U.S. Data Repository -- USGenNet Inc. -- Please read the U.S. Data Repository Copyright Statement on the following page: Chapter XV: THE IRISH RIOT-- THE GREAT FRESHET COMPLETION OF THE RAILROAD-- SUSPENSION BRIDGE BUILT, ETC. Marion county made no rapid strides in the "March of progress," until the year 1849, when a decided increase in her population commenced, the tide of immigration following closely in the footsteps of the engineers of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, who completed their survey during this year. Some of the immigrants, however, were not of the most desirable character; and the history of Marion county at this time teems with stories of the feuds of the Irishmen who were employed in constructing the railroad. These Irishmen, fresh from the bogs of Connaught and the Lakes of Killarny, brought with them all their "local feuds and predjudices. They had not been in this country long enough to learn that "all men are born free and equal," so that in their work it was necessary to keep the men of the different clans apart, for certain as a Fardowner met a Connaughter, a fight ensued--the fact that they were of different clans being sufficient cause for the most active hostilities. The Connaughters who were employed at Benton's Ferry concluded one morning to make an attack on the Fardowners at Ice's Mills, a few miles distant, settle all old scores, and by one grand stroke drive them from the county. Accordingly they formed themselves into a band two hundred strong, and made a descent on Ice's Mills. The Fardowners, taken entirely by surprise, threw all work aside and fled in dismay to Fairmont for protection. The Connaughters pursued them closely, firing off an occasional gun, or stopping to beat a poor fellow who was down, until, with shouts and Irish yells, they came rushing down the hills into the town. Here pursued and pursuers were brought to a stand still, for the citizens soon recovering from their astonishment turned out en masse and arrested every assailant they saw, so that in a very short time eighty-eight men were in jail. Not a very remarkable feat, when it is known that the raw Irishmen offered no resistance when being arrested. So great was their terror of the law that a negro slave captured six men by simply grasping each by the arm and saying, "I arrest you, sir, you must go to jail." The prisoners were kept until the next day when nearly all were released. Shortly after, the remaining few were given their liberty, thus ending the Irish riot, long famous in the annals of Fairmont. In the summer of this year, 1849, the construction of three turn pikes--one leading to Weston, another to Beverly and the third to Fishing Creek--was begun. This enterprise, coupled with that of the railroad, was the greatest incentive to industry and progress the people of Marion had ever received. The year 1852 is notable in the history of Marion county for three important events: The great flood, the completion of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and the building of the wire suspension bridge connecting Fairmont and Palatine. The great flood, which destroyed thousands of dollars worth of property, occurred on Monday the 5th of April, 1852. By reason of the heavy rains that had fallen the day before the West Fork and Monongahela rivers rose with fearful rapidity until 3 o'clock on Tuesday, rising at the rate of five feet per hour during part of the time--when the Monongahela at Fairmont attained a perpendicular height of forty-three feet above an ordinarily low stage of water, and eight feet higher than a great rise in 1807. The destruction of property, particularly on the West Fork, was very great. On Monday about forty houses floated by Fairmont. How many passed during the night was unknown. Among them were the mills of Mr. Griffin, of Harrison county, and Mr. Lucas, of Worthington, and the mill and carding machine house of a Mr. Brice, of this county. "In the town of Worthington every house, except one and the parts of two others, was swept away, and with them a large quantity of household goods. We insert the following, clipped from the account of the freshet, which appeared in the Fairmont True Virginian the Saturday after the flood: "The apothecary shop of our friend Dr. P. Davis, was seen passing by our town with cases, books and medicines apparently uninjured. A cat was in a window, seemingly surveying, with much composure, the roaming element on which it was riding. A portion of his property was rescued and brought to shore. The only house which remains in Worthington, is the brick standing back from the river, and a part of that of R. Parish, occupied by T. P. Lilly as a hotel, and a part of W. Hood's house. Mr. Hood lost his store house and the greater part of his goods. The mill of Mr. Hoult, below town, has also been carried away by the flood. But, little damage, comparatively, has been sustained by the citizens of this place or Palatine. The greatest sufferers are the Messrs. Jacksons and William Gallahue. The mill property of the former has been considerably injured, but it is supposed that $700 will cover the loss. The house of Mr. Gallahue, near the lower ferry, with all his household goods and much of his provisions laid in for the year, and a small house below his, on the river bank, were swept away. It is impossible to enumerate all the cases of loss and suffering. One hundred thousand dollars will hardly cover the damages sustained by the citizens of this county alone. The railroad has also been greatly injured, and it is apprehended that its completion to this point will be delayed some two weeks. What has been. the injury in Taylor county, we have not learned, but not much, we hope and suppose. And we sincerely hope it may not as bad in Harrison as has been estimated by persons up the river. The 5th of April, 1852, will long be remembered as an important epoch in the history of this county, being the date of, by far, the greatest freshet within the memory of our oldest inhabitants, or known to them by tradition. "P. S.--Rivesville also has sustained very great damage. Several of the best houses there have been carried away. Among them are the house and shop of S. F. Morris, the warehouse at the Pawpaw bridge and the bridge, all the stabling and out-buildings of Mr. Snodgrass, besides smaller tenements and shops. "Newport, a little village on the opposite bank of the river, between this and Morgantown was completely inundated, and we learn that one or two of the houses there were floated off. Almost every hour since the freshet we have received intelligence of some additional disaster. There seems indeed to be no end to the destruction of property. "The Tygart's Valley river was not so high as it was in 1846, and but little or no damage, therefore, has been sustained on that river. The great rise was in the West Fork." On the 23d of June of the same year the completion of the railroad to Fairmont was celebrated. The President and Directors of the Company, together with a large number of gentlemen from the cities of Baltimore, Cumberland, Wheeling, Martinsburg, etc., and a large number of Marion county citizens, assembled in an arbor erected for the occasion, at a place now known as "the Y," about half a mile below town. We again clip from the True Virginian of June 26th, 1852: "According to appointment the President and Directors of the Baltimore and 0hio Railroad, a portion of the City Council, with a large number of other gentlemen from the city of Baltimore, from Cumberland, Wheeling, Martinsburg, &c., and also a portion of our county men us the guests of the Company assembled at the arbor erected for the occasion, about half a mile below town, near Mr. U. Barns', on the evening of the 22d inst., to celebrate the completion of the road to this point. The train from Baltimore did not arrive until about 8 o'clock in the evening, owing to a temporary obstruction at the Big Tunnel. This was a disappointment to many of our citizens who had come a long distance to see the cars arrive, but who were compelled, in consequence of the lateness of the hour, to leave without gratifying their curiosity. "Immediately after the arrival of the cars the company were seated at the table which was well filled with the choicest viands and every luxury of the season-clot omitting that "which brings good cheer." The company was a very large one, consisting of several hundred. In a short time the Hon. Mr. Swann, the President of the Railroad Company, was called out for a speech, and most ably did he respond to the call. We would like to give, at least, the head of his chaste and elegant address, but the want of time and room forbid at present. He was followed by Mr. Young, of the Baltimore City Council, who introduced to the audience Mr. H. D. Brooke, of the Fourteenth City Ward, and in a speech, rich, racy and musical, he put the crowd in the very finest humor. He was followed by Mr. F. H. Peirpoint, and him by Mr. A. F. Haymond. These gentlemen made most excellent and appropriate speeches in their usual eloquent style. Mr. B. H. Latrobe was then called to the floor and made a highly interesting speech. He was followed by a Mr. Grey; who dilated upon the services of Mr. George Brown, of Baltimore, which brought that gentleman to his feet, but only to call out Mr. Latrobe, the distinguished attorney for the Company. This gentleman made an eloquent and beautiful speech. He was followed by Col. T. S. Haymond, which wound up, to the best of our knowledge and belief, the truly agreeable and interesting entertainment. It was the feast of reason and flow of soul. Between the speeches, that fine and justly celebrated brass band from Baltimore discoursed some of the sweetest music, employing none but sweetest notes for the occasion. Every attention was shown the visitors and strangers, and the regret was that their stay could not have been prolonged. They left about 10 o'clock on Wednesday morning. The occasion was one which merited the celebration, and the celebration was worthy of the occasion." Shortly afterward the road was completed through to Wheeling, passing through the following towns and villages in Marion county: Valley Falls, Nuzum's Mills, Benton's Ferry, Texas, Flemingsburg, [Johntown]. Fairinont, Uztown, Barnesville, Barrackville, Farmington, Mannington and Glover's Gap. At Flemingsburg, which lies a short distance below the confluence of the Tygart's Valley and West Fork rivers, one mile west of Fairmont, the Monongahela is crossed by the railroad by means of a magnificent iron bridge, constructed at great cost to the company. The viaduct is 650 feet long and 35 feet above low water surface. This bridge destroyed by the Confederates, during the War of the Rebellion, but shortly afterward was rebuilt. The suspension bridge across the Monongahela river, connecting Fairmont and Palatine, which was finished during this year, was built under the direction of Mr. James L. Randolph, assistant engineer of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad; at a cost of about thirty thousand dollars. The State of Virginia subscribed twelve thousand and the citizens of Fairmont and Palatine eight thousand dollars of stock. The residue necessary to complete the bridge was borrowed and afterwards all paid from the tolls of the company. This bridge, seen from a distance, is a most beautiful structure, hanging like a spider's web from the massive stone towers that rise above, supporting it on either side--a very long and high web, however, for the distance from tower to tower is five hundred and sixty feet, while the bridge is fifty feet above the water at its ordinary stage. The platform which connects the bridge proper with the land is eighty-five feet in length. April 22d, of this year, the county was divided off into seven districts or townships, pursuant to an act passed April 3d, by the Legislature. The commissioners who performed the work were. Austin Merrill, Benjamin Fleming, George M. Ryan, Elijah B. Ross, Z. Musgrave, M. Vangilder, John Conaway, J, C. Beaty, Aaron Hawkins, and Jacob Straight. The names of the districts were: Boothsville district, No. 1--voting place at William Shaver's; Palatine district, No. 2 --voting places at the store of Hezekiah Boggess, and the house of Enos Nuzum; Eastern district, No. 3--voting places at Meredith's tavern, and the house of Henry S. Pride; Fairmont district, No. 4--voting places at the court house in Fairmont, and Conaway Son's store in Barrackville; Pawpaw district; No. 5--voting places at Basnett's store in Basnettsville, and at the house of Amos Snodgrass in Milford; Worthington district, No. 6--voting places at Thomas P. Lilly's tavern in Worthington, and Col. W. J, Willey's Store in Farmington; Mannington district, No. 7--voting places at the tavern of Alexander Talkington in Mannington, and at the tavern in Beaty's Mills. Afterwards the names of the districts were changed to those they now hold and they were called townships; they are now, however, called districts as before. The names of the districts at present are as follows: Fairmont, Union, Grant, Winfield, Pawpaw, Lincoln and Mannington. The name "township," was changed to "district" by a new constitution made in 1872.