Tag Archives: Lincoln County

Harts Happenings 04.04.1918

13 Sunday Jul 2014

Posted by in Ferrellsburg, Harts

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An unnamed correspondent from Harts in Lincoln County, West Virginia, offered the following items, which the Lincoln Democrat printed on Thursday, April 4, 1918:

Will Adkins, of Canoe Fork of Ruff hollow was visiting his friend Herbert Adkins Sunday.

J.F. Willhoit was a business visitor in Huntington recently.

Miss Kathleen Vass is visiting friends in Branchland this week.

B.C. Powers sold Herbert Adkins a fine Black Beauty wheel this week.

Mrs. Heallinea Willnoit was in Huntington the past week.

Miss Virgie Brumfield who has been staying with her grandmother for the last two weeks was visiting home folks Saturday and Sunday.

Misses Bessie and Anna Brumfield were shopping in Harts last week.

F.B. Adkins of Ferrellsburg was here recently and purchased a five year old mule. He is intending to raise a large corn and tobacco crop this season. He is very much pleased with his trade.

Lewis Dempsey & Sons have rented Herbert Adkins’ farm on which they are preparing to raise a large potato crop. They have quit the stave business.

James Brumfield of Greenshoal passed through town Sunday en route to S.H. Adkins and returned with five bushels of soup beans, he is preparing for the scarcity of provision.

Catherine Adkins, merchant of Harts has been on the sick list for the past few days but is recovering slowly. We regret her illness.

Interview with Ward Adkins (1997)

12 Saturday Jul 2014

Posted by in Culture of Honor, Fourteen, Lincoln County Feud, Shively, Timber, Wewanta

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Not long after talking with Mr. Dingess, Brandon went to see his good friend Ward Adkins, an elderly resident of nearby Fourteen Mile Creek. Ward said his grandfather Albert Neace used to help Al Brumfield make whisky, barrel it, and ship it downriver on flatboats. Making whiskey was Brumfield’s major source of income.

“You know dern well he didn’t make his fortune in a little old store up there at that day and time,” Ward said. “About all he sold was soap, salt, and soda — a little sugar.”

When Albert quit the business, Brumfield said, “You won’t tell nothing will you, Albert?” to which he replied, “No, you know better than that.”

Albert knew it wasn’t smart to cross Al because “the people who worked around” him “had a way of dealing” with his enemies.

“When they took a notion to kill somebody, they’d go out the day before and dig the grave,” Ward said. “Then they’d play up to whoever it was they aimed to kill…talk them into going squirrel hunting with them. They’d squirrel hunt around close to that grave. Kill them, roll them in it, and cover it up.”

Ward’s step-grandfather, Will Headley, had told him about witnessing Milt’s and Green’s murder.

“They stood them up beside of a house and shot them in public because they wanted to teach people a lesson,” Ward said.

Will’s uncle Burl Farley went with the Brumfields to fetch them in Kentucky. Ward knew a lot about Burl.

“He started out in timbering,” Ward said. “He worked for Cole & Crane Timber Company up on Browns Fork of Pigeon Creek. Uncle Burl was pretty well to do. He was dangerous mean. He was an Atheist. He felt you just did what you wanted to do on this earth and then died and that was the end of it so he didn’t have nothing to fear. Of course, I liked the old man. If he liked you, he was good to you. He ruled over his domain down there. What he said went. It was just strictly law. There wasn’t no bucking him. There wasn’t no law to fool with Uncle Burl.”

Ferrellsburg Fancies 03.21.1918

11 Friday Jul 2014

Posted by in Big Creek, Ferrellsburg, Hamlin, Ranger

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An unnamed local correspondent from Ferrellsburg in Lincoln County, West Virginia, offered the following items, which the Lincoln Democrat printed on Thursday, March 21, 1918:

Born — To Mr. and Mrs. John Lucas a fine baby boy.

Private John Lucas of Camp Lee is here to spend a few days with us again.

Rev. I.M. Nelson is improving.

C.S. McCoy section foreman here will soon leave us to take charge of section at Ranger, leaving D. Mullins to take charge of the work here.

B.R. Bledsoe of Big Creek was here Sunday.

I.J. Adkins and General Adkins were visitors at Hamlin during court.

Born — To Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Nelson a fine baby girl.

Cain and Mariah (Vance) Adkins

11 Friday Jul 2014

Posted by in Big Harts Creek, Culture of Honor, Harts, Lincoln County Feud, Stiltner

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Cain and Mariah (Vance) Adkins, residents of West Fork of Harts Creek, Lincoln County, WV

Cain and Mariah (Vance) Adkins, residents of West Fork of Harts Creek, Lincoln County, WV. Cain was a United Baptist preacher, teacher, country doctor, justice of the peace…and participant in the Lincoln County Feud.

Ferrellsburg Items 02.14.1918

10 Thursday Jul 2014

Posted by in Ferrellsburg, Hamlin, Logan, Timber

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“Observer,” a local correspondent from Ferrellsburg in Lincoln County, West Virginia, offered the following items, which the Lincoln Republican printed on Thursday, February 14, 1918:

The infant child of Henry Bryant died suddenly Monday.

Miss Ruby Adkins gave a Birthday dinner Saturday. Those present were: Miss Dollie Toney and her school enmasse, Mrs. Arena Ferrell, Miss Ethel Daves, Miss Roxie Adkins, Miss Nettie Bryant, Messrs. Homer Hager, and Musco Dingess. The school children being trained by their teacher, who is especially fitted for training little ones, rendered a very interesting and entertaining program.

Miss Iva Adkins has been real sick this week.

It is reported that “Coon” Tomblin, President of the Local Bootleggers Union has been arrested and placed in jail at Logan. This is quite a shock to the members of the Union, being the first time they have been interrupted for two years.

Supt. F.B. Adkins returned from Hamlin Saturday and is husking corn.

Aunt Sinda Adkins has been seriously ill the past week.

Albert Messer and family, of Buffalo, are visiting relatives at this place.

Jake Mathes, of Huntington, who is sawing for Philip Hager, returned Monday and is making the mill hum.

Quite a lot of the boys are preparing to leave for the training camp the 27th.

Ken Sullivan endorses “Blood in West Virginia”

06 Sunday Jul 2014

Posted by in Lincoln County Feud

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I proudly announce Ken Sullivan’s endorsement of my book, Blood in West Virginia: Brumfield v. McCoy. Mr. Sullivan, executive director of the West Virginia Humanities Council, ranks as one of Appalachia’s most distinguished and recognized editors. Best known for his promotion and editorship of the West Virginia Encyclopedia (2006), which has sold more than 17,000 copies, Mr. Sullivan is also the former editor of West Virginia’s premier state magazine, Goldenseal. Educated in history at the University of Virginia and University of Rochester, with a PhD from the University of Pittsburgh, he has consistently offered top-notch work on a variety of Appalachian subjects. It was during Mr. Sullivan’s tenure at Goldenseal that I first read a contemporary account of the Lincoln County Feud. Receiving praise from such an outstanding and accomplished editor as Ken Sullivan means a great deal to me.

Here is Mr. Sullivan’s endorsement of Blood in West Virginia:

“This book brings a deadly story to life: As the Hatfield-McCoy Feud was finally coming to a close in the Tug Valley of West Virginia and Kentucky, another bloody vendetta was under way in nearby Lincoln County, West Virginia. Here it was Brumfields versus McCoys — and Haleys and Runyons and Adkinses and others — with results that were equally fatal. Author Brandon Kirk has done remarkable work in untangling the complex web of kinship connections linking both friends and foes, while detailing the social and economic strains of changing times in the mountains. The story he documents in these pages had lasting implications for the families and individuals involved — and, curiously, for the folk music of the region.”

Harts area businesses (1918-1919)

04 Friday Jul 2014

Posted by in Atenville, Big Harts Creek, Chapmanville, Dingess, Ferrellsburg, Hamlin, Harts, Logan, Spottswood, Whirlwind

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The following entries were published in R.L. Polk’s West Virginia State Gazetteer and Business Directory (1918-1919):

ATENVILLE. Population 20. In Lincoln County, on the C&O and Guyan Valley Ry., 27 miles south of Hamlin, the county seat, and 22 north of Logan, the banking point. Baptist church. Telephone connection. Arnold Perry, postmaster.

Anthony Adams, general store

Catherine Adkins, general store

CHARLES ADKINS, GENERAL STORE

Delta Adkins, general store

Hollena Ferguson, general store

Jeremiah Lambert, general store

John Thompson, general store

William M. Workman, general store

William Wysong, general store

FERRELLSBURG. Population 200. On the Guyandotte branch of the C&O Ry, in Lincoln County, 30 miles south of Hamlin, the county seat, and 18 north of Logan, the nearest banking town. Telephone connection. Express, Adams. Tel, W U Mail daily.

H Adkins & Sons, general store

Mrs. Hollena Ferguson, general store

J.W. Stowers, general store

HARTS. (R.R. name is Hart.) Population 15. On the Guyandot Valley branch of the C&O RR, in Lincoln County, 30 miles south of Hamlin, the county seat, and 21 from Logan, the banking point. Express, Adams. Telephone connection.

Charles Adkins, general store

Wesley Ferguson, general store

SPOTTSWOOD. In Logan County, 15 miles northwest of Logan, the county seat and banking point, 10 from Chapmanville, the shipping point. Express, Adams. Mail R F D from Atenville.

Mrs. T. J. Wysong, general store

WHIRLWIND. Population 250. In Logan County, 16 miles northwest of Logan, the county seat and banking point, and 2 from Dingess, the shipping point. Express, Southern. Baptist church. Mail daily. James Mullins, postmaster.

D. Adams, apiarist

Frank Adams, mail carrier

Grover Adams, ginseng

Sol Adams, saw mill

Lindsey Blair, watchmaker

Reece Dalton, live stock

Callo. McCloud, poultry

C.M. Mullins, ginseng

George Mullins, horse dealer

JAMES MULLINS, General Store and Photographer

J.M. Workman, flour mill

NOTE: Some person cited above are duplicated in the original record.

Dr. Ivan Tribe endorses “Blood in West Virginia”

03 Thursday Jul 2014

Posted by in Lincoln County Feud

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I proudly announce Dr. Ivan Tribe’s endorsement of my book, Blood in West Virginia: Brumfield v. McCoy. Dr. Tribe, Professor Emeritus of History at Rio Grande University, ranks as one of Appalachia’s most distinguished and recognized historians. Best known for his Mountaineer Jamboree (1984), the definitive history of country music in West Virginia, Dr. Tribe is author of six additional books, beginning with Albany, Ohio: The First Fifty Years of a Rural Midwestern Community (1980). Dr. Tribe has also contributed over two hundred articles, composed at least eighty sets of liner notes for albums, and written more than forty record and book reviews. Throughout his long career as an educator and author, he has consistently offered top-notch scholarship on the subjects of traditional country music, bluegrass music, and coal mining communities. While I recommend any one of Dr. Tribe’s writings, his Mountaineer Jamboree remains a personal favorite. Receiving praise from such an outstanding scholar and accomplished author means a great deal to me.

Here is Dr. Tribe’s endorsement of Blood in West Virginia:

“Except for the Hatfield-McCoy Feud which spilled over into two states, eastern Kentucky is better known as Appalachia’s feud country. However, Brandon Kirk’s book demonstrates that Lincoln County, West Virginia had a feud that has been largely overlooked by prior chronicleers. The Brumfields versus a variety of persons named Adkins, McCoy, and Haley made the community of Harts a real hot spot among mountain communities in the late 1880s. Kirk’s Blood in West Virginia tells a fascinating story that elevates the Lincoln County feud to its proper place in Appalachian and West Virginia History.”

Big Ugly News 1916

03 Thursday Jul 2014

Posted by in Big Ugly Creek, Gill, Leet, Rector, Timber

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During the summer of 1916, two articles printed in the Lincoln Republican offered news regarding Big Ugly Creek in Lincoln County, West Virginia.

ARE MOVING RAILROAD FROM US (Thursday, July 20, 1916)

The Guyan, Big Ugly and Coal River railway running from Gill to a point eight miles above Rector, on Big Ugly creek will soon be a thing of the past, says the Barboursville News. The B. Johnson & Son people who have been operating extensively in that section in the tie and timber business did the last cutting of timber last Thursday and began to tear up the track on the upper end of the line. The iron of that part of the road beyond Leet will be taken up at once and the four miles between the latter place and Gill will be removed as soon as the lumber at Leet is hauled out.

Most of the residents of Leet have moved away in the past week to other timber openings. Albert Gill, a local merchant has bought many of the houses from the company and will tear them down and use the lumber for fencing.

There were between three and four hundred people living at Leet, and most of them will go elsewhere.

COAL GOOD ON BIG UGLY (August 31, 1916)

Civil Engineer Philip Hager was here over Sunday from Big Ugly, where he and his crew have been busy for two or three weeks making coal openings for the Huntington Gas & Development Co. A lot of good coal has been located and the prospects for big coal development on Big Ugly at an early date now looking good.

Low Gap United Baptist Church moderators, 1898-1944

01 Tuesday Jul 2014

Posted by in Ferrellsburg

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List of Moderators for the Low Gap United Baptist Church at Low Gap, near Ferrellsburg, Lincoln County, WV:

Gilbert Moore (1898-1899)

Isaac Marion Nelson (1899)

Andrew Elkins (1899)

Isaac Marion Nelson (1900-1902)

Mathias Elkins (1903-1904)

Isaac Marion Nelson (1904)

Mathias Elkins (1904-1907)

M.F. Barker (1907-1908)

Isaac Marion Nelson (1908-1913)

Grover Gartin (1914-1915)

Benjamin W. Walker (1915-1917)

George W. Hensley (1917-1921)

Unknown (1921-1923)

Paris Hensley (1923)

John Bryant (1923)

George W. Hensley (1924-1925)

Charles Curry (1926-1927)

Stonewall Hensley (1928)

Charles Curry (1929-1931)

George W. Hensley (1931-1932)

Musco Adkins (1932)

Elcanan C. Lucas (1933-1941)

Josiah S. Tomblin (1941)

Golden Headley (1941-1942)

Arnold Bailey (1942-?)

Smith Wiley (1944-?)

Leet News 03.18.1915

25 Wednesday Jun 2014

Posted by in Big Ugly Creek, Leet, Rector, Timber

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“Observer,” a local correspondent from Leet in Lincoln County, West Virginia, offered the following items, which the Lincoln Republican printed on Thursday, March 18, 1915:

W.T. Gillenwaters, of Rector, was a business visitor here Tuesday.

Dr. Crockett returned from Charleston Sunday, where he had been on important business.

T.J. Bolin spent Sunday with his family in Huntington.

Albert Walls will move to Sheridan in a few days. We regret to lose Mr. Walls, as he is one of our best citizens, but wish him success in his home.

Miss Doyle, a trained nurse of Huntington, is here in charge of Miss Edna Hager, who is very low with typhoid.

John B. Mullins, who is employed on Island Creek, spent Sunday with his family near this place.

The big lumber mill at this place only runs about one-third time now. The boys here that voted for the party that put lumber practically on the free list have thoroughly repented and say they will never do so any more.

There are several cases of typhoid on the creek above here and we are informed they are no better.

Rector Items 04.09.1914

23 Monday Jun 2014

Posted by in Big Ugly Creek, Gill, Holden, Rector

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“Sunshine,” a local correspondent from Rector in Lincoln County, West Virginia, offered the following items, which the Lincoln Monitor printed on Thursday, April 9, 1914:

Miss Jeannette Stone of Big Creek is the pleasant guest of her grandmother, Mrs. Squire Toney.

Mrs. Elijah Pauley of Holden is visiting relatives here this week.

Mrs. Walter Toney was shopping in Big Creek Saturday.

Mrs. M.A. Wall who has been visiting her son Albert, has returned to her home at Easy.

Miss Maude Toney who has been visiting relatives in Holden for the past two weeks, has returned and reports a very pleasant visit.

Dr. J.A. Chaffin was a pleasant visitor in Rector, Sunday.

Misses Maude Toney and Jeannette Stone spent Sunday horseback riding and were at Gill, where they dined with Miss Stone’s sister, Mrs. S.J. Harper.

Tracy Baird was a caller here Monday.

Mrs. Albert Wall, who has been ill for some time, is slowly improving.

Andrew Spurlock spent Sunday with friends at Salt Rock.

Misses Mary and Myrtle Toney are visiting their brothers on Mud this week.

Squire J.E. Fry made a flying trip to Midkiff Saturday.

D.V. Hodge made a business call to this place Saturday.

Collie Fry was a pleasant visitor in town Sunday.

Mrs. John Hunter was shopping here Saturday.