Upshur County
BUCKHANNON
110 YEARS AGO
The settlements in the vicinity of the present town in Buckhannon in the year 1770 were about as
follows: Samuel Pringle, John Pringle, William Pringle, John Cutright and Samuel Oliver lived on
Cutrights run, a branch of Buckhannon river, three or four miles above where the town of Buckhannon
is now situated. Thomas Carney, Zacharias Westfall and George Casto resided on Stony run, about two
miles above town, Joel Westfall on the West side of the river, below Radcliffs run; Abraham Carper
still lower down in the bend of the river, on the farm now owned by Levi Leonard, Jacob Brake lived
below the mouth of Finks run, where Daniel Carper now resides Henry Jackson where the old fort had
been in 1780, about one and a half miles below town, Edward Jackson where the town is now situated;
Jacob Hyre, on Finks run, and had a little mill where William D. Farnsworth now resides; -- Allman,
Jacob Lorentz, George Bozarth lived higher up on Finks run; John Hyre, Philip Reger, John Tingle,
Jacob Schoolcraft, Leonard Simon and Solomon Collins on the Brushy fork of Finks run Jacob Post on
the east side of the run above the mouth of Little Sand run, where Isaac Strader now lives; John
Strader, John and Abram Crites, Abraham Post John Jackson, Anthony Rohrbough and George Bush still
lower down, farms adjoining each other, Joseph Davis on the west side of the river near the mouth of
Turkey run, where Adam Carper now resides; David Casto lived over the ridge, where one of his sons
has since resided. The persons here mentioned composed almost the entire community at that day, and
all have long since passed away, and their lands, as a natural consequence, have passed into other hands.
One generation passes away, and another takes its place.
The Founders of the Town
The land upon which the town has been built was granted originally to Elizabeth Jackson nee Cummins,
the wife of John Jackson; she transferred it to John Patton, of Fredericksburg, Virginia, who, in 1815,
sat Benjamin Reeder, his attorney in fact, to lay out the town. Mr. Reeder secured the services of Jacob
Lorentz, John
Jackson and Joel Westfall, the' latter two being surveyors, and thirty lots were surveyed, eighteen of
which were sold, the price paid being twenty-five dollars per lot. Soon after, Mr. Patton sold his lands
to Joseph Ward, who in turn, in 1821, transferred it to Daniel Farnsworth, who came from Staten
Island, New York. The purchasers of lots in the embryo town had not occupied them, the marks
indicating their location has disappeared, and Mr. Farnsworth cultivated the land; but in 1824 the
owners became uneasy and demanded a re-survey. In compliance with their request Mr. Farnsworth,
John W. Westfall and Augustus W. Sexton, a surveyor, re-located the lots.
Daniel Farnsworth erected the first house in 1822; it was a two-story hewed log structure, built on
contract, by Joel Westfall; it yet stands (1883) on lot No. 27, and is occupied by J. J. Farnsworth,
grandson of the original owner. The second was a small log house erected by George Nicholas, on
the lot now owned by Levi Leonard. The third was built by Levi Paugh, who, soon after its erection, sold
it to Zedekiah Lanham. The first blacksmith was Isaac Farnsworth, who began business in 1822. The
second was Zedekiah Lanham. Levi Paugh was the first shoemaker. Waldo P. and Nathan Goff were the
first machinists. They commenced business in 1831. Weedon Hoffman and Richard P. Comden doing
business under the firm name of Hoffman & Comden, were the second. The first election was held at the
house of Daniel Farnsworth, in 1829. The first house of worship, known as the "Old Carper Church,'
was erected by the Methodists in 1822. The first Baptist Church was built in 1824. Henry Comden was
the first Methodist minister, and occupied the pulpit in the Carper Church for several years. He was a
man of much power and considerable eloquence. It is related that on a certain occasion while delivering
a sermon, his wife Mary, whose memory is yet cherished by many of the aged men and women of the
valley, was not at all satisfied with her husband's exposition of the text so, going forward and taking her
position in the pulpit "delivered, says one venerable informant, "one of the most able discourses ever
heard within the walls of the old church"
The First School
Was taught, in a primitive log cabin, by a Mr. Haddox. It was opened about the year 1797, and the cabin
stood on the farm now owned by Levi Leonard on
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