Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1919-03-06
MIR. LANG'S LETTER
Editor Progressive:

MI. hOontZ gave al SSSouue
of the murder of the Gibson fam
lily on Sugar Greek near where the
old stone house stood built by John
Hill. We have often heard John
Harris the oldest son of Elder Sim
con Harris who settled near Meadow
vile about the year of 1897 or and
built the first stone chimney in that
vicinity, portion of which still
remains to mark the home of one of
the pioneers of the county relate that
one son, lad by the name of Jack
or John named for his father possibly
was carried away into captivity by
the Indians, and in after years was
restored to his friends near Bev-
erely by some Indian traders. His
friends supplied him with civilian
clothing but he would discard them
and don his accustomed Indian
time building Indian canoes and use
them in fishing in the Valley river.
! Mr.. Harris said that he finally set
| tied down to civilian life, went to
! school and became an industrious and
honored citizen, representing Ran
dolph in the General Assembly at
Richmond, Va. Whether the story is
true or not we cannot say, but Mr..
Harris came to the community not
! many years after the murder of the
! family and he would not have told
any other story except what he heard.
His uncle Henry Phillips who mar
ried his fathers sister was the first
settler at Meadowville, for years
called Mudley, owing to the deep
mud in winter time. He built a
fort house The upper story pro-
| jecting foot or so over the under
! story so the Indians could not scale
it in making an attack. When Mr..
Harris family learned there We're
Indians in the vicinity by the pecu-
liar howl of their dog, they would
go over the hill to Mr.. Phillips fort
house. When the family returned
| they often found moceasin tracks in
/ the ashes of the large chimney and
/ nothing molested except venison that
nearly always hung within the
chimney. The lower story Of this
house still stands and the oak logs
are in good state CT preservation.
Mr.. Phillips, Welshman was good
blacksmith and he made heavy
wrought iron hinges to hang the
door, which was made of walnut
kpuncheons several inches thick. The
hinges were heavy and strong 2 IL
feet long. One of the hinges is doing
service at Walnut Cove" the writers
farm in that vicinity. Mr.. Harris
related that the early settlers of
Glade district went as far as where
the late George Martin lived in Cove
district to assist in house building
and log rollings, carrying their guns
with them, and after killing deer or
game of some kind (which was very
plentifuD as they went and returned.
The first settler came from Hardy
county and their merchandise was
then obtained from Winchester Fred
erick Co. Va. Mr. Harris made
these trips nearly every fall some
times accompanied by some of his
neighbors. Their large schooner"
wagon beds covered with their
white canvas often filed to the bows
with venison, hams, ginseng and
home made James, linens, lnsies
and coverlets made by the busy
housewife and her daughters were
hauled across hills and mountains,
swollen creeks, and rivers, over roads
that would new be called impossible
loads containing from so to 60 hun
,dred to exchange for salt and iron
and other merchandise Coffee was
rarely purchased. A pound of
coffee often lasted year and was
used only on Sunday After Cum
berland, Nd. became a commercial
center the farmers went there to
exchange their products for goods
Then Morgantown was much near
er trading point, and finally Webster
and Thornton after the B. & O. R. R.
was built. Gradually other places
were established and people hauled
their goods from to supply their
wants.
w. S. LANG
Philippi, W. Va
q