Barboursville

They had annual fairs; the Court House now the college building was used 

to display fruits, vegetables, wines, canned goods, needle work, etc. The 

stock was shown on the streets or lots. The exhibit was good and all took 

much interest in it. The first sorgham molasses I ever saw was at one of 

these fairs about 1852 was made in iron kettles it was very dark and thin, 

but was quite a curiosity. I have spoken of the amount of live stock on 

the farms. I quote prices from a memorandum book dated 1886, as I bought 

from farm to farm when I was in the live stock business.* 

On one trip I bought 35 cattle for $707.00 or $20.25 per head.

On one trip I bought 99 sheep for 170.00 or 1.70 per head and 57 hogs for 

417.00 or 8.00 per head.

On one trip I bought 10 Texas Ponies for 447.25 or 44.25.

On two or three trips, 695 sheep for 1435.00 or 2.05 per head.

On one trip I bought 212 sheep for 573.00 or 2.75 per head.

On one trip I bought 52 cattle for 936.20 or 3.25 to 3.40 per cwt.

On one trip I bought 34 yearlings for 466.00 or 13.75 per head.

On one trip I bought 30 head cattle including 11 yearlings at $2.85 per 

cwt.

The price of yearlings averaged about $10 to $15 per head; and the price 

of two-year-olds, $16 to $20 per head. I bought two car loads of Putnam 

County two-year-olds, one car at $27.50 and one at $30 per head. Putnam 

County cattle was the best that I handled, but I could find more cattle in 

Logan ranges than any of the other counties. In 1884 I found 108 yearling 

cattle on Island Creek, belonging to one man I did not buy this bunch but 

came out with sixty eight two-year-olds. I had special rates of $48 per 

car to Baltimore. The Range cattle were raised cheap with good profit to 

owner. Barboursville was the county seat from 1813 to 1888, or for seventy 

five years, after a hot election it was removed to Huntington and 

Barboursville College became the owner of the Court House. At this time 

Rev. Wads was holding a quarterly meeting here. He went up to my house to 

dinner with my wife, and in passing the home where I now live my wife told 

him it would be a good place for a female school, he said he would talk it 

up, and for me to see Mr. Poteet, the owner, and get his price on the 

property which I did. He priced it about $500 less than he had been 

asking. Before a deal was made, however, sentiment sprang up in Huntington 

in favor of giving the Court House building to the proposed seminary. 

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