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History of Wetzel County, West Virginia
by John C. McEldowney, Jr., 1901

Pages 39-40
THE STORY OF CROWS RUN.

In the early spring of 1782, a squad of men started out from Fort
Henry on a hunting expedition. Among them was a man by the name of
Crow, of whom our story relates. They traveled onward until they
reached the mouth of what is now Big Fishing creek, which empties
into the Ohio at New Martinsville. They followed the creek until they
reached the mouth of a run putting into Big Fishing creek, twelve
miles from New Martinsville. Here they camped on the east side of the
creek on the ground now owned by John Lantz. After camping for the
night, the next day they went in search of game, which was then
plentiful in that neighborhood, with three men in one company and two
in another, Crow being in the company of two. After hunting all day,
at sunset the two came toward camp carrying the game they had shot,
and on reaching the camp Crow's companion started out to get some
wood to build a fire to cook a part of the game they had shot, and
was hardly gone when a band of Indians surrounded the camp, and Crow,
realizing that he was menaced by a terrible danger, started to run,
on which a volley of shots were poured upon him, and one hit him in
the head and killed him instantly. His companion, on hearing the
shots, started toward camp, and seeing the Indians began to run as
Crow did, but was not so unfortunate, though shot in the hip, which
did not hinder him from running on until he reached the company of
three, who were running toward the camp in full speed, having heard
the shots that were fired at Crow, and suspicioned that which was
correct. The Indians, on the other hand, thinking that a superior
force of men were somewhere in the neighborhood, immediately
retreated. The remaining members of the company returned to camp, and
found Crow lying dead near the creek, with his head partially in the
water. They picked him up and placed him in a hollow sycamore tree
and covered him up to keep the wolves from carrying the body off
until they returned to the fort to secure reinforcements, and bury
him. They went to Wheeling and secured the reinforcements and
returned in four days and buried him under a sycamore tree, using
walnut logs for his coffin, and inscribed on the tree, "J. J. Crow,
1782." The tree stood until about the year of 1875, when it was blown
down by the wind, and it was from this unfortunate being that the
name of Crow's run was obtained.

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