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Echoes of West Virginia Past

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Echoes of West Virginia Past Volume 1, Issue 1 January 2009 Echoes of West Virginia Past A PUBLICATION OF BEAVER CREEK HISTORY CENTER S P E C I A L P O I N T S O F WHERE ARE THEY? INTEREST: Southern WV has “Its builder’s, I exclaimed, where are they? Echo replied, where vast evidence of are they? Perhaps a thousand revolutions of the earth have ancient civiliza- tion. marked its age, now known but to Him who is from Everlasting We need a place to Everlasting…Ah! The vanity and nothingness of man; truly to store and are men but grasshoppers in God’s sight!” share the won- derful treasures These were the words penned by Alfred Beckley upon viewing of our past. the mysterious remains of what he described as an ancient forti- A lifetime of fication on Big Beaver Creek. His dramatic statement serves to learning can be fun, fascinating, vividly remind us of one of the harsh truths gleaned from the and fulfilling. Isaac Craig Map lessons taught by history…no earthly kingdom, no empire, no monument, lasts forever. Only what’s done for God will last. His journal entry is dated October 16, 1837, shortly after his arrival in Fayette County, Vir- ginia (now Raleigh County, West Virginia). He continues the entry by recording a meticulous INSIDE THIS survey of the site and structure. Mr. Beckley was said to have been led to the site by an old ISSUE: hunter who probably found it while trapping beaver in the creek. There is no record of the The Fort 2 area of the fort having been inhabited other than by occasional hunters or trappers before the arrival of Clarkson and William Prince in 1835 and Alfred Beckley in 1836. More on page New Friends 2 two… Beaver Creek Books 2 BLUE JAY, WEST VIRGINIA While studying the fort, I’ve learned a lot about Blue Jay. An old newspaper story says that prior to The Prince and Beckley 3 families the lumber boom, there was only one log cabin there. The coming of Blue Jay Lumber Company in 1903 brought big changes. I’m told, at one time, this was the Wildwood Museum 3 biggest lumber company in the Eastern United States. I hope someday to get into print the many wonderful stories of the rich history of this little town called Blue Jay. It is said they People Who Inspire 3 were the first in the county to have electricity and telephones in their homes. My grandfather, Roscoe, worked there and my Playing in the Creek 4 dad lived there as a young child. My grandmother told me they stayed in railroad cars until a home was made ready for them. P a g e 2 Echoes of West Virginia Past ALFRED BECKLEY’S ANCIENT FORT An article describing the structure was published in the September, 1842 issue of The American Pioneer, a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania journal. The article was written by Isaac Craig, the brother-in-law of Alfred Beckley, who visited the site in August, 1837. Craig included a detailed drawing and description of the site. Judging from Alfred Beckley’s journal entry, his viewing of these remains was a profoundly emotional experience that stirred within him a curiosity and great desire to discover who might have been the builders. It is apparent both he and Craig considered it an important enough discovery to invest a considerable amount of time and effort into surveying the site and preparing the article for publication. Forty years later, Alfred Beckley mentioned the site again when describing it as one of only two sites in Raleigh County having historical significance. The other being the “painted trees” which I will write of in later volume. In this 1876 report, he says the fort was “about a mile from Clarkson Prince.” Clarkson Prince’s property was a 300 acre tract in Beaver with his resi- dence located at the forks of Little and Big Beaver across from what is now Beaver Hardware (formerly Todd’s store). My reaction upon reading of “the fort” was somewhat similar to Alfred Beckley’s. I find it amazing to think of the immense quantity of labor it must have taken to erect such a structure; a feat which could not have been accomplished in a short time; but, would have involved a fairly large culture residing and working in the area for a considerable length of time. Who were they? When were they here? Where did they come from? Where did they go? HELPERS BECOME NEW FRIENDS Why was it important for them to erect a “fort’’…or was it a ceremonial worship site where burials Who were they? might have been performed? What purpose did it really serve? Would it be possible to find traces When were they of this lost civilization? The Native Americans of this region that I had heard of did not build struc- tures of this kind. Thus, began my quest in search of the fort hoping to find some evidence which here? Where might help me find answers to my questions. As many do, I called on local historian, Pauline Haga, for help. She steered me to Jim and Hallie McGhinnis who provided my first clue of a deed did they come existing at the courthouse which marked the fort. Pauline then graciously assisted me in hours of from? Where searching until we found the deed and tax records for the land. Jim and Hallie were investigating the fort as well as a similar one in Wyoming County. Jim died shortly after we met but, I found a did they go? great new friend in Hallie who has continued to aid in my research. I owe many thanks to these and all who have shared in my work. Gathering history is the most enjoyable endeavor I have ever undertaken. It’s fun, fascinating, and fulfilling. The rewards are immeasurable. To think that people from the past can lead us to new friends in the future...as the kids say, AWESOME! BEAVER CREEK BOOKS I have many books in the works. I’ve started a history of the WOOD(s) family. I am also working on a book documenting what I’ve learned of Alfred Beckley’s fort. My interests are so many and varied, it is likely I will be found writing on a variety of subjects. I love to study the Bible which IS history. God chose the Hebrews to preserve His Story. Thus, no better place to begin my work. I also plan to study and write articles about the heavens. I am awed as much by the sky as I am by the earth and those who people it. When I see the sun, moon, and stars and know that anyone anywhere in the world sees the same thing I see every day and night , it is mind boggling. Notice I say anyone instead of everyone. Many do not see be- cause they do not look. To some, seeing is believing...but some of us must believe to see. I’m sure there are ancient mes- sages in the heavenly rocks just like the ones we find in our earthly stones. If my dream becomes reality, I will be sharing the fruits of my labors through my writing. Stay tuned for news of coming publications. Volume 1, Issue 1 P a g e 3 THE PRINCE and BECKLEY FAMILIES My husband’s ancestor, Clarkson Prince, along with brothers, William and Edwin, were early inhabitants of the county and cousins of Alfred Beckley. Their father, Isaac Prince was the brother of Maria Prince, the wife of John Beckley and mother of Alfred. Isaac Prince had acquired a vast acreage of land from his brother-in-law. This land was part of the original Moore- Beckley patent, some of which is lying upon the waters of Big Beaver Creek in the area of the fort. Clarkson and William Prince came to the area in 1835 to make their home and manage their father’s land. They stayed at the inn operated by Henry Hull at the intersection of Rt. 3 and 19-21 in Shady Spring. Both married daughters of Henry Hull. Edwin Prince, a younger brother, followed a few years later and proved quite successful in managing land sales and investments. The Prince and Beckley families were prominent citizens of the Philadelphia area. Isaac Prince was married to the granddaugh- ter of Matthew Clarkson, the mayor of Philadelphia. John Beckley was quite famous for his service in the colonial govern- ment before the Revolution and afterward in the formation of our new United States of America. I’ve found a lot of interest- ing information on both of these families. In addition to local sources, the internet, or wide wonderful web, provides a con- stant source of knowledge and learning on these and almost any subject. It is like having a world library in my kitchen. I highly recommend it to everyone. THE WILDWOOD MUSEUM Trying to determine exactly where the fort was located led me in a direction that was not planned but proved to be quite an adventure. In addition to the thrill of playing detective and trying to solve a mystery, I learned much about the formation of our county and the early pioneers. Their courage and self-sacrifice is quite humbling when one begins to consider the hard- ships they endured and the comforts they gave up in order for us to enjoy the fruit of their labor. I visited the Wildwood Museum hoping to see some of Alfred Beckley’s maps or writings.
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