KERN-L Archives

From: "Tess" <>
Subject: [KERN-L] Some interesting Kern History: Michael Kern SR
Date: Sat, 23 Jun 2001 23:27:53 -0500

a.. ID: I0578
b.. Name: Michael KERNS , Jr.
c.. Sex: M
d.. Birth: ABT. 1765 in Morgantown, Monongalia County, VA (WV)
e.. Death: 1833
f.. Note:
Michael Kern, Jr's father
Michael Kern, Sr. came to Morgantown, Monongalia County, VA (WV) from maybe New Jersey. He fought with Uriah Springer's Revolutionary Army . He married Susanna and settled in Monongalia County. Michael Kern built a stockade fort (which is known today as Kerns Stockade and a monument has been placed in Monongalia County, where the fort stood) in the wilderness where Morgantown now stands, where the few families in the settlements could have refuge from the Indians and wild beast of the forest. It was located between the old Kern's home and Deckers Creek. It had a command of the surrounding country and was among the largest forts of the county and was the rallying ground for the west side.

Bad Eagle, a friendly Indian chief often visited this Fort and was murdered near by in 1774, Bald Eagle's battle axe is hanging in the Morgantown museum.

Transcript of "The Weekly New Dominion (Virginia) -12/27/1905

Old Kerns Stockade

. . . . . . . .According to tradition the Eckerleys were the first white persons who attempted to settle in the region of the country southward of Pennsylvania, in the territory which afterwards became Monongalia County. It is not sure that they were ever near the site of Morgantown. The first white persons who are known to have been at this point was Thomas Decker and his followers. He came and attempted to make a settlement just above the mouth of the creek which now bears his name. "Deckers Creek" It was about the year 1758. The precise place of the settlement it is said was on the Harner Bottoms one and half or two miles from the mouth of the creek.
The development known as Sabraton, which has recently grown into prominence would no doubt cover their locality. The tarrying of this little colony was brief for history records in few words that In the early Spring of 1759, ere the frosts of winter had fled the earth, the Red Warriors of the forest swooned down upon the daring little colony and swept it from the face of the earth. A local orator has said Whence they came we know not. History only records their sad fate; and the stream near whose banks we now stand along perpetuate the memory of Thomas Decker."
Twenty years later with the Morgans the Scotts and Evans and others came one Michael Kern and made a settlement at the mouth of the creek. Morgan on the north and Kerns on the south of the creek, and on the Kern land was built the stockade fort that serves to perpetuate his name. Monongalia county history says that Michael Kern was a small heavy set man, weighing about 170 pounds. He came from Holland and was at the site of Morgantown in 1772. His name appears in the earliest lists of persons and property returned for taxation in the County, Messrs. W. T. Kern and Frank Kern or Morgantown are great, great grand sons.
Wiley's History states that Bald Eagle, a noted Indian who was most friendly to the whites was a frequent and welcome visitor at Kern's Fort. Bald Eagle was murdered about the year 1774. Withers Border Warfare says that he was killed by Jacob Scott, William Hacker and Elijah Runner, and set afloat in a cone in the Monongahela River with a piece of Johnny-cake thrust into his mouth, and the canoe floated down the river, and in Pennsylvania Mrs. Provins observed the canoe and had it brought to shore and the old Indian decently buried.
It is said that Bald Eagle had his wigwam on Cheat River not far form its mouth, and from there he made his visits to the Kern Fort. His is said to have been on one of his friendly visits to the Fort when he was thus murdered. Jacob Scott lived on the stream that bears his name and which puts into the Monongahela river opposite Randall, only three miles below Morgantown.
It is probably that this unsuspective old Indian was discovered and thus made way with along the river, or at about that place. The murder of Bald Eagle is mentioned in history as one of the causes leading to the war of 1774, in which war the Indians perpetrated the most enormous barbarities and many of their atrocities were committed in the borders of Monongalia county. When the savages were reeking vengeance on the whites during that war, we may surmise that they had in their mind many times that they were avenging the death of a chief of their nation wantonly and treacherously murdered by the occupants of the Kern Fort or their associates.
The history of Monongalia County says that Kern's Stockade For stood on Decker's Creek opposite the site of Morgantown. In a letter written by William Haymond, Jr., a son of Major William Haymond given in Wiley's history the writer says In the year 1773, my father moved to this Country. . .The next I recollect our family was living in the Monongalia Glades, near Decker's Creek. . . .As soon as war broke out we had to leave the place and the whole family went to Kern's Fort, opposite where Morgantown now stands. Thus its seems certain that the Kern's Fort was not within the boundary of the old town. By the old town is meant the confines within the boundary of the old town. This fact however is well established by tradition.
Morgantown was established by Act of the General Assembly of Virginia passed in October 1785, and Michael Kern was one of the trustees. By an Act 50 acres of the Zackwell Morgan land was vested in Samuel Hanway, John Evans, David Scott, Michael Kern, and James Daugherty, gentlemen, as trustees to be by them laid out into lots with Streets, etc.
Whether or not Michael Kern was a miller by trade, does not appear but certain it is that he built the first mill in Monongalia County, and the Wiley's County History said that From 1785 to 1873 Morgantown . . . . .grinding. And this is the same mill that Michael Kerns built, for the land on which it stood in 1785 belonged to him but was subsequently purchased by John Rogers. Michael Kern's survey is recorded in the county Clerk's office of this county in Book No. 5 at page 416, and recites that there was surveyed for him 710 acres including two surveys one for 400 acres and one for 215 acres, granted to him in right of two settlements by two patents both bearing date of 6th day of April 1784. This survey was platted and given by metes and bounds extends form the mouth of Deckers Creek to the Pool Rocks. It would embrace all the first and second wards of the City and a large portion of the fifth. It would include all of East Morgantown and a good portion of Sabraton and th!
e peninsula.
It was on this survey, or plantation that Michael Kern built the old mill and the old fort. And a little to the southeastward form the mill was the old fort and his residence. John Rogers and Zaddock Walker purchased this entire survey from Michael Kern in 1816. Subsequently Walker conveyed his interest to John Rogers and most of its was in Rogers' possession till the day of his death, a period of half a century. This old mill was operated during all of this period. And a huge stone structure known as the Old Paper Mill was built by John Rogers further up the Creek at the peninsula. A tunnel through the hill at that point served to convey water used for power in the manufacture of paper, which industry was there conducted by Mr. Rogers for years. Both the old Grist Mill and the Paper Mill were in plain view of the ground on which stood the Old Kern Fort, one to the northwest, the other to the northeast of it. It was a whim of Mr. Rogers that after death his bones should re!
pose on the knoll which was within the old stockade fort and accordingly he built a vault of considerable dimensions intending that his remains should be deposited there after death. But as to this he was led to change his mind when vandals had defaced the walls of the vault by chiseling on them inscriptions uncomplimentary to its owner. After the death of John Rogers his remains were deposited elsewhere, and his devisees took down the vault and the stone was presented to and worked into the foundation of the Trinity Protestant Episcopal Church which was erected about that time. The vault was removed about 1867, and some of the older inhabitants of the town remember it well. (Copied from Sylvia Whittaker web page at . She is a descendant of Moses Criss)

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• [KERN-L] Some interesting Kern History: Michael Kern SR by "Tess" <>