The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1867-11-15


tractiveness. 1t was leng on the out
posts of civilization, but as the Great
West opened up, it became a center
point between the East and the west
Early in the present century new
mansion was erected on the site OF the
old fort, which stood upon beautiful
promontory at the falls of the creek,
and here came and went the principal
statesmen and private citizens OF the
South and Southwest, on their journey
ings to and fem Washington. Many
are the pleasant incidents of personal
noteworthiness related by the venerable
lady who has just departed.
Of the distinguished men who were
in the habit of stopping to rest and en-
joy the hospitality of Colonel and Mrs;
Shepherd, mention may be made Oh
Mr.. Clay, Mr.. Benton, Mr.. Brown, Gov,
ernor Edwards, Phillip Doddridge and
many others who filled prominent
places in the service of the country. On
one occasion, President Monroe became
their guest, whilst on visit to the
West. Many of these gentlemen
brought with them their families and
partook of the unstinted hospitality
dispensed at Elm Grove. Mr.. Clay was
in the habit of sending forward a ser.
want with note apprizing Colonel and
Mrs. Shepherd of the approach of him.
self and family, and inquiring whether
it would be convenient to entertain
them.
More than one of these characteristic
notes are in possession of the writer
The fine stone mansion at Elm Grove,
the homo of w. Shepherd, is justly his,
toric. No home in the West has enter
tanned more sumptuously, and the hos
pitality dispensed was unsurpassed IN
the Mississippi Valley. The house is
spacious, handsome and substantial II
was finished especially with a view to
the large hospitality of which it was
intended to become the home and cen,
ter. The entire upper part was thrown
into one nespacious drawing-room, which
with the other apartments, was fur
nished in the best style OF the day. The
tapestry was manufactured especially
for the rooms.
To those who remember it forty OI
fifty years ago, when its generous heads
were entertaining in style that .tc
most of the primitive settlers looked
like Oriental magnificence, the fine
stone mansion, beautifully sequestered
amidst stately elms and graceful ma.
pies, the picture can never pass from
their eyes or memory. ala, ,-TN-g
On the completion of the National ol
Cumberland turnpike, which passes
through the Shepherd farm, and in full
view of the mansion, Colonel and Mrs
Shepherd, in recognition of the great
and invaluable services of Henry Clay
the originator and steadfast friend OF
that truly great improvement, caused
to be erected handsome, costly, and
most appropriate monument to the
memory of the illustrious statesman
This was q tribute which honored alike
those who devised and erected it, and
the great statesman who projected and
carried through Congress the measure
which secured the Improvement. This
monument was placed in full view o.
the mansion, and near the great stone
thoroughfare. 1t long stood the object
cf admiration to those who travelled the
National Road, but the soft sandstone
froa which it was sculptured, togethel
with the vandalism of party rancor
have made sad ravages on its once beau
tiful and artistic outline. The mu'
nificence of Colonel and Mrs. Shep.
herd deserve lasting remembrance
and the workmanship reflects great
credit upon the almost unknown
sculptor who executed it. His name
was John Airy, q strolling Englishman
70 fhn Mast opd
filled an early grave. He executed the
fine monument to General Gano, which
has recently been removed from city
cemetery at Cincinnati to Spring Grove
He also sculptured another fine work
for Shepherd monument, to be placed
in the cemetery of the cid stone church
on the fine promontory overlooking
the broad alluvial at the forks of Wheel
ing Creek. This monument has not beer
erected, but lies about the premise.
broken and neglected. Several fine
pieces designed for the Shepherd mouu
ment, had laid in the loft fthe mansion
for forty years or more. Is ther,
not sufficient pride among those
who inherit the property to have
this monument finished and pu
upi 1t would be historical memorial
creditable to the county, and due fam
ily who contributed SO much to reclaim
ing and settling the West. Years ago
the writer vainly tried to induce the
subject of this Biographical notice tt
have the monument erected. She al
ways evaded the subject. Any idiosyn
cracy of her own will not justify hel
for failing to rectify the wrong. Lei
the Shepherd monument be forthwith
erected over the remains of the Shep
herd family, in the old stone church
cemetery, where so many of the early
settlers rest, and where the good, ant
true, and lovely of other household.
await, too, the resurrection.
In constructing the National Road
Colonel Shepherd was heavy contrac,
tor, and his accounts remained long
unsettled at the Treasury Department
Year after year, he, with his wife, at
tended at Washington during the sit
ting of Congress. Mrs. Shepherd was
a fashionable lady at the gay court Of
Washington. She had ample means
and gratified her taste for dress to the
fullest. Within recent years-recenti in
her own prolonged life but generation
to the rest of us-she decorated one
side of her spacious drawing-room with
the attire in which she led the beau
monde of other days. Her wardrobe
was truly unique, and curiosity In
its way. During the lifetime of Col.
onel Shepherd these visits to the M.
tional capital were yearly continued
and after his death in 1888, she kept ~
her annual pilgrimage to the fedora
metropolis. 1t was during one of these
visits she met General Daniel Cruger, 9
member of the House of Representa-,
tives from New York. They were mar
ried, and he transferred his residence
from the Empire State to the Old Do
minion. This marriage was not pro
ductive of unalloyed happiness. The
bride of over seventy was proud, gay
and ambitious. Her eye was undimmed
and her cheeks glowed with the beauty
of fifty. General Cruger died In 1913
Years after his death she continued heI
visits to Washington, and the writer
meeting her there in the spring of 1850
escorted her to President Taylor's leyee
She was then eighty-six years of ACE
and not one of the least observed on
that brilliant occasion. '@
Mrs. CrugeP took q lively interest il
the affairs of the country. She had beer
a constant reader of the National IRteIlt
1eDcer since ito commencement IN ~