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About the Mail Service of Preston County, An Interesting and Valuable Histo rical Sketch. Written specially for the Anous, ‘The proposition to change the mail route that leads from Eglon via Brookside and Sunnyside to Oakland, 2094 to make Aurora either the starting or turning point, is now being disenaged, and certain ly should meet with a favorable con sideration by the people along the route; for besides giving this price two direct mails to the B. O.R.R., will greatly facilitate mail matters along the route, because it will be the means of bringing them into were rapid communication. For inatance, a letter can be sent to either of the above named offices and answered the same day, whereas it now requires three days to re ceive an answer. Referring to this matter recalls the mail service that has served the citizens of this, the southeastern end of Preston county, since it was first settled in 178%, and if it is not consuming too much space, I will give a brief outline of its workings. Cumberland, Md., or Romney, W. Va., were beyond doubt the nearest points at which mail was received and distributed at that remote period, but whether the ear ly pioneers ever utilized these offices is not known, but some time after 1800 an office was established at Smith's Farm, now the famous Bort Pendleton, and here the mail was sent and received till about 1816, when an office was established in this vicinity and named German Settlement, in honor of the great number of Germans who settled here. One tradition says the mail route was from Moorefield to Mor gantown, and another from Romney to Clarksburg. It is probable that the former is correct. Mr. Adam Shaffer, the progenitor of the well known family bearing that name, was appointed Postmas ter. The house in which this office was kept itill standing, and in at present the residence of Mr. Ray mond Wella, and is near Frosh's Mill,and about 300 yards northeast, and in full view of Brookside Post office. If the people who received their mail at this office were still living and would avait themseives of the mail facts that are now accorded to their successors, they could receive their mails at the fol lowing noted offices, viz.; Aurora, Brookside, Carmel, Amboy, Core inth, Teren Alta, Rodamers, Am blersburg, Rowlesburg, Macomber, Ewin, Hannahaville, Sell, White, St. George, Parsons, Lead Mine, Horse Shoe Run, Eglon and Dobbin in West Virginia, and at Sunnymole, Oakland and Crellen in Maryland. This may appear like a fairy story. But it must be remembered that within one-fourth of a mile of this office stood the only mill at which bolted flour could be obtained near er than where the town of Bloom ington, Md., now stands—in fact, it was the only mill within a radius of sixty mil except a few corn tills along Cheat river. Attached to this mill was a carding machine that furnished the woolen rolle for an equal number of mills, and an other indispensable enterprise to frontier wan there—a ““dintilery. And bear by this mill waa kept a store of generil merchandise that had no opposition nearer than Wes ternport, Mil., and Kingwood, Mor gantown and Clarksburg. Thers was also within a radius of two miles the Tanneries, the Hattery and Wheelwright that supplied the country for the same distance with their wares. There was not at that time any other Posto five between the eastern edge of the Alleghanies and the Tygarts Valley River and the pres ent line at the 1. 4. ft. Ry, ex cept, perhaps, at Haverly and Smith's Farm. ‘The opening of the Northwestern Virginia Turnpike in 1893-34 and the establishing of a stage line upon it that carried the mail in 185, was mw prelude to bet ter mail facilities, and ae Me, Slat fers residence win a short distance [from the road, and un he was wgod j and infirm he resigned, with his deputy. Monry Grimes, the mer chant, was appointed hie encore for Mr. Grimes'y commision, which he still preserved, wa signed Septen ber 6th, 1806, by Amice Kendell Westmnetor General wider Gennes Andrew Javheun Thyyitlee we then moved twto Btone Hower one mile ast of Aurora, A. won route Wie wateliivhed from here to Yough-Glades, (now Oakland) Ma And Wtwte Kingwood, With wie wGhow at Sult-lick Palls (now Terra Alta), ‘Thi Postmaster served till bie’ death in June, 1841, and his wife survived him but three days. Then his nephew, who was his deputy, the lite Win, HL. Grimes, once veded to the business and became Post master. It was having bis incum bency that the mail service reached its zenith. The country was tepid ly settling up, and the Stone House ‘was now opened as a ‘Tavern and became one of the stage stations on the road, and the travel of the road was rapidly increasing. ‘The fame of this noted Tavern spread far, and the weary travelers would often stop over for a rest, and very frequently take advantage of the Postoffice to write letters back to their friends. Besides this, corps of engineers were engged in exploring and selecting the most practicable route for the B, O, R, BR. The correspondence with the Company who employed them, and the correspondence of the contract torn who opened the road, increased the affairs of the office to such a degree that it required the constant attention of one person to attend to it. During this time, about 1845, a mail route was established to Westernford (now St. George), and another office was established on the N. W. Va. Pike at Cheat Bridge. Mr. Grimes served as Post master for ten years and he resign ed, and the site N. Painter was appointed Postmaster, with David Ridenour as his deputy. On the 1th day of July, 1857, the Post. office was moved to West Union (now Aurors). During the fall of 1BSL,the B. O. Road began carry ing the mail as far west as Salt tick Falls, and realizing the fact that the mail service would soon cease on the Turnpike, the route to King swool was discontinued and a trie weekly service was proposed and established from Oakland, and re turned by Winston, (now Fort Pen dleton, the name of Smith's Parm having long been dropped.) In February, 1352, the braves Gust of Cheat river were withdrawn from Turnpike. Mr. Painter only held the office one year, and July 1,185. David Ridenour, his deputy, was appointed Postmaster and held the office for forty years. On the day of July, 1855, the route to Oakland was abandoned and a bi-weekly ser vice established to Saltbock Balla. ‘The route from here to Westernford was extended to Filmore (now Mc Rose), New Interest (now Kerna)a nd Leadaville (now Mikini), to a weekly service. In 1857 a route was established from Holly Mead ows, in Tucker county, to Oakland, and the Horse Shoe Run Post office was established, with Abraham D. Wotring as Postmaster.This route was discontinued during the war. In 1859 the Leadaville route was discontinued, and the name of the Postoffice at Salt lick Fallawas changed to Portland. ‘The dark days of the war followed and our Postmaster guarded with care the office and distributed the mail with strict fidelity to hig oath. In 1866 the route from Molly Meadows to Oakland was reopened and D. G. Wotringwin appointed Postmaster at Morse Show Run. In 1872 the office was established at Painter's Mill (now Amboy), with I. K. Pain ter as Postmaster. On the 1st day of October, 1874, the name of Gor mat Settlement was dropped and Aurora substituted. Carmel office was established in 1878, and the same year an office was established at Maple Run (now Eglon). This office was supplied from Aurora twice 4 week, but was soon discon tinued, and the Holly Meatow route changed 20 u to position. (2 The tri-weeky service this year, which was thwoged in 1881 to daily, and the daily mail service from Oakland to Egton, with the estab lishment of the office at Brookside and the daily mail from here to St. George, which has since been to doer Lo twice a week, wee all trash in the minds of the people, to your correspondent will clues before the three the readers out and mist nak their pardon. One strange feature about the Peatnt Service tery is, that wlannat Ol of the nail in thie weotnity hine been handled by the descendants of the first Postendeter, as will be ween by the following: Henry Grimes wits hie son-hdaw, Wen, 1, Grimes Ne grand son by marriage, David Ridennur ia hia genod-son, Mrs. B, IL. Btartaman, Postmteress at Car mel, fa hie great grand-daughter, her deputy, TO. Stuytter be a great on, Mr. don W. Wore Fost master at Muckeide, inner grant-nephew, and Mr. W. 3. Lance, Pratmaster at Eglon, in the camel rotation by immarriage, Moser, Ales tam Do and C. C. Worring, who for wrey years handled the mail at Hora Sire Rin, were his neph OWA, and the present Doatminiase at thet pli, Mew Mary Ex vt, iW ® grew? grantedaughter. Mp Jnvut Oliver Leary, the new Pose nator at Aurora, brow ka the record i far ee Felaionahip moma, but he ial to the fmernenty, tor ho te yet w wingle Mat. and From prow Mad letionn Elite orth looks —d@ell, Enea ny thet vw Mepeey, Mr. Marry 1404 eww grmnt I wna p Antone, W. Vanden, 2a, legs, tirant Matter, o0 vies
Newspaper Details
Kingwood West Virginia Argus
Kingwood, West Virginia, US
Thu, Feb 01, 1894
Page 2
Full Page
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USA 26 Dec 2025
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Kingwood West Virginia Argus
