Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1910-12-20
nodel Clerks Office and Vault

County Clerk Chas. A. Johnson has at
last gotten into his new Office in the
northeast corner of the old main bu ldrg
of the courthouse. formerly Circuit
Clerk Daniels room. and now has model
quarters, generously provided by our
progressive, up-to-date County Court.
The Clerks Office proper, with its cor
venient new furniture is a model of
neatness, and the large. well-lighted
vault adjoining is something of which
Jefferson county may well be proud
In addition to the plentiful shelf room
below for the valuable county records,
the large vault, which is two full ordina-
ry stories in height, has a roomy balcony
running around above, accessible by q
may be erected hereafter TO accommo-
date re cerds for future generations. In
noting the chenges made the Advocate
saws
In placing the deed books and other
records in their places in the vault, Mr.
Johnson is applying a system of indices,
an arrangement that will facilitate
Investigations whether made by attorneys
or the general public. The labor hitherto
required to find any desired rt cord has
been converted into genuine pleasure
so conveniently and so methodicallv
have the records been arranged.
In transferring the books from one
room to the other, some rare and curious
old volumes We're brought to light
Perhaps the most interesting of these
was the order book of the first County
Court ever held in the county. According
to this record, the first County Court
began its sessions in the house of one
John Minor in Charles Town, on No
vember 10, 1901. 1t shows that the
following Commissioners of the Peace
comprised the County Court: John
Kearsley. William Little, Richard. Baylor.
Abram Davenport. George North, Daniel
Collect, John Packet. Daniel Morgan,
Jacob Bedinger, Fernando Fairfax, Will
liam Darke, Alex White, Joseph
Swearingen, John Briscoe, and Van
Rutherford Their commissions were
issued by James Monroe. then governor
of Virginia.
William Little was commissioned the
first sheriff, and George Hite the first
County Clerk. The attorneys who at
tended the first term of court were Hugh |
Holmes. William Mcguire. Edward |
Christian Lewis, Mathew Whiting. Iohu |
Dixon. Samuel Reed, Elisha Bovd, aud |
William Tate. Frederick William |
Gansinka. a minister of the German !
Lutheran church, was the first man
commissioned to perform marriage |
ceremonies.
The first court ordered that the county |
be divided into two districts for overseers |
of the poor. A line from Walingford's !
10 Leetown thence down the Hite road |
to KEYS Ferry divided the county. that |
portion north of the line being district |
No. /, and all of the county south of il |
being distrist No. 2, John Morrow and |
Abram Morgan were appointed officers
of election to choose an overseer of |
the poor for the first District at the house |
Jacob Echart in Shepherdstown. John
Briscoe, aud John Packet were to perform
a like function for the other district. the |
election to be held at the house of
Thomas Flagg in Charles Town.
County Court IN those DAYS fixed the
rate of charges for meals and liquors at
the ''osdnaries. or taverns. No tavern
was allowed to charge more than rs cents
for breakfast, 40 cents for dinner. 20
cents for supper, or 10 cents for lodging.
Whiskey was 4 cents gill, spirits IL
cents gill, and MADEIRA wine, SIPS
a quart. Even the price of corn, oats
and hay furnished 10 the wayfarer's
horses and oxen was limited by order OF
curt