From "HISTORY OF THE UPPER OHIO VALLEY,"  Vol. I, pages 716-717.
Brant & Fuller, 1890.


GALBRAITH S. McFADDEN

Galbraith S. McFadden, a substantial citizen of Moundsville, who 
after an adventurous life, is spending his declining years in 
comfortable retirement, was born in Washington county, Penn., August 
25, 1825.  He is the son of James, and the grandson of Thomas 
McFadden.  James was born in the county Armagh, Ireland, came to this 
country at the age of fourteen and settled in Washington county.  He 
was a merchant for over fifty years, the latter part of the time at 
Buena Vista, Allegheny county, Penn., where he was a postmaster in 
Lincoln's administration, and was holding that office when he died in 
1870, at the age of seventy-nine years.  His wife, Margaret Stewart, 
died about 1884, aged eighty-eight years.  Her mother, Betsey 
Stewart, nee Scott, who was the wife of Galbraith Stewart, a 
Scotchman, was a full cousin to Walter Scott. Of the twelve children 
of James and Margaret McFadden, seven are living, two sons and five 
daughters.  The sixth born, the subject of this mention, at the age 
of eighteen went to Pittsburgh to become an architect and carpenter, 
and after nearly two years' experience with two firms there, the 
first of which abused him and the last failed in business, he engaged 
with Henry Shearer at Washington, Penn., at $30 per year until he was 
past majority.  Soon afterward he went south, working one summer at 
Louisville on the way.  At Pilcher's Point, La., he built a fine 
house for Shapleigh Owens, which was burned down in revenge by a 
slave who had been abused, and Mr. McFadden lost his tools and 
clothes, and was left with only $2.45, and nearly 2,000 miles from 
home.  He walked ten miles to Lake Providence, La., and built there a 
house for A. B. Caldwell, now a lawyer of Wheeling, and then went 
into the Arkansas valley, and remained there nearly three years.  
Proceeding to Arkansas Post, he worked there, but was driven out on 
account of a letter he lost which he had received from his father 
expressing indignation at the cruel treatment of the blacks.  He hid 
in a drift pile in the Arkansas river over night, and was fed by the 
negroes until he could get a steamer and come north, leaving his 
clothes, tools and horse, which he never went after.  After he had 
been in Pennsylvania a year, in March, 1852, he and Henry Shearer, 
his old employer, Alfred McGowan, Solomon Altar and Thomas Morrow, 
all of Washington, Penn., started an overland trip to California, 
which took them 100 days from Parkville, Mo., to Sacramento.  He 
worked at his trade and engaged in saw-milling, and then came home in 
the winter of 1853-4.  Shortly afterward he made another trip with a 
party and a train of provision wagons, which goods they traded for 
cattle at Salt Lake City, and leaving there with 312 head, got to 
California with 105.  He went into the El Dorado country and engaged 
in logging two years, and did some mining.  At Placerville he built a 
quartz-mill, with a wheel sixty feet in diameter, for the first and 
best revolving pestle mill in the state.  In the winter of 1856-7 he 
returned home by the isthmus, and in the following May was married to 
Permelia Morton, of Moundsville.  He was there engaged in farming for 
eleven years, also in stock-raising, introducing the first fine wool 
sheep into the county.  In August, 1866, he was called on to prepare 
the plans of the West Virginia penitentiary, and to take charge of 
the institution, of which he was superintendent four years and eight 
months, during which time a rigid investigation showed he was 
faithful to his trust, and disbursed $260,000 without the loss of a 
nickel to the state.  Soon after resigning his position at the 
penitentiary he sold his farm and invested the proceeds of $18,367.67 
in a rolling mill,in a coal bank and in the West Virginia 
Agricultural works.  He lost the entire amount realized from the sale 
of the farm.  The hotel of which he is the present proprietor he 
built in 1877.  In 1874 he became the owner of the famous "Grave 
Creek" mound.  The following children have been born to Mr. McFadden 
and wife:  Richard, Thomas, Ella, Willie H., of Pittsburgh, and 
Lizzie.  The subject of this sketch served as delegate in the 
legislature from Marshall county in the session of 1877, and was one 
of sixteen republican members in a body of sixty-five delegates.

    
(Linda Fluharty)