Reuben Cremeans

Excerpt from

History of West Virginia in Two Parts

By Virgil A. Lewis (Corresponding Member of the Virginia Historical Society)

Published 1889, Philadelphia, by Hubbard Brothers

pp. 730-733, LINCOLN COUNTY

Pioneers. ?The first settlement within the county the date of which can be ascertained was that made by Jesse McComas, John McComas, David McComas, William and Moses McComas, all of whom came in the year 1799. In the summer of that year they cultivated twenty acres of corn, probably the first ever grown in the Upper Guyandotte Valley. In the autumn they returned east of the mountains and brought their families. Near them other cabins were soon reared by John Lucas, William Hinch and John Johnson. About the year 1800, Isaac Hatfield settled on Ranger's branch, a tributary of Ten-mile creek, and James Hatfield, William Smith and John L. Baker soon came to reside in the same vicinity. In 1807, Luke Adkins found a home near the mouth of Slash creek, on Mud river, twelve miles southeast of the present site of Hamlin. Near him other cabins were reared by his brothers, John and Mark, William and Richard Lovejoy, William Cummins, Mathias Plumley, Silas Cooper, Hamilton Adkins, Peter Holstein, William Smith and William Cooper. In 1801, John Tackett removed his family to a cabin on Trace-fork creek. Other early settlers along the same stream were James Wells, Jonathan Williams, Joseph Holley, James Alford, Reuben Cremeans, Abraham Smith and George Alford. In 1811, Richard Parsons led the way into the wilderness and settled at the mouth of Cobb's creek. Those who came to reside near him on the stream were Eli Parsons, Samuel M. Midkiff, and James Lively.