xt7cfx73xs5k https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7cfx73xs5k/data/mets.xml West Virginia Historical Records Survey (W. Va.) United States. Works Progress Administration. Division of Women's and Professional Projects. 1938 200 leaves; 28 cm. UK holds archival copy for ASERL Collaborative Federal Depository Program libraries. Call Number Y 3.W 89/2:43/W 52v/no.31 books English Charleston, W. Va.: The Survey This digital resource may be freely searched and displayed in accordance with U. S. copyright laws. West Virginia Works Progress Administration Publications Archives - West Virginia - Monroe County - Catalogs Monroe County (W. Va.) - Genealogy Monroe County (W. Va.) - Archives Monroe County (W. Va.) - History - Sources Inventory of the County Archives of West Virginia. No. 31, Monroe County (Union) text Inventory of the County Archives of West Virginia. No. 31, Monroe County (Union) 1938 1938 2019 true xt7cfx73xs5k section xt7cfx73xs5k WWW
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' INVERTORT OF THE COUNTY ARCHleS
OF WEST VIPGIMIA
Prepared by
The Historical Records Survey
Division of Women's and Professional Projects
Works Progress Administration
}
R0. Bl. IOEROE COUNTY (UNION)
.‘L ..". J’. J(. .:‘_ ;
Charleston, West Virginia ‘
The Historical Records Survey i
5 November, 1958
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; The historical Records Survey

1 Luther H. Evans, National Director

; Eva Margaret Carnes, State Director

1

; Division Of Women's and Professional Projects

; Ellen S. Woodward, Assistant Administrator
2 Florence H. Wilkinson, State Director

‘ WORKS PROGRESS ADMINISTRATION

; Harry L. Hopkins, Administrator

; Jeseph N. Alderson, State Administrator
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FOREWORD
The Inventory of County Archives of West Virginia is one

of a numbernbf bibliographies EfrhistOrical materials—prepared
throughout the United States by workers on the Historical

Records Survey of the Works Progress Administration. The

publication herewith presented, an inventory of the archives

of Monroe County, is number 51 of the West Virginia series.

The Historical Records Survey was undertaken in the
winter of 1955-56 for the purpose of providing useful employ—
ment to needy unemployed historians, lawyers, teachers, and
research and clerical workers. In carrying out this objective,
the project was organized to compile inventories of historical

' materials, particularly the unpublished government documents
and records which are basic in the administration of local
government, and which provide invaluable data for students of

, political, economic, and social history. The archival guide
herewith presented is intended to meet the requirements of
day-to—day administration by the officials of the county, and
also the needs of lawyers, business men and other citizens who
require facts from the public records for the proper conduct of
their affairs. The volume is so designed that it can be used
by the historian in his research in unprinted sources in the
same way he uses the library card catalog for printed sources.

The inventories produced by the Historical Records Survey
attempt to do more than give merely a list of records - they
attempt further to sketch in the historical background of the
county or other unit of government and to describe precisely ,
and in detail the organization and functions of the government
agencies whose records they list. The county, town, and other
local inventories for the entire country will, when completed,
constitute an encyCIOpedia of local government as well as a
bibliography of local archives.

The successful conclusion of the work of the Historical
Records Survey, even in a single county, would not be possible
without the support of public officials, historical and legal

, specialists, and many other groups in the community. Their
cooperation is gratefully acknowledged.

The Survey was organized and has been directed by Luther
H. Evans, and operates as a nation-wide project in the Divi-
sion of Women's and Professional Projects, of which Mrs. Ellen
S. Woodward, Assistant Administrator, is in charge.

HARRY L. HOPKINS -
. Administrator
1

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iv
PREFACE
The Historical Records Survey, as a part of a nation-wide
‘ undertaking, was instituted in West Virginia April 17, 1956.
Operating as a part of the Works Progress Administration under
the national direction of Dr. Luther H. Evans, the West Virginia
project came into existence under the immediate supervision of
the Federal Writers' Project, of which L. W. Burns was then
state director. In November 1956, the Survey became an inde-
pendent part of Federal Project No. l, and Mrs. Eva Margaret
Carnes, formerly assistant state director of the Federal Writers7
Project, became the state director of the Survey.
The objective of the Survey in West Virginia is to pre—
‘ pare complete inventories of the records of state, county,
‘ city, or other governmental units and of church records, news-
papers, manuscript collections, and business records. Although
’ a condensed form of entry is used, information is given as to
the limiting dates of all extant records, contents of individual
series and the location of records in the county courthouses and
other depositories. The records are arranged under the office
of origin and by subject, although reports are arranged under
the office to which the report is made; in the index they are
arranged alphabetically but with cross references. The chrono—
logical index forms a guide to the records by the beginning date
of each series. Preceding the record entries of each office is
a brief statement as to the history, functions, and records of
the office.
The inventory of County_Arghivesflofhflest_yirginia will,
when completed, consist of a separate numbered volume-for each
county in the state. The units of the series are numbered ac—
cording to the respective position of the county in an alphabet-
ical list of counties. Thus, the inventory here presented for
Monroe County is No. 51. The inventories of state, municipal,
and other records will constitute separate publications.
The Survey in Monroe County was opened Fay l, 1956 under
' the local supervision of Grace Linton. Assisting her in the ‘
initial survey were Lucy Mitchell and Gray Wylie. Work was
completed and the project closed in December 1956. The county ‘
was re—opened in the winter of 1957-58 for a re—check by Monnie 3
Reed, Greenbrier County local supervisor. Miss Linton and her
team, and Miss Reed were splendid workers and cooperated with ‘
the state office in every way. Throughout the entire work the -
county officials were courteous and were at all times willing
to assist in any way in which they could. The workers, under
Miss Linton's supervision also completed a survey of all church
records in the county. The kind COOperation of ministers and i
lay members of all denominations is gratefully acknowledged. ‘
I

 v
Preface
Legal history for the inventory was prepared by Herbert W.
Richardson; the assemblage of inventory entries and other
parts of the book were done by the state editorial staff
under the direction of Mary E. Auld, editor—in~chief.

The various units of the Inventory of County Archive§_of
West Virginia will be issued in mimeograph form for free dis—
tribution to state and local public officials in West Virginia
and to a number of libraries and governmental agencies outside
the state. Inquiries regarding particular units of the inventory
should be addressed to the State Director, 507 Smallridge
Building, Charleston, West Virginia.

Particular appreciation for cooperation in our undertaking
is expressed to the officials of the Works Progress Adminis—
tration in West Virginia. Mr. Joseph N. Alderson, State Ad—
ministrator and Mrs. Florence H. Wilkinson, State Director of

' the Women's and Professional Projects have kindly given their
- assistance at all times.
EVA MARGARET CARNES
State Director
The Historical Records Survey

Charleston, West Virginia

November 1, 1958 '

é

 _1_
TABLE OF CONTENTS
. A. Monroe County and Its Records System
Page
1. Historical Sketch .................................... 4
‘ 2. Governmental Organization and Records System ......... 9
Chart of County Government ......................... 19a
5. Housing, Care, and Accessibility of the Records ...... 20
4. List of Abbreviations, Symbols, and Explanatory Notes. 24
_’ B. County Offices and Their Records
I. County Court ......................................... 27
' General Administration: orders; pensioners' decla-
rations; commissions; insurance. Administration of
Finance; levies; settlements. Administration of
Estates: wills; appointments; appraisements; sale
bills; settlements; reports of claims; list of heirs.
Administration of Roads: orders; reports; rights—
of-way. Care of the Poor: overseers of the poor;
infirmary superintendent; apprentice indentures;
mothersY pensions; claims. Regulation of Elections.
Bonds.
II. Clerk of County Court ................................ 41
Land. Deeds. Security Transactions; trust deeds;
judgments and executions; conditional sales; home-
stead exemption; liens; agreements. Releases. Lis
Pendens. Fiduciaries. Taxation: real property;
personal property; capitation tax; dog tax. Fees and
Finances: fees; claims and warrants; reports; re—
ceipts for fines and c0stS; miscellaneous. Vital
Statistics: births; deaths; marriages; Negro
register. Roads. Elections. Oaths. Professional
Register. Military Records. Licenses and Appli—
cations. Church and Institution Trustees. Corpo—
ration and Industrial Records. Miscellaneous.
III. Commissioners of Accounts ............................ 62
IV. District Superior Court .............................. 64
V. Circuit Court ........................................ 67

 -2- .
Table of Contents
Page
VI. Clerk of Circuit Court ............................ 72
Law; cases; minutes and dockets; orders; county
court; juvenile; naturalization. Chancery:
cases; orders. Process. Transcripts. Peti—
. tions and Appeals. Judgments and Executions.
Bonds. Elections. Juries. Witnesses. Fees.
Miscellaneous.
VII. Regimental Court of Inquiry ....................... 85 4
1 VIII. General Receiver .................................. 86
IX. Commissioners in Chancery ......................... 88
X. Divorce Commissioner .............................. 89 )
XI. Jury Commissioners ................................ 90
XII. Prosecuting Attorney .............................. 92
XIII. Justices of the Peace ............................. 94
Red Sulphur District. Springfield District.
Sweet Springs District. Wolf Creek District.
Union District.
XIV. Consvbables I'DBOICOIIIIIIIQIUHECIOOIIOOIIQDIOOI‘IOII 99
XV. Sheriff ........................................... 100
4 XVI. Humane Officer .................................... 102
XVII. Coroner...................................'........105 '
XVIII. ASSGSSOI’ otouaon-nrnoanoni-noonev-o'ooauuou-oooionu105
XIX. Board of Review and Equalization .................. 107 )
XX. Sheriff as TaX Collector .......................... 109
Real and Personal Property. Statements and
Collections.
XXI. Commissioner of School Lands 112 i

.. XXII. Sheriff as Treasurer .............................. 114 ‘

.“ XXIII. Board of Education ................................ 119
Minutes. Contracts. Miscellaneous.

‘ XXIV. Superintendent of Schools.........................122 »
Finances, Requisitions, and Supplies: receipts, ‘
disbursements, and levies; invoices; requisitions
and inventories. Reports. Pupils' Attendance
and Credit. Miscellaneous. 1

51
51

 . a5—
. Table of Contents
Page
XXV. Attendance Officar .............................. 15C
XXVI. Overseers of the Poor ........................... 151
XXVII. Superintendent of the Infirmary ................. 152
XXVIII. Public Assistance Council ....................... 155
XXIX. Director of Public Assistance ................... 154
General Relief. Certification of Eligibility.
... Old Age Pension. Physical Rehabilitation.
Administration Expense.
XXX. Juvenile Probation Officer ...................... 158
XXXI. Criminal Probation Officer ...................... 158
XXXII. Mental Hygiene Commission ....................... 159
XXXIII. Health Officer .................................. 140
XXXIV. Health Nurse .................................... 141
XXXV. Registrars of Vital Statistics .................. 145
XXXVI. Board of Ballot Commissioners ................... 144
XXXVII. Surveyor of Lands ............................... 144
XXXVIII. Road Supervisor ................................. 146
. XXXIX. Farm Bureau ..................................... 148 '
. XL. Farm Agent ...................................... 148
’ Soil. Seed and Fertilizer. Poultry and
Livestock. Farm Security and Rehabilitation.
Four—H Club and Vocational Agriculture Records.
XLI. Home Demonstration Agent ........................ 152
Appendix ........................................ 155 g
. , 5 , r i
Bibliography .................................... 16o ‘
Chronological. Index 168
“ AlphabeticalIndex..............................177 ,
1
M ,,,.. , #7777 ,7 W V r > _. _> r v ‘

 -4-
(First entry, p. 51)
l. HISTORICAL SKETCH
' Monroe County was formed by act of the Virginia Assembly’
from Greenbrier County in 1799 (Statutes at Lar.e New Series,
1792—1806, ch. 41, sec. 1, p. 169). It was named in honor of
iaaes*ytfitoe, who, although at the time of the formation of the
’ county was a prominent Virginian, did not become a national
I figure until many years later. The seat of government is at
' Union, a town of 551 population. The county is bounded on the 1
north by Greenbrier County, West Virginia; on the east and i
southeast by Alleghany, Giles, and Craig Counties, Virginia; on g
the south by Giles County, Virginia; and on the west by Summers 1
County, West Virginia. The area of the county is 475.80 square 1
miles. Monroe County in 1890 had a population of 12,429. The V
. population increased slightly until in 1910 the number of in— I
' habitants was 15,055; since that time the population has de— 1
. creased and the 1950 census showed 11,949 (W. Va. Blue Book, 3
1957, p. 620). The county is divided into six magisterial 1
districts; Red Sulphur, Second Creek, Springfield, Sweet 1
' Springs, Union, and Wolf Creek (ibid., p. 565.)
The earliest county in which the territory now in Monroe 1
County was included was Spottsylvania County, Virginia. ‘
' Spottsylvania County was the first to claim jurisdiction to any 1
portion of the valley west of the Blue Ridge Mountains and to
' "the uttermost limits", embracing all of what is now West 1
. Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, 3
' and all of western Virginia. (Charles H. Ambler, A History of 3
West Virginia, p. 54.) In 1758 the District of Augusta and the i
District of Frederick were formed from Orange County. This left 1
a large unorganized territory known as the District of West j -
Augusta (4 Hening, p. 450).
' Augusta County, in which was included the present Monroe 3
County, was formally organized in 1745 with the county seat at
Staunton (Ambler, A History of West Virginia, p. 55; Morgan P.
Robinson, ”Virginia Counties“, ianaT_State"Library Bulletin
p. 74). Monroe County remained a part of Augusta until January
‘ 51, 1770, when the Virginia Assembly created Botetourt County
from Augusta territory and the present Monroe County became a
part of the newly created county (Ambler, A History of West
Virginia, p. 152). Three years later the aeeeatiy creatEdnfrom f
Botetourt a new county to be known as Fincastle. Most of the T
Monroe territory remained in Botetourt, only a small corner of 9
the new county being taken from what is now Monroe County (8 i
Hening, pp. 600, 601). In 1776 Fincastle County ceased to exist ;
when the assembly created three counties, Montgomery, Washington, 1
and Kentucky. (Oren F. Morton, History of Monroe County, pp. t
29, 50).
In October 1777, the assembly created from Botetourt and 1
Montgomery Counties a new county which was designated as Green C
Brier, which included all the territory now in Monroe (9 Hening, V
p. 420 et seq.). The vast extent of the newly created county {
wv-5l—4 . a
l

 -5-
Historical Sketch (First entry, p. 51)
early gave rise to petitions for the establishment of several
counties and in 1790 the citizens of What is now Monroe County
presented their first petition asking for the creation of a new
county from the southern part of Greenbrier. The assembly re-
ceived a second petition in 1795 and the same year a counter
petition was filed by citizens who did not desire a new county.
The third petition and a counter petition were filed early the
following year and in December a fourth petition requested the
formation of a new county. (Morton, pp. 105—105.) For two
years there seems to have been a lull in the petitions for the 1
fifth petition was not presented until 1798 and in the following
year the new county, to which the assembly gave the name of 1
- Monroe, was created (Statutes at Large, New Series, 1792—1806, 1
ch. 41, sec. 1, p. 15W. }
, In spite of the fact that the county had been officially 1
created, the feeling against the division of Greenbrier remained
intense and a long series of petitions were presented to the as-
7 sembly requesting that the two-counties be reunited, that the 1
1 ' act creating the county be withdrawn, that a new county be formed
with different boundary lines, that the county seat be removed
to another more convenient location and finally that the Green—
,__ brier—Monroe county line be moved to a distance of 15 miles from
I Lewisburg (Morton, pp. 109—111).
;' The boundary lines of the new county, in spite of the 1
, storm of petitions which were descending upon the assembly, 1
remained the same until January 2, 1802, when the first of 1
‘ many boundary changes began. By act of the aforesaid date the 1
~~w assembly added a part of Botetourt County to Monroe County 1
“f (Statutes at Large, New SeriesL_l792-1806, ch. 45, p. 545). 1
_ The second change came with the formation of Giles County from 1 -
Montgomery, Monroe, and Tazewell, May 1, 1806 (ibid., ch. 55, 1
pp. 244, 245). On January 5, 1822, the assembly created 1
Alleghany County from Bath, Monroe, and Botetourt Counties; 1
. and Monroe again lost a part of her territory (Va. Acts, 1822, 1
ch. 28, pp. 28—50). Four years later a small part of MoniSE” 1
was added to Greenbrier (Morton, p. 155). By act of February 1
' 2, 1829, the assembly ordered that a part of Monroe be added
‘ to Giles County (Va. Acts, 1829, ch. 121, p. 119). A part of ;
Monroe was added to Alleghany County by act of January ll,
1845 (Va. Acts 1845, ch. 56, pp. 40, 41). Morton mentions an
mgf addition t5_Craig County from Monroe in 1855 (Morton, p. 154),
p and a second contribution was made to that county in 1856 (Va.
' Acts, 1856, ch. 112, pp. 97, 98). The last curtailment of the 3
f' territory was made in 1871, after West Virginia had become a 1
state, when Summers County was created frOm parts of Greenbrier, ‘
. Monroe, and Mercer Counties (W. Va. Acts,_1871).
The first court in Monroe County convened at the home of
George King, as ordered by the act which created the county.
, The act provided that court be held on the third Tuesday of each 1
~_ month, and that it be composed of commissioned justices. :
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 -6-
,_ ‘ Historical Sketch (First entry, p. 51)
(Statutes at Large, New Series, 1792—1806, ch. 41, sec. 1, p.
p 159.) it was compoEEd‘of the following justices of the
. peace who presented their commissions and took the oath of ;
fidelity to the commonwealth; William Hutchinson, James Alex— 1
, ander, Isaac Estill, William Haynes, John Hutchinson, John
. Gray, John Byrnsides, William Graham, James Hanly, and William
. Vawter (Order Books, No. 1, p. 1, see entry 1). Isaac Estill 3
presented a commission from the governor and after giving bond, ‘
. was sworn sheriff of the new county (ibid.). After formal
organization the court was ordered "to adjourn from the dwell-
ing house of George King to his barn for conveniency." John
Hutchinson was appointed clerk; John Woodard was named as
prosecutor; John Byrnsides was recommended to the governor for
. the place of surveyor; and John Arbuckle was appointed deputy
sheriff (ibid., p. 2).
The court met the second day (apparently in the barn) and
. ”the court having fixed upon the Land of James Alexander Gent.,
on which he reissues the plan for holding the court of this
County on the terms and under the Restrictions proposed by the
. said James Alexander on his giving Bond to comply therewith.
- It is ordered that the Court house be built thereon accordingly."
_ (Ibid.) The militia organization was set up with recommendations
to the governor for the various military titles. James Graham
was recommended for appointment to the office of coroner at the
third meeting of the court. (Ibid., pp. 5, 4.)
' At the meeting of May 25, the record shows: "The court
proceeded to ascertain the land for the Public Building also
twenty acres agreeable to the proposals of James Alexander Gent.
' , and having personally taken a view of the ground, postponed a
final decision thereof until the next court.
. "Isaac Estill Gent. Sheriff of this County excepts to the
- Consequinces which may happen for want of a jail for securing
'. prisoners that may be in his custody." (Ibid., p. 6.)
' The objections to the choice of the county seat were im-
mediate, numerous, and emphatic. The chief complaint of the
, people living within the new county was that the seat of govern—
. ment was not in the center of the county as the law required. .
. _ Some, said to have been led by disgruntled Greenbrier citizens
. _ who had opposed the formation of the county, even went so far as
_ . to petition the assembly to disband the new county and reunite ‘
, . it with Greenbrier. (Morton, p. 110.) i
2,... I
. Court was held at the home of James Alexander for more
, , than a year and the meeting in October 1801, was held at the .
' home of Humphrey Keyes. The following month it was ordered 5
that the court occupy the new courthouse. The same year the
, jail was accepted and the purchase of a "county seal" ordered. ‘
_. In 1805 a clerk's office was ordered built. The order stated i
,.‘,_ that the office was to be constructed of stone, "14 x 16 feet I
in the clear," and fireproof; and that the plans were to be é
' wv—5l—6 i
:i

 -7-
Historical Sketch (First entry, p. 51)
made by Alexander Dunlap and John Hutchinson. At the same meet—
, ing the sheriff protested the insufficiency of the jail. (Morton,
pp. 142—148.)
. The log courthouse, completed in 1801, soon became too small
., for the needs of the county and in 1818 money was appropriated
_ toward the construction of a new building, however, actual work
” was not started until 1820. The new courthouse, of brick con-
_ struction, was accepted by the court the following year and was
t used until the erection of the present building in 1881. (Ibid.)
" ' During the War between the States, Monroe County and its
‘_ : government remained loyal to Virginia. The county was repre—
*‘ sented in the secession convention at Richmond and did not send
': delegates to the various Wheeling conventions which formed the
reconstructed government of Virginia and prepared the way for the
; formation of the state of West Virginia. Monroe County was in-
' _ cluded in the state, not because of the sentiments of its people,
' ", but because of natural geographical boundary lines. Thus the
' ' county government continued to be Virginian for two years after
‘ Monroe had become a part of the new state and it was not until
1865 at the end of the war that Monroe County accepted the ver-
dict of the courts, disbanded its county court, and set up a
board of supervisors. No attempt was made during the Civil War
to establish the township form of government, created by the
first constitution of West Virginia. (Morton, pp. 156, 157.)
The territory included in Monroe County was settled soon
after the French and Indian War although there were some settle—
ments made in the section prior to that time. The first expe—
dition of exploration which may have touched Monroe County was .
that of the famed Batts—Fallam Expedition, sent out by Major
Abraham Wood, the dean of Virginia fur traders. The expedition
left Fort Henry (now Petersburg) September 1671. The party
consisted of Thomas Batts, Robert Fallam, Thomas Wood, Jack
‘ Neasom, and an Appomattox Indian named Perecute. Just how far
this expedition traveled is a disputed question among historians.
It is known that they reached the New River and that they may
' have entered what is now West Virginia through the gap in Peters
'~ Mountain in Monroe County. West Virginia historians have long
'7 . claimed that the falls which they reported seeing were those of
”IV" the Great Kanawha, but more recent historical verdicts have been
«‘7' that if they penetrated West Virginia at all, it was a very short
distance, and most historians contend that they did not quite
» reach the Virginia—West Virginia line. (Morton, pp. 20, 21; ,
Ambler, A History of West Virginia, pp. 45-45; Callahan, semi— f
Centennial Histor '6? West Virginia, p. 18; Encyclopedia -*
. fiifiehh‘iifg’—”7’I__V~, 195 edition. W W“ ,
'Iv : Records of later expeditions which touched the Monroe
~. '1 territory are those of Dr. Thomas Walker, manager of the Loyal
” Land Company, in 1750, and that of Christopher Gist in the i
-.2 following year (Morton, pp. 24, 25). 5
3
wv-5l-7 )
H
II

 ~8—
. Historical Sketch (First entry, p. 51)
, Augusta County was settled in 1752 by the Lewis family,
. the founders of Staunton, and a number of Scotch Presbyterians
. - who had been exiled to Ireland and made their way thence to
America. It was natural that these Scotsmen should penetrate
the territory to the west and south to take up the land which
~.a was offered them by the state of Virginia. The Lewis family
.1 early became prominent throughout the section and were instru~
; mental in the formation of the Greenbrier Land Company which was
“- organized in 1749. This company was made up of John Robinson,
. treasurer of the state and speaker of the house as president;
William Beverly; Beverly Robinson; John Robinson Jr.; Henry
Weatherburne; Thomas Nelson Jr.; John Craig; John Wilson; Robert
Lewis; John Lewis; and Charles Lewis. The cempany was granted
a tract of 100,000 acres in what is now Pocahontas, Greenbrier,
and Monroe Counties. As settlers were forced to pay a fee of
- three pounds (910) for the surveying of each one hundred acres,
1 , John Lewis, with his two sons Thomas and Andrew, both of whom
,- were surveyors, were on their way toward a fortune when the
French and Indian War interrupted settlement and sent even the
.1. most adventureSOme pioneers back to safety in the eastern com-
_~ munities. Many of the early Monroe County grants can be traced
a»:' to this company and to the Loyal Land Company, formed in 1749,
~,_ the lands of which company extended from the Greenbrier River
. p to the North Carolina boundary line. (Morton, p. 25, Callahan,
. - Semi—Centennial History of West Virginia, p. 19; Ambler, A
, Histggflggg:j§st Virginia, pTHSE.) “m
Greenbrier County suffered from border Indian raids during
_ the French and Indian War and settlement was retarded. What is
believed to have been one of the earliest settlements within the
. present boundaries of the county was made at Sweet Springs by .
James Moss in 1760. James Byrnside settled at the Sinks of
Monroe about 1765. For the following six years there is no re-
- cord of any settlement within the territory and it was not until
1769 that permanent settlement was made. From that date the
frontier moved westward and the population grew. It was from
this section that the army, under General Lewis, moved to Point
,: Pleasant to fight the only pitched battle of Lord Dunmore's War,
October 10, 1774. During the Revolution the county suffered
constant Indian raids and sent militia members to the western
v», defense at Pittsburgh and along the Ohio. (Morton, pp. 35—55;
_~‘ Thwaite and Kellog, Documentary History of Dunmore's War,
fievolution of the Uppermfififfi Brontiaetereaaa”aa“t53”t5§sr
' ' . Qflfi-JWMW I I'M” "I." W'— __ 1
As the frontier moved on toward the Ohio River in the days ‘
,_“ ‘ which followed the Revolution, the {heenbrier and Monroe sections
4w: settled down to a more cultured life. Lying in the heart of a l
*9“ limestone country rich in bluegrass; and a good farming country,
the two counties soon became agricultural in nature. The lime-
stone which produced the bluegrass, also produced mineral springs .
- of a high sulphur content. Tradition says that the Indians early
,5 knew the medicinal value of these waters and brought their SiCk
' ' wv—Sl-B 1
l

 _9_
‘ ~ (First entry, p. 51)
Governmental Organization and Records System
and wounded to the springs for healing. Early settlers, too,
realized that the waters had unusual qualities and developed
many of the springs into health resorts which became the summer
resort for many of the leading families of the south. Sweet
Springs, the oldest and best known of these resorts, was develop-
ed by the Lewis family. The property itself was patented by
William Lewis in 1774 and following the Revolution he began to
develop the springs as a resort. The story of his acquisition
of the courthouse for the superior court of law is told in the
essay on the District Superior Court, page 64. The resort
soon became popular and remained one of the most aristocratic
of the southern watering places until the Civil War. It con—
tinued to be used as a resort until within the past ten years,
when it was closed. (Morton, pp. 201—205.) The hotel build‘—
ing is said to have been designed by Thomas Jefferson.
Other springs which were popular as resorts for many years
were Red Sulphur and Salt Sulphur Springs. Both suffered
heavily during the War between the States and never regained
their popularity. (John J. Moorman, Virginia Springs; David B.
Reger, fieglggigalflSurveyupf Monrge, Merger and Summers
ggunties; Morton, ch. 21.7 A ~
Union, the county seat of Monroe County, was established
by act of the Virginia Assembly, January-6, 1800. The act
stated that: ”twenty—five acres of land, the property of James
Alexander, at the courthouse in the county of Monroe, as the
same have been laid off into lots and streets, shall be estab—
lished a town by the name of Union; and that William Haynes,
John Gray, John Byrnside, James Hanley, Michael Erskine, John
Hutchinson, and Isaac Estill, gentlemen, shall be and are hereby
constituted trustees thereof." (Morton, p. 192.) It is inter— '
esting to note that not only did the county seat give rise to
the growth of the town but that the county court constituted the
trustees of the town. (For town records see App. 7.)
The town was incorporated by the state of West Virginia,
August 14, 1868 (ibid. 195). Other towns include Peterstown,
established in lBOSEnSweet Springs; Red Sulphur Springs; and a
number of rural cemmunities. Monroe has maintained its agri—
» cultural status and is one of the leading counties in the pro—
. duction of grain and the raising of cattle and sheep.
2. GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION AND RECORDS SYSTEM !
Early Organization 1
The third oldest county in southern West Virginia, Monroe ‘
County,was formed from Greenbrier County in 1799 and its organi— E
zation was established under the first constitution of Virginia. ,
1
wv-Sl—Q i
h
g:

 -10-
(First entry p. 51)
Governmental Organization and Records System
The user of Monroe records should consult also the Greenbrier .
County, West Virginia, records, 1777-99; Botetourt County,
Virginia, records 1770-1777; and th