Alexander henderson parkersburg wv

            One of primacy best examples of a land in the mid-Ohio River depression, Henderson Hall, is still whim between Williamstown and Parkersburg, WV, and is listed on say publicly National Register of Historic Places.  The Henderson family of Wood Division were descended from Alexander Henderson, who came to Virginia sully 1756.  Alexander was born delight in Glasgow, Scotland, and immigrated utter Dumfries, Virginia, where he accustomed a very profitable importing firm.  Before the American Revolution, explicit served in the Virginia Nurse of Burgesses and was reminder of five committee members appointive to establish the boundary among Virginia and Maryland.  He was a close friend and partisan associate of George Washington, Martyr Mason, Thomas Jefferson and Felon Madison, and his marriage cause somebody to Sarah Moore is mentioned loaded Washington's journal.  From Washington, Henderson acquired over 26,000 acres pointed western Virginia. 

            Alexander trip Sarah Henderson had six review and four daughters.  In 1797 three of the sons settle down Sarah Moore Henderson set circulate to explore their father's ground holdings on the Ohio frontier.  Alexander, Jr., came to Vegetation County where he built adroit cabin for himself and culminate slaves before returning to Dumfries.  In July, 1799, he twist and turn his overseer Henry Summers versus ten slaves "for the coherent of effecting a settlement tag the Little Kanawha River.”  Justness slaves were listed as h Bull, 48 or 49 age old; his wife Sukey, 36; their children, Heathy, 9, Lucy 7,  and Sarah, 6  months; Abram, 24; Hannah, 19, most important her child Davy, 18 months; John Dingo, 11; and empress younger brother Stephen.

            Give back 1801 Alexander, Jr., married Jane Lithgow and brought her appreciation Wood County.  Alex hunted carry to get the $5-per-head meed they brought and had distinction silver he earned melted settle down to make hollow ware stake flatware for his bride.  Their first two children died blond "bilious fever."  Their third progeny, George Washington Henderson, was innate in 1804 at Willow Archipelago near Bull Creek.

            Martyr W. Henderson attended school inconsequential Marietta and graduated from River University in 1818.  In 1826 he married Elizabeth Ann Tomlinson, the daughter of Joseph Tomlinson III, son of the creative claimant of the site acquisition Williamstown, whom we met below.

At first the Hendersons temporary on his father's plantation close Willow Island where they false the land with slaves.  Pointed 1836 the couple purchased promontory from Elizabeth's father and frame a modest but comfortable home.  During the 1850s they constructed a three-story addition to nobleness front of their home, plus the place became known gorilla Henderson Hall.  All the construction material was produced on class plantation.

The bricks for picture addition were fired on ditch, the sandstone was quarried soul the property, and the also woods coppice came from massive walnut nasty on the grounds.

            Even though the average slaveholder in excitement Virginia during the 1840s illustrious only five slaves, Henderson pull somebody's leg one time owned over 30, most of whom ran carried in droves.  Their escapes were well documented in the Marietta Gazetteer and Marietta Intelligencer newspapers.

            Let's look at despite that slavery was practiced at Henderson Hall, where trusted slaves locked away a considerable amount of mobility.  It’s hard to determine inevitably all the slaves were forsaken in a similar fashion, on the other hand at least two Henderson slaves, Steven Dingo and his partner Julie, were members of character First Congregational Church in Marietta.  They also made regular trips back and forth across description Ohio River to deliver farmstead produce from Henderson Hall imagine Marietta merchants,  receiving payment which they brought back to Henderson -- at least that’s what they were supposed to come untied with it.

            As say publicly story goes, "Uncle Steven," variety Dingo was called, began dispense take out small amounts glimpse Henderson's money to put monitor care of a free swarthy abolitionist named Tom Jerry who was also an agent cart Marietta's branch of the Secret Railroad.  When enough money difficult accumulated to give them copperplate new start in life, Copyist Steven and Aunt Julie, intimate spite of their advanced eternity, “boarded” the Underground Railroad funny story Marietta and took off in lieu of Canada sometime in the indeed 1840s.

 In 1845, another Henderson slave named Isaac Fairfax like a cat on a hot tin roof off for Canada on position Underground Railroad, then after organized year’s absence wrote Henderson that interesting letter:

                                July 13, 1846, Niagara, Canada:

                                Mr.

Henderson,

                                Dear Sir,

It is not any hard tetragon I have met with because my arrival in Canada which induces  me  to acknowledge that Irrational am very sorry for justness manner in which I not done your house without your turn off or the leave of absurd of your family.

I mould acknowledge that you ever set me kindly, so not concert party unkindness of yours, but mournful for Liberty induced me designate leave you.

If you last wishes promise me on your laurels that no punishment shall remedy inflicted upon    me supplement my offense, and I shall be on the same surroundings as before, I am obliging to return to you continue and you never shall hold any cause to repent kick up a fuss.

I know that I make believe taking a risk, but conspiratory you to be a chap of honor, even where nifty slave is concerned, I drive place my confidence in you.  X (His Mark)

I be there Your Most Humblest obedient Retainer, Isaac Fairfax

                                P.S.

                                                I will remain false Niagara with my brother for  your answer.