Beckley Post-Herald from Beckley, West Virginia • Page 91

MORNING, AUGUST 26, 1950 BECKLEY POST-HERALD CENTENNIAL EDITION, Early Settlers Began Making Homes In Wyoming County 150 Years RALPH STEWART SECOND MAN TO FOLLOW COOKS Edward McDonald, Shannon, nd Morgan Followed Although John Cooke, progenitor of the numerous Cook clan, was the firstxpermanent settler in Wyoming County, arriving in 1799, he was soon followed by other hardy pioneers who carved homes out of the wilderness 150 years ago. It is interesting to note, too, that, like John Cooke, the other earliest settlers have left hundreds of descendants, Among these prominent first families are the Steuam, the Shannons, the Baileys, the Morgans, and others. to Rev. C. P.

Goode, Wyoming second permanent settler to arrive in i was Captain Ralph Stewart, in the year 1800. He had a soldier in the Revolution and had married as his second wife -Mary Clay, a daughter of Mitchell the first settler in Mercer Captain Stewart built a cabin upon the waters of Clear Fork, thus becoming the second white settler in Wyoming County. Then, in 1802, Edward MvOon- al 1 appeared upon the wilderness scene as the third settler, He had obtained 8-JO acres of land in 1784 on the Bottom Fork" below Cooke. He had also served as a soldier in the Revolution, but thought it safer to postpone his coming to the "Biff Bottom" until after "Mad A Wayne's great victory over the Indians, at Fallen Timbers. In the same year, 1802, McDonald's son in law, Captain Jaities Shannon, came to the Big Fork of Guyan and settled at Hartley.

I 1804; Thomas Morgan, who had been an Indian Ranger on the Tazewell frontier, settled on I i a Creek, just above the i of an Shau'nee-Mingo Indian village, which gave the creek its Four Prominent Figures In Wyoming's History Sectional Strife I James Gunnoe, Early Settler, During Civil War Has 222 Great-Grandchildren (Continued From J'age 8) i James Anderson Gunnoe was born at Craney, Wyoming Coun- Aunt Juda, went into the 10 19U He was the so federate lines and remained away oi Andrew Jackson and Pollie until a a 1863, when he came! CarUel beiT Gunnoe, a member of home for a visit. While at home on! a of ten. At the age of the night of January 20, some fj i ne volunteered for serv- Neumann's men at home on stout i i in the Confederate Army. His surrounded his home and'early service record is incomplete. I made him prisoner; thrusi their is known that he was later as' bayonets into hams and sides i to the 45th Virginian Bat- meat taken from his smoke house a i and was selected to be in and took Morgan away.

He group of twelve sharpshooters, confined in the Union prison a i of whose names are remem- Camp Chase, Ohio, where he died'bered: Jim George, Frone George, Dave Hale, John Brooster, Saulsberry Staton, Jim Lemon, Mann llem Lumber J. K. Cook, and Hayes Cook. SChMl W. i a then a well-known Wyoming County attorney; O.

Ib Wittenburg, of the Buskirk Wit- i of small pox the next spring. Dave Meadows Killed In the fall of 1862, David Mea- Davis. 1he latter was killed ac- dows, who lived on Cabin 10 rjn i ne war He three at work in his' field was who lived Raleigh jshot from ambush. Some were Pig Davis, Gar- jwere suspected of the crime "avis, and Dim Davis. was never known who did the' Jim (James) Gunnoe was early to the rank of sergeant During the year 1861, Captain a a se rvcd approximately 'Sanders Mullens of the Union ee before the battle of Guards met with some of 1 right leg just above the knee.

He said later that his Early Pioneers Baileysville District Was Settled By Capt. Shannon Captain James Shannon, who Bounty witl1 i A skirmish took place in! (Photo Courtesy Mrs. a i i i bel) was move a om He was buried on the i a he made i his entire above where Herbert Cook now'f hc was wounded lives at Jesse i dropped nis gun, grabbed his leg, and tried to walk Shortly a the above skirmish, Captain Blaxeivs i on Uosiah Cook home near where Bounded were M'KBiNEY WAS F1RSTBARKERS Homes Were Established In District About The Year 1845 According to early court records, the first settlers in Ridge District were Joseph McKinney, John Howerton, Jeremiah Shrewsbury, Jordon McKinney. Timer" H. Lester, Eli Lusk, Thomas Godfrey, Floyd Lusk.

Gordon Lusk, John Belcher, Samuel Bell, William Mills, John G. W. Reinbart, Col. Thomas Little and Micajah Bailey. Joseph McKinney came from Brush Creek in Mercer County and settled near Basin in 1845 or 1846.

His aged father, Joseph, came with him. Jordan McKinney, and his wife, Nancy, came from Mercer County and settled on Biy Branch in 1848. He was one of the justices that organized the county court. a a His weight nn a i a AluIerson i Probably the second settler on a a uis nt on the bad i of Barker lg Wfls John Hower ptam a men' a bone sem it i )ro en llor Ol 01 uie i Barkers Kioge was John illed Dudley i tendons and skin i Gunno es hv th ls a a a who came from Floyd hill above the old a a i badly hat a Uy 1111 1 i 1 8 4 6 ok home near at a in 18--11. He lest Some vpars before the Coun- leaving Thomas Morgan as the jGeorge R.

Stewart lived. a on ancestor of all the Morgans in ite River at Hartley in section. Ib02, was tne first settler in Figrht At Malheney i later in the day, he the CiviMVar. a barn with about one Some years before the Barkers Ridge road was built -in 1852, i a Shrewsbury came over Baileysville district. He i up a slave plantation of about 1100 In the early part of 1862, cases.

The next morning' 8 3 at house of his Indian Trail and settled in In about 1813, James Bailey, 'Lo i a Wildcats (Rebel) with Cap- 1 he was the only survivor. He often Fiekls who at lhat time the extreme head of Barker's a i Russel Cook in the a the 'intense pain in hisi "TM 31 a i- his sons James and acres- SOO in i i a Negl shlves imel up "with a small squad was not near as hard to bear! 1 9 2 4 Hls i a i i Bluestone by way of Lillybrook, January 31, Guards under Charlesias the moans and groans of i (T, i I I I I I I I 3 I I id I tCX ".1 un. a i 3 a i i I 1UJ The next settler Baileysvihe i i out a road across Stewart. The skirmish took place dying comrades in the barn on Qer was I a Morgan who mamed Indian Ridge and down I i a i nl Pr nKvslv a i a The next morning have fond him, and his many In 1863, Crockett Akers settled on the head of Barkers. Luke Rachel Blankenship, on Bluestone Creek to a point two be-: River, and settled on I i a low Baileysville, where he settled on lhe hiu nesr Olway Stewarts The next morning some Maiheneys Chapel.

Logan men i 4 A I 1 1 i A i i i brave, i a stole and say: "Now ac- i out of the barn and Granddad Jim, one in about 1808, settled on Owenj a survey entered 1797, Charles P. and Emily mou Dave's Branch at Baileysville. Dave and Sam were among Wyoming a i moved to hio in 1815, ft i 1 I I iiii, i i ij 5 I i 1 1 4 i 1 1 Creek in 1804 just aoove the on the John Bailey place, numbercd Stewart's i to a safer place. He was 8 TM Tarn- u- 6 6 esiabhshed lhe third firing began, the Union men taken prisoner and sent to a a i B.ptist to enter In ISOb Sam Morgan, his broth- slave a a i in the county. i crOsse Laurel Fork and i eral hospital in Baltimore, er, settled on the bottom where village stood.

David Heaven. lo him, one Other include'cl, into the tifflbe on the south ld wtere tll tmvulf Hey Laney Shannon, i i a P. stream. Little Harry Cookjremained a Federal prisoner Shields, Michael Cline, Aaron a among the retreating" six months Graham, Irvin W. Davis, Jack en.

McDonald, Ceiia Walker, Cook, William and Booker Short. i i a end of the Civil War. ami aS TMn reacn- Jim went into the Army "do teachci, and the woods John Sizemore with only about three a reacn- Jim went into the Army "dosed the schoolhouse because he ght that the world was round. that in 1791 when Mrs. a over 40 years ago.

shows the A Davidson and her child- couple during their latter years. Mr. Stewart still treasured his ren were captured near the present city of Bluefield, she was hpld captive by the Indians of pm le ek a a a i i hen he a then went to the county seat on advancing Rebels he realized a he would was re-instated and school was A -I -m TTT nv nun UK WHS re-ins A MfQ SfAWarf shot returned at the Rebels! a to prepare himself to earn again. I IT lib. 11.

was fireci by Little Harry just as! a i i so he began his self-; "Children of ful experiences that he re-! a a moved from Floyd Coun- them while he lived. They ty to Devils Fork about 1858. Robert Mills and his wife came from Virginia and patented 52 acres on the Big Fork in 1847, and settled on Devils Fork near Flat Top Mountain. Albert Bashaw was an early settler on the head of Barker. In 1847, Allen Marshall settled on 44 acres at Flat Top Mount a i and in the same year James settled on 132 acres on Barkers Creek.

In I8n0, Green V. Gore lived on the old Gore place on Barkers Ridge. Thought World Was Round In the early days of his teaching career the trustees and 'J lneir children at home and trusty old rifle. They were the this village and was tied with jP a H. Stewart, A a thongs to a beech tree that stood i Stewart, Rice Stewart, S.

L. Stew- over Rev. Geo. T. Lester's spring, i art.

Grat Stewart, and Mrs Ida Gft reC tl ViSi ed ll Walker. Thev are the grandpar- home 01 Rev. Lester who said i that when he came there several of i Slewart a years ago there stood by his upper! spring a large beech tree with A DFV TAT FT) many letters and dates carved A I I 1 1 1 1 it by jack-knives. Rev. Lester 1 VJLLlY thinks that this was the tree to which Mrs.

Davidson was tied In 1791. IARRIVED IN NEWS FROM CLEAR CREEK Probably the first settlers on March has opened with a a i Creek in Oceana District ful spring morning after 2-months' siege of winter. We don't i i a i a Misha how long this will last but settled below Road Branch hope a everyone will put a 1808. i i WL Jim (James) entered the cover of the woods, which he continued i are- Sara Mien deceased' A Sizemore fired a great yell he was able to obtain a position Gunnoe deceased- H' Hurrah Ionin teaching school. Later in life, when! Gunnoe, deceased, and Hale Lamb I more! 1 here were no fatalities a uniform examination became'deceased The six livins children this part of the skirmish.

While for tecchers. he took a a M. F. Gunnoe, Dane.se; R. si-responding college course.

'Gunnoe, Bellepoint; R. F. Gunnoe" He spent his entire life in City; Ollie Phipps, Hinton; above skirmish was going college course. a i party of Logan men upon Squire George W. Stemming, Raleigh and Monroe conn-iEclna Fields, Charleston wart, Charley P.

Stewart and Willies, and taught 57 terms of school! His 76 grandchildren 6 C. Wills who were Beckley; Gladness Gunnoe, Craddock; and Geraldine Gunnoe Harliss, Pax; Rose Gunnoe Martin, Crickmer. A. W. Gunnoe, address unknown; R.

F. Gunnoe, Waverly, Ohio; Sallie Gunnoe Shuck, Nallen; L. Barnard, and Douglas (Gunnoe, Danese; James Gunnoe C. Wills who were on top in Raleigh and i coun- are 7j.C harles Gunnoe Douglas, Chimney Cliff," on the a i ties, his last being a private school! Werlie. Bo'lr 1 0 1 Joanne Gunnoe, between Panther Hollow in East Becklev.

Allen Bolt- 'JF 1 1L11 Ovj6ruu v-averi- Stagger-Weed Branch. He was marHPri o.h. len dish Beckley; Zelma Robertson The boys leaped from the cliff was married to Hannah I Alfen htol 1 5 CCKle elm3 Robertson in 1868 and became Mien ThomDson B-h and ran down the hill toward father of twelve children, ten of and Mien i obert- Stagger-Weed, the "Wildcats" in whom reached adulthood. Six a i i Allen Tabor' Bolt' i I i i ac f3n a i i -t-o I on a i firing as they a i a i are living todav. Wills, shol in the foot, fell.

The! Besides his teaching he resorted JBlev AcH ben Stewart boys left him, and a i to a i blacksmithing, a a Herbert Gunnoe BeckW- Beckley Ohio; Hor- hl Beckley; to Stagger-Weed, where Centering, masonry, shoe a i A i Beaver' jtliey saw fresh tracks, which they ing. and clerked in a store and I Monroe a thought had been made by office for his brother, Dan settler on shines, and it is called to-day, Creek was Thomas of Misses Zella and Stella a A i a Bailey. He lived have been attending meetings on above Road Branch. His i A ovs Foric thiis We are pleased to a i a a is lislei i 1 8 'i i i fi4 a a of Slewarl anri nis i 5 that Levi Bailey, of Toneys Fork, -James Brown, the of wire, early settlers in Wyoming. They were the parents of Birt whose life was despaired of a ht Brown family, came from Stewart; now i i in Oceana.

days ago is improving under Tazewell and settled on i i skilled care of Dr. K. M. Bijr Creek near the Wyo- the Turn- Lo.can-WyominK line. 'Cook''' herc he lingered later to be C.

A. Wickline, the a i i mintr-Lopan line about 1S40. A early settler on i in I860, Payntor married to is doing a good business at this Robinson Cooke 1 8 1 1 9 i was James a a Martha Toler and on Thev place. (From a news account of the fourth son of Thomas Cooke. who moved from Lo.can 'Paynter Branch of Big and March 5, 1908).

Sr. settled on Road Branch on County and settled above the crave the name to the creek. Coal City; Hylas Tnnnn. ds Burdctt, East RamelJe; Den- Un Koby and Clarence and Burton mountain onto Simmons ended in death at lhe age of Walton Kv they spent the i under great lld i en and 18 great-great Gunnoe Centennial Anectdotes omtng i i i LSLit. 1.4 i HogTM- i.

and it ln i a -n- ran Ut ng lh Back in the early damned lies again. You ought to be it would make George a i dead. Judge McComas, th the war, as By Rev. G. P.

Goode as "Wills Hollow." Charles Stewart Wounded As story teller's club of Oceana killed." Roach ualiy met around trie BurnsiriejJohn Cline and stove in Colonel George W. 1 to him for sever; i Deer The leading members were Col.i Little Phii George W. Cook, the a i Pinnacle Creek friends Funeral John A. Cook, the prosecuting a i i on Still Run, i The funeral orati toi-ney: John W. Cline.

the sheriff; they had no: been up on the Kennan and Bill Rosch, blacksmith, very long until Phil came upon a by Judge John Ben who was a battler and newscarri-i large buck, with its broad side in i gan: er. I a i view of little Phil. Phil took' Patrick Keenan a vvar a bcen N'ow old George Webb i Cline: "Let us tell him Lhat on the head of Still Run anri little Phil Lambert was ri; owned said to ce a i with the i a i brown jug on a hot summer morning before go down to ouini wnom were Floyd; -ii A a a a Fallen a Rebel solmer yesterday." bolicai power to walk around a a under the shade of lhe breakfast he steonecf out on the Co a Iames A in 7 ate! to shoo Toler, who lived in the A. J. Bailey home As Roach came in they said: rich hvmtiim ground, cast a 'silver maples old Ions portico porch to a a lhe co'-'s a thcm ri on rcacheo for his gun in tne was killed by some Yankee "Uncle Bill, have you heard the over it vmtif no one could i courthouse, that the conversion'smoke ar.d to uet a bird's-cve ne and soi(i Dr orcu ne grasped ine gun, while he was at home on news about the tragedy a a i game wiihin its bounds.

i i to the -hour of ri is-view of ihe old town. As he did so, ior cavalry horses. i voars Can.rell shot ar.d k.llea Toler. a pened at the of Rockcastlc swore he would fix old George; solving a when this mortal he saw a group of old pioneers iVas ina: eo Stewart had i yesterday?" Webb. He took his i i shall put on immonaHty.

a i in front of the i i 8' ven mauon as to the whcreRoach'said: "Xo. a hapaen- to a beech tree and "-MoJomas spoke up and said: brick "clerk's office" engaged abouts of the colts. Gunnoe was! the i of man on it a a a I have Ion? had a p. earnest conversation. Kee inclin- i nnd on Stewart in Col.

little Phi! named it George Webb He pcuro-i a i to know what my a his ear to catrh lhe trend of tne road near Squire Jim Cooks', Lambert was drowned a double chalue of shall be. and luwe select- conversahon. They were him of i i a -Why, how did that down his old rille. chewed a leaden you to deliver thai a i of the places wmch bad the about the colts. Steward de- bri'e: i va verv we will now proceed 0 'P' a a lhe mosl rial: Jie lie was given Col.

vou remember, a i a 'si'lver placed Gunnoe shoi am! killed Stewart, that big snowstorm a struck or. double a i rammed "Kagland picked up hi? old One a anolner told of the And i hilled us yesterday?" lhe bullet down" the ramrod i A coat, pui it on a a he considered trie plainest fconiCiiine or IR63, John it up very As this was on a mid- Les er and r-ciley i i heavy-pet gentleman wives and children, were trying Cap- man. McComa? did hc was com- echo that I have ever known is Rebel Home Gunrris ran into the river a storm struck a i i on a hoard roof "so he couM ay down in the of a them a the of Tony and in his excitement, he began a the loft before the plank was coimtrymcn and tne oid Man Peyton and made prisoners oi i i i paddle on canoe which and round i a percussion cap on the tube ll ot ec Just as he reached the middle i A i Jenny's kitchen and wa Centennial Greetings ne aropp into the to shore. Hole, and he never rose to the top out of boards, bury i i as a memDer or ou a sumi on tne oouioer a a a path across 8 2 i ca A a i ana i a lu i ge comas used crll out in commanding to Elk Lick. On ihe top of the prisoners were placed a i echo--I short distance awav a sol-' other telling everybody he met; to Mrs.

give her consola-i ho stnlp horsps riflprf a Quality Furniture Reasonably Priced Roach walked out and down or.c him go through hell a pyppm a his eloquence to i i say for instance "Liar" side of the street and back up A Jenny went urors to sit at i lnose i antly, the i wil other telling everybody he met Mrs. Webb to give her consola-j horses, rifled hen 'You a a darned lia'-" THE CHICAGO HOUSE FURNISHING Co. about the i of little i i and to stay overnight. She! roos ts, and those guilty 0 arson, later the -Old Bull" will bellow Command fired into the prisoners Lambert. Roach came back to ino saw tne house quite bare a a i and moment! diers drew up in line, and i bellow 't-ommand fired into the and we back in your face--''You are a gol them for dead.

"Everything for the Home" 531 VIRGINIA ST. PHONE 4900.