The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1904-03-11

Hes INT s05 East locust street
nave an honorable place. says the
nj: Daily Register, for she has
stinetion Of having seen the town
q earliest Of anyone now living there
! being only three houses here when she
came, n the year 1890, with her father
lSaac shinn.
Ann Maria Shinn was born in Harrison
comfy w. Va, Feb. %, 1923 almost 81
years ago. She remembers that when
she was six years old there was great
ideal OF talk about the far west, and the
new State of Illinois then an almost
unbrolen wilderness. Many were talk
ing of going, and her father resolved to
go.
In October, 1920, they started, with
two wagons-one heavy. three-horse
wagon, covered with black canvass, and
one light wagon covered with white
sheeting, for the mother and children.
They journeyed Westward, crossing the
Ohio river at Sistersville, and travelling
!. along its banks for three days. The
scenery along the way was very beauti-
full. Theer was heavy timber, and some
OF the trees were almost covered with
wild grape vines and large punches of
wild grapes. They would sometimes fill
i'm with other movers" going west, and
sometimes they would travel together
for days. They were always glad to
meet each other, and, although strangers
they would become greatly attached.
Once in Indiana, in crossing deep
slough, their horses got mired. Her
father waded in and cut the harness loose
and got the horses out, but the wagon
was stuck fast. Other movers who
had crossed over safely, took two log
chains, hooked them to their wagon,
iiitched four horses to it. and as the
horses conld stand on firm ground they
soon pulled the wagon out.
The roads were very bad through In
diana they Travelled hard one day. and
only advanced eight miles. They endur-
ed great many l,ardships, the country
being thinly settled. They camped out
nights, often in storm and rain. they
passed through fine towns, which are
now large cities a,iilicothe and Nenia,
o.; Charlottesville, Terre Haute and In
dianapolis, Ind Later they passed
through Pekin, ILL.,, and finally reached
Canton, their destination. May IL, 1880.
1t was cold, rainy day.
There were just three houses in the
town-Joel Wright's. John Hanan's and
General Isaiah Stillman's. Joel Whights
house stood where the Wilson house is,
at the corner of Locust street and Ave
nue. A. A. j. Hanan's was where the
Nagel house now stands. on North Main
street. and General Stillman's was where
the old Childs house stands, on North
Avenue A.
The shinns first lived in little log
cabin south of the cemetery, belonging
TO .Dickier johnson. 1t had big fire.
place, and they had to step down foot
to get to the hearth to do the cooking.
In he fall Mr.. Shinn built cabin
ON Norti, Main street, where DR.. How
ards house now is. The family con-
sisted of Mr.. and Mrs. Shinn and the
children: Absalom, Job, Ann Maria,
Edwin and Sarah. THE last named be-
came Mrs. r. w. Dewey, ST.. the two
Dewey brothers marrying two sistersJ
The cabin had no floor, and there was a
scow,patf through the center Of it. They
had aJackson" bcdsteads, which We're
made by boring holes in the log nthe
corner of the cabin, and in the side, the
width of a he'd from the corner, and putt
ing poles for side boards in the holes,
and n crotched branch supported the one
corner ont IN tine room. ClaPboards
were placed on this. and you had a
primitive bedstead.
Mrs. Dewey we'll remembers the hur-
ricane Of 1898. She was l2 years old.
Their cabin had been enlarged and an
other story added, bnt it was leSeled
nat nv the storm. There were Is per
sons in the house, but none were killed,
though, Mrs. Dewey's father received in
;uries which caused his death five years
later, in 1910. Mr.. and Mrs. Israel and
son. sInac, and daughter. AIRS. VenablG,
lived in the second story. Mr.. Shinn
and Mr.. Israel put their weight against
ita,e door to hold it shut, but it burst
open by he storm, and Mr.. Shinn was
hurlcd across the room, and both fami-
lies had narrow escapes. When the
house was demolished, they fled for
shelter to Scbrcc's. where D. w. Naples
house now stands, and to Joel Wrisht's
and Stillnan's and to Tyler's tavern,
which stood on the southeast corner OF
Chestnut street and Avenue 4.
Mrs. Dewey remembers when there
Mr.. Stillman.
She well remembers the excitement at
+ the time . fthc Black Hawk war, when
word was received that the Indians were
coming here TO make q raid. The Peo-
q in the country around gathered In
T5wn. and some left the town. Among