in this place in the days of
the first oil excitement. There were no two and three thousand
foot wells then; oil was found at 96 to 300 feet and in a short time
the whole territory was punctured like a pepper box. On 800 acres
WIRT COUNTY.
253
at Burning Springs there were at one time 300 wells. Then came
the war, and in 1863 the Confederate General Jones set fire to the
place and the entire field was swept by fire. In 1865 the excite-
ment broke out anew, but it was not long till the oil gave out.
There were no modern methods in vogue, the wells were not cased
and when bored deep enough the water came in and they were
"drowned out." But few remain productive and the town, consist-
ing of half a dozen dilapidated houses, a few leaky gas pipes and
scores of piles of old rusty machinery with an occasional walking
beam, is now about as dead as it can be. A well bored recently to
a depth of about 2,000 feet shows up well and promises to be pro-
ductive of much oil. While some made their fortunes in oil, many
lost and the entire value of all the oil taken out never equalled the
amount of money sunk in the oil field. This early product was a
magnificent oil, and brought from $5 to $8 per barrel, always com-
manding a little higher price than any other on the market. Re-
fined oil and other products consumed, 90 per cent. of the oil so
that in the crude oil there was a waste of not over 10 per cent. In
the early days the oil was barreled, the barre's rafted like logs and
great rafts of oil were floated down to Parkersburg. Other fields
have taken the place of this one now, but some oil is still produced
and the deep wells will probably yield considerable oil when the
field is tapped with them.
TIMBER. —Wirt has been pretty well stripped of its timber, very
little of which remains, probably not over a tenth of the original
amount. The county was once covered with splendid timber but
its proximity to the Ohio river and railroads at the mouth of the
Little Kanawha and the numerous streams through the county afford-
ing transportation for timber, have caused about all the timber there
ever was to be taken out early, and while the Little Kanawha is
filled with timber rafts most of the time, they come from the coun-
ties above and are cut into lumber in Wirt county or in Wood at
the mouth of the river.
STONE AND CLAY.- Limestone is found in the county and a good
sandstone for building purposes. A sandstone which is utilized
for whetstones and grindstone purposes is also found in the county
but its use has been quite limited.
254
WIRT COUNTY.
Fire and potter's clays are found in considerable quantities but
have never been developed.
AGRICULTURAL.-Wirt county is composed mainly of excellent
agricultural lands and but for the fact that the soil has been neglect-
ed and timber and oil operations carried on instead of farming, it
would now rank higher than it does in agriculture. The soil is
rich, the hills slope gently, the valleys are broad and crops produce
well. Corn and the other cereals and tobacco are well adapted to
the soil and yield well The county is an excellent one for grazing.
Blue grass grows luxuriantly and spontaneously on many mountain
sides and sheep and cattle are easily raised. Considerable attention
is given to sheep and they do exceedingly well. Cattle and live
stock are raised cheaply, living the greater part of the year on open
pastures, and are close to railroads and thus near market. Particu-
larly is Wirt a fine fruit county and some magnificent specimens
are seen. Luscious black berries and raspberries of excellent size
and flavor grow wild along the road sides and apples, peaches and
other fruits grow to enormous size. On "Limestone Hill," in the
western part of the county, especially fine fruits are grown and the
culture of orchards produces a considerable revenue to the people of
the county every year.
WOOD COUNTY.
LOCATION AND CHARACTER. -Northwest from the center of the
State, bordering on the Ohio river and about midway between the
northern and western extremities of the State is the county of
Wood. Along its entire western border flows the Ohio river, while
through the center of the county in a northwest direction flows the
Little Kanawha river, emptying its waters into the Ohio at Par-
kersburg, the county seat. Both are navigable the entire year for
steamboats. Following the Ohio river the entire length of the
county is the Ohio River railroad, which follows the entire western
border of the State connecting Wheeling with Huntington. The
Baltimore & Ohio railroad also passes through the county, giving
direct communication with the east and the west. Parkersburg is
98 miles from Wheeling, 121 miles from Huntington, 135 from
Charleston, 398 from Baltimore, 195 from Cincinnati, and 500 from
Chicago. The county contains much of the fine Ohio river bot-
79
WOOD COUNTY.
255
In the
tom lands, the rest of the county being rolling and hilly.
southern portion of the county the land reaches a greater height
than anywhere else but is even there not mountainous. The cli-
mate is mild and healthful, the soil productive, the transportation
facilities good.
COAL. At Volcano, near the Ritchie county line, coal is mined
for local use from a small vein under three feet in thickness. This
is the only place in the county where any coal is found above the
water level but beneath the surface the entire county is underlaid
with good coal. At Parkersburg borings for oil showed a seven
foot vein at a depth of 1,100 feet below the surface. East of the
river the coal is not so deep and might be easily shafted for and
mined.
M
OIL.-In and near Wood county was found the first oil ever pro-
duced in West Virginia and large quantities have been produced
from this county. The Volcano field is the principal one and pro-
duces a fine quality of lubricating oil. It is a natural lubricating
oil, very fine and requires no mixing or refining. While the field
is small the value of the oil is so great as to make the field a valu-
able one.
Vast quantities of the oil have been produced and it is
still being produced from wells about 600 feet deep. Deeper wells
have been sunk in the county but no other oil has yet been found,
although the county is almost entirely surrounded by oil producing
territory. Parkersburg has always been an oil market since the
first discovery of petroleum and a large refinery has been in opera-
tion for many years.
CLAY.-Fire clay of excellent quality is found in large deposits,
particularly in the oil region. The clay is very fine and it would
pay well to work it except for the competition of towns along the
river which have the advantage of cheap transportation and near-
ness to market. At Parkersburg a pottery has been in operation for
years, using the fine potter's clay found in the vicinity and making
as fine pottery ware as is made in the country. All that is made
meets with a ready market and several times as much as is made
might easily be made and disposed of at a good price. The business
seems to be profitable and with plenty of the finest kind of clay and
advantages for shipping there is no reason why the river valley por-
tion of the county should not become a large clay working center.
1
1
256
WOOD COUNTY.
STONE. Just across the Ohio river from a portion of Wood county is
the largest establishment for making grindstones in the United States
and the same ledge of stone from which they are made extends into
Wood county on the other side of the river. The stone has a na-
tional reputation and car loads of the stones are shipped daily. The
quarries on the West Virginia side of the river have been controlled
by lease by the company which is making the stones on the other
side of the river and its development has been prevented by them.
The lease is said to have expired and West Virginia will soon take
a proper rank in the production of grindstones for the use of the
nation. It is a fine stone and there is a good deal of it.
TIMBER. With the timber of the county easy of access and two
rivers flowing through the county the timber has been pretty well.
taken out. Perhaps a half of the county is still in timber, most of
which is oak, poplar and similar kinds of wood. The bottom
lands and all the best farming country has been cleared but some.
of the higher lands are still in timber.
p
AGRICULTURAL.--There is some very fine farming land in Wood
county. The Ohio river bottoms, among the most fertile lands in the
State, run for thirty-nine miles through the county, besides which a
great deal of the county is well adapted to farming and grazing.
Excellent crops are produced, grains and produce of all kinds yield-
ing well.
Back from the river on the higher lands grass grows
abundantly, a portion of the soil being limestone soil and producing
a heavy growth of fine blue grass. Fruits yield well and large
orchards are kept in all the higher parts of the county. Some of
the fruits, particularly the apples, are exceedingly fine. Considera-
ble attention is paid to grape culture and some of the largest vine-
yards to be found in the State are grown in Wood county. Stock
raising is largely engaged in and the Wood county stock farms con-
tain some excellent stock. Horses are bred in considerable num-
bers and cattle and sheep are also largely raised.
PARKERSBURG is the third city in the State, with a popula-
tion, as shown by the census of 1890, of 8,408, which has since
then considerably increased. The increase from 1880 to 1890, was
27.74 per cent. It is a flourishing city of importance as a railroad,
commercial, manufacturing and shipping point. Oil refineries,
wood working establishments, foundries, machine shops, etc., com-
G
S
WYOMING COUNTY.
257
pose the manufactories, while a large part of the State is supplied
with goods from Parkersburg wholesale houses. Both the B. & O.
and the O. R. railroads have their shops here. The city has both
natural and manufactured gas, electricity, water works, fire depart-
ment, good sewerage, paved streets, street railway, handsome public
buildings, stores and residences, four national banks, and a great
deal of wealth is represented by its citizens.
WYOMING COUNTY.
LOCATION AND CHARACTER.--McDowell is the southernmost county
in the State and Wyoming lies immediately north of it. The
county is rough and mountainous throughout and is bordered by
mountain ranges, the Guyandotte mountains on the north being
among the highest in the State. Through the centre of the county
for its entire length the Guyandotte river flows westward, several
tributaries uniting their waters with the river in this county. Along
the southwestern border for a short distance flows the Tug Fork of
Big Sandy. Along the banks of the Tug is the Norfolk and West-
ern railroad, which touches the edge of the county for a short dis-
tance. Oceanà, the county seat, is on the Clear Fork of Guyandotte
river some 15 miles from the N. & W railroad. Before the con-
struction of this road the nearest railroad was the Chesapeake and
Ohio, 52 miles from Oceana, from which all the supplies for the
county were hauled over the mountains By the N. & W. the dis-
tance to Huntington is 184 miles, to Cincinnati 345, to Norfolk 416,
to Wheeling 399, to Chicago 650 miles. By the C. & O. the distance
to Charleston is 126 miles.
COAL.-Wyoming is one of the most highly favored counties in
the State in coal. In the eastern part of the county is the Flat
Top coal, which dips under the earth and the Kanawha coals appear
above it further toward the west. Over the central and western
parts of the county ten veins of coal extend, some of them 5 and 6
feet and one is reported 14 feet in thickness. Every kind is found
-cannel, coking, splint and steam. In fact every kind of coal
found in the United States is found here except anthracite. No
coal has ever been shipped. All that has been mined was for do-
mestic use and very little has been consumed in that way. It is
said that there is not a spot in the county a mile from a coal vein,
258
WYOMING COUNTY.
and every resident of the county may have his own coal vein,
every land owner his fuel for the digging More than that-if he
doesn't like one kind of coal all he has to do is to open another
vein and try a different kind. The proposed branch of the N. & W.
railroad up Twelve Pole and Guyandotte rivers would penetrate
the finest of the Wyoming coal fields from end to end, as would
also the proposed railroad up Coal river from its mouth near Charles-
ton to a connection with the N. & W. This latter road could be
constructed on an easy grade along the Big and Little Coal rivers to
the Walnut Gap mountain which separates Boone from Wyoming
and could be built under this mountain through an 11 foot coal
vein and the coal taken out would pay for the tunnel. The coal
vein is at water level on both sides of the mountain and the tun-
nel need not be over a mile or two long. Throughout Wyoming
county, as in Boone and Logan, coal may be found along the road-
sides almost anywhere. With some 50 or more feet of coal in
every mountain, not a bushel of which has ever been taken out of
the county, and almost every variety to select from, the enormous
value of these immense deposits can scarcely be appreciated.
STONE. Excellent sandstone for building purposes is found in
this county in great abundance.
de
TIMBER. It is only within the last three years that any timber
at all has been taken out of Wyoming county and even now there
are from five-sixths to seven eighths of the county in the original
forests. No timber in the State surpasses in excellence that of Wyo-
ming county. A recent sale comprised all the timber on 50,000
acres, on which there were estimated to be 100,000 poplar trees above
22 inches in diameter and which would average 3 logs to the tree.
Two good poplar trees to the acre is a good average, Estimates on
oak give from 3 to 6 trees to the acre besides the poplar and other
varieties. The poplar logs will average from 4 to 5 feet in diame-
Walnut averages about the same though some trees grow to
enormous size. Most of the walnut has disappeared, though in
some parts, notably the western part, there is much of it left.
Hickory, chestnut and other kinds of timber grow profusely and
to enormous sizes. One enterprising firm, knowing the value of
the timber of Wyoming, has quietly purchased a large amount of it
and has begun a wholesale destruction of the forests, but it will
ter.
:
WYOMING COUNTY.
259
take years to cut them down and there is still much valuable tim-
ber available in the county.
AGRICULTURAL.-Unbroken as is the original forest, little opportu-
nity has been offered for farming. The western part of the county
is very rough and broken but there are portions that are suitable
for cultivation. The valleys are productive and much of the land
is rolling rather than mountainous. Corn is the principal crop
grown, although the soil is adapted in places to tobacco. Cleared
of the timber the hills would make good grazing lands, for grass
grows well. Cattle and sheep are raised with little trouble and
might be grown in greater abundance. Fruits would do well,
though few are now raised.
PLEASANTS COUNTY.
1
PLEASANTS COUNTY.
LOCATION AND CHARACTER.-Northwest from the center of the
State, lying along the Ohio river, not far above Parkersburg, is
Pleasants county, in size among the smallest in the State, but three
others being smaller. Like all the counties in the Ohio valley this
one has broad rich bottoms along the river, while farther back the
land is hilly.
Its length along the river is some 18 miles while the
county is also watered by numerous creeks and streams which emp-
ty into the Ohio river. St. Mary's, the county seat, is pleasantly
situated on the Ohio river 30 miles from Parkersburg, 64 from
Wheeling, 200 from Charleston, 428 from Baltimore, 225 from Cin-
cinnati and 530 from Chicago. Through the entire length of the
county runs the Ohio River railroad with which good roads con-
nect the other portions of the county.
COAL. Pleasants is one of the counties in which the Pittsburg
coal is almost valueless The same seam which underlies so many
of the western border counties at varying depths, is lifted here
above the water level but is so thin as to be of little value. The
vein when lifted seems to have been flattened out and while it is
found in nearly all the county, is practically absent, because it is so
thin.
OIL-Pleasants is right in the line of recent oil developments and
has now among the best producing fields within the State. While
at Eureka, Belmont and St. Mary's the principal producing wells
are located, still along almost the entire western boundary of the
county oil is found. Derricks by the hundreds may be counted,
scattered all the way along, at varying elevations-some at the
water's edge, some on the highest hill tops, and others all the way
between. Few of the wells are non-productive and the business in
oil that is done in Pleasants county is enormous Great receiving
tanks with a combined capacity of hundreds of thousands of bar-
rels have been put up to hold the vast production of the field and
pipe lines carry it away The oil business is the leading one of the
county. Natural gas, of course, is found along with oil and in the
greatest quantities. Formerly most of it was allowed to escape or
go to waste, but recently it has been put to use and long pipe lines
convey the gas to neighboring towns in West Virginia and Ohio,
PLEASANTS COUNTY.
where it is used for lighting, heating, cooking, steam making and
other purposes for which fuel is required. It makes an intense
heat and is widely used in the towns to which it is piped.
TIMBER. While much of the timber of the county has been cut
and floated out the several streams which flow conveniently through
the county, a good deal is still left, consisting principally of oaks,
some poplar and the other kinds usually found along with them.
The county being small, and much having already been removed,
the amount of timber standing cannot be large, but a good deal is
gotten out nevertheless.
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
AGRICULTURAL.-The Ohio river bottoms, which form a good
part of the county, are as rich here as elsewhere in the valley and
very productive, while farther back the soil upon the hills is also
rich. Grains produce abundant yields, both in the valleys and
upon the hills, while garden products are grown to some extent
and grass does well. Grazing is carried on though not extensively
and horses, sheep and cattle are all raised. Fruits do well upon the
hills, and though the county has its reputation principally by rea-
son of its oil, it is as well an agricultural one.
MINERAL WATERS.-Several mineral wells, the waters from which
are said to have medicinal virtues, exist within the county, small
summer resorts are here and much of the water is bottled and sent
away.
1

#
COUNTIES.
Barbour.
Berkeley
Boone....
Braxton.
Brooke..
Cabell...
Calhoun,!.
Clay
Doddridge
Fayette
Gilmer
Grant
Greenbrier
Hampshire.
Hancock
Hardy
Harrison
Jackson..
Jefferson
Kanawha
Lewis.
Lincoln
Logan
Marion
Marshall.
Mason
Mercer
...
...
• . •
• •
·
-
[
葡
​*
•
•
..
..
Wirt
Wood
Wyoming
.. •
·
•
• •
...
• 1 • • •
.. ▸
·
Mineral...
Monongalia.
Monroe..
Morgan
McDowell.
Nicholas
Ohio...
Pendleton.
Pleasants
Pocahontas
Preston
Putnam
Raleigh
Randolph
Ritchie..
Roane
Summers
Taylor
Tucker
Tyler..
Upshur
Wayne
Webster
Wetzel...
·
** • •
•
·
..
•
·
·
Total...
•
4
•
A • •
· •
•
4
U
L
•
•
Area in square miles.
1,050
550
92
400
464
395
320
515
5,824
565 9,787
84
300
6,013
13,744
260
6,072
325
3,460
475
10,552
750 11,560
330 7,108
490 5,542
Population in 1880.
440
420
370
325
460
230
680
720
11,870
12,702 8
17,380 18,702
6,885
4,882
6,794
20,181
470 16,312
470
400
Population in 1890.
13,928
6,660
!
23,595
8,155
4,659
6,802
15,060 18,034
10,366 11,419
6,414
7,567
12,183
20,542
9,746
280 15,005 15,553
825
400
32,466 42,756
13,269 15,895
460
8,739 11,246
675 7,329
11,101
314
17,198 20,721
18,840 20,735
22,293 22,863
7,467 16,002
248
8,630
12,085
14,985
15,705
11,501
12,429
5,777
120
350
570
1,175
6,744
3,074 7,300
7,223 9,309
37,457 41,557
650 8,022 8,711
150 6,256 7,539
765 5,591 6,814
709 19,091 20,355
11,375 14,342
7,367 9,597
8,102 11,633
13,474 16,621
12,184 15,303
9,033 13,117
177 11,455 12,147
500 3,151 6,459
330 11,073 11,962
350 10,249 12,714
445 14,739 18,652
415 3,207 4,783
550 13,896 16,841
290 7,104 9,411
512
375 25,006 28,612
660 4,322 6,247
24.645 618,457 702.794'$
21,919
19,C21
Real Estate.
ASSESSED VALUATION.
1,975,057 00 8
4,455,742 00
1,391,827 00
1,719,647 00
2,372,235 00
4.796,040 00
712,094 00
695,814 00
1,586,675 00
3,767,872 00
1,038,687 00
1,901,105 00
4,765,945 00
1,992,370 00
1,801,973 00
1,957,192 00
5,951,446 00
2,803,690 00
5,105,678 00
6,493,194 00
2,866,949 00
1,241,252 00
1,614,706 00
4,386,733 00
4,632,630 00
4,100,047 00
1,766,299 00
2,567,130 00
3,860,389 00
2,143,355 00
946,507 00
3,643,572 00
1,854,973 00
15,313,919 00
1,084,303 00
803,027 00
2,131,089 00
1,213,519 00
1,724,583 00
1,690,691 00
2,581,342 00
2,155,261 00
1.405,435 00
1,097,165 00
2.538,814 00
1,499,941 00
1,578,785 00
2,868 381 00
2,480,014 00
1,063,953 00
2,111,165 00
1,183,765 00
6,357,581 00
1,894,114 00
147,685,972 00*
Personal Proper-
ty.
846,993 0018
1,576,525 00
326,408 00
651,846 00
674,810 00
1,706,983 00
279,110 00
100,742 00
701,948 00
709,986 00
453,676 00
680,425 00
1,620,182 00
1,002,155 00
689,510 00
868,919 00
2,192,137 00
853,460 00
1,671,813 00
2,269,730 00
1,129,020 00
350,085 00
302,748 00
2,364,613 00
1,476.350 00
1,329,315 00
719,015 00
1,300,460 00
2,101,417 00
723,669 00
490,527 00
235,882 00
353,460 00
6,187,710 00
83,150 00
166,990 00
424,748 00
1,071,012 00
391,965 00
406,690 00
356,231 00
699,768 00
554,195 00
444,620 00
1,183,810 00
314,570 00
878,235 00
822,126 00
850,805 00
156,810 00
541,908 00
287,181 00
2,041,670 00
182,930 00
51,707,093 00l$
Railroads.
71,977 33 $
631,448 23
125,171 70
604,221 00
736,503 60
278,205 00
942,502 50
130,853 42
441,471 50
379,966 00
85,729 00
499,192 95
217,218 59
764,110 26
1,042,765 61
245,403 95
819,650 10
1,177,749 01
458,673 60
567,681 77
947,362 04
204,528 00
162,921 22
367,366 0
656,168 50
638,781 57
348,200 82
92.955 28
162,612 10
329,125 00
237,678 22
940,605 01
for
Tax
county and district|
purposes.
of
Rate
17,519,723 46).
1 05
1 00
97
1 42
1 48
1
1 68
1 15
1 67
1 37
66
91
1 82
79
741
67
1 04
1 53
82
196
36,297 50
876,092 00
97
166,038 21 1 07
982,929 87
114,250 56
643,052 56
337,884 001
1 66
1 35
1 35
1 35
1 37
1 41
94
1829: 521
1 19
83
58
84
1 38
59
1 30
1. 37
1 40
1 28
1 62
1 87
1 11
1 08
1 52
1 36
1 12
1 74
1 49
1 31
1 53
1 53
60
VOTE IN 1892.
VOTE

Democratic.
1516
2144
780
1787
769
2892
991
504
1156
2238
1187
402
2302
1874
591
1216
2245
1893
2527
4630
1656
1081
1521
2678
1794
2257
1830
1276
1504
1376
582
613
1073
5223
1077
857
9477
1320
1611
965
1622
1351
1711
1630
1153
871
1110
936
2096
736
1816
1118
2972
577
84584
Republican
No, of Schools.
96
73
1508
22661
542
1119
748
2347
93
609
62
498
35
1326
95
2661 149
825
77
61
1149
1251 140
530 108
695
23
374
75
149
2590
2131 159
1096 51
5001 193
119
15921
837
86
485
92
126
2615
2588 109
2607 141
1653 101
1360
66
2280 110
1144 113
911
41
46
1267
743
84
5128
49
716
82
47
719
542 73
2878 152
1612
107
103
96
1784 130
874
848
1456 119
1239 116
55
1560
837
52
1453
86
1865
98
1517 129
354
56
1195 113
921 67
3229 137
591 67
80666] 5004
106
29



UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
>
3 9015 06441 2581
?



SAID
O
ZARASSME
PATROL
i
NON
CIRCULATING