[96] Rev. William Graham, who had been for twenty-one years president of the first academy west of the Blue Ridge, becoming imbued with a missionary spirit, bought six thousand acres of the Washington lands and attempted to found a Presbyterian colony thereon. He brought out several families in 1798, but returning the next year died at Richmond, whereupon his colonists grew discouraged and withdrew. The place, however, has retained to this day its name of Graham’s Station.—Ed.
CHAPTER XVIII
Fine situations and well inhabited banks—A gay party—Slate and coal strata—Point Pleasant—River Kenhawa—Battle of Point Pleasant—Lord Dunmore’s campaign against the Indians—Indians justified—Reasons why there are but few writers in their favour—Short account of the causes of the last Indian war, and the settlement of Kentucky.
Two miles and a half below Jones’s is Leading creek, a beautiful little river with high sloping banks on the right, and just below it a Mr. Kerr has a good log house, and a garden with a handsome stoccado {122} fence, behind which is a small cleared farm. A vein of coal is said to be on the Virginia side opposite, not much approved of by the blacksmiths, probably because not wrought deep enough. Three miles further on the right is a very good, new, two story house, clapboarded, and painted white, and a large horse mill; and half a mile lower on the opposite shore is a large unfinished house, lately purchased by a Mr. Long from Col. Clendinning, who began to build it nine years ago.[97] It resembles a church, and is not only a good feature in the prospect, but impresses the traveller with lively ideas of the advanced state of population of the neighbouring country.—Close to it is a small hamlet, or quarter, of a few cabins, the whole in a beautiful situation on a high bank commanding a view of Eight Mile island, just below, and both banks of the river, which are here well inhabited and very pleasant.
Two miles lower is Six Mile island, very small, and half a mile beyond it on the left is a house most delightfully situated, commanding the whole vista of the river seven miles up to Leading creek, with the two intermediate islands. The house is sheltered from the northern blasts of winter by a fine grove purposely left standing, when the surrounding farm was cleared.
I observed that in general, from Le Tart’s falls, trees were left standing very tastily in places where they can have a good or pleasing effect, particularly the gigantick beeches along the margin of the river.
About a mile lower down, we met a large canoe, paddled against the stream by five well drest young men, while a respectable looking elderly man steered. They had five very smart looking girls with them, and, from their gaiety, were apparently returning from some frolick—the epithet used in this country for all neighbourly meetings for the purpose of assisting each other in finishing some domestick or farming {123} business, which generally conclude with feasting and dancing, which sometimes lasts two or three days, and is not seldom the fruitful source of many a tender and lasting connexion.
Near this we perceived a stratum of slate over one of coal, but the latter too much under the level of the river to be wrought. The slate stratum extends several rods, and is topped and squared as if done by art.
It may not be amiss to remark that all strata throughout the whole of this western country, have been hitherto found to be horizontal.
The banks from hence four miles to Point Pleasant are apparently rich with good bottoms on both sides, yet but thinly inhabited.