Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1898-07-01
HiStoric-I79O.

III these sketches which we are attempt
ing To give we must rely largely upoi
traditions handed down from the old pco
pie of the past generation. There ar,
lew records of the old days prior to 1921
therefore, we may make some slight or
rorS, which we will thank any os ON
readers To correct.
Inc county of Tazcwell was laid OF IN
1879. The county then comprised all of
what is now Mcdowell County and n
part oi Mercer, the greater part of Buch.
anan, and part of Bland.
In The Spring of $500, VIM. Pecrv and
samuel Ferguson gave the land for the
town OF JelIcrsonvillc, VIM Pcery gave
Ii acres, and Samuel Ferguson gave 10
acres and ~ poles. VIM. George, James
Wittcn and JnO Crockett were apuointed
To la oi the town, and To dcsignat. y
acres Tor public buildings. James Moore
surveyed the lots for ;i:;', cents each.
The first Court House and Jail WAS
built on the lot now occupied hv w ~
Written " Co.'S. store. The Court IIousc
was temporary cheap log building,
costing tSays Jas. X. Wittcn, Esul ten
dollars. The Jail was built of stone and
brick
Col. HARRISON recOllectS an amusing
incident conuect"d with the Jail II
seems that Il citizen of the town owned n
COW That gave great trouble to the neigh.
porS around about by breaking into gar
dehS @c.- vcrilablc "tOwn COW" and
Ill those days all cows were bcllcd Some
oil the citizens who could bear the mis-.
ahce 10 longer put the COW, bell and all
III the jail. Ii is needless to add that
lhis COW gave no futhcr trouble.
In this primitive and rude Court uouse
justice was dispensed for n number Of
years. There were no Judges I'm those
days as now, but Magistrates-not less
imam three Mt time. We believe, occupied
the bench.
Inc FIRST deed recorded in Tazewcll was
executed by James Brown to John Stept.
ehsoh. conveying one hundred acres of
land, for $4,000, dying on the Maiden
spring Fork of Clinch River" The
lliSi VIII probatcd was that of james
wales who lived on Bluestonc, which
was al the time the will was written. in
Wythe county. This Will was probated
sept Ind 1900. Court was organized and
established. therefore, in 1900. in this
county, Just about 9S years ago. Not n
Single man OF woman is living now. who
iiNen' ana moved, and had their beings
mere, when our County Court was estab.
ished
just how long Court was held in tbis
lifSt building we do not know, probably
not very long. Some years clapsed and
another building was erected on the site
now occupied by HARRISON tS Gillesnie
BROS - store. This building was removed
ana larger and more commodious
p"iluliS erected, Col 10. HARRISON saws
!" lSi'' or Whereabouts, aud the old
building was moved to lot about where
ooi May 5 Office now stands, anc us ed as
school building for Il while.
In the year 1872 the present Court
house was built. The old one was sold
10 Mr.. Jos. Stras, who refiltcd it for a
business house, law Offices &c. 1t was
burned in 1881
90 the Old land marks have been re-
ihoVeu-one by one-tO meet the demands
OF developing civilization.
The present Court House is TO he re-
modelled, we understand, and the next
generation viii remodel again, and so il
goes
IN future article we hope to give brief
sketches OF some eff the leading LAWYERS
Vi o'deh times, when Tazcwell was in its
infancy.