Q. What is the largest state park in West Virginia?
A. Watoga
Q. What is the longest state park in West Virginia?
A. The Greenbrier River Trail.
Historical Sketches of Pocahontas County ~ 1901
By William T. Price
Distinctive National Features
In the matter of natural scenery Pocahontas County can display some charming mountain views from points like Droop Mountain Summit, where the Lewisburg Pike reaches it and overlooks Hillsboro and vicinity; Gibson’s Knob, overlooking Clover Lick, a point from which, under favorable conditions of weather and sky, House Mountain in Rockbridge and the Peaks of Otter may be discerned. Several years ago, about the time a new tin roof was placed on Lexington Courthouse, the late William Gibson saw the scintillations of reflected sunlight. The distance to Lexington is about eighty miles; Peaks of Otter, one hundred and ten. Grassy Knob, near Greenbank, Paddy’s Knob, east of Frost; Kee Rocks, and Buck Knob, overlooking Marlinton, and the High Rocks, overlooking Millpoint and vicinity; the “Bend,” overlooking Edray; Mount Sewall, overlooking the Hills and Knapp’s Creek Valleys; Briery Knob, that looms up so visibly in lower Pocahontas, all afford prospects to be appreciated and must be seen and enjoyed. The sunrise prospects challenge description worthy of the best endeavors of Ruskin or a Maurice Thompson to put in words.
BIOGRAPHIC
CHARLES AND JACOB KINNISON
Among the earlier pioneers of the Little Levels were Jacob and Charles Kinnison. They were among the persons who had heard the wonderful intelligence brought in by a half demented neighbor, that he had seen streams flowing towards the west during his last excursion in the wilderness regions beyond. In their explorations of the Greenbrier Valley they found John McNeel, a refugee neighbor, near Millpoint. He gave them the benefit of his observations, and the three persons attempted permanent settlements about 1765, and thus left their old homes a few miles of Winchester, Va., near Capon Springs.
Charles Kinnisons’s wife was Martha Day… They were the parents of two daughters, whose names are not remembered; and five sons, David, Charles, Mark, Nathaniel and Amos.
Jacob Kinnison, the fellow pioneer, with his brother, Charles, located on lands just east of Hillsboro, lately occupied by his sons, Nathaniel and William Kinnison. There was one daughter, Elizabeth, who was never married. Nathaniel Kinnison was never married also, and brother and sister kept house for a great many years. The neatness and generous hospitality that characterized this home made it pleasant for the itinerant ministers for a long while…
Charles and Jacob Kinnison, the pioneer brothers, were skillful workers in wood with the broad axe and whip saw. Some of the first carpenter work ever done in this county was by them and Richard Hill.
Charles Kinnison hewed the logs for John McNeel, Pioneer. The building yet stands. He also prepared the logs for the house now dwelt in by Claiborne McNeil, near Buckeye. His services were greatly valued in planning and constructing forts.
Thus with assistance of J. B. Kinnison and Allan Kinnison, something has been attempted to embalm the memories of these good men and their worthy descendants. We believe it is the temper of many of the living Kinnisons to see that the lustre of the Kinnison name shall not be tarnished, but rendered more illustrious by all the facilities that may come to hand.
