Early Settlers of Augusta County, Virginia The first Settlers of Augusta County, Virginia arrived in the 1720s primarily from Pennsylvania, Maryland and Eastern Virginia. Some were German-born or the Pennsylvania-born children of German-speaking Protestant immigrants from the Palatinate and other areas bordering the Rhine River. These were Lutheran, Reformed, or Brethren. The greatest numbers of early Augusta settlers were from the province of Ulster in the north of Ireland, or were the Pennsylvania and Maryland-born children of these Ulster Scots or Scotch-Irish Presbyterians. Many early settlers took up land on the 112,000-acre tract that the colonial government granted to William Beverley, later referred to as Beverley Manor. In 1739, Benjamin Borden a New Jersey Quaker, received a grant beginning at the southern boundary of Beverley Manor. Borden was promised 1,000 acres for every settler he located, amounting in all to 92,100 acres. John McDowell, a surveyor, helped Borden locate his tract and was rewarded with a large acreage. The Borden Tract later became Rockbridge County, VA. In addition to the Scots Irish, English and African-Americans were also among the early settlers in the area. Many settlers were of of English descent, coming into the area from eastern Virginia. African Americans were also among the early settlers, some free-born, but most enslaved. Although initially small in number, by the Civil War they represented 20% of the population. (Source: Augusta County Historical Society, augustacountyhs.org/history.html)Early Land Acquisition in Augusta County, VA Acquisition of Land from Chalkleys: Page 226.--28th May, 1751. Francis Reiley to James Skeggs Sr., farmer, 100 acres on Little River of Woods River. Page 100.--11th January, 1754. Daniel Ratcliff to James Scags Sr., 104 acres patented to Samuel 22d August, 1753, on Meadow Creek of New River. Page 103.--11th January, 1754. William Pellum to James Scags, 134 acres patented to William 22d August, 1753, on Meadow Creek of New River. Disposition of Land from Chalkleys: Page 49.--26th April, 1769. James ( ) Scaggs (Skeggs), Sr., and Rachel ( ) to James Scaggs, Jr., £100, 104 acres patented to Samuel Ratlive 22d August, 1753, and conveyed to James, Sr., on Meadow Creek, a branch of New River. Teste: William Preston, Richard Whitt, James ( ) Skggs, John ( ) Skggs, Is. Christian, James Buchanan, W. Ingles. Page 51.--25th April, 1769. Same (James ( ) Scaggs (Skeggs), Sr., and Rachel ( )) to Henry Scaggs, £100, 100 acres by deeds from Francis Rieley to James, 29th May, 1751, on Little River, a branch of Woods River The name of James SKAGGS, believed to be the patriarch of the SKAGGS clan in southwest VA and west-central KY, first appears in the records in August 1746 when he and other local residents were appointed to build a new road from Adam HARMANs to the North Branch of the Roanoke River. --Mary B. and F.B. Kegley, Early Adventurers on the Western Waters, v.1 (Orange, VA: Green Publishers, 1980), 367; F.B. Kegley, Kegleys Virginia Frontier, v.? (Roanoke, VA: Southwest Virginia Historical Society, 1938), 117; Ulysses S.A. Heavener, German New River Settlement--Virginia (by the author, 1928; 1961 printing), 12. Kegley, Early Adventurers, 367: James SKAGGS (also SCAGGS, SKEGGS) was one of the earliest residents on Meadow Creek, appearing first in 1749 when he served as one of the appraisers of John ELSWICKs estate. He had lands surveyed as early as 1751 and added other tracts on Meadow Creek and Little River by deed (Chalkley, Chronicles, III, 18, 293, 321; Augusta County surveys). In 1769 James SKAGGS and his wife, Rachel, sold part of their lands to Henry SKAGGS and James SKAGGS, Jr. probably their sons (Chalkley, Chronicles, III, 490). Other tracts were disposed of to Thomas MASTIN and John PLICKINSTARVOR (Summers, Annals, pp.668, 1671). In 1776 the Committee of Safety for Fincastle County recorded that Captain James SKAGGS was unable to serve any longer because of his infirm state of health, and Thomas INGLES was appointed to succeed him. Presumably this is James SKAGGS, Sr. (Harwell, Committee of Safety . . . p.76). There is no record of a will or settlement of James SKAGGS estate in Montgomery County and so no list of children can be established. Other SKAGGS mentioned include James, Henry, Charles, Richard, Moses, and Aaron. In the militia records and tithable lists additional names appear including William, Archibald, John Jr., John (Goard Head), Zachariah, Henry (son of Aaron), James (longman) and Jacob. The D.A.R. lists Charles, James, John, and William. The 1810 Montgomery County census only lists Joseph. Marriages for Isaac in 1787, Jeremiah and Peter in 1788, and William in 1825 are recorded in Montgomery County (Montgomery County marriages; 1810 census; Kegley, Tithables; Kegley, Militia; Kegley, Tax List; D.A.R. Patriot Index). James Skaggs listed on Augusta County Va. tithables /1748 Humberston Lyan deposith that James Conley said Humberston Lyanstole 15 red deer sk ins and also 28 red deer skins which Conley left atthe house of James Skaggs Nov. 19, Augusta County, Va. Settelment South West of Roanoke becomeimportant, four road s to be built, 2nd road was ordered from AdamHarmans on New River to North Branch of Roanoke , with workers includingJames Skaggs Virginia Historical Magazine Vol. 30, page 195 History of Shanandoah Valley by J. Wayland page 538, Story onMathais Tice, Harman-Hein rich Herrmann, his brothers Adam and JacobHarmanand their families were among the first settl ers at Drapers Meadow(Blackstone). From this section Mathais Harman and associates, MichaelSt oner, Casper Mansker, Henry Skaggs, James Skaggs and others operatedinto Kentucky and Tenness ee, especally Kentucky and Harmans Station onthe Louisa River established. _ July 4, James Skaggs, Ebanezer Westcoat and Thomas Ingels appraisesland for John Elswick s, Augusta County Will book James Skaggs listed on Montgomery County Va. tithables May 28, James Skaggs received 100 acres on Little River of WoodsRiver from Francis Rile y Deed Book 3, page 226 Feb. 17, James Skaggs is on the list of bills in the Estate of Col James Pattons Bokk 3 , page 226 Jan. 11, James Skaggs received 104 acres patented to Samuel Ratlifffrom Daniel Ratliff , Deed Book 6, page 100 Augusta County was created from Orange County in 1738. For seven years, until the population grew large enough, Augusta’s records were kept in Orange. In 1745, Augusta elected a sheriff, a vestry, a county court, a minister, and a clerk of court. A courthouse was built on the same site in Staunton (originally called Beverley’s Mill Place) as the current courthouse. The county’s records have been kept continuously at the courthouse since 1745. In that year, the county included all of present southwestern Virginia, most of present West Virginia and even stretched to the Mississippi River. As people began to settle in those western areas, new counties were formed from parts of Augusta, beginning in 1769 with Botetourt County, then Rockingham and Rockbridge in 1778ast unexplored domain West of the Alleghanies-Crowing and Crossing the same-First White Man to see New River-First White man West of this River-Origin of Name-Porter Settles at Mouth of East River-Salley, Howards and St. Clair on Middle-Lower New River-Clinche and Castle in Clinch Valley prior to 1748-Thomas Walker and party cross New River, 1748-Same year Drapers Ingles settlement made-Adam Harman at Gunpowder Spring-1750 Dr. Thomas Walker and others on the Holstein and at Cumberland Gap-Chistopher Gist on the Ohio and visits Mountain Lake-Philip Lybrook settles at Mouth of Sinking Creek-John Lewis and his son Andrew on the Greenbrier-James Burke discovers Burkes Garden-Samuel Culbertson on Culbertsons Bottom-Thomas Farley on New River-Builds a fort-James Ellison born in Farleys Fort-French and Indian War-Washington on the Ohio-Indian Depredations. The country embraced by the New River Valley belonged, at the time the first settlements were made therein by white people, to that vast unknown domain in Augusta County, beyond the Alleghanies, which was sometimes erroneously called West Augusta, stretching from the top of the Alleghanies Westward to the Mississippi River--if not to the uttermost sea. The country at the time mentioned was a vast unexplored wilderness about which the people East of the Aleghanies had very vague and indefinite ideas. Immediately in and near this valley, about or a little before the white people came, the Canawhay tribe of Indians occupied the valley and plateau, now in Carroll and Floyd Counties, Virginia, and from the name of which tribe of Indians, the New and Kanawha Rivers took the name of Kanawha. Where or when the upper part of this same river came to be called New River is not altogether agreed. The late Capt. Charles R. Boyd, upon the authority of Judge David McComas, says it was an Indian name meaning New Water. Hardesty in his geographical history, says that Captain Byrd, who had been employed in 1764 to open a road from the James River to where the town of Abingdon now stands, probably using Jeffersons map of Virginia engraved in France in 1755, and on which this river did not appear, named it New River. The late Major Jed Hotchkiss of Staunton, Virginia, attributed the name to a man by the name of New, who at an early day kept a ferry at or near where Ingles Ferry. John Buchanan in 1748 from his son, William Buchanan (Augusta County Surveys; Montgomery Deed Book A, p 190). Here James Skaggs Sr. operated a ferry across New River, and once in legal possession of the lands, Skaggs petitioned the Montgomery County court to view the possibiltiy of a nearer and better Road, which may be had either by Skaggs place commonly called the old ferry, or by Dunker Bottom, rather than the one presently occupied by William Ingles. From Chalkleys Augusta County Records: Vol. 1 - ORIGINAL PETITIONS AND PAPERS FILED IN THE COUNTY COURT. 1745-1748. - Humberstone Lyon deposeth that James Conoly said Humberstone Lyon stole fifteen red deer skins and also twenty-eight red deer skins which Conoly had left at the house of James Scaggs. Also deposition by Samuel Stolucher, the same. Also deposition by Erwin Patterson. Mary Stern deposes that George Gabriel brought from Jacob Millers. John Blackwelder. Vol. 1 - November 19, 1746. - (130) Road ordered from Adam Harmons to the River and No. Branch of Roan Oak--Adam Harmon, overseer, with these workers: Geo. Draper, Israel Lorton and son, George Hermon, Thos. Looney, Jacob Hermon and three sons, Jacob Castle, John Lane, Valentine Harmon, Adren Moser, Humberston Lyon, James Skaggs Sr., Humphrey Baker, John Davis, Fredk. Stering and two sons and all other persons settling in the precincts. Page 276.--4th July, 1749. John Elswicks appraisement, by Thomas Ingliss, James Skaggs Sr., Ebenezer Westcoat. Page 203.--17th February, 1758. Colonel James Pattons estate; appraised by Thomas Stewart, John Ramsey, Edward Hall. List of bonds, bills, &c., due the estate: James Skaggs Sr., 12th February, 1753. (listed among many others). (Note: the bond of James Skaggs Sr. due James Pattons estate is most likely for the land he acquired on the New River Three months later in March 1779 no report had been forthcoming and men were chosen to meet and view the road by Colonel William Ingles Ferry from the Sinking Spring on the west side of the New River to the Seven Mile Tree (on the east side) and the way petitioned for by James Skaggs Sr. and William Christian, the roads to be measured exactly (Summers, Annals, pp. 699, 705). James McCorkle, being land below the mouth of Little River on the east side and a tract on the west side (Montgomery Deed Book A, p 385). In 1786 part of the old ferry place below the mouth of Little River was sold to Whitts and in 1787 Conrad Wall and James Sallust purchased the remainder of the tract (Montgomery County Deed Book A, pp 419, 427; Summers, Annals, p. 917). The tract sold to Wall and Sallust had a five acre reservation clause by which James Skaggs Sr. and his wife, Rachel , reserved this small tract for their own use. There is no will or inventory recorded for either James or his wife in Montgomery County, but because of the reservation it might be assumed that they lived out their lives at the Skaggs Ferry site. The first white man who is supposed to have entered this valley, was Colonel Abraham Wood in 1654. Wood lived at the Falls of the Appomatox near where the present city of Petersburg, Virginia, now stands, and being, as said, of an adventurous turn of mind, obtained from the Government authority to open trade with the Western Indians. It is supposed, in fact stated, that Colonel Wood came over the Alleghanies at a place now and long known and called Woods Gap in the present county of Floyd, and passed down Little river to the river now known as New River, and seeing a river flowing in a different direction from those up the course of which he had just traveled, he took it to be a new river and gave to it his own name Woods River, and it so appears on some of the oldest maps of Virginia. So far as known, between the date of the discovery of this river by Colonel Wood, Captain Henry Batte in 1666, Thomas Batte and party in 1671, John Salling who was captured by the Indians and carried over this river to the West thereof in 1730, Salley, the Howards and St. Clair in 1742, Dr. Thomas (note: Upon the authority of Haywood, Vaughan of Amelia County, Virginia, with a number of Indian traders crossed New River about Ingles ferry in 1740.) Walker, and his parties in 1748-1750, are the only white men that had seen or crossed New River, or penetrated this vast wilderness country prior to 1748, unless it were the three men whose names are hereinafter mentioned. It is now more than a century and a half since the first white settlement was made in the New River Valley. It has been claimed, in fact conceded, that the first white settlement was made in the year of 1748 by Ingles, Drapers and others near where Blacksburg, in Montgomery county, Virginia, now stands, but this claim is now and has been for many years disputed and upon an investigation it appears from discoveries made at the mouth of East River at its junction with New River in Giles County, Virginia, that in the year of 1780, when Mr. John Toney (note: Built the brick dwelling house at mouth of East River, the first brick house built in Giles County.) and his family, from Buckingham County, Virginia, settled at that place, they found the decayed remains of a cabin and evidences that some of the land around the same had been cleared, and nearby they found a grave with a rough stone at the head, on which was engraved, Mary Porter was killed by the Indians November 28, 1742. (note: This stone with engraving thereon often seen by Dr. Phillip H. Killey and Mr. G. W. Toney.) Then followed something respecting Mr. Porter, but the crumbling away of the stone during the century and a half which has elapsed since its erection, has rendered it illegible.--Hardestys Geographical His. 405. This Ingles-Draper settlement was called Drapers Meadows, but we are told that the name was changed by Colonel William Preston to Smithfield, in honor of his wife, who was a Miss Smith of Louisa County, Virginia. While the Drapers Meadows settlement was not made directly on the New River, it was not far away and the drainage of the waters in the vicinity is into this river. Adam Harman, who came with the Ingles, Drapers and others form Pattonsburg, in the Virginia Valley, shortly after the planting of the Colony, located, probably in the Spring of 1749, on New River at the place now known as Egglestons Springs, but called by the early settlers Gunpowder Spring, from the resemblance of its odor and taste to that of gun powder. This settlement of Harman, save that of Porter at the mouth of East River, is believed to be the oldest settlement made by white people in what is now the territory of Giles County.HENRY SKAGGS 1748 History of Shannondoah Valley by John Wayland, page 538, a story on three Harman brothers being among the first settlers at Drapers Meadow (Blackstone) form this place the Harmans and his associates, Michael Stoner, Gasper Mansker, Henry Skaggs, James Skaggs Sr. and others operated into Kentucky and Tennessee, especially Kentucky and Harmans station on the Louisa River was established. A number of the Conley family went to the Big Sandy Valley of Kentucky in 1763 along with Henry and James Skaggs Sr. of Reed Creek near Fort Chiswell Virginia, and Daniel Boone. Harmon, Connelly, were part of this early expedition. Philip Lybrook, from Pennsylvania, but most likely born in Holland, and of whom we shall have occasion to hereafter speak, settled at the mouth of Sinking Creek on the New River, a short distance below Harmans settlement, about 1750. It is not believed that Lybrook, the correct spelling of whose name in his native tongue is Leibroch, came with the Drapers Meadows settlers, but subsequently. His was the third settlement made by the whites in what is now Giles County. It was upon Harman at Gunpowder Spring in April, 1749, that the Indians committed depredations by stealing his fur skins, but they remained peaceable and quiet until the breaking out of the French and Indian war in the year of 1753, which continued on the border for more than ten years. It seems that Harman suspected a man by the name of Castle as being in league with and as prompting the Indians to steal his fur skins. Castle was at the time on a hunting expedition with the Indians, who were now friendly, in what is now called Castleswoods on the Clinch River in the Western portion of the now County of Russell. Harman obtained from a magistrate of Augusta County a warrant for the arrest of Castle, and with a posse, among them a large, stout, athletic man by the name of Clinche, who had been a hunter in that section, he set out to accomplish his purpose, but met with serious resistance from Castle and the Indians with whom he was engaged in hunting, and forced to beat a retreat, in which his man Clinche was thrown from his horse in crossing the river. Being a lame man from an attack of white swelling, the Indians supposing him disabled from the fall, one of them dashed into the river and seized him, but the great, strong man was an over match for his Indian enemy, and succeeded in drowning him, hence the name Clinche River was given, as the story goes. Dr. Thomas Walker in his journal kept of his journey to and through Cumberland Gap and return in 1750, says: Clinche River was named for a hunter whose name was Clinche. It therefore seems altogether probable that, except Salling, Porter, Castle and Clinche were the first white men to cross the Middle-New River and to explore the territory West thereof. It is stated upon the authority of Mr. Virgil A. Lewis in his recent history, as well as by others, that in 1742, Salley, the Howards and St. Clair crossed the New River below the mouth of Greenbrier and passed over on the Coal River, to which they gave that name. In the year of 1748 Dr. Thomas Walker, of Albemarle County, Colonel James Patton, Colonel John Buchanan, Colonel James Wood and Major Charles Campbell,Capt. James Skaggs Sr. from the neighborhood of Pattonsburg, on the James River, made an excursion into what is now known as Southwestern Virginia. The precise route this party traveled after leaving the New River, or how far they went Westward, seems to be left in doubt. This trip must not be confused with Dr. Walkers second one across the New River westward through Cumberland Gap and into Kentucky in 1750, in which his companions were Ambrose Powell, William Tomlinson, Colby Chew, Henry Lawless and John Hughes. This party on this trip in 1750 gave names, in some instances their own, to several mountains and streams, and on their return home came by way of the site of the present city of Pocahontas, Virginia, and along the Bluestone and Flat Top mountains near the present town of Hinton, and thence up the Greenbrier. See Appendix to His. Southwest Virginia, by Summers. From sketches taken from the diary of Dr. Walker and published by Major Jed Hotchkiss some years ago, it appears that Dr. Walker was the first white man to discover the great coal deposit in the Flat Top region. In his dairy he says that near the mouth of a small creek at the base of a mountain he discovered a large bed of stone coal lying to the north and northwest. As already stated the Drapers Meadows settlement was made in 1748. Whether the settlers made this location prior to Dr. Walkers first journey across the New River or after his return, does not certainly appear, but it is evident that some of the parties who established themselves here must have had some knowledge of the country before the date of settlement. In 1750-1751 Christopher Gist, the employee of the Ohio Company, explored the country west of New River through a portion of Kentucky, returning through what is now Wise County, Virginia, giving his name to a river now in that county, as well also as a station, moving east along the watershed dividing the Clinch, Sandy and the Bluestone, he passed through the territory of what is now the County of Mercer, crossing New River about eight miles above the mouth of Bluestone, and not far below the lower part of Culbertsons Crumps Bottom, now in Summers County, and on the 11th day of May discovered on top of a very high mountain a lake or pond about three-fourths of a mile long, northeast and southwest, and one-fourth of a mile wide, which is supposed to be what is now known as Mountain Lake, in Giles County, Virginia.-- His. So. W.Va., Summers. If tradition well authenticated is to be taken when supported by well attested evidence, then Christopher Gist never saw Mountain Lake in Giles County. (note: If Gist really saw this lake in 1751, then it is evident that water had escaped before 1768.) The earliest settlers in the vicinity of the lake and who lived longest, left the unbroken tradition that when they first knew the place where the lake now exists there was a deep depression between the mountains into which flowed the water from one or more springs which found its outlet at the northeastern portion of the depression, and in this gorge or depression was a favorite salting ground in which the settlers salted their cattle by whose continual tramping the crevices through which the water from the springs found an escape, became closed and the depression began to fill with water. This filling began in 1804 and by 1818 the water in the depression had risen to about one-half its present height. Kerchival in his History of the Valley, at page 343 gives a conversation had by him in the year of 1836 with Colonel Christian Snidow and John Lybrook, which fully substantiates the statement above made, that the lake did not exist when the first settlers knew the place. To reconcile this statement with that of Gist it is fair to presume that after he saw this lake in 1751, the water had escaped through the crevices of the rocks and had disappeared before Snidow, Lybrook, and others saw it in about 1768, and that afterwards it repeated the process of refilling. It is reputed to be rapidly receding, having fallen several feet within the past two years. In 1753, Andrew Culbertson settled on New River on what has been known since his settlement as Culbertsons, or Crumps Bottom, now in Summers County, formerly a part of the territory of Mercer County. This was the first white settlement made within the boundaries of Mercer County. Andrew Culbertson, who lived in Pennsylvania, near to or where the town of Chambersburg is now situate, was compelled on account of the breaking out of the French and Indian war and fear of Indians to leave his land. He sold his claim to Samuel Culbertson, perhaps his brother. The country for some years was so infested with Indians from northwest of the Ohio, that the property appeared to be deserted and abandoned and in fact was. In the meantime other persons began to assert claim to the land, until finally the claims of all became vested in Thomas Farley who in March, 1775, procured the land to be surveyed, took a certificate thereof in order to obtain a grant from the Virginia Land Office, then expected to be shortly opened, and then assigned his right to James Burnsides. (Byrnside.) Long litigation followed over the right and ownership to this land or a part thereof between the Culbertsons, Reid, and Byrnside.--Wythes Chancery Reports, 150. Thomas Farley from Albemarle County, Virginia, came to New River Valley shortly after the coming of Culbertson and immediately on locating on the land referred to, erected a fort near the lower portion of the bottom on the south bank of the river, near what is known as Warford. (note: Shortly after the opening of Dunmores war in 1774, a fort was erected at the mouth of Joshuas Run, on Culbertsons Bottom, called Fort Field.) This fort was known as Farleys and in which James Ellison, whose father came from the State of New Jersey, was born in May, 1778. The father of James Ellison was in the battle of Point Pleasant, and after his return to his home on Culbertsons Bottom, was on the 19th day of October, 1780, while at work about a corn crib, attacked by a party of seven or eight Indians, wounded in the shoulder, captured, and carried some fifteen miles, escaping the day after his capture. In 1774 a woman was killed on Culbertsons Bottom, by the Indians, and about the same time a man by the name of Shockley, on a hill above the bottom, which still bears the name of Shockleys Hill. The James Ellison spoken of, became a distinguished and successful Baptist minister, and was instrumental in planting a number of Baptist churches in this section, among them the Guyandotte Baptist church, in 1812, where Oceana, in Wyoming County, is now situated. He was the father of the late Matthew Ellison, of Beckley, West Virginia, and who was regarded the most distinguished Baptist preacher in this section in his day. James Burke, who was one of the Drapers Meadows settlers, on a hunting expedition in 1753, wounded an elk and followed it through what is now called Henshues Gap, into that beautiful body of magnificent land which has since borne the name of Burkes Garden, about which and the discoverer more will be said later on. The Indian (note: When first seen by white men, contained a large number of acres of wet, marshy land, evidently once a lake. The waters flowing out of Burkes Garden are the head springs of Wolf Creek.) name for this beautiful land was Great Swamp. The family of Harmans were of German origin, Adam Heinrich Hermann emigrating to America in 1726, with a brief stop over the Isle of Man, where Henry Harman of this sketch was born. (3) Seven Harman brothers emigrated from Germany together, Jacob, Valentine, Mathias, George, Daniel, John, and Heinrich Adam. They first stopped off in Pennsylvania, then emigrated to the Shenandoah Valley and some on into North Carolina. At least three of these brothers settled in Southwest Virginia, namely, Heinrich Adam, Valentine and Jacob. They were living in the New River German settlement, the first settlement ever made west of the Alleghenies on the Western Waters, and were living there prior to 1745. In 1749 Moravian Missionaries conducted the first recorded religious services in Southwest Virginia in the home of Jacob Harman, and Dr. Thomas Walker mentions stopping at the home of Harman on his memorable exploration trip in 1750.At this period the English ministry adopted the aggressive policy already mentioned in connection with the French and Indian war, indicative of a determination to contest with France the right to occupy the interior of the continent. This policy had been inaugurated by Virginia with the express purpose of stimulating the adoption of a similar policy by North Carolina and Pennsylvania. Two land companies, organized almost simultaneously, actively promoted the preliminaries necessary to settlement, despatching parties under expert leadership to discover the passes through the mountains and to locate the best land in the trans-Alleghany. In June, 1749, a great corporation, the Loyal Land Company of Virginia, received a grant of eight hundred thousand acres above the North Carolina line and west of the mountains. Dr. Thomas Walker, an expert surveyor, who in company with several other gentlemen had made a tour of exploration through eastern Tennessee and the Holston region in 1748, was chosen as the agent of this company. Starting from his home in Albemarle County, Virginia, March 6, 1750, accompanied by five stalwart pioneers, Walker made a tour of exploration to the westward, being absent four months and one week. On this journey, which carried the party as far west as the Rockcastle River (May 11th) and as far north as the present Paintsville, Kentucky, they named many natural objects, such as mountains and rivers, after members of the party. Their two principal achievements were the erection of the first house built by white men between the Cumberland Mountains and the Ohio River a feat, however, which led to no important developments; and the discovery of the wonderful gap in the Alleghanies to which Walker gave the name Cumberland, in honor of the ruthless conqueror at Culloden, the bloody duke.In 1748 the Ohio Company was organized by Colonel Thomas Lee, president of the Virginia council, and twelve other gentlemen, of Virginia and Maryland. In their petition for five hundred thousand acres, one of the declared objects of the company was to anticipate the French by taking possession of that country southward of the Lakes to which the French had no right . . . . By the royal order of May 19, 1749, the company was awarded two hundred thousand acres, free of quit-rent for ten years; and the promise was made of an additional award of the remainder petitioned for, on condition of seating a hundred families upon the original grant and the building and maintaining of a fort. Christopher Gist, summoned from his remote home on the Yadkin in North Carolina, was instructed to search out and discover the Lands upon the river Ohio & other adjoining branches of the Mississippi down as low as the great Falls thereof. In this journey, which began at Colonel Thomas Cresaps, in Maryland, in October, 1750, and ended at Gists home on May 18, 1751, Gist visited the Lower Shawnee Town and the Lower Blue Licks, ascended Pilot Knob almost two decades before Find lay and Boone, from the same eminence, saw with pleasure the beautiful level of Kentucky, intersected Walkers route at two points, and crossed Cumberland Mountain at Pound Gap on the return journey. This was a far more extended journey than Walkers, enabling Gist to explore the fertile valleys of the Muskingum, Scioto, and Miami rivers and to gain a view of the beautiful meadows of Kentucky.
Posted on: Fri, 18 Jul 2014 19:09:07 +0000
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