William Hinchman settled near the mouth of Rich Creek, on the farm now owned by his son, George Hinchman, about the year 1814. He was the son of William Hinchman, an English sailor, and was born in Dorchester, Maryland, about 1770. He was too young to enter the army at the time of the Revolution, but was in hearing of the guns of Yorktown; and was familiar with the stirring events of the time when America desired to be independent [text missing] county, Virginia, now Monroe County, West Virginia, about the close of the last century, when he married Mary Ann Perry, a daughter of John Perry, who had emigrated from the north of Ireland. After several of his children were born he came, as we have seen, to the mouth of Rich Creek. His sterling worth was seen and appreciated by the people and he was soon made one of the Justices of Cabell County, and upon the organization of Logan County he became a member of its first County Court. His children by his first marriage, were John K., who married the daughter of Ben White; Cyrus, who married a daughter of F. R. Pennell; Hiram, who married a daughter of Thomas Riggins; Milton, who married a daughter of Ben Cary; William, who first married a Miss Seymour, then a Miss Hatfield, and as a third wife a Miss Chapman; Dr. Ulysses, who married a Miss McDonald; James Harvey, who married a Miss Gore; Elizabeth, who married Benjamin Smith; Amanda, who married Robert Clendenin; Sarah, who married Ira Chambers, and Mero, who married Levi Gore. After the death of his first wife William Hinchman, Sr., married Nancy Stollings, and the children of this marriage were Floyd, who married first a Miss Chambers, and after her death a Miss Mangus; Nancy Ann, who married Joseph Scaggs; Penelope, who married George Claypool; Risby, who married Thomas Nelson Ballard, and Edna, who died single. Of the first children of William Hinchman, John K., Cyrus, Hiram and Milton moved to the State of Michigan, William moved to the county of Cabell, Dr. Ulysses was a practicing physician and held many offices of public trust, and was several times elected as a member of the West Virginia Legislature; James Harvey, who is still living, was a successful farmer, a member of the West Virginia Legislature, and at different times held other important offices in the county.

F. R. Pinnell was another one of the early settlers. He settled on the farm where James Buchanan now lives and where Dr. Ulysses Hinchman lived and died. He was the first surveyor of Logan County, which position he held for several years. He had a large family of children who went with him to Michigan, where the old man died a few years ago at the ripe old age of ninety-eight years.

Archelaus Mitchell, who married a Miss Goodwin, of Montgomery County, Virginia, settled on Buffalo Creek about the year 1812. His sons were Jordan who married a Miss Gore, of Montgomery County, Virginia; Gustavus, who moved to Smyth County, Virginia, and Micajah, who married a daughter of Absalo Elkins, of Huss Creek, and then moved to Kanawha County. Jordan Mitchell had four sons, James, John, Archelaus and Micajah, and four daughters, Mary, who married Patterson Christian; Victoria, who married Curtis Ballard; Isabella, who married Paren Christian, and Emaline, who married Anthony Jarrell.

Absalom Elkins settled on Huffs Creek about 1815. His sons were Henry, Thomas, William, Isaiah and Uriah Watson. His daughters were Mahala, who married Eli Trent; Peggy, who married Edward Mason, and Frances, who married Micajah Mitchell. Absalom Elkins died about two years ago, after having just passed his hundreth year.

Some time not far from the beginning of 1820, Thomas Christian, a nephew of Col. Wm. Christian, of Montgomery, settled at the mouth of Huffs Creek on the survey made for John Seets. He married a daughter of Alexander Pine, of Montgomery County. His [sic] Alexander Pine took his name from the fact that a gentleman by the name of Alexander found him while an infant of only a few days under a pine tree where he had been left, and his parents were never discovered.

Thomas Christian was the father of three sons (James, Thomas and Allen) and several daughters, all of whom, except James, moved with their father to Kentucky about the year 1824. James, who was born in 1800, married a Miss Anne More [sic], and remained in the county. He was a member of the first county court of Logan County, and held many positions of trust, all of which he filled to the satisfaction of the people. He was the last survivor of the first court, and died in 1892 in the 93rd year of his age, leaving an honorable name and numerous descendants, among whom are Patterson Christian, who was for a long while one of the justices of the county, and is at present a member of the county court; Paren Christian, one of the leading citizens of the county, and Rev. Byron Christian, who was for many years a minister of the M. E. Church, South. His daughters married R. P. Spratt and D. P. Ellis.

Isaac Spratt, of Tazewell County, first settled at the mouth of Gilbert Creek, on the survey made for Edward Crawford. He married Kate Buchanan, of Tazewell, and to this marriage was born three sons and seven daughters. His sons were John, who married a Miss Perry, of Tazewell; James, who married a Miss Steele, of Tazewell; and Alexander, who married a Miss Rogers, of Tazewell County. His daughters were Jane, who married Francis S. Browning; Amanda, who married Augustus Lecompte; Amelia who married Lewis Lichenett; Kesiah, who married Henry Buchanan; Louisa, who married John Stafford; Kate, who married William Steele, and Flora, who married Lloyd Ellis.

Passing up Gilbert Creek, we find, about the year 1806, domiciled in a brand new cabin at the first fork above the mouth, Frederick Trent, of Russell County, Va. He married Agnes Horton of Tazewell County. He had three sons and two daughters. His sons were Humphrey, who married Martha Smith; Eli, who married Mahala Elkins, and Frederick, who married a daughter of Wm Cline. The daughters were Susan, who married Andrew Hatfield, and Sarah, who married Wm. Riffe. The children of Humphrey Trent are Alexander, who married a Miss Mounts; Smith, who married a Miss Cline; Eli, who married a Miss Ellis, and Clarissa, who married Madison Ellis.

Some time before Frederick Trent had settled on Gilbert, Thomas Smith, another gentleman from Russell, and a Revolutionary hero, had settled on Horsepen, a creek which had derived its name, as we have seen, from the fact of its having been used as a place to pen the stolen horses of Baker and his Indian allies. The name of the wife of Thomas Smith is not known, but he had a wife and three children where he first settled on Horsepen. His children were John, who first married a Miss Murphy, of Kentucky, and after her death a Miss Charles of Kentucky; Mary who married Peter Cline, and Martha, who married Humphrey Trent. John Smith had by his first wife two sons, viz., Harrington, who married a Miss Mullins, and then moved to Kanawha, and Larkin, who was twice married, and who, having passed his three score and ten years, is still living at the old homestead on Horsepen. His first wife was a Miss Lusk, by whom he had eight children; his second wife was a Miss Trent, by whom he had six children.

At what is still known as the Hatfield place on Horsepen, Valentine Hatfield, of Washington County, Va., settled at quite an early day. He was the father of nine sons and three daughters, and from them have sprung many of the Hatfields of the Guyandotte and Sandy Valleys. Valentine Hatfield married a Miss Weddington, and he was a half son of Thomas Smith. His sons were Al, who married a daughter of Ferrell Evans; Joe, who also married a daughter of Ferrell Evans; Ephraim, who married Bette Vance; (This Ephraim Hatfield was one of the quietest men in the county, and was for a long time a justice of the peace, yet he was the father and grandfather of the Hatfields who were engaged in the Hatfield-McCoy feud). Andrew, who married a daughter of Humphrey Trent, and those descendants live in Wyoming county; Thomas, who married a daughter of Frank Evans; John, who married a daughter of Abner Vance; Joseph, who married a daughter of John Toler; (Squire M. Hatfied and James Hatfield are the sons of this marriage.) Jacobs [sic] who married a daughter of Peter Cline, and Valentine who was never married. Of his three daughters, Phoebe married Alexander Varney; Celia married James Perry, and Jennie married James Justice, who was at one time sheriff of Logan County, and who was the father of John Justice, a prominent merchant in Logan Court House; B. J. Justice, a merchant and timber dealer of Cabell County, and William E. Justice, a merchant at North Spring and at one time a member of the West Virginia Legislature. Joseph Hatfield, a brother of Valentine Hatfield, settled about the same time at Matewan and will be mentioned herefafter.

Passing up the Horsepen and on to Island Creek, on the trail used by Baker and his Indians, we find that two brothers and a brother-in-law from North Carolina had made settlements at quite an early date - thought to be about 1812. These brothers were Francis and Edmund Browning and the brother-in-law was Barnabus Curry.

Francis Browning, who married a daughter of Abner Vance, of Tazewell County, settled at the mouth of Cow Creek, and was the father of three sons and four daughters. His sons were William E., (known as Buck) who married a Miss Wallace; Jesse, who married a Miss Webb; and Jackson, who went West while a young man. The daughters were Francis, who married John Curry; Rebecca, who married James Browning; Nancy Ann, who married L. D. Hill, and Amy, who married William Ellis.

Edmund Browning, who was a Revolutionary soldier, married a Miss Hall, of Washington County, Virginia, and settled where John R. Browning now lives. By his first wife he had two sons and one daughter. His sons were Enoch, who, still a young man, moved to Russell County, Virginia, and Reece, who married a Miss Boyd, of Tennessee. Reece Browning was one of the prominent men of the county, having held, at different time, offices of honor and trust and was a long time major of militia and Sheriff of the county. Reece had but two children - Thomas Edmund, who married a Miss Vance and moved to Missouri, and John Reece, who is still living at the old homestead on Island Creek. Jane, the daughter of Edmund Browning by his first wife, married Thomas Cunningham, of Russell County, Virginia.

Edmund Browning married, as a second wife, Miss Robertson, of Russell County. By this marriage he had four sons - Jesse, who married a daughter of Barnabus Curry. He was the father of John L. Kemper, and the late Adam Browning, Mrs. A. H. McDonald and Mrs. Joseph Hatfield and several other sons and daughters. Isaac, who married a daughter of Phillip Ellis; Frank, who married a daughter of Isaac Spratt, of Gilbert; and Edmund, who also married a daughter of Barnabus Curry. Edmund and Frank Browning are still living, aged respectively, 85 and 83. Edmund is the father of George F. Browning, a prominent merchant of Cow Creek, and several other sons and daughters.

Barnabus Curry, who as we have already seen, married a Miss Browning, sister of Edmund and Francis Browning, settled on Island Creek, where Thomas Steele now lives. His sons were Robert, who moved to Lincoln County, and is the progenitor of the Currys of that county; John, who married a Miss Browning; Eli, who married a Miss McCoy. After the death of his first wife he married a Miss Pressley, by whom he had several sons and daughters, among whom are Calvin and Victor D.

Ralph Steele also from Russell County, Virginia, at an early date, and married a daughter of John Ferrell, of Sandy, and settled where Anderson Hatfield now lives on Island Creek. His sons were Hawkins, who married a Miss Ellis; John, who married a Miss Mounts; William, who married a Miss Spratt; George, who married a Miss Ellis; and Lorenzo D., who married a lady from Tazewell. His daughters were Catherine, who married H. B. Justice and Rebecca, who married Lewis Hinchman.

Passing down the creek we find that two brothers - Evans and Phillip Ellis - made settlements about 1811. They were from Monroe County and were descendants of the Evans Ellis who emigrated from Wales in 1730, and settled in the James River Valley. Evans Ellis, who married a Miss Hines, settled near where John T. Vance now lives. His sons were Jacob, who married a daughter of Joseph Gore; Henry, who married a daughter of Isaac Spratt; Lloyd, who also married a daughter of Isaac Spratt; Madison, who married a daughter of Humphrey Trent; and Zatto C., who moved to Roane County. His daughters were Nancy, who married Eli Gore; Catherine, who married Hawkins Steele; Margaret, who married Henderson Bailey; Sallie, who married George, and Evaline, who went to Roane County.

Phillip Ellis married a Miss Black and settled where Howard Ellis now lives. His sons were William, who married a daughter of Francis Browning; Squire, who married a daughter of John Vance, and James who married a daughter of William Browning. His daughters were Hannah, who married Thomas Taylor; Christina who married Isaac Browning; Polly who married Thomas Buchanan, who for a long time was Clerk of the Circuit Court of Logan County; and Bettie, who married George Avis, an Englishman, and father of Hugh C., Thomas and Burwell Abis [Avis?] and Mrs. J. E. Robertson, Mrs. Scot Dejarnette, Mrs. Andrew Perry, and the late Mrs. H. S. White. Simpson Ellis, a late member of the County Court, is a son of Lloyd Ellis.

Mrs. Martha Straton, of whom mention has been made, settled about the same time, near where Howard Ellis now lives. She married Ben Smith of Buffalo. Joseph Straton was a man of considerable prominence in the county, having represented it in the Legislature of Virginia and Sheriff for a long time. He was the father of William Straton, a prominent lawyer who is still living at Logan Court House, and who was for a long time clerk of the Courts of the county, and for one term, representative of the county in the Legislature of West Virginia and was during the civil war, a major of cavalry in Confederate service. The widow of Joseph Straton moved to Texas where she died a few years ago, leaving their one son, David, and one daughter, Eliza, who married a gentleman named McKean.

About the same time that Wm. Hinchman settled at the mouth of Rich Creek, four brothers named Perry came into the county from Monroe. Of these, Jack settled about a mile above Huffs Creek. He was the father of seven sons and two daughters. His sons were Dr. James, who married his cousin, Margaret, a daughter of Joe Perry; Oliber [Oliver?], who married a Miss Haner; Henry, who married a daughter of Jack Chambers; Alexander, who went to Texas and joined the forces of Gen. Houston and was never heard of afterwards; Ephraim, John and Silas, who moved West. Jane married Peter, a son of Conrad Riffe, who was one of the oldest settlers on Upper Tug. Mrs. Riffe is still alive, though about 87 years old, and is the mother of John, Gordon and Patterson Riffe, Mrs. F. M. White and Mrs. Eli Gore. The other daughter of Jack Perry was Mary, who married Richard Chambers.

Joe Perry, the next brother settled on Buffalo. He had five sons and four daughters. Of his sons Frank married a Miss Workman; Eli married a Miss Johnson; William and John E., both married Miss Buchanans, and James married a Miss Hatfield. Of his daughters, Margaret married Dr. James Perry, who was at one time Sheriff of the county, and Polly married Rhodes D. Ballard, one of the most prominent and highly esteemed citizens of the county. Mr. Ballard was for years a justice of the peace, and for one term a member of the West Virginia Legislature and was for a long time a member of the county court. He died in 1888, in his 88th year. Jane married Abner Vance and Flora married Amos Workman.

Henry Perry, the next brother, settled on Guyandotte River near the mouth of what is now known as Henry's Branch. He moved West and nothing is known of his family.

James Perry, the fourth brother, settled at what is still known as the Perry place. He was the Colonel of the Logan County militia for a long while and was among the most prominent men in the county. His sons were Dow, who married a Miss Elkins; Granville, who married a daughter of Carter T. Clark; Preston, who married a daughter of Pyrrhus McGinnis; John A., who married a daughter of John Farley; Oliver, who married a daughter of W. W. McDonald; James, who went West, and Andrew, who enlisted in 1846, in the company of Capt. Elisha McComas, and went to Mexico, and died while still in the service near Vera Cruz. James Perry had two daughters - Mary, who married Maj. Wm. Straton, and Elba, who died unmarried.

Jack Perry married a Miss Dixon, of Monroe County; Joe Perry married a Miss Shirkey [?], of Greenbrier County, and James Perry married a Miss Roach, of Monroe County. It is not known who Henry Perry married. They were the sons of John Perry, a native of the north of Ireland, and who has already been mentioned as the father of Mrs. Wm. Hinchman. John Perry had two other daughters, who moved to this county, viz, Bettie, who married Issac [Isaac?] Stollings, of the mouth of Crawley, and Flora, sho married Samuel Canterberry, who afterwards moved to Boone County. John Perry was said to be quite a learned man, and was the author of an arithmetic which was for a long time a text book in the schools of Virginia and North Carolina.

Near the same time the Perrys settled here, several other families from North Carolina made settlements on Buffalo and the waters of Spruce, among whom were William Browning, William, John, Tandy and Meredith Burgess and Ben White.

William Browning brought with him, in addition to his own family, which consisted of a wife and several daughters, two nephews - Nathaniel and Simeon Browning. He first settled on Buffalo, and while he had no sons to perpetuate his name, he had four daughters. Sarah, who married James Madison White; Lucinda, who married Griffin Canterbury, Peggy, who married Nathaniel Browning and Polly, who married Simeon Browning.

Tandy Burgess settled on Buffalo. His sons were Calvin, Hiram and Cornelius. William Burgess moved in Kanawha at an early date. His daughter, Araminia, who married Harrison Chambers, is still living, however, in this county.

John Burgess settled on Spruce. His sons were Milton, John A., and Lewis. He had one daughter, (Peggy) who married Russell Trump, of Raleigh County.

Meredith Burgess also settled on Spruce. His sons were Fernandus, Jackson, James, George and John W., and his daughters were Polly, who married William McCreeley, and Martha, who married Lewis McDonald.

Ben White, who, to distinguish him from Ben White, son of John, who has already been spoken of was known as "Chickawaw Ben." He settled on the farm now owned by Stephen Browning, and was the father of a large family. His sons were Gradon, who married a daughter of William Browning; Russell, who married a Miss Coon; Benjamin Wesley, who married a daughter of Tandy Burgess, and Andrew, who married a daughter of George Ferrell. His daughters were Amanda, who married Oliver Browning; Elizabeth, who married Byron Christian; Nancy, who married a Ferrell, and Paulina, who married Chapman Miller, of Boone County.

As has been before stated, James Mitchell and John Miller settled on Turtle Creek about the year 1815. They were brothers-in-law and both were soldiers in the War of 1812. Mitchell was the son of Joshua Mitchell (or Michel,) who came from France with Rochambeau, and served under him at the battle of Yorktown. He married Elizabeth Miller, a daughter of Michael Miller, and his children were Michael, Joshua, a well-known Baptist preacher, and Dr. James, who is living and practicing his profession.

John Miller was the son of Michael Miller, a Hessian who deserted his command and joined the American forces, and after the war settled in Montgomery County, Va. John, who married a daughter of Joshua Mitchell, settled where Riland Ballard now lives. He had two sons - Benjamin and Ezekiel. Ezekiel married a daughter of Joshua Mitchell and is the grandfather of C. M. Turley, a prominent attorney of Logan.

Last but not least among the men who left their impress upon the people of the Guyandotte Valley was Anthony Lawson, who settled where J. S. Miller now lives, about the year 1823.

Anthony Lawson was a native of Northumberland, England, and was born about 1780. Some time about the year 1815 he emigrated to America with his wife and four sons, John, Lewis H., James and Anthony. He remained for a while at Alexandria, Va., where his brother, John, who had preceded him to America, lived. Col. Andrew Bierne, of Lewisburg, soon made his acquaintance, and induced him to come in the wilds of the Guyandotte River and engage in the fur and ginseng trade. Mr. Lawson first settled near the present site of Oceana, where he remained about four years and then moved to the present site of Logan C. H., where he remained until his death, which occurred in Guyandotte in 1846, while he was returning from Philadelphia, where he had been to purchase goods. The state of trade in Logan at that time and the difficulty of getting goods and of taking produce to market will be treated of hereafter. Mr. Lawson was a member of the first county court and was during his life a leading citizen. His wife survived him for something over a year, when she was murdered by two of her slaves. Her tombstone in our cemetery had the following inscription: "Ann Lawson, wife of Anthony Lawson, of Logan County, Va., who was born in the Parish of Longhorsby, in the county of Northumberland, England, on the 17th day of March, A.D. 1783. Murdered on the night of the 17th of December, 1847, by two of her own Negroes."

The sons of Anthony Lawson were all prominent men in the county, and will be noticed more fully in some future chapters. John married Emily Butcher, daughter of Joshua and Sarah (Clarke) Butcher, and was killed by a falling tree in 1844; Lewis B. married Polly Dingess, James married Matilda Dingess, both daughters of Peter and Sallie (Farley) Dingess, and Anthony, the youngest son, married Ann Brooke Robertson, the daughter of Edwin and Mary (Minnie) Robertson.