USA > West Virginia > Summers County > History of Summers County from the earliest settlement to the present time > Part 17
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"Giving under my hand the dait above riten.
"(Signed), -, M. D."
In 1874 the colored folks of Hinton were entering theatrical enterprises. They gave their first performance at the Thespian Hall. The play selected was "Richard III." All seemed to go pretty well until the shooting business came around. The pistol furnished was, of course, only to have a cap on it. When the ex- plosion took place, Duke Buckingham going "incontinently" from the stage, said he "didn't cum thar fur no sich foolishness." The pis- tol happened to be loaded with a paper wad, which struck him pretty hard in the "bread basket," and the play was thus aban- doned; and from that day to this the great plays of Shakespeare have been neglected by the colored population of this county.
The court dockets of the 12th of May, 1874, showed twelve state cases, fifteen motions and appeals, four cases at issue, thirteen writs of enquiry, three office judgments ; and only two indictments were found at that time by the grand jury.
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HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
The first action towards securing a school house for Hinton was on the 19th of May, 1874, at a meeting of the citizens, when C. L. Thompson, W. B. Tallioferrio and C. A. Fredeking were ap- pointed a committee to prepare plans.
It was at the May term of the county court, 1874, that Avis Hinton tendered and the court accepted a lot for the court house of one acre of land on the island, where the Ewart residence was afterwards constructed by Dr. Gooch. M. Gwinn, A. L. Harvey and C. R. Hines voted for that location. Manser and Robt. Gore opposed the location.
In 1874 the pin factory was established at New Richmond, which was operated for some time; and an iron furnace was also pro- posed to be established at the same place. This furnace was after- wards built at Quinnimont. New Richmond in those days threat- ened to rival Hinton.
The burning springs, on Madam's Creek, two miles from Hin- ton, were attracting attention in 1874. These springs at one time were owned by the famous Evan Hinton. A large quantity of gas was escaping, which would ignite and burn when a match was lighted and placed in contact. At that time it was claimed that these springs produced a sufficient supply to provide for a large town. The water in the spring looked then like that of the Green- brier White Sulphur Springs, but there was no sulphur in it. From that day to this, this spring, as well as the one on Beech Run, have attracted attention ; but nothing practical has ever come of it. The Madam's Creek Spring is now the property of Dr. J. F. Bigony. A company was formed in 1906 to develop the oil and gas territory around Hinton, with Jas. H. Miller as president ; but nothing has come of it, as the land-owners declined to lease their property.
The New River Railroad and Manufacturing Company was or- ganized at Pearisburg on June 4, 1874, by Elbert Fowler, J. D. Sergent, who was president ; Gen. C. C. Whorten, Henry Beckwith, John T. Corwin and Jed Hotchkiss. This railroad company was afterwards, by an Act of the Legislature, consolidated with the Norfolk & Western, and the rights of way secured by it are still held by that company. It was projected to run from Hinton to the mouth of East River. After several years it was taken over by the N. & W. R. R. Co., which still owns its rights of way.
The Presbyterian Church was organized in June, 1874, by Dr. J. C. Bar, of Charleston. Hiram Scott, E. A. Weeks and C. A. Fredeking were made the ruling elders.
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HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
The "Mountain Herald" newspaper began the agitation for the High School in Hinton as early. as 1875, and the Stonewall High School was then established by Prof. John I. Harvey, a son-in- law of Major B. S. Thompson, a distinguished educator, prepared for school work in Germany and the United States. Major Thomp- son operated the boarding department. This school, however, was not successful, and was finally abandoned, Professor Harvey going to the University of West Virginia, where he remained for many years.
The ferry at Lower Hinton was established in 1875, by Evan Hinton. He had quite a celebrated fight over its establishment, as there was a ferry at Upper Hinton, about a half-mile above. One side of this Lower Hinton ferry was in Raleigh County and the other in Summers. It continued in active operation until the fall of 1906, when the Hinton bridge across New River was built and practically destroyed the ferry, which is now owned by Martin Nee, of Raleigh County, and H. Ewart, of Summers.
The personal property assessment in 1875 amounted to $203,- 526: In Greenbrier District, $69,217; in Green Sulphur District, $36,693; in Pipestem District, $37,380; Jumping Branch District, $32,732; Forest Hill District, $27,532. There were in the county in that year assessed 134 horses, 240 wagons, 3,202 cattle, 3,816 sheep and 640 hogs.
The original court house cost $10,500, according to contract, all of which was paid in 1875 before a lick was struck or a brick burned.
S. W. Willy, who reassessed the lands for 1875, received for the services $250.
Rev. Rufus Pack, in 1875, had a vineyard of two acres growing on his farm on New River, below the mouth of Bluestone, now owned by A. E. and C. L. Miller.
In 1874 a petition was circulated asking the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad Company to resume the running of mail trains to Hinton. It was claimed that it did not pay at that time, but that it would eventually pay by gradual increase, and thereby build up the trade of the road.
The real estate assessment for 1875 was the first made after the formation of the county, and was as follows: Greenbrier Dis- trict, $233,277.361/2; Green Sulphur District, $97,905.331/2 ; Jump- ing Branch District, $77,260.35; Forest Hill District, $92,838.20; Pipestem District, $98,138.50; total, $599,409.75. The total assess- ment prior to this reassessment was $549,806, the increase made by Mr. Willy being $49,603.75.
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HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
At the October election, 1874, Robert Gore was elected presiding justice, which created a vacancy in the office of justice of the peace, and the people voted for and elected Gordon L. Jordan to fill the vacancy.
Election of 1876 for Governor :
Mathews (Dem.) Golf (Rep.)
Greenbrier District
299
240
Pipestem District
150
39
Forest Hill District
160
25
Green Sulphur District
159
69
Jumping Branch District
158
63
Total
926
436
W. W. Adams for State Senate received 768 votes; William Prince, 501 votes. Dr. B. P. Gooch (D.), for Legislature, 594 votes ; Jonathan Lilly (R.), 576 votes; Lewis S. Shanklin (I.), 133 votes. Elbert Fowler, for prosecuting attorney, 888 votes; W. G. Ryan, 360 votes. For president of the county court, M. C. Barker, 904; - Mann, 224; William Hutchison, 166. For sheriff, William S. Lilly ("Shoemaker Bill"), 618; S. W. Willy, 517; James H. Bledsoe, 163. For assessor, Charles Clark, 189; John Lilly (Item), 219; John Edds, 25; William Houchins, 126; A. P. Pence, 70; James K. Scott, 46; A. A. Allen, 168; P. M. Grimmett, 163; Farley, 83; Joseph Ellis, 90; Caleb Noel, 62.
The Baptist Church in Hinton was completed November 2, 1876. The cupola was covered with tin by O. P. Hoover, the father of Thomas Hoover.
The powder mill at New Richmond was built in 1876.
In 1875 the walnut timber from Lick Creek, in Green Sulphur District, was being shipped out by Sam Smith, who sent it direct to England. That country was very heavily timbered with this valu- able timber, but the owners of it received but very little benefit, Smith "beating" them out of the value by failing to pay. This timber was so plentiful in that region in those days that fencing was made largely of walnut trees.
At the school election, in 1875, F. W. Mahood, A. P. Pence and M. A. Manning were elected as the Board of Education of Greenbrier District, which at that time included Talcott District.
The round house in Hinton was built in 1875, by G. W. Gleason. In 1875 a railroad was surveyed up Madam's Creek, by Captain
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HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
B. R. Dunn to Evan Hinton's coal bank. The average grade was 2171/2 feet to the field, making a grade line 4 12-100 feet per hundred feet, being 1 18-100 feet less per hundred feet than at Hawk's Nest short line. This reached coal in three and a half miles from Hin- ton, starting at the mouth of Madam's Creek, and is 1,400 feet, at that point, above sea level. Here they ran up the creek three- fourths of a mile, thence up White Oak Branch. This coal bank of Evan Hinton's was on a 1,500-acre tract of land, and has been talked about from that day to this. Evan Hinton worked hard to have it developed in his lifetime. The land now belongs to Joseph Hinton, Silas Hinton's heirs and William Hinton, Jr.
Fireman Roadcap was killed at Big Ben Tunnel, by a freight train running into a mass of débris, which came down from the roof, burying Engineer Wilkinson and Fireman Roadcap. The lat- ter was sitting up in his box when found at daylight, stone dead, and Wilkinson was badly hurt. This was Alex. Wilkinson, who continued an engineer on the road until 1905, when he was acci- dentally killed in the yard at Hinton. He was the father of Pres- ton Wilkinson, the energetic young business man of Hinton, and one of the managers of the Hinton foundry, machine and plumbing establishment.
The first census of Hinton was made in August, 1875, by Thomas Cooper, with the view to the incorporation of the town. It was then two years old, and the enumeration showed a population of six hundred.
It was on September 1, 1875, that L. C. Thrasher was murdered by Woodson Harvey. Thrasher was shot and instantly killed by Harvey, who was tried afterwards and sentenced to the peniten- tiary for a few years.
C. L. Ellison was elected superintendent of schools in 1875, by a majority of 418, over Dr. William H. Tally.
The Board of Education for Forest Hill District, 1875, was : · Elbert Fowler, president; J. N. Haynes and L. G. Lowe, commis- sioners. The two latter gentlemen still reside in the county.
The enumeration of youths for 1875 showed: For Greenbrier District, 707; Green Sulphur District, 433; Forest Hill District, 345; Pipestem District, 361; Jumping Branch District, 408; total, 2,254, of which 176 were colored.
The stock pens were constructed in 1875 at Pence's Springs Station, which was then known as Stock Yards, and for twenty odd years afterwards. In 1900 they were removed to Hinton.
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HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
The circuit court dockets for Summers County in 1875 showed twelve misdemeanors and one felony.
It was on September 23, 1875, that J. Wash. Jones, the mer- chant at Talcott, a brother of W. W. Jones, was killed, accidentally shooting himself.
In 1875 Wm. Gayer, a railroad man, was accidentally killed in the yards at Hinton. His family still reside at, and are prominent in Hinton, consisting of Mrs. Jas. F. Smith, Mrs. Minnie Bruce, John Gayer, and Mrs. Nannie Shifflet.
The county examiners of teachers in 1875 were W. W. Adams and J. M. Carden.
It was in 1875 the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad was sold under foreclosure of mortgage in Richmond and Parkersburg simulta- neously, and taken over by the C. & O. Railway Co.
On October 18, 1875, a large deer was killed in the river at Hin- ton by Joseph Hinton and William Wimmer.
In 1875 the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad was paying its em- ployes in scrip. It was below par.
C. L. Miller quit the county clerk's office as deputy for E. H. Peck, on November 5, 1875.
The last wolves killed in Summers County was on the 8th of November, 1875, by Elias Wheeler, on Keeney's Knob. M. N, Brean saw two large wolves in the woods in that year, but they were never known to have been killed.
Dr. John G. Manser was a Centennial Commissioner for the Exposition at Yorktown, in 1876.
Rev. Cobbs was the Episcopal minister in 1876.
Captain William McClandish was the first master machinist at the round house.
Robert Gore died in April, 1876. He was then president of the county court ; and "the bravest of the brave" in the Civil War, on either side. His son, C. W. Gore, now lives at Athens, W. Va.
Major Cyrus Newlyn died on the 20th of April, 1876, at the Wickham House. He was a New Yorker, then residing at Union, and came to Hinton to attend court, and died very suddenly. He was buried in the old cemetery, but there is no mark to indicate his last resting-place. He was a brilliant lawyer. He came from the North in Reconstruction days to practice his profession at a time when the lawyer in this region of the South could not prac- tice by reason of the test oaths.
In 1876 a poplar tree was cut on New River which manufactured
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HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
4,150 feet of lumber. This is a sample of the character of timber that grows in this region. This lumber was clear and sound.
Henry Milburn was elected president of the county court in May, 1876, to take the place of Robert Gore, deceased.
Wellington Cox, the first assessor of the county, died in 1876, and (Item) John Lilly was appointed in his place.
M. C. Barker raised 700 bushels of wheat on his New River farm in 1876.
In 1877 there located in the town of Hinton, for the practice of law, an Englishman by the name of A. Neville C. Leveson- Gower. He executed bonds as notary public, with E. H. Peck, W. W. Adams, N. M. Lowry, B. L. Hogue and W. R. Thompson as security. He cut a great figure, having come with a flourish of trumpets, claiming to be a counsellor from the courts of London, but proved to be a complete fake. He afterwards vanished from off the face of the earth, leaving the people of Hinton none the better for his having located among them.
D. G. Lilly was the oldest son of R. C. ("Miller Bob") Lilly, and a brother of Hon. A. A. Lilly, now practicing law at Beckley, and the prosecuting attorney of that county. D. G. Lilly was elected county superintendent of free schools, August 7, 1877, and was re-elected, holding the office for two terms. He at one time owned the fine Lilly farm on the Bluestone River, now owned by his brother, John A. Lilly. Later he removed to Bluefield, and is now a resident of that town, engaged in the mercantile business. At one time he was the deputy sheriff of Mercer County, and was a prominent citizen.
1. G. Carden was appointed notary public May 15, 1877, which office he holds to this day.
R. C. Lilly was overseer of the poor under contract in 1877, and received $950 for maintaining the paupers in the county.
Patrick Nowland, a brother of Joseph Nowland and a great grandson of James Graham, was drowned in the Greenbrier River, at Haynes' Ferry, in the fall of 1878. He had been at Alderson, and was returning to his home near Clayton, and undertook to ford Greenbrier River, which was too full for fording at that time, and he was carried down by the rapid current. The mule which he was riding escaped by swimming to the shore.
About the same time Jack Garten, a son of Charles Garten, of Forest Hill District, was drowned at the mouth of Greenbrier. He had been at Hinton, and undertook to ford Greenbrier; but being under the influence of whisky, missed the ford by going up above
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HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
same, just under the shoals. Out of this drowning grew the famous suit of Charles Garten, plaintiff, against Dunn & Goldsmith, which firm was composed of Luther Dunn and a little Jew, by the name of Goldsmith, who were then engaged in the saloon business in Upper Hinton. They sold Garten the liquor which intoxicated him, and it was in that condition that he undertook to ford Green- brier River and was drowned. His father, Charles Garten, sued these saloon people for damages; but the suit never came to trial, as the firm of Dunn & Goldsmith failed, and the recovery would have been worthless. The suit attracted wide attention at that time, and was the first, and possibly the only suit ever prosecuted for anything of that character until the last six months prior hereto, when Mrs. W. E. Gwinn brought action for the sale of liquor to her son, a minor under twenty-one years of age, against practically all the saloon people of Hinton, which suits are set for trial at the time of this writing, March, 1907.
John B. Garvey was appointed notary public, March 18, 1878, which position he still holds. Gordon L. Jordan was appointed notary public May 21, 1878. D. G. Lilly kept the paupers of the county for $619, for the year 1878.
C. H. Payne, the noted colored Baptist preacher, politician and lawyer, was granted license to perform the rites of matrimony, July 16, 1878. He was a native of Summers County, having been reared on the Wilson Sweeney place, on New River, at Crump's Bottom. He is one of the most celebrated colored citizens in the United States. He is a Doctor of Divinity in the Colored Mission- ary Baptist ministry, and licensed to practice law, and now holds an appointment as a foreign minister under the administration of President Roosevelt, in Liberia, having been formerly appointed by President Mckinley. He returns to this country and addresses the colored population at each election. He is a forceful speaker, and has great influence with the colored population, they usually following his advice in all elections and voting the Republican ticket.
B. L. Hogue was first elected clerk of the county court on the 8th of October, 1878, taking office January 1, 1879. He succeeded Allen H. Meador, the first clerk, having been deputy under Mr. Meador.
Harrison Gwinn was appointed notary public November 18, 1878, which office he holds to this day. J. K. Scott, of Hungart's Creek, was appointed notary public September 17, 1878, which office he held until his death.
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HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
John Prichard, one of the first citizens of Hinton, along with George Anderson, came to this city with the coming of the rail- road. They were both old Confederate soldiers, having fought throughout the Civil War. They were both killed by the trains of the railroad, for which they had worked faithfully for many years.
E. H. Peck was appointed notary public March 16, 1880.
W. C. Dobins was elected assessor at the October election, 1880, and held the office for four years, having defeated Walter H. Boude, who afterwards held the office for eight years. Mr. Dobins, at the time of his election, was a Primitive Baptist preacher, nicknamed the "Hardshells." He still resides in Summers County, and is now a minister in the Missionary Baptist Church. At the time of his election he was an Independent in politics, but has since identified himself with the Republican party.
In 1888 he was a candidate and a Republican nominee for the Legislature; Hon. John W. Johnson was the Democratic nominee. The county went Democratic, and of course Mr. Dobins was de- feated. He resides in Jumping Branch District. He has a number of sons, all of whom are among the good citizens of the county.
J. D. K. Foster was elected constable of Green Sulphur Dis- trict at the election in October, 1880. W. R. Taylor, at the same election, was elected justice of the peace for that district as a Re- publican ; Griffith Meadows, of Talcott District, with J. H. Ballen- ger, constable, as Democrats. J. E. Meadows was at that election- October 12, 1880-elected justice of the peace of Greenbrier Dis- trict as a Republican; Wm. Hughes and A. G. Austin, for Pipe- stem District, and M. Gwinn, for Green Sulphur, as Democrats ; L. M. Dunn, for Greenbrier, also as a Republican.
James H. Miller was qualified as superintendent of free schools, June 4, 1881, term beginning September 1st, as a Democrat.
E. C. Flint was appointed justice of the peace for Talcott Dis- trict on May 13, 1881. L. G. Lowe was appointed justice of the peace for Forest Hill District May 12, 1881. W. H. Manser was appointed constable for Greenbrier District May 13, 1881. E. L. Dunn was appointed justice of the peace for Forest Hill District May 13, 1881. Dr. J. G. Manser was appointed notary public Sep- tember 1, 1881. Dr. W. H. Bray was appointed justice of the peace December 31, 1881. James H. Crawford was appointed con- stable for Greenbrier District January 17, 1882.
The number of free schools taught in Summers County in 1876 was 66. The number of pupils attending free schools for that year was 1,583; average daily attendance, 1,130. The total funds for all
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HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
school purposes for the county for that year was $7,698.28. The total value of all school property for that year was $10,058.50.
The water gauge was placed in New River at the lower ferry at Hinton in January, 1877, by which the Government is enabled to correctly ascertain the rise and fall of the river for each day in the year. A. G. Flannagan was the first operator, and has contin- ued from that date to the present, representing the Government as the agent for the Weather Bureau in connection therewith. Mr. Flannagan is the oldest United States Government employe, in point of time, within the county. The winter of 1876 was one of the coldest remembered. When the ice went out of New River, Jerry Meadows picked up below Hinton forty-three fine catfish, which he disposed of in town.
It was in 1876 or 1877 that the celebrated purchase of the old "Neeley" grist mill, on Bluestone, was made of W. B. Crump, by B. F. H. Sheppard, who was afterwards convicted and sent to the penitentiary. He used in the transaction notes forged for the pur- pose, for which he was convicted, having forged the name of Wil- liam Campbell, of Franklin County, Va. He transferred these notes to William B. Crump in payment for this valuable mill prop- erty, and took deed for the property. The notes came due, his forgery was detected, and his conviction followed.
The first attempt made for the benefit of theater-goers in the county was by local playwrights, when the Thespian Society was organized on the 15th of February, 1877. A large frame hall was erected on the corner opposite the hospital of Dr. J. F. Bigony, in Middle Hinton. It was one story, with a stage, gallery, and ar- ranged as an opera house. Charles Fredeking was the chief pro- moter, painted the scenery, and had charge. The actors were local, and quite a number of entertainments gotten off. As a financial proposition it was a failure; and after a few years of intermittent life it was abandoned, and the promoters were financial losers.
The first sailing craft on New River was constructed at Hin- ton by Captain Frank Dennis, and named by him the "Black Hawk." It plied around in the basin at Upper Hinton. It was quit a novelty and curiosity in those days. Captain Dennis was a remarkable and eccentric gentleman. He was a brother of United States Senator George Dennis, of Maryland, and adopted the sail- or's occupation in his boyhood, and had made his tracks in every country on the face of the globe. He was a man of considerable means, and bought out the Manser property at the mouth of the Greenbrier, which he afterwards sold to A. E., C. L. and J. H.
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HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
Miller. He purchased a lot on the bank of New River, at Upper Hinton, and constructed thereon the most substantial dwelling ever erected in the county. To protect it from the floods of the New and Greenbrier rivers, he erected three large dressed stone chimneys, and tied the hewed logs of the walls together by iron rods running from cellar to garret. When the tremendous flood of 1878 came, it made no impression on this building, although the water was about half way to the ceiling on the first floor, and the "ell" from the house of Silas Hinton washed down and lodged against it. Captain Dennis was a rover and a sailor, and later sold out all of his properties, married in his old age, and moved on westward.
It was in 1877 the excitement ran high over the controverted election of General R. B. Hayes over Governor S. J. Tilden for President, and Preacher Andy Bennett, in his enthusiasm and pa- triotic Democracy, enlisted a company of 100 men, as he claimed, and favored moving on to Washington to seat his candidate, Til- den. Of course, Andy was dissuaded from his enthusiastic enter- prise.
The court docket in 1877 represented 48 law cases and 50 chan- cery suits.
In the summer of this year W. L. Ellison killed a rattlesnake, the largest reported in the county, which was four and one-half feet long, eight inches in circumference, with eighteen rattlers. On July 5, 1877, H. H. Martin, of Pipestem, killed a hawk which measured five feet from tip to tip.
The Missionary Baptist Church of Hinton was dedicated July 15, 1877, by Dr. Dickinson and Dr. Curry, of Richmond. Over $500 was raised on the day of dedication towards defraying the cost of the building.
It was in the year 1877 that Greenbrier District was divided and Talcott District formed. The name of Tilden was first pro- posed, but this was finally dropped and Talcott adopted, the name being for Captain Talcott, a civil engineer, who had charge of the construction of the Big Bend Tunnel.
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