This district is noted for many things, among them its good people, its splended views, its railroad facilities and its many townsites.

The surface is much broken, and in the south is mountainous, and the river bottom (with the exception of the northwestern corner) is narrow, while in many places, as opposite the city of Charleston, the hills rise abruptly from the river, the base, in some places, being cut away in the construction of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway. Davis creek is the principal stream. It flows with and empties into the Kanawha.

Leonard Morris, whose settlement in the valley is elsewhere noticed in this work, built the first cabin in the district. Other early settlers, nearly all of whom came before the beginning of the present century, were Andrew Donnally, Charles Norris, Charles Venable, Charles Brooklin, Evan Price, John Lawrence, Benjamin Price, Henry Snodgrass, Luke Wilcox, John B Crockett, Samuel Hensley, Robert Brown, Robert Berry, James Reynolds, Job English, Allicot Reynolds, Isaiah Curry, James Curry, Thomas Harris, Samuel L Smith, Thomas Mathews, Fleming Cobb, John Young, Guy P Mathews, Benjamin Eastwood and William Blaine.

The first grist mill was built by a man named Estill, on Davis creek. We cannot ascertain date, but our informant says "it was built at an early day." Another mill was built at Blaine's island, by a man of the name of Blaine. The date of its erection cannot be ascertained, but it is known to have been running in the year 1823. It was a log building, and the dam extended from the south side of the river to the island. In 1869 a small water-mill, with one run of burs, was built by a man named Jeremiah Arthur. The oldest postoffice in the district is at the Brownstown office. It was established many years ago, under the name of Lens creek, but in recent years it has been made to correspond with that of the town.

The first fruit trees brought over the Alleghenies and transplanted in the Kanawha Valley, were carried from Virginia by Fleming Cobb in a pair of leather bags, in the year 1780, and planted on the old Cobb Homestead, near the mouth of Davis creek. At the same time he also brought two pear tres, which were planted on the farm known as Blaine's island homestead.

The first Sabbath school was organized in 1875, by Luke Wilcox at Brownstown. It is in a prosperous condition, having a membership of ninety-seven. Rufus Workman is the present superintendent. The second organized was the Lick Branch Union school by H.C. Welty, in 1877. The present attendance is sixty-four, with Mrs. Maria Allen, superintendent. Besides these there is a Union school on Davis creek, a Baptist school at Piney Grove, and another at the same place in charge of the Methodist Episcopal church.

• Brownstown or Marmet
• Hale's Spring