Doors to the Past

"John Morris's name appears on the muster rolls in the expedition of 
Colonel George Rogers Clark against Kaskaskia and Vincennes in 1778 and 
1779". 
 
John Lillard, a soldier in the Revolutionary War, was not a resident of 
Cabell County, but three of his daughters lived on Mud River near Ona and 
Howell's Mill. They were Nancy, wife of John Bryan, Elizabeth wife of 
William P. Yates, and Mary (Polly), wife of Landon Carter. John Lillard 
was born in Culpeper County, Virginia in 1765; enlisted as private for 
three months in the fall of 1780, being less than sixteen years old, under 
Captain Kirtley of the Virginia militia; enlisted for three months in the 
winter of l780-81 under Captain James Browning, Colonel James Slaughter; 
enlisted for three months in the summer of 1781 under Captain Armstead, 
Colonel Drake, Virginia State troops; was engaged in the siege of 
Yorktown, was in several skirmishes on James River and at Petersburg". 
 
The first settlers on Mud River, like those of today, were farmers almost 
without exception. ln addition to farming after the style in vogue at that 
time, many farmers were handy at turning a hand in other lines. One early 
settler was primarily a farmer, while on occasion he was a local church 
leader, a stone mason, cooper, carpenter, and ran a custom threshing 
machine. A few other more gainful enterprises were entered into for 
profit. 
 
As stated before, in 1819 Valentine Herndon purchased one hundred and 
fifteen acres of what is now the westerly portion of the Rimmer farm at 
Howell's Mill, and two acres in addition on the south side of Mud River 
which included the present mill site, and built the first grist and saw 
mill at the so called Upper Falls of Mud River. In 1829 he sold all his 
land and mill property to Ambrose Doolittle, who had recently come to this 
section from eastern Virginia. Ambrose Doolittle was an enterprising and 
successful business man. He enlarged the milling venture at Howell's Mill, 
rebuilt the saw mill and equipped it with the then modern vertical saw run 
by water power, overhauled the grist and flouring mill, built and operated 
a woolen carding machine, and added a furniture factory where much of the 
better type of walnut and cherry and other furniture in the neighborhood 
at that day was made. He also made the first and only venture at silk 
culture in this section. The effort to raise silk worms and produce silk 
was not a success, but to this day a few Russian or white mulberry trees, 
originally planted to feed the silk worms from the leaves, remain about 
Howell's Mill. The rebuilding and raising the dam in Mud River by Mr. 

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Templates in Time