The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1929-10-10
SENECA TRAIL, A MOST
PICTURESQUE HIGHWAY
Scenery Along Route Said To
Surpass In Beauty Any Other
Eastern Section of u. S.
By Ross B. Johnson.

esque highways in, America and will
eventually be one of the best known.
Construction work on hard-surfaced
roads is being pushed so that in the
near future it will be possible in any
weather to pass over the entire route
from the Virginia border through Mer-
Ger, Monroe, Greenbrier, Pocahontas,
Randolph, Tucker and a corner of
Preston counties into Maryland, where
connection is made with the North
western Turnpike and eventually with
the National Highway. At Princeton
it joins with Federal Routes 10 and 20.
The Seneca Trail closely follows the
old Indian trail, known as the Warri-
Is Road which topped the mountains
of Western Virginia and served as a
highway for the Indians from New
York to Georgia. 1t touches the Cheat,
Tygart, Greenbrier, New and Blue
stone Rivers and is near the Mononga-
hela and Shenandoah National forests.
A brief but interesting glimpse of
Preston cOunty's mountain section is
had by the traveller who follows the
trail south from Red House, Mary
land.
Tucker county has a wealth of beau
ty spots, most noted of which is the
falls of the Blackwater, GO feet high,
This stream drains the famed Canaan
Valley, great natural bowl of more
than $4,000 acres in the very heart of
the mountains, which was made fam
Gus by the pen of THE Clerk of Oxen
ford" David Hunter Strother. Most
of the country lies in the Monongahela
National Forest and the forest nurs
cry near Parsons. Near Thomas the
Fairfax stone originally marked the
northern and western limits Of the
lands of Lord Fairfax.
Eastward lies the South Branch Val
lev including Romney, Moorefeld,
Franklin and Petersburg, with their
particular points of interest. Here is
"The Smoke Hole" Seneca Rocks, var
ious other giant crags worthy of al
most equal note, "The Trough" of the
South Branch, Petersburg Gap, Ice
Mountain and other interesting OBJ
jects.
Randolph County, battle SCARED,
has much scenic and historic interest.
1t once had numerous blockhouses as
frontier defenses against the Indians.
Elkins has Davis and Elkins College,
the Odd Fellows Home, Children's
Home and other points of interest.
The battlefelds of Laurel Hill and
Rich Mountain are nationally known.
Civil War earthworks are to be seen
at Elkwater The monument at Mingo
Flats is said to mark the site of the
last Indian village in the State. At
"The Sinks" at Osceola, the Candy
River cuts under a mountain for two
miles.
Middle Mountain was the summer
encampment of General Robert E. Lee.
The battle of Duncan's Lane, May %,
1868, was between home guards, con-
testing the first election ever held in
West Virginia.
Marlinton, settled in 1749, is the
oldest recorded settlement west of the
Alleghanies. Here stood Fort Green
brier. Here in 1851 General Lewis
marked the Charter Oak, still stand
ing, a member of the American Hall
of Fame trees. Marlinton saw Civil
War fighting. Here encamped Gen
eral Lee. The old Indian trail is very
plainly seen at this point. Buckeye
had powder mill during the Revolu-
ton. Travellers Repose is a noted
old inn. Bald Knob, 1902 feet high, is
the highest point in the State. Mime
haha Springs is prominent health re-
sort. Nearby is the splendid estate of
Col. H. R. Wyllie The noted Gran
berry Glades with varied animal and
plant life is not far away.
The Seneca Forest of 10000 acres is
a forest and game preserve. On the
hill facing Hillsboro is Droop Noun
tain important Civil War battlefield.
Lewisburg was a mastering point
for the frontiersmen of Augusta, b.
tetourt and Fincastle counties, from
which center General Lewis marched
his army to break the power Of the
Indians under Cornstalk at Point
Pleasant.
At the camp, called Camp Union,
Fort Savannah was built and near it
Fort Donnelly and Fort Springs.
East lies White Sulphur Springs,
fashionable summer and health resort,
and frequented by notables of every
generation for nearly two hundred
years. Here is Kate's Mountain, not
ed for its rare and abundant plant life.
Organ Cave, near the border of
Greenbrier and Mercer counties, is
one of the largest caves in the State.
1t is electrically lighted and contains
many interesting formations. Rapp's
Cave, near frankfort, is another
large cave.
Ronceverte is an important railroad