gon maker, 1 smith shop, 1 gun^ persimmons, and blackberries, grow
smith, 1 watch maker and silver! in such abundance that many ships
smith, 3 cabinet makers, 1 saddler, 3, might be loaded with them. The for-
boot and shoe factories, 1 cooper, l;ests abound with nuts and fruits
tailor, 1 grist and 5 saw mills, seve-j which rear and fatten large quantities
ral house carpenters, and 10 lumber' of hogs, and reduce the price or pork
merchants, by whom large quantities! to 2 cents per pound, — other products
of lumber are shipped annuallv from are equally cheap. The climate is
this place to the different markets oirmild, and the country o-enerally well
WESTERN VIRGINIA— JACKSON. 365
refreshed with rain during- the sum-
mer months. In point of health this
place has few superiors. Unimproved
land is worth one dollar per acre, —
improved from three to five dollars,
and quarter acre lots in Skinnston
sell at fifteen dollars. The village
contains- 17 families — aggregate pop-
ulation 100 persons; of whom 1 is a
physician.
JACKSON.
Jackson was created by the Legislature in March, 1 831, and formed
from portions of Mason. Kanawha and Wood. It is bounded N. E. by
Wood, E. by Lewis, S. by Kanawha, S. W. by Mason, and N. W. by the
Ohio river. Its form is irregular. It lies between 38° 32' and 39° 12' N.
lat. Its length is 33 ms. : mean breath 24 ; and area 850 sq. ms. The Ohio
washes its north western border for a space of 34 ms. Several large and
valuable creeks intersect it. Great Mill creek rises in the southern part of
the county, and after pursuing a south easterly course 15 ms. turns to the
N., thence to the N. W. and empties into the Ohio, 4 ms. above the corner
of the county. Its length is 65 ms., half of which is navigable for boats.
Two miles below Ripley on this stream, are situated 1 manufacturing flour
mill, 1 saw mill, 1 wool carding and turning machine, a distillery and cab-
inet maker's shop: a few miles below this, there is another mill. Sandy
creek, 8 ms. N. of Great Mill creek, is the next stream in importance; it
enters the Ohio in 39° 07' N. lat. This little creek is inhabited by an in-
dustrious and enterprising class of people, who have in the last three years
transported nearly $10,000 worth of lumber to market. Pond creek in the
northern part of the county is a good sized mill stream, but too small for
navigation ; the greater part of this stream is in Mason county. It empties
into the Ohio in lat. 39° 15' N. Reedy and Spring creeks rise in this
county, — the first pursuing a N. E., the latter a N. course. They pass into
Wood county, and after a short course, empty into the Little Kanawha.
The West Fork of Little Kanawha flows through this count)' - , for a distance
of 10 ms. and affords some excellent sites for water works. Pocotalico
rises in this county, and flowing in a south westerly course, it enters Ka-
nawha county, and forms a junction with Little Kanawha river. This
eounty is not mountainous, but may be said to be a mass of hills, the high-
est of which, are in the eastern side of the county. The soil is, as in many
parts of western Virginia, well adapted to grazing. The bottom lands
along Mill creek and its branches, are of the first quality, — other creeks
also present fine bottoms, and there is much arable land besides that on the
water courses.. The productions of the county, are Indian corn, wheat, rye,
oats, flax, hemp, tobacco, potatoes and other productions usual in the same
latitude. The principal exports from the interior part of the county, are
cattle and pork; — along the Ohio the people export large quantities of
staves, hoop-poles, boats and lumber of every description. The agriculture
of the county may be said to be yet in its infancy, however, large quantities
of corn, &c. are carried down the Ohio annually, to difterent'markets. Or-
chards are not numerous, but where they have been planted early and nur-
tured with care, produce in abundance. This county abounds with the
finest of thrifty white oak, both on the bottoms and ridges, — also black oak,
hickory, dogwood, sugar maple, poplar, ash 7 elm, lynn and sycamore, and
366
WESTERN VIRGINIA— JACKSON.
on many of the ridges groves oi yellow pine. The lands along the Ohio
river and other streams in this county, are alluvial, being composed of the
washings of the higher lands and hills, in which it is no uncommon thing
to find large logs, &c. buried a considerable depth below the surface; and
the higher level lands along the Ohio river, are generally composed of sand
and round gravel, similar to that found in the bed of the river, and com-
monly lays in waves parallel to the river, which proves that it was once 60
or 70 feet higher than at the present time. There are in some of the north-
ern ranges of hills in this county an abundance of excellent limestone; in
some other parts there have been found small veins of mineral coal, and in
the vicinity of the C. H. are appearances of salt water. There are in this
county 3 mercantile stores, 8 saw mills, 5 grist mills, 1 distillery and 1
carding machine, and 5 tanneries. Population 3,300. It belongs to the
19th judicial circuit and 10th district. Tax paid in 1833, $259 80— in
1834, on lots, $4 36— on land, 8134 79—31 slaves, $7 75—972 horses,
$58 32 — 5 studs, $22 00. Total 227 22. No school commissioners re^
port for 1832. Expended in 1833, $113 28,
TOWNS, VILLAGES, POST OFFICES, &c.
RIPLEY, P. V. and Seat of Jus-]
tice, 350 ms. N. of R. and 341 W. of|
W., situated in lat. 38° 52' N., 8 ms.j
above Wright's mill, and 12 from the
Ohio river, on the Great Mill creek,
at its confluence with Sycamore creek, j
It is a flourishing village, although
but recently established. From its j
location in the valley of Mill creek,
and its being j n a direct line between
Charleston, Kanawha, (distant 42
ms.) and Parkersburg, in Wood Co.,
it is anticipated that it will one dayj
be a place of some trade. At present
it contains besides the ordinary coun-
ty buildings, which are substantially
built of brick, 12 dwelling houses, 2
hotels, 1 common school, 1 mercan-
tile store, 1 mill wright, 1 house join-
er, 2 smith shops, 1 tanyard, 1 boot
and shoe factory, 2 tailors, 1 brick
layer and 1 saw mill. Populution
about 120 persons; of whom 2 are at-
torneys, and 2 regular physicians.
There are within one mile of the C.
H. 32 dwelling houses, and 160 in-
habitants.
County Courts are held on the ith
Monday in every month; — Quarter-
ly in March, June, August and No-
vember.
Circuit Superior Courts of Law
and Chancery are held on the 10th
of April and September, by Judge
Summers.
Reeds', P. O. 360 ms. N. W. of
R. and 334 W. of W. C, situated 1Q
ms. N. of Ripley.
Wright's Mills, P. O. 315 ms.
N. W. by «W. of R. and 315 S. W.
by W. of W., situated at the falls of
Great Mill creek. This place de-
serves notice from the singular freak
which nature has here played. The
creek which is generally 80 yards
wide, is here contracted to the space
of forty-five feet, allowing between
two ledges of rock which constitute
the banks, to the height of 16 ft. over
a bottom of solid rock. Immediately
below this narrow passage, the creek
widens to its usual size, and the falls
commence. The descent is 7 feet in
120 yards. At the lower end of the
falls, the creek is 100 yards wide, and
affords one of the best harbors ever
known in a stream of this size, being
about 100 yards in diameter, of a cir-
cular form, and on the N. side, pro-
tected from ice, &c. by a high point
of rocks, projecting a considerable dis-
tance into the creek. From this to
the Ohio river, the navigation is good
during the spring freshets. — a dis-
Western Virginia— jefferson. 367
tance of 4 miles- At this place are' 1 1 dwelling houses, 3 school houses,
situated, 1 extensive manufacturing j 1 mercantile store, and 1 smith shop,
flour mill, 2 sawmills, 1 grist mill, I Population 55.
JEFFERSON.
Jefferson was created by the Legislature m 1801, and formed from a
portion of Berkley county. It is bounded N. by the Potomac river, which
separates it from Washington county, of Maryland, — E. by the Blue Ridge
separating it from Loudoun, — S. by Frederick, — and W. by Berkley. Its
mean length is 22 ms. ; breadth 10; and area 220 sq ms., extending in lat.
from 39° 10', to 39° 20' N., and in long from 0° 43', to 1° 02' W. of W.
C. The Shenandoah river enters this county near its south eastern border,
and flowing in a N. E. direction, parallel with the Blue Ridge, it enters
the Potomac at Haper's Ferry. The face of this county is rolling but very
fertile. Most of the inhabitants are good farmers; and the county is proba-
bly as wealthy in proportion to its size as any in the state. The lands have
been enhanced in value from one hundred to one hundred and fifty percent
by the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, and the Baltimore and Ohio Rail Road,
both of which, reach the county at Harper's Ferry; and taken in connec-
tion with the Winchester and Harper's Ferry Rail Road, which passes di-
agonally through the county, the Shenandoah flowing through the eastern
portion, and the Potomac along the northern border, afford the citizens as
many facilities for transportation as the tide water counties possess. The
decline of the county is N. N. E. The water elevation at Harper's Ferry
being 182 ft. above tide water, that of the arable soil cannot fall short of 400
ft. This county has been for the most part settled by old Virginia families
from the eastern part of the state, and the inhabitants still retain that high
chivalrous spirit, and generous hospitality, for which that race, was so re-
markable in the palmy days of their prosperity. Population in 1810,
11,851,— in 1820, 13,087— in 1830, 12,927. This county belongs to the
13th judicial circuit and 7th district. Tax paid in 1833, 84,963 97 — in
1834, on lots, $677 93— land, $2,690 82—2,354 slaves, $588 50—4,308
horses, $258 48—17 studs, $232 00—143 coaches, $326 80—2 stages,
$4 00—31 carryalls, $31 00—51 gigs, $38 50. Total, $4,848 08.
Expended in educating poor children in 1832, $705 26 — in 1833,
$670 05.
TOWNS, VILLAGES, POST OFFICES, &c.
CHARLESTOWN,P. V.andSeatf'and several other schools, 9 mercan-
of Justice, 182 ms. from R. and 60 N.| tile stores, 2 apothecary shops, 1
W. of W., situated 10 ms. S. W. by] printing office, from which a weekly
W. of Harper's Ferry, with which it i paper is issued, 3 tanneries, 3 sad-
is connected by an excellent turnpike, jdlers, 1 turner, and various other me-
Besides the usual county buildings, it' chanics, and 1 manufacturing flour
contains 200 dwelling houses, — a mill. Its situation is eligible and
Methodist, Episcopalian, and a Pres-| healthy, and surrounded by a fertile
byterian house of worship, a branch land wealthy country. The Sbenan-
of the Bank of the Valley, 1 academy 'doah Springs, formerly a place of con-
368
WESTERN VIRGINIA— JEFFERSON.
siderable resort, are in the neighbor-iin the United States. The principal
hood of this place. The Winchester curiosities of the place, are Jefferson's
and Potomac Rail Road,, now in pro-
gress, will pass through Charlestown.
Population 1,200 persons; of whom 7
are attorneys, and 6 regular physi-
cians.
County Courts are held on the 3rd
Monday in every month; — Quarter-
Rock and the Maryland Pinnacle,
from the highest point of which, with
the aid of a good glass, may be seen
towns at the distance of 30 ms.
Those great national works, the
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, and the
Baltimore and Ohio Rail Road are
ly in March, May, August and No- now completed to this place, Avhich
vember. circumstance has already had a very
Judge Parker holds his Circuit! sensible effect on it, for the better.
Superior Court of Law and Chance-' There are 3 arrivals and departures
ry on the 25ih of March and \0th of of the mail to and from the east, and
October. 3 from the west in each week. There
Harper's Ferry, P. V. 174 ms.'is also a mail from Hagerstown, by
from R. and 52 S. W. by W. of W. Harper's Ferry and Leesburg to
This place has risen at the justly eel- Washington City, twice a week. —
ebrated pass of the Potomac through' Formerly Harper's Ferry was con-
the Blue Ridge, and is situated im-'sidered unhealthy, but for the last 5
mediately at the junction of the Poto-
mac and Shenandoah rivers, on the
right bank of Potomac, above the
years it has been quite the reverse.
We borrow a more extensive ac-
count of the scenery of Harper's Fer-
mouth of Shenandoah. The level ofjry, and the United States Armory
low water at the junction of the two and Arsenal, there located, from a pe-
rivers, is 182 ft. above tide water at riodical published a few years since.
Georgetown. It is distant 22 ms. "The Shenandoah, after running
S. W. by W. of Frederick, Maryland, along the foot of the Blue Ridge in a
and 25 almost due south of Hagers-' direction nearly north-east, turns sud-
town. It contains about 500 houses, 1 denly to the east, and mingles its wa-
2 hotels kept in the best style, 3jters with those of the Potomac, at the
houses of public worship, 1 Methodist, 1 point where the latter, after flowing
1 free for all denominations, and 1 through a deep and well wooded dell,
Catholic. The last is one of th
handsomest and neatest buildings in
from north-west to south-east, is en-
tering that singular gap in the Ridge,
the state, — in this church, there is a through which the waters escape,
fine toned organ, and it is ornamented! The valleys of both rivers are roman-
by a beautiful steeple, which ascends, tic, and that of the Potomac unites sin-
lo the height of about 150 ft. above gularity with beauty.
the level of the river. There are 2
We are accustomed to find valleys
academies, (1 male, and 1 female,) and running parallel to mountain chains
2 common schools, 9 mercantile stores; and separating ridge from ridge ; the
and 2 apothecary shops, a lodge of j whole of the great valley, which lies
masons, and 1 of odd fellows, 1 print- between the North Mountain and the
ing office, from which a weekly pa- Blue Ridge, and which is called in
per is issued, 4 tailors, 3 boot and
shoe factories, 1 saddler, 1 silversmith,
1 coppersmith and tin plate worker.
3 house carpenters, 2 smith shops,
and 1 wagon maker. There are 2
this part of the country "the valley"
par excellence, presents an alternation
of such parallel, low lands and inter-
vening heights; the Shenandoah oc-
cupymg one of the former.
extensive manufacturing flour mills,! valley of the Potomac is not of this
and 1 of the most valuable saw mills class, it intersects at right angles the
7
WESTERN VIRGINIA— JEFFERSON.
369
great mountain ranges and the sys-l
tem of smaller elevations which are|
subordinate to them ; and the river is
thus distinguished from the more nu-
merous class of streams, which oc>
cupy the bottoms of ordinary valleys
The Potomac is not, however, a soli
tary example of this kind, on the con
traiy, most of our great Atlantic riv
ers penetrate the mountains by exten
sive lateral valleys, or are said, with !
some degree of impropriety, to break',
through the mountains at right angles |
to their direction. These profound
passes are not uncommon in other
parts of the world, and present seve-
ral varieties. A deep raviTie, in which!
the rocks, presenting unequal resis-
tance, have separated unequally, and
where the stream, which rushes
through this accidental outlet, leaps
from rock to rock, and is alternately
seen foaming in the cataract or lost
inthe narrow and gloomy gulf be-
low: in short where the waters are ;
not to be regarded as flowing over a 1
bed, but rather as penetrating through;
crevices, which earthquakes have bro-
ken inthe immense wall that confined!
them. Such is the appearance, which j
theoiy would assign to these trans-!
verse valleys arid their streams; but;
such is not the valley of the Potomac.}
As seen from Harper's Ferry it. pre-
sents a bed of nearly uniform declivi-;
ty and width, corresponding in these!
respects with that of the Shenandoah.;
a valley, as I have before observed, of]
a different class. The channels of
both rivers are of rock, much broken,;
but presenting on the whole a regular j
declivity, and passing in highly in-
clined strata across the river. Thej
prevailing rocks of the whole neigh-
borhood being a coarse granite con- J
taining unusually large grains of!
quartz, and a species of slate stone. {
The breadth of the Potomac is from!
two hundred and fifty to three hun-j
dred yards; that of the Shenandoah ,j
one hundred and fifty. Both rivers j
are shallow, so shallow that the wa-i
ter leaves innumerable necks bare in
every part of the channel, whose sides
are worn by thousands of petty rapids,
which fret and struggle among the
large blocks of granite.
The town extends itself in contempt
of all order, along both sides of the
hill which divides the two rivers, and
runs up to the jaws of the picturesque,
but in no way tremendous, pass of the
Potomac. At the point of this tongue
of land is the armory; on the left, and
nearly even with the water, the work-
ing part of the arsenal: on the right
and over hanging the western bank
of tne Shenandoah, is Jefferson's Rock.
On the opposite banks of the two
rivers the cliffs are more bold and
striking. That, on the Maryland
side, is supposed to resemble the pro-
file of Washington, an illusion very
pleasing to those whose minds are not
adapted to relish the beauties of na-
ture. The two cliffs, of which we
have spoken, form a noble entrance
to the romantic valley which lies be-
yond, embosomed among woods and
mountains and winding among the
projections of the latter until its exit
is again guarded by immense rocks,
where a passage, corresponding to
that at Harper's Ferry, is broken
through the Short Hills — a chain pa-
rallel to the Blue Ridge, and con-
nected with it by spurs which inclose
on every side this dell that contains
so many elements of the picturesque.
The mountains, of considerable height,
are clothed to their summit by forests
of oak and pine, from out the thick
shade of which, project immense
masses of granite, that yet stand the
stern witnesses of some tremendous
convulsion, the traces of which not
even time, that has for thousands of
years been scattering their debris
daily below, has been able to oblite-
rate. The base of these mountains
presents elevated and very rugged
cliffs, which, projecting into the val-
ley, break its uniformity, and give a
wilder aspect to the river, that spreads
itself between th em.
A greater abundance of water
370
WESTERN VIRGINIA—JEFFERSON.
would convert this valley into a sin-
gularly wild and beautiful lake, a
mirror worthy of the noble objects it
would reflect. But the character of
the Potomac is the same here as be-
fore its waters are united with those
of the Shenandoah. A channel, too
extended for the stream, presents eve-
ry where its rugged bed, interspersed
with thousands of rills and small pools
of water. Yet has this deficient
stream, a sublimity of its own; the
rugged bed is in unison with the
rocks which overhang it, and with
the dark and often blasted pines, which
clothe them; and if, in awful gran-
deur, it cannot be compared with the
passage of the Rhone through the
Alps, or in beauty, with some of the
smaller lakes, so abundant in the
northern states of eur own country, it
is yet a most highly impressive scene.
Commanding interest from the praise
of one whose praise was celebrity,
Harper's Ferry seems often to have
disappointed foreigners who expected
to find a scene as unique as the Nat-
ural Bridge, and as sublime as the
falls of Niagara.
Those who form such extravagant
expectations will not have them real-
ised, but the rational admirers of na-
ture will find abundance to admire in
the beauty, the grandeur, and the sim-
plicity of the spot.
This subject gives us occasion to
regret, that the many commanding po-
sitions, which our mountains present,
should be so little known. The wes-
tern part of Virginia abounds in ro-
mantic scenery, but the traveller may
toil for hours in its immediate vicinity,
plunged in a depth of shade, that ex-
cludes all idea of the beauty by which
he is surrounded; to ascend the moun-
tains is difficult, and adds but little to
his chance of gratification ; the foli-
age is nearly as thick there as at their
base; but the necessary local know-
ledge would be at the command of all, |
if those, who annually make summer!
excursions through our country, were
as ardent admirers of nature as they
commonly are of Warm Springs or
other spots, which draw together a
number of half sick, half idle people,
who lounge away the best part of the
year. As an instance, how many
Dr. Syntaxes in starch of the pictu-
resque, of the company at the springs,
or the wonders of Weyer's Cave,
plunge in the interminable shades of
Brown's Gap, which brings so forci-
bly to mind the falsehood of Thom-
son's lines.
I care not fortune what vou ine deny,
You cannot bar me from fair nature's
grace.
You cannot shut the windows of the sly
Through which Aurora shews her smil-
ing face.
How many unhappy wights per-
form this darksome pilgrimage, when
they might, a few miles off" from
Turk's Gap, have seen the sun rise
over a landscape, which exhibits the
country, towards tide water, spreading
out in an extent of forest as boundless '
and level as the ocean, to the north
and south the long chain of the Blue
Ridge, to the west the well cultivated
valley watered by the Shenandoah,
adorned by detached and picturesque
mountains, and bounded by the ha2y
and unbroken line of the North
Mountain.
To return to Harper's Ferry. The
exit of the river at the Short Hills on
the Maryland side is called the Point
of Rocks; it is here that two rival com-
panies contended for the exclusive
right to possess a narrow gorge,
which now gives passage at once to a
river, a canal, and a Rail Road. A
handsome wooden bridge, seven hun-
dred and fifty feet from one abutment
to the other, and with a space between
the piers of more than one hundred
and eighty ft., connects the town with
the Maryland shore ; whilst the funds
for a similar structure over the Shen-
andoah have already been subscribed.*
* This work we believe has since beea
completed.
WESTERN VIRGINIA— JEFFERSON.
371
The former bridge is simple and dis-jtion, burst the stone asunder, and pro=
plays the skill of the engineer; it is ject the pieces forward. The barrel
sustained by arches formed of three
tiers of planks placed edgeways, and
whose joints give shift to each other:
king posts, fanning from tile centre,
â– :e these planks and sustain a roof,
â– through these cheeks, bears
against the stone, and is drawn across
it with a motion resembling that of a
screw.
The stocks are shaped by a ma«
which, by its diagonal fram ig, serves chine, the idea of which seems to
to give stability in a lateral direction.! have been borrowed from an aamira-
The bridge is double. Did not the ble contrivance in the celebrated
name of the engineer, by whom this Block Machinery of Brunei. The
structure was erected, give sufficient writer was struck immediately with
guarantee for its excellence, the ojb- the resemblance, and, on inquiry,
server might fear that economy hadj found that the inventor, Blanchard,
been too much consulted in the mate- had previously introduced the use of
rials.
The national arsenil at Harper's
Ferry is an object worthy of attention.
Eighty or ninety thousand stand of
Brunei's machinery in this country.
The reader will readily form a
general idea of this machine. Let
him imagine two wheels, eight or ten
arms are usually kept there, and asi inches in diameter, placed one behind
these are sent off to other depositaries! the other, and in the same plane; one
their place is supplied from the exten- 1 of these has a smooth, round edge,
sive manufactory adjacent. It is in- the other is furnished with steel cut-
terestin^ to observe the facility with
ters, which are parallel to the circum-
which a weapon, so complicated as ference. Further let him suppose
the musket, is produced. A bar of two turning lathes, placed side by
iron is forged into a rough tube, the side, in the one an iron stock as a
interior of which is formed into a guide or pattern, in the other the