The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1876-07-20

l1RDNI lIl. o.
ltl l1l
"a ea
INT ne hfa
Ialli il was in +his Feaf hkl Tic Cir-
cult Court Of This county vas organ
lied with JOIN CoalEer, one Of tho-
Judges Of fhe6 General Court .presi-
ding, who appointed William Sters
Sett, Clerk Of Said Coprt for and du-
ringf good bejtei which tenure
was abolished .by tue convention Of
1S29-90, but in which he was con-
tinue6 by reappoincment by ,tBe
Judge, for'seven years longer, At the
end of which time his term of office
expired, and he would not accept a
re-appointment thereto. Mr., Ster-
rctt was succeeded by Mr.. George w.
Stribling, who held the Clerkship
until his death, which occurred
sometime in the year 1851 or 1852.
Mr.. Sterrett, who was man Of lib
cral culture, resided in this county
to the day of his death, which occur
red under peculiar circumstances, he
having been lost in the Ohio on his
return from Cincinnati to his home
in this county. In the year 1910,
Messrs. Joseph Holmes and John S.
Lewis, were admitted to the bar Of
this county, and in the year 1917,
Gentlemen Joseph l., Fry and Sam
uel +. Yinton; in the year 1919, Will
liam A. Harrison, was admitted; in
1920 Edward Robertson; in 1921,
Cuthbert Harrison; in 1922 Gentle
men Phillip r. Thompson, Benjamin
II. Smith and Solomon Allen; 1923
Hon. Henry J. Fisher, and Gentle
men William II. Terrell, Thomas r.
win and Arius Nye.
Robert Mckee was made the first
suveyor of lands for this county, un-
der an appointment of the court, and
Samuel Clemmons the first commits
sioncr of revenue. The first Col. Of
the militia in this county was VIII
liam Owens, and the first Major, DR..
Jesse Bennett, both receiving their
appointment from his cxcellency
John Page, Governor OF Virginia, up
on the recommendation Of tbe court,
in 1904.
1t is worthy of note that the pinci-
pal part of the territory Of Putnam
county was taken from the county Of
Mason. Mason county also furnish
ed part of the territory of the Coun-
ties of jackson and Roane. Since
the establishment of this county, its
improvement and increase inpopula-
tion have both been rapid, its popu-
lation now being 10000. For a long
while the only place at which the
people could market in the county,
was at Point Pleasant. But after
while the town of West Columbia
sprang up and became the site of
salt furnace, which afforded a small
market for country produce. Coal
was also mined at this town and ship
ped to market down the Ohio river
Then ere long the towns Of Mason
and Hartford City sprang into exis-
tence and became the location ofsev-
eral salt works which have ever since
given employment to large number
Of men, and raised the market for the
agricultural products of the county.
Along in the year 1865, the Clifton
Iron and Nail Mill was built, which
was succeeded by the erection Of one
or two salt furnaces not far from its
location, and after the establishment
of these manufactures, the conse-
quence was the appearance Of the
town of Clifton, which is u place
characterized by some enterprise.
The town of Leon, too, situated at
the Mouth of Thirteen Mile Greek,
in this county, was founded several
years ago, sometime between 1895
and 1S40, cannot say exactly in
what year. The march Of enterprise
and industry always show the marks
and signs Of their progress, and in
1868 the first Agricultural Society Of
this county, was incorporated. The
deadly pallor which covered the bus.
mess energies and industrial enter
prises of this county during q cruel
and bloody war, put a check upon
operations under this charter, and
nothing in the line of an agricultural
fair was done from 1860 or 1861, un-
til 1878, when the present Agricul'
tural and Mechanical Association
was formed, which bids fair to be
magnificent success, and an honor to
the county.
Stock raising is engaged in in Ma:
- al