Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1910-10-13
shepherdsown Jefferson County,

the efforts to protect his vast estate from
the devouring advance guard OF the fast
growing army OF settlers, which his Lord
ship termed "squatters, or to tell the
tale of long struggles and litigation grow
ing out of Fairfax's contentious with the
Governor and council and OF their gram
tees, and the latter's asSlgneeS-for these
matters were not settled until near the
end of that century, long after the princi-
pals in it had been laid away in their
tombS.
John VanMeter was the original gran
tee of the land upon which this town
stands. With his brother Isaac they were,
barring Slower and his party, the earliest,
perhaps, of the colonists TO obtain grants
of land west OF the Blue Ridge. East OF
those mountains the colonial advance had
come from the tidewater section OF Viz
ginia, and the great landed proprietorS OF
the seaboard had already pushed through
the passes in the range and were in pos
session OF the rich regions along the Shen-
andoah farther up the Valley. With the
exception of Slower and the Germanna
pioneers, the VanMeter brothers were
probably the firStto terfrom the North,
by the crossings OF the Potomac, and they
were the innocent cause OF the first con-
test among white men for the territory OF
Western Virginia.
The VanMeterS came originally from
the Dutch settlements in the vicinity OF
Kingston, in Ulster county, New York
Through shrewd observations made by
their father, Joost JAMS VanMeter, while
accompanying the Delaware Indians as
a hunter and trader from the fastnesses OF
the CatskillS on expeditions to the south
he had gathered considerable knowl-
edge of this part Of the country and while
with them spyed out this land and conf
mended it to his sons as the most deSlra-
bic location for their future home. Act
ing upon his advice with reasonable
promplneSS, these men joumeyed to Viii
liamSburgh and procured from Governor
Gooch and the Council OF Virginia, on
the Both OF April, 1880, a joint grant OF
10000 acres. The whole OF II lay be-
tween the Shenandoah and the South
Branch, and extended from the main
stem OF the Potomac to Cedar Creek
some distance below the present city OF
Winchester. There were imposed upon
the grantees, however, certain conditions
as to the planting, or seating of this land
by intending settlers, which obligations
were to be fulfilled in two years from the
date OF the grant, after which patents
would issue to the grantees, and the pur-
chasers or asSigneeS under them, and thus
confirm the title to the actual settler. The
VanMeterS wanted this land for their own
families and relatives but whether 1t
was due to their inability TO perform the
obligations within The specified time, or,
foreseeing, with inherent persplculty, a
more advantageous deal without riSking
a contest with the Proprietor OF the North
| ern Neck-who was even then in legal
conflict with the Council regarding the
boundaries and his rights in the do
main, - the VanMeterS assigned their
| orders of Council on the 9TH OF August,
1871, to lost Hite, the latter becoming, as
events subsequently prove one OF the
principal defendants in the litigation
which Lord Fairfax now instituted against
all parties who were grantees under the
orders of the Governor and Council, un-
til the merits of his former claim were
determined.
lost Hite, it has been said, was a kinSe-
man OF the VanMeters; he, too, had lived
in the colony on the Hudson, and from
there he Joined PaStorius settlement at
Germantown later he had been living
on the Perkiomen Creek in Philadelphia
county, Penna., where he was reputed
a successful miller and prosperous land
owner. In this transaction with the Van
Meters he became at once the promoter
of grand scheme of colonization; the
principal figure in the approaching civili-
zation Of the border; the leading settler,
and subsequently the head OF large and
influential family in the social life OF the
Valley.
With the 10000 acres assigned to him
by the VanMeters as a nucleus, Jost Hite
took into partnership Robert McKoy, OF
Pennsylvania, and together they obtained
further grant, aggregating 100000 acres,
on the west side OF the mountains, in
close proximity to the first grant OF 49,
900; the terms and conditions as to set
Element of families-were the same. I'm
mediately upon the consumation OF this
enterprise Hite and McKoy began move
ment for coIonizIng the property. BY
liberal inducement, tactful handling, and
by an extension of the time limit, which
the partners secured, they succeeded in
diyerting enough families 10 enable tnem
to comply with the conditions of the orig
inal grant. The Governor and Council
then issued orders for surveys, and pat
ents were given to the first settlers un-
der Hite and McKoy.
The territory Of these operations was
then in SpottsyIvania county Va. "a Sec
ton comprising all Of the country lying
beyond the Potomac, Shenandoah and
Rappahannock rivers and reaching to the
remote shores ofthe Pacific Ocean. Such
was the rapidity with which the land was
being taken dp by settlers, that the Coun-
Gil was petitioned by these new citizens
who described themselves as: "inhabi-
tants OF the northwest side of the Blue
Ridge OF Mountains better couve-
nience them by appointing additiona
magistrates, until a new county be