Roane County Historical Society, Inc.

Samuel Tanner Settled On Spring Creek In 1807

Sat, 02 Apr 2011 02:50:00 -0700

James Pleasants Esquire, Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia: To all to who these presents shall come, Greeting: Know Ye, That in conformity with a Survey made on the Sixteenth day of June 1823 By virtue of two Land Office Exchange Treasury warrants, to wit 100 acres by No. 1833 issued the 12th of January 1807 and 280 acres by No. 2400 issued May 14th 1823, there is granted by the said Commonwealth, unto Samuel Tanner.

Samuel Tanner: Deposition for Revolutionary War Pension

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 05:40:00 -0700

On 22 Aug 1833, Samuel Tanner gave a very detailed account of his military service to Thomas Boggs, Justice of the Peace, Jackson County, VA for the purpose of obtaining his Revolutionary War pension.

Biography of Roxie (Nida) Smith

Thu, 28 Sep 2006 04:20:00 -0700

A biography of Roxie (Nida) Smith written by her granddaughter, Patsy Jean (Smith) Barnes.

Col. Ruby Bradley, Military Heroine Passes Away

Sat, 09 Sep 2006 04:50:00 -0700

By David Hedges, PUBLISHER

A Roane County native who became the most decorated woman in U.S. military history has passed away at a nursing facility in Kentucky.

Col. Ruby Bradley was 94.

Samuel Tanner Spencer's First Settler

Fri, 08 Sep 2006 14:30:00 -0700

In the year of 1812, Samuel Tanner and his family, along with Jonathan Wolfe, traveled from Harrison County to Roane County, to the site of what is now the city of Spencer, West Virginia. This piece of land laying on the waters of Spring Creek, a branch of the Little Kanawha River, seemed an ideal place to settle. Samuel established a home for himself and his family in a cave, under the cliffs where Spencer Middle School now stands. Jesse Hughes may have been the first white man to see Roane County, but he did not settle here until much later. Jesse Hughes was so impressed with the area and painted such a beautiful picture of the place, his brother-in-law, Samuel Tanner, decided to make the journey from Harrison County. It seemed to be an ideal place to homestead. There was a huge overhanging rock shelf, a beautiful spring, a nearby creek, and abundant game in the surrounding forest. The cave, long used by both white men and Indians as a camping spot, seemed like a perfect place to set up housekeeping. Logs were cut and split, then stood up along the edge of the overhanging rock for an outside wall. A crude fireplace was constructed at one end and the smoke was allowed to go up through a crevice in the rocks. Leaves were piled into the back corners of the living room, a table and stools were added and they were ready for housekeeping. The cave consisted of two rooms, side by side with a partition of rock in between. The larger room must have been some fifteen feet deep and thirty feet long with a eight foot ceiling. The smaller room was just as deep but perhaps only half as long and served as a stable for livestock. The cliffs are no more than a shadow of their original selves. Because of the danger to children, much of the shelf has been broken off deliberately. It was while living under this rock their first daughter, Elizabeth, is supposed to have been born. It is said that she was the first white child born in Roane County.