The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1915-08-29
sharrlson County

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the Jackson crave yard: Sofia Flick
man on the opposite side of Elkl
creek near where the slkview ceme-j
terry now Is. and Levi Douglas pre-
empted four hundred acres on the
Rrushy fork Of Elk. John AkerT1ck
did not permanently locate In this,
country but probably went fnrtheri
west n
There are still residing IN Harr1
sonScounty many descendants OF the
two CottrtIIs, Hickman and Douglas.
and they have the satisfaction OK
knowing that their ancestors Were
among the very first permanent set
tiers In the present limits of HART
son county
Tygarts valley now in Randolph
county. was nearly all taken up by
settIers, among them being the HAD
dens, Connolly Whitemans, Var
1Wtcks,, Nelson's. Sta1nakers, Rf11eS
and Westfalls \ The liter OF these
found ana Inferred the bons of Files
family. whtc had had bleachin g IN
the storms Of eighteen years.
In the year 1772s the Horseshoe.
bottom on the Cheat river was To-.
Gated by. Captain James Parsons OF
the South Branch, and In his neigh
borhood settled Robert Cunnin CHAM,
Henry Fink, John Gon and John
Minear.
by Robert Butler, William Morgan
and some others IN the same year
Nutter Takes Up Land.
IA Thomas Nutter IN 1772 took up
one thousand four hundred acres on
Elk Creek clos to C1arksburg at this
time, on which was built the famous
Nutter,s fort. which was haven OF
6~apNa 3ao NJ f.
tiers when harassed by Indian Tor
avs.
John Nutter located on the West
Fork river near Clarksburg and
Obadiah DAWSON above him, near
where the salt works was afterwards
located, and Daniel DAVIDSON where
C1arksburg now stands.
These were the principal settle
ments made in Harrison county prior
to the year 1T74.
New Eldorado.
Few and. scattering as they were
no sooner was 1t know that settle
ments had commenced in what was
reported TO be rich country full
of game than a heavy emigration
set In to this new Eldorado.
This m1graston exhausted the
bread supplies in some localities in.
the year 1873. and there was CON
siderable suffering until the corn
crops was gathered, so much it was
called the starving year.
Colonel William Lowther was for,
many years gratefully remembered
by the inhabitants for his great e1-
ertions to secure corn, and To- Sds-
success in relieving ter sI9erings.
Daniel Dawson, who fs mentioned
above, was the original proprietor
OF the land on which Clarksburg9
now stands, which was inciu.S- In
his four hundred acre survey adj
ton states that Daniel Davisson' 81
cabin was built on the west side of
Chestnut street betw=n Pike and
Main, near where the Southern Meth
odist church now stands.
Andrew Dawson took up four
hundred acres on the opposite or
east side of Elk creek from Daniel
Davisson's survey.
Under the act of May 1879 for
adjusting and settling the titles OF
Chalmers to unpatented lands, the
counties on the western waters were
divided into districts, and four com
were appointed for each
district The first district was com
posed OF Monongalia, Yohogania and
Ohio counties, these three counties
having been organized In 1776.
The records o. the proceedings
of this commission as relates to-
Monongalia county, which at that,
time included practically the north
ern half of West Virginia and a. POT
ton of Pennsylvania and of course
OF the territory afterwards formed
into Harrison county.
The certificates granted by. this
commi ssion show the time and place
of settlement of the person to whom
they are granted. or by his asstgnor,
and are Of the greatest Importance
in fixing the date OF occupancy OF
the country by thep ioneers.
Meetings OF Commissioners.
1t appears from this record that
the commissioners held meetings at
old Radstone fort near Brownsville,
Pa, at Colonel John Evans mouse
near Morgantown, at Cox's fort. in
near Morgantown, at the house OF
Thomas Evans, andsat the Ohio coun-
ty court house.
Below will be found one Of the
certificates copied in full followed by
extracts Of others emitting the for
NAL part:
Certificates granted In 1881 at the
house OF Colonel John Evans:
I'VE. the commission for adj
iusting claims to unpatented lands!
in the counties of Monongahelasl
Yohoeania and Ohio, do hereby cer-
tffy that John Evans assignee of
Daniel veatch is entitled to- four
hundred acres of land in Monon-l
gala county on the Monongahelai
river, on the West side of said river
to include his settlement made in
1870.