Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1882-11-04
w. VA. SKETCHES.
Martinsburg and Berkeley
County.

OLD RECORDS - EARLY SETTLE
MENT OF MARTINsBURG MAJOR
GENERALS GATES, LEE AND STE
PHEN, OF YOLU TIoNARY
FAME PORTE CRAYoN - COL.
CRAWFORD.
Cleaned, in part, from advance sheets of
Bardesty & Co. History of Berkeley
County.
BY JEEMs (T. IT,
From the Toledo Bee
The researcher in quest OF facts
relating to the early history OF
Berkeley comfy must needs turn
to the records on file in the Clerks
Office Of the County Court In
tently engaged in deeiphering and
transcribing hese old records
made in the handwriting Of men
long since pa SEQ away, one be-
comes SO alb sorbed in the study Of
the pale and almost obliterated
writing, that he is for the time
transported back as in a dream,
for over one hundred years-he
becomes so familiarized with the
names Of the parties of whom he
reads that, il suddenly accOsted,
he will raise bis head, expecting
for the moment to he greeted by
these men with whom he has thus
become so intimately acquainted,
who were too old for military duty
before the Revolutionary Wa.
The original commission. grant
ed to the first Board Of Justices,
in 1772, with the signature Of
"John, Earl Of Dunm0re, His
Msiesty's Lieutenant and Govern
or-General OF the Colony and Do
minion of Virginia, and Vice
Admiral OF the same," is on file
in the Office, issued by authority
of George the Third, by the grace
of God, of Great Britain, France
and Ireland, King, Defender Of
the Faith, and so FORTH The first
commission granted after the De-
claraiion OF Independence, by au-
thority of the Commonwealth
of Virginia" is dated December
8, l776, and signed by Patrick
Henry, Governor or Chief Mag
istrate." May 20, 1880, commits
sions are signed Ivy Thomas Jeffer-
son, Governor. June 10, 1882, by
3 ujamin Harrison, Gather Of
William Henry Harrison). Again
bv Patrick Henry, December Is,
1884. Commissions are on file,
signed by every Governor of the
State from that time until that of
Henry A. Wise, June q, 1858,
which contain the signatures Of
Beverly Randolph, James Wood,
Robert Brooke, James Monroe.
John Tyler, aud other meu who
became distinguished in the his
.ory ot the couuiry.
EARLY SETTLEMENT OF MAR
TINsBU G.
The land upon which This city
is located. and all the surrounding
country, composing about one.
fourth of the State, was first own
ed by Lord Fairfax. In the year
1882, the town was first laid out
into town lots by Adam Stephen,
10 brother of MajOr-Geuemi Alex
3nder Stephen, of the Continental
army. who erected q gri~i uill,
aud millers house close 10y, upon
TuscarOra creek, in the mid 1 of
the present city The buildings
were sOlidly constructed OF stone,
and still exist, aged one hundred
and fifty years, presenting an air
Of defiance 10 the raVages Of time,
and appear TO be able 60 stand the
trials and fluctuations Of the world
Eve times one hundred and fifty
years more The mill continues
to hum, and the sparkling stream
that turns the wheel continues TO
dance and whirl and gurgle its
merry way along-always young
and never weary.
On motion Of Adam Stephen,
the plat Of Martinsburg was or
dered TO be recorded August 20,
1879. His terms 10 purchasers
were as follows: 1.-The purchaser
Of any Of the lots in the ABOVE
town is TO build on the purchas u
lot "a good dwelling house, to be
at least twenty feet long and six
teen feet wide, with stone or brick
chimney TO same, in two years
from the time Of purchase, and, ON
failure, the lot to return to the
proprietor" The first court house
was built of stone, located where
the present fine building stands.
The first Jail was log building,