USA > West Virginia > Summers County > History of Summers County from the earliest settlement to the present time > Part 71
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Mike Foster was supposed to have been killed when he was wounded at Petersburg, and was left on the field. General Terry, the gallant commander of the Confederate States Army, sent a flag of truce for his body. The party with the flag of truce found him alive, but he was so seriously wounded that on the retreat he was left in the city of Petersburg, and there received the kind at- tention of the Federal as well as the Confederate surgeons until he was removed to his home. His general, as a tribute to his bravery, gave him a wreath of flowers as the bravest in the Stone- wall Brigade. The ladies of Rockbridge sent to General Jackson five suits of clothes, one to the bravest man in each regiment, and a wreath of flowers to the bravest man in the Stonewall Brigade. He gave the wreath to Mike Foster. There are soldiers still living
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HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
who were with Mike Foster from Manassas to the hour he re- ceived his wounds in front of Petersburg, who bear testimony that the action of Stonewall Jackson met with the approval of all of his soldiers, in delivering this wreath to the selection he made- the humble citizen from the territory of Summers County. He died the death of a Christian, and has joined the army of the re- deemed.
I am indebted to Hon. A. S. Johnston, and have employed his description of the occasion of the unveiling of this monument.
Mike Foster has a number of relatives in this county and in Monroe County, among them being W. L. Foster, of Forest Hill, who was active in securing the monument to the dead soldier. Those who were Confederates and those who were Unionists, on the occasion of the unveiling of this monument, took an equal in- terest in its successful consummation, and all took an equal part, showing that the old spirit of antagonism growing out of that unfortunate war has disappeared from the pepole within this sec- tion.
When a camp of Confederate soldiers was organized a few years ago in Monroe County, it was unanimously named Camp Mike Foster, after this soldier, and in honor of his great gallantry and bravery.
There was an organization at Forest Hill of old soldiers and citizens known as "The Mike Foster Monument Association," through whose activity and patriotism the erection and dedication of the monument was made a success, among whom were L. A. Ellison, secretary and treasurer ; Sheriff I. G. Carden, J. M. Allen, W. L. Foster and Theodore Webb.
Hon. M. M. Warren and Hon. A. S. Johnston were also active, and aided very greatly in the successful termination of the project. as well as J. D. McCartney, the soldier of the Stonewall Brigade, and the possessor of its battle-flag, carried on many a battlefield.
LUTHER M. DUNN.
This gentleman was one of the founders of Hinton. IIe came here when the county and city were young, and in his youth. He was born in Albemarle County, Virginia, near Scottsville. His father was a minister of the Christian Church. He enlisted in the Confederate Army when a boy of eighteen, and, after the fall of the Confederacy, while the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway was being built through this section, came and located in Hinton, when there
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HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
were not more than half a dozen houses in the town, and entered into the retail mercantile business, with a Hebrew by the name of Goldsmith, the style of the firm being Dunn & Goldsmith. He was born on February 16, 1843, and died in Hinton on the third day of September, 1904, at the age of sixty-one years, and was first married to Miss Atkinson, of Hinton, and on the third day of July, 1890, to Mrs. M. J. Luck, who survives him and is still a resident of the county.
"Squire" Dunn, as he was familiarly called, was a familiar face in the town of Hinton from its foundation to the date of his death ; was noted for his natural ability, shrewdness and kindness of heart. He was enterprising and took an active interest and pride in the growth of the town and development of the county.
It was his brother, the civil engineer, B. R. Dunn, who laid out the town of Hinton and made the first official map thereof, which is recorded in Deed Book "A," at page 540. in the office of the clerk of the county court. Another brother also was the chief engineer of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad and its general man- ager for a number of years.
Soon after the location of Mr. Dunn in the county, the first and only suit brought in the county against any one was brought by Charles Garten against the firm of Dunn & Goldsmith for selling liquor to a person who was in the habit of drinking to intoxication. This firm was engaged in the retail business, and a young man by the name of "Jack" Garten came to Hinton, became intoxicated, and undertook to ford Greenbrier River when not fordable, and was, unfortunately, drowned, and from which misfortune the liti- gation was instituted, but the action was afterwards dismised and never tried.
Mr. Dunn was a man of fine business qualifications. Business reverses did not discourage him. When the railroad was being built through this section the company paid off its laborers and contractors in "scrip." of which he acquired many thousands of dollars. The company failed and went into the hands of a receiver, and thus he lost his entire fortune. He again went to work, and, after many business enterprises, ups and downs, died, leaving a considerable fortune. It was he and Dr. J. T. Hume who recog- nized the early growth of real estate in value and demand for good, substantial business houses, and constructed the large three-story brick business building on the corner of Second Avenue and Tem- ple Street, known as the "Dunn & Hume Building." which has been occupied for many years as the large retail mercantile establish-
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HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
ment of Wm. Plumley, Jr., the third story being occupied as a public hall for nearly all the secret orders of the city.
He was the first postmaster of the city of Hinton, and took charge when the compensation was only the amount received for the cancellation of stamps, the office being es- tablished in 1873. He held the position of postmaster for twelve years, during which time he was elected justice of the peace of Greenbrier District, and was a member of the county court under the old Constitution. At that time the office paid but a small compensation, but later became a desirable and well- paying position. He held the office for sixteen years. His de- cisions were seldom reversed when appealed from, and his good judgment was never better shown than in the many decisions ren- dered by him in this office. The business in this office filled some twenty volumes of well-bound record books, the size of deed books.
He was popular, and, although a member of the minority party, always received many votes from the opposition. He was noted for his keen wit and greatly enjoyed a joke and enjoyed the bright side of life. He was a Republican in politics for the last twenty years of his life, having transferred his political affiliation during the time of one of the numerous post office contests in the city of Hinton, after the office became a paying and valuable position. He was for some five years the coroner of the county and a notary public for many years-a man of warm impulses and of high, hon- orable instincts, with many of the traits of the "old Virginia gen- tleman." He had but few enemies and many friends.
CHAPTER XXIII.
MISCELLANEOUS.
Summers County has produced one of the most learned scien- tific gentlemen of the country in the person of William Hinton, Sr., now seventy-four years of age, and a son of David Hinton, of near Greenville, in Monroe County-an old Rockingham County, Virginia, family. He is a scientific civil engineer, and has pat- ented the following useful and valuable inventions :
First-An engineering compass or calculator, which makes and records the work as it proceeds-trigonometer.
Second-Monkey-wrench.
Third-A bottle stopper.
Fourth-An instrument for the use of civil engineers and sur- veyors, which gives the correct variation of the needle, the true meridian, and records same : and he is at work on the fifth at this date.
He is a quiet, unassuming, steady worker and a genius ; but his works may not be fully realized in his day.
Another Summers County man's invention is a rosette cutter, patented by "Coon" Cooper and Jas. H. Miller.
Another is the Charlton curtain, by Dean Charlton of Mad- am's Creek. This curtain is now being manufactured by the Charl- ton Curtain Co., a Hinton company chartered under the laws of West Virginia, with Dr. J. F. Bigony as president and H. Ewart as secretary. Its factory is in Avis, and was established in 1907.
Another is a patent window curtain holder apparatus, by Mrs. J. Ellen Miller, of the Hotel Miller, wife of James W. Miller, pat- ented in 1903, and she is the only lady patentee in the history of Summers County.
Another is a patent car coupler, by WV. B. Jones and Colonel T. G. Mann.
M. B. Simmons, a painter at the round house for the C. & O. Railway, has patented a very valuable liniment medicine, from which he will likely make a fortune.
ANDREW P. PENCE, The Coroner and Promoter of Pence Springs.
THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY
AST':F, LENOX AND TILDEN FOUNDATIONS.
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HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
Hon. M. M: Warren and M. M. Altair, of Riff's Crossing, have patented a valuable cattle guard for use on railroad tracks.
Rev. Leonidas L. Huffman, a son of Samuel Huffman, of Wolf Creek, is the author of a religious book, copyrighted under the title of "Religious Similitude."
HINTON LODGE No. 821, B. P. O. E.
This order was instituted January 5, 1903, and occupied the Dunn & Hume Hall, in the third story of the building of that name, on the corner of Temple Street and Third Avenue. It also in- stalled a neat suite of chambers on the second floor of the same building, in which they placed piano, pianola, billiard tables and other furniture for amusement, rest and recreation.
The first officers were :
Esteemed Ruler-R. F. Dunlap.
Esteemed Leading Knight-F. R. Puckett.
Esteemed Lecturer-W. H. Sawyers.
Treasurer-WV. H. Garnett. Secretary-C. C. Campbell. Inner Guard-T. C. Ware.
Tiler-Dr. T. O. Flanagan. Trustees-Dr. J. T. Humes, W. L. Fredeking, W. E. Parker. Esquire-O. C. Lowe.
In 1906 the order erected its handsome four-story building, at a cost of $30,000, on Second Avenue. Much of the honor thereof is due to Mr. J. Donald Humphries, the merchant, now in business in the city.
HINTON LODGE, A. F. & A. M.
This order was chartered November 11, 1885, when there were comparatively few inhabitants, and those were in meager circum- stances, and the prospects for Masonry were dark. The "Old Guard" has largely passed to the great beyond, but their names and work for the order are revered by those devoted to the cause.
The past masters to date are as follows: M. V. Calloway, A. T. Maupin, P. K. Litsinger, E. H. Peck, D. R. Swisher, T. G. Swatts, C. J. Anderson, F. M. Starbuck, W. W. Humes, J. G. Haley, Frank Lively, J. B. Parrott, J. L. Brightwell, W. L. Wilson, Lynn Gardener, Dr. T. O. Flanagan and L. J. Shelton.
There have been but few secretaries, those occupying the po- sition succeeding each other at long intervals. Those filling that
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HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
position are: P. K. Litsinger, Frank Lively, J. B. . Harris and T. O. Flanagan.
The lodge as originally instituted was known as "Whitcomb Lodge," No. 62, named after Mr. Whitcomb, one of the civil engi- neers who built the C. & O. Railway. This was changed to Hinton Lodge, No. 12; November 11, 1885.
Hinton Commandery was chartered July 28, 1898. There are a great number of orders in the city, including Eagles, Red Men, Knights of Pythias, Odd Fellows, Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, Brotherhood of Trainmen and Conductors. There is no town of the size in the country in which the secret orders flour- ish more liberally than in Hinton, many of which carry a liberal in- surance in connection therewith, and which has been of great bene- fit to those injured by accident or otherwise, as well as their fami- lies.
THE C. & O. RAILWAY CO.
This corporation is largely identified with the history of Sum- mers County. When originally chartered, it was the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad Company, C. P. Huntington and General Williams C. Wickham being the promoters. Soon after its completion it went into the hands of a receiver-was sold in judicial proceedings, reorganization took place under new charters, and the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway Company, with C. P. Huntington as president, and General Williams C. Wickham as vice-president.
It extends from Alderson. at the county line, down Greenbrier River, a distance of twenty miles; thence down New River to the Fayette line, a distance of about fifteen miles, making between thirty-five and forty miles of track in the county. Soon after its construction it erected at Pence's Springs depot, large and com- modious cattle pens and stockyards, and the station at that point was known as "Stockyards." The land surrounding is now owned by ex-Sheriff O. T. Kesler, but was then owned by Silas R. Mason, a railroad contractor. About 1902 the stockyards were removed to the town of Avis, and the railway station was changed to Pence Springs. Immediately after the location of the line of the railroad, the excavations for the round-house at Hinton were begun by Alexander Atkinson, an Irish-American contractor, and father of Captain Frank Atkinson, a passenger conductor at present ; also of Miss Maggie Atkinson, of Hinton. The work was stopped on the round-house when the C. & O. Railroad Company went into the hands of a receiver, but afterwards completed on its reorganization.
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HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
The first passenger depot was a one-story frame building im- mediately opposite the Hinton ferry. This was converted into a freight depot in the year 1900, and the large brick passenger depot and offices erected at the present site. Hinton has been the end of the Huntington division since the construction of the road, and has practically been all the time the headquarters for the superinten- dent and operative and office forces. There are but a few of the old railway employees in this section who were connected with its operation upon its completion. The first division superintendent was Thomas Sharp, a Virginian, and the father of Mrs. M. J. Cook, Thomas Lee Sharp and Mrs. Professor Koontz. The first passen- ger conductor running into Hinton was Captain Phil Cason, who now runs from Richmond to Newport News. His boarding place was with Mrs. M. S. Gentry, in the old log homestead of the Hin- ton's by the side of the railroad track, at the crossing in Avis.
L. S. Alley was one of the first locomotive engineers who ever ran on this road. He was a native of Prince George County, Vir- ginia, born the 8th day of September, 1832, and is now retired on pay for his faithful service to the company, and resides at Alder- son, West Virginia: He commenced running on this road in 1852, before it passed this side of the Jackson River. His first trip west of White Sulphur in the Allegheny Mountains was in the latter part of 1873. He was a famous old Virginia gentleman, known far and near by all railroad men. It is an interesting and entertaining pastime to talk with this old pioneer about railroad- ing in the early days. He was a railroad locomotive engineer dur- ing the Civil War, running from Jackson River Depot to Staunton. During the war, about forty-five years ago, a train load of soldiers was brought from Staunton to Jackson River by this old veteran on a stormy day. It was bitter cold, and the night closed in with flakes of flying snow from the neighboring mountains, when En- gineer Alley pulled into Jackson River Depot. He grasped his lantern, his day's work finished and well done, and started for home, where he knew comforts awaited him. As he started he met at the door of the telegraph office four or five soldiers, who were seeking some place of shelter. all of the public houses being filled to overflowing. Out of the goodness of his heart he took each of them home with him and gave them a hearty Virginia welcome.
The following is taken from a letter written to Mr. Alley by one of these soldiers forty-three years afterwards: "Ah, how well I remember, when we reached your house, you knocked on the
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HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
door, and a soft, tender voice asked 'Who is there?' 'It is me, Cassie, and I have brought some Georgia soldiers to spend the night with us.' She replied, 'They are more than welcome if they are soldiers-it matters not from where they are.' And of the little squad of soldiers that sat at your table that November night, I believe I am the only one who has not passed over the river to rest under the trees."
It is pleasant to talk to this old pioneer railroader, and hear him recount the reminiscences of the early dangers encountered through the wilds of this region. He is succeeded by a generation of rail- roaders, his son, Lon Alley, being now one of the trusted engi- neers running a passenger train between Hinton and Clifton Forge. Mr. Alley began running on the Danville road in 1857.
The first superintendent of this section was Captain Joe Mal- lory ; the first engineer of maintenance of way was William M. S. Dunn, a brother of the late Luther M. Dunn, of Hinton. The first engineer, of the construction was H. D. Whitcomb, assistant of Major McKenrie; also Captain Talcott, after whom the town of Talcott was named: Captain Temple, after whom Temple Street was named, and Major Randolph, who was killed by a blast at New River Falls during the construction at that place. H. D. Whitcomb was also superintendent, the third; J. H. Gill being the second; the fourth was John H. Timberlake; the fifth, Thomas Dodemead; the sixth, H. D. Whitcomb; seventh, Superintendent Perry; eighth, William M. S. Dunn; ninth, W. S. Rider, univer- sally disliked for his tyrannical disposition and his uncalled-for interference in matters not pertaining to his business or that of the corporation by whom he was employed. The tenth was a Mr. Harris from New York State: the eleventh was a Mr. Cutter; the twelfth was H. R. Dills, who was promoted from train dispatcher. It was through his efforts, with those of a number of enterprising citizens of the city, that the yards in Avis were secured, and an apparent permanency given to the city, he and the writer having negotiated a portion of the land from the late Evi Ballangee for these yards. The thirteenth superintendent was again J. H. Gill, and the fourteenth was Mr. J. W. Knapp, now superintendent of the Richmond Division, and who, by his having resided long in this city and his disposition to aid in its advancement, became universally endeared to its people. The fifteenth is J. W. Car- lisle, now at Clifton Forge, and the present and sixteenth is E. W. Grice. George Thomasson, C. B. Mahan, J. H. King were among
BALDWIN L. HOGE, Ex-Clerk Circuit Court.
W. S. ALLEY, Who Ran a Locomotive Engine to Jackson's River During the Civil War.
THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY
ASTOR, LENOX AND TILDEN FOUNDATIONE.
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HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
the first conductors. T. G. Swatts, George Showalter, Henry An- carrow, engineers.
John Roadcap was one of the oldest fireman on this division. He was killed in an accident at Stretcher's Neck Tunnel. John Wilkins was one of the ancient engineers. Engineer Alley, who is referred to in these pages, was promoted from fireman to en- gineer in 1852. He retired from the service in July, 1898. He was exceedingly fortunate, never having received an injury or hurt in any way in his railroading experience, although he was in four head-end collisions, two rear-end collisions and a number of small mishaps. He had considerable experience in hauling soldiers dur- ing the war. The road has greatly increased its service, efficiency and has aided materially in the development of this region. The road was operated for some time as the Newport News & Mis- sissippi Valley Co.
This railroad has become one of the great trunk lines of the country. For several years after its completion its service was very inefficient and the tonnage light. Inducements were offered by the corporation to secure enterprises along the line which would increase the tonnage, and of late years the trouble has been to provide transportation for the productions produced on the main line and its branches. the principal of which has been coal from the New River and Kanawha fields, and timber. The stations in this county are one at the old Mohler switch, which was aban- doned for a number of years, but recently re-opened. A short line built by the Commonwealth Lumber Company crosses the Greenbrier River to the mouth of Griffith's Creek, and extends up that creek into the Jarrett Survey of land, covering the top of the Keeney's Knobs, and extending into the headwaters of Lick Creek country. The broad-gauge track with steam power used for hauling manufactured lumber from those lands, and a little town has grown up at the junction of the main line. The next station is at the mouth of Wolf Creek, and is the shipping point for the Big Wolf Creek Valley and sur- rounding country. The next is Riffe's Crossing, which is a local stop for local passengers only. Pence Springs is the next station, which was known as the Stock Yards for twenty years. After the removal of these cattle pens to Hinton, the station was named Pence Springs. Three miles west is Lowell, and a mile and a half west of that place is Talcott; then Wiggins, or better known as Don, four miles east of Hinton ; then Hinton: then Barkedale, about four miles west of Hinton, which is a shipping point only
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HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
for manufactured timber; Brooks, a mile west; then Sandstone, or New Richmond ; then Meadow Creek, which is a mile and a half east of the Fayette County line.
This road was originally commenced some years before the war, and constructed to Jackson's River. The war commenced and stopped all railroad construction. A few years after its ter- mination C. P. Huntington, the New York capitalist, secured con- trol of that road known as the Covington & Virginia, secured a charter from the West Virginia Legislature, and constructed the road into White Sulphur Springs, and later on to the Ohio River at Huntington, which city was founded by Collis P. Huntington, and named for him. He also constructed the link between White Sulphur and Huntington, beginning work from both ends. The road was let to contract in mile sections, and the last spike was driven near the Hawk's Nest by a contractor by the name of C. R. Mason, who worked as a laborer with a wheelbarrow when a boy when the road began. The first engines were fired with cordwood, and later with coal secured from the New River mines. Only a few freight trains ran at the beginning, and only local pas- senger trains were operated. There were no sleepers or Pullmans, and the mails were not carried for some time. In a short time after its completion, being unable to meet its interest, the mort- gages were foreclosed and it was sold, being purchased and trans- ferred to the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway Co. In the meantime Mr. Huntington formed some kind of a syndicate, with which he placed this line, and it was operated for a year or two under the name of the Ohio & Mississippi Valley Railway. M. E. Ingalls was made president later, and operated its lines with the Big Four, or the C., C., C. & St. L. Railway, of which he was president also. Afterwards George W. Stevens was made president, and so continues. Prior to his becoming president he was general man- ager of the road under Ingalls. As its business has increased it has enlarged its facilities by increasing the yards in Hinton, and by double-tracking all of the line in Summers County. The large wooden trestles originally constructed over the ravines and creeks were replaced with substantial stone abutments and iron super- structures. The bridge across Greenbrier at Lowell was torn down and a new steel bridge superstructure placed in its stead, without suspension of the operation of trains. The Big Bend Tunnel was arched with brick, and the old wooden arch taken out, which oc- cupied ten years' time, but the traffic was not stopped a moment during the time, except temporarily for a few hours sometimes by
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HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
reason of the debris falling in. The double track was never laid through the Big Bend Tunnel, and during its construction the main line ran around the end of the mountain' through which the Little Bend Tunnel passes.
The first line surveyed for the main line of the railway was through Keeney's Knobs from Alderson, down Lick Creek to its mouth, but it was abandoned and the present route secured. The principal rights-of-way from the land owners were secured by Robert F. Dennis, a lawyer of Lewisburg. Comparatively little of the rights-of-way were condemned. Mr. Huntington purchased, about the time he was securing right-of-way, or soon after, the land on which Hinton is built from Rufus Pack, administrator of the estate of Isaac Ballangee, in the name of the railway company, and later organized the Central Land Company and transferred the land to that company. He did the same at Huntington, purchasing the real estate upon which that city is built, and transferring it to the Central Land Company, of which he was the president until his death. The charter for that corporation expired some years before his death, a receiver was appointed, who took charge of all the lands, and the titles were passed by a commissioner of the United States Court, until after his death, when the property was all sold and purchased by a syndicate of Huntington and Charles- ton people, who immediately sold the Hinton interest remaining undisposed of by the special receiver to William Plumley, Jr., and E. H. Peck. They disposed of a considerable amount of the prop- erty in lots, and then sold the remainder in a body to Col. J. A. Parker, who now owns the same, amounting to sixty or seventy acres.
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