Monthly Archives: April 2020

Wyoming County Museum in Oceana, WV (2019)

25 Saturday Apr 2020

Posted by in Coal, Timber, Wyoming County

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Wyoming County Museum located in Oceana, WV, is one of the region’s best museums…and one of America’s greatest small town museums. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Here is a link to the museum website: https://wyomingcountymuseum.webs.com/

IMG_2584

Top object: “Cross cut saw, 1938: This saw was used to cut the mine timber used to construct the Koppers mine in Kopperston, WV, in 1938.” Bottom object: “Antique plane, circa late 1890s to early 1900s: This plane, manufactured by the Chapin Stephens Co., was used to flatten and impact a smooth surface to a rough piece of lumber or timber.” 29 October 2019

IMG_2590

Logging tools, including a chain dog. 29 October 2019

IMG_2594

“Ritter railroad spike: Railroad spike from the old Ritter railroad which ran through Oceana and was used to transport timber.” 29 October 2019

IMG_2595

29 October 2019

Harts Creek District Teachers (1915)

25 Saturday Apr 2020

Posted by in Atenville, Big Harts Creek, Ferrellsburg, Gill, Green Shoal, Hamlin, Harts, Little Harts Creek, Queens Ridge, Sand Creek, Toney

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

From the Lincoln Republican of Hamlin, WV, comes this history about early 20th century teachers in Lincoln County:

In 1915, 59 teachers enrolled to take the State Uniform Examination at Hamlin and Sheridan. Here are the teachers from Harts area who attended the institute:

Rebel Adkins, Queens Ridge

Clerk Lucas, Toney

Thomas J. Mans, Atensville

Sherman Smith, Logan County

Carrie Tomblin, Queens Ridge

W.H. Tomblin, Queens Ridge

Decker Toney, Queens Ridge

Kile Topping, Queens Ridge

Source: Lincoln Republican (Hamlin, WV), 1 April 1915

***

Certificates issued:

2nd Grade

Rebel Adkins, Queens Ridge

Watson Adkins, Ferrellsburg

Martha Fowler, Ferrellsburg

Maud Gill, Gill

B.B. Holton, Ferrellsburg

Shirley Holton, Ferrellsburg

J.B. Johnston, Queens Ridge

Clerk Lucas, Toney

Charley Pack, Queens Ridge

App F. Queen, Queens Ridge

Jasper Shelton, Sand Creek

William Wirt Stephens, Ferrellsburg

Maud Stollings, Queens Ridge

William H. Tomblin, Queens Ridge

Decker Toney, Queens Ridge

3rd Grade

W.E. Fowler, Queens Ridge

Hendricks Lucas, Ferrellsburg

Ida Pack, Queens Ridge

Nancie Payne, Queens Ridge

Victor Shelton, Sand Creek

Kile Toppings, Queens Ridge

The teacher institute for Harts Creek District is scheduled for Green Shoals school house on November 19.

Source: Lincoln Republican (Hamlin, WV), 16 September 1915

Note: These items were printed during the brief time when Queens Ridge Post Office served most residents of Big Harts Creek and Little Harts Creek and other areas near the Wayne County line. Queens Ridge is not located in these watersheds.

Perry A. Cline v. James Vance, Sr. et al. (1876)

15 Wednesday Apr 2020

Posted by in Big Sandy Valley, Hatfield-McCoy Feud

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

IMG_7901

James Vance to Perry A. Cline, 1874-1875.

IMG_7898

James Vance promissory note to Perry A. Cline, 1 February 1875.

IMG_7897

Perry A. Cline petition, 8 May 1876.

IMG_7902

Perry A. Cline petition, 8 May 1876.

IMG_7907

Perry A. Cline petition, 8 May 1876.

IMG_7915

Perry A. Cline petition, 8 May 1876.

IMG_7916

Perry A. Cline petition, 8 May 1876.

IMG_7890

Perry A. Cline affidavit, 8 May 1876.

Poem: Sad Story of Married Life (1913)

15 Wednesday Apr 2020

Posted by in Huntington, Poetry, Women's History

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , , ,

From the Logan Democrat of Logan, WV, comes this poem written by three young female students of Marshall College, published May 22, 1913:

Shady tree, babbling brook

Girl in hammock, reading book;

Gold curls, tiny feet,

Girl in hammock, looks so sweet;

Man rides past, big mustache,

Girl in hammock makes a “mash”.

Mash is mutual, day is set,

Man and maiden, married get.

Married now, one year ago,

Keeping house on Baxter row;

Red hot stove, beefsteak frying,

Girl got married, cooking trying.

Cheeks all burning, eyes look red,

Girl got married, nearly dead;

Biscuits burn up, beefsteak charry,

Girl got married, awful sorry,

Man comes home, tears mustache,

Mad as blazes, got no hash,

Thinks of hammock in the lane,

Wishes maiden back again,

Maiden also thinks of swing,

Wants to go back too, poor old thing.

Hour of midnight, baby squawking,

Man in sock feet bravely walking;

Baby yells on, now the other

Twin he starts up like his brother.

Paregoric by the bottle

Emptied into baby’s throttle,

Naughty tack points in air,

Waiting some one’s foot to tear,

Man in sock feet, see him there!

Holy Moses! Hear him swear!

Raving crazy, gets his gun,

Blows his head off, dead and gone.

Pretty widow, with a book,

In a hammock by the brook,

Man rides past, big mustache;

Keeps on riding, nary “mash.”

Ethel, Logan County, WV (2020)

11 Saturday Apr 2020

Posted by in Battle of Blair Mountain, Coal, Huntington, Italian American History

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

In the 1890s, land speculators James L. Caldwell, a banker from Huntington, C.W. Campbell, an attorney from Huntington, and John Q. Dickinson, a banker from Charleston, acquired many acres of land on Dingess Run and Rum Creek. The trio procured some of Logan County’s finest coal lands with six accessible seams of coal. They formed the Dingess-Rum Coal Company in June of 1903 to administer their lands, which totaled over 26,000 acres. They surveyed a railroad bed up Dingess Run and laid the cross-ties, leaving only the rails to be laid by the C&O Railroad, which occurred by late 1906. From there, the railroad extended up Right Fork and Left Fork (Ethel Hollow). At the juncture of the two forks, the company town of Ethel, named for the daughter or wife of an early coal operator, was established around 1907. In 1923, the town was populated by 2000 residents.

Ethel was originally located at the mouth of Left Fork (now Ethel Hollow) of Dingess Run. Today, Ethel includes Camp Branch, Freeze Fork (town and stream), Rockcamp Branch, Rockhouse Branch (now Georges Creek), Mash Branch (formerly Wanda), and Bearwallow Branch (formerly Red Campbell). It is situated at the base of Blair Mountain.

IMG_8779

Ethel Coal Company Supply Building, constructed about 1914 by Italian stonemasons. The building served as a staging area for Don Chafin’s defensive forces in the Battle of Blair Mountain. 1 March 2020

IMG_8786

Remnants of Ethel No. 1 Company Store, built between 1907 and 1916. 1 March 2020

Perception: A Poem (1915)

03 Friday Apr 2020

Posted by in Logan, Poetry

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

From the Logan Democrat of Logan, WV, comes this poem written by J. Rush Cook titled “Perception,” published January 7, 1915:

PERCEPTION

I have seen the rosebuds blowing

In the springtime’s early morn;

The shining dewdrops showing

On the petals newly born.

I have heard the happy bird’s song,

Wafted from the leafy bowers;

I have felt the heart beat strong

As I gazed at bird and flower.

I have seen a grander vision

Than dewdrops on the flowers;

A sweeter song to me is given

Than was wafted from the bowers.

‘Tis a vision of the feature,

When right o’er wrong prevails;

When man, the noblest creature,

No longer each assail.

‘Tis a song of love and duty,

‘Neath a bright or frowning sky;

Like the rainbow in its beauty

And its promise, by and by!