Please send me the supposed school house picture. I hike through that area every year and may be able to identify it. DanlHarris@cox.net I did remember another building. It was well over 100 yr old and stood at the top of the ridge about a 1/4 mile up the road from FRENCH's Station. I think it was pushed over several years ago. > > From: "macbd1" <macbd1@arthur.k12.il.us> > Date: 2004/02/12 Thu PM 04:42:12 EST > To: WVHAMPSH-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: Re: [WVHAMPSH-L] Where is Mill Creek? (South Branch-French's Sta) photos > > Hi Dan and all, (Re: your appreciated response below) > > Yes, I recall French's Neck being the first 'big river loop' from the mouth > of South Branch of the Potomac River, immediately south of the abandoned > town area. I believe it is shown in a photo at the link below. A chunk of > land near the abandoned town indeed did sell in 2001. Here is the realtor's > link from that time, thankfully it's still available: > http://www.mtnhome4u.com/Chaney.html > > This web site contains maps and many photos of the South Branch - French's > Station area, also one of the present town of Levels that is located just > south of the area. Click on the underlined links at the 'Property > Description' paragraph to view the photos. Having opportunity to view the > beauty of this particular area of Hampshire County is well worth the effort. > > With reference to another of your recent posts, the one in response to > Tootsie, one of the above photos is supposedly of an old school house, now > rebuilt as a cabin. I sent this privately to Tootsie saying it doesn't > appear to have been constructed of logs as one would have been built in the > early-mid 1800's, but that maybe the logs are under the siding -- or maybe > this was possibly the site of an earlier school...??? > > Did the link to Fry's 1751 map from my 'South Branch BOWMAN'S' posting of > today work for you -- it wouldn't for me. For anyone who wants to see this > map, click on following link: > http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/gmdhtml/gmdhome.html > (Library of Congress, Map Collections) > -Then click on these links as each window opens: > General Maps>Creator Index>Fry, Joshua>Fry, Joshua(yes,again) > -When the map opens click anywhere on the map. > -When the map opens again, set the zoom to the middle circle and window size > to 640x480. > -When the map opens again, click on it in the middle (right-left) and below > the 'squiggly line' that loops from left to right, fairly near the top, > which is the Potomac River. > -You may need to click on the map near its top, bottom or sides to move the > map toward the direction you want. > > Hope this works. > > Regards, > Neil McDonald > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Dan Harris" <DanlHarris@cox.net> > To: <WVHAMPSH-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Wednesday, February 11, 2004 7:21 AM > Subject: RE: [WVHAMPSH-L] Where is Mill Creek? (South Branch-French's Sta) > > > > road signs, name on the old post ofc, name on the railroad docs, old > photos > > of the town, FRENCH's Tavern, local residents reference. the bottom going > > up the South Branch from the Potomac is called FRENCH's Neck. a local > told > > me the name changed in the 1950s. i think the last business moved out of > > there circa 1950 -- a dairy. there is still an old farm house, but I > think > > it sold to an invester from out of town a year or two ago.....may be wrong > > on this item. changing the name of a ghost town just doesn't make sense to > > me, but someone seems to have a reason... or not. > > > > the place was named for the FRENCH's. they had tanneries and mills over > > near Augusta and hauled merchandise across the top of the ridge to Levels > > and down to the river for shipping. later years, to put on trains. > shipped > > it down to Alexandria VA. There is one of FRENCH's factories still > standing > > in Augusta and is still used. The Yankee's burned all their other > > businesses in the Civil War. They acused the FRENCH's of being Rebel > > sympathisizers.... > > > > i am a little wary of the county. they do change names periodically. > they > > recently, last couple years, changed the name of some roads below > Levels -- > > replaced the signs. this is also why when i locate a historical spot i > > provide the gps position. along with the current directions. a good > lesson > > in name changing...research the old South Branch River Rd.... I live in > > VA.... the Old Chain Bridge Rd now has about 4-6 different names going > from > > Fairfax to the Potomac. to better understand, you should see the > > pre-railroad maps used for commerce between VA and Hampshire VA. > > > > Dan > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: macbd1 [mailto:macbd1@arthur.k12.il.us] > > Sent: Tuesday, February 10, 2004 5:23 PM > > To: WVHAMPSH-L@rootsweb.com > > Subject: Re: [WVHAMPSH-L] Where is Mill Creek? (South Branch-French's > > Sta) > > > > > > Dan, I greatly enjoyed participating with you and others in the research > and > > discussion at this list about 3 years ago concerning the now abandoned > > community of "South Branch (French's Station)" <--as it appears on the > USGS > > maps. When did the name of 'South Branch' for this town become a > 'misnomer,' > > I'm wondering? In addition to the USGS maps, it is the 'only' name used > for > > this community or town on two different county maps published in Hampshire > > County in fairly recent times. 'South Branch' is also the only name used > in > > an 1884 business directory and the Delaware, Maryland and West Virginia > > Gazetteer, Vol. 1, found by 'Tootsie' Shoemaker, who was the instigator > and > > participant in our group's 'South Branch' research here at wvhampsh-l. > > 'South Branch' was also either the only, or more prominent by far, name > > found in various records, concerning events or accounts of the place by > > local people of earlier times. Needless to say, the name 'French' or > > 'French's Station' was also prominent in some records from your much > > appreciated research and sharing. We concluded at the time, as I recall, > > that this community, located about 3/4 mile or so east of the mouth of > South > > Branch River, was called both 'South Branch' and 'French's Station' at > > different times, possibly even being two nearby but different places at > > different times. I hope the information I passed to you recently > concerning > > the old cemetery there sheds some light about inhabitants. > > > > The town of 'South Branch' was indeed not located directly on the banks of > > the South Branch of the Potomac River, but this doesn't seem pertinent > with > > regard to its name, at least to me. Its proximity to the mouth of SB River > > could have readily been its namesake as identifier of 'South Branch' > > (meaning both the river and community-trading place) as seen and hailed > from > > boats coming upstream on the Potomac -- as posted previously. There are > also > > many 'South Branch' names throughout Hampshire County taken from the > > river-name. What are the "current markings" you mention that use only the > > 'French's Station' name? I thought all of the old signs are gone and a > photo > > you had was not conclusive...?? > > > > Thanks for any clarification here, and it's nice to revisit for awhile at > > this list. > > > > Neil McDonald > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Dan Harris" <DanlHarris@cox.net> > > To: <WVHAMPSH-L@rootsweb.com> > > Sent: Tuesday, February 10, 2004 12:12 PM > > Subject: RE: [WVHAMPSH-L] Where is Mill Creek? > > > > > > > The original name for South Branch was French or French's Station (1700 > to > > > 1950-ish), named after Wm FRENCH. It is at the end of French's Station > Rd > > > (partly called Ruggles Rd) coming out of Levels. After Wm FRENCH died, > > his > > > wife married Capt James MURPHY who later became the first overseer of > > > Romney. > > > > > > Sometime after the town died -- as the trains no longer stopped and the > > post > > > ofc closed. The current markings -- road names, post ofc, maps, train > > > depot -- still say French's Station, but a few maps say South Branch. > > South > > > Branch is a misnomer, because it isn't even on the South Branch. It is > on > > > the Potomac a long hike east of the South Branch down the railroad. > > > > > > Dan Harris > > > > > >