USA > West Virginia > Summers County > History of Summers County from the earliest settlement to the present time > Part 12
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HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
L. M. Peck, J. Hugh Miller and R. A. Young. Among the first merchants were C. A. Fredeking & Brothers, A. B. Perkins, Jake A. Riffe, Joseph Hinton & Brother and Frank W. McClung. W. C. Ridgeway, M. D. Tomkies and W. A. Stewart were also among the first merchants; later came John Cooper. The first jeweler was A. T. Maupin, followed by William L. Fredeking, R. H. Smith, John D. McCorkle and E. M. Pack. The first drug store in the town was that of Dr. Wills, who also erected one of the first ho- tels, on the corner of Sixth Avenue and Front Street, which is now owned by Miss Maggie Atkinson. F. W. Benedict was also one of the original merchants. The next drug store was opened by Dr. Patterson, who was succeeded by W. A. Stewart; then came L. W. Bruce, an enterprising citizen, who established the first and only female seminary or school ever established in the city. He con- structed and used as a young ladies' school the present building occupied by the Miller hotel proprietor, and the four buildings by the side, facing the Court House Square. Later on came E. N. Falconer, followed by Puckett Brothers and the Hinton Drug Co. One of the pioneer carpenters and builders of the town was Cap- tain Falconer, the brave Confederate soldier, who resided for a number of years at Alderson ; B. L. Moorefield, the merchant tailor, and Mr. Tinder married his daughter. The first three-story brick building constructed in the town was by J. H. Gunther, on the site of Dr. Peck's brick business block, on Third Avenue, which burned down. The second was Ferguson Bros.' Central Hotel; the third, Dunn & Humes' Building, on Second Avenue ; the fourth was R. D. Rose's brick corner on Temple Street and Third Avenue, and the Bank of Hinton, on the opposite corner, followed by R. R. Flana- gan's brick block. The pioneer brick masons and builders were two brothers, Samuel E. and William P. Phillips, who reside in Avis, and who built a number of pioneer brick buildings in the city. The first opera house after the Thespian Society's project was Col. J. A. Parker's, corner of Summers Street and Third Avenue. The first Methodist preacher was V. M. Wheeler ; Presbyterian, Rev. Laird ; Catholic, D. P. Walsh ; Baptist, M. Bibb.
Richard Gayer was one of the early railway men here. He was foreman in the yards, and was accidentally killed by an engine while in the performance of his duties. He left a widow, who died in recent years ; a son, John, an engineer on the Norfolk & Western Railway ; a daughter, Miss Maggie, who married Mayor J. F. Smith ; and another, Miss Mamie, who married Hamilton Bruce, of Virginia.
R. A. McGinity was the first shoemaker ; and James Bishop, the second, operated on Front Street.
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HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
Hon. T. S. Scanlon was one of the early locomotive engineers who came to Hinton and made it his home. He is now a resident of Huntington, one of the leading merchants, bankers and Democratic leaders, and a fine orator-one of the best "stumpers" of the Demo- cratic faith. He is a brother of Mrs. Richard Gayer.
The Gores, of which there have been a number in this county, including Henry Gore and his brother, Capt. Robert Gore, the father of Charles W. Gore, of Athens, Henry being the father of our present county citizen, a merchant on Lick Creek, James H. Gore, was originally a family from Loudon County.
Capt. Robert Gore was a brave Confederate soldier, a captain in its armies ; was at the battle of Gettysburg, and captured, by his daring, one hundred Federal soldiers. This daring enterprise, suc- cessfully carried to a conclusion, was witnessed by William Brown, a brave soldier in that war, and now a respected citizen of Pipestem district, who remembers and relates very distinctly the details of the occurrence, and the incident is a true historical fact.
The Frenches first came to Westmoreland Co., Virginia; then to Hampshire County, West Virginia ; thence to Giles and Mercer.
The Gotts came directly from Ireland, John R. Gott being the representative of that family in this county.
The Ellisons and Carnes came from Monroe County, and were pioneers in the settlements. The Bowlings and Woods came from Patrick County, Virginia. The Gooches were originally from Albe- marle County ; the Shumates from Fauquier County. The Coopers were from Grayson. The Pendletons were from Campbell Co .; the Campbells from Patrick Co .; the Meadows from Rockingham.
Josiah Meadows, immediately after the close of the Revolution- ary War, first settled on Mountain Creek. He was the first Primi- tive Baptist (or Hardshell) preacher that came to Mercer and Sum- mers counties. His sons were Turner, William, John and Josiah. Jr.
The Walkers were from Giles County. Charles Walker lived most of his life in Raleigh County. He had the honor of bringing the first grain cradle into that county. Sallie Walker married John Bowling in 1820; Nancy married Edmund Hatcher : Peggie married Andrew Lilly ; Zula married Jonathan Bailey ; Polly married Sam Bailey, in 1816; Marinda married Green Meador ; Narcissa married Josiah Cooper; Valeria married William Lilly: Neuma married a Sizemore; Underwood married a Bailey; Council first married a Bailey and then a Wood. These were children of Crispianis Walk- er, one of the men whose influence resulted in locating the county- seat at Princeton, in 1837.
CHAPTER VIII.
FORMATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.
Judge John Marshal Hagans, one of the most careful and con- servative historians, of the formation of the State, says that the people of West Virginia suffered in bondage to the people of East- ern Virginia, which was no less galling, when the animus of the age is considered, than that of the ancient Israelites in Egypt. This we think is true as to the larger portion of the State, but not as to the section wherein our county is situate.
The first meeting that was held to oppose secession in this State was in Preston County, November 12, 1860. Resolutions were adopted opposing secession, without a dissenting voice. Simi- lar meetings were held in Harrison County, on November 24th ; Monongalia, November 26th; in Taylor, December 3d, and in Wheeling, December 14th.
On the 22d day of April, 1864, a large meeting was held at Clarksburg. It was attended by no less than 1,200 men. After a long preamble, declaring that the means resorted to by the se- cessionists to transfer the allegiance of the State from the Fed- eral Government were illegal and unjustifiable, they called upon · each of the northwestern counties to select not less than five of its best, wisest and discreetest men to meet in convention at Wheel- ing, on the 13th day of May, 1861, to consult and determine upon such action as the people of Northwestern Virginia would take in the fearful emergency.
The country was in confusion far greater than the sections that acknowledged the Confederate Government. Here there were no courts which dared to act. Armed bands of men traversed the country, requiring citizens to swear allegiance to the United States, and the sentiment of the people was so set against the State gov- ernment that these bands could not be restrained. They did much to promote the confusion, and all business practically stopped. This caused the convention of May 13th to be looked forward to
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HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
by the better people, in hope that some relief would be afforded them.
At this time no Federal troops had penetrated into Virginia. A regiment was hastily formed on Wheeling Island, but it was so new and raw that it inspired but little confidence. Delegates ap- peared from twenty-six counties. The more radical of the num- ber were for forming New Virginia. John S. Carlisle headed this element, which was in the majority. His plan was to adopt a' constitution and appoint officers, and form a State government of the counties represented. W. T. Willey, of Morgantown, opposed this, on the grounds that no vote had been taken on the question of secession, and that such action would not be recognized by the Federal Government, being contrary to the mode prescribed for the formation of new States by the Constitution.
The result was that the convention adjourned, after having de- termined that, if the ordinance of secession was adopted, to re- assemble on June 11th, together with such other counties not rep- resented at the first meeting as desired to join. About five hun- dred men composed this convention.
May 23d was election day, and out of forty-four thousand votes cast in the northwest counties, forty thousand were against seces- sion.
On the 11th of June, the delegates met in Wheeling again. Thirty-seven counties were represented at this time. Arthur I. Boreman was unanimously chosen chairman of the convention.
The convention adopted a declaration of grievances, and re- organized the government of Virginia. Francis H. Pierpont, of Marion County, was elected Governor, and took the oath of office. Other offices were filled. The Legislature convened in Wheeling, and elected United States Senators, who took their seats in Wash- ington as Senators from Virginia.
The convention reassembled on the 6th of August, and pro- vided for an election upon an ordinance, the State of Kanawha, of thirty-nine counties, providing for the admission of Pocahontas and Greenbrier, if the next convention so decided. This election took place on the day specified, resulting in a vote of 18,408 for the new State, and 781 against it.
It was provided that the new State should take upon itself a just proportion of the public debt of the commonwealth, charging itself with all State expenditures within its bounds, and deducting therefrom the amount of money paid into the State treasury by the counties during the same period.
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HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
The new convention assembled in Wheeling, November 26th. Most of the time was devoted to the discussing of the slavery question, and the proposition to make the new State a slave State was defeated by a majority of one. The convention adjourned February 18, 1862, having framed a Constitution, to be submitted to the people April 3d.
The name of the State of West Virginia was adopted. The Constitution, among a great many things, provided most liberally for free schools. On April 3d it was voted upon, and adopted by a vote of 18,862 in favor and 514 against.
The Legislature assembled on the 6th of May, and memorialized Congress for admission as a State. On December 31st an Act was passed by Congress admitting the State, on the proviso that it adopt a slavery clause, providing for the gradual emancipation of slaves. This was adopted by the new State on the 26th day of March, 1863, by a majority of about 17,000. The result having been certi- fied to the President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, the sixty-days' proclamation was made, and on the 20th day of June, 1863, the new State came into existence, and on that day Governor Boreman, the first Governor, was inaugurated at Wheeling. At the first election held in the State, which was in 1861, 19,891 votes were cast. (See 1st W. Va. Report of Supreme Court of Appeals.)
There was no such county then as ours ; and while the territory of Summers was within the territorial limits of the State, it did not come into existence until some years after the formation by a special Act of the Legislature creating it, as was done in the similar cases of Lincoln, Mingo and Grant. Had not the new State been formed, no doubt the county of Summers would not have existed ; and had not the war between the States been fought, the State of West Virginia would have had no place in history, and many names now familiar to West Virginians would have remained in obscu- rity, in so far as the creation of a commonwealth brought them forth as history-makers. The secession feeling was specially strong in the northern part of the State-that is, the secession from the mother State, and as strongly opposed to secession from the Union. The great majority of the people of the State, regardless of section or locality, opposed secession from the Union. While the western part of the State of Virginia was opposed to secession, the eastern part was largely in favor of the secession. The slave-holding por- tion of the Commonwealth was in the eastern counties.
114
HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
FORMATION OF SUMMERS COUNTY.
Summers County was formed by an Act of the Legislature of West Virginia, passed on the 27th day of February, 1871, and in the seventh year of the State, from the counties of Greenbrier (which was originally carved out of Botetourt in the year 1777) ; Monroe, which was formed from Greenbrier on the 14th of Janu- ary, 1799, by Act of the General Assembly of Virginia; from Mer- cer, which was created March 17 .. 1837, and which was formerly a part of Giles; and Giles, which was a part of Montgomery; and from Fayette, which was formed from Greenbrier, Kanawha, Nich- olas and Logan, in 1831. No part of Raleigh was included in Sum- mers, although the original intention was to include Richmond district of that county, and the Raleigh county line then and is now almost within a stone's throw from the Court House at Hinton. The reason for no part of Raleigh having been included was that, at the date of the passage of the Act, the population of that county was exceedingly sparse, and the valuation of the taxable property was very inconsiderable, although its territory was then and is now sufficient to have permitted one district to have been severed and still have retained the constitutional territory of 400 square miles, and the Court House, and the Court House removal agi- tation, to change the location to Trap Hill, twelve miles beyond Beckley. That county is now developing into one of the richest and most populous of the State, by reason of its extensive forests of merchantable timber and deposits of Red Ash, or Pocahontas soft coal. Then it had no railroads or mines; now it has one rail- road, the Piney Branch of the Chesapeake & Ohio; the Deepwater building, the Piney & Prosperity almost completed, and the Boone & Raleigh chartered and organizing.
So strenuous was the opposition to any part of that county being formed into Summers, that the Hon. Moses Scott, who was a member of the Legislature from Raleigh at the time of the pas- sage of the Act forming Summers, required a clause to be inserted in the Act providing that no part of Raleigh County should ever be included in the County of Summers, before he would vote for the establishment of the county. Mr. Scott has a number of the de- scendants now residing in Hinton, including a daughter, who mar- ried the merchant, Marion M. Meadows, Mrs. David Marshall, a granddaughter, and others. The original surveys, made through the efforts of Mr. Evan Hinton, the original promoter of Summers County, showed that it was his intention to include Richmond dis-
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HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
trict as a part of the new county ; and the survey as first made was to include from Greenbrier County only the territory east of Lick Creek; but when Richmond district had to be taken out by reason of the opposition of Raleigh County, the line was protracted so as to include more of the Greenbrier territory by going across the Pat- terson Mountain into the Meadows.
Evan Hinton, a resident of Madam's Creek, in Jumping Branch district of Mercer County, may justly be entitled to the designation of "the Father of Summers County." When Mr. Hinton repaired to the Legislature, then in session at Charleston, his first move- ment was to employ the services of Hon. Jas. H. Furgeson, an as- tute lawyer, statesman and legislator of considerable experience in Virginia and in this State; and with his surveys showing the requisite area of 400 square miles, and the determined opposition to the passage of the Act developed, Mr. Hinton found that it would be impossible to secure the enactment without relinquish- ing the territory from Raleigh County ; so he and Judge Furgeson secured the services of John Cole, an accomplished surveyor and engineer of Kanawha County, who met in Mr. Hinton's room at the hotel and there made the present boundary lines for Summers County by a protraction, leaving out the Raleigh territory and ex- tending other lines, especially between Greenbrier and Monroe, so as to apparently have the required constitutional arca, when, in fact, at this day there is not 400 square miles in the territorial lim- its of Summers County by a large acreage.
As will be later explained, and as was determined in the litiga- tion growing out of a legal dispute over the territory and boundary lines between Summers and Greenbrier, and Monroe and Sum- mers, which arose in the year 1894, the agitation for this new county sprang up about the time of the building of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway, developing this region of the State. The citi- zens of the lower end of Mercer, Monroe, and the upper end of Blue Sulphur district of Greenbrier County, agitated the new coun- ty, one of the principal reasons advanced being the inconvenience of reaching the court house of each of the respective counties, as well as the desire for more offices, as political aspirants for official jobs were then abroad in the land, as well as now.
Evan Hinton took charge of the fight; had.the surveys made ; went to Charleston, employed lobbyists, attended the sessions of the Legislature, and lobbied the necessary legislation into the en- actment, which is here inserted.
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HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
CHAPTER 134 .- AN ACT ESTABLISHING THE COUNTY OF SUMMERS OUT OF PARTS OF THE COUNTIES OF MERCER, MONROE, GREENBRIER AND FAYETTE. PASSED FEBRUARY 27, 1871.
Be it Enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia :
1. That so much of the counties of Monroe, Mercer, Green- brier and Fayette as is included within the following boundary lines, to-wit, beginning at the mouth of Round Bottom Branch, on New River, in Monroe County ; thence crossing said river and running N. 4712° W., 5,430 poles, through the county of Mercer, to a point known as "Brammer's Gate," on the line dividing the counties of Mercer and Raleigh; thence with said county line in an easterly direction to New River; thence with the line between the counties of Raleigh and Greenbrier, down New River, to the line of Fayette County ; thence with the line dividing Raleigh and Fay- ette counties, down said river to a station opposite Goddard's house; thence leaving the line of Raleigh County, crossing New River, passing through said Goddard's house, N. 6712° E. 3,280 poles, through said county of Fayette to a station on "Wallow Hole" Mountain, in Greenbrier County; thence S. 55° E. 3,140 poles, to a station east of Keeney's Knob, in Monroe County ; thence S. 9º E. 1,320 poles, to a station near Greenbrier River, and running thence S. 32° W. 7,740 poles, to the beginning, shall form one distinct and new county, which shall be called and known by the name of Summers County ; and it is expressly understood and agreed by the applicants therefor that no part of the territory of the county of Raleigh shall ever be attached to the county created by this act.
2. The said new county shall be attached to the same judicial circuit and Congressional and Senatorial districts that the county of Monroe belongs to.
3. The judge of the Circuit Court of the new county shall, as soon after the passage of this Act as practicable, appoint a clerk for said court, a prosecuting attorney, recorder, surveyor, county superintendent of free schools, and sheriff of said county, who shall hold said offices until their successors are elected and qualified ac- cording to law.
4. All township officers within the bounds of the new county, at the date of the passage of this Act, shall remain in office for the term for which they were elected, and until their successors are elected and qualified according to law. The supervisors of the
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HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
several townships within said new county, with William Haynes and Ephraim Gwinn, shall constitute the board of supervisors of said county of Summers until their successors are elected and quali- fied as aforesaid, and shall have all the powers and perform all the duties vested in and imposed by law upon other boards of super- visors.
5. The county-seat of said new county shall be at the mouth of Greenbrier River, and the board of supervisors of said new county shall proceed as soon as practicable after the passage of this Act to provide a suitable court house and other public buildings for said new county in the manner required by law.
6. The said new county shall be added to the delegate district composed of the counties of Greenbrier and Monroe, and the said counties of Greenbrier, Monroe and Summers shall together elect three delegates, until a new apportionment shall be made as pro- vided by the Constitution of this State, of which, at the election held in 1871, one shall be a resident of the county of Greenbrier, one of the county of Monroe, and one of the county of Summers; at the election in 1872, one shall be a resident of the county of Monroe, and two of the county of Greenbrier; at the election in 1873, one shall be a resident of the county of Greenbrier, and two of the county of Monroe; and so in rotation.
7. All process issued in the said counties of Monroe, Mercer, Greenbrier and Fayette, before the organization of the said new county, and all public dues and officer's fees which may remain unpaid by citizens of the said new county, shall be executed and returned, collected and accounted for by the sheriff or other officer in whose hands the same may have been placed, in the same man- ner as if this Act had not been passed.
8. The courts of said counties of Monroe, Mercer, Greenbrier and Fayette shall retain jurisdiction over all actions, suits and proceedings therein pending at the passage of this Act, and shall try and determine the same, and award execution or other process therein, except in cases in which both parties reside in said new county, which last mentioned cases, together with the papers and a transcript of the record of the proceedings therein had, shall, after that day, if either party so desire, be removed to the courts of the said new county, and there tried and determined as other cases.
9. The board of supervisors of said new county may create an additional number of townships therein, not exceeding five in all, without submitting their action in the matter to a vote of the pco-
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HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
ple. Said board shall also provide a place for holding courts in said new county until a court house shall be erected, as hereinbefore provided.
10. The Circuit Court of the said county of Summers shall be held on the 29th day of April, the Ist day of July, and the 25th day of September, in each year.
Prior to the formation of the county, the Greenbrier line ran with the top of Keeney's Knob, down the top of Elk Knob to New River, a few hundred feet east of the present court house location, and cornered with Monroe, Mercer and Raleigh; thence down New River, on the opposite side from the court house, to the Fayette County line. The Monroe County line ran with the Greenbrier County line down Keeney's Knob; thence up New River with the Mercer County line ; and the Mercer County line ran with the Mon- roe and Raleigh, all cornering together at the point named, which was at the late residence of Mr. C. L. Thompson, near the court house, on the hill in Middle Hinton, and within what is now incor- porated as the city of Avis, and where Dwight W. James has con- structed a handsome residence and now resides, and by the side of the new school building in Avis.
Summers County lies between 37 degrees of latitude north and 80 degrees of longitude west, and is at the base of the Allegheny Mountains, and throughout its territory the mountains extend in detached spurs, peaks and ridges. Its territory is cut up and di- versified by narrow streams and valleys, great mountains, hills and plateaus. Some time before its creation, John Hinton, the father of Evan, Joseph, Silas, John and William, advocated the formation of a new county, to be created from Fayette, Greenbrier, Monroe, Mercer and Raleigh, with the county-seat to be located on the Isaac Ballengee place, where the present court house is located, and had bills introduced in succeeding Legislatures, resulting in failure; and his efforts were taken up after his death by his son Evan.
At the date of its formation, and for some years before, there had been a court house removal agitation on in Monroe County. The lower end of the county desired its removal from Union to Centerville, now Greeneville, which was claimed to be nearer the center, and by cutting out the lower end, Forest Hill and the Tal- cott sections, it would settle the matter for Union for all time; and, with that end in mind, Senator Allen T. Caperton, a citizen and friend of Union, went to Charleston at the session of the Leg-
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