USA > West Virginia > Summers County > History of Summers County from the earliest settlement to the present time > Part 72
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The first telegraph operator at Hinton was a man by the name of Robert Baird, who had his office in a box car. The old-style telegraph was still in use, and the machines operated by the tel- egraphers were a curiosity. At this date the last one remaining in use in the United States, so far as known, was by W. J. Han- cock at Alderson. The only telegraph line ever doing business in this county has been that of the Western Union, and the only express company doing business is the Adams Express Company, the telegraph and express business being operated in connection with the railway business. The division headquarters have always been at Hinton, and before the construction of their present com- modious brick quarters in the upper story of the station, up-town rooms were used. At one time the old brick house just above the round-house, known as the McClung Building, and the Riffe Build-
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HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
ing, above the old Wickami House, were used for years for offices for the company.
The block system was not established until within the last ten years. Accidents were very frequent for the first fifteen years after the completion of the road, and litigation in the courts for injuries done to the person as well as to property was common.
When the first telegraph wire was placed through the county it was difficult to keep the connection up by reason of the natives cutting the wire and using it for domestic uses around the farm; especially was this true in the Laurel Creek neighborhood. The excavation for the round-house was made by Alexander Atkinson. The employees for several years after the completion of the road were principally Virginians. The labor used in its construction was mostly colored labor from Virginia. The material for the construction was all brought overland in wagons or down Green- brier River in bateaux. The people all over the country subscribed to a fund for making a channel down Greenbrier River for trans- portation purposes. The people on Lick Creek, we remember, united in this enterprise, which benefited the railroad company principally.
J. H. Gunther was the first depot agent at Hinton and also agent for the Central Land Co., which positions he retained for a number of years. He was a very enterprising man, and did much for the upbuilding of the town. He finally got to speculating, broke up financially and left for parts not known.
The agents here have been J. H. Gunther. A. G. Flannagan, L. M. Peck, Coleman Alderson, present, Roger Young, J. Hugh Miller and Covertson.
TALCOTT.
Talcott as a town or village was unknown to fame or to the maps of the country until the construction of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad. It is situated above Hungard's Creek, at its mouth, and at the east portal of the Big Bend Tunnel. The vil- lage and station were named after Captain Talcott, a civil engi- neer, who aided in locating the railroad at that point. At the time of the formation of the county the postoffice was on the opposite side of the Greenbrier River, and known as Rollynsburg. After whom that postoffice was named I am unable to ascertain, unless it be after C. K. Rollyson, who was a well-known citizen of that neighborhood in his day. J. W. Jones and W. W. Jones, two
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HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
brothers, were then engaged in merchandising on that side of the river known as Rollynsburg, under the firm name of J. W. Jones & Brother. After the building of the railroad they moved across the river into the storeroom still occupied by W. W. Jones, con- tinuously from that day to this. After the removal, J. W. Jones accidentally shot and killed himself instantly, leaving a widow, a daughter of Dr. Bray and sister of A. B. C. Bray, of Ronceverte, and cashier of the First National Bank of that place.
The village has in the last two years received some impetus by reason of the building of the bridge across the river, it being made the shipping point for Red Sulphur Springs and Barger Springs. A new hotel is now under construction by Messrs. John WV. Willy and George B. Dunn, two merchants of that place. It has been the shipping point for a large quantity of timber, tan- bark and railway cross-ties, for the last thirty odd years, brought in from Hungard's Creek, Boone Creek and other directions. The late M. A. Manning was one of the first settlers in the town, and made it his home for the last thirty years of his life, and always took great interest in its progress. There are now four stores in the place-W. W. Jones, J. W. Hoke, W. D. Rhodes and Dunn & Willy. It has two churches, an M. E. Church South and a Missionary Baptist. It has a good frame free school house.
THE GREAT FLOOD.
On September 18. 1878, occurred the greatest and most de- structive flood ever known in this region. The only one coming near to it was that of 1861, which nearly equalled, if not exceeded it. New River was 221/2 feet high-six feet higher than known of before, as then claimed. Rude desolation marked the course of the angry waters the entire length of the New River Valley. Fif- teen dwellings, a steamboat, fine stables, and one very large saw- mill, the first erected in the county, that of John P. Mills, at the point of the island near the water plant, were swept away and destroyed. Rain continued to fall for twenty-four hours. The rainfall as shown by the Government gauge was 31/2 inches in the twenty-four hours-one-half inch greater than ever before reached or known. Bluestone came first as never before. The waters rose into the residence of Charles Clark, at the mouth of Bluestone, where John W. Barker now lives : carried off James & Sons' boom, and 1,500 saw logs, besides a large lot of lumber. Property melted
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like frost before the summer sun. The new steamboat "Cecelia," being in course of construction, was torn loose from its cables and went to the ocean. The waters were at their highest on Friday. All families deserted the island, leaving their worldly belongings, except Silas Hinton and J. P. Mills, but they raised a cry for help, and James Johnson (colored), now nearly ninety years old, and his brave crew, carried them out over the raging flood. The en- tire island disappeared except 100 feet square, near where Dr. Gooch resided, and where McDonald built the first brick kiln to construct the court house. All the horses, cattle, calves and hogs gathered on this square and began making piteous appeals for succor ; the horses neighed, and the cows lowed most pleadingly, until relief came and they were carried off. Each time Johnson and his crew attempted to get to the residences of Hinton and Mills they were swept away, until finally joined by Tim Over- shiner, Wm. H. Thompson and Wm. R. Thompson, who was one of the most brave and active in the work of rescue, jumped in a skiff and undertook to cross, but Johnson got there first, and they together released the humans as well as the beasts from their danger and their captivity.
New River ran from mountain to mountain. Haystacks, corn and fencing were carried away in the mad rush. Seven horses, two calves and a number of hogs were rescued by the boatmen. The river continued to rise until ten o'clock Saturday night. Joe Carter lost two dwellings and 600 panel of fence. W. H. Cottle lost his residence and all household goods. Widow Day lost all her personal effects. E. A. Weeks lost his dwelling; B. L. Hoge his dwelling and household effects; Anna Hoge all her personal goods; Walker Tyler his building, storehouse and residence. The John Pack storehouse was swept away, the upper story of which had been used as a court house for some time after the formation of the county, and its removal from the old church. C. Harris and F. M. Starbuck lost all their property; Captain Taliaferro had his house damaged to the extent of $1,200 and household goods de- stroyed. The Sperry House, then owned by the James Sons' Co., was also damaged: The William James Sons' Co. lost $5,000 by loss of boats, logs, boom, etc., and Silas Hinton's kitchen drifted away and lodged against Captain Dennis' residence. The water was five feet deep in his house and in the storehouse of Silas Hin- ton & Bro. J. H. Hobbs lost one building. M. V. Calloway lost his residence, all of the outbuildings and all of his household and
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HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
personal property. B. Prince, Geo. S. Young, John W. Woodson, J. S. Thompson, J. P. Mills and S. E. Phillips & Bro. each lost very considerable. The handsome frame residence and large steam mill of J. P. Mills were destroyed and damaged to the extent of $5,000. N. M. Lowery, B. P. Gooch, Sam Pack, the Rev. Harry Coe, the Widow Rice, Rev. M. Bibb, John R. Gott, M. Thompson, Jas. Collins and others lost very considerable. The populous part of the city was on the island in Avis, and especially fronting New River. This river front was practically all carried away except a part of the house of S. Hinton and the house of Frank Dennis. The whole island was left desolate. A dyke was begun by the mu- nicipality of Avis in 1906, with a view to turning the floods and waters from the river as a protection for all time. This work has progressed very satisfactorily to this date-January, 1907.
W. C. Richmond, who owned the fine farm just below Hin- ton, on the opposite side, had his large farm house completely de- molished. Colonel Crockett lost four stacks of hay and 2,500 bushels of corn from Crump's Bottom, and 1,000 rails and a valu- able portion of land along the river margin. Elbert Fowler lost twenty-five stacks of hay, six acres of corn, with damages amount- ing to $1.000, including injury to land. M. C. Barker lost seven- teen stacks of hay, a large number of rails, and fifty acres of corn. Rufus Pack lost five stacks of hay and six acres of corn and fenc- ing. A mill was washed off from Crump's Bottom, and on Lick Creek, in Green Sulphur District, the valuable grist mill of Har- rison Gwinn was swept away, the mill stones carried a great dis- tance, and the dam across the creek completely destroyed. The water was several feet up on the storehouse at New Richmond. now owned by J. A. Graham, then owned by Mrs. Culliny. Great damages were done to the railway, and all trains and traffic were completely at a standstill, and so continued until the following Sunday. Vincent Sweeney, an aged citizen, living on New River at this time, remembered a flood in 1840, when he claimed the ยท river was higher by six feet than at this time. judging from a mark he made at the time.
The losses by the farmers along the rivers were very serious. John A. Richmond, at New Richmond, lost 180 shocks of corn : J. N. Haynes, at Pack's Ferry. lost 100 shocks: James Roles, at the mouth of Bluestone, on the Jonathan Lee Barker farm, lost 100 shocks ; C. A. Fredeking lost 230 fine walnut logs from James' boom.
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HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
A FATAL ACCIDENT.
The month of March, 1907, was one of the dreariest ever ex- perienced by residents of the county. It rained almost continually for the greater part of the month, resulting in a great deal of mud and slides constantly on the C. & O. Road. Furious thunder storms occurred, accompanied by bright lightning, illuminating the dark nights.
John Flanagan, a locomotive engineer, who was one of the old- est residents of Hinton, and who had for twenty-five years been one of the most faithful passenger engineers of the road, having taken the "Fast Flying Virginian" when it was first placed on the road fifteen years before and ran it without a mishap or killing a man, passenger or employe, having a most enviable record, with his fireman, Michael Quinn, a son of the old boatman, Captain Thomas J. Quinn, were running No. 3. the west-bound passenger, "F. F. V.," on the morning of March 12th, and when running near the trestle and embankment between Wiggins and the Little Bend Tunnel at Pauley's Creek, ran into a small slide of slate which had fallen from the upper embankment. The engine was thrown from its trucks across the tracks, blocking them. The baggage car was thrown across the tracks, projecting half way over a fifty- foot perpendicular embankment, as was also the combination car, the remainder of the train practically remaining on the ties and rails. The engine and tender, which was of steel, were completely wrecked, as well as the baggage car. The rails for some one hun- dred feet were twisted, warped and destroyed, the wheels of the cars sinking and cutting through the ties into the earth. Mr. Flanagan and his fireman were both caught beneath the engine, from which the hot steam escaped in great quantities, resulting in the scalding and burning of them to such an extent that they died within a very short time after being rescued from the debris, which was done within thirty minutes after the catastrophe. No passenger was seriously hurt. the baggageman being slightly in- jured.
Mr. Flanagan was about fifty-eight years of age, in the best of health, and was buried at "Hill Top" Cemetery on the 14th. In such high esteem was he held that the entire business of the city was suspended, the business houses closed. the railroad company practically stopping operation from 12 until 4 o'clock on the day of the funeral.
The funeral was participated in by the great body of our citi-
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HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
zens, and by the fraternal orders of which he was a member-the Masons, the Elks and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers. He left a family of three children-Dr. T. O. Flanagan, Mrs. E. N. Faulconer and a widow.
He was held in universal esteem, and his death and the sud- denness and manner of his taking off cast a gloom over the entire community.
The remains of young Quinn, who was twenty-five years of age, were interred at the family burying-ground at Farley, on the 14th, by his brotherhood. He was a young man of character, and his death was regretted by the people generally.
About the same time Captain John B. Lutz, a conductor, was killed in his caboose at Sewall Creek by an engine running into it. He was also buried on the 14th. He was a popular and good citi- zen, and left a widow and seven small children.
CATASTROPHE AT PARKER'S OPERA HOUSE.
On the 4th of July, in the year 1895,, one of the greatest cele- brations of that great holiday was in progress. The city was full of people from the country districts, and from up and down the railroad the whole town was in gala attire; flags floating from the buildings and decorations throughout the town ; the people happy, and having a day of happiness and enjoyment. A street parade had taken place, and comic demonstrations carried out according to program. A ball was billed for the afternoon at the Parker House. The building was crowded to its full capacity with men, women and children, which was not sufficient to permit all the people desiring admittance to enter to observe or take part in tlie festivities. Along the front of the building facing Summers Street was a temporary balcony or covering for the purpose of providing shade for the walk and store-rooms on the ground floor, A num- ber of people had gone up into the Opera House, and gone out onto the balcony through the windows to observe and enjoy the festivities within. The walks were crowded with people going to and fro, passing and repassing, and enjoying the occasion, when suddenly this wooden-constructed balcony gave way from the top, the fastenings parting from the walls, precipitating the crowd on top of the balcony, as well as the timbers on which it was constructed at the windows onto the people below. Imme- diately great confusion reigned. The people fled from the Opera House exit pell-mell, and it was soon circulated throughout the
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HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
town that a tragedy had occurred. One man, Parker Bennet, leaped on his white horse and rode through town at a gallop, "hollering" to the extent of his powerful lungs and voice "that the Opera House had fell and the people were all massacred." There was one boy killed (Mann), being eleven years of age, who was the son of Thomas Mann, who lived in Upper Hinton ; Louise Fletcher, who had her ankle broken at the joint: Henry Lee Lilly received slight bodily injuries, and several others were injured more or less seriously.
This accident resulted in long and hotly contested litigation. Mr. Mann sued the town of Hinton for damages by reason of the killing of his son, and received a judgment for $1,000; Louise Fletcher sued Colonel J. A. Parker and Dr. S. P. Peck, the then owners of the Opera House, for damages, for which she received a verdict before the jury of $700, which was taken to the Supreme Court of Appeals of the State, compromised and dismissed; but afterwards, by what was claimed without authority of the benefi- ciary, a suit was instituted by the attorneys interested, and the compromise and judgment secured held not good, and judgment held valid, which was released by Miss Fletcher as to her interest ; but the attorneys are still contesting the matter, claiming an at- torney's lien against the judgment, although they had received a part of the funds paid in settlement and compromised. This liti- gation has once been taken to the Supreme Court and reversed in Colonel Parker's favor, and is now pending in the circuit court. Mr. Lilly dismissed his suit, and all other matters were adjusted. The city was later required to pay the Mann judgment of $1,000.
THE HINTON TOLL BRIDGE.
This structure, one of the most important to the city of Hin- ton, was largely promoted by Dr. Joseph A. Fox, to whom the credit of the promotion of the enterprise is due. A joint stock company was organized in 1904, and the charter issued. The com- pany elected a Board of Directors, composed of Dr. Fox as general manager ; Dr. O. O. Cooper, vice-president, and William Plumley, president. The total cost of the bridge and land was $44,400.
A contract was entered into on the 8th day of October, 1904, with the West Virginia Bridge & Construction Company, by which it agreed to construct this bridge for the price of $41,000, the bridge to be completed by the 1st of October, 1905. The work was begun about the 1st of March, 1905, and completed on the
WM. H. GARNETT, Lawyer, Cashier First National Bank and Active Financier.
THENLY PUBLIC LIBRARY
APTOF. L'EX ! ! TILD" FORMAT ENE.
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HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
22d day of August, 1906, when it was opened to the public as a public highway, charging five cents for foot passengers one way, and ten cents for horse and rider.
The great delay in the completion of the structure resulted in a notorious lawsuit by the Toll Bridge Company vs. the Construc- tion Company for damages, tried on the 20th day of March, 1907. The jury gave its verdict for the plaintiff for the sum of $900, and notice of an appeal given to be applied for. The attorney for the plaintiff was R. F. Dunlap, and for the defendant Beckner, Clay and George E. Price, of Charleston.
The piers and abutments are of concrete, the second of the kind in the county, the Talcott bridge being the first.
HINTON WATER WORKS.
About the year 1890 a number of the citizens of Hinton. appre- ciating the necessity and advantages to be derived to the town, got together, in a general mass-meeting held for the purpose, and took steps towards organizing a water works enterprise. The leading promoters of the enterprise were J. C. James H. Ewart. R. R. Flanagan, A. G. Flanagan, S. P. Peck, W. J. Brightwell, J. A. Diffe. James H. Miller and C. B. Mahon. They proceeded to or- ganize the Hinton Water Works, Company, securing a charter therefore. A franchise for ninety-nine years was secured from the city council, with the usual reservations, regulations and provisions. A reservoir was made near the graveyard on the top of the hill, which would hold --- gallons of water. The pump-house was located near the river in Avis. The company was capitalized at $20,000, but the plant cost about $30,000. It was a large under- taking and enterprise for the then financial condition of the people of this city. It was many years before the promoters began to realize anything from their investment. Later, the plant was sold to O. M. Lance and associates, of Wilkesbarre, Pa., who also pur- chased at the same time the electric light plant, and operated the same together for some five years, but were unable to declare a dividend on their stock, whereupon the same was resold to the citizens of Hinton at about $100,000. The price paid for the plant by the Pennsylvania syndicate was $75,000. The electric light plant was not originally a part of the water works operations. but was a distinct and separate corporation, and was placed in the city, franchise secured and operated by Dr. S. P. Peck and F. M. Starbuck without incorporation. Later, they sold the plant to
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HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
John Leslie and associates, who operated it for a number of years, and sold it to the Pennsylvania people. Since the consolidation and repurchase by the present owners, who are all citizens of Hinton, and include among their stockholders Messrs. H. Ewart, R. R. Flanagan, J. H. Jordan, A. E. Miller, O. O. Cooper, A. G. Flanagan, C. B. Mahon, J. C. James, Wm. Plumley, Jr., J. A. Fox, T. N. Read, W. H. Warren, P. K. Litsinger, J. A. Parker, W. J. Brightwell, J. J. Duffy, James T. McCreery and John W. McCreery. The pres- ent company owns both the lighting and water systems, and are installing an entirely new, up-to-date and modern electric lighting plant and water system for the entire two cities of Hinton and Avis, placing new power-house, new steam pumps, and making an up-to-date plant throughout.
Much unnecessary and unfair antagonism has been shown to- wards these enterprises for the last few years, and much misrepre- sentation and adverse criticism, by reason of the character of the service, however, not by the people who are looking to the best interests of the town. Grounds for these criticisms and complaints have arisen from the character of the water and light service, and these have grown largely from the operations conducted and main- tained on the property while owned by foreign capitalists, and not when under the management and operation of the home people. This, like all the other industries and enterprises of these cities, is owned by residents and home capitalists.
TALCOTT TOLL BRIDGE.
This is a steel bridge spanning the Greenbrier River at Talcott Station, and is owned by the Talcott Toll Bridge Company, a West Virginia corporation, of which Nathaniel Bacon, a direct descend- ant of the Virginia patriot of that name, celebrated in prose and poetry as well as in history as the hero of "Bacon's Rebellion," and the hero in the famous novel, "Hansford," is president, and J. A. Fox, of Hinton, general manager and the largest individual stock- holder. The bridge was contracted for and the construction be- gun in 1904, and completed in 1905. The piers are concrete and the superstructure iron, and it is the first and only steel bridge across Greenbrier River in the county. It is 400 feet long, and occupies the site of the old Rollynsburg Ferry, later Talcott Ferry, of which Thomas C. Maddy, the old Confederate soldier, was for many years the owner and ferryman. The bridge company pur- chased the old ferry and employed Mr. Maddy as bridge-keeper,
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HISTORY OF SUMMERS COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA.
and he has been the first and only one. He is noted for his hon- esty and courtesy in all the region. When this bridge was com- pleted it diverted a great deal of the travel from Lowell, including the Red Sulphur mail line and travel. A bridge, toll and free, had been agitated by the citizens for many a year, and a vote was taken at one time on bonding the district, but voted down. Hon. M. A. Manning had endeavored for years to secure a bridge, but it did not come until late years, and he did not live to see his hopes con- summated. The principal promoters were Messrs. Dr. Ford, W. W. Jones, N. Bacon, E. P. Huston, G. B. Dunn and Dr. Fox, who first undertook the promotion of the enterprise. It cost about $12,000, and was a paying investment from the time it was first thrown open to the public.
FOSS BRIDGE.
The first iron bridge ever built across Greenbrier River was built near its mouth by the Foss Bridge Company, a corporation chartered by the Secretary of State of West Virginia on the 26th day of July, 1906, by G. L. Lilly, G. A. Miller, A. E. Miller, H. Ewart and Jas. H. Miller. The bridge was completed the first of December, 1907, and was built and is owned practically by A. E. & C. L. Miller, H. Ewart, John P. and Richard McNeer. It is about four hundred feet in length, with four piers. The ferry at this point was discontinued in November, 1907, at the opening of this bridge. The bridge was constructed by the Columbus Bridge. & Iron Company. It consists of four sections, with piers and abut- ments of concrete.
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