Page:Annals of Augusta County.djvu/62

 Courthouse street and the creek. The court retained for the use of the county only two of the lots—the half acre on which the courthouse stood, designated on the plat as No. 2, and the lot of forty-eight poles, immediately opposite, across Court-house street where the county jail now stands, designated as No. 1. The courthouse was at. the southwest corner of the lot on which it stood, and the jail on the southeast corner of the same lot.

The court appointed Andrew Lewis, Robert McClanahan and Robert Breckenridge, commissioners, to convey the lots to purchasers. Thomas Paxton purchased three lots for £8, ($26.66⅔) viz: the half acre at southwest corner of Beverley and New streets, the corresponding lot diagonally opposite, and the lot of forty-eight poles, southeast corner of New and Court-house streets. Alexander McNutt purchased for £3, the lot of forty-eight poles adjoining and east of the present jail lot, where the Bell Tavern afterwards stood. The half acre lot, southeast corner of Augusta and Frederick streets, was purchased by Joseph Kennedy for £3. Robert McClanahan purchased two half acre lots—northwest corner of Beverley and New Streets, (where the Wayne Tavern afterwards stood,) and the northwest corner of Courthouse and New streets—for £2, 10s.

In giving possession of these lots, the old English custom of "livery of seizin" was practiced, the commissioners and purchasers going on the premises, and the former delivering to the latter a handful of earth in token of the delivery of the whole.

It is a question as to how the town was entered from the east in the early days of the settlement. The plots alluded to give no indication of a road or street leading, as at present, from the Virginia Hotel to the creek near the Valley railroad depot; and it is probable that the land between the points named was swampy and ordinarily impassable. If so, the road must have passed over Abney's or Garber's hill.

It appears that, in 1750, a man called Ute Perkins and others were perpetrating robberies in the county; but we have no information in regard to the matter, except several hints in the proceedings of the court. The following order was entered November 28, 1750: "On the motion of Peter SchoU, gent., it's ordered that the sheriff demand of Joseph Powell a saddle supposed to belong to Ute Perkins and his followers, and that John Harrison