By Delegates Rowan, Cowles, Butler, Eldridge, Ferro, Fluharty, 3 Hamrick, Hartman, Kelly, Longstreth, Manchin, J
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2015R2634 1 HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 44 2 (By Delegates Rowan, Cowles, Butler, Eldridge, Ferro, Fluharty, 3 Hamrick, Hartman, Kelly, Longstreth, Manchin, J. Nelson, Rohrbach, 4 Romine, Skinner, Sponaugle, Trecost, B. White, H. White and Zatezalo) 5 6 Requesting the Division of Highways to name the section of County Route 45/20, known as 7 Coldstream Road, beginning at a point, latitude 39.336997, longitude -78.494499 and ending 8 a point, latitude 39.349509, longitude -78.511901, along the North River, Hiett Run and 9 Maple Run, in Hampshire County, the "North River Mills Historic Trace." 10 WHEREAS, The North River Mills Historic Trace memorializes the rich history of one of 11 Hampshire County's oldest communities which is associated with several noteworthy individuals. 12 These include: 13 George Washington who surveyed land for Thomas Parker beside the proposed Trace and 14 who later traveled along part of the Trace while commanding the forts of the Virginia frontier during 15 the French and Indian War; 16 Dr. James Craik, George Washington's friend and personal physician and surgeon of the 17 Virginia Regiment during the French and Indian War, who was granted the spring tract on both sides 18 of the Great Wagon Road part of which was along the Trace; 19 Ensign Rees Pritchard, descendant of Welsh ancestors who came to America to make a home 20 for themselves and their extended family. Rees Pritchard at one time owned most of the land along 21 the Trace; 22 Gustavus Croston was a soldier in the American Revolution who served at Valley Forge and 23 after his first enlistment expired signed up "for and during the War." In other words he committed 1 2015R2634 1 to serve until the war was won. He is buried very near the Trace which runs through land he owned; 2 and 3 WHEREAS, These are but four of the many colonial era men and women who came to this 4 area, settled on land, some of which was surveyed by George Washington, suffered the deprecations 5 of the French and Indian War while Colonel Washington's Virginia Regiment tried desperately to 6 protect the settlers, rebuilt their lives after the war and, in some cases, served in the war that won our 7 independence; and 8 WHEREAS, Dr. James Craik was born at Orbigland County Kirkcudbright, Scotland, in 1730 9 and died at "Vaucluse," Fairfax County, Virginia, on February 6, 1814. He graduated in medicine 10 from the University of Edinburgh and then emigrated to the West Indies about 1750 and 11 subsequently moved to Virginia; and 12 WHEREAS, Dr. James Craik entered the Virginia Regiment (formed to fight during the French 13 and Indian War) as surgeon on March 7, 1754, and was made Ensign May 23, 1754. He held the 14 rank of Lieutenant by July 1754, which rank he held until the regiment disbanded in 1762. Dr. Craik 15 was at the Battle of Fort Necessity and accompanied the Braddock campaign. After the war he 16 accompanied George Washington on his trip west in 1770 that brought him back to Hampshire 17 County; and 18 WHEREAS, In 1760 Dr. Craik married Marianne Ewell, the daughter of Colonel Charles Ewell 19 and his wife, Sarah Conway. George Washington's mother was Sarah Conway's half sister; and 20 WHEREAS, Dr. Craik served with General Washington in the Revolutionary War. He was 21 given the position of Chief Physician and Surgeon of the Continental Army. After the Revolution, 22 he settled near Mount Vernon and continued his personal and professional relationship with General 2 2015R2634 1 Washington. He was one of the attending physicians during Washington's last illness; and 2 WHEREAS, Because of his relationship with George Washington, who surveyed many tracts 3 in Hampshire County, and his experience on the frontier during the French and Indian War, Dr. 4 Craik, like Washington, was well aware of the value of western lands. Beginning in 1760 Dr. Craik 5 acquired several parcels of land around North River Mills in Hampshire County. He had secured 6 two plots along the Great Wagon Road from Winchester to Romney not far from the crossing of the 7 North River. One of the parcels lying along Parker's Run (now Hiett Run) was noted for a good 8 spring that to this day is named for him as first grantee although the name was locally misspelled as 9 "Craig" Spring. A third tract was across the river not far from the Great Wagon Road. This road had 10 been the major western artery in the central colonies during Virginia's battle to stop French 11 encroachments onto British claimed territory and would later serve to take many settlers west as the 12 frontier made it relentless move westward; and 13 WHEREAS, Dr. Craik exemplifies the colonial settler who arrived in America with an 14 important skill and great determination to make a life for himself in this new land. He served in the 15 two wars that determined the fate of North America and established the United States of America. 16 His extensive personal and professional relationships and his broad travels placed him in a position 17 to make a lasting contribution to the building of our great country. It is appropriate that he be 18 remembered along the road that traverses some of the property he once owned; and 19 WHEREAS, Ensign Rees Pritchard was a descendant of a Welsh family, several of whom had 20 come to Hampshire County from Chester County, Pennsylvania. Reese was born in 1744 the son 21 of Samuel Pritchard who lived on North River. George Washington spent a night with Samuel 22 Pritchard on North River during his journey to inspect western lands in the fall of 1770. The 3 2015R2634 1 Pritchards were apparently individuals of some means as they became large landowners in 2 Hampshire County; and 3 WHEREAS, The family apparently stayed in Hampshire County during the French and Indian 4 War as Samuel entered a claim for damages done during the war. The claim was filed on February 5 20, 1759; and 6 WHEREAS, Rees Pritchard entered the Continental Army in February 1776 and on March 12, 7 1776, was commissioned as Ensign in Captain Abel Westfall's Company of the 8th Virginia 8 Regiment commanded by Co. Peter Mulenburg. He marched from Romney in Hampshire County 9 to Charleston, South Carolina, where he was engaged in the Battle of Sullivans Island, June 21-29, 10 1776; and 11 WHEREAS, Upon his return to Hampshire County, Rees Pritchard married and had one son. 12 He continued to amass land around the North River at two different locations, and between 1786 and 13 1790 he was authorized by the Virginia Assembly to operate a ferry across the North River. Some 14 of the land had originally been surveyed by George Washington and granted by Lord Fairfax to 15 Thomas Parker; and 16 WHEREAS, It is not known exactly what the financial depressions and panics experienced 17 every few years during the formative years of our nation had upon Rees Pritchard's situation, but by 18 1800 he had sold most of his land. It also seems that his wife died sometime in the early 1800s. In 19 any case, Mr. Pritchard, like many Revolutionary War veterans, filed for a pension on the 20 twenty-first day of July, 1819, and received a certificate of Pension Number 12545. He was dropped 21 under Act May 1, 1820, and then was reinstated April 25, 1822. The application states "that in 22 consequence of old age and the rheumatism he is unable to pursue any profession or occupation in 4 2015R2634 1 order to produce a support." He died in relative obscurity on September 25, 1830, in Morgan 2 County; and 3 WHEREAS, Rees Pritchard was one of the many early settlers who came to America in 4 community groups and continued to move westward with family members. He served in the 5 Continental Army helping to win America's independence. After his service he became a large 6 landowner, and he engaged in the ferry business allowing his land to be used as a transportation 7 artery helping move people and goods around the growing frontier. Like so many individuals who 8 had given so much to their country, he suffered from the financial problems of the growing, new 9 country, and eventually he had to sell most all of his land to pay debts. The establishment of the 10 North River Mills Historic Trace through property once owned by Rees Pritchard will help future 11 generations remember what our forebears went through to build the county we now know; and 12 WHEREAS, Gustavus Travis Croston enlisted at Newport, Maryland, to fight for America's 13 independence. On the first of March, 1777, he was recruited into the First Virginia State Regiment. 14 That July the Regiment was transferred to the Continental line and sent north as part of the 15 Philadelphia campaign under General George Washington. Mr. Croston spent the winter of 16 1777-1778 at Valley Forge in Captain Thomas Hamilton's Company of Colonel George Gibson's 17 Regiment of Mulenburg's Brigade; and 18 WHEREAS, Before Gustavus Travis Croston's three-year term expired, the First Virginia 19 Regiment was called back to Virginia. When his first enlistment ended, he reenlisted at Alexandra, 20 Virginia, "for and during the war." This meant that he volunteered to serve until the war ended; and 21 WHEREAS, Gustavus Travis Croston's company was marched south as part of the campaign 22 against General Cornwallis.