The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1867-01-31
Historical Sketches of
Highland County.
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BY THE EDITOR.


kinedde's Settlement at "Rincdde'S Bio
Spring" 8 Miles East Of Sinking Spring
The HttgheyS, BrtstoiS, and OtherS-Nd-
hantel Pope and his Fomily Emigrate
from Virginia, and Settle Temporarily at
"Quaker Bottom Thomas Beals, The
Quaker Preacher-lHis Missionary Enter
prise and Settlement on BlueStone-Af Afdssa-
ere Of Five Of the Settlers Gy Indians
TUo Others, James Horton and John
Branson, Captured and Burned to Death
at "OLd Chillicotbe' ToiCn.
A settlement was made in the summer OF
1897, about six miles east of the present
village Of Sinking Spring, by John Kin
cade, a revolutionary veteran, who set out
with his family in the spring of that year,
from Augusta County, Virginia, to locate
his land-warrant, and provide himself
home for his old age. Crossing the Ohio
lat Point Pleasant, he continued his journey
west Of the Scioto river, and finally came
through the hills to remarkably large,
beautiful and pure spring of water, near
the banks of Sunfish. Here he resolved to
halt, locate his land around the spring,
and settle down. The spring was within
the limits Of Ross County, and took the
name of "Kincade's Big SPRING" by which
it is still known in the vicinity.
The next year after Kincade's arrival,
Charles and James Hughey purchased land
owned by Joseph Karr, in the same neigh
borhood, and in March, l790 Jas Hughey
"a rriv nd 1o1 I,gg -,
tember following his brother Charles also
arrived with his family, and the settlement
was thus increased to thirteen Persons
At that time the Indians still continued to
chase the deer on the Sunfish hills, and
frequently visited the settlement Shortly
after the arrival of Charles Hughey, two
more families arrived from Pennsylvania,
and during the winter of 1893, Reuben
Bristol from Kentucky, and Abraham
Mccoy, an Irishman, became permanent
settlers. The neighborhood, after these
new accessions, numbered thirty-three per-
sons, and constituted peaceful and hap
py community. Rev. William Hughey,
son of Charles, who some years ago resided
at Poplar Grove, Ross County, and perhaps
still survives, describes those DAYS in the
young settlement as the happiest of his life
Bear, dear, turkey, honey and such like
substantials, were easily obtained in sufi-
cient abundance for all their wants. They
found some difficulty in preparing their
corn for bread, as there were no mills, but
the hominy mortar and CRATER served as pret-
too =
lorded good fishing, and in the fall chest
nuts and wild grapes were abundant, and
were gathered and stored for winter "The
people" lsays Mr. ScotD "were by no means
uncultivated, or destitute of the ordinary
means of mental enjoyment. They brought
few books with them from their old
homes, and especially the Bible. Sabbath
days were not neglected, nor the long win
ter nights passed unmindful of their duty
to themselves and their Maker As is
most frequently the case with persons OF
pure purpose and well fixed hope, their
books were chiefly of a devotional charac-
ter and it seemed their greatest delight to
meet and hear some good old sermon read
by one of the party, and join in singing
some good old hymn or song they used to
hear in other days on the banks of the
Susquehanna, or in view of the blue out
line Of Virginia's mountains"
Leaving this happy and peaceful COM
munity, which we have thought entitled to
this brief notice, as a neIghboring settle
ment, although not within the present
limits Of our county, we now turn to the
next settlements made in the county pro-
per-
In the fall of 1896, Nathaniel Pope set
out with his family from Virginia for the
Northwest Territory. Towards the end of
November, after tedious journey over
the mountains, they arrived at the falls of
the Great Kanawha. The weather had now
become wet and cold, and they concluded
to winter there, and resume their journey
in the spring. By spring Mr.. Pope and
his boys had built good-sized flat-boat,
on which they embarked, with all their
household goods, and passing the Kanawha
rapids without any other mishap than a
good ducking from the water thrown over
the sides of their boat, they sailed into the
| Ohio, and down to GalliPolis. There they
exchanged the bear and coon-skins they
he'd accumulated during the winters hunt
ing, for powder, lead, tomahawks, knives,
shawls, cotton clothes, and other necessa-
ries, and continued on their voyage down
the river, taking care to keep in the middle
Of the stream, and lying to at night on the
Virginia side. Towards evening of the
second day they came in sight of a large
and beautiful bottom, which Mr., Pope at
once recognized as one which he had ex-
plored a year or two before, in company
with Thomas Beals and others. He there
fore landed at the mouth Of Paddy's Run.
about a mile above the mouth Of tho Guy
landotte, on the northern side Of the Ohio.
Here they determined to remain for a sea-
son, cleared patch OF land and planted
corn, pumpkins and potatoes. They were
soon Joined by Mr.. Pope's Oldest son,
William, and his cousin, John Walters,
who, when the rest OF the party lefl the
Kanawha in the boat, had started with the