The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-12-18
TWO CENTENNIALS.
West Virginia Cities That VIII
Round theFirst Hundred Years
OF THEIR LEGAL LIFE WEDNESDAY,,
Though Both Are Much Older When
Dated From Their Foundation.
Charleston and Point Pleasant Both
Incorporated on the 10Th of Dccem.
Der, 1704-A Sketch OF the Early
History OF Each.

/
Virginia's principal towns come on the
same day. On Wednesday, the 10Th
instant, Charleston, the state capital,
and historic Point Pleasant will both
round the centennial OF their legal ex-
istence. Though both had been founded
for some years they were not incorpo-
rated until December 10, 1904, and their
legal history OF course dates from that
time.
In an article published in the Charles
ton Gazette DR.. J. I. Hale gives an ia-
teresting sketch OF the pioneer history
OF the capital city, from which the fol-
lowingis taken:
The land upon which Charleston
stands, was granted to Col. Thomas
Bullitt, for military services with Brad
dock aud Washington in the northwest.
lie was there in person and surveyed it
in 1873. He sold the land to his BROTH
or, Judge Cuthburt Bullitt, and he, in
turn, sold it to George Clendennin, in
December, 1857. The parchment deed
conveying the land to Clendennin is
now in the rooms Of the West Virginia
historical society.
In the following spring George Glen
DENIM, together with his father,
Charles, his brothers. William, Robert
and Alexander, and Josiah Harrison,
Francis Watkins, Shaderick Hartman,
Charles McClung, John Edwards, Lewis
Tackett, and possibly few others, came
out to make settlement and found a
town. They arrived there on tho last
day OF April, and on the first day Of
May, 17SS, they felled the first trees,
hewed tho first logs aud commenced to
build the first house on the site OF the
present city. This house was two
story, double house OF hewed logs. 1t
was immediately followed by six other
houses for the other colonists. The
Clendennin mansion was the most pre-
tentious house OF the lot. and stood on
the northeast corner OF kanawha and
Brooks streets, just in front OF the pres
ent residence Of Mr.. G. c. Lewis. This
house, reinforced by stockade picket
enclosure in front, was used as q place
OF safety and protection against In
dams, and called Clendennin Fort;
afterwards officially named Fort Lee.
This house was removed, about 1872, to
Virginia street, above Brooks. and was,
unfortunately, destroyed by fire two or
three years ago. Pieces OF the charred
logs are preserved in the rooms OF the
Historical Society.
When the town was founded (l7SS),
the north side of the river was in
Greenbrier county, the south side in
Montgomery county. George Glen
denim sent to Lewisburg for the county
surveyor, Mr.. Alexander WEIGH, to
come down and lay off the town, They
divided forty acres lying from the
mouth OF Elk up to now Capitol
street, into forty lots OF one acre each:
with two parallel streets, front and
back streets, with the cross streets de-
signated by numbers. The original plat
Of this rude survey OF this town is now
preserved in tho rooms OF the Histor-
ical Society. For some time the town
had no distinctive name. 1t was called.
indiscriminately, "Clendenaen's Settle
ment," or "The Town at the Mouth Of
Elk"
The Virginia legislative session Of
1859 established new county in this
region, officially named and spelled
"Kenhawa county" Its lines began on
the Ohio river at the mouth OF Big
Sandy; ran up Big Sandy to the Cum
berland mountains, thence nearly
north, crossing New river near the
mouth OF Greenbrier, and to point
from which line running nearly west
would strike the Ohio river near the
mouth OF Pond creek, few miles be.
low the mouth OF the Little Ken hawa;"
thence down the Ohio to the beginning.
This county embraced an area OF nearly
10000 square miles. The capitol or
county seat was located at the "Clen-
denim settlement" the town Mt the
mouth OF Elk.
In October, 1879, the county was or
ganized ut the Clendennin fort.
In those days counties had military
organizations, For Kanawha, George
Clendencn was county lieutenant;
Thomas Lewis, colonel; Daniel Boone,
lieutenaut-colonel; William Clendenen,
major: Leonard Cooper aud John Nor
rls. captains; James Van Bibber and
John Young. lieutenants, and William
Owens and Alexander Clendenen, en-
signs.
In the early years OF KanNwha county
there was but one voting precinct, and
that was n: the Clendenen Fort At
the first election, in 1890, George Glen
deneu and Andrew Dounelly. sr., (of
Dounallv's Fort fame) were elected to
represent the county in the legislature;
in 1871. George Clendenen and Daniel
Boone 1.-THE grand old hero) were elected.
The doors OF tho old DOnnAlly Fort. and
tho steal trap, cane and autograph sur
yey Of Boone are preserved among the
interesting relics Of our historical So
ciety.
Among tho many interesting Incl
dents in the early history OF tho Glen
denen Fort worth remembering, two
are worthy OF special mention. On each
OCCASION the fort was supposed to be IN
great danger from Indians. and was al.
most out OF ammunition, and on each
occasion their danger was relieved by
the heroic euort OF one OF the inmates;
first by Mad Ann Bayley, in 1850, when
she made her porilous ride to Lewis.
burg. through one hundred miles OF
wilderness, AMI returned safely with the
needed supplies; aud second, in 1890,
when tho brave and stalwart Fleming
Cobb, who had gone TO the Point Pleas'
mt Fort for ammunition, po!ed his
canoe up stream sixty miles, mostly in
tho night, without food or rest, pursued
BY three Indians firing at him from time
TO time in tho dark. In tho early lnorn-
ING ho succeeded in killing ono OF tho
Indians near tho mouth OF Coal river,
and Kidding himself OF tho others, short.
" afterwards reaching the fort safely,
| with hia ntecions cargo Of powder, lead