"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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