HISTORY OF
MORGANS RUN SETTLEMENT
(By Ariel E McClain and published in this newspaper in 1962)
While researching this county’s history, I found an interesting article by A. E. McClain on the early history of Morgans’s Run. I thought I’d pass it on to my readers.
It is presented as it was written except for a few corrections in grammar and punctuation for smoother reading abilities. It is as follows:
“I would like to suggest that the reader keeps in mind the facts as I proceed to write. Harrison County was formed in 1784 from the county of Monongalia. Its western boundary was the Ohio River. The county of Doddridge was formed mostly from Harrison and parts of the counties of Tyler, Ritchie, and Lewis, in 1845. At this time, the state of West Virginia did not exist, therefore, what I write had its beginning in old Virginia. We, living, have always known West Union as the county seat. Harrison County records show that it was first established as Lewisport in 1826. Sometime before 1845, the name had changed to West Union, and it was known as such when the county was formed.
I had often wondered why our old home creek was named Morgan’s Run. In Hamill-Kenney’s book, “Place Names,” I found the following: Morgansville, a village and Post Office on Morgan’s Run, by B&O Railroad was established in 1826, John L. Morgan, was Postmaster and merchant at this place, hence the name of the stream and Post Office. I failed to find information giving the exact location, but I am of the opinion that the old log house in which Zachariah Offutt lived was the Morgan house. Old men, I knew when a small boy, always referred to the “old log house.” This leads me to believe that the house was there when they first knew Morgan’s Run. My research, so far, has not brought to light anything on who first lived up the run, but from what records I have searched, I feel sure few, if any, lived on the run before 1825. Most all land grants were in the 1840s, and due to lack of description in deeds, I found nothing in Harrison County records that would pinpoint any special point.
Considering all the information I have read in one place or another, I would say that most of that part of Harrison, which became Doddridge, was settled between 1825 to 1850. My great uncle, Robert McClain (McClean, Penna.), bought land on Arnolds Creek in 1840. Shortly thereafter, he bought land at the forks of Buckeye and Meathouse, around Blandville and elsewhere, finally settling on Nutter’s Fork, the farm now owned by Johnson Williams.
Census List – 1850
According to the 1850 Census taken by Deputy Marshal John H. McGee for Doddridge County:
“Deputy Marshal John H. McGee, census taker, listed for Doddridge County, 1850, a total of 2,704 men, women, and children – he, his wife, and three children included.
Listed persons with an occupation other than farmer were the following: 4 physicians, seven merchants, one cooper, two millers, and sawyers, four millers, one sawyer, one gunsmith, six ministers, one potter, thirteen carpenters, one saddler, two shoemakers, one painter, one stonemason, two tailors, ten blacksmiths, two cabinet makers, one wagon maker, one hotel keeper, four millwrights, one county surveyor, one tollgate keeper, one deputy sheriff, one clerk of the county court, one clerk of the supreme court. All others were listed as farmers. School teachers were undoubtedly listed as farmers since the school term at that time was only three months. Then, too, they were just taking up vacant land.
I have heard many old people say that he or she didn’t go to school because of the distance they had to go and, at that, thru the woods all the way. Too, men and women were few who were qualified to teach. Their knowledge then would not exceed that of our average fourth grader academically. However, their kind of knowledge was quite different from that of our present 4th grader. School buildings then were very poor. They were built of logs, had one door, two windows the size of half a window now, with a dirt floor and benches made of split logs.”
“Those who stated that they were born in the countries and states as follows: 1-Wales, 1-Ireland, 1-England, 2-France, 35-Germany, 1-District of Columbia, 1-Vermont, 2-New York, 4-Massachusetts, 4-Connecticut, 1-New Hampshire, 7-Delaware, 1-each from the two Carolinas, 3-Indiana, 1-Illinois, 57-Maryland, 28-Ohio, 2-New Jersey, and 135-from Pennsylvania. All others shown were born in Virginia.
Morgan’s Run
Sixty-eight years before this writing, A. E. McClain was born on the left fork of Morgan’s Run, which flows south into Buckeye Creek, thence, in turn, flows into Middle Island Creek. For those who do not know this area, Middle Island Creek is one of the most intriguing, difficult-to-traverse, yet beautiful streams in WV. It is claimed that Middle Island Creek is the longest creek in the world. Middle Island Creek drains parts of several counties. Its mouth is in Pleasants County, almost within St. Marys, a small town along the Ohio River. Middle Island Creek meanders through the counties following; Pleasant, Tyler, and Doddridge. Its tributaries feed into it and drain parts of Wetzel, Harrison, Gilmer, Ritchie, and Lewis counties—these, in addition to the first three named, Morgan’s Run is situated between Buckeye and Big Flint Creeks and about five miles northeast of West Union, the county seat of Doddridge County.
The B&O Railroad crosses it at its mouth, and so does Route 50, also known as the “George Washington Highway.” Morgan’s Run is formed very much like the letter “Y.” Its main branch extends one and a half miles, and its two branches extend one and a half miles each. There are several small branches, and I would estimate all branches added together would not exceed seven miles for the entire creek. But believe it or not, when I first remember the old home run, 350 people were living there. I attended school there in the old two-room two-story building, which still stands (at the time of his writing) but is not now being used for school purposes. Delbert Powell of Big Flint was my first teacher, and the others were Idel Nutter, Maude Heaton, Elizabeth Stutler, John T. Williams, and Newt Frashure. The first and latter two names taught more than one term. During my school years on Morgan’s Run, the average number attending was 88-90 pupils, and they were pretty even between girls and boys.”
Young Years at Home
The *sketch roughly drawn showing the approximate location of each family on the Run at that time is not needed by the boys and girls that were born there and lived there for ten years or more, as they had explored the entire territory, streams, and ridges, also the dark dismal hollows, rock-cliffs, etc. They knew every chestnut tree and every apple and peach orchard. McClain believed that he probably knew more about the ridges surrounding Morgan’s Run than any other boy of his age because he first began to go with his grandfather, Benjamin Pernell, fox hunting both night and day when he was seven years of age.
McClain continues to write: “Wind Knob was located at the head of England’s Run, and Jockey Camp Run, and was an ideal place to listen to the hounds while driving the fox. Another place was on the Orr farm, a high knob east of the ridge back of Dick Ford’s home. There were several places where men gathered to enjoy the chase, but the two named were favorites.
My grandfather must have been born on a ridge, for most of his travels were by following the ridge to the closest point to the destination.
I will never be able to understand why granddad would take the long point below the right Ball place to the ridge, cross the Howell’s Run Road in the low gap near the home of “Beaver” John Knight, and on around the back of the Jesse Martin farm to the Orr farm, then retrace our steps along toward morning, dog tired and hungry and very sleepy. I first knew Morgan’s Run close to 62 years ago (at the time of his original writing), but I had been on most of the creeks as my dad sold books and fruit trees, and I went with him many times.
At the time, there were no bridges crossing the creek at any point, and there were just a few foot bridges, a log scored and hewn. Long spans were anchored with heavy rocks. The first 300 yards of the Morgan’s Run Road were in the creek, coming out by the group of willows where the old bull wheels from the first well drilled on the run were left, and the next place the road was in a creek bed just beyond the home of Abe Leatherman, for another 300 yards. On up at the lower end of the Davisson farm, there was perhaps another 300 yards of the creek used as road, perhaps 100 yards further on the road crossed the right-hand fork. There at that location was located our school, U.B. Church, and the only store on the run, kept by Ed Swentzel, an old bachelor. The post office was in the store, and Rev. George Holden was the Postmaster. It was originally named for Rev. Holden, as Holden, and within a short time, the name was changed to Harlin. Why this name was selected, I never knew, but I do remember that my family had Box No. 33 from the start, and Dad gave it up in 1919 when he and the family moved to Clarksburg, W.Va.
Due to the Post Office being in the store, Rev. Holden also clerked in the store. I was there many times with older members of my family, and I recall that Rev. Holden always managed to supply me with a few sticks or drops of candy. He was my friend then and will remain so. He has been deceased for nearly sixty years (at the time of his original writing). Whenever I am back on the run, I think of him. He was the minister that performed the marriage ceremony for my parents back in 1886. Dad’s old Bible gave this information, and John Hitt and Sarah J. Ash were witnesses.
Seventy-six years have passed (at the time of his original writing), and my parents have been gone for more than forty-one years (at the time of his original writing).
Creek beds on the righthand forks were used in many places as roads, but only for short distances. After a hard rain, the streams were out of banks, and it was perilous for young folk to travel due to the swiftness of the water. I recall being caught once and almost failing to get home. I was riding the old mare and had the six-week-old colt along. When crossing the righthand fork by the store, the colt would have drowned if not for Loremus Davis getting a hold of its halter.
As a young boy growing up on Morgan’s Run, I have found many arrowheads, no doubt used by Indians to kill the animals that supplied them with their meat. Some were used to defend their lives against their enemy, and most of them were found close to my old homesite. I mention this because it was what started me to think of the past and try to imagine under what conditions the Indian boys lived, and also the white boys who came to Morgan’s Run to settle with their parents there.
I have heard my grandparents relate what things were like when they first knew the run, but one can only imagine what conditions were like when their parents and grandparents arrived in what is now W.Va.
Ninety years ago (at the time of McClain’s original writing), when mother and her parents came to Morgan’s Run to make their home, the land my grandfather, Benjamin Pernell, purchased from Loman W. Hickman, wooded, no cleared land at all. All those that first settled on Morgan’s Run were faced with the same problem, clear what land you need to raise crops, build your home from logs, split rails to build fences, and sow seed to have the pasture needed. They had to cut the wood needed for fuel to heat their home and kill the animals that ran wild in the woods for meat to eat. Cornpone was the bread for your table, fruits were not available yet, so vegetables were the remainder of the meal.
Money then was an item that was very scarce. Farm products were taken to West Union and traded for sugar, salt, coffee, and spices, perhaps a bag of flour. And don’t forget those two boxes of essence that add greatly to your coffee’s strength and taste, only five cents. Back then, rice and rolled oats were unknown, and so were all other cereals that we know so well. We, who are now nearing seventy years of age (at the time of McClain’s original writing), arrived in time to slightly take part in the fringe area of those days. Grandmother still had the utensils used for cooking and baking in the large fireplace when I can first remember. She did some baking with them so we kids could see how it was done.
Morgan’s Run was my home for close to eighteen years, and my thoughts wander back there often. I will not attempt to put into words my thoughts, but to my mind come faces of men and women I once knew as neighbors. They are all gone, never to return, and many of their children have also passed away. I wonder who holds the title of the old men, now living there?
That writing was first published in 1962. It seems impossible that more than sixty years have passed since. Indeed, Mr. McClain, who are the old men and women of our little “post communities,” “hollers,” “backroads,” and “no roads” in 2023? Even most of those old, original memories have been lost to us. Thankfully Mr. McClain had the foresight to record his for future generations.
Born on August 13, 1894, Ariel Ethan McClain Sr. was the son of Daniel and Mary Pernell McClain. He married Flossie May Allen in 1914 in Oakland, Garrett, Maryland. They were the parents of at least four sons and five daughters. By 1930, he was living in Calhoun County, WV. In 1940, at 46, he was still in Calhoun County. His occupation was listed as a clerk.
He died on 5 February 1976, in Parkersburg, Wood, West Virginia, United States, at the age of 81, and was buried in Sunset Memory Gardens at Parkersburg, WV.
If you should have any such records, you would be willing to share with us, please contact me at Patricia Harris 304 873-1540, or email me at [email protected].
Facebook at www.facebook.com/doddridgecountyhistoricalsociety and Tweeter @DoddCoHistory1
We would love to hear from you.
God Bless
Patricia Richards Harris
Doddridge County Historical Society
* As a map of Morgans Run was not included with this article , the following is a 1900’s era Farm Line Map.
