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About Patterson Creek
Patterson Creek is an unincorporated community in Mineral County, West Virginia, USA. It lies at the northeastern end of the county, and is named for Patterson Creek which empties into the North Branch Potomac River here.
- the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia
Patterson Creek is an unincorporated community in Mineral County, West Virginia, United States. It lies at the northeastern end of the county, and is named for Patterson Creek, which empties into the North Branch Potomac River here.
Patterson's Creek" is a misunderstood geographical area. One way to understand it better is to divide it into three segments. The length of the Creek is 45 miles, from its head spring to its mouth at the Potomac River. The value of land is higher near the mouth than at the head-spring-- a pecking order of settlement.
The first segment is called the "Patterson's Creek Settlement," because these were the first lots that were officially surveyed under the reign of Lord Fairfax, a total of 22 lots.
The second segment was the Patterson's Creek Manor of Lord Fairfax. These lots were well-documented by the late Charles Morrison in his booklet. Solomon Hedges was an early settler and agent of the Manor for Lord Fairfax, as well as a Justice for Old Frederick County.
The third segment of Patterson's Creek was the upper section to the head spring in Grant County. Valleys are usually defined in terms of the water basin. In the overall Patterson's Creek Valley, there are 276 square miles of land.
When you read early deeds in the Hampshire County courthouse that shows an ancestor owning land on Patterson's Creek, you need to find out where the land was located along that 45-mile continuum, in which of the three segments mentioned above.
[Notes courtesy Wilmer L. Kern's Rootsweb Post]
Patterson Creek Settlement Early Settlers
First Settlers of Lower Patterson's Creek Settlement
- #1 George Parker's house was located on the east side of Patterson's creek, near a small and unnamed stream. The major road between Winchester and Patterson's Creek came directly to Parker's farm. George Washington referred to Parker's farm as a "plantation." Fairfax issued a grant to Parker on Oct. 25, 1748. Lot #1 adjoined the Patterson Creek Manor. The community of Headsville, Mineral County, WV is located on or very near Parker's former land. Parker died in 1757 and his oldest son Benjamin (1722-1804) inherited his estate of 399 acres.
- #2 John Adam Long was living on this 293-acre farm when Genn made the survey. Fairfax issued the grant on Oct. 2, 1748. Long was scalped by Indians when he was 55 years old. His son Christian Long sold the farm to John Reno in 1761.
- #3 Nicholas Reasoner received a Fairfax grant for this 277-acre farm on Oct. 23, 1748. His house was located on the east side of the Creek. The land stayed with the Reasoner family until the early 1800s.
- #4 John Rutand (sometimes spelled Ratan) was issued a Fairfax grant on Oct. 25, 1748. 354 acres. Rutand may have been killed by Indians. Abraham Johnson bought Rutand's land and built a mill on it, known today as Reese's Mill.
- #5 Abraham Johnson came to Patterson's Creek from New Jersey. Johnson was a trader with Indians and an official in the Ohio Company. His lot was the best one in this settlement, based on running streams and fertile land as well as a great site for protection from Indians. Mr. and Mrs. John M. Kykendall (descendants of Johnson) live in a house that is in the same location as Johnson's original cabin. 309 acres.
- Lot #X was located between Lots #5 and #6. This choice lot was created for a close friend of Lord Fairfax, Capt. John Greenfield, granted by Fairfax on Oct. 7, 1748. The plat shows 200 acres with no dwelling house when the survey was made. Greenfield was a County Lt. in the Frederick County militia, with residence in Winchester. He came from Waddington, Scotland. Died in 1768 and left no children. His wife Mary and brother William Greenfield in Scotland were the heirs. Greenfield owned so much land that his executor could not identify and locate all of his properties. There are some interesting stories about some of his lands in Little Cacapon (executor didn't find land later claimed by Largents).
- #6 David Thompson Sr. was the first occupant of this lot. Fairfax issued the grant on June 1, 1749. Rectangular lot of 312 acres. Jacob Reasoner bought the farm in 1790.
- #7 William Teagard (born on March 15, 1720) was the first occupant of this lot but moved before a grant was issued. William's older brother, Abraham Teagarden (1719-1783) lived also at Patterson's Creek. Abraham married Mary Parker. It is believed that Christopher Bean received a Fairfax grant on June 2, 1749, but died shortly thereafter. Bean was in the process of selling the 321-acre farm to Robert Gregg, but didn't complete the process and the land was forfeited back to Lord Fairfax. In 1773, Col. Elias Poston surveyed the land for John Colson.
- #8 Power Hazle built a house on the west side of Patterson's Creek. Hazle's Run was named for him. Fairfax issued the grant on June 3, 1749 for 328 acres.
- #9 This 200-acre lot was vacant when surveyed by Genn and had not been granted to anyone in 1748-1749. Further research in the Fairfax grants should help identify the first owner.
- #10 Nicholas Crist settled on this lot of 167 acres. A Fairfax grant was issued on June 6, 1749. Okey Johnson bought the land in 1774.
- #11 Joseph Hamblin first settled on this lot of 289 acres. Fairfax issued a grant on June 7, 1749 to Hamblin (possibly Hamilton?). Hamblin sold 50 acres to Henry Bagley in 1761. Hamblin wanted to give land to his sons but they had migrated far into the wilderness and could not be located. In 1769, he gave his land to Job Pearsall, who died in 1770. In 1771, Fairfax awarded the land to John Pearsall, eldest son of Job.
- #12 This lot was occupied by David York when Genn surveyed the land. York sold the 312-acre farm to John Parker, who received a Fairfax grant on June 9, 1749. Parker died in 1760, and his widow Elizabeth married second to Thomas McGuire. York was one of the earliest surnames in Old Frederick, or Old Orange County.
- #13 Matthew Rogers Sr. built a house on the east side of the Creek, and received a Fairfax grant for 379 acres on June 10, 1749. George's Road is located on this lot. Rogers died before 1753 and his son Matthew Rogers Jr. inherited the land. Matthew's (Sr) widow married a Mr. Lindsey. Peter Beaver came in 1760 (Beaver's Run named for him).
- #14 Jacob Good received a Fairfax grant on June 11, 1749 for 394 acres. His house on the east side of the Creek was built prior to Genn's survey. Good's will was probated in 1780, which named his wife Susannah and children: Peter, Abraham, and Isaac Good.
- #15 Walter Casper (Casper Walter?) was living on this 238-acre lot when the survey was made. On June 11, 1749, Fairfax issued a grant to Joseph Walter.
- #16 Charles Keller first lived on this 300-acre lot. Keller died or was killed by Indians and Fairfax issued a grant to Charles' son John Keller on June 1, 1779. A house was shown in the center of the plat, on the east side of the Creek. In 1755, Fort Ashby was built on this same site as a protection from the Indians. In 1787, the town of Frankfort was built on lot #16 (now known as Fort Ashby, WV). The old fort has been restored on its original site.
- #17 A McCracken family (James McCracken) first lived on this site, but they were not there when the survey was made in 1748. The family was killed by Indians [in 1755]. Philip Martin was the first Fairfax grantee for this lot.
- #18 A widow, Catherine Bennett, lived on this lot when the survey was made in 1748. Possibly her husband had been killed by Indians. This 306-acre farm has a nice stream running across the property. The house was located on the west side of Patterson's Creek because a mountain was on the east side. The house was located very close to the bank of the Creek.
- #19 A house was located on this lot, but the name of owner was torn off the survey map.
- #20 No house was on this lot when the survey was made. This was perhaps the least desirable lot, because the eastern half was a mountain and there was very little fertile land on the west side.
- #21 Joseph Robinson received a Fairfax grant on June 11, 1749 for 332 acres. In 1773 Robinson sold part of the lot to William Campbell who held it for 13 years before selling to Balson Shelhorn. Robinson's original log cabin survived until 1979, when it was dismantled and sold. Jerry Sears, current owner, built a house on the original site. This would be a great site for archaeological research.
- #22 Philip Martin, "County of Kent" received a Fairfax grant on June 11, 1749 for 283 acres. Martin was a nephew of Lord Fairfax. Martin leased the land to John Hartley in 1769. This was a choice lot because it bordere the Potomac River, but was known for having absentee landlords. The B&O Railroad was built across this lot. During the 1840s, David Gibson bought lots 20-22 and built a mansion house on #22. It is a beautiful house.
Patterson Creek Manor Early Settlers
Patterson Creek Manor Map
List of Settlers
- #1 - Thomas Douthitt (or Southitt), 162 1/2 acres
- #2 - George Corn, 299 acres
- #5 - Reserved for Lord Fairfax, 561 acres
- #6 - Edward Corn and Philip Langly, 421 acres
- #7 - Timothy Corn, 333 acres
- #8 - Windle Miller, 280 acres, he was shot and killed by Indians at Patterson Creek in the spring of 1763.
- #9 - John Ramsey, 278 acres
- #10 - Joseph Barker, 295 acres
- #11 - Robert Bell, 330 acres
- #12 - Charles Savours and Samuel McMurray, 371 acres
- #13 - Nicholas Seavours, 292 1/2 acres
- #14 - John Moffitt, 296 acres
- #17 - John Hared, 201 acres
- #18-31 Not claimed or applied for at the time of the survey; these were the less desirable lots in the rolling country west of the flood plain.
Sources:
- Rootsweb Message Board Post by Wilmer L. Kerns, 2003 (used with permission, per e-mail of 5 October 2014).
- Early Land Grants and Settlers Along Patterson Creek, by Charles Morrison
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