The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-02-06

laughter, Mrs. Davis, now lives;
John Hacker higher up on the Buc'
ramon river, where Bush's Fort was
established, and Nicholas
Heavier now lives; alexander and
Thouas Slceth. near to Jackson $, on
What is now known as The Forinash
plantation, The others of the party,
William Hacker, Thomas and Jesse
John aud William Radelif,
and John Browp, appcar to have en-
employed their time exclusively n
hunting, neither of them making any
improvement Of land for his own
benefit. Jet We're they of very con-
siderable scryiceto Tic ncwscttlemcnt.
Those who lad commenced clearing
land, were supplied by them with
Of meat. while in their
hunting excursions through the
country, better knowledge Of it was
obtained than. could have been &C
quired had they been engaged IN
improvements, a.
In one of these expeditions they
discovered. and gave name to Stone
Coal creek, which, flowing wcstwardIy,
induced the supposilion that it dis
charged itself directly into the Ohio.
Descending this creek, to ascertain
the fact, they came to It's confluence
with II river, which they then called,
AMI has since bcc., known as the West
Fork. After having gone some dis
lance down the river, they returned by
a different route to the settlement,
better pleased with the land on it and
some of its tributaries, than with that
on Buchannon.
Soon after this, other emigrants
arrived under the guidance of Samuel
PIipglc. Among them were John and
Benjamin Outright, who settled on
Buckhannon, where John Outright,
the younger, now lives, and Henry
Rule, who improved just above the
mouth of Fink's run. Before the
arrival of Samuel Pringle, John
Hacker had begun to improve the
spot which Pringlc had chosen for
himself. TO prevent any unpleasant
result, Hacker agreed that if Pringlc
would clear as much land, on creek
which had been recently discovered by
the hunters, as he had on Buchannon,
they could then exchange places.
Complying with this condition, Prin-
gle took possession of the farm on
Buchannon, and Hacker of the land
improved ly Pringle on the creek,
which was hence called Hackcr's
creek. John and William Radclif
then likewise settled on the stream
the former on the farm where the Rev
John Mitchell now lives, the latter al
the place now owned by William
Powers, Esq. These compriseall tho
improvements which were made on thu
upper branches Of the Mononsahela il
the years 1869 and ITO. 1as-ga
After the close oftlIc working season
Of 1869, some Of these adyenfurer
went to their families on the Soutl
Branch: and when they returned t
gather their crops in the fall, foun,
them entirely destroyed. In thei
absence, the buf,alocS, no longer awet
by the presence Of man, had trcss
passed on their enclosures, and cate,
their corn to the ground-this dclaye,
the removal Of their families till til,
winter Of ITO.
Soon after the happeningssof thi
event, other settlements were made OF
the upper branches of the Mononga
hela river. Captain James Booth ant
John Thomas established thcmsclvt
on what has been since called Booth,
crcck-thc former at the place nov
owned by Jesse Martin, and the latter
where William Martin at present re
sides, and which is, perhaps, the mos
valuable landed estate in Nortl
Western Virginia, on the OHIO river
In the succeeding year, jacob
Nanmetrr, John Swami, Thomas
hughes and some others, settled or
H. ,,,, IL g H. ail