Ben Adams

24 Tuesday Oct 2017

Posted by Brandon Ray Kirk in Big Harts Creek, Cemeteries, Lincoln County Feud, Spottswood, Timber, Warren

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A.J. Mullins, Annie Butcher, Appalachia, Ben Adams, Ben Adams Family Cemetery, Brandon Kirk, Cecil Butcher, Chatillon's Improved Spring Balance, Dave Fry, distiller, Emalina Baisden, feud, Garland Fly Conley, genealogy, Harts Creek, Henderson Bryant, history, Kathy Adams, Lincoln County, Lincoln County Feud, Logan County, logging, Matthew Babe Dempsey, Melvin Conley, Mont Baisden, Mose Workman, Nab Smith, New York, photos, Pilgrims Rest Church, Reece Dalton, Rosabelle Fry, Smokehouse Fork, Spottswood, timber, Trace Fork, Van Butcher, Warren, West Virginia

Benjamin “Ben” Adams (1855-1910), son of Joseph and Dicy (Mullins) Adams, was a prominent logger, splasher, distiller, and tavern operator at Warren-Spottswood in Logan County, WV. He was a key participant in the Lincoln County Feud.

Ben Adams residence (built 1892), located on Harts Creek between the mouth of Trace Fork and Smokehouse Fork in Logan County, WV. Photo taken c.1995.

Ben Adams well, Trace Fork of Harts Creek, Logan County, WV. Photo taken c.1996.

Ben Adams home and still site on Trace Fork of Harts Creek, Logan County, WV. Photo taken c.1996.

Ben Adams millstone on Trace Fork of Harts Creek, Logan County, WV. Photo taken c.1996.

Ben Adams scale

Ben Adams Baptism Record, Pilgrims Rest United Baptist Church Record.

Ben Adams grave, Trace Fork of Harts Creek, Logan County, WV. October 2014. Photo by Kathy Adams.

Chapmanville District Schools (1927) 2

15 Thursday Jun 2017

Posted by Brandon Ray Kirk in Big Harts Creek, Civil War, Halcyon, Native American History, Queens Ridge, Shively, Spottswood, Stone Branch, Warren, Whirlwind, Yantus

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Albert Thornton, Alice Dingess, Alonzo, Anna Adams, Appalachia, Battle of Cloyd's Mountain, Beatrice Adams, Ben Adams, Bob Dingess, Brown's Run, Browns Run School, Buck Fork, Buck Fork School, Bud Dingess School, Bulwark School, Chapmanville District, civil war, Cole Adams, Confederate Army, Conley School, Crawley Creek, Daisy Dingess, Dalton School, Dave Dingess School, Dixie Mullins, E. Burton, East Fork, Ed Dalton, education, Edward Chapman, F.M. McKay, Fisher B. Adkins, Fisher Thompson, genealogy, George Doss, George Mullins School, Harts Creek, history, Hoover School, Howard Adams, Hugh Dingess School, Ina Dingess, Ivy Branch School, J.A. Vickers, J.L. Thomas, John Conley, John Dingess, L.D. Stollings, Lee Dingess School, Limestone Creek, Local History and Topography of Logan County, Logan County, Lower Trace School, Manor School, Marsh Fork, Melvin Plumley, Middle Fork, Native Americans, Pigeon Roost, Piney School, Reuben Conley, Road Fork, Rocky School, Sallie Dingess, Smokehouse Fork, Stephen Hart, Striker School, T. Doss, Thelma Dingess, Three Fork School, Tim's Fork, Timothy Dwight, Twelve Pole Creek, Ula Adams, Union Army, West Fork, West Virginia, White Oak School, Workman School, World War I

Teachers identified the following schools in Chapmanville District of Logan County, WV, and offered a bit of local history in 1927:

Dave Dingess School, est. 1814

Ula Adams, teacher

One room frame school

“Harts Creek derived its name from Steven Harts, said to have been killed by Indians on the creek.”

Striker School, est. about 1874

Edward Chapman, teacher

One room frame building

Three Fork School, est. 1878

One room frame building, originally a log house

Nine Confederate veterans live here: George Doss, T. Doss, L.D. Stollings, Ed Dalton, Ruben Conley, John Conley, Ben Adams, E. Burton, Melvin Plumley. A Union veteran lives here; he originated elsewhere. Three branches of Crawley Creek are Road Fork, Middle Fork, and Pigeon Roost. Alonzo is the local post office.

Bulwark School, est. 1880

Robert Dingess, teacher

One room frame building

“All fought on the Confederate side” during the Civil War. One man gained great merit from our district as a marksman with the American marines during World War I.

Lee Dingess School, est. 1891

Cole Adams, teacher

One room frame

Five local men served in the Confederate Army.

Browns Run School, est. 1892

Ina Dingess, teacher

One room frame building

“Sent several soldiers to help the South.” The fork is named for a Brown who lived at its mouth.

Buck Fork School, est. 1894

No teacher given

One room frame building

A Church of Christ exists nearby. Three local men served in the Confederate Army. One local soldier lost both hands in World War I.

Ivy Branch School, est. 1895

Anna Adams, teacher

Albert Thornton was the first teacher here. “Trace Fork received its name from the original road leading to Twelve Pole Creek.”

Hugh Dingess School, est. 1897

Sallie Dingess, teacher

One room frame building

Conley School, est. 1897

J.L. Thomas, teacher

One room frame building

The first house built on Smoke House Fork at its mouth had no chimney for quite a while and smoked badly.

Dalton School, est. 1897

Thelma Dingess, teacher

One room frame building

“This district furnished a lot of Civil War veterans and played her part.”

Bud Dingess School, est. 1904

Beatrice Adams, teacher

One room frame building

“East Fork named on account of its being the most Eastern fork of Harts Creek.” One local soldier served in the Confederate Army.

Hoover School, est. 1910

Howard Adams, teacher

One room frame building

A Christian Church exists in the vicinity. Four local men served in the Confederate ARmy. “Harts Creek named from Steven Harts murdered by Indians.” Three boys went from here and one was wounded at the battle of Argonne.

George Mullins School, est. 1910

Dixie Mullins, teacher

One room frame building

“Buck Fork named from large number of male deer on creek.”

Rocky School (no date)

Daisy Given Dingess, teacher

References an Indian mound on Pigeon Roost where tomahawks, arrowheads, etc. can be found. Indian burial ground.

Under the Tim’s Fork entry, it says that John Dingess was killed in battle at Cloyd’s farm. Tim’s Fork is named for Timothy Dwight, who lived there.

Lower Trace School, est. 1919

Alice Dingess, teacher

Two room frame building

“Sent several soldiers to help the South.” Also, “Harts Creek named from Steven Harts.”

Piney School, est. 1921

F.M. McKay, teacher

One room building

No permanent churches exist locally; people meet occasionally in one of the school houses. Four local men served in the Confederate Army. “Piney was named because of so much pine growing there.”

White Oak School, est. 1922

Fisher Thompson, teacher

One room rented frame building

Manor School, est. 1923

Located at Limestone

Workman School, est. 1924

Fisher B. Adkins, teacher

One room frame building

Marsh Fork derived its name from the marshy land near its mouth.

Source: Local History and Topography of Logan County by J.A. Vickers (Charleston, WV: George M. Ford, State Superintendent, 1927).

Harts Creek Area Preachers (1893-1900)

21 Thursday Jan 2016

Posted by Brandon Ray Kirk in Big Harts Creek, Shively, Spottswood, Warren, Whirlwind

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A.E. Thompson, Albert G. Vance, America Mullins, Ann Conley, Anthony Bryant, Arzella E. Thompson, Ben Adams, Bettie Adams, Brazilla Collins, Burl Adams, Caroline Browning, Caroline Farley, Caroline Nelson, Charley Lilly, Charley Workman, Clarissa G. Riddle, Cynthia A. Workman, Delphia Workman, Dorthula Dingess, Dyke Garrett, E.B. Lilly Jr., Elias Thompson, Elizabeth Dempsey, Emily Jane Johnson, Emily Workman, Floyd Bryant, Floyd Stollings, genealogy, George Spaulding, George Thompson, Gordon Farley, Green McNeely, Hariff Fleming, Harriet Carter, Harriet Dingess, Harts Creek, Harvey Smith, Henry Spry, Hester C. Collins, history, Hugh Conley, Isaac Fry, Isaac Tomblin, J. McNeeley, James B. Mullins, James E. Farley, James Thompson, James Tomblin, Jane Conley, Jeff McCloud, Jesse Robinson, John A. Vance, John B. Thompson, John Brumfield, John F. Farley, John H. Adkins, John H. Mullins, John Manns, John Murphy, John Q. Adams, John W. Workman, John Workman, Joseph Workman, Julia Hensley, Julia Lucas, Julia White, Linnie Hainer, Logan, Logan County, Louis Thompson, Louisa Thompson, Lucinda Bryant, Lucinda Collins, Lucinda Lucas, Lucinda Pool, Lucy Conley, M.A. Robinson, M.J. Tomblin, Maggie Perdue, Mahala Pridemore, Margaret Baisden, Martha Jane Burns, Martha Jane Tomblin, Mary A. Browning, Mary E. Baisden, Mary J. Smith, Mary Lambert, Mary Mullins, Mary Shadrack, Matilda Collins, Matilda Dalton, Matthew A. Robinson, Mattie Vance, Melvin Baisden, Minerva McCloud, Moses Tomblin, Nasby Smith, Ollie Barley, Paris Hensley, Paris S. Spry, Peter H. Dingess, Polly Adams, Ralph Nelson, Rebecca Hall, Rhoda Browning, Rhoda Simpkins, Robert Amburgey, Robert Owens, Robert Workman, S.P. Spry, Sarah E. Workman, Spencer Mullins, Wallace Toney, Wash Dempsey, Wash Farley, Wayne Adams, West Virginia, William H. Watts, William Mullins, Yantus Dingess

The following list of Logan County marriages for the period of 1893 to 1900 reveals the names of preachers operating in the Harts Creek area. The source for this material is “Marriage Record 2 (1892-1913),” pages 2-146, which is located at the Logan County Clerk’s Office in Logan, WV. Many thanks to the county clerks and their employees who have always been so helpful to my research these past twenty-five years. NOTE: Marriage records for the Lincoln County section of the community are unavailable.

1893

Isaac Fry March 1893 John H. Adkins and Caroline Nelson

W.D. Garrett March 1893 Floyd Bryant and Mary E. Baisden

Washington Dempsey April 1893 Spencer Mullins and Syntha A. Workman

Washington Dempsey June 1893 Harvey Smith and Hester C. Collins

Washington Dempsey 07 July 1893 William Mullins and Mary Mullins

Washington Dempsey 14 September 1893 Henry Spry and M.J. Tomblin

Isaac Fry 14 October 1893 John Brumfield and Harriet Dingess

Washington Dempsey 09 December 1893 Robert Amburgey and Rebecca Hall

1894

None Given February 1894 Robert Workman and Mattie Vance

W.D. Garrett 09 March 1894 John Q. Adams and Maggie Perdue

J.G. McNeely 11 April 1894 John Murphy and Matilda Dalton

Washington Dempsey 24 April 1894 Ben Adams and Polly Adams

Washington Dempsey 04 June 1894 Wayne Adams and Minerva McCloud

None Given June 1894 Joseph Workman and A.E. Thompson

Washington Dempsey July 1894 or 1895 James E. Farley and Darthula Dingess

None Given 05 July 1894 John B. Thompson and Julia White

P.H. Dingess 10 July 1894 James Thompson and Margret Baisden

W.D. Garrett 09 December 1894 Nasby Smith and Caroline Farley

W.D. Garrett 22 December 1894 Wash Farley and Mahala Pridemore

1895

Pyrrhus Hensley 19 January 1895 J. McNeeley and Ollie Barley

None Given May 1895 William H. Watts and Yantie Dingess

Peter H. Dingess July 1895 Burwell Adams and Bettie Adams

Gordon Farley July 1895 Hugh Conley and Mary Shadrack

Peter H. Dingess July 1895 Wash Priest and Margaret Lynch

John F. Farley September 1895 Charley Lilly and Jane Conley

W.D. Garrett 21 September 1895 Robert Owens and Rebecca Hall

Washington Dempsey 01 November 1895 Floyd Bryant and Mary J. Smith

Washington Dempsey December 1895 Melvin Baisden and Matilda Collins

1896

None Given February 1896 John Workman and Mary Lambert

None Given 19 May 1896 Robert Mullins and Delphy Workman

1897

P.H. Dingess 24 January 1897 John H. Mullins and Martha Jane Burns

M.A. Robinson 22 March 1897 A.D. Robinson and Polly Aldridge

P.H. Dingess, Sr. 27 April 1897 Wedington Mullins and Margarett Jonas

1898

W.D. Garrett 03 April 1898 Charley Workman and Linnie Haner

K.H. Bevins 10 April 1898 Floyd Stollings and Ann Conley

Wash Dempsey 03 May 1898 Ralph Nelson and Caroline Browning

Jesse R. Browning 07 September 1898 Jesse Robinson and Mary A. Browning

1899

W.D. Garrett 12 April 1899 Wallace Toney and Julia Lucas

M.A. Robinson 03 August 1899 Albert G. Vance and Sarah E. Workman

M.A. Robinson 03 September 1899 John W. Workman and Lucinda Pool

Wash Dempsey 22 September 1899 William Mullins and America Mullins

Washington Dempsey 22 September 1899 S.P. Spry and Lucinda Bryant

Wash Dempsey 22 September 1899 Moses Tomblin and Rhoda Simpkins

Wash Dempsey 14 October 1899 Louis Thompson and Brazilla Collins

M.A. Robinson 27 November 1899 James B. Mullins and Emily Jane Johnson

Wash Dempsey 07 December 1899 George Spaulding and Harriet Carter

1900

H. Fry 23 February 1900 John Mans and Emily Workman

M.A. Robinson 27 February 1900 Elias Thompson and Elizabeth Dempsey

Isaac Fry 09 March 1900 Jeff McCloud and Louisa Thompson

W.D. Garrett 04 April 1900 George Thompson and Lucy Conley

Wash Dempsey 10 April 1900 Isaac Tomblin and Lucinda Collins

Wash Dempsey 17 April 1900 John A. Vance and Rhoda Browning

None Given July 1900 Antony Bryant and Lucinda Lucas

M.A. Robinson 01 November 1900 E.B. Lilly, Jr. and Clarissa G. Riddle

P. Hensley 23 November 1900 James Tomblin and Julia Hensley

Ben Adams Log Cabin (1995)

17 Saturday Oct 2015

Posted by Brandon Ray Kirk in Big Harts Creek, Lincoln County Feud, Warren

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Appalachia, Ben Adams, Blood in West Virginia, Brandon Kirk, Harts Creek, Lincoln County Feud, Logan County, photos, U.S. South, Warren, West Virginia

Ben Adams log cabin, Big Harts Creek, Logan County, WV. I took this photograph in 1995.

Ben Adams Millstone (1996)

09 Friday Oct 2015

Posted by Brandon Ray Kirk in Big Harts Creek, Lincoln County Feud, Spottswood

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Appalachia, Ben Adams, Blood in West Virginia, Harts Creek, history, Lincoln County Feud, Logan County, miller, photos, Trace Fork, West Virginia

Ben Adams millstone, which I located on Trace Fork of Harts Creek in Logan County, WV (1996)

John W. Runyon and Ben Adams (1890)

15 Sunday Mar 2015

Posted by Brandon Ray Kirk in Big Harts Creek, Lincoln County Feud, Logan

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Appalachia, Ben Adams, Blood in West Virginia, books, Brumfield-McCoy war, genealogy, Harts Creek, history, John W Runyon, Lincoln County, Lincoln County Feud, Logan, Logan County Banner, U.S. South, West Virginia

Ben Adams millstone (1996)

01 Sunday Mar 2015

Posted by Brandon Ray Kirk in Big Harts Creek, Lincoln County Feud, Warren

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Appalachia, Ben Adams, Blood in West Virginia, genealogy, Harts Creek, history, life, Lincoln County Crew, Logan County, miller, millstone, photos, West Virginia

I took this photograph in August 1996 on Trace Fork of Harts Creek.

Ben Adams grave (2015)

20 Tuesday Jan 2015

Posted by Brandon Ray Kirk in Big Harts Creek, Cemeteries, Lincoln County Feud, Spottswood

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Appalachia, Ben Adams, Ben Adams Cemetery, Brandon Ray Kirk, cemeteries, genealogy, Harts Creek, history, Logan County, U.S. South, West Virginia

Anthony “Ant” Adams, Jr.

15 Monday Dec 2014

Posted by Brandon Ray Kirk in Big Harts Creek, Lincoln County Feud, Spottswood

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Anthony Adams Jr., Appalachia, Ben Adams, Blood in West Virginia, genealogy, Harts Creek, history, Lincoln County Feud, Logan County, photos, Victoria Adams, West Virginia

Anthony Adams (1880-1955), son of Benjamin and Victoria (Dingess) Adams. Ant was a boy during the Lincoln County Feud. This image was made about 1917.

Anthony Adams, Jr. (1880-1955), son of Benjamin and Victoria (Dingess) Adams. Ant was a child during the Lincoln County Feud. This image was made about 1917.

Interview with James Davis of Harts, WV (1997)

17 Sunday Aug 2014

Posted by Brandon Ray Kirk in Big Harts Creek, Culture of Honor, Harts, Lincoln County Feud

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Ben Adams, Ben Walker, Bill Fowler, Billy Adkins, Brandon Kirk, Cat Fry, Chapmanville High School, Charley Davis, Ed Haley, French Bryant, Fry, Green McCoy, Harts Creek, Henderson Dingess, history, Iris Williams, James Davis, John Brumfield, John Hartford, John W Runyon, Kentucky, Lincoln County, miller, Milt Haley, Spring Branch, West Fork, West Virginia, writing

That evening, Brandon and I met up with Billy Adkins and went to see James Davis on West Fork. James lived on Spring Branch of West Fork, a little hollow just across the creek from Iris Williams. A few years back, his older brother Charlie had told Brandon about seeing Ed win a twenty dollar gold piece in a contest at the old Chapmanville High School.

We found the eighty-something-year-old James laying on the couch with a little fuzzy dog crawling all over him like a monkey. He said he didn’t remember Ed, so I mentioned how he was Milt Haley’s son, which got an immediate reaction. He had heard the story of Milt’s death from Cat Fry, although he didn’t immediately offer up any details. Actually, James was hesitant to talk about the 1889 murders — almost as if the participants were still around and living next door. His answers to our questions were very evasive.

We learned from James that it was Bill Fowler (not John Runyon or Ben Adams) who hired Milt and Green to ambush Al. It was all over competition between businesses. Fowler was a saloon operator and a gristmill operator, while Brumfield ran a log boom.

“They was all there making money,” he said. “You know how that stirs up trouble. Some a making a little more money than others. They was bucking one another, like money men does.”

Milt and Green ambushed Al and Hollena one Sunday as they rode down the creek on a single horse after a visit with Henderson Dingess. In the attack, Mr. Brumfield was shot through the arm, while his wife was shot in the face. Milt and Green were soon captured in Kentucky by the Adkinses and Brumfields, who held them them at Fry. Neither man would admit to anything so John Brumfield shot one of them in the head. He reputedly put his toe at the hole and said, “I put a bullet right there.”

Brumfield was himself shot in the head a few years later.

French Bryant, “who was pretty hard to handle,” was also involved in the killings.

Afterwards, people were afraid to touch Milt’s and Green’s bodies until Ben Walker allowed them to be buried on his property. The whole event “shook people up pretty bad.” Fowler sold out at the mouth of Harts and moved away.

Brandon Ray Kirk

~ This site is dedicated to the collection, preservation, and promotion of history and culture in my section of Appalachia.

Tag Archives: Ben Adams

Ben Adams

Chapmanville District Schools (1927) 2

Harts Creek Area Preachers (1893-1900)

Ben Adams Log Cabin (1995)

Ben Adams Millstone (1996)

John W. Runyon and Ben Adams (1890)

Ben Adams millstone (1996)

Ben Adams grave (2015)

Anthony “Ant” Adams, Jr.

Interview with James Davis of Harts, WV (1997)