110 



CONDITIONS BY COUNTIES. 



have not been so greatly disturbed; but the timber on these 

 often consists of such species as chestnut oak, bear oak, pitch 

 pine and scrub pine, and does not fairly represent the original 

 forests in other sections. It can be gathered from the character 

 of the small and somewhat isolated woodlots of the eastern sec- 

 tions, and from the records left by various writers on the re- 

 sources of West Virginia, that there was once an enormous 

 growth of oaks, poplars, hickories and other hardwoods in the 

 fertile valley lands. Yellow pine is said to have been common 

 on Back mountain and vicinity. Pitch pine and scrub pine, as 

 well as chestnut oak and some other varieties, grew abundantly 

 on thin, dry land. 



The Lumber Industry. 



Hon. C. J. Faulkner, writing of the industries in Berkeley 

 county in 1810, gives the following information : ' ' There are in 

 this county upwards of 50 grist mills or merchants mills, as 

 many saw mills, several fulling mills, an oil mill and a paper 

 mill". 



It is probable that within 25 years from the above date the 

 number of saw mills in operation was much smaller. From 

 Joseph Martin's list of the wood- working industries of 1835 we 

 learn that there were "7 wagon makers, 1 chair maker and 3 

 tanners" at that time, but no mention is made of even a single 

 saw mill. 



After the days when the old, upright saw mills had ceased 

 to flourish in the county, small portable mills were brought in 

 and have been moved from place to place for 50 years, sawing 

 out "sets" wherever a few score logs could be brought together. 

 Four or 5 mills still run irregularly. 



Much of the good white oak was cut for ship timber. The 

 chestnut oak has been peeled for tan-bark and the trunks used 

 for railroad ties. 



A water-power mill at Tuscarora was built in 1809 ; and a 

 water-power box factory has been operated on the Opequon for 

 about 100 years. 



The Auburn Wagon Company, of Martinsburg, uses about 

 2 million feet annually of oak, ash, hickory, pine, gum and pop- 

 lar in the manufacture of vehicles of various kinds. 



