USA > West Virginia > Summers County > History of Summers County from the earliest settlement to the present time > Part 30
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The first teacher in this new building was W. R. Thompson, and was opened in the fall of 1875, with Miss Anna Hoge as as- sistant. Mrs. W. W. Adams had previously taught in a rented
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building. W. R. Thompson was succeeded by Harvey Ewart and Miss Lida French as assistant. Next was Rufus Alderson and Miss Hoge, who were followed by John J. Cabell, Major J. S. Rudd and J. H. Jordan, with Misses Anna Hoge, Jennie Hamer and Nannie McCreery.
His Honor, James H. Miller, taught in this school in 1877, fol- lowing H. Ewart. Miss Anna Hoge was his assistant.
He again took charge of the school in 1880, with Miss Mariah Beasly as his assistant, and in 1881, with C. A. Clark as assistant.
Prof. J. F. Holroyd opened the first school in what is known as the city of Avis the same year, which school has since grown suc- cessively to two, three and four rooms, and has recently been made a branch of the Hinton High School.
In 1887, our people determined that their children should have better educational facilities, and, tiring of sending them away to other schools, they filed a petition with the School Board, con- sisting of J. C. James, president ; S. W. Willey and James Briers, commissioners, and J. M. Carden, secretary, asking for the estab- lishing of a district high school. The proposition was submitted to a vote of the people, and carried by a large majority. In accord- ance with the expressed wish of the people, a high school was es- tablished, with four teachers, viz., J. H. Jordan, principal; V. V. Austin, Miss Mary Ewart and Miss Nannie McCreery, assistants.
The grounds cover eight full size city building lots, four of which were donated to the Board of Education by the Central Land Co. of West Virginia, and the remaining four were purchased. These grounds alone are now worth about $60,000.
The first building was a brick structure containing four rooms, but soon after the board found it necessary to add two rooms, which, with this addition, was sufficient to accommodate the pupils until 1895, and in which year it was determined to build a more spacious building and equip it with all modern appliances for the continually growing enrollment. The building was supposed to cost about $20,000, and the board was forced to borrow $12,000, and, with this amount, the board could raise a sufficient amount to build the house. Accordingly, an election was ordered to be held December 31, 1895, which resulted in a majority of 301 to 16 in its favor. Work was immediately commenced on the structure, and the fall of 1896 marked its completion in time for the opening of the school. New branches have been added from time to time and additional teachers employed, until now, at the opening of 1907, finds it second to no school in Southern West Virginia.
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HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
The first Board of Education of Greenbrier District consisted of Robert H. Wikel, president : James Boyd and M. A. Manning, com- missioners, and S. W. Willey, secretary. Under this board the first election for authorizing a school levy was held. There were cast 187 votes ; 186 were cast in favor of the levy, and one against it.
The following is a copy of one of the certificates of one of the first assessors of Summers County :
"I hereby certify to the Board of Education of Greenbrier Dis- trict, Summers County, West Virginia, the assessed value of the property in your district as shown this year on the commissioners' books, which will be your guide for making levy, viz .: Real estate, $142,583.18; personal property, $56,621.00; total, $199,204.18.
"(Signed), JOHN LILLY, Assessor of Summers County."
J. T. Huffman, president; S. W. Willey and James Sims, com- missioners, and J. B. Lavender, secretary, comprised the Board of Education under which the new building was erected on Temple Street.
The present board, Wm. H. Sawyers, president; R. E. Noel and J. D. Roles, commissioners, and W. E. Price, secretary, have been untiring in their efforts to make this the best school in the State.
Especial care has been taken to make the sanitary conditions good ; much new furniture and apparatus have been recently added, until now the buildings and grounds and appointments are valued at $150,000. The enrollment is now 825, with an average daily attendance of 700. The school consists of the primary grade and the high school department.
John D. Sweeney was appointed as the first superintendent of Hinton Schools in the fall of 1900; H. F. Fleshman, who held the position for a period of four years, during which time the school made rapid progress. Mr. Fleshman was succeeded by I. B. Bush in the fall of 1904, who is now in charge of the city schools, with a corps of twenty-one well-equipped teachers, four of which number are in the high school department.
The high school course consists of four full years' work, and graduates are admitted to a number of our leading universities and colleges without examination. Scholarships have been awarded to its graduates by Washington, Lee and Tulane Universities. The following schools are represented by their graduates in the high school corps of teachers: West Virginia University, Vanderbilt University, Dickinson College, Randolph-Macon Woman's College and Woman's College at Richmond.
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HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
The grades are taught by eighteen well-equipped teachers, grad- uates of seminaries, high and normal schools. Music and drawing were introduced in the fall of 1906, and great progress has been shown under competent supervisors who are in charge of these subjects.
Prof. Bush is a ripe scholar, a genial gentleman, and to his un- tiring energy is due the fact that, in the spring of 1906, the Board of Education submitted a proposition to issue bonds for $25,000 for the erection of an additional high school building, which bond issue carried by an overwhelming majority, and the board has now under process of construction a new building on a site costing $10,000, which, when completed and furnished will add $75,000 to the value of the high school property.
GRADED SCHOOLS.
Graded schools have been established as follows: In the town of Avis, in 1891, with two teachers, to which has since been added two more; and in 1905 this school was made a branch of the high school. Prof. H. O. Curry is now principal, with three well- equipped teachers as assistants. Prof. Curry is a ripe scholar, and to him is due the present high standing of this school.
At Green Sulphur Springs, with Miss Ella George, a lady of splendid attainments, as principal, with one assistant teacher.
At New Richmond, with Miss Irene Hoke as principal, with one assistant teacher.
At Talcott, Prof. M. E. Carden as principal, with, at the present time, only one associate teacher, but the growing interest will, in the near future, make necessary the employment of two more.
At Jumping Branch, with Mr. Lee Harper, a teacher of several years' experience. as principal, with one assistant. This school has been, since its establishment, doing good work, and the citizens are very proud, and ere long the increasing enrollment will make nec- essary additional teachers.
The Hinton Colored School, established as a graded school in 1897, employing four teachers. This school is well appointed and affords a means by which the colored youth are acquiring a splen- did education. Graduates from this school are admitted in the leading colored schools of the country. The school building, grounds, furniture and apparatus are valued at $10,000.
These schools are all doing good work, and in the near future it will be necessary to establish other graded schools in the county.
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HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
A new high school building is now in course of construction in Avis, at a cost of $30,000, Greenbrier District having voted $25,000 in bonds in 1906 for its erection. It is of brick, with latest heating and sanitary equipments. The lot was purchased from the James Brothers for $8,200,00.
Theodore S. Webb was also one of the later teachers, as were also J. Houston Miller, now president of the Waxahachie National Bank in Texas, Miss Mary B. Miller, C. L. Miller, W. N. McNeer, R. W. Clark, later a member of the Board of Examiners and a jus- tice of the peace, George P. Scott, David Bowles, Jr., and H. F. Kesler, twice county superintendent.
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CHAPTER XVII.
CHURCHES.
The first church in all the region of the Talcott country was a log church which stood within 200 yards of where the residence of Ben R. Boyd now stands, on top of the Little Bend Tunnel. It was a Union Church, worshiped in by all denominations; built of logs, covered with boards, and was burned prior to the Civil War and never rebuilt, but a new church-Pisgah-a Methodist house of worship, was built on top of the Big Bend Tunnel, where the pres- ent Pisgah Church now stands.
All the original churches were log buildings and of the most primitive character, covered with clapboards, built from the trees of the forest by the people of the community, who joined in aiding for miles around.
The first frame church built in the county was the Methodist Church at Pipestem-Jordan's Chapel -- built before, the war, and named for the family of Hon. Gordan L. Jordan.
The first missionary Baptist Church in the New River or Green- brier Valleys was established about one mile above the mouth of Muddy Creek, and is known as the Old Greenbrier Baptist Church, in what is now North Alderson, founded by John Alderson, the pioneer missionary Baptist minister, west of the Allegheny Moun- tains. He was the pastor of the Lynnville Baptist Church of Rock- ingham County, Virginia, from 1775 to 1777. Rev. Alderson made three visits into the regions west of the Alleghenies and baptized three persons, John Griffith, who was killed afterwards by the In- dians, and Mrs. Keeney. We are unable to secure the name of the third. They were the first persons ever baptized by immersion in the Greenbrier River. He brought his family and settled in 1777. When he had gotten as far as Jackson's River on his way, he learned of an Indian attack on the Colonel James Graham settlement, where Lowell now stands, and that one of Colonel Graham's family had been killed, so he delayed until October. He first located on Wolf Creek, at Jarret's Fort, but shortly after built his cabin where the
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HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
Alderson Hotel now stands, and which is occupied by one of his descendants, John W. Alderson. In two years he had gathered a congregation of twelve members, and called his organization a branch of the Lynnville Church. He thus operated until the 22d of October, when he established the old Greenbrier Baptist Church, and the next year he had it admitted to the Ketocton Association. Measures were taken to build the first church in 1783, and in July following the building was occupied for public worship. Members joined for thirty miles around, and regularly attended the monthly meeting held on Saturday and Sunday of each month. This church and the whole of the town of Alderson and North Alderson are within the territorial limits of Summers County, but it has not oc- cupied it and never exercised dominion or jurisdicton over it be- cause it was not known to be within the county lines establishing the county until the time had elapsed in which it could assume or assert dominion by reason of its legislative-created authority.
THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH SOUTH, HINTON.
The Hinton Circuit was formed 1872, and is a part of and within the Baltimore Conference. The preachers in charge were as fol- lows: H. M. Leslie, 1872 and 1873; W. M. Hiner, 1873 and 1874; Vincent M. Wheeler, 1874 and 1875; O. F. Burgess, 1875 and 1876; Alfred Gearhart, 1876 and 1877; O. F. Burgess, 1877 and 1878; Henry S. Coe, 1878 and 1880; Henry D. Bishop, 1880 and 1881; John A. Anderson, 1881 and 1883; David L. Reid, 1883 and 1885; J. L. Follansbee, 1885 and 1887. In 1887 Hinton was made a sta- tion, Presley V. Smith, 1887 and 1888; J. Lester Shipley, 1888 and 1891; Charles L. Dameron, 1891 and 1892; O. C. Beale, 1892 and 1896; Henry A. Brown, 1896 and 1900; J. R. Van Horn, 1900 and 1903; L. L. Lloyd, 1903, and is still in charge in 1907. The first house used was the old frame public school building situated where Dr. Holley's hospital is now located, which was occupied until the First Baptist Church was erected in 1876, after which it was used jointly with the other denominations until the First Meth- odist Church was built in 1880, which was a one-story frame build- ing about 30 by 50 feet, and which has, since it was abandoned as a church, been used as a printing office by the Independent Herald and for school purposes. About 1890 the large modern brick build-
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ing was completed and has since been used as the house of worship by this denomination. It is a large modern building, heated by steam, with a basement for social gatherings, the costliest church in the county. The General Conference of the church was held in this building in March, 1895, presided over by Bishop Wilson. The present pastor, Rev. L. L. Lloyd, with the completion of the pres- ent year will have been located at this church for his full term of four years. He is one of the best pastors ever provided for this or any other congregation.
The cornerstone for the first Methodist Episcopal Church, South. church building was laid by the Masons on the 18th of December, 1876, by Ex-Gov. Judge Geo. W. Atkinson, Grand Secretary of West Virginia. The corner-stone of the present brick edifice was also laid with imposing Masonic ceremonies and a number of valu- able coin, papers, etc., deposited.
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INDIAN MILLS BAPTIST CHURCH.
This organization was effected September 3, 1887. T. H. Fitz- gerald was the first moderator of the council. Absolem D. Bolton was chosen first pastor, and served the church for a long term, until November 4, 1899, when he resigned by reason of the failure of his health.
George W. Leftwich was elected first clerk of the church, which position he has very ably filled from the date of its organization September 3, 1887, until the present time.
Rev. A. A. McClelland was the second pastor, and addressed the spiritual affairs of that organization from December 2, 1899 to May 4, 1901, after which Rev. H. McLaughlin was elected pastor from January 1, 1901, to May 6, 1905, at which time his resignation was accepted, and the church then accepted the Rev. J. B. Cham- bers, who is the present moderator, pastor, and in full charge of the church.
Rev. Chambers is not only in charge of this church, but minis- ters to several other churches ; he is a man of fine ability and Chris- tian character, and is now residing at the mouth of Greenbrier River.
We are in receipt of the data of this church through the cour- tesy of Mr. George W. Leftwich, who is one of the oldest school teachers of the state, and an ex-county superintendent of free schools of this county.
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HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF HINTON.
This church was organized in the month of June, 1874, by a commission appointed by the old Greenbrier Presbytery, which consisted of Rev. J. C. Barr, D. D., of Charleston, W. Va .; Ruling Elder James Withrow, of Lewisburg, and Messrs. Carl A. Frede- king, E. A. Weeks and Hiram Scott, of Hinton, who constituted the first actual session, with the following members: Mrs. Hiram Scott, Mrs. Wills and Mrs. C. A. Sperry.
The congregation owned no church property at the date of the organization of the church, but occupied one Sunday out of the month at the First Baptist Church. During the first year of the church history it was supplied monthly by ministers appointed by the Presbytery. In 1875, Rev. P. E. Brown, a student of the Pres- byterian Theological Seminary, supplied the pulpit for four months. In 1876, the first regular pastor was called, Rev. H. R. Laird, remaining until September, 1878. Mr. Laird was a very scholarly gentleman and a good theologian, but like many other eminent men, was somewhat forgetful. One Sunday evening, he preached from a certain text, and at his next meeting, the month following, preached the sermon from the same text, having forgotten that he had previously used that text.
Following Rev. Laird, Rev. L. A. McLain became the pastor in June, 1880, and continued until August, 1884. Rev. J. W. Wightman, D. D., was called in 1884, and remained pastor until the date of his death, in June, 1889. Dr. Wightman was the father of our townsman, Mr. Henry Weightman, and of Mrs. John Haynes. The family of Dr. Wightman still resides in this city.
Rev. J. W. Holt was called on December 20, 1889, and continued pastor until September, 1900, at which date he resigned, accept- ing a call at Alderson, West Virginia, where he still resides. After the resignation of Mr. Holt, Rev. D. R. Frierson was called in May, 1901, and continued as pastor until September, 1903, at which date he resigned, and in August following, in 1904, Rev. D. W. Hol- lingsworth was called and is the present pastor of that church.
The official boards of the church are, at this writing, as follows : Session : C. A. Fredeking, Clerk : R. F. Dunlap, R. T. Dolin, J. W. Miller, H. T. Smith.
Board of Deacons: J. D. Humphries, Treasurer : C. B. Mahon, E. L. Briers, A. M. Erwin and P. W. Boggess.
The church was organized with a membership of six; the pres-
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HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
ent membership is 235. The Presbyterians were pioneers in church building and church organization in the city of Hinton. A lot was acquired for church purposes on Temple Street, on which a neat frame church was erected in 1882.
C. A. Fredeking, the clerk of the session, is an ex-justice of the peace and retired merchant ; R. F. Dunlap is an attorney-at-law ; R. T. Dolin an ex-employee of the C. & O. Railway and city ser- geant for three consecutive terms, filling that position at this date ; James W. Miller, proprietor of the Hotel Miller; H. T. Smith, a railway locomotive engineer.
Of the Board of Deacons, J. D. Humphries, treasurer, is en- gaged in the mercantile business; also Capt. C. B. Mahon, who is not only one of the leading merchants, but a vice-president and leading director in the Bank of Summers, and an ex-railroad con- ductor ; E. L. Briers, merchant; A. M. Erwin, clerk in the store of C. B. Mahon; P. W. Boggess, a practicing attorney and insur- ance agent.
ROLLINSBURG BAPTIST CHURCH.
This church was organized on August 29, 1868, by Rev. Martin Bibb, assisted by Rev. Rufus Pack and Rev. Henry C. Tinsley, three of the pioneer Baptist ministers of this section.
On Sunday, August 30, 1868, the first pastor, Rev. H. C. Tinsley, was elected as pastor of the church, and served as such until Sep- tember, 1870. On March 14, 1871, Rev. John Bragg was elected pastor, and served the church until April, 1873. On May 10, 1873, Rev. W. R. Williams was elected pastor, and served as such until Judy 19, 1874. Rev. James Sweeney was elected pastor Sun- day, February 6, 1876, having preached and supplied that pulpit for some time before he was elected pastor. Rev. Sweeney served the church as pastor until September, 1877. Rev. Sweeney still survives, being now a resident of Beckley, and a remarkable man of the times, being now nearly eighty years old, but active, physi- cally, and retaining his mental powers to a wonderful degree. Rev. M. Bibb preached for this church from February 10, 1878, until Oc- tober 13, 1878. Rev. A. D. Bolton was appointed pastor April 27, 1879, and served as such until June 8, 1884.
Shortly after this date, Rev. G. W. Wesley was called as pastor by a few members, and preached for the church until December 20, 1885. This is the same G. W. Wesley who at one time resided at the mouth of Greenbrier, and who for several years was pastor
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HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
of a number of churches in this region, including the Greenbrier Baptist Church, the Griffith's Creek Church and others. He was a native of Wyoming County, was noted for his rascality, and after- wards served a term in the Kentucky penitentiary for bigamy.
On Saturday, May 28, 1887, Rev. C. D. Kincaid was elected pastor, and served until December, 1892. Rev. Kincaid was a native of Lick Creek, and without any educational opportunities, became a very intelligent and conscientious minister of this church, serving a number of congregations faithfully until his death a few years ago. Shortly after Mr. Kincaid severed his connection with the church, Rev. G. W. Parker was appointed pastor, and served until May 7, 1893. Rev. W. F. Hank was elected pastor August 6, 1893, and served as such until March 3, 1895. Mr. Hank is still a citizen of Summers County, owning and residing on an attractive home- stead at Pack's Ferry.
Rev. C. T. Kirtner was elected pastor March 22, 1896, preaching for the church, however, but a short time. On August 16, 1896, Rev. Walter Crawford, of Forest Hill District, was elected pastor, and continued and served as such until August, 1903, at which time Rev. A. D. McClelland was elected on February 12, 1905, and is the present pastor for that congregation.
This is known as the Rollinsburg Baptist Church, having been founded when that was the name of the post office at that place and before the construction of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad, and before the founding of the present thriving village of Talcott. This congregation now occupies a comfortable frame church building.
I am under obligations to W. W. Jones, Esq., of Talcott, for the facts concerning the organization of this church, who was one of the pioneer settlers of that place. His brother, J. W. Jones, was the first clerk of that church, having been elected at its organiza- tion, and served as such until September, 1875. On September 17, 1875, Mr. Jones was accidentally killed by a pistol shot, fired by himself in his storeroom at that place. He was a very enterprising and thrifty merchant. He, with his brother, W. W. Jones, estab- lished the mercantile business on the opposite side of the river from the railroad at the old Rollinsburg storehouse, where they con- tinued the business until the building of the railroad, when they removed to the present site of W. W. Jones, near the end of the new iron toll bridge, constructed at that point across Greenbrier River. W. W. Jones is one of the active members of this church congregation, and its advancement and success is greatly due to
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HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
his consistent enterprise. He is a good, conscientious, enterprising citizen. In 1907 the church was struck by lightning and burned to the ground, and the members are now securing funds to rebuild.
LICK CREEK BAPTIST CHURCH.
This church was organized by a few faithful Christian people at the residence of Mrs. Elizabeth Duncan, at the old Duncan place, on the Duncan Branch of Lick Creek, about half a mile from Green Sulphur Springs, on the 21st of August, 1832. This place is within a few hundred yards of the residence of Dr. Edgar E. Noel, and is owned by Messrs. J. P. and W. T. Maddy. The church was organized by Elder William C. Ligon, and I get a somewhat full record of this old church, having been placed in possession of the church record, kept by Mr. Ephraim J. Gwinn, the father of M. and H. Gwinn, who was clerk of the church from June 14, 1848, until the 11th day of June, 1868, being succeeded by the late John Hix, and it is a pleasure, as well as a matter of interest, to show the character of this devout and Christian people, who were then settling in the vastness of almost a forest wilder- ness. The members of this church at that time were regularly dismissed from the Amwell, Greenbrier and Cotton Hill churches.
"Church covenant made and entered into Tuesday, the 21st day of August, 1832, between the members of the Baptist Church of Christ, called Lick Creek. All whose names are enrolled in the record have been duly baptized on a profession of our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, do hereby most solemnly and in fear of God, give ourselves unto the Lord and to each other, to be gov- erned and regulated as a religions body in the manner following : "Art. I. We believe that the Church of Christ is not national but congregational, it being a body of faithful men and women quickened and called by the holy spirit of the world of the unre- generated, and united together in love and mutual consent for comfort, support and edification of each other ; that our Lord Christ is the supreme head and law giver of his church, and his word their immediate rule or key, by which they can open and none can shut, or, shut and none can open, therefore, they have the sole right and privilege to govern themselves according to the holy Scriptures, and that no man or set of men, whether. bishop synods, associations, or assemblies of ministers, have any right or power to impose church laws upon, or intermeddle with the privi- leges of any particular church, such exercises of power, sayings of
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