The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-03-25
State Exhibit
At jamestown
STATE ARcHlvisT LEWIS BACK
FROM COLLECTING TOUR
HISTORY EXHIBIT.

h - = NstSsftf - rE Wt0 1Akh
FROM COLLECTING TOUR
HISTORY EXHIBIT.
CHARLESTON, March 2s-state
Historial and Archiyist Virgin a. Lew.
! Is. has returned from fifteen days,
tour of the northern section Of the
istate soliciting and collecting historic
materta. for the State exhibit at the
jamestown exposition. Of which he has
charge. The historical exhibit at the
Jamestown exposition promists to
Iecdipse anything in that line ever be-
fore presented to the public. Mr.. Lew
is is giving the matter his almost
entire attention and as result the
Charleston people who expect to go to
the exposition will be pleased with ous
showing. f
Mr.. Lewis talked entertainiasly
of the collection he had made OF this
last tour of the State, to a reporter.
notwithstanding the high waters
and delayed trains" he said, 81 am
very much pleased with the work /
accomplished. People everywhere
were not only willing, but anxious to
assist in securing a creditable his.
toric exhibit for the State. My OBJ.
Ject hss been first to secure history
pnpeis; that is manuscripts and an.
tograph letters and rare documents Of
of the past relating to the State. A
number OF these have secured.
"At Morgantown the board Of re.
gents of the West Virginia uniyersi.
~ made an order. loaning me his.
tory lapers collected and deposited
there many years ago by the old
West Virginia Historical society.
Amcns these Is the map used by Gen.
eral Washington on the Journey to the
French en- the upper Ohio in 1853;
maj iaade by the Lord Fairfax sur.
ycyors when hunting for the first
fountain of the Rappanhannock river,
an Important point in the Fairfax
survey. There is also an order for
1900 pounds issued by Lord waipote,
grand treasurer of the British EN-.
pire to pay the Fairfax surveyors for
The running out of the Fairfax lines
ard Getting the famous Fairfax stone.
Tue second feature OF my work is
to exhibit tire home life OF the plo.
neers OF West Virginia in. the years
of long ago: In this, l may say, that
have been quite successful. / have
carpcr spoon mouids used by the
pioneers in making pewter spoons a
i,undiea Years ago; the old grease
lamp with cotton rag wick; tn.
perforated tin lantern, once the prop
erty OF Joseph Johnson. OF Bridge
port, in Harrison county, who was the
only West vlrginian that ever filled
the gubernatorial chair of Virginia.
among the articles secured is the
iFaca-saddle used a hundred years
ago in carrying selt from Winchester
to Clarksburg. have the large
spinning wheel, the reel, winding
blade, reeds. the little flax SPINNING.
wheel. the flaS-hrake, scutching knife
and scntchins block, Implements used
In making the jeans, linsey linen and
tow linen, which clothed the West
Vlrsinia pioneers In the infant days OF
the lepntlie.
Among TIE firearms we have some
cnrlosities. I secured from Fritz
Hess. at Point Pleasant, revolver
carrying on the barrel, the name OF
JOIN. Quincy hdahs. one of the early
Presidents of the United States. From
George A. Vinsant. at Fairmont, so.
cured eun known as the biunderbuss
with bell muzzlc ana Is one Of the
earliest English pieces used west OF
the Allegheny mountains. Another i'm.
nttmcnt is thc frow, used in splitting
ciaP-boaras for the roofing of pioneer
cabins and al well the houses OF later
date.
an Harrison county secured an
old train or swee :, which in the ear
lr days. was fixed in the hre-piaces Of
pioneer homes in which hung the pots
for cooking before the introduction OF
stoves. With this, we also have the
tea pots, tie old fashioned tea kettle
anu t:c Skillet ia and gr4dd.e used
in baking in the hearth OF these old
colonial firer,aces. Another item of
interest is set of knives and forks
made by country blacksmith and
used by the Heck family of Marion
county more than a hundred years
ago.
II secured some rare old paint.
inGs. Eve tf these made in West Viz.
ginia s'.tvtiv.' years ago. One OF
these is picture of the old Damas.
cas- mill, where was established the
FIRST postoftice in the Monongahe,a