Jefferson Co., Most Productive in the Valley of VA

JEFFERSON COUNTY
One Of The Most Productive In The Valley Of Virginia.
LIVE TOWNS AND VILLAGES
Charlestown, The County Seat– Growth In Population And Manufactures– Railroad Facilities.

[Special Correspondence of the Baltimore Sun.]
CHARLESTOWN, W. VA., Oct. 8.– Jefferson county was laid off from Berkeley county, Va., in 1801, named in honor of Thomas Jefferson and is the extreme eastern county of West Virginia. It is bounded on the north by the State of Maryland, the Potomac river forming the boundary line, and on the east and south by Virginia, the line on the east running on the top of the Blue Ridge Mountains, separating it from Loudoun county, while Clarke county lies on the south, while Berkeley county, from which it was made, forms its western boundary. The surface of the county is rolling, the soil of limestone quality, fertile and unsurpassed by any county in the State for productiveness. Agriculture is the chief business, and all the cereals, wheat, corn, rye, oats, are raised. The county is about 20 by 16 miles in extent and has a population of 17,000 in round numbers. It has over 125,000 acres of productive farm lands with an assessed value of $7,000,000. The average assessed value of these lands is $25 per acre and many of the best farms near the towns sell from $65 to $75 an acre. The Shenandoah river flows through the eastern portion and empties into the Potomac at Harper’s Ferry and the county forms the northern limit of the famous Shenandoah Valley, known for its beautiful scenery, healthful climate and productive soil. On the east side of the Shenandoah river the land is hilly and partly made up of the western slope of the Blue Ridge Mountain, where there is iron ore and other minerals, which a number of years ago were successfully mined and shipped on the Shenandoah river when it was navigable. There is still an abundance of iron ore in these hills, but for lack of a railroad through them mining was discontinued. Other minerals found here are manganese, barytes, zinc, lead and silver. A short line railroad connecting this region with the Baltimore and Ohio railroad at or near Harper’s Ferry would cause mining to begin and develop the wealth now lying hidden in the hills and mountain. Among these hills in the last few years has been established one of the largest fruit and tobacco farms in the Valley of Virginia by Becker Bros., of Baltimore. On this river are Shannondale Springs, whose mineral waters, with magnesia and sulfur as their chief ingredients, are well known for their medicinal qualities. Prior to the war this was a celebrated summer resort, where gathered many of the leading families of Virginia. The hotel was destroyed by fire and in recent years another was built and the place has been again opened as a summer resort.

Towns And Villages.
The towns in the county are Charlestown, Shepherdstown, Harper’s Ferry and Bolivar, while Bakerton, Engles Station, Molers, Uvilla, Duffields, Shenandoah Junction, Kearneysville, Leetown, Middleway, Myerstown, Mechanicstown, Daileys, Millville, and Halltown are thriving villages, each doing a good share of business and contributing to the revenues of the county. At Halltown are located the large strawboard mills of Eyster & Son, employing about 100 men, and at Bakerton and Kearneysville the Standard Lime and Stone Company have large works, quarrying rock for ballast and burning lime, giving employment to nearly 500 men. Shenandoah Junction is located at the junction of the Norfolk and Western and main line of the Baltimore and Ohio railroads, and does a considerable railroad business, besides manufacturing and commercial business. Summit Point is an important shipping place for grain and cattle and is on the valley branch of the Baltimore and Ohio. The main line of this road runs through the county from east to west, while its branch runs from east to south, and the Norfolk and Western from north to south. On these roads are 14 stations within the county. While the chief industry in Jefferson is farming, yet large quantities of fruit, mostly apples and peaches, are raised and shipped to Northern and Eastern markets. The soil is well adapted to the raising of small as well as large fruits, and this industry has received considerable attention in recent years, the result being that there are now a number of apple and peach orchards which are bearing fine crops and bringing additional income to the farmers.

Attractions For Homeseekers.
Persons seeking rural homes could do no better than locate on some of the farmlands of Jefferson, whose soil is fertile, climate congenial and healthfulness unsurpassed. The value of land is not high when compared with its productiveness, and is one of the safest investments, because there is no shrinkage in value. For the last 10 years there has been a substantial increase of from five to ten dollars per acre in land, and in many instances even greater than this. Such a thing as a total failure of crops is unknown, and it is rare that they fall below the average. Droughts are not frequent, and as a rule when they occur not more than one cereal out of the whole crop is injured. A thrifty farmer with one-half of the value of a farm in cash can buy the same and easily in a few years produce enough to pay the remainder. Persons having money to lend always prefer farm lands as security, and this makes it easy for the farmer to obtain a loan when the exigencies of business require it.

Charlestown The County Seat.
Charlestown, formerly written Charles Town, is the county seat and is situated almost in the center of the county. It is surrounded by some of the richest farm lands in the county and enjoys the patronage of a large and thrifty agricultural community. It has a beautiful location and commands a fine view of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The town was founded in 1786 by Col. Charles Washington, a brother of General Washington, and bears his Christian name. He laid off 80 acres of his land into town lots and dedicated two acres for public buildings, on part of which now stand the courthouse, jail and town hall, called Washington Hall in honor of his name. He and his two brothers, Samuel and John Augustine Washington, owned most of the land surrounding Charlestown at the time it was founded, and their descendants still own large tracts. The present Mayor of the town, Mr. George Washington, is a descendant of John Augustine Washington and owns a handsome residence in the eastern part. He is the last Washington born at Mount Vernon. Col. Charles Washington is buried in the southern suburbs of the town. The first house erected in the town was Cherry Tavern, and was owned by Captain Cherry, who served in the Revolutionary War. It was the resort of travelers and the prominent people of the surrounding country. Long after it ceased to be a tavern it was used as a dwelling, and was not removed until 1881. The town has considerable historic interest. It is one the line of General Braddock’s march to Fort Duquesne, and near it his soldiers dug a well, which is still in use and furnishes water for a large farm. It is also the place of the trial, conviction and execution of John Brown and six of his followers, the records of whose trials are in the courthouse. In the Civil War it was the scene of frequent conflicts between the Confederate and Union soldiers, and suffered greatly by the devastation of the latter.

Growth In Population.
The population of Charlestown has been steadily increasing for several years and at present is a little over 2,500 within the corporate limits, with about 500 in the new addition to the town erected by the Charlestown Mining, Manufacturing and Improvement Company and the Charlestown Construction Company. This addition lies just outside the northern corporate line, and here residence lots and sites for factories and plants may be had at moderate prices. A few years ago these two companies developed this section and erected a large hotel, a fine school building, a number of factories and dwellings.

The town is 600 feet above the sea level and has an abundant supply of soft limestone water. A system of waterworks owned by the Charlestown Water and Manufacturing Company has been successfully operated for several years, and the source of the water supply is a clear spring about one mile north of the town, where the water bubbles up through a sandy bed as if there were at least 50 little springs in the space with a diameter of 30 feet. The spring has been covered with a building, which is kept locked, to prevent the pollution of the water. It is conducted to the town in pipes and forced through the mains. There is no reservoir, so called, but in order to have a reserve of water for emergencies a large iron standpipe has been placed on one of the highest elevations in the town. This water is pure, fresh and clear as crystal.

Railroad Facilities.
Two railroads– the Norfolk and Western and Baltimore and Ohio– pass through Charlestown, and intersect at this place. These roads furnish facilities for shipments to all points of the compass. The Norfolk and Western runs four, and the Baltimore and Ohio six passenger trains daily. The mail facilities are as good as any town in the Shenandoah Valley, there being eleven mails received and the same number sent out daily. There is also a belt line railroad connecting these two roads, over which cars are transferred.

An electric plant, owned by the Charlestown Electric Light, Heat and Power Company, furnishes the town with electric lights on the streets, and supplies a number of business houses and residences with light. The Charlestown Gas and Water Company operates a gas plant, and is one of the oldest corporations doing business here. The former company has the contract for lighting and streets. Both companies are doing a successful business.

Hotels And Banks.
There are three hotels– the Watson House, the Carter House and the Hotel Powhatan–the latter having been run only as a summer hotel. Besides these there are several excellent boarding-houses, which receive summer or regular boarders at reasonable rates. The hotels are well conducted and run free hacks to all trains. Washington Hall is used as a lecture-room and for theatres. It is the property of the town, and is let to travelling troupes at very moderate rates.

Three banks– the Bank of Charlestown, the First National Bank of Jefferson, and the Citizens’ Bank of Charlestown, the first and last being State banks– do the banking business of the place, furnishing safe deposits for funds, and accommodating parties desiring loans on short time. The Citizens’ is a new institution, organized only a few months ago. It is doing a creditable amount of business already. The Bank of Charlestown is the oldest at this place, and was organized about 1870. It has a paid-in capital of $50,000 with a handsome surplus. The First National was organized a few years later, with the same amount of capital stock, and enjoys a surplus equal to 60 cents on the $1 of capital. The average combined deposits of the three banks are $250,000.

Building Associations.
Five building associations, under the names Jefferson Building and Loan Association, Charlestown Building Association, Safety Building and Loan Association and Jefferson Provident Building Association, are in operation with a complement of efficient officers. These institutions are of the greatest benefit to persons buying homes by furnishing them with the means, and allowing payments to be made back to the association in weekly installments. They carry about 4,000 shares, and do an annual business of over $100,000. To investors they furnish safe investments, and yield from 8 to 9 per cent. Besides these there are branches of three national building associations, which do a considerable business. Prior to the organization of the associations named eleven building associations were successfully managed and carried through without loss to investors.

The Sun The Favorite.
The town has three newspapers, all replete with news and well edited– the Free Press, Farmers’ Advocate and Spirit of Jefferson. They are weeklies and are published, respectively, Wednesday, Friday and Tuesday. The oldest of these is the Free Press, which has passed its ninetieth year. Each has a good circulation, and they are excellent advertising mediums. A large number of city daily papers reach here early in the morning, and keep the people posted on all subjects within their purview. Among these the favorite is the Baltimore Sun, which has the largest circulation and is regarded as the most reliable and conservative. Its able support of Mr. Bryan has given it a tremendous hold upon the people in this section.

Fire Companies.
The Independent and Citizens’ Fire Companies make up the Fire Department. Each of these companies is well equipeed and uniformed, with excellent officers and well-drilled men. The Independent owns a steam engine and water tower, while the Citizens’ has a hand engine and hook-and-ladder truck. Each company owns its engine house, the Citizens’ in the western and the other in the central part of town. Mr. J. W. Russell is captain of the Citizens’ and Mr. J. C. Holmes of the Independent. The headquarters of the Independent are in Rouss Memorial Hall, a building constructed by that company mainly by the efforts and labors of its captain, who is an architect and planned the building. It is located near the Courthouse, in the center of the town, is a handsome brick building, three stories, with observation tower, and cost $12,000. In it are the Mayor’s office and Council room, and on the third floor the Masonic Hall. It was erected entirely by contributions of citizens, funds raised by the company by fairs and by gifts from Mr. Charles Broadway Rouss, of New York, who is a native of Jefferson county and in whose honor the building was named. The Citizens’ Fire Company has a large two-story brick building, which was bought substantially in the same manner as the other building was erected. They are volunteer companies and their members are sturdy men, zealous in the performance of duty and willing to sacrifice life in the protection of property and saving of life in fires.

Educational Institutions.
Charlestown has excellent educational institutions. The Public Graded School, with Mr. Wright Denny as principal and 11 assistants, furnishes a splendid rudimentary education to its pupils and prepares them for all the ordinary business pursuits. It has an enrollment of nearly 400, and each year turns out a number of graduates prepared for colleges.

John Stevenson Female Seminary, established several years ago, is conducted by Rev. C. N. Campbell, a Presbyterian minister, with a corps of efficient teachers. It enjoys an exceptional reputation for instruction and moral training and sends forth its graduates with a splendid education. All of the higher branches, including music, are taught.

Powhatan College, which has been established in the Hotal Powhatan Building, and began its first session recently, is conducted by Prof. S. P. Hatton, who is president and promoter. Professor Hatton is a well-known educator of Missouri, where he was formerly located. It is his purpose to establish a high-grade female college, and he has employed first-class assistants. The college began under favorable conditions and has students from five different States. It is the intention of the president to make it one of the best schools for young ladies in this State. Its location is healthful, scenery beautiful and terms reasonable.

Charlestown is lacking in a high school for young men, and there is no better location in the Valley of Virginia for such a school than this place. All of her young men who desire to attend a high school or college have to go to other places.

For the colored people there is a large graded public school with four teachers and over 200 pupils. All of the colored children are attending this school more or less regularly, and it is a rare thing to find a colored child over the age of 12 years that cannot read or write.

Reading Room and Churches.
In connection with these educational advantages there is a reading room for young men, which was established and is maintained by the ladies who are untiring in their efforts to make it attractive and keep it well supplied with the best books and magazines in literature. Ladies of the best families are at the head of this association and hold frequent bazars, lectures and entertainments for its benefit. The room is open every night, and young and old men are invited there to send their spare time in instructive reading. The library contains about 1,500 volumes of the standard literary works and receives the leading periodicals and magazines regularly.

Five churches are sustained and have large memberships. The denominations are Methodist Episcopal South, Presbyterian, Episcopal, Baptist and Catholic. The colored people have four churches.

Edge Hill Cemetery is located just east of the town and is a beautiful burial ground. It is owned by the Edge Hill Cemetery Company. In it are the graves of a large number of Southern soldiers.

Manufacturing Plants.
Several large manufacturing plants are located here and give employment to many workmen. Among these may be mentioned the A. D. Goetz harness factory, which manufactures harness, collars, bridles, riding saddles and fly-nets, giving employment to 125 workmen. This is the largest factory of the kind in West Virginia, and ships goods to several States, as well as having a large foreign trade in the West Indies, South America and South Africa.

The Powhatan Brass and Iron Works manufactures brass goods of every description for steam, water, gas and oil works. The company makes a specialty of brass cocks and valves. It employs 75 skilled workmen and places its products on the markets of Eastern and Northern cities.

The Jefferson Cooperage Company, located here about three years ago, makes flour, apple and lime barrels, using oak staves and heads. Last year this company manufactured 30,000 apple barrels. It has about 30 employees.

The Jefferson Milling Company does a large milling business and has a capacity of 230 barrels of flour per day. The mill and machinery are new, and the company makes several brands of flour which have gained it a reputation for their purity and quality. It has an iron tank for storage of wheat which will hold 50,000 bushels. The company buys large quantities of wheat from the farmers and also takes it on storage.

William Phillips’ Sons, a partnership, operate planing mills and manufacture flooring, doors, blinds, sash and moldings. They also deal in lumber and carry a stock of all kinds. They take contracts for furnishing all woodwork of buildings, giving employment to carpenters and other workmen.

Business Men And Firms.
Among the substantial and enterprising business men and firms are: Burns Bros., dealers in agricultural implements, coal, wood and ice; Miley Bros., coal and wood; F. J. Manning, agricultural implements, coal, grain, operating elevator; R. D. Keerl, grain buyer; C. F. Wall, livestock dealer; Washington & Alexander, fertilizers; C. N. Coleman, L. D. Getzendaner, Cooke & Phillips, hardware and agricultural implements; J. H. Miller, carriages and buggies; E. A. Roderick, Osbourn & Strider, E. Frank Ronemous, S. S. Dalgarn, D. S. Hughes, F. G. Butler, George E. Hughes and S. H. Landis, general merchandise; William Kahn, L. Sonneborn (doing business as The Hub), and Max Theodore, clothiers; H. L. Ronemous, china and queensware; Brown Bros. and Henry Dumm, bakers and confectioners; M. L. Wolpe, groceries, carpets and furniture; G. T. Knight & Co., furniture and undertaking; W. S. Merchant, groceries and meats; E. L. Wilson, groceries and tobacco; C. N. Beard, groceries and stationary; S. C. Young, Stonesifer & Riley, fresh meats; Brown & Hooff, John P. Bishop, George T. Light and Neill & Co., drugs and stationary; H. A. Carroll, W. B. Alder, James H. Starr, George W. Thomas, John S. Easterday, James A. Thomas and J. B. Watkins, liquors; Charles Rissler, undertaker; A. M. Grim, cabinet making and upholstering; Charles W. Brown, jeweler; Deihl Bros., tombstones and monuments; L. P. Starry, Joseph T. Hunt, J. E. Elgin and G. T. Stonesifer, livery stables; Adam Brown & Co., proprietors of the Carter House; J. B Watkins & Co., proprietors of the Watson House; A. G. Wynkoop, Chew & Norris, real estate and loans; Moore & Moore, real estate and insurance; Washington & Alexander, insurance; George E. Wysong, job printing office; Walker Bros., contractors and builders of iron bridges; M. Palmbaum & Bro. and Burns & Shugert, dry goods; Ott Bros., boots, shoes, and gents’ furnishings; R. D. Shugert, harness and saddles; Charles E. Reininger, tailor; W. J. Weirick, flour and feed; J. W. Russell, Easterday & Co., stoves and tinware; John H. Bishop, plumber; C. M. Hough, Schulte & Son, carriage and repair factories; C. D. Smithson, J. D. Waters, bicycles; Clarence D. Eby, groceries and jobber; George H. Turner, flour and feed; M. Scott Weller, foundry and machine shops; L. P. Starry, coach factory; J. Frank Weller, agricultural implements and machine shops; the Charlestown Brick and Tile Company, owned by T. C. Green, manufactures a first-class building and paving brick, and is buys through the burning season. All these industries furnish employment to a large number of men.

Growing Rapidly.
Charlestown is growing rapidly and recently large business houses, as well as handsome residences, have been erected. John T. Gibson, John P. Bishop, L. D. Getzendaner, J. W. Coffman, William F. Welrick have built large three-story business houses, and D. S. and George E. Hughes are now having erected a three-story brick business house. Many other improvements are going on and residences enlarged.

The municipal government of Charlestown is administered by a Mayor and six Councilmen, two from each of three wards. These officers keep the streets clean and in repair and order the laying of sidewalks. The usual tax rate is 50 cents on the $100 valuation of property, which is a very low rate. The police force is sufficient and good order is preserved. The town has a Board of Health and employs a physician and an inspector to protect its residents from diseases arising from unwholesome or obnoxious matter.

An Aged Colored Man’s Dream.
Charlestown extends the hand of welcome to persons seeking new homes or locations, whether they be pleasure seekers, investors or laboring men. These are many reasons why this place is desirable as a home or business location. The fertile agricultural lands surrounding it, the desirable residence lots within its limits, the splendid sites for manufactories, its low tax rate, its railroad facilities, its fine opportunities for wholesale mercantile houses, its reasonable rents, its educational advantages, its pure water, its healthful climate, and its enlightened society, all make it one of the most desirable locations for homes in the Valley of Virginia– and in this connection might aptly be told the story of an old colored man who had a dream in which he passed to the other world and entered heaven. After awakening in the morning he told his employer, a Jefferson county farmer, of his dream, and the farmer asked him what sort of land he appeared to see while in his celestial happiness, and his reply was: “Deed, boss, it looked mo’ like Jefferson county than any place I ever seed.”