The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-06-20
Calhoun Couniy-Past and Present.

Calhoun COunty-PaSt and Present.
Reported expressly for the Wheeling
Register, by Lee 4. Sayiesl.
Editors OF the Register.
Calhoun county was formed from a
part of Gilmer county in 1856. 1t has
an area of 800 square milee-in round
numbers, 100000 acres 1t belongs to
the third tier of counties southeast from
the OHIO river, and also to the Midland
section of West Virginia. It's extensive
length, north and south, is torty-fvc
miles, while in width it varies from nine
10 eighteen miles Population in 1860,
2,502; in 1870 939; estimated p0pula-
Ion in 1876, $500; number of acres Of
improved land, about 10000
Calhoun is truly billy country, with
narrow valleys of dark aluvial soil.
More than two-thirds of the hillside
and is MS productive rs the bottoms, and
easily cultivated with the pillow. The
remainder, frequently too steep for cul.
tivation, is generally so fertile that it
pays to deaden the timber and sow to
grass, making good sod for pasture.
No barrens are seen in this part OF the
sNlAlt. LII iGCL, YOU STU al l'taN elO"ku
of forest trees upon the very submits OF
the highest hills Oak, poplar and wal
nut of unusual size are of frequent &C.
currence. The hills nowhere exceed an
altitude of over 500 or 600 feet Ordin-
arIIy the hills you see are of
moderate elevation, disclosing coves
and hillslopes of the very best soil,
composed of black clay loan, rich in
vegetable mould, with dark rod clay
suDsoil. These lands when having an
eartern or southern exposure are almost
inexhaustibe in productiyencss.
The prevailing rocks are sandstone,
horizontally stratifeG in irregular alter
nations with red and yellow ny, clay
loan, rich ierruginous shalcs and lime
stone.
The Little kanawha and it, tributaries
furnish the drainage of this section of
our State The streams bp onging, in
the main, to Calhoun are the West Fork
go miles long,, Steer Creek (iO miles
long, aud numerous springs, rams and
creeks. We name few ~ specimens:
Strait, Leading, yellow, Laurel and
Little creek Then Ienry's Fork, Right
and Left Forks of West Fork, and Wal
nut Fork. Among the runs We note
Anna Marian, Bull, Buck llorn, Goose
Neck, Sinking Springs and Mill Stone
With plenty of pure water and n eli
mate remarkably salu5rious; picturesque
and inviting, YOU will not be surprised to
learn that your correspondent was de
lighted with the country
THE TIMBER,
which still covers scyen-eigGlhs of the
county is of superior quality and of mag
nifcent growth. The most prevalent
species are poplar, OAK, hickory, walnut,
sugar maple and beech, with II Sp"lnk-
ling of chestnut, ash, cherry aud locust
Pine and hcmlock are seen IN clusters
upon some blul or rugged hillside.
1t is alleged that there Is more valuable
black walnut growing upon the waters OF
the West Fork than any other stream Oi
its length IN West Virginia
BIG rREEs
On Beech Fork there is standing
poplar tree thirty feet in circumference.
William Tanner cut on his farm, this
spring, white oak sixty feet in diane
ter. Poplar trees from four to six feet IN
diameter are numerous.
COAL,
In thin veins, has been opened. AS
there is little demand for It at home no
effort has been mai to develop 1t.
Good specimens of iron ore are fire.
quently picked up along the runs and
branches; but, rs yet. there being no
market for 1t in these hills il Is not mined.
LIMESTONE.
The writer of this article saw as fine II
strata of limestone on the West Fork rs
can be found in the State There was al
outcropping Of eight feet.
Thousand of acres of unimproved
timber lands are for sale at prices rangins
from three to six dollars per acre. Why
farmers 90 not come as colonies, and
singly, by the hundred, and open up this
section OF our State would be a mystery
t. us if we did not know that the public
Is grossly ignorant of the real condition
of things in Calhoun and adjoining coun-
ties | do not own a 100. of land
in Calhoun, nor am | inter-
es,ed in any way in any land,
in the county. | live in an adjoining
county. and the citizens of Calhoun have
nothing to do with this article further
than giving the such information as |
asked for when | visited them.
This is TO the REGISTER, for the gen.
eral information of the citizens of our
N bn, ra fbrAntrh Will tins
article, / think YOU Will agree with me
that the devil is not as black As he is
sometimes painted. The impression in
the minds Of the readers of the RgGISTER.
as we'll as nearly every one In the river
counties and all outside of our State, Is.
that to 90 To- Calhoun is t. go out Of the
world-"The State of Calhoun as it is
frequently called. Well, Whist are the
facts in the case? To day you canno:
find more orderly, law-sbIding people
in the United States. Society in genera,
will compare fsvorably with the most
prosperous river counties. There Is not
that high degree of refinement found in
cities; you must remember this Is pGrelv
an agricultural community, not Yet fully
developed. Churches and school houses
are numerous enough for the present
population, and the various religious de
nominations are fully occupying the field.
The Baptists, Methodists, United Breth-
rem and Presbyterisns are most numerous.
AS far as l can judge, "the heather of
Calhoun appear to be fully as civilized
and Christlanized rs any section of the
Ohio Valley.
NUMBERING.
For over thirty years numbering and
rafting have been leading the industries
in this section of the State. Spring and