Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1915-07-29
Place Names In The Valley Of
Virginia.
Rev. W. H. 7. squires.
Continued from last week.
MoRcAN COUNTY.

CONTINUED from last week.
MORGAN COUNTY.
Formed in 1920 from parts of Berke
ley and Hampshire this rich count,
was given the name of that famou
leader, Daniel Morgan. Morgan was
Jeyseyman by birth Q7S6) but cam,
to the Valley SO young that he wa
completely identified with this section
| OF Virginia. A boy of nineteen he act
ed as teamster for Gen. Braddock ant
later became noted Indian fighter
When the Revolution opened he wal
with Benedict Arnold at Quebec. H.
won fresh laurals at Saratoga. Fought
through the Carolinas under Gates anc
Greene and won brilliant victory ovel
Tarleton at the Cowpens. In later
years he sat four years in Congress
(1795 99) and died in Winchester, where
he now lies buried. Gen. Morgan
seat was Saratoga. near Whitepost,
Clark county.
The new county is shut in to the east
by range called by the drowsy name,
Sleepy Creek, Mountains, which are
drained by Sleepy Creek, on the banks
of which were born t1777 the most
famous criminal lawyer the nation has
as yet produced-Felix Grundy. whose
home was Nashville, Tenn. where he
now lies buried
Berkeley Springs remains to remin
us that that county once covered this
section. Berkeley Springs was named
Bath at the first (Oct. 1776). 1t also
was another Fairfax town with another
old English name. The name Bath
was taken for a county (176U later
formed from Augusta
THE MASSANUTTINs.
The Great Valley is curicusly divided
by low and narrow chain of mountains
called by the beautiful Indian name
Massanuttin. 1t was the peculiar CON
figuration of this mountain in this val
ley with its gaps that Stonewall Jack
son used SO successfully to outwit a
strong and determined enemy that
something outnumbered him four to
| one.
In the geography Of the Valley this
barrier is effectively used to mark the
county lines. During the thirties three
new counties were formed here. These
counties are necessarily long and mar
row, filling the rich meadows of the
Shenandoah. Page (l831) is one Of
the most german counties in the South,
formed from that other German county,
Shenandoah. with a corner of Rocking
ham thrown in.
No better name than Page is found
in our history. Since John Page, the
original conner an English merchant
laid the foundation Of the family for
tune this distinguished family has never
lacked man. John, the Original, sat
himself in the Colonial Council.
His son Matthew was one of the first
trustees of William and Mary. Mat
thew's son Mann was the largest realty
holder in the colony, save the Fairfsx
estate alone. Mann Page owned 10000
acres in Northern Virginia. He built
the most costly mansion in North
America 1725), Roosevelt, in the good
old county of Gloucester, a mansion
that even put the Spotswood Palace to
shame. The grandson of Mann was
John Page, our Governor (l802 O5) born
at Roosevelt 1744) He was educated
at William and Mary. an intimate of
Jefferson, fellow soldier with Wash
ington, a Burgess, member of the
Colonial Council, like the other John.
He helped make the first Constitution
Of Virginia, served term as Lieuten.
ant-Governor. In the trying days of
the Revolution he gladly gave the
lead from the windows of Roosevelt to
make Revolutionary bullets. Four sue
cessive times was he returned to Con-
gress.
AS pious as he was wealthy and dis
tinguished his friends persuaded him to
take the holy orders that they might
make him Virginia's first bishop; but
he declined. He died in Richmond
(18O8)
Page county is at this time the most
widely known for the wonderful caverns
of Luray.
CLARKE COUNTY.
Frederick IS again divided 1886, and
its eastern portion becomes Clarke.
The name is given to commemorate
Gen. George Rodgers Clark, native
of Albemarle county, often called the
Hannibalof the West. Morgan and
Clark each now have county named
for them but each had already had a
town called for them. Just after the
Revolution (Oct 1885,, the far noun
tain wilds of the Northwestern wilder
ness organtown and CIarksburg. 1t
was at Clarksbnrg (Jan.s15 1889 on
the land of Benz Berry and Sarah
Stribling and named .Battletown. "
But we have seen how much liberty
people will take in changing names to
suit themselves. Gen. Morgan was one
of the sponsors for this new settlement
near his home.
Fairfax, Washington, Morgan and
Bishop Meade each figured in the early
history of Clarke. The Baron built his
manor of Greenway Court in the south
western corner of Clarke. One mile off
he planted awhile guide post. Queerly
enough White Post is an important lit
tie town while Greenway Court is