'Pixi' and her husband visited the present area of South Branch-French's Station a few days ago. Following is her description of the area, with her approval for me to post it, for those who may be interested. She will be providing the cemetery names, that will be posted, but these are for more recent times -- opposed to the early-mid 1700's when South Branch was apparently first used as a trading post or gathering place for boating mercantile items downstream (Potomac River) to eastern VA-MD river ports, and returning with goods that were needed but unavailable in the South Branch area. Remains of the building she describes *may* be the French's Station building of the 1750's; however, the 'double-frame' structure of the walls indicates later construction -- or is this possibly a reconstruction of the original FRENCH 'station' or 'store' building? Here is her very descriptive story: Just north of Levels one practically runs out of road. The paved road turns into a dirt road that is so narrow that if you meet a car you would have to back up to find a place to move over. And it goes up, up, up until, on the left or west side, one looks down, down, down a very steep slope at the river valley below. Beautiful!!! >From the heights the road gradually heads down and you pass an old family cemetery (I copied the headstones if you are interested) and eventually arrive at the bottom into what is still called South Branch. All that is left is an ancient building that was apparently a store. It is built into the side of the slope. It has piles of stone as a foundation. The stones are stacked one on top another and are of various sizes. And these are field stones stacked with no mortar or means of holding them together other than the weight of the building. Large logs stretch about 30 feet to hold up the place. The walls are frame and double with about a foot between the walls. In one area where the wall had been breached soil spilled out on the floor and was apparently used as insulation. The floor of the building, such as it was, was partly the ground and partly wood on the area that stretched out from the slope. It looked absolutely unsafe so we didn't go in. The roof seemed to be intact and there was evidence that it had been wired for electricity at some point. There appeared to be an old grass covered road climbing up the mountain. We couldn't tell if we saw logs up there or not so we climbed up a hundred feet or so but it was only several fallen trees that somehow had fallen atop each other. The area was covered with vinca (myrtle) and English Ivy so there had been a yard there once. There is a large viaduct where the railroad crosses over the dirt road and concrete steps going from the level of the road up to the railroad bed which is possibly 20 feet higher than the road. The steps haven't been used for years. We looked for foundations of buildings but found nothing. There were two different dirt roads heading off to the west that we thought were driveways. My husband walked along one a way and said there was nothing there. We didn't check the other one. We left, very disappointed, and started back up the mountain. Just before we got to Levels we met a woman with several very small children taking her evening constitutional and asked her about the area. She told us that although we had been in South Branch we had gone too far to see the several old buildings. So we turned back and took the road she told us to take but it was certainly not the village of South Branch. It was down along the South Branch River and has been subdivided and full of streets with cutesy names. There are all sorts of summer homes and trailers scattered about and it is plastered with no trespassing signs and threats to prosecute trespassers. We trespassed anyway, but nothing of interest. I have an atlas that allegedly gives every little road in the state of WV but it goofed. Those roads we thought were driveways aren't on it nor is another alleged road going east along the river. I have DeLorme Topo maps and it shows that what we thought were driveways are county roads and also shows a road going east. However, there was no visible road going east out of South Branch that we saw. The woman had told us about an old railroad station made into a residence but we saw no such place. The old store was obviously in the center of town and there were no other buildings in sight. I am going to try to find out more about the place. The place she had directed us to was several miles south of the village of South Branch/French's Station and we saw no cemetery although there must be one somewhere. End of quote. Can anyone who lives in Hampshire County provide further input about South Branch or French's Station? Dan Harris? I'm also wondering whether an early census of Hampshire County lists inhabitants of the area or community called South Branch, simply to identify its approximate population. Thanks very much, pixi, and to all who have contributed to the South Branch-French's Station discussion. Neil McDonald

Should be a fort foundation some where close by? ----- Original Message ----- From: "macbd1" <macbd1@arthur.k12.il.us> To: <WVHAMPSH-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, October 16, 2000 9 47 AM Subject: [WVHAMPSH-L] Re: South Branch and FRENCH's Station (McDonald-French-Guthrie-Shannon-Taylor-Kuykendall-Parker-Blue and others) 'Pixi' and her husband visited the present area of South Branch-French's Station a few days ago. Following is her description of the area, with her approval for me to post it, for those who may be interested. She will be providing the cemetery names, that will be posted, but these are for more recent times -- opposed to the early-mid 1700's when South Branch was apparently first used as a trading post or gathering place for boating mercantile items downstream (Potomac River) to eastern VA-MD river ports, and returning with goods that were needed but unavailable in the South Branch area. Remains of the building she describes *may* be the French's Station building of the 1750's; however, the 'double-frame' structure of the walls indicates later construction -- or is this possibly a reconstruction of the original FRENCH 'station' or 'store' building? Here is her very descriptive story: Just north of Levels one practically runs out of road. The paved road turns into a dirt road that is so narrow that if you meet a car you would have to back up to find a place to move over. And it goes up, up, up until, on the left or west side, one looks down, down, down a very steep slope at the river valley below. Beautiful!!! >From the heights the road gradually heads down and you pass an old family cemetery (I copied the headstones if you are interested) and eventually arrive at the bottom into what is still called South Branch. All that is left is an ancient building that was apparently a store. It is built into the side of the slope. It has piles of stone as a foundation. The stones are stacked one on top another and are of various sizes. And these are field stones stacked with no mortar or means of holding them together other than the weight of the building. Large logs stretch about 30 feet to hold up the place. The walls are frame and double with about a foot between the walls. In one area where the wall had been breached soil spilled out on the floor and was apparently used as insulation. The floor of the building, such as it was, was partly the ground and partly wood on the area that stretched out from the slope. It looked absolutely unsafe so we didn't go in. The roof seemed to be intact and there was evidence that it had been wired for electricity at some point. There appeared to be an old grass covered road climbing up the mountain. We couldn't tell if we saw logs up there or not so we climbed up a hundred feet or so but it was only several fallen trees that somehow had fallen atop each other. The area was covered with vinca (myrtle) and English Ivy so there had been a yard there once. There is a large viaduct where the railroad crosses over the dirt road and concrete steps going from the level of the road up to the railroad bed which is possibly 20 feet higher than the road. The steps haven't been used for years. We looked for foundations of buildings but found nothing. There were two different dirt roads heading off to the west that we thought were driveways. My husband walked along one a way and said there was nothing there. We didn't check the other one. We left, very disappointed, and started back up the mountain. Just before we got to Levels we met a woman with several very small children taking her evening constitutional and asked her about the area. She told us that although we had been in South Branch we had gone too far to see the several old buildings. So we turned back and took the road she told us to take but it was certainly not the village of South Branch. It was down along the South Branch River and has been subdivided and full of streets with cutesy names. There are all sorts of summer homes and trailers scattered about and it is plastered with no trespassing signs and threats to prosecute trespassers. We trespassed anyway, but nothing of interest. I have an atlas that allegedly gives every little road in the state of WV but it goofed. Those roads we thought were driveways aren't on it nor is another alleged road going east along the river. I have DeLorme Topo maps and it shows that what we thought were driveways are county roads and also shows a road going east. However, there was no visible road going east out of South Branch that we saw. The woman had told us about an old railroad station made into a residence but we saw no such place. The old store was obviously in the center of town and there were no other buildings in sight. I am going to try to find out more about the place. The place she had directed us to was several miles south of the village of South Branch/French's Station and we saw no cemetery although there must be one somewhere. End of quote. Can anyone who lives in Hampshire County provide further input about South Branch or French's Station? Dan Harris? I'm also wondering whether an early census of Hampshire County lists inhabitants of the area or community called South Branch, simply to identify its approximate population. Thanks very much, pixi, and to all who have contributed to the South Branch-French's Station discussion. Neil McDonald

Fort? More info??? I suspect the indian village to be on the last knoll right where the South Branch runs into the Potomac. Dan H ----- Original Message ----- From: "Roland Elliott" <rolandelliott@thegrid.net> To: <WVHAMPSH-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, October 16, 2000 2:15 PM Subject: Re: [WVHAMPSH-L] Re: South Branch and FRENCH's Station (McDonald-French-Guthrie-Shannon-Taylor-Kuykendall-Parker-Blue and others) > Should be a fort foundation some where close by? > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "macbd1" <macbd1@arthur.k12.il.us> > To: <WVHAMPSH-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Monday, October 16, 2000 9 47 AM > Subject: [WVHAMPSH-L] Re: South Branch and FRENCH's Station > (McDonald-French-Guthrie-Shannon-Taylor-Kuykendall-Parker-Blue and others) > > > 'Pixi' and her husband visited the present area of South Branch-French's > Station a few days ago. Following is her description of the area, with her > approval for me to post it, for those who may be interested. She will be > providing the cemetery names, that will be posted, but these are for more > recent times -- opposed to the early-mid 1700's when South Branch was > apparently first used as a trading post or gathering place for boating > mercantile items downstream (Potomac River) to eastern VA-MD river ports, > and returning with goods that were needed but unavailable in the South > Branch area. Remains of the building she describes *may* be the French's > Station building of the 1750's; however, the 'double-frame' structure of the > walls indicates later construction -- or is this possibly a reconstruction > of the original FRENCH 'station' or 'store' building? Here is her very > descriptive story: > > Just north of Levels one practically runs out of road. The paved road > turns into a dirt road that is so narrow that if you meet a car you > would have to back up to find a place to move over. And it goes up, up, > up until, on the left or west side, one looks down, down, down a very > steep slope at the river valley below. Beautiful!!! > > >From the heights the road gradually heads down and you pass an old > family cemetery (I copied the headstones if you are interested) and > eventually arrive at the bottom into what is still called South Branch. > > All that is left is an ancient building that was apparently a store. It > is built into the side of the slope. It has piles of stone as a > foundation. The stones are stacked one on top another and are of > various sizes. And these are field stones stacked with no mortar or > means of holding them together other than the weight of the building. > Large logs stretch about 30 feet to hold up the place. The walls are > frame and double with about a foot between the walls. In one area where > the wall had been breached soil spilled out on the floor and was > apparently used as insulation. > > The floor of the building, such as it was, was partly the ground and > partly wood on the area that stretched out from the slope. It looked > absolutely unsafe so we didn't go in. The roof seemed to be intact and > there was evidence that it had been wired for electricity at some point. > > There appeared to be an old grass covered road climbing up the > mountain. We couldn't tell if we saw logs up there or not so we climbed > up a hundred feet or so but it was only several fallen trees that > somehow had fallen atop each other. > > The area was covered with vinca (myrtle) and English Ivy so there had > been a yard there once. > > There is a large viaduct where the railroad crosses over the dirt road > and concrete steps going from the level of the road up to the railroad > bed which is possibly 20 feet higher than the road. The steps haven't > been used for years. > > We looked for foundations of buildings but found nothing. > > There were two different dirt roads heading off to the west that we > thought were driveways. My husband walked along one a way and said > there was nothing there. We didn't check the other one. > > We left, very disappointed, and started back up the mountain. Just > before we got to Levels we met a woman with several very small children > taking her evening constitutional and asked her about the area. She > told us that although we had been in South Branch we had gone too far > to see the several old buildings. > > So we turned back and took the road she told us to take but it was > certainly not the village of South Branch. It was down along the South > Branch River and has been subdivided and full of streets with cutesy > names. There are all sorts of summer homes and trailers scattered about > and it is plastered with no trespassing signs and threats to prosecute > trespassers. We trespassed anyway, but nothing of interest. > > I have an atlas that allegedly gives every little road in the state of > WV but it goofed. Those roads we thought were driveways aren't on it > nor is another alleged road going east along the river. > > I have DeLorme Topo maps and it shows that what we thought were > driveways are county roads and also shows a road going east. However, > there was no visible road going east out of South Branch that we saw. > > The woman had told us about an old railroad station made into a > residence but we saw no such place. The old store was obviously in the > center of town and there were no other buildings in sight. I am going > to try to find out more about the place. The place she had directed us > to was several miles south of the village of South Branch/French's > Station and we saw no cemetery although there must be one somewhere. > > End of quote. Can anyone who lives in Hampshire County provide further > input about South Branch or French's Station? Dan Harris? > > I'm also wondering whether an early census of Hampshire County lists > inhabitants of the area or community called South Branch, simply to identify > its approximate population. > > Thanks very much, pixi, and to all who have contributed to the South > Branch-French's Station discussion. > Neil McDonald > > >

Called the RUSSELL Cemetary. Right on RUGGLE's Rd. The walls are filled with saw dust. Saw dust used to be used as insulation. Floor was wood covered with dirt and rotting saw dust. Also, old fashioned lilac. The B&O photos show the dirt road crossing the railroad, so the viaduct must have been a recent item. Right there at the viaduct is FRENCH's Station. The station stood on the river side of the railroad and 30-40' upstream (left). The sub-divided area is FRENCH's Neck East. One of those cutsey, cottage names was mine. Dan H ----- Original Message ----- From: "macbd1" <macbd1@arthur.k12.il.us> To: <WVHAMPSH-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, October 16, 2000 12:47 PM Subject: [WVHAMPSH-L] Re: South Branch and FRENCH's Station (McDonald-French-Guthrie-Shannon-Taylor-Kuykendall-Parker-Blue and others) > 'Pixi' and her husband visited the present area of South Branch-French's > Station a few days ago. Following is her description of the area, with her > approval for me to post it, for those who may be interested. She will be > providing the cemetery names, that will be posted, but these are for more > recent times -- opposed to the early-mid 1700's when South Branch was > apparently first used as a trading post or gathering place for boating > mercantile items downstream (Potomac River) to eastern VA-MD river ports, > and returning with goods that were needed but unavailable in the South > Branch area. Remains of the building she describes *may* be the French's > Station building of the 1750's; however, the 'double-frame' structure of the > walls indicates later construction -- or is this possibly a reconstruction > of the original FRENCH 'station' or 'store' building? Here is her very > descriptive story: > > Just north of Levels one practically runs out of road. The paved road > turns into a dirt road that is so narrow that if you meet a car you > would have to back up to find a place to move over. And it goes up, up, > up until, on the left or west side, one looks down, down, down a very > steep slope at the river valley below. Beautiful!!! > > >From the heights the road gradually heads down and you pass an old > family cemetery (I copied the headstones if you are interested) and > eventually arrive at the bottom into what is still called South Branch. > > All that is left is an ancient building that was apparently a store. It > is built into the side of the slope. It has piles of stone as a > foundation. The stones are stacked one on top another and are of > various sizes. And these are field stones stacked with no mortar or > means of holding them together other than the weight of the building. > Large logs stretch about 30 feet to hold up the place. The walls are > frame and double with about a foot between the walls. In one area where > the wall had been breached soil spilled out on the floor and was > apparently used as insulation. > > The floor of the building, such as it was, was partly the ground and > partly wood on the area that stretched out from the slope. It looked > absolutely unsafe so we didn't go in. The roof seemed to be intact and > there was evidence that it had been wired for electricity at some point. > > There appeared to be an old grass covered road climbing up the > mountain. We couldn't tell if we saw logs up there or not so we climbed > up a hundred feet or so but it was only several fallen trees that > somehow had fallen atop each other. > > The area was covered with vinca (myrtle) and English Ivy so there had > been a yard there once. > > There is a large viaduct where the railroad crosses over the dirt road > and concrete steps going from the level of the road up to the railroad > bed which is possibly 20 feet higher than the road. The steps haven't > been used for years. > > We looked for foundations of buildings but found nothing. > > There were two different dirt roads heading off to the west that we > thought were driveways. My husband walked along one a way and said > there was nothing there. We didn't check the other one. > > We left, very disappointed, and started back up the mountain. Just > before we got to Levels we met a woman with several very small children > taking her evening constitutional and asked her about the area. She > told us that although we had been in South Branch we had gone too far > to see the several old buildings. > > So we turned back and took the road she told us to take but it was > certainly not the village of South Branch. It was down along the South > Branch River and has been subdivided and full of streets with cutesy > names. There are all sorts of summer homes and trailers scattered about > and it is plastered with no trespassing signs and threats to prosecute > trespassers. We trespassed anyway, but nothing of interest. > > I have an atlas that allegedly gives every little road in the state of > WV but it goofed. Those roads we thought were driveways aren't on it > nor is another alleged road going east along the river. > > I have DeLorme Topo maps and it shows that what we thought were > driveways are county roads and also shows a road going east. However, > there was no visible road going east out of South Branch that we saw. > > The woman had told us about an old railroad station made into a > residence but we saw no such place. The old store was obviously in the > center of town and there were no other buildings in sight. I am going > to try to find out more about the place. The place she had directed us > to was several miles south of the village of South Branch/French's > Station and we saw no cemetery although there must be one somewhere. > > End of quote. Can anyone who lives in Hampshire County provide further > input about South Branch or French's Station? Dan Harris? > > I'm also wondering whether an early census of Hampshire County lists > inhabitants of the area or community called South Branch, simply to identify > its approximate population. > > Thanks very much, pixi, and to all who have contributed to the South > Branch-French's Station discussion. > Neil McDonald >