Diary of Elijah Perkins
The following narrative given by Elijah Perkins & hand written by Leroy Welsh appears
to be vintage 1876. It was found by Carolyn Ford among the possessions of her
grandfather Luther Perkins, a direct descendent of Reuben Perkins via Everhart. It was
written on nine pages of lined paper and folded inside a wrapper that had contained U.S.
News & World Report. It was marked "Diary of Elijah Perkins, Belongs to Rex
Armstrong". Accordingly, Mrs. Ford sent the very fragile document to the late Virginia
Armstrong Smythe in 1993. It's current disposition is unknown. However, a copy was
retained and its contents are presented as deciphered with comments offered in
parenthesis...
Elijah Perkins, B. 18 Nov. 1792, Will be 84 years of age the 18th of Nov. 1876. (Elijah's
birth date was 17 Nov, 1794) Father's name Reuben: came from Ten Mile, PA. (more
precisely. Black Dog Hollow near Millsboro) I was about three or four years old then. I
don't know where we crossed the Ohio River. Settled first on the Brown farm near
Dorsey's Mills. (York Township - Sections 27, Captina P.O.) Beans lived where Isaac
Ramsey lives -Steems (Steens?) lived just above us. I think the battle of Captina was
fought before we came. (In spring 1794 the Battle of Captina was fought at the mouth of
Cove run. Thirty Shawnee Indians commanded by Chief Charley Wilky, battled fourteen
men from Baker's Fort [one mile below mouth of Captina on the Virginia side of the
Ohio] commanded by Capt. Abram Enochs. John Baker, a volunteer, was killed as well
as several others.) at the forks of Capteen a surveyor was killed by the Indians as was
supposed either just before of just after we came. Mother died down the creek. Father up
here. Father about fifty when he died. Called Capteen at first: named Captina. I don't
know why Anderson Run was so called. (Anderson Run flows down the valley on the
East side of Armstrong's Mills parallel to Route 9) Hardesty flood - Capteen was very
high then. Hasn't been so high since. (The Hardesty Flood occurred in 1818. On
McMahan's creek a John Hardesty, wife & five children drowned.) Bears, wolves,
beavers, have seen plenty of others: squirrels, black and gray about equally divided.
Have seen elk, gray foxes, deer, plenty of wild cats, plenty of painters (?) , rattlesnakes,


lots of'em. Plenty of eagles, plenty of Boo-owls. I remember seeing Indians when I was
small. We lived near Dorseys four of five years. We moved upon Cats Hill near mouth
of Cat's Run in forks of Cat's run. Lived there one summer. Then moved to the cave just
South of here. Father entered the land, 160 acres. Reuben Perkins' widow lives there
now. (I believe he is referring to Reuben Jr his brother and not his father). We lived
there about ten years. Father died there. I think Everhart is sixteen or seventeen years
older than I am (Everfiart was 8 years older). He has the original record of all our ages -
my fathers old Bible. I know this. (A brief narrative concerning the Reuben Perkins
Bible & its records are attached.) The last time I saw any wolves was about forty years
ago. Thirteen wolves attacked a ten (two?) year old steer in cove, near by. I heard them
and got close to them before they desisted. When I got to the house I heard them again. I
took gun and went down. They had killed the steer and all gone but one, I killed it.
Before that in early times it was a common thing for wolves to attack the sheep. The
bears would kill the hogs. A rattlesnake killed a man named Davis who lived near where
Sam Danford now lives. Davis lived only about a half hour after he was bitten. This
happened when we were living near Dorseys. I have heard of the name Charles Wilke.
Have heard of the girl rescued by Luis Wetzel. I can't recollect the name. Early settlers.
Sish (?) & Tim & Sye Collins, John __?__. It was Abner Barret who married Ann Collins.
I have always heard that this was the first wedding in Capteen. Squire David Ruble
married them. This was about one year after we came to Capteen. The Collinses and the
Barrett's, both families came to Capteen next spring after we came. James, Isaac, Tim
and Abner Barrett all live. (?) Robt, all came shortly after we did. Abner Barrett was the
first black smith ever on Capteen. Barrets lived on Cat's Hill, shop near by. Abner, the
black smith, the same who married Miss Collins. The Collins lived below in forest below
the old Brown farm. The first child born on Capteen was in my father's family. About a
year, may be less after we came to Ohio. The child died young. Old Joseph Baker, who
lived near where Schaeffer now lives is supposed to have killed the last Indian killed in
our neighborhood. Did it because the Indians killed John Baker at battle ofCaptina, this.
(the killing of the last Indian) was said to have occurred while we were living at Dorseys.
I used to hear of Indian George. Wm Dearth was one of the first settlers living near foot


of Cat's Hill. I think my Mother was the first of the early settlers on Capteen to die. I
was between there and four years old when she died,shortly after we came to Ohio. Six
children of us came with family __?__,___?__: Everhart, Reuben, Elias, Elijah, Rachel
and Elizabeth. None except the one that died after we came to Ohio.
Of all these, only Everhart and I are living. One child died before I was born in Penna.
They called it__?__. (the family Bible lists Luis born 9-29-1789) Four children before
me. None of them twins. Danl Thomas was the first to live on the land which he entered.
Old John Brown just above at mouth of Rocky Fork, old John Aldridge, and old David
Blue. John & Daniel Walters just below mouth of Rocky Fork. Seth Wards was the first
corn - cracker, near mouth of Bend Fork. Was built 75 or 80 years ago. Distillary built a
good many years afterwards. Seth first settled in the house where John Danford now
lives, died there. Aron & Timothy Ward, half brothers of Seth lived down the creek.
First school house on Capteen was the one at the mouth of School House Run. McKnight
and Kirkbride the first teachers. The first school house up the creek was built at mouth of
run just west of A. Caldwell house on Jennings Perkins' land. (Elias's son) Runs (the
land) south into the creek. Built over sixty years ago. The mouth of School House Run
(school) was built about a year after we came to Ohio. First teacher in the house near
Caldwell's was Joseph Martin. James Starr was the first preacher. The Moor's came to
Ohio a year or two after we did and settled up the creek near Amster Moor's. The old
man was Michael. Jacob, Isaac and Michael were his children. Tobias Moor his brother
came with the family about same time to same region of the country. They came from
Penna. James Starr used to preach among these Moores. I have heard Rev. Fordyce
preach. He preached not long after Starr preached here. Wooden hoes generally, wooden
plains always, harrows all wood, used withes (?) for fastening double trees, ropes for
trace chains collars, best ones made of corn husks. All wore moccasins. Those who wore
anything on their heads made hats out of straw or other material. Biggest part of them
didn't wear anything. Wore shoes afterwards on feet then boots. Saw umbrella, first one
about forty or fifty years ago. For a good axe had to pay $4.00. $3 for a hand saw. Most.
people used sleds. A man named David Hart had the first wagon I ever knew of. He
lived near mouth of Cat's Run. The first store in this country was at Newellstown. (St.


Clairsville) Owned by Jas. Caldwell. Josiah Dillon had the next one. It was on Capteen.
Caldwell furnished him the goods. Calico generally 50 cts. and at St. Clairsville. (also)
Dillon used to ask the same. Whiskey generally 25 cts. a gallon. Grapes were introduced
about twenty years ago. Dillon's salt well was bored by McLaughlin. Sharpened our
scythe with a hammer. Never ground them. Rough whetstones. Straight handles. Old
Seth Ward had the first orchard I knew of on Capteen. At mouth of Bend Fork. I don't
remember that McNight taught at Shipmans school house. This school house built only
about thirty years ago. I thought the Alex Danford brick house was the first one. (brick
house) Perhaps Tommy Armstrong built the first and Ambrose Danford the second.
(Alex Danford lived in the house built by Ambrose Danford ca.l830) Ambrose expended
only one dollar on cash when building this house. Paid for material and labor in pork.
When we first came there were hogs running wild in the woods without owners. The
hogs would eat the rattlesnakes, the old wood hogs. The "wood hogs" made better meat.
Wheat growing in new ground on the creek bottoms would turn red, become "sick".
People couldn't eat it without being made sick by it. Didn't have any nails in those days.
Ir
John Danfords house the first I ever knew shingled. Joseph Martin built it. First plank
floor also. It was a hewed log house, the first one I ever knew of. The first Squire in this
Tp. (Washington Township) was Isaac Moore, held the office for 21 years. Only one at
first. I think people generally bought the material and made their own powder (gun) one
dollar a pound. Got lead and flints somewhere across the river. Salt brought from east at
first on pack horses, $10.00 per bu. --John Dovore the first peddler I knew of through
here. Carried miscellaneous articles. Feet frozen. Seth Wards mill was the first on the
creek. Windello (?) Mill was built 5 or 6 or 7 years afterwards. It was the second. I
think Seth Wards still house was the first. Don't know anything about the Dorsey
furnace for making iron. _?_ Jim Cree was an early settler. He is the discoverer of salt
on Capteen - at Dillons. I used to dig lots of ginseng 25 cts. a lb. green. Took it to
Wheeling or St. Clairsville. Didn't have any New Orleans Mollasses in those days.
Plenty of maple trees, people made their own mollasses. Percussion caps twenty or thirty
years ago. John Delaney best jumper (?) I ever knew. Early settler, but not among the
first. The DeLaneys lived where the Groveses live on Bend Fork. My Grandfather's


name was Everhart. (Hupp) He was in the Indian Wars. When we came, Belmont Cy.
Wasn't organized. There were no townships. Archy Woods surveyed this county and
Monroe. The first men who raised tobacco around here were Ben and Jesse Justice (?)
who came from Md. Some thirty yrs. ago. No broom corn at first. We made brooms out
of hickory. Been raising broom corn something over thirty years. First we had peaches,
then apples, then cherries. A little red potato and a little white one, the first two varieties
that I recollect. No rats when we came but the big woods rat. Afterwards came the Black
rats, then the Norway rats, which cleaned out the others. Grafted trees came around 25 or
30 yrs. ago. Used to be lots of sarvices (?), hill grapes & hickory nuts in the creek
bottoms. Grew black walnut, white walnut, ash, white oaks, etc.