Ten Mile District:
The surface of this district, like that of the principal part of
the county, is hilly and broken. There is a variety of soil, but
it is principally clay and limestone, and well adapted to agriculture and
grazing. The timber is oak, poplar, sugar, beech, sycamore, and hickory.
Nearly two thirds of the land is improved. There is an abundance
of coal of an excellent quality, although but little has been mined, and
that for home consumption; several years ago, while some parties
were boring for oil, they cut through a vein fourteen feet thick.
Ten-Mile Creek is formed in this district by a conjunction of Coburns Fork
and Turtletree Creek, and flows northeasterly through the district.
Coburns Fork rises in the district and flows northeast. Salem Fork
rises in the district, runs easterly , and empties into Ten-Mile.
Cherry Camp also rises in the district, runs nearly south and empties into
Salem Fork. Grass Run rises in the district, flows southeast, and
empties into Ten-Mile. Indian Run rises in the district, and flows
southeast into Ten-Mile. There are many other small streams, tributaries
of those mentioned.
The B & O R.R. runs through the district from east to west.
The first settlement was made at New Salem, about the year 1793.
Among the pioneers were Samuel F. Randolph;
William Davis; Jesse F. Randolph; James, Jacob, Nathan, John, Stephen C.
Joshua and Asa Davis; William Martin; George W. Dakon; Wilford Drummond;
William Jones; John B. Davidson; Samuel Ritter; and Bedlam Maxwell.
The first marriage is supposed to have been that of Zebulon
Maxen to Mary Davis.
The first election was held at the house of Perry
Lynch, on Ten-Mile Creek, before the district
was formed, in May, 1852. At this election, the following officers
were elected: Mathias Davis and
Thornton
Rumble, Magistrates; S.C.
Davis, Clerk;
Daniel
F. Davis, Treasurer.
The first grist mill was built on Ten-Mile Creek, about the year 1808,
by William Davis.
It was built
of logs and was run by horse power, when there was insufficient water in
the stream. There are now six grist mills in the district- one steam
mill at Salem, and five water mills, located in different parts of the
district. Near Cherry Camp, on G.W.
Dakon's farm, there have been four mills erected
within fifty yards of each other. The original mill was one of the
first in the district. One of them is now in operation by overshot
water power. The first saw mill in the district was built by
William Davis.
A school was taught at New Salem about the year 1808, in a small log cabin.
This was the introduction of education into this seciton. The first
building erected under the free school system was built at Cherry Camp,
in 1866; it was a one-story frame building, which has since been enlarged
by the addition of another story. There are now fourteen free schools
in the district, and one independent school at New Salem, all occupying
neat, well furnished frame buildings. The enrollment of schools is
as follows: males, 384; females, 345; total, 729; beside those in
attendance at the independent school at Salem. The tax levy for teachers'
fund is 15 cents on the $100; for building fund, 25 cents.
The first post office in the
district was located at New Salem; Cherry Camp, Wolfs Summit and Marshville
have since been added to the list.
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The present justices are Jesse
F. Randolph, and James L. Hickman.
Board of Education: James L. Hickman (pres),
Rufus Haymond, J. Paine. The district contains about 500 voters.
The first religious society
was the Seventh Day Baptist, organized about 1805 by
Rev. Jacob Davis, at New Salem; they worshipped in a rude log house
that had no door nor floor. Among the original members were Rev.
Jacob Davis, John Peter and Nathan Davis, Zebula Maxon and Samuel Rudolph.
Mt. Morris Methodist Episcopal, now known
as Point Pleasant Church, was organized about 1837. The original
church building as built of hewn logs; when the B & O Railroad was
built, the line ran through it, and it was torn down. A short
distance from the original site a nice frame church was erected, which
was named Point Pleasant. This was the second religous organization
in the district. The third was the Enon Baptist Church, near Cherry
Camp, organized about 1840 by Rev. A. J. Garrett,
Rev. G. W. Dakon and Mattnew
Mattocks; the first pastor was A.
J. Garrett. There are now thirteen church
organizations in the district. The Methodist Epsicopal at Cherry
Camp; frame building; membership 100; Rev.
A. S. Loveall, pastor. Pleasant Grove
Methodist Protestant Church on Cherry Camp; frame buidling; membership,
54; Rev. J. L. Simms,
pastor. New Salem Seventh Day Baptist; frame; membership 200.
Salem Methodist Episcopal; frame; membership 70; Rev.
A. S. Loveall. New Salem Baptist; membership
28; Rev. John S. Fisher.
Enon Baptist Church, near Cherry Camp; frame; membership 136; Rev.
John Riblett. Indian Run Methodist Episcopal;
frame; membership 30; Rev. A. S. Loveall.
Pleasant Valley Baptist Church, on Grass run; frame; 35 members; Rev.
H. F. Garrett. Grass Run Methodist Episcopal;
frame; built in 1874, membership 46; Rev.
A. S. Loveall. Jarvisville Baptist Church;
frame, built in 1882; membership 19; Rev.
J. S. Riblett. Mt. Lebanon Methodist
Episcopal Church, on Ten-Mile Creek; frame; membership 50; Rev.
Curtis. United Brethren, on Ten-Mile
Creek; frame; membership 37; Rev. C. H. Cox.
Baptist Church, on Ten-Mile Creek; frame. All but one of the church
organizations have church buildings of their own. The first Sabbath
school was organized many years ago by Elder
Peter Davis. There is now one connected
with nearlyh every church in the district.
The village of Cherry Camp was laid out in 1860 by John
Good, and first named Goodtown, in honor of
the original proprietor. Samuel Good
was the first postmaster, and T. J. Coffman
is the present one. It is situated on Salem Fork and B & O R.
R., two miles east of Cherry Camp, and contains about six stores, one grist-mill,
one planing mill, and one woolen factory. The steam grist-mill was
built in 1878, is three stories high, and has two runs of stones.
When a settlment was first made at Salem, a block-house was built for protection
against the Indians. The town was incorporated in 1879, when the
following officers were elected: Jesse
Randolph, Mayor; M.
H. Davis, Assessor;
S. Gaines,
Commissioner; Peter Hutson,
Sergeant; Daniel Rudolph, R. L. Fowles, F.
A. Orr, R. T. Gorden, J. M . Jeffers, Councilmen.
The present officers are: R. L. Fowles,
Mayor; M H. Davis,
Recorder; James Fonge, R. T. Gorden, M. W.
Davis, D. G. Powell, L. H. Davis, Councilmen;
John S. Warner, Serg.;
P. F. Randolph, Assesor;
Jesse L. Randolph, Street Commissioner.
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