Wayne County News
Wayne, Wayne County, WV
12/18/1919

Squibs From Early History Of Districts In This County
Lincoln district lies in the southern end of the county. The surface of Lincoln is perhaps more broken than that of any of the other five districts.

It is said that the greatest wealth of Lincoln district still lies in its undeveloped coal wealth. This great wealth will probably remain dormant until railroads are built to the coal deposits in Lincoln.

The first cabin in this district was built by a man named Nevins in 1799. Later he was joined by the following pioneers who built homes: John Wilson, Jacob Noe, John Prinston, Richard Wilson, Hezekiah Wiley, Job Spence, Lazarus Damron, Daniel Cox, John Jarrell and Henry Hampton.

Hezekiah Wiley, mentioned in the preceding paragraph, was a son of the celebrated Jenny Wiley, whose captivity by the Cherokee Indians is a story that has been many times told in this section.

William Ratcliff was the first child born in this district. He was born at the Mouth of Lost Creek, May 19, 1802, below the Falls of Tug River.

On a beech tree near the Mouth of Billy's Branch, cut in large rough letters, was cut the name of Daniel Boone, the founder of Kentucky. Whether or not Boone ever visited this part of Wayne county is not proved, but some of the older citizens of Lincoln district recall having read the letters in their boyhood before the beech tree was destroyed.

The first school in Lincoln was taught on Mill Creek by Henry Hampton. Among the pioneer preachers the following names are remembered: Reuben Giddings, Gorwin Lycan, John Jarrell, Stephen and Joseph Workman.

Lincoln, which has one of the largest areas of any district in the county, is peopled by a good class of citizenship. The coming of better schools, progressive farming and hard roads will give Lincoln the opportunity to develop the resources which have been handicapped in past years due to lack of these facilities.