WEST VIRGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 



277 



throughout all the hill regions of the state. A well-informed 

 resident of the county makes the claim that the best white oak 

 timber in West Virginia once grew here. This claim is made, 

 however, for almost every county in central, western and south- 

 em West Virginia and should be taken to indicate simply that 

 this timber was plentiful and of good quality and large size. 

 The softwoods found both east and west of this county were 

 not common. A few hemlocks were scattered along the streams 

 and an occasional clump of pitch pines grew on the high ridges. 



The Lumber Industry. 



The first commercial use of timber in this county, of which 

 we have any knowledge, was for the production of charcoal used 

 by the old iron furnaces in Taylor and Preston counties about 

 the year 1800. Areas cut over for this purpose have grown up 

 with a good stand of timber trees and many of them have been 

 re-cut for lumber and cross-ties. 



In the years following 1820, and before any saw mills were 

 operating in the county, a large quantity of excellent white oak 

 was taken out in the form of hewed ship timber. This was 

 hauled to the Monongahela river and rafted to Pittsburg. 



About the year 1869 A. P. Westerman built a large circular 

 saw mill and stave plant 7 miles east of Grafton at the little 

 town which still bears his name. This mill, which ran for 10 

 years or more, was among the first to manufacture lumber on a 

 large scale in the county. 



J. C. Painter & Brother operated from 2 to 5 circular mills 

 for several years preceding 1905. This firm got out also a large 

 number of split staves, most of which were exported to Europe. 



Beginning about 1870 a large water power saw mill, known 

 as Bradshaw's mill, was operated at Valley Falls. The supply 

 of timber for this mill was obtained from the owners of smaU 

 tracts of forest land in Taylor and Marion counties and was 

 hauled to the mill on wooden tramways. In later years logs 

 were floated on the Tygarts Valley river from points as high up 

 as Philippi in Barbour county. After a successful operation of 

 about 30 years the plant was leased to Theodore Bush, Brad- 

 shaw having been appointed as a purchasing agent of the Baiti- 



