The History of Nicholas County, West Virginia
Date 2010/12/30 3:00:00 | Topic: History
| This gives a partial account of some of the early settlers of Nicholas County, West Virginia. We can't be sure what settlements were made first outside of the Morris and Sims settlements. One thing we do know is that the killings of the Strouds family was before the Morris children were killed. On both occasions the citizens living in the Glades went to Donally's Fort in Greenbrier for safty. The Givens, Hamricks, Hannas, Cutlips, Gregory's Roses, McClures, and Doyles were families that carried their children and everything of value that they could.
William Hutchinson, a scotchman married Rebecca Warrack, a sister of Issac Warrack. He died at Williamsport, Pennsylvania, a captain in the Revolutionary War. After his death his wife gave birth to triplets, Issac, William, and Rebecca. Jacob Warrack, then of Clover Lick, raised the children.
David Hanna married Rebecca Hutchinson and came to the Glades. Soon after C.W. Cottle married Warrack's daughter and Jacob Hutchinson married Hanna McMillion, both couples soon followed.
Hanna had bought 1,000 acres of land at the Welch Glades near the present site of Cowen. C.W.Cottle bought 1,000 an acres near what is now Camden-on-Gauley. Hutchinson bought 500 acres on McCillion Creek, but of him we will speak later. Both of these other men did well, each one clearing over 200 acres of land and made other improvements and raised cattle and stock of all kinds. Both had large families that were well respected. Cottle was High Sheriff of Kanawha County and was one of the most influential men in the county. He, afterwards represented Nicholas County in the Legislature. Both men were shrewd business men, but strange , it is that both of these farms went delinquent and was sold for taxes from time to time until they passed into hands of strangers, and family connections have almost disappeared. William and John Cottle on Phillips Run are great, great grandchildren of C.W. Cottle.
C. R. Hanna of Glade Creek is a grandson of David Hanna and is now over 80 years old. His father is William Hanna. He is the only survivor of that pioneer family.
Not long afterwards, Nathan Hanna came and settled on Beaver Creek, where Thomas Callaghan now lives. Andrew Hanna came at the same time and settled on Little Beaver Creek at what we now call the Harris improvement, but in a short time he moved away to Ohio. Nathan cleared a large farm and did well. He had a large family of children most of whom married and settled in the area and did well and became good citizens, but they are all dead. All the Hanna's of Beaver Creek section came from that family and could never be connected with the David Hanna family.
With these last names came David McCue, who had a son also named David that married when he came here. They located on what is now called the Dixon McClung and Kyle Bright places, on Beaver Creek. His son, John, married Melinda McClung, but both are now dead. All the McCues of this county are descendants of this family. David McCue Sr. and Jr. both sold to John McClung and moved to Missouri. David Jr. then 75 years old was in the seize of Vicksburg, on the confederate side in the Civil War with 24 of his sons and all came out unhurt.
Eli Taylor in those days lived at the mouth of the Cranberry River at what is now Woodbine and he kept a ferry boat to transport horses and footmen across the river. This was the main thoroughfare to Greenbrier and Lewisburg which was the market place for the county. Cherry Tree Bottom , now Richwood, was the halfway place and several people lived there. Finally, John McClung bought the ferry and made large improvements there, but later sold it and came to McMillion's Creek.
First settler on McMillon's Creek was James Rodgers, John Wooden, and Henry Shannon. In 1798 Henry Woodson sold to Jacob Hutchinson; In 1800 Rodgers sold to David McCoy and Shannon to John Groves. Jacob Hutchinson has been previously named, He and his brother came to this county with C.W.Cottle. William was a single man and a tanner by trade and lived with Cottle. He helped run the tannery until they had a dispute and Cottle whipped him and William left , going to Gallipolis, Ohio, where he married and had a large family. In years after there were a good many marriages between his family and the Gutherie family that went from this part of the county to that part of Ohio and many of them still live in Nicholas County today.
Jacob Hutchinson was a farmer, and not withstanding all kinds of game was abundant, he never owned a gun or spent anytime i the woods, but spent his time strictly on his farm where he did well. He raised 4 sons , all married and stayed in the area and became good citizens. William, the eldest moved to Salt Lick, Braxton County, where he raised a family of 6children all of whom are now dead. Jacob's family consisted of 9 children, J.M. Hutchinson of Hookersville, now 74 years of age being the only one survivor. Joseph Hutchinson raised 10children, 9 of whom raised families. Jas F. of Muddlety and Anthoney of McMillion's Creek, being the only ones of that family still alive.
( I will say now that we had two families of Hutchinson's but they were from two different nationalities. Jacob Hutchinson was Scotch and the Samuel and Archibald Hutchinson families were English, and their names and connections have long disappeared from this county.)
David McCoy came to Greenbrier County and his wife was Lydia Gillilland. He was a man of considerable wealth and owned slaves. His family consisted of 4 daughters, the eldest of whom married Elijah Williams who built the mill below the Jones Mill on Muddlety and made extensive improvements where William Rader now lives. He and his wife both died young and are buried on the place. They left 1 daughter named ,Mary, that his brother, John of Greenbrier County raised. Mary married Rufus Bobbitt, the father of W.S.Bobbitt of Cowen. The Bobbitt families are the only connection of that McCoy family that still remain in the area.
The second daughter of David McCoy married a merchant in Malden by the name of Jones. That connection live about Malden and Charleston, but I never was aquainted with the family. The third daughter married George Hibbens of Gallipolis, Ohio and raised an intelligent family. The fourth daughter, Virginia, married Samuel Shrewsbury Hamilton of Summersville. They lived for a considerable time on the David McCoy property, but later moved to Gallipolis, Ohio. Their family consisted of 3 sons and 2 daughters. Ralph and William were steamboat men and John A. was a banker. Hulda married and lived in Gallipolis. After the death of Mrs. McCoy, Lydia ,the other daughter, moved to Texas, where she married and never returned. Her father remained with her in Texas until his death.
David McCoy died in May 1822. His widow, assisted by a Negro man named Immanuel and his family kept house until all were married, after which she sold the Negroes and spent the remainder of her life with Samuel Shrewsbury Hamilton in Ohio.
About the year 1814 John Groves sold to John McClung and bought land of Jim McCoslin near Summersville and moved onto it. His history is well known. He lived and raised a large family and to see them all settled and doing well. They were all good citizens.
About the time David McCoy settled on McMillion's Creek, James McCoy came and settled two miles above Summersville where Mrs. Peck now lives. He raised a large family that scattered as they grew up. William H. McCoy of Hookersville now 80 years of age is the grandson of his. The McCoy's and Michael and George Rader came to this county together. George settled on Bucks Garden. He was drafted and went to Norfork in 1812, but was able to return in good health. He raised 7 children and all married and settled in Nicholas County. His eldest daughter married Samuel Bell, who was the grandfather and great grandfather of all the Bell's in the county.
Michael Rader settled on the south side of Gauley. He, too, was drafted and went to Norfork. His wife was the sister of John and Samuel McClung , and their wives were sisters of Michael Rader. Michael and George Rader, being only half brothers. He improved a large farm and did well. His family consisted of 9 children, 6 sons and 3 daughters, all of whom married and settled in the county.
John.........married Elvina Lemasters
Samuel ......married Agnes Robinson
Feamster.......married Elizabeth Rader
Allen.....married Lauria Moore
Nancy ....married David Eagle
Eliza........married James McMillion
Abbie......married William Cottle
John McClung came to McMillon Creek from Cherry Tree Bottom in April 1814. He was a man of means and traded mostly in land and stock of all kinds. He had a good many slaves. Old Peter and Aunt Saria were both kidnapped, brought to America, and sold into slavery. McClung was High Sheriff at different times and represented the county in Legislature often. He was one of the country's most prominent men of that day. He raised 7 children, 1 son and 6 daughters.
Fielding.........married Ann Stanard ......also Sallie Tyree
Melinda........married John McCue
Margaret.......married William Groves
Sallie .........married George Fitzwater
Elizabeth......married John Tyree
Tylithia........married A.C.Herold
Tybithia.......married Feamster Rodgers
( Fielding and Rodgers later went west)
That same spring that John McClung came to McMillions Creek, Samuel McClung brought Alexander Stephenson on Phillip's Run and both men moved there. His family numbered 7, 4 sons and 3 daughters:
Anthoney .......married Martha Taylor
Allen .....married Mary Alderson
Joseph.......married Elizabeth Taylor
Margaret......married Alexander Spinks
Katie..........married Daniel Brock
Delilia ........married John Cree
Samuel McClung had a second wife, who had 1 child
Samuel........married Jane Rader
Those three double-cousin families with all their descendents for three generations, constitute the strongest relationship in the county, unless it be the connection on the south side of Gauley, from Jeremiah O'Dell, Sylvanus O'Dell and David Nutter. It is likely that they have more that bear the original name, but, while these are the largest connections from our pioneer settlers, there were many as worthy as they that helped to bear the hardships and privations of frontier life in the early1800's and who did much toward building up our county as they did.
source: Hutchinson
Transcribed and submitted by Brenda Collins Dillon
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