Doddridge County Turned 179 Years Old Last Sunday, Feb. 4th –
(Part 1 of 3)
Doddridge County was part of Augusta County in 1738-1770.
You have no doubt heard that Doddridge County is older than WV many times throughout your youth and beyond. It’s true, our county was once part of the state of VA and will be 179 years old.
This article is in part taken from an earlier article submitted by Alton Childers and printed in the Herald Record as well as documents found within our museum and other official documents.
Doddridge County was formed from the counties of Harrison, Ritchie and Tyler.
The magic happened when the General Assembly (Legislature) of the Commonwealth of Virginia voted on an act that provided for the formation of Doddridge County by carving out sections of land from the already existing Harrison, Tyler, Ritchie, and Lewis Counties on Feb. 4, 1845. West Union is our county’s county seat (originally part of what was called Lewisport located at what is now called Blockhouse. It was named Lewisport in honor of Lewis Maxwell). The town became incorporated in 1850.
In 1844 Doddridge County was part of Harrison, Ritchie, and Tyler.
Chairing the committee that defined the boundaries of Doddridge County was Doddridge County’s own Capt. Chapman J. Stuart, who also chaired the committee that defined the boundaries of WV. According to original records, the boundary for Doddridge County began on the South fork of the Hugh’s River at the mouth of Sugar Camp Run at James Gray’s, thence a straight line to the gap at the head of the Right Hand Fork of Bone Creek thence a straight line to the mouth of Sand fork and Fink’s Creek; thence following the dividing ridge between the waters of Middle Island Creek and Finks Creek and the West Fork of Monongahela River on said ridge to the Northwestern Turnpike Road; thence north with the said ride to the corner of the Harrison and Tyler County line; thence on the ridge between McElroy Creek and Fishing Creek; thence with the said ridge to the head of George’s Run [a branch of McElroy]; thence a straight line to the mouth of Flints Run; thence a straight line to the mouth of Arnolds Creek; thence a straight line to the Nonwestern Turnpike Road at Toll Gate number eleven; thence a straight line to the place of beginning, shall form one distinct and new county and be called and known by the name of Doddridge County. Our county contains 322 square miles of West Virginia territory.
The first county surveyors of the counties of Harrison, Tyler, Ritchie, and Lewis, and the new county of Doddridge were appointed commissioners to run and mark the lines between the said counties as designated by the act any three or more of whom acted for that purpose, which, when run and marked, were taken and held as the dividing lines between the said new county of Doddridge and the several counties from which it was taken.
The permanent location for holding the courts in the county of Doddridge which was required by law was to be held at West Union, situated on the Northwestern Turnpike Road. The meeting was held in Doddridge on the Thursday after the second Monday in April next, and the majority of them were present and proceeded to the appointment of a clerk of the county, a commissioner of the revenue for said county of Doddridge, and also at the same time, the necessary number of school commissioners, sheriff, and coroner for the county. They designated a place within the county for holding the courts thereof until the necessary buildings were constructed in West Union.
The first county court ever held for Doddridge County convened at the house of Nathan Davis, where the town of West Union now stands, on the 17th day of April 1845. The following justices, each held a commission as such signed by his excellency the governor of Virginia, were present, viz.: Nathan Davis, Mathew Neeley, William F. Randolph, S.P.F. Randolph, Samuel Archibald, Charles Bonnell, William Johnston, Apollo Stephens, Joseph Gray, and Thomas Gray. John G. Stringer was appointed teller and the court went into an election of a clerk. James U. Newlon, Phineas Chapin, Jesse Jarvis, Lemuel Hall, and (Adolpheus) Adolphus Armstrong were placed in nomination, and a viva voice vote resulted as follows: for James U. Newlon, 8 votes; for Phineas Chapin, 1; for Jesse Jarvis, 1. Newlon having received a majority of all the votes was declared elected and thus became the first clerk of Doddridge County.
Then, Nathan Davis was appointed crier, and the court proceeded to elect a commissioner of the revenue; Joseph Gray and William Shannon were nominated, the vote taken, and Joseph was declared elected; he came into court, entered into a bond in the penalty of $1,000.00 and took the several oaths prescribed by law. Then the names of U.M. Turner, James Morris, and Edgar M. Davisson were placed in nomination for the office of prosecuting attorney for the commonwealth; the vote resulted in the choice of Mr. Turner, who took the oath and at once began to look after the interest of the States.
It was then “Ordered that this court meets at the brick house, the property of Nathan Davis, in the town of West Union, in the said county of Doddridge, tomorrow at 9 AM and that the said court to be held there until otherwise ordered.”
On April 18th, the court convened as per adjournment, and James U. Newlon, who the day previously had been elected clerk, came into court and, together with Samuel P.F. Randolph as his security, acknowledged a bond in the penalty of $1,000.00, after which he took the oath of clerk of court.
Messrs. A.J. Smith, Gustavus Cressup (Cresap), R.W. Lauck, and James Morris appeared and took the several oaths prescribed by law and were qualified as attorneys in the county court of Doddridge County.
It was then ordered that the court proceed to recommend three justices for the sheriff of the county: Nathan Davis was elected first in the recommendation, Mathew Neeley second and Samuel P.F. Randolph third – all unanimously. Mathew Neely claimed the right to be named first in the nomination to the executive on the ground that Nathan Davis had held the office of sheriff of Harrison County for the two years last passed, and that the said Neely was the oldest magistrate in the county of Doddridge, except the said Davis, but the court overruled his motion.
The first circuit superior court ever held in the county convened at the house of Nathan Davis [that place having been fixed by the county court], on the 30th day of April 1845. Hon. Joseph L. Fry judge of the tenth judicial district of the twentieth circuit of the Commonwealth of Virginia, presiding. Jesse Jarvis was appointed clerk of the court for the next ensuing seven years. He at once came into court, and with Ephraim Bee, Appollo Stephens and Thomas Bond, as his sureties, entered into and acknowledged a bond in the sum of $10,000 conditioned according to law. James M. Stephenson was appointed prosecutor for the Commonwealth in this court; he took the oath to support the Constitution of the United States, the oath against dueling, and the oath of office. Edwin L. Hewitt, William I. Boreman, Edgar C. Davidson, Uriah M. Turner, James Morris, and James M. Stephenson, all holding a license to practice in the courts of the Commonwealth, were on their motion granted permission to practice in this court. Then it was ordered that the clerk of the court be permitted to “keep” his office in any suitable house to be selected by him, either in the town of West Union or Lewisport, until a suitable office can be prepared. The court then proceeded to make the public allowances and ordered that Nathan Davis be allowed the sum of $10 for his services as crier of this court; and also, that Jesse Jarvis be allowed the sum of $15 for his services as clerk. Then the court adjourned until the first day of the next term.
The June term of 1845 was the first grand jury impaneled. It was composed of the following named gentlemen: Franklin Maxwell, Joshua Pearcy, Josias Bee, Jesse Davis, John Sutton, Thomas S. Lawson, Jonathan Bee, Snowden Kinney, James Gray, William J. Davis, Jeremiah Stark, Winter Hutson, Israel Allen, William Tate, Alexander Williamson, Zachariah Dotson, James Dotson, Thomas S. Jones, Nathan Joseph, and John Smith. After receiving their charge, they retired to consider their presentments, and after a two-day session they returned to court and presented one indictment for misdemeanor; three for assault and battery; and two for stealing hogs; after which they were discharged.
You might ask, why does this matter? That would be a good question and the answer is… It matters because these were simple local individuals quite like many of us who stepped up to the plate and became some of the most important people in our county’s history. It proves that we are all very valuable citizens in this county. It is up to us to search within ourselves and recognize our self-worth. I challenge each of our citizens to undertake that search.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DODDRIDGE COUNTY!
God Bless
Patricia Richards Harris, President
Doddridge County Historical Society