West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1915-03-25
SETTLERS and CUSTOMS
EARLY DAYS OF COUNTY
Reminiscent Sketches of Prominent
Citizens aud Incidents IN Preston
County During the Foorth, Fifth
and Sixth Decades of the Nine
teenth Century
,Ry Jacob Guseman Matlick1
CHAPTER IL

49, '"'pohhe county, 10 IarkerS-
burg, Wood county. via Evansville
Pruntytown, Clarksburg and West Tn
ion.
l think the next pike graded I'm
Preston county was from Brandonyille
to Morgantown via Ices Ferry. The
next was from Bruceton Mills via
kingwood TO intercept the Northwest
ern where the town OF Fellowsville
now fiourishes.
Then the one from Morgantown via
Gladesville and Independence to
Evansville.
Also one from Morgantown through
the glades near where is now located
the town OF Reedsville to Kingwood.
Later. during the early part of the
sixth decade. the pike leading from
Terra Alta TO Brandonville was grad
ed. And soon after or about the same
time the pike from Tunnelton through
the glades via Major William b. Zinn's
mill to Ices Ferry was made.
! believe the last to be constructed
in the county was from Terra Alta via
Fairfax's Ferry TO Kingwood.
BY the conveniences OF the above
named roads the citizens of Preston
county had very fair roads to travel on
To many prominent points.
The foregoing statements bring to
memory the many pioneer settlers
along and adjacent to the old State
road running east from where Tun-
Melton now is to Kingwood, who were
auld acquaintances. and whose hospi-
tality we have so often shared
BY their indomitable will and inde-
fatigable courage. inspired by their
' hope OF success, their cabin homes
were made comfortable, good sup
port for themselves and families was
wrested from the soil they titled.
Those we most kindly remember in
connection with their estimable fami-
lies were John Herndon, Samuel Sni-
der. the SCOTS and Conleys.
We well remember the venerable
DIR. Conley OF Tunnelton and his bride.
when they landed at Tunnelton on
their way from Winchester. Va, to his
fathers residence out on the home
farm, about 1858. John Hartman, the
Castle men, John. George and Glen
Vile. Jacob Erwin. my fathers cousin.
Thornton Bonafield. Alexander Shaw,
James Gibson and Samuel Trowbridge
The children of these families are all
we'll known TO the citizens OF Preston
county, and some have become emil
nent in the progress OF the county
Remembrance of whom brings to us
many pleasant recollections Of the
long ago.
And were we to reveal our recol-
lections of the many little escapades
OF romance that occurred at various
times during our acquaintance we
memory of many who may read these
sketches. But they are "by-gones" and
will only serve now TO animate anew
the memory of those participating in
them when they and we were young
Tom" and Charley Craig, too.
All of the heads of these excellent,
sturdy. pioneer families have long
since laid down their armor and gone
home to receive their reward in the
elysian fields of the sweet beulah
land.
West OF Tunnelton along ana near
the pike going to Fellowsville we
CLEAN from memory's yet verdant field
the names OF our olden time good
friends and neighbors, whose children
were contemporaries of ours in the
pioneer struggles and school days
Out upon the ridge Immediately west
Of Tunnelton was the farm and home
Of Caleb Conn, and James Watkins a
short distance south of Mr.. Conn's
farm, whose exhlierating, jolly laugh
ter we have so often heard at the
neighboring frolics.
The quaint "old Neddy"-Edwar
Wilson, who lived on the farm where
now is the thriving little village OF
Denver. His son, Eugenus Wilson
built hrs home on the pike Immediately
west of his fathers farm The latter
was an accomplished wheel-wright
and cabinet maker. During the fifth
and sixth decades he made and sup
piled the community for a radius oil
eight or ten miles with nearly all oi
the furniture used by the household.
ers.
For many years, upon application
he made about all of the coffins uset
In large area OF territory surround
ing him. at the nominal charge of on,
dollar per foot. In those days o
primitive simplicity and frugality. b,
the help and kindness Of neighbour
a person dying in one Of those pioneet
communities was neatly laid to quie
rest In a cemetery at a cost OF abou
twelve dollars. including the shroud
and not to exceed fifteen dollars. 70
there was no dissimulated ostentatior
at funerals then. And me thinks thei
bodies rest Just as composedly in thei
cold beds OF clay as those OF moderi
times whose funeral expenses cost tn
bcreaved families from one hundred 4
FIVE hundred dollars, and their soul