West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1894-02-01

About the Mail Service Of Preston
County.
An Interesting aud Valuable Histo.
ricai Sketch.

ricai Sketch.
Written specially for tho Anous.
The proposition to change the
mail route that leads from Eglon
via Brookside and Sunnyside to
Oakland, so as to make Aurora
either the starting or turning point.
is now being discussed. and certain
ly should meet with favorable con.
sideration by the people along the
route, for besides giving this place
two direct mails to the B. & ORR,
will greatly facilitate mail matters
along the route. because it will be
the means of bringing them into
more rapid communication. For
instance, letter can be sent to
either Of the above named Offices
and answered the same dav. whereas
it now requires three days to re-
ceive an answer. Referring to this
matter recalls he mail service that
has served the citizens of this, the
southeastern end Of Preston county.
since 1T was first settled in 1857.
and il 1T is not consuming too much
space, l will give brief outline OF
its workings.
Cumberland, Nd. or Romnev,
w. Va, were beyond doubt the
nearest points at which mail was
received and distributed at that
remote period, but whether the ear
ly pioneers ever utilized these Offices
is not known, but some time after
1900 an Office was established at
Smlth's Farm, now the famous Fort
Pendleton, and here the mail was
sent and received Till about 1916.
when an office was established IN
this vicinity and named German
Settlement, in honor OF the great
number of Germans who settled
here. One tradition says the mail
route was from Moorefield to Nor
gantown, and another from Romney
to Clarksburg. 1t is probable that
the former is correct.
MIR. Adam Shaffer. the progenitor
OF the well known family bearing
that name, was appointed Postmas-
ter. The house in which this Office
was kept is still standing. and is at
present the residence OF Mr.. Ray
mond Wells, and is near Frush's
Mill and about 300 yards northeast,
and IN full view of Brookslde Post
Office. III the people who received
their mail at this Office were still
living and would avail themselves
of the mail facilities that are now
accorded to their successors, they
could receive their mails at the fol.
lowing named offices, viz: Aurora.
Brookside, Carmel. Amboy, Cor.
NTH. Terra Alta, Rodamers. Am.
blcrsburg, Rowlesburg, Macon Der,
Etam, Hannahsvllle, Sell, White.
st. George. Parsons, Lead Mine,
Horse Shoe Run, Eglon and Dobbin
in West Virginia, and at Sunnysde,
Oakland and CrelIen in Maryland.
This may appear like fairy story.
But it mast be remem bered that
within one-fourth of mile Of this
Office stood the only mill at which
bolted Hour could be obtained near
er than where the town of Bloom
Ington, Md, now stands-in fact.
it was the only mill within a radius
OF sixty miles, except few corn
mills along Cheat river. Attached
to this mill was cardiug machine
that furnished the wooden rolls fer
an equal number Of mills, and an
other indispensable enterprise to
frontier was there--a "distillery."
And near by his mill was kept
store Of general merchandise that
had no opposition nearer than Wes-
ternport, Nd, and Kingwood, Nor.
gantown and Clarksburg. There
was also within radius of TIVE
miles the Tanneries, the Hattery
aud Wheelwright that supplied the
country for the same distance with
their wares.
There was not ut that time an
other Postoilice between the eastern
edge Of the Alleghauies and the
Tygar,s Valley River and the pres
ent line of the B. & o. r. r.. ex-
cept, perhaps, at Beverly and
Smiths Farm. The opening Of the
Northwestern Virginia Turnpike in
lS33-34 and the establishing OF u
stage line upon it that carried the
mail "a 1919