The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1875-07-27
WHEELING AND VICINITY ONE
HUNDRED YEARS AGO.
Interesting Historical Incidents and
Traditions.

Traditions.
The centennial OF Wheeling West
Liberty, and Moundsville, might all have
been celebrated in 1869, as their settle
ment was simultaneous in 1863, one hum
bred wears previous.
The tradition in the Zane family, in
regard to the first settlement made on
the Ohio river, below Pittsburgh, Is a
c,llows: After Ebenezer Zane had made
the slight improvement AT Wheeling, ne
cessarv to secure his patent to the land,
he perceived II smoke IN the direction oil
Biz Grave creek. Naturally reasoning
where there was smoke there was some
ire. likely kindled by Indians, then at
peace. but still little uncertain, he forth
with took his rife and started to a>cer-
tain the cause. Arriving ut Grave Creek
Il its, he met the pioneer, Joseph Tom
liusou, who had Just performed the same
operation aS himself. Their settlement
wa. about simultaneous We presume
Tomhnson received him with patriarchal
hospitality. The traditional stone jug
with corn cob stopper, was produced,
filled with the "elxir OF corn Tired
Natures Sweet Rcstorer,' after following
an Indian trail u miles. and libatlons
quatcd from probably u tin cup or gourd,
.pottle deep" and followed, OF course, by
II supper of game, which, no doubt, existed
IN great variety, including fish. This
statement need not shock the temperance
scnsibilitics of even u crusader, us the
Methodist and other ministers in those
4 III
yards" to each other in Il
iull iorum, from like utensils,
and cxiilaratlng fluid correctly consider
ng true temperance consisted IN drink
ms, rood liquors in moderation. We
have no space to describe the sylvan
scene that surrounded them which must
have been beautiful beyond description
We might picture the landing Of Zane
on "Katc's Rock and his reception by
TomlInson. but we think he hardly had
time to have constructed "a dug out
This celebrated and most picturesque OBJ
irrt the immense boulder covered with
INSCRIPTIONS, names and dates, some OF
them very old. and Indian hieroglyphlcs
was DESTROYED for the material, to the
disgrace of that community by a sordld
wreck named Purdy. His motives were
the greed Of gain. He shortly after died;
prrditlou TO him.
Tonlinson belonged to leading fam
ily in Maryland, rich in land and slaves,
and like Zane and Daniel Boone, looked
westward with u prophetic vision to the
future.
His location consisted Of the entire
Grave Creek flats, now occupied by the
city O; Moundsyille and dependencies
also Gravely flat above on Little Grave
Creek. containing rs much more. In
addition to this, he had come out to the
Ohio river rs early rs l76O and located
Round Bottom, two miles below on the
Virginia side. He most probably brought
out his family in the year no. Among
the family traditions, it is stated, the TIM
Der was so dense that they were week
in finding the great mound. During the
Indian war the women IL well IL the
men. would ride out to bring in the cattle.
The best protection was the horses they
rode. who would wind an Indian and
give the alarm His sister,
a widow, Rcbecct Martin whose
husband was slaiu by the In
dians. was one of the hcroines
ot the period, n particular fried of
Mr., Ebcnczcr Zane, and like her very
efficient in attending the wounded. 1t
/, related of her, that when 1t was too
dangerous to travel from Zanesburg
WhcchugJ 10 Grave Creek, she pad
died her own canoe alone, in the dead
of night, and made the trip. She alter
wards married the celebrated pioneer,
Isaac Williams, proprietor OF " iIii"ns-
town, opposite Marietta. Iomin''n :
brother.lu. Baker was also SLAIN ana
partly eaten (?l by Indians, opposite
Grave Creek, in Ohio. On the COM
mcucemcnt of the revolution IomllnSon
WAS compelled to abandon his block
house Mt Grave Crock, taking refuge ut
Zaucshurg lWheelingl, and eventually
to Rcdstone Brownsville, Pa. ohcol
his brothers figures among the slam III
the first attack and siege, September l>t'
III. OF course the family were IN Fort
Henry at the time.
We now come to the
SINGULAR AND TRAGIC TERMINATION
Of Joseph TomlinSon's career, which
must have occurred previous to 1890.
one of his colorcd men, perhaps
AN original African, concluded to
strike for liberty, by striking out for the
Great Indian towns of Chilllcothc, on the
Sci"to On discovering this, Tomhnson
immediately started in pursuit with
party. which included several OF the
Iants. The fugitives recapture was very
important, to prevent his becoming
dangerous spy and guide for the Indians
in their raids on the white settlements.
lie was overtaken not far from the lndl-
an towns. In the attempt to secure MN
he made terrible resistance, StaobinS
Tom.inson fatally with file which he
used as weapon, making his last stand
for freedom, such rs the Indians would
give him. He was Gnally secured and
after brief consultation by the sur
vivors was shot to death, protesting how
ever, if he had known it was Tomlinson,
he would not have resisted, and express
ing great contrition. The execution was
very much condemned, rs lynch law did
not prevail in those days. 1t was con-