296 



CONDITIONS BY COUNTIES. 



Hemlock once grew on the rough stony soil of Buckhannon 

 river and its larger tributaries as far north as Sago ; on nearly 

 all the tributaries of the Right and Left Forks of the Little 

 Kanawha in the southern end; and to some extent along the 

 Middle Fork river. There were also narrow fringes of hem- 

 locks along the tributaries of West Fork river which head in 

 the county. No other softwoods — not even in small quantities — 

 grew within the area. 



The quality of poplar, black walnut and hemlock was good. 

 White oak and chestnut were damaged to some extent by in- 

 sects. 



The Lumber Industry. 



The destruction of timber by the pioneers of the county 

 was enormous, as large settlements were begun and large open- 

 ings made in the original forests many years before the estab- 

 lishment of a commercial lumber industry. It is of interest 

 that the first white men who lived in the county made their 

 home for two years in the hollow of a gigantic sycamore tree 

 which grew near the mouth of Turkey run, a tributary of the 

 Buckhannon river. These men were John and Samuel Prin^^le, 

 deserters from the royal army at Fort Pitt during the French 

 and Indian War, When the war was over they left the region 

 for the settlements on the South Branch. In 1768 Samuel 

 Pringle acted as guide for the first settlers who built ihcir 

 homes along the Buckhannon river and its larger branches not 

 far from the town of Buckhannon. In 1772 others came from 

 the same settlements and established homes farther up the river 

 and on tiackers creek. Settlements were made at Sago in 1801, 

 at French creek in 1816, at Queens in 1817, and by 1825 there 

 were families living in every district. 



Sawing for domestic use was begun over a hundred years 

 ago. The first lumber was sawed with whip saws which were 

 operated by hand. A few years later rude water-power saw 

 mills were built along the creeks and rivers in several localities. 

 The following list of sash saw mills with dates and locations is 

 taken from Outright 's "History of Upshur County": 



