Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-02-22

so near the point of it as Fort Duquesne
of which. near the land. were of brick,
the others stockaded," this portion being
e-ncompassed with a moat."
The garrison consisted of two companies
of Royal Irish, commanded by Capt. Ed
monsoon
On October IS, Washington and party
"dined and supped" with Col. Croghan and
| officers OF the garrison. The following day,
October 10, he received a message from this
gentleman inviting him to his home. about
! four miles up the Allegheny, where White
Mingo and other
Chiefs of the Six Nations
were DESTROYS of meeting him. Being glad
OF an opportunity to form the acquaintance
OF these Indians he accordingly accepted
the invitation, and received a speech with
a string of wampum from the White
Mingo,'' who remembered having seen him
when he was but 20 years of age, on the
occasion of his delivering the message en-
trusted to him by Dinwiddie, Lieutenant
Governor of Virginia, to st. Pierre, the
commanding officer at Fort Dequesne, to
Immediately evacuate that stronghold.
This old chief told him that he and his
companions had come to bid him welcome
to that part of the country, and for hlFa 70
bear the message to the people of Virginia
from them that they were friends and
brothers linked together in one chain, "
and to say to the governor that 1T was
with the white people, and that though
there had been some unhappy differences
between them and the people upon the
frontier" he hoped it was forgotten and
would never occur again.
He expressed regret that the Virginians
did not trade amongs them or seem in
clined to be friendly as the people OF other
provinces.
Washington excused them by explaining
the fact that they were not so much zen.
age w IN trade ba tb as the w Pennsy Miaga and
said he would take great pleasure in delv-
ering his message to the Governor,
After his return to Pittsburg he pro-
ceeded at once to prepare for his intended
voyage down the Ohio. He first employed
an Indian named Pheasants as pilot, an
interpreter named Nicholson, and a young
which he engaged canoes for the trip,
storing them with sufficient provisions to
last them till their return.
On the morning of October IL, the follow
ing named persons, besides those above
mentioned, embarked with him, viz: Robt.
Bell, VIM. Harrison, Capt; CrawfoTd. DR..
Lieut.. Hamilton, Col. Croghan, and a MT.
MCGEE, the last three only accompanying
Having at length landed neal the home
Of Col. MaGee they were invited to dine
with him This invitation was accepted,
after which they resumed their Journey,
stopping for the night about o miles
above Logstown, having Journeyed 1872
miles during the day.
Just below LogstoWD on the rlght sloe OF
the river there was, according TO the ONO
Navigator, in 1897, a village named Legion
vile, where Gen. Wayne made al encamp-
ment in 1872, preparatory to ms eampalgn
minated in the total defeat of the latter
on August 20, 1894. Some of the old chin,
neys of the cabins, he said, were sun
standing. The ground was an extensive
fiat, high and timberless, except a portion
on which there was a thick growth OF
young scrub oaks. There was at TINS
point considerable appearance of bog iron
ore( as also in the banks of the stream
above the encampment which you cross
on the road from Pittsburg to Beaver"
After leaving P~ittsburg, Washington de-
scribes several large islands which seem
to have pleased him very much. The first
island referred to, Y mile above which IS
two miles from Pittsburg, and about two
miles in length. 1t was first known as
Hamilton Island, afterwards as Adams
and later on as Brunot Island after ITS
proprietor, Doctor Brunot, who Is said to
have been well known for his hospitality
to strangers and friends, and his taste IN
Charters Creek which extends through
Washington county,, Pa, empties into the
Ohio on the left side Of the ap @s
CROSSED twice over by handsome bridges
on the stage route from b
Pittsburg to Washington"
and at that time contained some of the
oldest and best settlements of the western
country" Immediately below the foot OF
the island there is said to be a projecting
cliff called McKee's Rocks"
Three miles below there is another island,
six miles long, at one time called Monture s
but afterwards Neville's Island, this last
name being given it in honor of its owner,
Gen. Neville, of Pittsburg. 1t IS de-
scribed about the year 1910 as possessing
several good farms and other improve
ments.
The next island included in the list re-
ferred to by Washington is known as
Deadman's Island, being ten miles below.
October 21st found the voyagers again on
their downward trip. having landed at
Croghan., Twenty-six miles below they
encamped at the mouth of Big Beaver
Creek, described by the Ohio Navigator
as t h town of Beaver, situated threef
quarters of a mile below the mouth OF
Big Beaver, on a high stony plain about
200 feet from the level of the river. me
plain" continues the writer OF this book,
lis amazingly full of pebble stones whose
surface would lead to an opinion that they
had been rounded by the friction of the
waters of the Ohio, to have performed
which the bed of the river must have been
200 feet higher than at p%resent1 Many
other appearances in this quarter of the
country go to justify this hypothesis.
Beaver was laid out on a large scale in
1878 and established the seat of justice
for Beaver county, Pennsylvania. 1t has a
court house, a jail, a market HOUSE, a
80 good houses, a good deal scattered, q
number of merchantile stores and public
inns. The inhabitants experienced at first
much Inconvenience in getting a supply or
water, which, for several years was con-
veyed through pipes from a spring at the
base of a hill half a mile back from the
town. After several unsuccessful attempts
After several unsuccessful attempts a well
was at length sunk. which gives a supply.
1t is upwards of 100 feet in depth, and
the water is drawn by a windlass. There
has been lately established in Beaver an
extensive, brewery, by Mr.. George Grier,
whose beer is esteemed at Natchez and
New Orleans. Beaver has nothing in it to
invite settlers. But due attention to man
ufactures. as living is cheap, may increase
the growth OF the town to some import
ance."
There is also a town called Philipsburg,
situated at the mouth of Big Beaver. On
the right side, opposite to this place,
ington, there is a good situation for house.
Above it, that is on the west side,
there appears to be a fine body of land
All that lay between this and Raccoon
Creek, six miles below, and 80 miles from
Pittsburg, he describes as good, especially
land lying between Raccoon Creek and the
Monongahela and for 10 miles back was
claimed by Col, Croghan under a purchase
been confirmed by His Majesty
Washington giving Col. Croghan as au-
Raccoon Creek is interlocked with Shur-
tees Creek there is a body of fine land
which was offered for sale at five pounds
sterling per hundred acres with exemption
of quit rents for 20 years, after which TO be
subject to the payment of four shillings
and two pence sterling per hundred acre
lots" On account of ht
The Unsettled Condition
of the country, he expressed himself of
opinion that a purchase was dangerous.
The distance estimated by he diary from
Raccoon to Little Beaver Creek, the for