West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1916-02-24
LIFE ON THE FARM
MUST BE ATTRACTIVE
Noted Invention to be Honored.

Noted Inventor TO be HOnored.
Early historic associations and
primitive Industrial beginnings OF
West Virginia will play a part in an
important ceremony to be held at
Shepherdstown. in the eastern pan
handle district OF this State July 4.
II presnt plans are carried out. when
monument will be erected TO the
memory OF James Rumsey. will be
unveiled and dedicated The COVER
aors of West Virginia. Virginia and
Maryland will be invited to attend.
The eastern panhandle counties of
West Virginia saw the first settlement
in this state. and by the era OF the
Revolution were dotted with homes
and villages. many of which show,
on the old court records. that they
lad come prosperous settlements by
1900. During the Revolution Shep-
herdstown became a busy center of
traffic and travel, as well as domestic
manufacture, and at the close OF the
war entertained high hopes OF becom-
ing the national capital. All these
rich aspirations were in a measure
the results OF the inventive genius and
progressive ideas OF James Rumsey.
Rumsey was employed In September
1881. the year before the close of the
var. by the Potomac company. with
which George Washington was iden-
flied, to improve the navigation of
he Potomac river. He centered his
activities at Shepherdstown In the
summer of the year 1888 Rumsey di-
ected his attention TO steamboat nav
cation. and by the autumn OF the
iext year succeeded 80 far that he
made a private experiment with his
'rst steamboat i'm the waters OF the
'Otomac at Shepherdstown in order
test out the principles Of his in
yention.
In October. 1854. he obtained from
he Virginia Assembly the passage of
IN act guaranteeing TO him the exclu-
iive use OF his invention I'm navigat-
ng the waters not only of the Po-
-omac. but of the whole state. for a
period OF 10 years-one OF the first
manufacturing and transportation
nonopolies not only OF the great
tate OF Virginia, which then embrac-
ID all Of West Virginia, but also of
he United States as then constituted.
&umsey was a far-sighted person, IL
seems. for in January, 1885, he sue
;eeded in having the Assembly of
laryland enact a law giving him the
Exclusive right of steamboat naviga-
ion on all the waters OF Maryland
Ilso, by which this early inventor of
hepherdstown had. 1t will be seen.
established for himself a monopoly
IN all the important waters of the
chesapeake Bay and it's rivers, as well
as all the great navigable waters flow
ing into the Atlantic through Virginia
and into the Ohio river on the west.
Finally in 1856 Rumsey had so per
fected his steamboat that he was bold
enough TO invite the public to witness
his demonstration, and at Shepherds
town a crowd gathered to see his lit
tie craft not only pass down stream
but TO pass up stream at a speed OF
about four miles an hour. operating
against a rather strong current at the
point where the experiment was made. 1
1t is 20 commemorate the memory
of this experiment that the monu-
ment to Rumsey will be dedicated at
Shepherdstown July 4, this year
Rumsey is the Robert Fulton of West
Virginia. Shepherdstown, aside from
Rumsey's exploits with watercraft. is
one Of the oldest settlements in West
Virginia. Before the year 1927 pion-
eers from Pennsylvania crossed over
the "Old Pack Horse Ford" near the
present site OF Shepherdstown. and
began TO make settlements i'm the
eastern panhandle counties: I'm 1927
Morgan Morgan settled on Mill creek.
Berkeley county, and colony OF Ger
mans started the building OF a village
they called New Mecklenberg." which
is now Shepherdstown