USA > West Virginia > Logan County > Logan > History of the city of Logan, W. Va. [West Virginia], 1823-1916 > Part 2
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10
Spinning wheels and looms were found in every house- hold and while the men cleared the fields, tilled the soil and hunted the wild game and the children hooked the fish in clear streams or gathered berries from the hills, the women, God bless them, prepared the cotton, flax and wool and wove it into cloth. Nature furnished dyestuffs to color the cloth thus wove in almost every hue that could be desired. The dyestuffs consisted of bark of trees and 'shrubs with the copperas which was easily found in the caves.
Canoes were the largest crafts that floated upon the river and when the work of the season was over a little fleet of them loaded with pelts and ginseng would be found floating down the sparkling waters of the Guyan to set- tlements on the Ohio, where the cargoes would be exchanged for coffee and household goods and probably a few yards of calico with which to clothe some favorite daughter and make her envied by all the belles of the neighborhood.
-15-
Shoes were undoubtedly purchased to take the place of ruder shoes or moccasinswhich mere made of buckskin in the mountain settlement and whose heel taps would be trained to keep time to the enlivening strains of the 'fiddle.' While it is nowhere asserted as a fact, we are satisfied- there being no mention of stills in the mountains, in any of the chronicles of that day-that a few gallons of something stronger than water would furnish a part of the return cargo to be used in celebrating Christmastide and giving to the old folks a reminder of the happy days known in "Old Virginia" when they were young and gay.
Thus these people continued to live, happy and content- ed, while every year would bring a new immigrant in their midst, who following their leadership, resolved to follow them to this section and cast their lot among them. Other stores came for it became known that the supply of furs and ginseng to be found in these wilds were almost inexhaust- able. Wild beasts were continuing to roam the wilds at will and a few are to be found in the county to this day, each year recording one or more captured or killed, while gin- seng was so plentiful up to the year 1860, the writer was told by Mr. Astyanax McDonald, that while serving as clari- fier for Major James Nighbert, during this year he hand- led over 28,000 pounds of green ginseng. During the years just previous to the civil war these pelts and herbs were transported down the Guyan in push boats and thence up the Ohio river to Brownstown, now known as Marmet, a village ten miles west of Charleston, and the return cargo was brought back over the same course, while those that manned the boats charged as high as two dollars a hundred pounds for transporting it.
The entire number of houses then situated within the present bounds of the corporation consisted of about five in number. As before stated they were happy and contented- in their little log cabins among the mountains until the dark stormy war clouds of the Civil strife began to becloud the horizon, when the sturdy brave hearts of the men of the
-16-
county of Logan, was fired with patriotic zeal to rush to the assistance of their brothers in defense of their homes and the fair Southland. Accordingly on the 3rd day of June, 1861, Company D, of the 36th, Virginia regiment, consisting of 64 men from Logan county was formed and on this date they bid adieu to wife, sister, sweetheart and loved ones and with strong wills and head erect they marched away from the little village, down the river, thence across the mount- ains to Charleston where they were mustered into service. Before leaving Logan, the women folks of the neighborhood had gathered and with their own hands, each woman taking a few stitches and then passing it on to another one, made a flag, which they delivered to the brave volunteers, and watched the banner raised and saw the folds caught up and spread to the breeze as they stood with tear-dimmed eyes and watched it disappear from sight. This flag remained in possession of the gallant band constituting Company D, through their march to Fort Donaldson, Tennessee, through many marches up and down the valley of Virginia, two trips over in Maryland and when the war had ended and Lee had laid down his sword to Grant at Appomattox, the boys who were then camped near Christianburg, Mont- gomery county, Virginia, saw to it that the old flag, which had been with them in the thickest of the fray, had been riddled by shot and shell, which had been smirched with the blood of the dying and was torn and tattered should be re- turned with them to the place where it was made while every man of Company D was proud to boast "that she never was captured or trailed in the dust."
This company was known through the years of the struggle as the "Logan Wildcats" for it was a well known fact that where a fierce charge was to be made or tight place to fill the order went forward for the "Logan Wildcats" to take the lead and bear the brunt and the gallant men were never known to falter.
It was through their fearlessness that they won this name. The company was organized in Logan by Henry
First National Bank, small building on right is first home of this institution
Residence of J. Cary Alderson, President of Guyan Valley Bank.
-17-
Beckley, who was made captain, and the following officers elected: First lieutenant, Mont Lawson; second lieutenant, Richard Ferrell; first sargeant, Peter Morgan; second ser- geant, Peter Smoot, third sergeant, John Marshall Lawson and fourth sergeant, Astyanax McDonald.
While these brave men were at the front enduring the hardships and fighting the battles of the unfortunate con- flict, the women, like the Spartan women of old, were doing their part in keeping together the home, longing for the day when their loved ones would be permitted to return to them and their firesides. Who is it, there be, who will not say that their labor was not just as brave, as they labored in the fields in the place of the men who had gone to the front, to provide the necessaries of life for those that were left behind. Long were the days and nights that they wait- ed for the first breath of news from the front, fearful that the tidings brought them would be for the worst, yet ever praying the Great Guide of our destinies to care for and protect their husbands and when the conflict was over to return them safely to their families. The love and devotion of these women in those dark and stormy days will always excite the admiration of the generations to come as they read of the great sacrifices made by these women during those years of the Civil conflict.
When the soldier boys, at last, came marching home, they laid down their weapons and took up again their implements and resumed their toil, once more reunited with their families in following the peaceful pursuits of life.
During the years immediately following the war other people began to move into the section now covered by our city and while there was no "boom" there began a gradual growth of a village which continued until the coming of the Guyandotte valley branch of the Chesapeake & Ohio Rail- way, when the great development of this country began and then it was that people began literally to flock into the county and our little city which at that time was known as Aracoma began to spread herself and is still spreading and
-18-
none will prophesy just where the growth will stop. During all this time the women have played an equal part with the men in the upbuilding of our city and with the vast army of men following the completion of the railroad, came also with them the women, for like Ruth of old, they said unto their husbands, "Intreat me not to leave thee, nor return from following after thee; for whither thou goest, I will go: and where thou lodgest I will lodge; thy people shall be my reople, and thy God my God."
Thus it is that while we have no civic organizations among the women, yet, the churches have committees that look after all the needs that can be cared for by the women, and the men well know that our ladies stand ready at all times to respond to every beck and call that will in any way tend to the betterment of the community. We have no charitable organization of the city save such or- ganizations by each of the churches, for we are so prosper- ous none is needed, but should some person through misfortune need assistance, the distress signal is never giv- en but once, before the ladies respond and fill every need.
We know that we can depend on the women of Logan and we men are wont to point with pride to the beautiful women of our city, for we fear not comparison with the famous belles of any part of the world, for there are none purer, sweeter, nor more beautiful to be found on this ter- restial globe, than to be found within our midst.
Court Houses of the County
While we have spoken of the first Circuit, as well as the first County Court, being held in the home of William Dingess we have no authentic record of where the next session was held but from the best facts obtainable at this date we find that the Circuit Court was for awhile held in an old log house consisting of four large rooms, then stand-
-- 19-
ing on the present site of the old Peck hotel building. While this was not erected for a court house, one of the large low- er rooms was used for holding session of the court, until sometime before the war when a large log building was con- structed on the present court house site. This building was destroyed by fire during the Civli War, the building being at the time in the hands of a party of Federal soldiers who, after using it for a time, set it on fire and completely destroyed it.
During this time an amusing incident happened which the writer will relate here, being a story told by a promin- ent man of the town and the authenticity being beyond question.
A flag pole had been raised on the court house lot, or one corner of it, and during the war a party of Federals, being piloted by Clinton Buskirk, of Logan, a Northern sympathizer, while his brothers' sympathies were with the South, came into Logan and had paused at the Court house square.
Buskirk was standing by the flag pole with one hand raised and placed on the pole in an attitude of rest. A party of Southern sympathizers were on top of the mountain di- rectly across the river and among the party was Eli Gore, father of Eli, one of our present policemen, who owned at that time an old cap and ball pistol, but being new in that day excited as much interest as would a German 42 centi- meter gun if brought in our midst. This pistol being the only one in this country at that time it was a common oc- currence for all the neighbors, when they had a dangerous trip or hazardous undertaking to make, to borrow this pistol. On this occasion Eli had his trusty weapon with him and observing Buskirk, he shot. The ball struck Buskirk in the hand he had raised holding to the pole and with a whoop favorably compared with an Indian yell he did a gymnastic stunt that would have done credit to one of John Robinson's acrobats.
After the destruction of the Court house, circuit court
-20-
was again held in the old building mentioned above until about 1870 when between this date and 1875 a brick build- ing was constructed on the old site, the brick being made in town.
This building served the purpose until about 1903, when it was torn down and in 1904 a new stone building was erected.
This building caught fire in 1911, from a fire started on the river bank. We find on the corner stone of this building the following inscription: "Laid by the Masonic Fraternity, Oct. 23, A. L. 5905, (the Masonic equivalent of the year 1905), L. H. Clark, Grand Master, J. B. Wilkinson, J. R. Henderson and J. C. Alderson, Building Committee. Committee."
The walls of this building remaining, the county at once undertook the rebuilding. There had been $40,000 insur- ance collected on the building and the present building when completed cost a little over $63,000. This sum would have been greater had it not been for the fact that a large part of the walls that remained standing were used again in the erection of the present building.
Among the eminent jurists that have presided over the Circuit Courts here, we are proud to point, in addition to the first one already mentioned and those that served just previous to the war, there being no records of them saved from the court house when burned in the war, to the fol- lowing, William L. Smith, Henry L. Gillespie, James H. Ferguson, Evermont Ward, Ira J. McGinnis, T. H. Harvey, E. S. Doolittle and J. B. Wilkinson, our present judge, a man who is as square, fair, honest and fearless a Judge as any man that ever wore the judicial ermine. The other offices of the county are filled by the following gentle- men: John Ellis, Circuit Clerk; John Chafin. better known as Con, Prosecuting Attorney ; Don Chafin, Sheriff: C. H. Miller, County Clerk; George Justice, Assessor; and Bruce McDonald, president, Alfred Cabell and Henry Mitchell, forming the County Court.
-21-
As a comparison of the manner of trying criminals during the days of the Civil war and just following, and the present method used in this day, we will give the fol- lowing account of a trial held before Magistrate John Perry, near the mouth of Buffalo creek in this county in 1864. A man by the name of Henry Walker, while drunk, had killed an old man by the name of Mckesson, and had fractured the skull of his daughter, Jane, was arrested and brought before Magistrate Perry and a jury of six men, where he was placed on trial. Being tried and convicted he was taken the next day to a point near Henry's branch, about one mile below the mouth of Buf- falo, stood upon a barrel, under a locust tree and publicly executed.
The hanging was effected by the barrel being kicked from beneath Walker and G. R. Scaggs, being the con- stable at that time acted as executioner.
The only executions that ever took place in the pres- ent limits of Logan, were the hanging of the two slaves who had murdered Mrs. Anthony Lawson, mention of which has been made in the earlier part of this book. These negroes were tried, convicted and publicly executed.
Municipal Affairs of Logan
Our little city was first known as the "Islands." Then the village of Lawnsville was laid out in 1827 as the county seat and the village bore that name until 1852, when Dr. Thos. Dunne English, having been elected mayor and having heard of the tragic death of Aracoma, succeeded in having the name of the village changed to Aracoma. It was known by this name until the application was made to the. legislature of West Virginia, in 1907, for an incorporation of the city when the name, Logan, was substituted.
Some record is made of an incorporation of the village by an act of the General Assembly of Virginia, in 1852, and
-22-
of Dr. Thomas Dunne English having been the first mayor.
The records however, were destroyed by fire when the court house was burned therefore no further records of the municipality can be found. Yet it could hardly be called a municipality for at that time and for some years afterward there were only five houses in the neighbor- hood. We are however willing to wager that the Chief of Police was not overworked.
An election held March 10, 1884, for the purpose of submitting to the voters the question of incorporating the town of Aracoma, resulted in the following-"For Incor- poration," 27, "Against Incorporation," 1. At the follow- ing session of the Circuit court, following the election, held with Judge Ira J. McGinnis presiding, a petition was pres- ented to the Court praying for a certificate of incorpora- tion and the following order was entered by the Court: "The application of John Chafin and others of the citizens of the town of Aracoma, having been duly made on the first day of the present term of this Court for certificate of in- corporation of said town, and the census prescribed by law having been regularly taken as prescribed by law showing a resident population of over one hundred persons, and the survey being taken by the assistant Surveyor of this county showing the limits of the territory proposed to be incorpor- ated and that the same includes not less than one quarter of one square mile in extent and the map thereof being filed among the papers and duly certified by the surveyor afore- said as to the accuracy of the said survey and map and it ap- pearing by affidavit filed that such survey map and census had been left at the place of business of F. M. White, within such territory for more than four weeks from the posting of the notice prescribed by law, and it further appearing that the notice of said application had been posted more than four weeks in those of the most public places in such territory as prescribed by law. And the certificate of J. B. Buskirk, R. B. Buskirk and A. J. Perry, under oath, hav- ing been filed herein showing that they had held the elec-
-23-
tion specified in the notice hereinbefore mentoned as pro- vided by law on the 10th day of Mach, 1884, on the ques- tion of the incorporation of said town and that a majority of the qualified voters residing in the boundary of said town voted at said election in favor of the incorporation of said town, and the Court being satisfied by the evidence that all the requirements of the statutes in such cases made and provided has been fully complied with, doth grant said incorporation."
And the Clerk of the Court is directed to issue a cer- tificate of incorporation of said town according to the sur- vey and map aforesaid under the name of "The Town of Aracoma."
And it is further ordered that J. B. Wilkinson, J. B. Buskirk, and W. A. Dejarnette, thret legal voters of said town be and are hereby appointed Commissioners of Elec- tion for the first election to be held in said town."
The first election resulted in the election of John B. Ferguson, as Mayor, but the author has been unable to find any records of any of the Council meetings until the time of a meeting held on the 25th day of February, 1893.
There has never been a permanent office for the Mayor or any of the other city officials, therefore the records or part of them have become lost, strayed or stolen and an ex haustive search has failed to bring any of them to light.
At a meeting of the Council of the Town of Aracoma held on the 25th day of February, 1893, we find the follow- ing officers presiding over the destinies of the town: J. B. Buskirk, Mayor; H. H. Bryan, T. C. Whited, S. B. Robert- son, W. A. Dejarnette and H. A. Carter, Councilmen; Al- fred Buskirk, Recorder and Leander Cary Sergeant.
At a meeting held August 14, 1893, we find N. J. Keadle, wes elected Sergeant, by Council to fill out the un- expired term caused by the resignation of Leander Cary.
At the regular meeting held on January 15, 1894, H. H. Bryan W. A. Dejarnette and H. A. Carder tendered their resignations as Councilmen and the Council proceeded to
-24-
elect Leander Cary, G. W. Morgan and John A. Sheppard to fill the vacancies. ·
February 8, 1894, J. B. Wilkinson was appointed Coun- sel for the town. ,
At the meeting of the Council held on July 31, 1893, John Lee Buskirk was removed from the office of Ser- geant.
Under date of June 27, 1893, we find the following or- dinance passed by the Council: "Be it ordained by the com- mon council of the town of Aracoma: That any person found guilty of pitching horse shoes, rings or anything of like manner, or playing quoits, ball, marbles, or any simil- ar game or games upon the streets or alleys of the town of Aracoma, shall be fined not less than One Dollar nor more than Five Dollars at the descretion of the Mayor.
On April 21, T. C. Whited tendered his resignation as member of the Council and W. M. Clinginpeel was elected to fill out the unexpired term.
At th election held on January 3, 1895, we find the following results: For Mayor, J. B. Buskirk, 53 votes; G. R. White, 13 votes. Recorder:J. Cary Alderson, 57 votes; S. P. Kelly, 13 votes. and Alfred Buskirk, 1 vote. Coun- cilmen ;S. B. Robertson, 57 votes ; G. L. Carder,9 votes; John W. White, 57 votes; William Straton, 10 votes; C. M. Tur- ley, 54 votes ; G. P. Hicks, 10 votes; William Cary 64 votes ; M. F. French, 11 votes; John Justice, 56 votes; C. H. Gore, 1 vote. Thereupon the officers receiving the highest unm- ber of votes were declared elected
(In the following results of all municipal elections the reader will bear in mind that the five candidates for council · receiving the largest number of votes were always declared elected .- Author.)
At the first meeting held in February, on the sixth day of the month, the Council elected the following officers: J. M. Moore was elected Sergeant and his salary was fixed at $12.50 per month. John L. Buskirk was elected street commissioner and J. B. Ellison Assessor.
-25-
At a special meeting of the Council held July 16, 1895, J. M. Moore tendered his resignation as Sergeant and on September 9, 1895, Robert Straton was elected by the Coun- cil to fill the unexpired term and his salary was fixed at $10 per month.
The result of the election held January 2, 1896, is as follows: Mayor: J. M. Moore, 49; R. W. Peck,30. Re- corder: J. Cary Alderson, 50; S. P. Kelly, 27. Council: John W. White, 50; G. P. Hicks, 44; U. B. Buskirk, 47; C. V. White, 46; G. S. Stone, 46; J. A. Nighbert, 37; J. B. Wil- kerson, 34; William Curry, 31; John Justice, 33; M. F French. 30.
On February 3, 1896, Robert Straton was again elected by the Council to fill the office of Sergeant, at a salary of $12.50 per month. W. I. Campbell was elected Assessor, at $15 per year. John L. Buskirk, Street Commissioner and J. E. Peck, Jr., Attorney for the town, at a salary of $50 per year.
The election held on January 7, 1897, resulted as fol- lows: Mayor: S. B. Robertson, 78;Recorder: S. B. Lawson 21; J. Cary Alderson 52; Alfred Buskirk, 3; W. A. Lee, 2; Bill Brittentine, 1. Council: George Justice, 77; M. F. French, 71; C. H. Gore, 76; R. W. Peck, 67; Ben Pridemore, 46; William Cary, 33; J. B. Buskirk,14; C. E. Bennett, 2; Joe Acord, 3; G. R. White, 1; J. B. Wilkinson, 1; John L. Buskirk, 1; J. A. Nighbert, 1; John Justice, 1.
At a meeting of the Council held on February 2, 1897, the Council elected J. B. Wilkinson Attorney for the town at a salary of $40 per year, John Justice Assessor at $15 per year. Jno. L. Buskirk, Street Commissioner, and Charles Straton as Sergeant at a salary of $10 per month.
The records of the meeting of February 10, 1897, show that the Sergeant-elect having failed to give bond the of- fice was declared vacant and R. B. Miller was elected to fill out the unexpired term, Marlin Hale was appointed police- man for the town.
At a meeting held on August 12, 1897, S. B. Robertson
-26-
tendered his resignation as a member of the Council and S. B. Lawson was elected to fill the unexpired term. At this same meeting Walter Cary was appointed Sergeant at a salary of $10 per month.
At a meeting held on November 8, we find this: "It appearing that Walter Cary has failed to give bond as Ser- geant, W. S. Huff is appointed Sergeant at a salary of $8 per month and he is required to give bond in the penalty of $500."
Election held on January 6, 8198, resulted as follows: Mayor: J. B. Buskirk, 34; S. B. Lawson, 47; Recorder, W. I. Campbell, 36; Scott Justice 45; Council: Leander Cary, 31; George Justice, 80; T. C. Whited 35; S. B. Robertson, 81; - M. F. French, 78; M. D. Hale, 46; R. W. Peck, 48.
The following officers wer appointed at a meeting held on February 2, 1898: Attorney, C. M. Turley, at $20 per year; Assessor, Joseph Acord, Fees ; Sergeant, William Huff $8 per month.
At a special meeting held on July 19, S. B. Lawson ten- dered his resignation as member of the Council and the Council proceeded to elect W. I. Campbell to fill the unex- pired term.
At a special meeting of the Council held on September 27, 1898, W. I. Campbell and Charles Bennett applied to Council for exclusive rights to lay water pipes and establish water works in the town, which franchise was granted, same to run for a period of fifty years.
At a meeting of the Council held on December 22, 1898, a motion was made to submit to the voters at the regular election to be held on January 5, 1899, a proposition to change the name of the town from Aracoma to Nighbert. This proposition was defeated at the election fifty to seven.
Election held January 5, 1899, resulted as follows : Mayor, W. I. Campbell, 70. Recorder, Scott Justice, 70. Council, J. B. Buskirk, 61; J. M. Moore, 66; M. F. French, 63,
-27-
T. C. Whited, 68; G. W. Morgan, 69; R. W. Peck. 11; U. B. Buskirk, 7.
The following officers were elected by the Council: Sergeant, Slias Hatfield, at a salary of $5 per month; As- sessor, Joseph Perry, Fees; Street Commissioner, R. L. Sidebottom, $30 for the year; Attorney, H. C. Ragland, and for his compensation he was exempted from taxes.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.