The 1814 Navigator overview of the Kanhawa, Point
Pleasant, and the Salt Licks at Charleston
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The Navigator, pages 100-101 (the book starts in
Pittsburgh to the north so every thing you read is a though
you were traveling southbound).
Great Kenhawa river, left side, (M. D.)
This is a considerable river of Virginia, 400 yards wide
at its mouth. By a portage of a few miles through the
mountains, which occasions the falls, a communication may be
had, by way of the Green Briar branch of the Kenhawa, with
the head waters of the Monongahela river, and also with the
waters of James's river, which falls into Hampton Roads, on
the coast of Virginia and which is navigable for ships of 40
guns to Jamestown, and those-of 125 tons burden go as far as
Rocket's, one mile below Richmond. The head branches of the
Great Kenhawa interlock with those of the Holstein river.
The newly commenced salt works on the Kenhawa, and the
uncommon strength of the water, which is found in abundance,
are of immense value to the western country -For a more
particular account of which see appendix, note
[f.]
POINT PLEASANT,
Is pleasantly situated immediately above the mouth of the
Great Kenhawa, on in extensive and fertile bottom of the
Ohio, of which it has a fine prospect up and down that
river. It is the seat of justice for Mason county, Virginia,
contains about 15 or 20 families, a log court-house, log
jail, and as usual, (but unfortunately,) in the Virginia
towns, a pillory and whipping post [g] Point
Pleasant seems rather on the stand in point of improvement,
arising, it is said, from the difficulty in establishing the
land titles . It is, however, a considerable place of
embarkation for those descending the Ohio from the back and
western parts of Virginia. -There is one merchant in Point
Pleasant, Mr. William Langtry.
Charleston, a post and county town for Kenhawa county, is
situated 60 miles up the Kenhawa river on the east side. The
salt works commence 2 miles above Charlestown, and continue
up the river for twelve miles above it.
Fair Haven is a pleasantly situated village opposite
Point Pleasant, right bank of the Ohio.
From Point Pleasant incline over to the right shore. The
river here winds to the right.
Galliopolis Island, No. 48,
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The Salt Licks at Charleston:
Appendix, pages 230-232
[f] SEVENTY miles above the mouth of the
Big Kenhawa and a little below the falls of that river are a number
of salt works lately put into operation, and which yield an immense
quantity of excellent salt. In August, 1810, there was 11 furnaces at
work, each containing 6O kettles and making at the rate of from 35 to
50 bushels of salt daily, averaging in all about 400 bushels per day.
Since which (Dec. 1810) we learn that there have been five furnaces
more erected, and make an equal quantity with the others; hence we
may calculate the quantity made now to be about 580 bushels per day,
or 174,000 bushels annually; which they can afford at the works at 70
cents, 50 lbs to the bushel and it can be freighted to Pittsburgh,
283 miles up the Ohio, for $l 50 per barrel, which will reduce it to
the low price of five dollars per barrel; fifty, nay, in some cases,
one hundred per cent lower than we have been able to obtain Onondago
salt. These salt furnaces are immediately on the beach or edge of the
river, and extend on both sides for six miles distance. In the first
place they have to dig about 10 or 15 feet through sand and mud, when
they come to the rock, then the boring commences with a two and a
half or three inch auger, with which they bore from 60 to 90 feet
through the solid rock, passing perhaps several veins of fresh water
in that distance, which is kept from the salt by means of tin pipes
introduced into the holes from bottom to top and tightly caulked at
top where they enter the gum, as it is called. This gum, though made
of a hollow sycamore, answers as a coffer-dam, within which a man
works through the mud and sand, while it sinks with him to the
surface of the rock, where its lower edge is tightly secured all
round, admitting neither mud nor water from below and extending
upwards beyond high water mark. Into this gum enters the tin pipe
introducing the salt water from its hidden reservoir. Into the gum
pumps are then fixed, which are either worked by man or horse power,
and the water conveyed from these in open troughs to the kettles,
which are placed in a double row under a shed, and over a long hole
cut in the ground, into which wood is cast for boiling them and
evaporating the water. A furnace of 60 kettles when ready for
operation, costs about 1500 dollars, and four hands are sufficient,
when the water is pumped by hand, to keep a furnace of this kind
going night and day, besides, indeed, two or three engaged in cutting
and hauling wood. The salt is conveyed to the Ohio down the Kenhawa
river without difficulty; the navigation, 5 or 6 short rapids, and
these not worse than those of the Ohio any where above the falls,
excepted, is good, having gentle and deep water all the way. The
banks of this river are composed of a black loose earth; the bottoms
on each side are rich and extensive, and tolerably settled, except
those large tracts owned by the heirs of the late General George
Washington, which are held at ten dollars per acre, a price too high
it is thought for advantageous purchases.
The great strength of the water at these works
surprises us into thankfulness for the bounty of Providence. From 90
to 130 gallons make a bushel of salt, while many of those of Ohio and
Kentucky take from 500 to 760 and others from 700 to 900 gals. to
make the same quantity. The works on Little Sandy in Ken. tucky,
owned principally by Mr. Grayson, have the strongest water, except
those of the Kenhawa, of any that I have heard of and it takes from
250 to 300 galls. of that water to make a bushel of salt. Thus, when
there is the greatest need for economy in living, owing to external
distresses arising from the world's wars of rage and madness,
Providence has been kind enough to lead the ingenious hand of man
through rocks as deep almost as the ocean, and as hard as adamant,
where lie has found in abundance the means of producing one of the
most important necessaries of life at half the price hitherto paid
for that article.
In some cases when the borer first entered the
vein of salt water, it spouted up with great force twenty feet in
height above the surface of the rock. It would appear from this
circumstance, together with the astonishing strength of the water,
that a rock of solid salt must be in the vicinity of such vein, and
that its meltings had filled the reservoir almost to bursting for
want of vent: or otherwise, that the fountain of salt is situated
among the Kenhawa mountains, through which issues a vein of water,
receiving its salt particles as it passes, and thence finds its way
among the crevices of the embowelled rocks to the spot where it is
now fallen upon. In either case it is equally providential, equally
fortunate to the citizens of the western country and to their rising
posterity. In some places below the present works the rock has been
perforated 200 feet without finding salt water.
In the summer of 1812, salt water was dug for and
found, on Thirteen Mile creek, which empties into the great Kenhawa,
13 miles above its mouth. The water was found at the depth of 200
feet, and as strong as that at the upper works. -Furnaces are
erecting at this place, and salt making will be carried on here also
with spirit.
Bill Myers at billmyers1@aol.com
Revised July 2000