USA > West Virginia > Myers' history of West Virginia (1915) Volume II > Part 15
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Prior to 1794, 200 acres of land belonging to Thomas Lewis, at the mouth of the Kanawha River, was laid off into lots, streets and alleys, and by an act of the Virginia Assem- bly, dated Dec. 19th of that year, the town of Point Pleasant was established, but it was not incorporated until 1833.
On March 30. 1863, while Captain Carter, with Company E of the 12th West Virginia Infantry, was encamped between
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Main and Viand streets, two blocks from the court house, a . body of Confederate cavalry, under General Jenkins, came down the Kanawha River and attacked the Federals, who at once made for the court house, where they were besieged for four hours. The citizens fled to the opposite side of the river, where they spread the news and reinforcements soon arrived. including battery and artillery. Upon the approach of the Federal reinforcements, the Confederates withdrew across the Kanawha and proceeded to Tazewell County, Virginia. During the skirmish, Col. Andrew Waggener, a veteran of the War of 1812, aged 84 years, was fatally shot by a fellow in Confederate uniform because he refused to give up the horse on which he was riding into town.
The population of Point Pleasant in 1890 was 1853; in 1900, 1934; in 1910, 2045 ; and in 1914, about 2500.
The names of the present town officials are: Arthur Edwards, Mayor; W. C. Whaley, Clerk; J. B. Thomas, Mar- shal; G. W. Cossin, Assessor; L. C. Somerville, Solicitor ; Enos Varian, Street Commissioner and Chief of Police.
Churches.
Presbyterian, M. E. South, Methodist Episcopal, Baptist. and Episcopal.
Newspapers.
Mason Republican, H. F. Liggett, editor ; State Gazette. Musgrave and Blessing, editors; Point Pleasant Register. W. H. Needham, editor.
Banks.
Merchants National. J. McCulloch, President; C. C. Bowyer, Cashier.
Point Pleasant National. J. Capehart, President: J. W. Windom, Cashier.
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Principal Manufacturing Establishments.
Malleable Iron Plant. Flour Mill, Kanawha Dock Co., Smith's Dry Docks, Point Pleasant Machine Shop, Ice Plant, Electric Light and Water Plants.
Wholesale and Retail Establishments.
Point Pleasant Wholesale Grocery Co., Enterprise Whok- sale Grocery Co., J. Fredwin & Co., general merchandise ; J. C. Franklin Co., retail merchants; The Bon Ton, general store.
Hotels.
The Spencer and The Phoenix are the principal hotels.
The principal streets are paved.
Point Pleasant is favorably located, and that she is not one of the leading cities of the Ohio Valley is, perhaps, due more to her former lack of civic pride, moral stamina and business push than to any other cause. For many, many years the town was notorious for its numerous booze joints ; and so long as the people of a town sit down with the expecta- tion that some time, some how, John Barleycorn is going to pave the streets, construct sewerage systems, open banks and factories and build a great city, so long will the people hope in vain. 'Tis true Point Pleasant has some paved streets, a few banks and a few manufacturing plants, but these came into existence, not through the instrumentality of the saloon. but in spite of the saloon. And now that the booze joints have been banished from the town, Point Pleasant is beginning to make some headway toward the attainment of real prosperity. and with the vim and determination of an awakened people. there is no doubt the world will hear something worth while from the old town at the mouth of the Great Kanawha in the near future.
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Point Pleasant School Faculty.
Bismark G. Moore, Superintendent.
HIGH SCHOOL Bertha J. Steinbach and Mary Mc- Culloch.
GRADES-Florence Howard, Beulah Barr, Lillian Asher, Lenora J. Summerville, Lynda Whitten, Clara Mees, Virginia Behan, and Mary E. Howard.
LANGSTON SCHOOL (Colored)-E. L. Morton and Mithue C. Colston.
Total enrollment, 343. School term, 9 months. School year 1913-14.
PINEVILLE.
PINEVILLE, the present county seat of Wyoming County, is located on the north bank of Gyandotte River. The former seat of justice was Oceana, on the Clear Fork of Guyandotte, the first court being held at the residence of John Cook, in 1850, Wyoming having been formed from Logal January 26 of that year. A few years ago the county seat was removed to its present location.
Although practically the whole of the county is under- laid with either the New River or Kanawha River veins of coal, of merchantable thickness, and the surface, in many places, is covered with some of the finest timber in the State, Wyoming is one of the five counties in the State not having a railroad .*
The population of Pineville in 1910 was 334 and at this time is about 400. The county offers a rich harvest to the capitalist interested in timber and coal, but of course no developments will materialize until the field is entered by a railroad. A railroad from Lincoln up the Gyandotte, through Logan and Wyoming to Pineville, thence up the head of Pinnacle Creek and over or through into Mercer, would un- doubtedly prove a paying investment to the builder and would be the means of developing and opening up to the world's
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markets one of the richest sections of the State, that now lies untouched and almost unknown.
With all their present handicaps, the people of Pineville are bravely holding on, knowing full well that there is a better day coming-a day when the little village among the pine will be transformed into a city of the Guyandotte.
Pineville has three churches, as follows: Methodist Epis- copal South, Rev. J. W. Morris, pastor; Methodist Episcopal North, Rev. Perry, pastor ; and Baptist, with Rev. G. P. Goode. pastor.
Robert L. Cook is editor of the Independent Herald, the only newspaper in the town.
Although small in population, Pineville has two banks- The Citizens National and The First National, R. A. Keller being cashier of the former and J. H. Bome cashier of the latter.
E. W. Worrell is mayor and C. F. Pyle, recorder.
The four general stores of the town seem to be doing a good business.
The town lacks manufacturing enterprises, but those will come with the railroad.
The Lusk, Weaver, and Byrd are the principal hotels.
Yes, Pineville has an educational institution-a good one, too. Following is the faculty :
Barty Wyatt, principal, ably assisted by John HI. Toler, Maggie Roach Shannon and Lake E. Wyatt.
Enrollment 1913-14, 108. School term, 9 months.
County Officials.
James Dameron, Twenty-second Judicial Circuit; J. Albert Toler, Prosecuting Attorney; E. M. Senter, Circuit Clerk; WiHl P. Cook. County Clerk; Charley Short, Sheriff ; Chester HI. Cook, County Superintendent Free Schools; L. R. Hash, County Surveyor; and W. B. Belcher, County Assessor.
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PUTNAM COUNTY.
As all . the towns of Putnam County are small-none having a population exceeding 800-and as the diversified in- dustries of the whole county are not fairly well represented in any particular locality, the writer has deemed best to give a general view of the whole. For this information he is indebted to Lewis Barnhart, Esq., of Winfield, W. Va.
"Putnam County, so named for General Putnam of Revolutionary fame, was organized in the year 1848, its terri- tory taken from the two adjoining counties of Mason and Kanawha ; the line between these two counties extending from a point in the Jackson County line at a point near the head of Dog Fork of Pocatalico River in a southwesterly direction, touching the Great Kanawha River near Red House Shoals, leaving the river about a mile below and extending south- westerly to the Cabell County line,-that part of the new county lying northwesterly from the line described being taken from Mason County and that southeasterly from the County of Kanawha. The county lies on both sides of the Great Kanawha River, its northerly line on the river being about eighteen miles above Point Pleasant and its southerly line on the river being about fifteen miles below Charleston. The county lies between the 38th and 39th degrees of north latitude, its greatest length from north to south being about twenty-nine miles. The Great Kanawha River runs, in a general direction northwesterly, through the county, cutting the county into two parts very nearly cqual. The county is divided into six districts, Buffalo, Union and Poca lying on the northeasterly side of the river, and Scott, Teays Valley, Curry and part of Buffalo on the southwesterly side. Eighteen Mile Creek, Big and Little Buffalo Creeks, Farley's Creek and Poca flow into the river from the northerly side, Big and Little Hurricane Creeks, Twenty-five Mile Creek. Bill's Creek, Scary and some minor streams from the southeasterly side, while Trace Fork of Mud River flows east to west through the southern part of the county, taking in the smaller streams of Bridge Creek, Trace, Sycamore and some smaller streams
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from the north and Turkey Creek, Clymer and some others from the south.
There are two railroads, the Chesapeake and Ohio enter- ing the county at its easterly corner on the river and crossing westerly and leaving it at Culloden, with the stations Scary, Scott, Teays, and Hurricane ; and the Kanawha and Michigan, part of the Ohio Central system, following the course of the Great Kanawha River through the county, with its stations Scary, Poca. Raymond, Black Betsey, Plymouth, Red House. Winfield, Rumor, Buffalo and Robertsburg.
The population of the county, about 5,000 at the time of its organization, has increased at a fair rate, being now 18,587. divided about equally among the several districts, the towns and villages being Winfield, the county seat, so named for Gen. Winfield Scott. at the time prominent in the Mexican War, with a population of about 300; Buffalo, near 400; Hurricane, near 500; with the mining towns, Raymond City, with perhaps 600 to 800; Black Betsey, 500, and Plymouth. 400 or more.
There are collieries at Raymond City. Black Betsey and Plymouth, with outputs ranging from 1,000 to 2.000 tons daily, with other mines at Oak Forest and Big Hurricane with less output, but in a healthy condition. The plants at Ray- mond, Black Betsey and Plymouth are well equipped and the coal from these mines, being of the Pittsburgh scam, is in good demand. Oil and gas have been found on Turkey Creek and elsewhere in the southern part of the county, in paying quantities, with a showing in the northern part of the county.
Winfield and Hurricane have, cach, a bank and a tobacco warehouse, for the sale of leaf tobacco; the county is dotted with school houses : the churches have their edifices and the various mercantile business houses are well represented. There are four newspapers-three at Winfield and one at Hurricane.
The surface is diversified, that along the river and creeks being level and well adapted to tillage : Teays Valley, a flat. level area from Scary westward across the county, which seems to have been, at one time, the bed of a river ; the remain- der of the county is hilly on the river front, becoming more
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rolling and more adapted to tillage toward the heads of the streams. Off the streams about one-half the area is yet in unbroken forest, save that the valuable timber has been re- moved. The productions of the farms are corn, wheat, oats, potatoes, tobacco, fruit, cattle and hogs. The marketable staples seem to be cattle and tobacco. It is estimated that the crop of Burley tobacco grown in the year 1909 would make, perhaps, four to five millions pounds. It is predicted that the most beneficial results could be obtained in this county by raising corn, wheat, potatoes, hogs, etc., sufficient for domes- tic use, with tobacco and fruit, such as apples, peaches and berries, as the market crop. There are already several large orchards which promise well for the future, one orchard alone having twenty-seven thousand young trees set. The northern and eastern coves and hillsides in our county, now in the "woods", would raise an excellent quality of apples, peaches and other fruits which could be disposed of to advantage by exchanging with our less fortunate neighbors of the fruitless regions of the northwest.
The original settlers of what is now Putnam County were from the adjoining Virginia counties or from the eastern part of the State. Since the Civil War there have been many ac- cessions from Pennsylvania, Ohio and other northern States, as well as from the Virginias, and our present population is more cosmopolitan in character. Our county was on the border in the late Civil War and the contending armies had about an equal number of recruits from our citizens. There were two engagements within the bounds of Putnam County, which, in themselves and considered in the light of later experience, were neither sanguinary nor decisive, but were yet, in their time, considered strenuous : One at Scary, among the first, if not the first, skirmish of the war, between portions of Wise's forces of Confederates, under Colonel Patton, and an advance party of Cox's Federal troops. under Colonel Norton. Some two or three were killed in this engagement, a few wounded, and the Federal Colonel De Villiers captured. Many of our citizens were engaged in this skirmish, with all kinds of weapons hastily provided. The other engagement was at Winfield, the county seat, a little later in the war, between a
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small detachment of Federals under Capt. John M. Reynokts and about the same number of Confederates under Lieutenant Philip Thurmond, the engagement lasting for some time, wit'. no casualties except the death of Thurmond, who now lies buried here on the preimses of the late Judge James W. Hoge. Eight or ten Confederates, under Col. James Nounen, boarded the steamer Ben Levi at the Red House landing and sur- prising and disarming the guards captured the boat and took her to Frazier's Bottom, five miles below, and burned her to the water's edge, taking her military escort as prisoners. There were here and there some reprisals and surprises, but all these regrettable instances are fading from the memories of our people.
Our people seem to be of a sturdy, industrious, civil. though independent, nature. They have built up in our county about one hundred and forty-five school houses ; about all the churches are represented and have commodious edifices, the two branches of the Methodist Church. the Missionary Baptists, the Presbyterians and the United Brethren being in the ascendency, although the Catholics have membership and chapels at Scary and Scott and elsewhere. In politics, like- wise, there seems to be independence and consideration. During the war and with the disfranchisement of the south- ern element, the Republicans were in the ascendency ; with the adoption of the "Flick Amendment" conditions were reversed : again, with a fusion of "Greenbackers" and Republicans, the latter held sway, but for many years our elections have been close, and both parties have representation on our roster of elective officers."
ST. MARYS.
St. Marys -- the county seat of Pleasants County- was incorporated March 31, 1851, two days after the formation of the county. The present court house was created in 1852. The town is at the mouth of Middle Island Creek. The business portion of the town is located near the Ohio River shore, while the court house, high school and the principal
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residence section occupy a beautiful plateau overlooking the intervening valley below.
St. Marys has about 1,500 inhabitants. The population in 1910 was 1,358, being a gain of 838 over 1890 and 533 over 1900.
The present county officials are: Homer B. Woods, Judge Circuit Court; M. L. Barron, Prosecuting Attorney; S. V. Riggs, Sheriff; W. H. Myers, Assessor; W. R. Carson, Clerk Circuit Court ; R. L. Griffin, Clerk County Court ; J. R. Mason, President County Court, and Marion Hart and J. W. Grimm, Commissioners ; G. C. McTaggart. Superintendent of Schools, and John Triplett, County Surveyor.
Names of city officials: Oran C. Ogdin, Mayor; G. C. Strickling, Recorder; W. H. Guth, C. P. Newell, R. W. Douglass, George W. Gatrell, J. H. Garrity, and G. R. Van Valey, Council; Frank S. Clark, Sergeant; E. W. Riggs, Chief of Police ; and John Hubaker, Street Commissioner.
Newspapers.
Pleasants County Leader (Republican), edited by Joe Williams.
The St. Marys Oracle (Democrat), edited by R. L. Pem- berton.
Banks.
Pleasants County Bank-A. S. Grimm, President; J. R. Shingleton. Vice-President; E. A. Sayre, Cashier; J. A. Schauwecker, Assistant Cashier. Directors: A. S. Grimm, George T. Gale, J. R. Shingleton, C. C. Schauwecker, John Schauwecker, R. N. Corbett, E. H. Morgan, Elroy Wagner and George Zipf.
First National Bank-W. C. Dotson, President; L. P. Walker, Vice-President ; D. W. Dillon, Cashier ; B. A. Dotson, Assistant Cashier. Directors: J. D. Dinsmoor, Isaac Pethtel. F. F. Morgan. J. E. Cochran, Martin Riggs. J. R. McMahon, L. P. Walker, W. C. Dotson, and W. E. Clovis.
History of West Virginia
Manufacturing Enterprises.
St. Marys Pearl Button Company, High Grade Petroleum Products Co .. High Grade Pipe Line Co., Russell Machine Shops, St. Marys Milling Company, J. L. Hissom Lumber Mills.
Hotels.
Howard Hotel and Exchange Hotel. Several restaurants.
The town has eighteen retail stores and five shops, each apparently doing a thriving business.
St. Marys has eight churches, each having a large congre- gation. They are as follows: Baptist, Rev. J. E. Elliott, pas- tor : Church of Christ. Rev. C. E. Fogle ; Episcopal, . .......; Methodist Episcopal. Rev. D. S. Hammond ; M. E. South, Rev. N. C. Cochran ; Methodist Protestant, Rev. B. M. Mitchell : Presbyterian, Rev. G. 1. Wilson ; Roman Catholic. Rev. Father Waugh.
St. Marys School Faculty.
H. C. Humphreys. Superintendent.
HIGH SCHOOL D). B. Fleming. Principal, Bio. and Science : June Houston, Phys, and Math. : Helen Joan Ilult- man. English : Mary Phelps. Latin and German.
GRADES-Effie Gorrell, Dollie Stanley, Florence Rife, Emma Veon, Georgia Smith, Grace Crumm, Lillian Cotton, Lucy Houseman, and Ethel Flesher, teachers.
School term-High School, 9 months: Grades, 8 months. Total enrollment 1913-14. 439.
SUTTON.
Sutton, the county seat of Braxton County, was estab- lished as a town under the name of Suttonville by an act of the General Assembly of Virginia, January 27. 1826. The year following, the name was changed to Sutton, which place was incorporated February 20, 1860.
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During the first 64 years of the existence of the town the population reached only 276, but within the following decade, ending in 1900, the population reached 864; in 1910 it was 1,121, and is now about 1200.
City officials: W. F. Morrison, Jr., Mayor; M. B. James, Recorder ; Robert Colebank, Sergeant ; L. A. Holcomb, Night Policeman.
Churches.
Episcopal, Rev. I. Bayshaw, rector ; Methodist Episcopal, Rev. C. G. Stater, pastor ; M. E. Church South, Rey 1. P. Keyser, pastor ; Baptist, Rev. A. A. McQueen, pastor.
Newspapers.
Braxton Democrat, John A. Grose, editor; Braxton Central, James Dunn, editor.
Banks.
First National-A. M. Berry, President ; D. E. Cast. . Cashier.
Home National-Amos Bright, President, and A. L. Morrison, Cashier.
The Elk, The Duffield and The J. T. Frame are the prin cipal hotels of the city.
There are about twenty-eight retail establishments in Sutton. The town has about two miles of paved streets. Natural gas supplies the town with heat and light.
School Faculty.
J. H. Hickman, Superintendent.
HIGH SCHOOL-D. C. Haines, Principal, Science, Alge- bra and English : Ruth L. Romig, Music, History. English, German : J. H. Hickman, English, Latin and Geometry.
GRADES-Blanch Gibson, J. C. McNeill, Nelle Keyser.
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Gertrude Berry. Alma MeCauley, Ida S. Given.
BEE HILL SCHOOL-Tracy Hoover.
COLORED SCHOOL Nannie Adams.
Term. High School, 9 months; Grades. 8 months. En- rollment, 393.
WHEELING.
Wheeling, the largest city in West Virginia, has a popu- lation of 43,000: of this number about 8,000 reside in the Seventh Ward, known as Wheeling Island, the main business part of the city being on the cast bank of the beautiful Ohio River. The city covers an area of 2050 acres. It was settled by Col. Ebenezer Zane about 1770, and the town grew up about Fort Henry at the top of what is now Main Street Ilill. the site being marked by the State with a tablet bearing the following inscription :
"By authority of the State of West Virginia to commemorate the siege of FORT HENRY September 11, 1782, the last battle of the American Revolution, this tablet is placed. "T. M. Garvin. "W. W. Jackson. "S. If. Grann, "Committee. "G. W. Atkinson, Governor."
The "monument" stands on the outer edge of the side- walk, in front of the building now occupied by The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, near the corner of Eleventh and Main streets. It is a very small affair to be dignified with the title of monument, considering the important event it is intended to commemorate, being a stone only 32 inches long, 12 inches wide at the base and 16 inches at top, 20 inches on the outer side and 8 inches on the side facing the walk. the top sloping inward.
A description of battles fought with the Indians in and
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about Wheeling, together with sketches of some of the prin- cipal characters who participated in these battles, will be found elsewhere in this book.
Thirteen years after the battle above mentioned, Wheel- ing was established as a town, and incorporated in 1806. Since that time it has been the seat of Ohio County.
In 1836 a city charter was granted, and the town became an important trading and manufacturing point on the National Road and the Ohio River. The State capitol was located here from the formation of the State in 1863 to 1870, and again from 1875 to 1885, when the seat of government went to Charleston, where it has since remained.
The manufacture of steel, iron, tin-plate, glass, pottery and tobacco products comprises the most important industries of the city ; steel and iron having been manufactured here ever since 1849 and glass since 1821.
Three trunk line railroads and the Ohio River furnish excellent transportation facilities, and these coupled with an abundance of coal and natural gas, contribute largely to suc- cessful manufacturing.
The water works, gas plant, electric light works and city crematory are owned by the city.
Wheeling has 47 miles of streets ; 25 paved with brick and blocks, and the rest cobble, gravel or macadam.
The former State capitol affords a home for the city gov- ernment at the corner of Sixteenth and Chapline streets, which is also used as a county hall.
The total valuation of property in Wheeling is estimated at $62,000,000.
Wheeling's Industries.
Value of products $27,077,000
Capital invested
19,297,000
Cost of materials used. 16,025,000
Salaries and wages 5,503,000
Average of wage earners 7,809
Miscellaneous expenses 3,166,000
Salaries officers and clerks 819
Number of plants. 176
Value added by manufacture. . 11,052,000
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The climate is generally considered healthful. there being few extremes of heat and cold, and the city being mostly on elevated ground.
Wheeling has seven grammar schools, which prepare for high school work; a high school, and a separate grade school and high school for colored children, all occupying twelve buildings. In addition to these are six parochial schools in the city and Linsly Institute, a collegiate preparatory school for boys, and Mount de Chantal Academy for girls a few miles east of the city, in charge of the Sisters of the Visitation
There are about forty churches; two public hospitals and several private ones; several orphanages, and many other charitable institutions. A new Y. M. C. A. building, costing $175,000, has recently been erected in the city.
The MeLure, Windsor, Stamm, Brunswick. Grand Cen- tral and AAntler are popular hotels.
The Court Theatre, Virginia Theatre, Colonial Theatre, Rex Theatre and Victoria Theatre are popular places of amusement.
Almost all of the fraternal organizations own their own buildings here.
Wheeling has thirteen banks and trust companies : five daily newspapers and many other publications devoted to various interests.
While Wheeling is not noted as a place for boat building. she has the honor of producing the first boat which plied on the upper Ohio, namely the Washington, which was built in 1814.
The semi-centennial anniversary of the admission of West Virginia into the Union as a sovereign State was celebrated at Wheeling. June 20th. 1913. under the title of "Golden Jubilee of the State of West Virginia."
Concerning the Semi-Centennial Celebration, the Wheel- ing Intelligencer of June 21. 1913, has this to say :
"Parades, music, oratory, hippodrome features, aeroplane ascensions, the State banquet and the grand court ball were stellar attractions of the greatest day of West Virginia's greatest celebration. From carly morn Friday to the wee small hours that preceded the rising of Saturday's sun, the
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