History: 1800's
Chronological History of Jefferson County, West Virginia
(1800 - 1899)
1800 - By 1800 there are 78,000 people in what is now West Virginia, with 35,000 west of the Alleghenies. There are 13 counties, 8 post offices, and at least 19 incorporated towns.
1801 - Jefferson county is established, formed out of the eastern section of Berkeley county. William Little was appointed the first sheriff for the county.
1803 - The first county court met in the new Jefferson County Courthouse in Charles Town.
1810 - The total population of Jefferson county was 11,694. The number of slaves was 3,488.
1812 - Over 100 men from Jefferson county enlisted in Charles Town to fight in the "War of 1812".
1820 - The Shannondale Springs resort opened and over the next several decades it flourished and was visited by Presidents James Monroe, Andrew Jackson, Martin Van Buren, and Millard Fillmore.
1821 - The Library Society of Harpers Ferry opened the first library of record in West Virginia.
1824 - John Gallaher first published the "Ladies Garland" newspaper in Harpers Ferry, which was the first newspaper addressed to women.
1825 - "Mudfort" was officially recognized and established as the town of Bolivar. It was named in honor of Simon Bolivar.
1830's and 1840's saw a lot of activity associated with building railroad lines, bridges, and roads in Jefferson county.
1832 - A deadly cholera epidemic sweeping the nation hit Jefferson county. Cholera struck again in 1850.
1833 - The Chesapeake and Ohio canal reaches Harpers Ferry from Washington, D.C.
1834 - Construction of the Baltimore and Ohio (B&O) Railroad from Baltimore to Harpers Ferry was completed.
1835 - The Virginia Slave Insurance Company was incorporated in Charles Town to insure against losses from escaping slaves.
1836 - A bridge at Harpers Ferry across the Potomac river was opened replacing the old ferry. Trains begin to regularly run between Harpers Ferry and Baltimore. The Winchester & Potomac Railroad also began operation between Harpers Ferry and Winchester, Virginia.
1837 - A new, larger courthouse was built in Charles Town.
1844 - The first issue of the 'Spirit of Jefferson' newspaper was published in Charles Town by James W. Beller. It is still published as the Spirit of Jefferson-Advocate, making it one of the oldest newspapers in the state.
1846 - The General Assembly passed an Act authorizing the establishment of free public schools in Jefferson county.
1847 - Captain John Rowan led a Jefferson county company from Charles Town to serve in the Mexican War.
1848 - Installation of the first magnetic telegraph system in Jefferson county was completed, with lines running from Baltimore to Harpers Ferry.
1849 - When news reached the East in 1848 that gold had been discovered in California, 'goldfever' hit Harpers Ferry. An expedition was organized and as many as 800 prospective gold miners followed former Texas Ranger Colonel Whiting to California. In Charles Town 80 men formed a joint stock company headed by Benjamin Washington, great grandnephew of George Washington. A few were successful but most failed and eventually returned home.
1850 - Jefferson county's population reached 15,357. The population was composed of 10,476 whites, 4,341 slaves, and 540 free negroes.
1859 - On October 16, 1859, John Brown and his followers raid the Federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry. On December 2, 1859, John Brown is hanged in Charles Town.
In 1859, the Virginia Free Press reported that the total population of Jefferson county was 15,357, including 5,453 white males, 5,023 white females, 286 free colored males, 254 free colored free females, 2,263 male slaves, and 2,138 female slaves.
1861 - During the Civil War, West Virginia contributed about 25,000 soldiers to the Union Army and about 15,000 to the Confederate cause. [see http://www.shepherd.edu/gtmcweb/cwdbase.htm ]
On April 17, 1861, the Virginia state convention votes to secede from the Union, contingent on approval by popular vote. During May 13-15, delegates from 25 counties meet at the First Wheeling Convention, repudiating the secession from the Union. On May 23, Virginia's ordinance for secession is ratified, but a large majority of voters in the western counties voice their opposition.
During the second Wheeling convention the new statehood movement formally began. The Second Wheeling convention in 1861 initially adopts a dismemberment ordinance that provides for the formation of a new state to be called Kanawha. On November 26, the Second Wheeling convention reconvenes, changes name of the new state to West Virginia, begins to draft a constitution, and extends the boundaries of the new state.
1862 – In April, voters approved the new Constitution for West Virginia. On May 13, the legislature of the "Restored Government of Virginia" petitioned the U. S. Congress for admission.
On July 14, the West Virginia Statehood bill was passed by the Senate, changing the slavery provision of the West Virginia Constitution to allow for the gradual emancipation of slavery.
On December 31, President Lincoln approved the act of admission to the Union, to take effect upon the insertion into the State constitution of a clause that would provide for the gradual emancipation of slaves.
1863 - On April 20, President Lincoln issued a proclamation admitting West Virginia to the Union after a 60-day waiting period.
In June 20, 1863, West Virginia was admitted to the Union as the 35th state. The new state begins to function as Arthur I. Boreman of Parkersburg is inaugurated at Wheeling as the first governor.
1865 – On February 3, the governor approved an act abolishing slavery, providing for the immediate emancipation of all slaves. On April 9, 1865, the American Civil War ends.
The Jefferson county seat was moved from Charles Town to Shepherdstown.
1866 - The U.S. Congress approved the transfer of Berkeley and Jefferson counties from the state of Virginia to West Virginia.
1867 - Storer College in Harpers Ferry, Jefferson County, was established and admitted its first students.
1868- The Temperance Union was formed to preserve the county from the evils of alcoholism.
1869 - The first gas company was formed in Jefferson county to provide lighting to local businesses and homes.
Jefferson Security Bank, a West Virginia state-chartered bank, was formed. It opened for business May 19, 1869 making it the oldest bank in Jefferson County, West Virginia.
1871 - A bill was passed by the West Virginia legislature moving the Jefferson county seat from Shepherdstown back to Charles Town.
Shepherd College was incorporated in 1871. Its name was changed to Shepherd College State Normal School in 1872 and then to Shepherd State Teachers College in 1931. In 1943 it was renamed Shepherd College and in 2004 it became Shepherd University.
1873 - The first lodge of the Grange in Jefferson county was organized at Summit Point.
1870's and 1880's saw installation of gas lighting in local towns. The early 1900's saw the spreading installation of electric lights and telephone utilities.
1880 - Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) began operating in Jefferson county.
1883 - The Valley Telephone Company was incorporated in West Virginia. The company's purpose was to install telephone lines between Harpers Ferry, Charles Town, Shepherdstown, Middleway, and Rippon in Jefferson County. The company's main office was in Charles Town.
1895 - William Wilson, a native of Jefferson county became U.S. Postmaster General.
1898 - The Maryland Telephone Company installed the first telephones in Jefferson county in the office of "The Shepherdstown Register" and the Entler Hotel in Shepherdstown.
Narrative History of Jefferson County
Important Events in Jefferson County during the 1800's
One of Jefferson County's highest priorities during the early 1800's was improving the county's roads and waterways. By the 1830's, a turnpike had been constructed that connected Shepherdstown to Middleway and a stage line ran from Washington D.C. to Leesburg (then part of the county). The early 1830s also saw the construction of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal to Harper's Ferry and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, the canal's competitor, arrived a year after the canal opened in 1834. In 1835, the Winchester and Potomac Railroad linked the county with the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad at Harpers Ferry. The new roads, railroads, and canals opened the Jefferson County area to economic expansion.
Harpers Ferry was the site of John Brown's famous insurrection. At 10 p.m., under the cover of darkness, on Sunday, October 16, 1859, John Brown, his two sons, Oliver and Watson, and nineteen others (seventeen white men and five black men) seized William Williamson as he stood guard on the Potomac Bridge leading to the Harpers Ferry Armory. Brown and his men then took possession of the Armory Building. At about 1 a.m., on Monday October 17, 1859, they went to Lewis Washington's home, took him captive, and announced that his slaves were free. They also went to John Allstadt's home, took him and his son prisoner, and announced that their slaves were free. When Harper Ferry's residents woke up that morning, they discovered armed men patrolling the streets and arresting anyone approaching the Armory. Finding the telegraph wires cut, messengers were sent on horseback to the neighboring towns for help. A train passing through the town from Wheeling was stopped and then allowed to continue. The trainmen spread word at the next stop that the town had been taken. A volunteer company from Charles Town, commanded by Colonel Baylor, arrived shortly after noon, took control of the bridge and surrounded the insurgents, who had retreated into the Armory. Later that day, two companies arrived from Martinsburg and the Armory was attacked, with both sides exchanging fire until nightfall. Five members of the three companies attacking the Armory were killed, as were three insurgents, including John Brown's son, Oliver. During the early evening hours, the companies surrounding the Armory restored the telegraph lines. Word of the insurrection then spread quickly across the nation.
Colonel Robert E. Lee was dispatched from Washington, D.C. to put down the rebellion. He led a hundred United States Marines. When he arrived on Tuesday, October 18, 1859, he sent J.E.B. Stuart to the Armory's front door with a note demanding Brown's surrender. When Brown refused, Stuart reportedly leapt dramatically to the side and signaled the attack. The Marines charged the Armory, killing several of Brown's men and seriously wounding Brown, who was clubbed unconscious during the attack. Of the twenty-two insurgents, ten were killed at Harpers Ferry, seven, including John Brown, were captured, taken to Charles Town, tried, and later hanged in December 1859 for treason, and five escaped. Those opposed to slavery hailed John Brown as a national hero, and those supporting slavery viewed him as a villain. Many others supported Brown's objective, but condemned his actions. Many historians consider John Brown's actions at Harpers Ferry a precursor to the Civil War.
Jefferson County was a center of activity during the Civil War, primarily because of its geographic location, especially its proximity to Washington, D.C. and the presence of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad within its borders. During the war, many of Jefferson County's towns repeatedly changed hands, and each time they did the retreating forces typically destroyed the town's main buildings and infrastructure.
It is interesting how Jefferson County, whose residents largely supported the Confederacy, became part of West Virginia. A statewide referendum was held in October 1861 to determine if a state Constitutional Convention should be held to form a new state. The referendum passed and a Constitutional Convention was held on November 26, 1861 in Wheeling. When determining the state's boundaries, the delegates, realizing the importance of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad to West Virginia's economic prospects, included the eastern panhandle in the state.
When the West Virginia Constitution was put to a vote many of Jefferson County's citizens did not even know that the question of whether to remain with Virginia or join the new state of West Virginia was being put to a vote. When the vote was taken the Union Army controlled the county and opened just two precincts for voting. Those known to be Confederate sympathizers were under house arrest, and were not allowed to vote. Jefferson County voted 248 for and two against joining the new state of West Virginia. At that time, the county had nearly 2,000 registered voters, but most of them were under house arrest.
After the War, Virginia demanded that Berkeley and Jefferson counties be returned because they had not been a part of the original annexation approved by Congress. Many Jefferson and Berkeley county residents also expressed their desire to remain a part of Virginia. As the controversy over Berkeley and Jefferson counties continued, West Virginia's state legislature, in January 1865, moved the Jefferson County seat from Charles Town to Shepherdstown, primarily because Shepherdstown's residents were ardent supporters of becoming part of West Virginia.
The Shepherdstown West Virginians even had a plan to form a new county to be called "Shepherd" if the citizens of the southern portion of the county did not comply with their wish to remain part of West Virginia. The controversy over Jefferson County's location in West Virginia finally ended in 1866 after both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives ruled in favor of West Virginia's claim to the land. In an attempt to mollify those wanting the county to be returned to Virginia, the county seat was moved from Shepherdstown back to Charles Town.
When the county seat was moved from Shepherdstown, the town's residents decided to establish a school in the now empty courthouse. The school was originally called the "Classical and Scientific Institute," but its name was changed to Shepherd College in 1872. In exchange for state support, Shepherd College's trustees offered the state free access to the courthouse building. The state accepted the offer and Shepherd College became a state normal school.
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