West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1881-12-02
REMAINS ga PREHISTORIC
RAGES IN WEST VIRGINIA.


Exploration Up wheeling Greek.
Correspondence Wheeling Iutelligcncor.
Up Big Wheeling Creek, in the Sand
Hill District of Marshal, County, there
arc some INT, resting remains Of a Irehls-
toric race. On the farm Of David Dsgue
there is the site Of a formtr village
where the manufacture OF pottery ware
seems TO have been a leading industry.
Some of their vessels show considerable
skill and taste ia their manufacture, so do
ether relics found there. Near there is a
group of mound-shaped stone piles. The
largest one of the original group has been
removed and a number of human skele-
tons found under it. There are more of
these stone pile in the neigh
borhood. From the great number Of
bones found on the top of the ground it
is quite evident the inhabitants of the
village were slain in battle. They were
probably surprised aud pelished in an in
discriminate slaughter, and their dead
bodies left unburied where they fell. The
village site was covered and plainly
marked by q young growth of timber
when the father of the present owner
settled there in 1898.
The entire absence Of the mound there
is very strong proof that these people
were not of the Mound Builder race. Ii
also appears that their occupancy of the
country has been much more recent than
that of the Mound Builders. The timber
on and around the mounds of this TCgIon
is apparently as old az the surrounding
forests. On the top of the large mound
at Moundsville there was n white oak
that apparently died of old rgs many
years ago. 1t was cut down and its
growth carefully counted, from which 1t
appeared that it was ABOUT five hundred
years.old. 1t would seem from this that
the Mound Builders disappeared from this
part of the country at least as early as
the close of the thirteenth century. The
timber on the site of the Sand Hill vii.
lsge in 1893, was certainly less than
three hundred years old. There must
have been n flourishiDg village there at
the time Columbus discovered America.
There are numbers OF these stone pile
on Fish Creek and also On
Ten Mile Creek, in Washington County,
Pa, where there are somewhat extensive
remains found in connection with them.
The interior location Of all these settle
ments is also an evidence that they exist
ed quite near the beginning of the historic
period in point Of time. There were DO
villages 10 amount TO anything On the
Ohio River when first explored by he
white man. The enUic Ohio Valley and
much more territory was claimed by "a
powerful Indian c%oDfedcracy, known az
the Six Nations and by various other
names. They lived in Western New
York and Northwestern PenuSJ lvanis.
All other Indian tribes IN the Territory
claimed by them were compelled TO occu-
Ply inferior positions and were tributary TO
them. With great fleets OF canoes they
swept the Ohio River from end TO end ey.
cry year, carrying death and destruction
10 everything that they found along its
banks. They have been called the Ro-
mans of America. The English claim, TO
the country west Of the A~lleghenies wac
based on al alleged purchase from the
Indian confederacy, while the French
based their claim on the right Of ditcov-
cry. In all probability these terrible Ire
mans" wiped out the Sand Hill village, re-
gardlng its inhaoitapts as intruders on
their territory.
The Mound Builders never occupied ir-
terior positions. Their forts and mounds
are strung along the Ohio River. and are
never found up the smallers streams very
far. There is q mound on Big Wheeling
Creek at Elm Grove, five miles from the
river, but none above it.
The above facts furnish conclusive
proof that two prehistoric races at least
have occupied Wheeling Creek Valley
and surrounding country. The Mound
Builders were here at quite a remote pc
Rod, while the Sand Hill villagers were
here beyond a doubt long after their dis
appearance. Both races we're much more
advanced IN the arts and civilization than
the Indians, who only occupied Wheeling
Creek Valley as a hunting ground. There
is no evidence that they ever lived thtre
permanently.
1t occurs to me, and l will take the lib
ertY to make the suggestion, that it would
be a good move to establish q "Pan Han
die History Society" with a department
for Archaeology. Washington County has
a Historical Society, and i, Is more valua
bic in its bearings on National history. L;
is 8 region thst is comparatively rich in
prehistoric ;emaine. To collect and pre-
serve the facts aud relics pertaining 20
these is debt we owe TO pOsterity. BY
80 doing We may compel the past TO give
up SINE OF cur l9st history. w. Q. \.
Ohio County, November 10, 1881.