WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 



121 



Brown's mill and Jones' mill on Castleman creek, and Apple- 

 gate's mill on Cummins run. The dates of operation of these 

 several mills arc not obtainable. It is certain, however, that 

 some of them W(3re built very early in the nineteenth century 

 and that nearly all were operating in 1850. Some of them con- 

 tinued to run for several years after the close of the civil war. 



Robert T. Moore had the only tan yard in the county. This 

 he built at Charlestown (Wellsburg) about 1790 and continued 

 to operate it for several years. The bark used in tanning was 

 bought at a low price from the immediate vicinity. 



Several coopers carried on their industry in a limited way 

 in the county. Of these the principal were William McGee, 

 who manufactured tight barrels, and William G. Howard, who 

 manufactured flour barrels up to the year 1890. 



The first steam saw mill in the county was Coen's station- 

 ary mill built in 1864. About 4 years later small portable saw 

 mills began to come in. These have since sawed in all parts and 

 have cut most of the timber remaining after the date of their 

 introduction. As many as 8 or 10 portable mills were in opera- 

 tion at various times and 3 or 4 still saw irregularly. 



The stave industry was carried on to some extent for 3 or 4 

 years. This began in the summer of 1890 when the first stave 

 saw mill was brought in from Ohio. Two or three mills operated 

 during the period mentioned. 



Most of the black walnut in the county was shipped out in the 

 log. John Virgin, who bought logs from 1885 to 1909, was the 

 principal shipper. 



Large numbers of white oak, black oak and red oak trees 

 were used in the manufacture of shingles several years ago. 



Within the last five years a great quantity of white oak 

 has been shipped in the form of square timber. 



Present Timber Conditions. 



The constant drain upon the timber of the county through 

 a period of more than a hundred years has reduced the stand 

 to almost nothing, from a commercial standpoint. About 10 

 per cent of the whole area is still in woodland of some kind. 

 This occupies, chiefly, the rougher hillsides and ravines and is 



