West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1915-05-06
(By Jacob Guseman MatlickD
CHAPTER VIII.

Preston county.
We first remember him i'm his dig
nifed pose and honest mien when he
set up a store OF general merchandise
on Tunnel hill with Mr.. Henry Labos-
quet in charge OF IT,
After the completion of the railroad
he built the first good residence and
store room in Tunnelton. He then
moved the stock of goods TO the new
site, and kept the freight and ticket
Office in the store for the railroad
company, and also the postofice, until
he sold the store to Capt Dennis b.
Jeffers. Mr.. Labosquet and family
occupied the new residence until 1864
when they moved to Des Moines, Iowa
Mr.. McGrew secured title to large
tract of land in the vicinity of Tunnel
ton about 1853 to '55, which he later
sold to capitalists. realizing largely
above the purchase price.
He had opened the first coal mine
there, and built a tannery which he
placed under the supervision Of the
trusty and faithful Jesse Spahr.
Then there arose the indefatigable
Charles Bishop. who despised not the
day of small things.
For we remember him nrst when
the b. o. Railroad company com
menced the construction of the road
through Preston county he went to
the little town of Rowlesburg and set
up little store in a small room, and
by his industry and frugality he be-
came one of the financial giants of the
county. The first bank in Preston
county was established in Kingwood
by Hon. James G. McGrew and others
about 1865.
There were noted men as pioneers
OF the legal profession. We might
mention the Hon. William G.. Brown.
Sr. He was at one time the peer of
the Preston county bar. We think of
him for the patriotic, unswerving and
gallant stand he took for the Union
In 1861. He was a delegate to the
state convention at Richmond in April.
1861, with his staunch colleague, Hon.
James c. McGrew, and 10 save them
selves from being mobbed by the
Southern agitators of secession they
were compelled to flee from the city
between two days and return home i'm
consequence of the uncompromising
stand they took for the union OF the
states.
And there was the venerable firm of
Cresap and Cowan While | was a
prisoner of war on Belle Isle I'm jan
uary and February, 1864, / met the
Hon. Pin Cresap. He came over from
Richmond with Col. John A. Robinson
to see some of their former friends
Pin Cresap came on the Island to see
the old tailor and Jail keeper. Nicholas
Sayers, who was there a prisoner.
Mr.. Pin Cresap was in Richmond as
one OF the two representatives ac-
credited to Preston county, officiating
as such in the Virginia Legislature.
Col. John A. Robinson of Prunty-
town, Taylor county. West Virgiia,
was representing that Congressional
district in the Confederate congress.
II my memory serves me correctly,
Mr.. Robert Cowan was Mr.. Cresap's
colleague in the Virginia House of
Delegates.
There were men Of eminence in the
medical fraternity in Preston county
during the pioneer days.
In the western part we will remem-
Der Doctor Kimble as the first when
ne attended the cases OF typhoid fever
In uncle William Matlick's family and
father and mother in July, 1916.
Doctor Kennedy was a contemporary
OF Doctor Kimble's i'm Evansville
Doctor Kimble in later years located
In Kingwood. where I recognized him
on the street i'm July. 1894.
Doctor Kennedy also left Evansville
and moved to Grafton soon after the
town was instituted.
DR. Henry Edison. of Winchester
Virginia. was a conspicuous person i'm
the practice OF medicine i'm the vicinity
of Fellowsville and Tunnelton during
1850 TO go. He rendered timely ser
vice to We humble scribe I'm violent
attack Of congestion Of the brain I'm the
spring Of 1853.
often wonder how many are yet
living who remember the belligerent
trouble that existed between the labor
ers working on the construction Of
the Baltimore & Ohio railroad I'm the
vicinity OF Tunnelton I'm 1851 and 50.
The fued grew out OF an antipathy
that had long existed between the Cor
konians and Fardowns.
The railroad was surveyed I'm sec
tions Of one mile each, and each sec
tion sold to a contractor who would
proceed TO construct the one mile.
The big cut east OF Tunnelton was
known as eighty cut, the next mile as
eighty-one, Kingwood tunnel as eighty
two and the big fiji across the west
fork Of Racoon creek eighty-three.
by the way. when that survey was
first made the bottom was found to be
ten rods wide and the height of the
OIL ninety-nine feet and eight inches.