The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1914-11-29
lBy a RrIdge,norlerlI

| |a
BRIDGEPORT, Nov. 2S.-In 1892
Ephream Smith built on Simpsons
creek a grist million the spot
where oak mill now stands. In 1909
the county court of Harrison county
ordered bridge to be built across
Simpson creek near Smiths mill, tho
erection of a mill dam making the
creek uncrossable with wagon for
some two miles above the dam, and
from that time-1SG3-this place has
been called Bridgeport, and, although
the court ordered bridge to be built
across Elk creek at an earlier date,
old men have told me that there was
no bridge across Elk creek until
years after the bridge was built at
this place. Old men have told me
years ago that they used to go down
Ito Elk creek on Main, street to sec
"a wagon pull through the creek and
up very steep. bank on the west
side. | believe from evidence that the
first bridge in Harrison county was
the one at Bridgeport
Joseph DAWSON was the pat
entee and first owner OF the land on
which the town is located. In 1916
the town was organized by law on
the land of Joseph johnson who had
married q daughter OF Ephriam Smith
Some OF the lands in this vicinity are
owned today by descendants Of the
first owners or patentees. s. S. Faris
owns land on Skeletons run taken up
by his great grandfather who was
killed by the Indians. Rev. B. Stout
owns land patented by one of his an
cestors.
A visit to the old church and grave
yard near Bridgeport will prove to
the visitor that this Is one Of the
Oldest settlements in West Virginia.
The Oldest tombstone on which the
inscription is readable is that OF jon
athan Stout who died in 1913.
Many other sandstone markers
have the appearance Of being older
but are so worn by time, that the
letters are not readable. A few OF
the tombstones read as follows:
John Waldo, born 172S, died 1914
age sc. s.s'
Jemina Waldo, born 1890, died 1915
age 80. - E
job Goff, born 1860, died 1s45, agy
s. on his tombstone is written. He
was a Revolutionary soldier. An
honest man is the noblest work oil
God.
zerviah Cor, born 1850, died 1857
age 81.
Jacob coplin, died 1884, age 50.
BENJAMIN Wilson, died 1897, age 81,
Joseph johnson, born 1885, died
1877, age 80. Was governor OF Vir-
ginia from 1852 to 1856.
Jesse Hamilton Goss, aged 7S, who
was pastor Of the Baptist church for
thirty years and many other men
and women who had much to do with
the settlement Of northwestern VIZ
lginia. The first Baptist church that
was organized west Of the Alleghen-
les was located here in l714 and the
building was erected In what Is now
the south side Of the graveyard
The building was! OF logs, with q
! gallery on three sides; the building
was about twenty by twenty-five
feet with stair steps to the right OF
the door as you entered. This build
ing would seat about one hundred
PERSONS The log building was used
until about 1876. The second church
was of brick about fifty by forty feet
in size and also had a gallery on
three sides and would seat about four
hundred persons. Many Seeat reviy-
ais, called protracted meetings, were
held In this second building and the
fiery nlonuerce of Samuel CIawcnn
and others aroused the greatest en-
thusiasm. The church was always
crowded and people came for mife.
to attend the meeting. Order was moi
always as good as 1t should have been
and sometimes men came to meeting
with a. bottle Of firewater in ,theil
pockets. Rev. Clawson once re6uked
some bad behavior in the following
terse language. Thank God the day
Is not far distant when you ssiji be
lchained down to hell's brazen floor