Written by John Henry Smith III
The full story about Webb Mountain ? Quite a task, lets hope my memories will suffice!
Webb Mountain has an Elevation of 3012 feet and stretches up this valley from the Elk Garden Methodist Church to north of Rosedale and divides the valley from River Mountain on one side to the massive Beartown Mountain on the other. Webb Mountain is freestone (sandstone) rather than limestone.
However, the original name was Priest Mountain, or Price Mountain or Preece Mountain. All are correct. The Price family were Welch with that awful spelling and I think they are variations of the same name. For example Price in Welch is ap Rhys, who would even guess how they pronounced it! Another Welch example is Bowen which in Welch is op Owen.
Another reason I feel it is Price is in the late 1700’s two of the larger landowners in Elk Garden were Thomas Price and his son Richard Price (one of the founders of the Elk Garden Methodist Church - it started in his house). They owned a large tract of land that stretched from corn valley, thru dry branch and down thru Elk Garden, probably encompassing much of the south end of the mountain. Although we have many Price’s in Russell County they seemed to either isolate in the loop or move down Clinch Mountain or move the Tennessee. (David Leonard’s Mother was a Price)
So you ask why it is called Webb Mountain? What we call Webb Mountain was purchased by William Webb (1739-1818) . Born in Oxford, England and probably educated there. He was employed by Lord Fairfax in 1760 to work in his land office with another Fairfax employee George Washington. It was Washington’s job to survey the six million acre Fairfax Estate. It is assumed that Webb knew Washington well even though George was seven years older. Webb also taught school part-time.
During the Revolution William lived in Botetourt County, owned considerable land and served in the Catawba Company of county militia.
After the war, he moved to Washington County Virginia and served as a Deputy Clerk under John Campbell. His fine education showed his prowness for clerical work. Campbell also built a school and William taught school.
Where ever he went he usually taught school for a small period of time each year and the rest of the year he wrote deeds, wills etc.
He then moved to Tazewell and in his tradition taught school and did legal work. He married Mary Oney, the daughter of Benjamin Oney and wrote his will {will book 1, page 5}. He and Mary had eleven children. Tazewell was very proud to have an Oxford educated school-master. In 1786 he moved to Russell County, taught school and farmed the remainder of his days. He died in March 19, 1818 aged 79 years.
Now lets have the rest of the story. William Webb had a very vitrol tongue and the real reason he moved so much he was run out of eastern Virginia, Botetourt County, Washington County and Tazewell County. Tazewell County bragged that they were the only county in the west to have an Oxford educated School Teacher. (they found out they were unlucky). Many times, William Webb barely escaping unharmed. The Story goes he would either attack prominent families in his schoolroom thru their children, or publish pamplets or papers attacking them.(this info came from Mr. Gordon Aronhime) Finally, he was able to find the solitude on Webb Mountain and is buried there (somewhere on Tommy Shrader's land.) Without looking it up I would assume Harry Smith purchased the land from the family after his death.
In About 1905 there was a big sawmill built in the bottom near where Earl Ray lived. The house was the sawmill office. The lumber company pulled the giant Chestnut logs down the hill about where you see that ditch coming off the hill from one reservoir to the other. My father said he worked for thirty years trying to get grass to grow there. High Whited who worked here for all his life on this farm said his first job was as a waterboy for the logging crew. He told me many times that a big man could stretch out across the Chestnut stumps and his head and feet wouldn’t touch either side. I sold the timber again about 1988 to Meade Paper.
The little house in the hollow on big Webb was where Reece Whitehead (father of above mentioned High) raised 21 children. Three wives—last one sired at seventy eight. Jacob Hess cut lower Webb off with a briar scythe at age. (High Whiteds father in law——Henry Ray’s great grandfather )
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