USA > West Virginia > Summers County > History of Summers County from the earliest settlement to the present time > Part 19
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THE OLD GAULEY HOMESTEAD Of the Millers, Built One Hundred Years Ago.
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181
HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
BIG CREEK DISASTER.
In the construction originally of the C. & O. R. R., wooden trestles were erected across Big Creek and Powley's Creek, be- tween Hinton and the Big Bend tunnel; that across Big Creek being seventy feet high. They have each been taken out, and fills and culverts placed in their stead. On March 25, 1881, a terrible railroad disaster occurred at the Big Creek trestle. A freight train was coming west over it, with a Mr. Nagle in charge of the en- gine; the trestle gave way near the west embankment, throwing the engine crew and train all into the bottom below. The timbers, being as dry as powder, immediately took fire. The wrecking crew of Captain Brightwell was hurried to the scene. Great crowds of people gathered. It was a sight never to be forgotten-the timbers and train burning, the dead and wounded lying around, the wrecked engine and machinery scattered, and a great gap in the line of road. Mr. Nagle, the engineer, was badly injured; Thomas McWilliams, killed outright; also, Heslip, and others, whose names are not now remembered, injured. Twenty-four cars went down, and several were burned. This resulted in the present crossing being made. Later on a wreck of the "Fast Flying Virginian" passenger train occurred by running into a rock, which had slid from the cliffs above, at a point a short distance above the mouth of Greenbrier, opposite Lafayette Ballengee's residence, throwing the mail and baggage cars over the embankment, one end at the water's edge, the other pointing to the track ; the engine being thrown on the upper side and wrecked, and great damage done. No passengers were injured, but the engineer was badly hurt.
The enumeration of the youths for 1882 showed as follows : Greenbrier, 286 males, 263 females; Jumping Branch, 268 males, 267 females; Talcott, 234 males, 272 females; Pipestem, 266 males, 222 females ; Green Sulphur, 235 males, 264 females; Forest Hill, 241 males, 265 females; total in the county, 1,650 males, 1,503 fe- males ; whole total, 3,750.
ELECTION OF 1880.
J. B. Jackson, Democrat. 958
Geo. C. Sturgis, Republican. 590
N, B. French, Greenback 188
182
HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA. N. M. Lowery, Democrat, House of Delegates :
Hinton 240
Talcott . 124
Green Sulphur 60
Griffith's Creek
26
Forest Hill
51
Keatley's 33
Salt Works 25
90
Ellison's
71
Jumping Branch
New Richmond
58
Total 818
Jonathan Lilly, Greenback-Republican Fusion :
Hinton 204
Talcott .
83
Griffith's Creek
45
Forest Hill
45
Keatley's
78
Salt Works
45
Pipestem
23
Ellison's
39
Jumping Branch
84
New Richmond
78
Green Sulphur
59
Total 813
For prosecuting attorney, Elbert Fowler, Democrat, received 673 votes ; William R. Thompson, Democrat, 679; J. W. Malcolm, Greenback, 387.
For sheriff, H. Gwinn, Democrat, 926; S. W. Willey, 766.
For president of county court, M. C. Parker, 840; A. L. Harvey, 724.
For commisioner county court, Jos. Hinton, Democrat, 605; B. P. Shumate, Democrat, 643; J. C. McNeer, Democrat, 573 ; John Graham, Republican, 514; L. A. Shanklin, Greenback, 469; J. H. Duncan, Greenback, 469; Z. A. Woodson, Independent, 119.
Pipestem
40
183
HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
For assessor, James O'Meara, 137; Levi Neeley, Sr., 415; T. R. Maddy, 365; W. C. Dobbins, 594.
For surveyor, William Houchins, Jr., 382; M. Smith, 780; Zach Martin, 403.
No nominations except for House of Delegates were made.
The first mayor of Hinton was W. Q. Benedict, elected without contest. James Prince, first recorder; R. R. Flannagin. James Coast, B. Prince, W. F. McClung, J. H. Gunther composed the first council elected in 1880.
The justices for Greenbrier District elected at this election were L. M. Dunn and Jas. E. Meadows; Green Sulphur District, M. Gwinn and Wm. R. Taylor; Talcott, Griffith Meadows and E. C. Flint ; Forest Hill, E. L. Dunn and L. G. Lowe; Jumping Branch, J. A. Parker and John W. Harvey ; Pipestem, William Hughes and A. G. Austin.
The State school fund for 1880 was distributed as follows :
Forest Hill
$414.77
Greenbrier
497.90
Green Sulphur 451.93
Jumping Branch
486.18
Pipestem
422.80
Talcott
418.68
Total
$2,692.06
Thos. W. Townsley was elected constable of Forest Hill Dis- trict in this year for a term of four years.
The first town sergeant for the town of Hinton was Matthew Vincent Calloway, afterwards deputy sheriff under W. S. Lilly, and high sheriff for four years, elected in 1884 over said W. S. Lilly, and is now holding an honorable position in the Internal Revenue De- partment in Washington. Mr. Calloway was a most efficient official and genial gentleman. He married a Miss Callahan, of Lynchburg. Va. His son, Robert Lowry, is now engaged with the Hinton Hard- ware Co., in Hinton. He was one of the first three settlers in Hinton, and is one of the pioneers.
Election of county superintendent May, 17, 1881. There were but two candidates, Hon. David Green Lilly, now deputy sheriff of Mercer County, and a resident of Bluefield, who had held the office for two full terms of two years by election, and James H. Miller. No nominations were made, both parties running without the sup-
184
HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
port of the organization of any political party. The vote stood as follows :
Miller. 98
Lilly.
Talcott
11
Hinton
106
148
Griffith's Creek
31
0
Green Sulphur
84
18
Jumping Branch
57
42
New Richmond
30
3
Ellison's
24
36
Pipestem
48
14
Salt Works
22
35
Forest Hili
33
35
Keatleys
23
48
Total
556
390
The board of education for Greenbrier District elected was J. C. James, president ; T. G. Swatts and Peter M. Grimmett; Talcott District, Jas. K. Scott, president, and A. J. Wallace and William C. Hedrick ; Forest Hill. James Keatley, president, and J. F. Barton and W. C. Woodrum ; Pipestem, A. T. Clark, president, and James Cook and Andrew Williams; Jumping Branch, Levi M. Neely, Sr., president, and Vandalia B. Harvey and F. W. Atkinson, members ; Green Sulphur. W. J. Harris, Republican, president, and Rev. H. N. Fink and J. S. Duncan.
A street railway for Hinton was agitated as far back as 1881, but none has as yet arrived. It was on the 15th of June, 1881, that H. W. Fuller was appointed general passenger agent of the C. & O. Railway. It was in June, 1881, that A. B. Perkins, J. Prince and John P. Mills were elected ruling elders of the Presbyterian Church . of Hinton.
In 1838, W'm. E. Miller caught a tortoise on his farm and cut the date of capture and initials on its shell and turned it loose. In June, 1881, he caught it again, and found the date and initials dis- tinctly on its shell.
The only strike of the C. & O. employees that we have infor- mation of was on December 15, 1881, when the rules required each conductor to keep two brakemen at the wheel constantly. This was strenuous, in winter especially, and a strike was ordered, but was shortly adjusted and assumed no great proportions.
James Prince was appointed by President Harrison postmaster
CAPTAIN M. N. BREEN, The Irish Soldier, Farmer and Democrat.
JAMES M. AYRES, Soldier and Ex-Clerk County Court.
THEN PUBLIC LI
185
HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
at Hinton, and held a full term of four years. L. M. Dunn had held the office from its organization as a fourth-class post office until this date, when it had grown some years before into a Presi- dential office.
On June 12th of this year Captain T. O. Sharp, division super- intendent, one of the first and most widely known railway men, died. He had some time previously lost a leg in a railroad accident. Captain Sharp was much beloved, was a Virginia gentleman and one of the first settlers of Hinton. His son, Lee, now lives in Hunt- ington. His daughters, Mrs. M. J. Cook and Mrs. Prof. Kounse, still reside in Hinton, and one other daughter, Mrs. Wall, and the widow reside in Huntington.
James F. Meadows this year cut from his farm near the mouth of Greenbrier an oak tree, from which he split 3,750 pipe staves. These monarchs of the woods are now all gone and are things of the past in this county.
In June, 1881, Richard Burke and S. F. McBride founded the first Republican paper in the county, "The Hinton Republican." Mr. Burke removed his "Monroe County Register" from Union and started this paper as a weekly local.
In Jure of this year Mrs. Elizabeth Cales, one of the aboriginal settlers, died, over 100 years old. She died at the residence of Eber Willey, in Greenbrier District.
The court docket of the February Term of the circuit court showed 100 State cases; 136 chancery, and 60 law cases; 30 new chancery suits being brought to that term.
It was at this term that Judge Ira McGinnis, of the Cabbell Cir- cuit, held court for Judge Holt, and gave the sheriff, clerk and attorneys a round shaking up. He fined Sheriff Gwinn twenty-five dollars, fined the clerk, and threatened the attorneys, but remitted lis fines before his adjournment.
The fine quarry at New Richmond was being operated at that place on the lands of J. A. Richmond, fifty men being engaged in labor on getting out the stone in 1881. The first hardware store in the county was opened by B. Prince in Hinton in 1881.
The survey for the Atlantic & Northwestern Railroad was com- pleted through the county this year. This was the road in which the great statesman, James G. Blaine, was interested, and which built its line from Richmond, Va., to Clifton Forge, Va., and then sold out all its holdings to the C. & O.
It was in 1881 that the dwelling of a Mr. Hall, a farmer at the
186
HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
mouth of Tom's Run, in Pipestem, was robbed in daylight, the fam- ily being absent at church on Sunday. One Ballard and others en- tered and took the proceeds of Mr. Hall's tobacco crop from a trunk, he having just shipped it and secured the returns from its sale. A posse was organized, guards placed at the river crossing, and on the following night Allen Ballard and his confederate, who was sup- posed to be Henry Keatly, of Stinking Lick, came to one of the crossings. Ballard was shot in the thigh and captured, tried later, and convicted and sentenced to the penitentiary. The proof was not sufficient against Keatly, who was afterwards captured and discharged. The money was never recovered. Allen Ballard was a son of Baldwin Ballard, one of the richest and most sensible men of Monroe County.
T. G. Swatts was elected mayor of Hinton in 1881. The grove of trees now flourishing in the court house park were planted in 1882 by M. V. Calloway and B. Brice. The census bulletin of 1880 showed the population of Hinton to be 1,031. The State school fund for 1881 was $2,565.88.
It was in 1881 that Captain Alex Atkinson, one of the builders of the round-house in Hinton, and who made the excavation there- for, was killed by a train on the C. & O. He was the father of Miss Maggie Atkinson, of Hinton, Captain Frank Atkinson, of the C. & O., and of Charles, Alex and James Atkinson, all railway em- ployees. Captain Alex Atkinson was a noted railway contractor, and had aided largely in building the C. & O. Railway, both before and after the war. He was a native of Ireland and a man of fine judgment and enterprise.
The number of dogs in 1881 in Forest Hill District was 218; Jumping Branch, 235; Pipestem, 181. The tax was $328.00.
The channel cut by the government in New River was opened to mouth of Lick Creek in Pipestem District, May 1, 1881.
The county levy for this year was ninety-five cents on the $100.00.
An oak tree cut from the lands of J. E. Meadows this year pro- duced 2,500 pipe staves.
The receipts for the county treasury for 1881 was $7,845.87; disbursements, $5,788.15, leaving $2,057.72 to pay on the debt of the county.
In 1881, Captain R. H. Maxwell built the largest row-boat for plying on New River, to be operated on New River, ever constructed in these parts. It was used especially in his lumber and stave busi-
-
187
HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
ness in the upper parts of the county. He was then largely operat- ing in the stave trade on Lick Creek in Pipestem, and it was out of this business and his contract with Joseph Thompson that the famous law actions and suits grew which filled the court records for many years, resulting in his success eventually.
In 1881 the Hereford Guards were ordered by the governor to Montgomery to quell a strike of the miners at Crescent.
The State school fund for this year was distributed as follows: Forest Hill, $380.09; Greenbrier, $478.86: Green Sulphur, $466.42; Pipestem, $367.64; Talcott, $420.76.
W. F. Benedict was the first mayor of Hinton, elected January 5, 1881, and served several terms. Upon the resignation of M. V. Calloway as sergeant, J. W. Malcolm, an attorney, now living in Charleston, was appointed sergeant.
Mr. Calloway had a handsome residence and was pleasantly situated near the bridge across the branch of the river where R. H. Maxwell's house is now situated, all of which was destroyed in the great flood of 1878.
The first session of the county court under the present system was held January 18, 1881.
F. W. Mahood, a very brilliant lawyer and one of the first who settled in the county and associated himself with Hon. W. W. Adams, died in February, 1881.
Preston Rives Sherred was an independent candidate for county superintendent in 1881. He was a crank who had been over-edu- cated, a good man and harmless. He did not make the race to the end. The older teachers will remember him, as well as his great eccentricities and quaint and original demeanor.
James H. Miller was a candidate for his first office this year against David G. Lilly, defeating him by 166 votes, neither party being the nominee of any party-a "scrub race."
The town of Hinton began passing ordinances against animals running at large this year, and have kept it up ever since.
There was a great scarcity of feed for cattle in the spring of 1881, and many died for the want of same.
One of the largest oak trees was cut this year from the lands of Lafayette Ballengec, near Hinton, from which he split 2,000 pipe staves from the one tree.
The neatest hotel in the town was the Hinton House, owned by William C. Ridgeway, located on the corner of Third Avenue and Front Street. It was destroyed by fire May 5, 1881.
188
HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
Captain W. C. Ridgeway, one of the first settlers of Hinton, was appointed to assess the real estate in 1880, but resigned and refused appointment, something unusual. Captain Ridgeway was from Southwest Virginia, a very warm-hearted, generous man, a veteran in the Confederate Army, and owned the Hinton Hotel, on the corner.of Third Avenue and Front Street. He was charged at one time with manufacturing his own ardent spirits for use in his bar-room, with still, etc., in the basement of his hotel, and that, when same was burned, a lot of "paraphernalia" for producing the "ardent" was destroyed in the fire. It was never known whether these rumors were true or false. He sold liquor, license or no license, and was understood to run his "blind tiger." He had his faults and his friends. He died several years ago, leaving no relatives in this country, and was buried in the Hill Top Cemetery and his faults forgotten and his good actions remembered.
The Episcopal congregation was organized in Hinton about 1882, the vestrymen elected at the time being Major Benj. S. Thompson, Hon. Wm. W. Adams, Hon. Cameron L. Thompson, Dr. C. B. Blubaugh and W. J. Garner.
The report of assessment for personalty, as reported by Alonzo M. Hutchinson, who was deputy assessor for 1882, showed as fol- lows: Forest Hill, $4,863, increase over 1881; Green Sulphur, in- crease $1,909; Greenbrier, $8,000, increase; Jumping Branch, $987, increase ; Pipestem, $4,625, increase; Talcott, $8,131, increase.
The residence of Hon. Wm. Haynes at Oak Lawn was struck by lightning in June, 1882. It struck a small tree near the kitchen, demolished the stove, killed a number of chickens, destroyed all his dishes, one chair and the dining table, around which Mr. Haynes and his family were seated for dinner, but no one was injured.
The State school fund for 1882 was distributed as follows: Forest Hill, $538.50; Talcott, $644.00; Greenbrier, $670.00; Pipestem, $574.07 : Jumping Branch, $642.00; Green Sulphur, $718.04, a total of $3,788.07, quite an increase over 1881, which was $2,555.00.
Thos. E. Ball and (Curly) Joe Lilly elected in 1882 for justices in Jumping Branch District.
Results of election in 1882 as follows: Kenna, Democrat, 870; Butrick, Republican, 624; Reynolds, Prohibition, 69; A. C. Snyder, Democrat, for judge of Supreme Court, 928; F. A. Guthrie, Green- back Republican, 640; J. G. Lobban, State Senate, Democrat, 832; Jas. Mann, 646; A. A. Miller, House of Delegates, 904; S. W. Willey, 683; B. P. Shumate, commissioner county court, 872; Syl-
189
HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
vester Upton, 711. For issue of bonds to build jail, 949, against 396. Republican vote in 1880 was 590; in 1882, 683. There were 1,700 votes cast at the election in .1882. This was one of the liveliest campaigns ever conducted in Summers County.
In 1882 there were 239 whites and twelve colored inhabitants assessed for capitation in Forest Hill District : 267 horses and mules, 581 cattle, 1,047 sheep, 38 hogs, 75 wagons. Farming utensils as- sessed at $1,275.00; total personal property, $30,555.00. This was for Forest Hill District. Greenbrier District, 467 whites and fifty- six colored capitations ; 191 horees and mules, 343 sheep, 356 hogs, 30 wagons ; value of farm utensils, $779.00; total personal property assessment, $83,892.00. Green Sulphur District, 363 whites and ten colored assessed for capitation ; 306 horses and mules, 961 cattle, 1,028 sheep, 142 hogs, 61 wagons; farming utensils valued at $1,852,00; total, $68,755.00. Jumping Branch District, 316 whites, nine colored capitations ; 271 horses and mules, 769 cattle, 754 sheep, 202 hogs, 48 wagons; farming utensils, $1,208.00; total personal property, $32,320.00. Pipestem District, 262 whites and forty-four colored capitations ; 263 horses and mules, 615 cattle, 748 sheep, 101 hogs, 52 wagons; value of farming utensils, $1,032.00; total valu- ation, $33,075.00. Talcott District, 272 whites, forty-one colored capitations ; 287 horses and mules, 703 cattle, 79 hogs, 78 wagons ; value of farming utensils, $1,463.00; total personal property valu- ation, $64,903.00.
Total white males over twenty-one years of age, 1,808; colored, 173; voting population, 1,980; total personal property valuation in county, $313,400.00. In 1881 it was $255,323, an increase of $58,143.
William Davis one of the oldest farmers in the county, residing on the waters of Madam's Creek, raised a beet in 1882 weighing fourteen pounds. James Boyd raised a potato near Wiggins which weighed two and one-half pounds.
The stockyards were completed at Pence Springs, on the old Samuel Gwinn farm, in 1882, with a capacity to accommodate 800 cattle. These stockyards were, some twenty years afterwards, removed to the city of Avis.
On December 8, 1882, a fearful wreck occurred at Stretcher's Neck Tunnel, caused by a head-end collision in that tunnel, by which Henry Ancarrow, engineer, and Patrick Goheen, fireman, of Hinton, were instantly killed, the trains being burned up. Frank Kennedy, conductor on the Pullman, had both legs broken. Benton Thomp- son, baggageman, back and arm broken ; John J. Madden, engineer
190
HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
on No. 4 passenger train, killed. The collision was caused by No. 4, a passenger train, and a freight colliding. Andrew Cash, a news- boy, had his ankle broken; Robert Dickinson, brakeman, slightly hurt; Stephen Coleman, porter, slightly injured.
The Hinton Republican newspaper suspended after the election in 1882, Richard Burk, editor and publisher.
The real estate valuation, as completed by J. M. Allen in 1882, amounted to $682,370.00 for the county, an increase of. $76,685.00 over 1875. In 1875 the valuation made by S. W. Willey amounted to $605,648.00.
In 1882, Hiram Scott, the veteran hotel-keeper died, who early in the settlement of the town of Hinton opened the New River Hotel on the site where the Chesapeake Hotel is now situated. He was the father of Mrs. C. B. Mahon, Mrs. R. T. Dolin, and Mrs. Wm. Browing. He was born June 24, 1812, his death occurring June 28,
The contract for the present brick jail was let in 1883.
Under the old law and Constitution prior to 1881, the county courts were composed of justices of the peace, and classifica- tion was made amongst the various justices. On May 21, 1877, this classification was made for Summers County-May Term, M. A. Manning and M. Gwinn, and November Term, L. M. Dunn and J. A. Parker.
William R. Thompson admitted to practice law March 20, 1877.
The rates of toll for the Hinton Ferry, established in 1877, were as follows: Six-horse wagon and driver, 60 cents ; four-horse wagon and driver, 50 cents ; two-horse wagon and driver, 40 cents; three- horse wagon and driver, 35 cents; two-horse carriage and driver, 25 cents; horse and rider, 10 cents ; cattle, 5 cents each ; each foot passenger, 5 cents ; hogs and sheep, per score, 20 cents; each 100 pounds of freight, 5 cents.
Judge David E. Johnson was admitted to practice law in this county June 17, 1877.
Erastus Preston Lowe was drowned at Lowell, March 4, 1875. Body recovered April 30th, down at the island at Talcott, Wood- son's Island.
In 1896 a new cable was put across the river at the ferry.
It was in March, 1883, the Big Bend Tunnel caved in. The wooden arching, having become decayed, gave way, and filled up the tunnel with stone and debris. A freight train was passing through at the time, the engineer and one or two others being killed. The passengers had to walk over the Big Bend Mountain, a distance of some three miles, and baggage had to be transferred
191
HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
by wagon until the tunnel could be opened. This continued for several days. A coroner's inquest was held at the instance of Captain Elbert Fowler, who was then prosecuting attorney, the tunnel condemned, and the railroad company forced to arch the tunnel with brick, which took several years to complete, and cost an immense sum of money. The work was done without the sus- pension of traffic day or night.
The value of school property in 1883 in the county was $9,521.00. There were forty-two log houses and twenty-four frame houses; 4,152 children of school age, the total enrollment being only 2,433. Total number of teachers for this year was 81; 65 white male teachers, 10 white female teachers and six colored teachers. The receipts for the year were $8,415.18; disbursements, $6,389.32; the building fund was $3,855.00.
W. R. Duerson was elected mayor of Hinton in 1883. D. L. Reid was pastor of the M. E. Church South, and T. H. Lacy, rector of the Episcopal Church.
The election results in 1883 were as follows: C. P. Snyder, for .Congress, Democrat, 163; J. H. Brown, Republican, 202, at Hin- ton; H. F. Kesler, Democrat, for superintendent of schools, 168; Albert Cotton, Republican, 193; Snyder's total vote in the county was 690; Brown's, 637; Kesler's, 681; Cotton's, 641. J. C. James was elected president of the Board of Education of Greenbrier District, and T. C. Maddy, member of the board. In Talcott Dis- trict, A. C. Lowe, president, and A. A. Allen and George A. Boyd, members. Forest Hill, W. C. Woodrum, president; J. F. Barton and J. H. Manville, members. Green Sulphur, John Hicks, presi- dent; J. S. Duncan and W. N. Fink, members. Pipestem, H. H. Martin, president; Jas. Cook and Chapman Farley, members. Jumping Branch District, F. W. Atkinson, president ; John W. Hin- ton and John F. Ellison, members.
· The first cornet band was organized in Hinton in 1883 by W. B. Riley, leader ; C. W. Bocock, president.
Caleb Noel, an honored soldier of the War of 1812, died this year at the residence of his daughter, Mrs. L. M. Meadows, at the mouth of Bluestone.
J. H. Jordan and Peter F. Grimmett were the examining board for this year, and E. H. Peck was the Worthy Master of Whitcomb Lodge, No. 62, of the Masonic fraternity.
County bonds were this year voted for $3,200.00 to pay for the construction of the county jail.
192
HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
The county levy for 1883 was sixty-five cents on the $100.00.
C. L. Thompson was favorably spoken of for State auditor on the Democratic ticket. He was then editor and proprietor of the Mountain Herald newspaper.
The total amount of State school fund for this year was $3,655.70.
It was during this year that the fatal epidemic of smallpox in- fested the county. Dr. Gooch had charge of the management for the Board of Health, which was done in a most capable and ef- ficient manner. The disease appeared in a malignant form, and much suffering and a number of deaths resulted therefrom. The cost to the county was considerable, but I am unable to state the amount.
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