USA > West Virginia > Braxton County > History of Braxton County and central West Virginia > Part 11
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In 1845, the town had a population of 1100, seven stores, two newspaper offices, two churches and two academies, and the county had an estimated min- eral wealth which was already regarded as an element of prosperity.
Connection with the National road by a line of eoaches or stages was estab- lished about 1830, enabling merchants to reach Baltimore by horseback in six days, although their loaded wagons required fifteen days or more. The town especially felt the influence of the wide Northwestern turnpike which was eom- pleted about 1836, and macadamized from Tygart's Valley river to Parkersburg in 1848, increasing facilities for travel and news. By 1845 tri-weekly stages connected on the west with Parkersburg and on the east with Romney and thence with Green Springs on the Baltimore and Ohio railroad.
With the increase in he number of settlers and the development of settle-
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ments around the headwaters of the West Fork, the inconveniences of commu- nication with the county seat at Clarksburg found expression in the demand for the formation of a new county. This demand was satisfied in 1816 by an act of the assembly which created Lewis and provided for the location of a permanent county seat by five commissioners. Fleshersville, which was chosen, was incorporated in 1818 as a town under the name of Preston, changed in 1819 to Fleshersville, and later to Weston which has since borne the honor with no serious opposition. In the following spring the first survey of the West Fork and the Monongahela, with a view to the improvement of navigation, was be- gun just below the Weston court house.
Gradually the earlier log houses were succeeded by better structures ex- pressing refinement, social tastes and prosperity. The early settlements of the northern and eastern parts of the county were supplied with lumber from choice yellow poplars and black walnuts prepared by water power saw mills located along the neighboring streams. Trees which were too large to be easily sawed were split into fence rails or burned in the clearings. Although in 1843 por- tions of Lewis were detached to contribute to the formation of Barbour and Ritchie counties, the population of the county steadily increased-about 2,000 each decade-until 1850, after which it was decreased by loss of territory occa- sioned by the formation of Upshur county in 1851. By 1845, Weston contained about sixty dwellings.
The large development and aspirations of the people of Lewis at the middle of the century found expression in many ways-the most prominent of which probably were the Weston and Fairmont turnpike the Weston and Gauley Bridg turnpike, and the Weston and West Union turnpike. A branch of the Ex- change Bank of Virginia was established in 1853. On the eve of the Civil war, Weston secured the location of the hospital for the insane.
RAILROADS.
'The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Depot was established in 1856 in Clarksburg, at the East End at the base of Pinnickinnick on the Jackson place, and remained there for forty-two years.
In June, 1898, it was removed to its present location opposite the center of the town.
The Monongah Railroad was built 1889.
Short Line Railroad built 1901.
West Virginia and Pittsburgh Narrow Gauge road to Weston 1879.
The Standard Gauge road was built to Weston in 1891, and the line com- pleted to Sutton in April, 1892, and to Richwood in 1893.
The Coal and Coke Railroad from Charleston to Elkins was completed in 1904.
The Elk and Kanawha narrow gauge railroad was built from Gassaway to Rosedale in 1912, and has since been extended from Rosedale down the creek as far as Shock.
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SUTTON'S HISTORY.
SUTTON.
THE COUNTY SEAT.
Sutton is the central town of the state of West Virginia, and was formerly called Newville. It was a small village containing only a few residences. John D. Sutton says that when he visited the place in the year 1798, there was but one small cabin in the bottom where the town now stands, but we learn that a few years prior to this Jolin O'Brien lived in a sycamore trece which stood at the upper end of the bot- tom. This was after the year 1792, for at that date O'Brien had his cabin on O'Brien's Fork of Salt Lick. His home at that time was presumably a rude camp. How long O'Brien, the first resident of Sutton, occu- pied his dwelling place in the hollow syca- more, has not been handed down to poster- ity; neither is it known who lived in the cabin spoken of by Mr. Sutton (evidently a squatter) nor is it definitely known who the residents of Newville were at the time of the formation of the county.
Jolin D. Sutton settled on the land about JOHN P. BYRNE the year 1810, Andrew Skidmore, about the year 1812; then followed his son, Benjamin, and perhaps other members of his family. but Benjamin succeeded to the own- ership of his fathers' land which embraced what was known as the Skidmore bottom, now called the Skidmore addition, where he continued to reside until his death. The record does not show that there were any lots laid off or sold prior to the formation of the county in 1836.
There was a road leading from the settlements of Harrison and what is now Lewis county, coming by Bulltown, Salt Lick following in part the Buffalo path which led from the saline springs of Salt Lick to those on the island at the mouth of Granny's creek. In a very early day, there was another road or path leading to Newville from Union Mills, also down the Elk to the settlement near the mouth of Otter and Frametown on the Elk, but at what date the vil- lage received the name of Newville we have no record, but that the village was settled by a sturdy, industrious citizenship, there is no question. Some of them had seen service in the border warfare, and sought homes in the forest where they might provide for themselves and families, the comforts of life.
From Baxtor's history, we learn that Mr. Sutton, the founder of the town, was cultured and scholarly, and doubtless the villagers from the beginning as-
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sumed an air of refinement that has been a distinct characteristic of the eommunitv.
William and Robert Jackson who built a small mill at Sutton, are said to have kept the first groceries for sale. They were carried on horseback from Clarksburg. The settlement was called Newville, and a postoffice was estab- lished, the place retaining this name until the county seat was established in 1836.
Thomas Barnett lived near the village, and it is said he died from cholera. He had just returned from Charleston where he was supposed to have con- tracted the disease.
When the town was established, John D. Sutton lived where the John Byrne residence stands, now owned by Wm. Fisher. Nathan Barnett lived on the hill, not far from the Cary Hines' residence. Thomas MeElwain was the first settler on the south side of the Elk, and he later moved across to the MeElwain residence where he resided until his death. James Sutton lived at the upper end of the Buckeye bottom, and perhaps the first school house in Sutton was built near his residence. Henry Eve, a blacksmith lived near where the Gas offiee is now located. James Jones is said to have been a resident of the place. A man named Murrey is said to be one of the first settlers. He was from eastern Virginia. He died here, and was probably the first person buried in the Skid- more cemetery. His widow moved back to Virginia. Benjamin Skidmore lived on the south side of the Elk at the Skidmore bottom. His father, Andrew Skidmore, having settled on the bank of the river at the mouth of Skidmore run, about the year 1812. Andrew Sturett lived above the mouth of Buckeye, and owned the Sterrett mill, later called the Dyer and Spriggs' mill. Aaron Facemire was a resident near the town. Jerry Mace was an early settler, and lived on Granny's creek.
Sutton has two commercial flouring mills, one wholesale grocery, one wholesale hardware, four drygoods stores, one hardware, several grocery stores, two blacksmith and one repair shop, three hotels, two drug stores, an opera house and an armory.
The Court House was built in 1886-87, same being a well arranged build- ing with office rooms for the county officials. The County Jail was built in 1005 from native stone.
Sutton has five churches, M. E., M. E. South, Baptist, Presbyterian and Episcopal. It is 96 miles N. E. from Charleston and 46 miles south from Weston.
The citizens of Sutton have ever been exemplarly in character, model in Christain spirit, scarcely willing that the law should be enforced on those who might chance to err. The town has always maintained the best schools possi- ble, commensurate with her means. Her enterprising citizens erected a large and elegant sehool building, and recently there has been added a normal course of training which will give Sutton a great impetus as an educational center.
As a residence town, it is unsurpassed for natural scenery, situated on the most beautiful river in the state, surrounded with smooth rolling hills, covered
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with a rich native soil. A magnificent wire suspension bridge spans the Elk at this point. The town has more paved streets than any other town in the state perhaps, aeeording to her wealth and population. It has long been eon- eeded that Sutton maintains the strongest bar of any town in central West Virginia. Her board of physicians have oeeupied enviable positions in their professions. The services of her professional citizens have not been confined to the county or the state alone, but they have rendered distinguished serviec in other states. Sutton has ever maintained a ministry above reproach, men of piety and learning.
The population of the town at the last eensns was 1,200, and her taxable property is $592,155, real estate, and $263,940, personal.
John D. Sutton gave one acre of ground for a publie square, together with the streets and alleys to the town whose name it bears.
From a letter written by William E. R. Byrne to the Braxton Demoerat, giving his reeolleetion of Sutton in 1885, he states that the principal hotel was kept by Mrs. A. V. Kelly. The Sutton Brass Band was composed of the follow- ing members: Leader, Houston Humphreys, and John Humphreys, Granville S. Berry, Charles Y. Byrne, Marshall I. Griffin, Taylor Frame, Frank. Harry and Lee Bland, L. H. Kelly and C. Armstrong.
Henry Brannon was Judge of the Circuit Court, William E. Haymond. Prosecuting Attorney. Wm. L. J. Corley, Clerk County Court, C. Y. Byrne, Clerk Circuit Court, and A. N. Lough, Sheriff.
The County Court consisted of Abel M. Lough, Jaeob M. Evans and John W. White.
Attorneys living in Sutton at that time were Major P. B. Adams. Felix J. Baxter, Edwin S. Bland, William F. Haymond, A. W. Corley, Alex Dulin, and L. M. Wade.
At that time Sutton was a little shoestring town of praetieally one street- what is now Main street-from Old Womans Run to the L. M. Wade property. There was the Methodist parsonage out near the mill dam, Neal Armstrong's residence and a few shanties on baek street, but it is not missing it mueh to say it was a village of one street. There was but one house in what is now North Sutton. That was a small frame dwelling owned and occupied by Felix J. Baxter, on the site of which the Baxter residenee now stands. On the South side of the river, the only buildings at that time were the E. D. Camden resi- denee, "Unele Benny" Huffman's residenee and mill, John Poole's residenee on the site of which W. E. Haymond's residenee now stands. the Fred Sprigg residence, a small house at the end of the bridge, and further down, the Jen- nings Skidmore residence. There was not a building in what is now "Skidmore Addition."
There was but one brick building and that was the courthouse. The "Unele Charbe" Frame brick residenee further up the street was in process of eon- struetion at that time. There are very few of the buildings of thirty years ago standing today- - in faet, only fifteen on the north side of the river which was
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then the town proper: the Blagg residence, the Baptist church, the J. S. Hyer residence, the C. Y. Byrne cottage just below and in the same block, the cottage just above Lee's Hardware store, the Methodist parsonage, the courthouse, the T. J. Berry residence, the old John Byrne residence, the Wade residenee, are all on that side of the street. On the other side of Main street was the Troxell house, the Demoerat office (since enlarged) the old G. F. Taylor store room, now a dwelling, the Gillespie residenee, the Jackson Evans' residenee and the Taylor Frame residenee aeross the ereek.
The following is a list of the eitizens of Sutton who lived here at the beginning of the Civil war:
Wm. and John Kelley, merehants, John S. Camden, hotel keeper, Pem- brooke Berry, cabinet maker, B. W. Byrne, attorney, P. B. Adams, attorney, Levi Waybright, carpenter, Hanson Byrne, deputy elerk, Wm. McCorkle, tan- ner, John and James Addison Sterrett, farmers, Benjamin Skidmore, farmer and hotel keeper, J. M. Corley, deputy sheriff and farmer, Joseph Dillon, tailor, Benjamin Canfield, saddle maker, Jacob Irvin, jailer, David Irvin, town ser- geant, Isaae Dilly, wagon maker, Hanson and Frank Pierson, blacksmiths, E. G. Sprigg, miller, Mrs. Jane Byrne, widow of John P. Byrne, Wm. Gibson, miller, John and Samuel Heffner, carpenters, Harvey Heffner, merchant, Thomas Wayne, farmer, Edwin Barker, miller, H. A. Holt, attorney, Luther Ilaymond, attorney, A. C. Kineaid, M. D., F. C. Boggs, merehant and sheriff, A. C. Humphrey, M. D., Benjamin Starbuek. saddler, Charles E. Singleton, county clerk, Charles S. Evans, farmer and teamster, Captain James Berry, carpenter, L. A. Griffin, hotel and bar, Joseph Osborn, boot and shoemaker, Elizabeth Dunlap, sehool teacher, Phillip Duffy, merehant, R. M. White, eab- inet maker, Phillip Troxell, hotel and bar, James Wing, farmer and teamster, Wm. Mace, miller, Isaae Evans, earpenter, Win. Tonkins, miller Ezekiel Boilen, tanner, and Isaae Evans.
RESIDENT LAWYERS OF SUTTON 1918.
W. E. Haymond, Fred L. Fox, B. P. Hall, Van B. IIall, C. F. Greene, W. E. Hines, L. H. Kelly, Alex. Dulin, O. O. Sutton, W. L. Armstrong, C. C. Hines, R. M. Cavendish, C. H. Bland, L. M. Wade, W. F. Morrison, Jr., E. G. Rider, W. F. Frame, James E. Cutlip and Judge Jake Fisher.
RESIDENT PHYSICIANS OF SUTTON.
W. P. Newlon, W. H. McCauley. M. T. Morrison, R. J. Brown, and H. H. Brown.
DENTISTS.
L. Beagle and J. B. Plate.
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SUTTON'S HISTORY.
FLATWOODS.
Flatwoods, a thriving village six miles northeast of Sutton on the Western and Gauley Bridge turnpike, and on the B. & O. railroad, contains two churches, four drygoods stores, one hardware, two blacksmith shops, two barber shops, and one shoe and harness shop. The railroad runs through the town, its depot and junction of the branches leading to Sutton and Richwood, are located at the southwest end of the town. The population is about two hundred. The town maintains a fine school, is incorporated, and has no indebtedness.
Flatwoods was so named by reason of the flat and rolling land lying on the headwaters of Salt Lick of the Little Kanawha, Granny's creek, Flatwoods run and other small tributaries of the Elk.
The first post office named Flatwoods was kept at Elijah Squires.' It was later moved to Dr. Jno. L. Rhea's and kept until its discontinuance during the Civil war. In the fall of 1865, it was re-established at the residence of Felix Sutton, and kept by J. D. Sutton until 1872. It was then discontinued for a short time, and re-established with Dr. John L. Rhea as postmaster. For many years, mail was carried on a horse once a week, and later the trip was made three times a week. Since that time the office has been kept by different parties in Shaversville at the junction of the Salt Lick road with the pike at Flatwoods.
The M. E. church and M. E. church, South, had each built a church house before the Civil war. These were both destroyed by Guerillas in time of the war, and have since been rebuilt on the same ground that the others occupied.
The first permanent settlers of Flatwoods were Nathan Prince, Isaac Shaver, Elijah Squires, Christian Hver, John and James W. Morrison, Felix Sutton, Wm. Fisher, Sanford Skinner, and others.
About the year 1880 Perry Currance and A. C. Dyer built a store house and entered the mercantile business at the junction of the roads. The place was then designated Shaversville. While the post office is called Flatwoods, the town has assumed permanently the name of Shaversville. The place is often referred to by a great many persons as the "Burned Churches."
O'Brien's fork of Salt Lick creek has its rise ncar Shaversville. About two miles from its source, Adam O'Brien, the great Indian fighter and scout, had his cabin, and from him the stream took its name.
His camp is reported to have stood near the old Baily place. It was sup- posed that it was O'Brien whom the Indians had trailed from the settlements north of here, and failing to find him at his cabin, discovered the Carpenter settlement at the mouth of Holly, an account of which is given elsewhere.
About the year 1892, A. C. Dyer and James Lemons put in a roller mill near the depot, and this mill has changed hands several times since. The rail- road was built to Flatwoods in 1892. The town has been growing steadily ever since. The eastern portion of this section lying on Flatwoods run and embrac-
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ing the Morrison settlement and Boling Green, is sometimes referred to as upper Flatwoods.
Flatwoods was incorporated in 1902. Its first Mayor was A. B. Sparks, and its first Couneil consisted of the following men : F. II. Stout, N. W. Linger, A. L. Shaver, W. C. Bartlett, and A. H. Goad. Town Sergeant, A. V. Mahone.
The taxable property of the town is $244.371.00. Population of the town about three hundred, present mayor, E. W. Squires.
One of the indidents relating to the burial place of some of our earliest citizens to be regretted is the total wiping out and obliteration of the old grave- yard at Flatwoods, where Nathan Prince was buried. He was son of Captain Prince, of the Revolutionary army, was an early settler where the town of Flatwoods now stands. One of Mr. Prince's daughters died young. She was a sister of the late Levi and Simon Prince and Barbara High, of Kanawha county. On account of wolves and other animals they buried her near the cabin in which Mr. Prince lived. That was the beginning of the graveyard at that place. Afterward Mr. Prince was buried there and also some of his neighbor's children. The Prince heirs sold the land to B. C. MeNutt, who sold it to James B. Hyer, and he built a blacksmith shop on or near the grave. Other encroach- ments were made until now buildings cover the graveyard, thus wiping out forever this old historie burial place of one of Braxton county's early pioneers.
BURNSVILLE.
This town is located on Little Kanawha river at the mouth of Salt Lick creek, and where the B. & O. railroad crosses the river, sixteen miles north of Sutton. The town was established by Cap- tain John Burns from whom it derived its name. In 1866, Captain Burns and two brothers came from Monongalia county shortly after the close of the Civil war, and bought large quantities of poplar and wal- nut timber on the Little Kanawha and its tributaries. This region was noted for its magnificent timber ; walnut trees that would make from one to five thousand feet of sawed lumber, and poplars were not uncommon that would saw from four to six thousand feet. When we consider that much of this timber standing on the banks of the streams sold as low as one cent per lineal foot, it seems almost incredible at this day, and yet the method of handling timber at that time and the hazardous and expensive way of get- ting the lumber to market, left no alluring profit to the operator, and but a pittance to DR. J. W. KIDD the owner. Captain Burns marketed his
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lumber at Parkersburg and towns along the Ohio river, transporting it in flat- boats from Burnsville to the mouth of the Little Kanawha river.
Captain Burns died in the 80's after which time the business was carried on for many years by his two brothers, David and Gideon Burns. About the year 18 .... , they associated with the firm of Huffman who installed a band saw, the first one used, it is said, in the state. About 1899, the company moved their plant to Elizabeth in Wert eounty, this state. In the meantime, other industries located in the town. In 1892, the West Virginia & Pittsburg railroad was built through the town, and in 1906, the Coal & Coke railroad was completed from Elkins to Charleston, passing through Burnsville. When the road running from Parkersburg or beyond, which is now completed as far as Elizabeth in Wert county, passing through the rich coal fields of Gilmer, and a fine farming and grazing seetion in the Little Kanawha valley, tapping the Coal & Coke and the B. & O. at Burnsville, that town will have the finest railroad facilities of any town in the central part of the state.
In addition, Burnsville secured the Gowing Veneering plant, the Star Wagon factory, three wholesale groceries, -- one of them ineluding the mill- ing industry. The Philadelphia and the Hope Gas companies each has a pump- ing statiion. There are two hardware stores, four general stores, one retail groeery, one meat market, four restaurants, two insurance ageneies, one blaek- smith shop, four churches and five ehureh organizations, and one 'jewelry shop. ยท But what perhaps gave Burnsville its greatest uplift was the interest her cit- izens manifested in education. In the year 1895, the citizens erected a commo- dious sehool building, and established a fine sehool. Professor Brown, a man of high moral eharaeter and splendid attainments, was for several years its principal. We eannot measure in dollars and eents the benefit to the town or the surrounding country derived from such an influenee, nor do the years as they come and go, eease to return and give back in inereased measure for all the effort that these splendid eitizens put forth. At the present time, the num- ber attending the school is about 369.
Burnsville was ineorporated in 1902, the first mayor having been F. H. Kidd. The first Couneil consisted of W. H. Gough, H. H. Cuberly, LL. L. Me- Kinny, W. T. Brosious and J. B. Hefner. Alvin Barker was town sergeant and C. A. Wade, Reeorder.
The taxable property in 1902 was $18,360 Realty, and $21.945 Personal. while in 1917, the real estate was valued at $334,095, and the personal at $336,- 791, thus showing a considerable increase within a few years' time. In 1902, the population of the town was 250, in 1910 it had inereased to 770, and at the present time, 1917, the ppulation is 1200. The town has one mile of paved street which has recently been completed, two railroad bridges, one wagon bridge, and one foot bridge.
The present officers of the town are: Dr. W. S. Barns, Mayor, W. L. Me- Coy, Reeorder, J. H. Dodrill, Collector and Street Commissioner, Luther Hef- ner, Poliee, and the eouneil consists of John I. Bender, S. F. Davis, W. C. Kuhn, J. Lee Jefries, and H. J. Lloyd.
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GASSAWAY.
Gassaway is a flourishing town on the Coal & Coke railway, situated mid- way between Charleston and Elkins, ninety-one miles from Charleston and eighty miles from Elkins, on the south bank of the beautiful Elk, and contains about twelve hundred in- habitants. The railroad company have their shops at this point which is the main industry of the town. The land upon which the town is built was formerly owned by Israel J. Friend and Jas. A. Boggs. The railroad was completed be- MAIN STREET, GASSAWAY tween the years 1902 and 1904. The town was laid out in 1904, and the building commenced in the spring of 1905.
The Gassaway Development Company composed of the following gentle- men, C. M. Henly, Arthur Lee and W. H. Bowers, bought the land and laid off the town in aeeordanee with the shape of the land, making the streets 70 feet wide. The town was incorporated in 1906, with the following named gen- tlemen acting as the official body: Wm. Chinowith, Mayor, P. M. Dumond, Recorder, W. M. Funk, Dr. A. S. Boggs and Henry Tuidon, Members of Couneil. The Gassaway Hotel, now called the Valley House, was erected in 1905. Natural gas was installed in the town in 1907. The first public build- ings ereeted were the Bank, schoolhouse and railroad shops. The schoolhouse was used as a plaec of public worship until 1907, when two churches were built, one M. E. and one M. E., South. In 1909, Senator Kehrens built a Catho- lic ehureh. This building eost about $20,000, being an elegant and substantial structure made of native stone. The town inherited one chureh building, a Bap- tist framne ehureh that stands on the north side of the Elk, just below the mouth of Otter, but this denomination has sinee built a more modern church.
In 1907, the Gassaway Development Company established the Water Plant. Nineteen. dates the beginning of the Gassaway Times. In 1910 and 1911, Senator Henry G. Davis erected a very elegant Presbyterian church which cost $20,000. This ehureh was erected as a memorial to his wife, and is called the Davis Memorial church. It is also built of native stone. In 1912 and 1913, the iron bridge was built across the Elk. The county had been asked to contrib- ute to this enterprise, and the matter being placed before the people, it was voted down, and the town of Gassaway bore the entire burden of its construc- tion. In 1914 and 1915, the railroad built a very handsome and commodious depot.
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