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Note: Thomas Smith & The Bond's Of Nutter's Fork
The following information primarily from "A History Of Nutter's Fork" shines some light on the settlement of the Smith and Bond Families on Middle Island Creek west of West Union, West Virginia. It was written in the early 1930's. Tradition tells that the very earliest settles on Nutter's Fork was a man by the name of Nutter, for whom the stream was named. He and his family lived on what is now the Gordon W. Kinney farm. His cabin stood near the present site of the "old house" below Mr. Kinney's residence. Little is known of Mr. Nutter, except that he died at the time of the "great storm" which literally swept the country about one hundred years ago (early 1800's). The Thomas Smith, Sr. Brick house was partly blown down, and much timber was destroyed. Mr. Nutter's remains were carried by hand - partly on a hand sled - to the Smith farm, where they rest today near a few graves on the hillside near Crystal Lake (formerly the Bog), A descendant of Thomas Smith, in 1980, told of finding some old graves on the hill west of Crystal Lake opposite from the Coleman Cemetery. I did not try to find them. Benjamin Barney Butler Bond is buried in the Coleman Cemetery. Several of the oldest graves have unmarked stones. And it is possible that Benjamin Bond, Jr. is buried there.
In the early 1800's the three Sayre brothers had built their cabins on what is now the Joseph Freeman and Coleman lands. One of the three was named Hiram, who lived on the present James Coleman place with his wife and two sons, Squire Sayre married Elizabeth (Pop) Bond, a daughter of Barney Bond.
A man named Haymond, a quite well-to-do cattle raiser and shipper, had one of the farms in the area. He had a slave which was not very common in this area.
Just across the creek opposite the mouth of Slaughter Run was the Prosperous home of Tom Bond, Sr. This Tom Bond could be the relative that Mona Bond (daughter of Joseph) thought could be the relative, she did not know the name of, who moved on to Ohio where her family had distant relatives. I have since found documentation of others who did go to Ohio. He is likely the brother of Benjamin Bond, Jr. Tom Bond was a slave holder. It is said that the slaves set fire to his barn, burned it and two of his children. There are none of his descendents in the community. Later this farm belonged to J. N. Wolverton, a prominent teacher, surveyor, and farmer.
A little farther down the stream and on the same side was the early home of Amos and Elizabeth Keys, also large slave owners. Here was the mill where grain of the community was ground. The mill was run by water power except when the creek was low, when a tread mill supplied the power. A carding machine also belonged to the Keys family. This machine prepared the wool for he spinning wheel by making long rolls of it. After the wool was spun, the wives and daughters wove it into cloth and blankets, or knit warm stockings and mittens for the entire household. The kindness of Aunt Betty Keys is remembered by the old folks. The small boys of the pioneer family usually "went to mill" where they had to wait many weary hours before their grinding was done. It was aunt Betty's custom to spread large slices of wheat bread with honey or other delectable spreads and hand them out to the hungry urchins. This was some compensation for the disagreeable task of going to mil.
ÙCiÙD(There is confusion in this history between John Smith, 1755-1831, and his son Thomas, 1783-1872. Both came to Nutter's fork. See John Smith page for a more accurate account.)
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Thomas Smith, Sr. of German decent, moved from Green County, Pennsylvania, to Barnsville, Ohio where he patented 390 acres 24 July 1804. then he returned to Pennsylvania and moved to Nutter's Fork about 1819, then in Ohio County, western Virginia, and finally to the Sayre land near the Bog. Here he had a brick house erected which he later sold to his son-in-law, Eleazer Freeman, Sr., also from the Barnsville neighborhood. It is said that when Mr. Freeman came to pay for the Smith farm he carried his saddle bags full of silver coin to make the payment. He was one of the most prominent farmers and stockmen in the community. Many of his descendants still live in the county.
After Thomas Smith sold this farm he built another home near the creek above the Bond home, where he lived for many years. He was the largest land owner in this region, having taken a patent on 1500 acres of wilderness land. His children, built their homes upon this land, much of which remains in the hands of his descendants today.
The history of Nutter's Fork does not distinguish Thomas Smith, Sr. from his father John Smith.
In 1930 Thomas Smith's wife, "Grandmother Lettie" as she was known, was still well remembered by many. She lived at home for a time, and delighted the numerous youngsters with her stories of Indian times, life in a fort, and the final conquest of the Red Men by the palefaces. Lettie was a remarkable active lady, being able to walk for miles on visits after she had passed the century mark. She lived to be one hundred six years old. ÙCiÙD(Lettie is actually Letitia Cline wife of John Smith.)
ÙC/iÙDBenjamin Barney Butler Bond, called Barney, married Polly Smith, daughter of Thomas Smith, Sr. They made their home near the outlet of the Bog on the land settled by Benjamin Bond, Jr. or his son, who came from Baltimore County, Maryland in 1800. In the 1930's a large pine tree still stood as a silent sentinel where their dooryard was, but in 1980 not even the stump could be found. Just across the road is a deep bend in Middle Island Creek known as "Barney's Hole".
John Smith, a brother of Hiram, and his wife, Lydia Jarvis Smith, also made their early home on Nutter's Fork. Their cabin stood by the "old well" near the present Nutter's fork bridge, opposite Rolandus McKinney's residence, After a few years they moved to his father's, Thomas Smith, Sr's Home on Middle Island above the Bonds. Here John built a mill and Milldam to supply the needed water power. Some time after he sold the mill to Morgan Gorby who made a home nearby for a good while. Morgan Gorby also married one of the Bond girls, Lettie. Later he moved to the head Gorby run where their large family grew up, But few of their descendents remain here, At present no one lives on Gorby Run. The old home is in ruins, and the fields are thickets o wild blackberry vines yielding a luscious harvest to all who will gather the fruit.
Barney Bond lived all his life at this location, His son Benjamin Franklin Bond, called Franklin, acquired land in Smithton on 21 March 1864 and 5 April 1865. There in Buckeye Fork directly below the Archbold Cemetery he built his home and set up a blacksmith shop.
The "History of Nutters Fork" also records Thomas Smith had 12 Children.
All complete dates are from Coleman Cemetery stones.
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