
“Elbert on Horse,” exact location and date unknown. Part of the Adkins-Carper private collection.
15 Sunday Mar 2020
Posted Spurlockville
in“Elbert on Horse,” exact location and date unknown. Part of the Adkins-Carper private collection.
11 Wednesday Sep 2019
Posted by Brandon Ray Kirk | Filed under Spurlockville
14 Sunday Jul 2019
Posted Big Creek, Big Harts Creek, Civil War, Hamlin, Harts, Logan, Midkiff, Ranger, Spurlockville, Toney
inTags
Appalachia, assistant postmaster, Big Creek, Cabell County, Charles Spurlock, Cheat River, Cincinnati, civil engineer, civil war, doctor, genealogy, gunsmith, Hamlin, history, Jane Spurlock, John Spurlock, Lifas Spurlock, Lincoln County, Logan Banner, Logan County, Logan Post Office, Marshall Spurlock, Midkiff, Montgomery County, Omar, Pete Spurlock, preacher, Ranger, Robertson Spurlock, Seth Spurlock, Sheridan, sheriff, Spurlockville, Stephen Hart, surveyor, Union Army, Virginia, West Virginia
From the Logan Banner of Logan, WV, comes this bit of history about Stephen Hart and Harts Creek in Lincoln and Logan counties, West Virginia. The story is dated April 14, 1937.
Stephen Hart Settled at Cheat River, Pete Spurlock, A Great Grandson, Reveals
P.A. (Pete) Spurlock, assistant postmaster at the Logan post office, this morning revealed the destination of Stephen Hart, who went went after he had lived for a short time at the forks of the creek in the lower end of Logan county which now bears his name.
Spurlock said that Hart went to the Cheat River and settled permanently there to hunt deer and rear a family. He said the family name of Hart is as familiar there as the name Dingess is familiar in Logan county.
A daughter of Stephen, Jane, was Spurlock’s grandmother. She lived until 1913 and told her grandson much of the early history of the family which made its home in and around Spurlocksville, Sheridan, Ranger, and Midkiff.
Charles Spurlock, the progenitor of the Spurlock family, came to what used to be the Toney farm below the mouth of Big Creek in 1805 from Montgomery county, Virginia.
“Uncle Charley was a funny old cuss,” his great grandson Pete said this morning. “The story is told that a sheriff of Cabell county was given a capias to serve on the old codger for some minor offense when he was growing old and rather stout.
“Meeting him in the road one day, the sheriff informed Uncle Charley he had a capias to serve on him.
“None abashed, the old man informed the sheriff he was a law-abiding citizen and laid down in the middle of the road and told the sheriff to take him to jail.
“The ruse worked, for the sheriff chose to look for less obstinate prisoners,” Uncle Charley’s grandson said, chuckling.
Another story about the eccentric “Uncle Charley Spurlock” which has gone down in history, whether true or not, was that he lived for a short time below Big Creek under a rock cliff (known as a rockhouse) during the early summer while he was getting his cabin in shape for winter.
The tale is out that “Uncle Charley” explained his strange dwelling place in this way to his neighbors:
“Well I took Sarah (his wife) in a good substantial frame house in Virginia and she wasn’t quite satisfied. I took her to a log house and she wasn’t satisfied. I took her to a rail pen and still she grumbled. Then I took her to a rock house built by God Almight and still she wasn’t satisfied.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do with Sarah.”
Sarah evidently became accustomed to “Uncle Charley” for the couple reared four sons. They were John, Seth, Lifas and Robertson. There were no daughters.
Seth was P.A. Spurlock’s grandfather. His father, Marshall, is 78 and lives on his farm near Cincinnati.
Spurlock says “Uncle Charley” is buried on a point at Spurlocksville overlooking the haunts of his early manhood.
Robertson was a gunsmith and lived near Hamlin. Seth was a civil engineer and helped survey much of Logan county. He was a Union soldier. John was a country doctor who practiced at Ranger.
Lifas was a preacher for sixty years and lived at Sheridan.
Charles Spurlock, of Omar, is a distant cousin, the assistant postmaster said. He is the only relative that lives in this section of Logan county, Spurlock said.
Spurlock, at Omar, was born at Spurlocksville and is a grandson of one of the original “Charley’s” boys.
12 Wednesday Jun 2019
Tags
Appalachia, history, Lincoln County, logging, photos, Spurlockville, timber, timbering, West Virginia
Posted by Brandon Ray Kirk | Filed under Spurlockville, Timber
08 Saturday Jun 2019
Back caption reads: “Here is the Team I am working now. We had these pictures made yesterday morning and got them this afternoon. You can Rase corn now. Z.D.A.”
Posted by Brandon Ray Kirk | Filed under Spurlockville, Timber
05 Wednesday Apr 2017
Posted Boone County, Civil War
inTags
Andrew Lewis Sias, Appalachia, Boone County, Bradford Hill, commissioner of reassessments, Confederate Army, Evi Sias, Fayette County, genealogy, Gettysburg, Henry C. Sias, Henry H. Hardesty, history, Ira Sias, Isaac Sias, James B. Sias, James Sias, James Wilson Sias, Jefferson District, justice of the peace, Left Hand Fork, Lelia Sias, Lincoln County, Missionary Baptist Church, Mud River, Noah Sias, Olivia F. Sias, Rebecca A. Sias, Rebecca Sias, Sallie R. Sias, Sarah B. Hill, Sarah B. Sias, Spurlockville, Union Army, Union District, Washington District, West Virginia
From “Hardesty’s History of Lincoln County, West Virginia,” published by H.H. Hardesty, we find this entry for Evi Sias, who resided at Spurlocksville in Lincoln County, West Virginia:
One of the farming population of Jefferson district, Lincoln county, was born in Fayette county, (then) Virginia, in 1835, and he is a son of James and Rebecca (Adkins) Sias, who came to Lincoln county in 1857. Sallie R., daughter of Bradford and Sarah B. (Thomas) Hill, was born in Boone county, (now) West Virginia, in 1852. Her parents settled in Lincoln county in 1852, and in this county, in 1871, she became the wife of Evi Sias, and six children are the result of their union: Sarah B., born July 8, 1872; Rebecca A., November 28, 1873; Olivia F., September 4, 1875, died in August, 1877; James B., October 22, 1877; Ira, September 28, 1879; Lelia, January 14, 1882. Five brothers of Evi Sias served in the late war: Isaac, James W., Noah, and Henry C. were in the Federal service, and Andrew L., joined the Confederate ranks, and was wounded at the battle of Gettysburg. Evi Sias was elected justice of the peace, and in 1880 was re-elected; he is commissioner of reassessments of land and secretary of the board of education in Jefferson district. Mr. Sias has been a strong advocate of free schools, and taught the first free school in Washington district, Boone county, and the first in Union district, Lincoln county. He has a farm of 100 acres on the Left Hand fork of Mud river; a part is heavily timbered, contains mineral, coal and iron ore, and the remainder in cultivation, with a large orchard. Evi Sias is a member of the Missionary Baptist Church, and a man respected by all. Address, Spurlocksville, Lincoln county, West Virginia.
Source: The West Virginia Encyclopedia, Vol. 7 (Richwood, WV: Jim Comstock, 1974), p. 148.
NOTE: I descend from Evi’s brothers, James Wilson Sias and Andrew Lewis Sias.
23 Wednesday Jul 2014
Posted Barboursville, Big Ugly Creek, Coal, Gill, Logan, Spurlockville
inTags
Alvin Spurlock, Barboursville, Big Ugly Coal Company, Branchland, forest fires, genealogy, Gill, Guyandotte Valley, history, Lee Adkins, Lincoln County, Lincoln Republican, Logan, Mae Sperry, Palermo, Philip Sperry, Spurlockville, West Virginia, William McKinley Sperry
“Reporter,” a local correspondent from Gill in Lincoln County, West Virginia, offered the following items, which the Lincoln Republican printed on Thursday, April 5, 1923:
Prof. Lee Adkins, of near Palermo, has just closed a successful singing school here, and is going to teach another one in the near future.
There is a lot of sickness in this neighborhood.
The Sunday school has opened up at this place with a good attendance.
Philip Sperry was a business visitor at Branchland last week.
The Big Ugly Coal Co. has closed down operation here.
There is some talk that the Railroad Co. is going to double track the Guyan Valley from Logan to Barboursville in the near future.
Forest fires have been raging in and around Gill the past week.
Mr. and Mrs. Alvin Spurlock, from Spurlockville, were the recent guests of Mr. and Mrs. W.M. Sperry.
10 Thursday Apr 2014
Posted Big Ugly Creek, Gill, Spurlockville
inTags
Arminta Holbrook, Big Branch, Bluefield, Charley Walker, education, Emma Blake, Farabelle Smith, genealogy, Gill, history, Huntington, Isaiah Bowles, James Chafin Brumfield, Josephine Smith, Jupiter Fry, Kentucky, Lincoln County, Maggie Adkins, Maud Gill, May Holbrook, Olga Brumfield, Pea Ridge School, Pearlina Fry, Spurlockville, Stella Fry, Ten Mile Creek, Thomas Jefferson Gill, Tom Miller, Vesta Fry, W.F. Holbrook, W.R. Jackson, West Virginia
“Grandpa,” a local correspondent at Gill in Lincoln County, West Virginia, offered the following items, which the Lincoln Republican printed on Thursday, October 13, 1910:
James Brumfield’s small child is very sick with pneumonia fever.
Charley Walker, who is working at this place visited home folks last Sunday.
Mrs. Emma Blake and son, of Huntington, are visiting relatives and friends at this place.
Squire Spurlock and son, of Spurlockville were business visitors here Thursday.
Miss Farabelle Smith fell while playing at school and sprained her ankle.
Mrs. Maggie Adkins, of Ten Mile is visiting her sisters, Mrs. Henon Smith and Mrs. James Brumfield.
Miss Maud Gill, of this place, is teaching the Pea Ridge school.
W.R. Jackson was calling on the merchants of this Creek the first of the week.
Tom Miller has just returned from a visit to his home in Kentucky.
Tobacco crops are fine in this vicinity.
I.J. Bowles, who has been confined to his room, caused by stepping on a rusty nail, is improving.
T.J. Gill made a trip to Bluefield this week.
Mr. and Mrs. Tender, of Gill, are visiting their former home in Kentucky.
Mrs. Tom Fry, of Big Branch, was visiting Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Fry, Saturday and Sunday.
Miss Stella Fry was shopping at Gill, Saturday.
Mr. and Mrs. W.F. Holbrook’s little daughter is very sick.
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