The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-09-22
The Truth About West Iifgiit,ia
PIONEER WOMEN OF WEST VIRGINIA
BY ALMA soloE AoLLANp

Heinrich Heinie said, Whenever
I read history and am impressed
with any great deed, feel 40 II /
should like to see the woman who
Is concealed behind It as its secret
incentive"
History for the most part has
been written about men by men,
because OF the fact that this was in
accord generally with the spirit OF
the times when men were DOM.
nant in most worldly events. But
always there have been women
who have Loyalty and heroically
done their part in helping onward
the progressive destinies OF the hu.
man race.
II Is the personal, human interest
side which lends color to the bare
chronicle OF events and this Is sup.
piled in the main by woman with
her resourcefulness In the face o.
danger, by her fortitude and her
patriotism. No state has more NO.
table pioneer heroines than the
state Of West Virginia.
AS an example Of the courage
which characterizes West Virginia
motherhood there Stands out in
bold relief the story Of Mary ORA.
per Tngles, the first white woman
to see the Ohio River.
One OF the first settlements west
Of the Alleghenies was that Of Ora.
per's Meadows on the New River
Fork OF the Great kanawha, now
the heart Of West Virginia. A half
dozen Virginia. families penetrated
into this fertile, hill.surrounded
country In 1747 and three years 10.
ter NARY. Draper, then eighteen
years old, was married to William
Ingles the son Of a neighboring
farmer.
It was said OF her that "she could
stand by the side of her horse and
leap into the saddle unaided, ride
anything on hoofs, and shoot like
a hunter, as well as helng highly
skilled in all housewifely accom-.
plIshments."
When war broke out and the
western Indians, won to the side Of
the French, were melted to attack
the English speaking settlers, a
band Of marauding Shawnees came
creeping up the Kanawha, and tho
entire settlement Of Diapers Mead.
ows was caught unprepared and
every member Of the little commu.
nifty either killed, wounded or cap.
tured. William Ingles was wound.
ed, the children sent north and
Mary Draper Ingles carried away
captive towards the South.
The Indians stopped at the salt
springs above the mouth OF Camp.
bell Creek, on the north side Of
the Kanawha, where they spent
several days making salt and kill.
ing game. 1t is an interesting fact
that Mary lngles' great.grandson,
John U. Hale, the West Virginia
historian, was for many years a
salt manufacturer within a few hun.
dred Yards Of the spot where she
helped the Indians make salt in
1856.
From the salt springs the party
proceeded down the Kanawhs
where Mrs. TngIes was the first
white woman to see the Ohio Riy.
or, or the River OF Many White
Caps" as the Indians called 1t.
Despite the agony which this
pioneer mother suffered. she mask.
ed 1t under an assumed content.
ment all the while watching for an
opportunity 10 escape. When this
time arrived she was seven hundred
miles from home, husband and
children. But what really looked
like an unsurmountable obstacle
was not great enough 10 prevent
Mary Ingles from making the AZ.
tempt. After getting away from
the Indians she ate leaves, roots
and berries. growing continually
weaker and thinner from hunger.
Her clothing was soon in tatters.
and she bound the strips about her
tired, torn feet with thongs OF