USA > West Virginia > Myers' history of West Virginia (1915) Volume II > Part 6
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"THOS. JEFFERSON-J. M. Spurrier, 50 years in ser- vice, and W. F. Stauch.
"ATLANTIC-J. J. Brady, 50 years in service, and M. Dee.
"MALLETT-J. E. Daugherty and J. S. Little.
"The Mississippi was the only engine which refused to move. She bucked and had to be shoved out of the yard. The big Mallett headed the parade, with the others falling in line in point of age. -
Two Old Engineers.
"The delegation of old engineers, when they arrived here, were welcomed at the depot by a band and a delegation headed by the Hon. Henry Gassaway Davis, himself an old railroader. Accompanying the party were Major Panghorn, representative of the B. & O .; Vice-President Galloway and other officials.
"Of the old employees here today, J. T. Mercer was a brakeman for 46 years ; Michael Dee, a conductor for 50 years ; WV. T. Johnson, a conductor for 50 years; J. C. Engle, a con- ductor for 50 years; J. H. Fosnat, a conductor for 50 years ; James Mahoney, a yard brakeman for 39 years. Among the old timers was 'Daddy' John Smith, bearing a happy smile and his 91 years with ease. He was much photographed during the day and seemed to enjoy himself as he rode up and down the track in the old horse car. Daddy Smith worked for the road 58 years, and is the man who transferred. President Lin- coln through Washington on the way to the first inauguration. He came in with the other officials from the East. The ex- hibit of engines has attracted thousands, and today the Hemp- field yard was thronged, while an equally large crowd occu- pied Seventeenth street this afternoon when the parade oc-
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History of West Virginia
curred. The old Cumberland Valley passenger car was also thrown open to the public today, and thousands passed through it, viewing the collection of old railroad relics."
CONDUCTOR MACK McGRUE.
By Harry F. Smith.
(From Railroad Man's Magazine .. See that train of cars out yonder. And that battleship on wheels? Don't it fill yer mind wid wonder, Till yer brain jist fairly reels ? "Royal Blue." they used to call them. But they've changed the color now : Still they did not change the splendor. So they're "royal." anyhow.
When I first came to this country (Brother Mike was here before). And he'd written home to tell me I could get a job-and more. "Pack yer trunk." said Brother Michael. "Bid farewell to dear ould Cork. Make your way across the ocean To the harbor of New York.
"When yer free from custom harpies. Heed the cry of 'Western lo" Strike as fast as legs will take you. Straight unto the B. & O. Come direct to old St. Louis : Here there's work and wages, too. Give me love to all relations. From your brother, Mike McGrue."
Well. I carried out correctly All these things from Brother Mike : Took the B. & O. directly. And I never saw the like.
History of West Virginia
Cities, towns and plains and prairie Passed in wondrous beauty show ; Mountains, rivers, lakes and valleys, All along that B. & O.
I had seen our own Killarney Spread along her lakes and strand ;
Saw where Nature painted grandly, Guided by the great God-hand, But in all me life I'd never Seen such wondrous beauty show, As I saw at Harper's Ferry, Riding on the B. & O.
Years have wrought some mighty changes Since I took that long joy-ride ; Brother Michael's gone to heaven, And his sweet wife's by his side. See that lad who swings the lantern, In his bright Prince Albert blue? He's conductor, my son Michael- The boys call him "Mack McGrue."
Sure, I'm proud of my son Michael. There he waves his hand, you see ! Good-by, Mack, may God protect you And bring you safely back to me. Yes. I've seen some mighty changes, Time has wrought them, too. I know. But it cannot change my feelings For the famous B. & O.
The Norfolk & Western Railroad Adopting the Electric System.
According to a dispatch from Bluefield, under date of February 8th, 1915, the Norfolk & Western Railroad has re- cently installed on its Elkhorn Division two massive locomo- tives, each weighing 270 tons. They are both used on one train, one pulling, the other pushing. They are operated by
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an electric current from a single-phase alternating system over a single wire no thicker than a lead pencil. at 13,000 volts, a pressure twenty times greater than that used in New York Subway. The energy is generated by steam turbines in a special power-house built by the railroad company to operate this division. The plant is located near the mines at Bluefield, from which coal can be economically procured.
The electrified zone of the Norfolk & Western, one of the heaviest coal carriers in the world, consists of nearly 100 miles of track. This is said to be the heaviest and most extensive electrified railroad system in the world.
These two electric locomotives take the place of three giant, up-to-date Mallet locomotives, hauling the same ton- nage at double the speed over the heavy mountain grades. These powerful engines are so satisfactorily demonstrating their superiority over steam locomotives, both in capacity and from an economical standpoint. that it is supposed that other roads will soon adopt the electric system.
CHAPTER XXXIII.
Brief History of Cameron, Charleston, Clarksburg, Charles Town, Elizabeth, Elkins, Fairmont, Grafton, Harrisville, Huntington, Kingwood, Logan, Madison, Mannington, Martinsburg, Marlinton, Huntersville, Middlebourne, Moundsville, Morgantown, New Martinsville, New Cum- berland, Parkersburg, Pennsboro, Philippi, Point Pleas- ant, Pineville, Towns in Putnam County, St. Marys, Sut- ton, Wheeling, West Union, Weston, Welch, Williamson.
CAMERON, MARSHALL COUNTY.
Cameron is situated on Grave's Creek and the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, 17 miles from Moundsville, the county seat, and 28 miles from Wheeling. The Wheeling and the Grafton ends of the B. & O. were tied at Roseby's Rock, 9 miles west of Cameron, on Christmas eve, 1852. At that time the land on which Cameron now stands was part of a farm owned by William McConnahue, who shortly afterward conveyed the farm to Robert Crawford.
Between Glover Gap and Cameron there are several heavy grades, and in order to facilitate the handling of freight traffic the railroad company put on a number of helping en- gines between those points. It therefore became necessary to construct Y's, sand-houses, fuel depots and bunk-houses at each "helper" terminal. Soon afterward villages sprang up at each end of these grades, the east side being named "Glover's Gap," after the tunnel by that name, three miles west, and the west side terminal was called Cameron.
The early settlers of Cameron were mostly railroad men, and for many years the great majority of the population of the town were railroad employees and their families, the en- gineers, firemen and brakemen with the "helpers" having their homes there.
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Of the early settlers at Cameron, there were the Will- iamses, the Cogleys, the Williards, the Sloanes, the Lemmons, the Coes, the Crawfords, the Burleys, the Smiths, the McCus- keys, the Reeses, the Dunleveys and many others whose names the writer does not now recall.
"Daddy" Lemmon and "Uncle" Hughey Williams were perhaps among the first to locate at Cameron. Both ran "camel-back" engines between the "Gap" and Cameron for many years. "Daddy" Lemmon's engine blew up at Glover's Gap tunnel over forty years ago, killing him instantly. "Uncle" Hughey continued in the service many years, and he. too, finally died at his post.
U. B. Williams, now General Superintendent of the east- ern division of the B. & O. Railroad Company, was a son of Ilughey Williams. U. B., or "Bub" Williams, as the railroad fraternity called him, was at one time station agent and tele- graph operator at Cameron. At that time the writer was "night owl" at Littleton on the same wire. But "Bub" Williams was too good a railroad man to pin down to a life job of telegraphing, and no one understood this better than did Superintendent Charles Dunlap and W. M. Clements, Master of Transportation, and soon "Bub" Williams was Chief Train Dispatcher at Cameron-the headquarters of that office being removed from Fairmont to Cameron as an extra inducement for Mr. Williams to accept the proffered position. This was about the year 1880. A few years later the dis- patcher's office was removed to Grafton and Mr. Williams was promoted to trainmaster. Since that time, through a series of rapid promotions, Mr. Williams has risen to his present high position, and is now in line for promotion to General Manager of the B. & O. system.
Bruce E. McCuskey, assistant cashier of the Cameron Bank, is an old-time telegrapher, and also served several years as train dispatcher. ITis father before him was among the early railroaders to settle at Cameron, and later on opened up a hardware store at that place.
The town records were destroyed by fire June 2. 1895. Owing to this fact we are unable to ascertain from that source
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the date of the incorporation of Cameron, but it was probably in the spring of 1879.
The population of Cameron in 1900 was 964; in 1910 it was 1,600, and on January 1st, 1914, it was about 2,200.
Cameron is fortunate in being in the midst of a great gas field. It is perhaps the best favored town in the State in the way of cheap gas for fuel and lights, the rate for domestic use being only ten cents per thousand cubic feet, and five and six cents to factories, these rates being much lower than is usually charged elsewhere in the State.
Cameron has one large pottery, employing 250 people ; a large window glass factory, employing 75 people; 2 machine shops, 1 roller flouring mill, 1 auto repair shop, 3 large livery barns, 4 blacksmith shops, 2 buggy emporiums, 2 auto gar- ages, 2 furniture stores, 3 hotels, + drug stores, 3 large depart- ment dry goods stores, 4 large clothing stores, 1 shoe store, 2 general stores, 12 groceries, 3 meat shops, 4 restaurants, sev- eral boarding houses, 1 large feed store, 2 bakeries, a fine city building and an up-to-date fire department.
The Star Tribune, published and edited by Van Parriott, and a job printing office run by that old-time newspaper man, Oliver Cook, are not the least important of Cameron enter- prises.
Cameron has two prosperous banking institutions, the First National Bank, William Norvel, president, and Harry Elbin, cashier, and The Cameron Bank, T. C. Pipes, president. and W. C. Loper, cashier.
Cameron has a fine water system-Mr. William Kincaid says "the best in the State"-and costs the citizens only 621/2 cents per 1,000 gallons. The plant is owned by the town.
Of churches, there are four-Cumberland Presbyterian, Methodist, Christian and Catholic-all having large congrega- tions and able preceptors. There are several doctors and one lawyer in town, but not much use for either profession.
The writer is informed by Mr. Kincaid that what will probably be the largest green house in the State is now being constructed at Cameron, and that the growing of flowers will be a special feature of the plant, one building being now com-
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pleted in which there have already been planted 35,000 rose bushes.
The city government is composed of the following offi- cials: Thomas Smith, mayor ; Jerry Fish, recorder ; H. Hiner- man, chief of police ; councilmen, William Phillips, Lon Lowe, Vernon Monroe, Roll Stimmel and F. H. Fish. The mayor is an out and out Socialist, but Mr. Smith's election does not indicate a political victory, as the town elections are non-par- tisan. Mr. Fish is now serving his sixteenth consecutive term as city recorder, which is proof of his popularity with the people of his town.
The following named gentlemen are only a few of the "live wires" of Cameron : Wm. M. Kincaid, William Norvel. Van Parriott, Harry Elbin, Oliver Cook, Thomas C. Pipes, W. C. Loper. B. E. McCuskey, L. L. Howard, C. G. Fish, Porter Williard, Thomas Smith, Jerry Fish, Lon Lowe, Ver- non Monroe, Roll Stimmel, F. H. Fish, S. E. Davis, H. Hiner- man, Wiley McCardle, Warren Wilson and many others.
Cameron High and Graded Schools.
J. S. Bonar, superintendent : J. W. Cole, principal ; Mary A. Alexander, Grace A. Yeakel and Margaret Hurt, assistants.
CENTRAL SCHOOL-E. R. Moats, principal; T. J. Faust, Alice Cook, Kathryn Bonar, Grace McCleary, Sue Waddle, Wilda Bradley, Nellie Byard, Myrtle Hileman, Anna Fitzgerald, Virginia Morgan and Mrs. Elwina Sample, teachers.
GLEN EASTON SCHOOL-David Bonar, principal, and Elsie Hubbs, assistant.
LOUDENVILLE SCHOOL-Anna Dowler, principal, and Jessie Cook, assistant.
School term-High school, 9 months; graded schools, 8 months. Total enrollment for 1913-14, 703.
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History of West Virginia
CHARLESTON, KANAWHA COUNTY, W. VA.
This indenture, made this twenty-eighth day of Decem- ber, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty-seven-
Between Cuthbert Bullitt of the County of Prince William and Helen, his wife, of the first part, and George Clendenin of Greenbrier of the other part, witnesseth, that the said Cuth- bert Bullitt, and Helen, his wife, for and in consideration of the sum of five shillings lawful money of Virginia, to them in hand paid by the said George Clendenin, the receipt where- of they do hereby acknowledge, have granted, bargained, sold, aliened, enfeofed and confirmed to the said George Clendenin and his heirs forever a certain tract or parcel of land bearing date the twentieth of November, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy-nine, and is bounded as followeth, being situated on the East side of the great Kenaway and South side of Elk River in the forks of said river and beginning at a sugartree and poplar on Elk River and down the several courses of the same three hundred and sixty poles to a large sycamore on the point marked T. B. and up the several courses of the Great Kanaway nine hundred and twenty-eight poles to a white walnut and leaving the river North-to a Spanish oak and a white oak at the foot of the hill North West six hundred and seventy poles to the Be- ginning with all the houses, Wood Ways Waters and other appurtenances thercunto Belonging or in any wise appertain- ing
To have and to hold the said tract or parcel of land with the appurtenances to the said George Clendenin and his heirs forever to the only proper use and behoof of him the said George Clendenin and his heirs forever.
And the said Cuthbert Bullitt doth for himself his heirs Executors and Administrators covenant and agree to and with the said George Clendenin his heirs and assigns forever that the said Cuthbert Bullitt at the time of the sealing and delivery of this Indenture is seized of sure and indefeasible Estate of inheritance in fee simple of and in the Tract or parcel of land hereby conveyed and every part thereof and
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that the same now is and forever hereafter shall remain free and clear of and from all incumbrances or charges of what nature or kind so ever made done or suffered by him or any person claiming under him. And the said Cuthbert Bullitt and his heirs will forever warrant and defend the said tract or parcel of land hereby conveyed and every part thereof to the said George Clendenin his heirs and assigns forever against the claim or demand of any person or persons whatever.
In Testimony whereof the said Cuthbert Bullitt and Helen, his wife, have hereunto put their hands and affixed their seals the day and year first above written.
CUTHBERT BULLITT (Scal.)
Sealed and delivered in the presence of
Henry Banks Andw Moore Andw. Donally
At a court for Greenbrier County April 29th 1788
This Indenture Deed of Bargain and sale from Cuth. Bul- litt to George Clendenin proved in Court by Henry and Andw Banks and Andw Donally two of the witnesses thereto and to lie for further proof.
Teste :
JOHN STUART.
Green Brier County Court January Term
This Deed was presented in Court and the Court being satisfied that AAndw Moore a third subscribing witness thereto had departed this life and it being proved to the satisfaction of the Court that the signature of Andrew Moore to the same is his proper handwriting therefore on the motion of Daniel Ruffner It is ordered the same to be recorded here and also certified to the Clerk of Kenaway there to be also recorded where the land lyeth.
Teste
LEWIS STUART, C. C. C."
"A copy Teste : JNO. S. CRAWFORD, Clerk."
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History of West Virginia
Any person familiar with the lay of the land at the mouth of Elk River would recognize the fact that Charleston occupies a portion of the land conveyed by the foregoing de- scribed deed.
Cuthbert Bullitt was a Major in Braddock's army, and as an expression of his appreciation for valuable services ren- dered Lord Dunmore granted him a large tract of land lying between the mouth of Tyler Creek and a point about two miles above the mouth of Elk River, including that portion con- veyed to Clendenin.
Much of the following information is taken from Atkin- son's History of Kanawha County :
Immediately following his purchase, Mr. Clendenin erected a fort on the river bank near Brook's landing, to which he shortly afterward moved his family. This is said to have been the first settlement in Charleston. The fort was a two- story structure, built out of hewn logs. It was forty feet long by thirty feet wide, and stood nearly a hundred years, when in 1874 it was torn down by Charles C. Lewis, "in order to make room for the elegant brick mansion in which he now resides," on the corner of Kanawha and Brook streets.
Six other log cabins were built in Charleston shortly after the erecting of the fort. At least two of these buildings stood on the corner of Kanawha and Truslow streets, and were in later years occupied by John and Levi Welch. Another- "large, two-story mansion"-stood on the upper corner of Court and Kanawha streets, known then as Buster's Tavern, and for years was a popular stopping place between Richmond and the Ohio River.
A two-story double log building stood on the site later occupied by the drug store of Dr. James H. Rogers on Kana- wha street in 1876. Another two-story, hewn log building stood on the corner of Summers and Kanawha streets. "This building," says Atkinson, "is supposed to have been the origi- nal Charleston Hotel."
A two-story log dwelling stood on Kanawha street on the present site of the Kanawha Presbyterian Church, and a simi- lar building stood on the corner of Kanawha and Hales streets. "Here," says Atkinson, "Norris S. Whittaker was born, being
.
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the first white child born within the present corporate limits of Charleston."
About the same time Nehemiah Woods built a large log dwelling on the square where the Kanawha Valley Bank was since constructed.
The ground now occupied by the Wehrle block, on corner of Kanawha and Alderson streets, marks the site of the old Central House, which was destroyed by the big fire of Decem- ber 12, 1874, a portion of which had been erected over a hun- dred years ago.
Charleston was first incorporated December 19. 1794, in the name of "Charlestown," providing :
"That forty acres of land, the property of George Clen- denin, at the mouth of Elk River, in the County of Kanawha, as the same are already laid off into lots and streets, shall be established a town by the name of CHARLESTOWN. And Reuben Slaughter, Andrew Donally, Sr., William Clendenin, John Morris, Sr., Leonard Morris, George Alderson, Abraham Baker, John Young and William Morris, gentlemen, are ap- pointed trustees.
Following is a copy of what purports to be the original plan of the town of Charleston, taken from AAtkinson's History of Kanawha County :
NOW CAPITOL STREET
25
26
3-4
1.St. Street (Now Summers)
27
5-6
28
7-8
GREAT
2d Street (now Alderson)
29
9-10
30
11-12
3d Street (Non Court)
31
13-14
32
15-16
4th Street ( Now. Truslow)
3.3
/7-1 8
34
19-20
5th Street (now Clendennen)
3.5
21.22
36
23-24
N.44 E. 43 Poles-RIVER BANK
ELK RIVER
"PLAN OF TOWN AT MOUTH OF ELK."
Lots 7 and 8 sold to John Edwards; 9 and 10 to Francis Watkins; 11 and 12 to Alex. Welch; 13 and 14 to Josiah Harrison; 15 and 16 to Shad Harmon; 17 and 18 to Charles McClung; 19 and 20 to Francis Watkins; 21 and 22 to same, and 23 and 24 to Josiah Harrison.
FRONT STREET
KANAWHA RIVER
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History of West Virginia
Lots 7 and 8 sold to John Edwards ; 9 and 10 to Francis Watkins : 11 and 12 to Alex. Welch : 13 and 14 to Josiah Har- rison : 15 and 16 to Shad Harmon ; 17 and 18 to Charles Mc- Clung : 19 and 20 to Francis Watkins : 21 and 22 to same, and 23 and 24 to Josiah Harrison.
First County Court and Public Buildings at Charleston.
On the 5th day of October. A. D. 1789, the first County Court for the then new county of Kanawha was held. The following "gentlemen justices" were severally sworn in and qualified as members of said Court: Thomas Lewis, Robert Clendennin, David Robinson, George Alderson, Francis Wat- kins. Charles McClung. Benjamin Strother, William Clen- dennin, Leonard Morris and James Van Bibber.
Thomas Lewis, being the oldest member of the Court. was, by the laws of Virginia, entitled to the Sheriffalty of the county, and was accordingly commissioned as such by the Governor of the Commonwealth, and took the oath required by law. Mr. Lewis thereupon appointed John Lewis his deputy.
William H. Cavendish was appointed Clerk of the Court, and was introduced and took the oath of office.
Reuben Slaughter was appointed County Surveyor and Benjamin Strother, David Robinson and John Van Bibber were appointed Commissioners of Revenue for the county.
At the first sitting of the Court the following order was passed :
"Ordered, that the public buildings for the use of this county be erected on the lands of George Clendennin, at the mouth of Elk River, or as near thereto as the situation will admit, and until the erection of said buildings Court be held at the mansion house of George Clendennin."
A County Prison.
The Court held February 6, 1792, passed the following order in relation to the construction of a county jail : "Ordered. that the Clerk of this county do advertise letting the building of a prison in said county agreeable to a plan to be then pro- duced, which will be on the site Ist day of March Court, to
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be held for this county. Ordered, that the bounds of said prison (which is to be built on the front of the lot between John Young's and Lewis Tackett's) be extended so as to in- clude the garrison and house wherein George Clendennin now lives, for the safety of the prisoners from the hostile invasion of the Indian enemy."
It is proper to explain that the "bounds" of the prison above alluded to refer to a statute of Virginia specifying a certain number of feet or yards from a prison, beyond which prisoners were not allowed to go, under the penalty of forfeit- ing their bonds, or in some cases, of death itself. This peculiar statute was repealed by the adoption of the Code of 1849.
The March term of the Court for the same year contains the following order, which is given, as were the others also, verbatim: "Ordered, that the Sheriff do let to the lowest bid- der the building of a prison for the County of Kanawha, twelve feet square, with two floors, one of earth in the bank of the hill facing the Kanawha, and the other laid over with logs as close as possible ; the house to be between floors seven feet, covered cabin fashion. The bolts, bars and locks upon as economical a plan as possible : and the Clerk on behalf of the Court of this county give his bond to the undertaker or undertakers for the payment of the sum the said building is undertaken for ; and that he also take bond and security of the undertaker or undertakers, on or before the 1st of July next, to have the same completed."
The prison was built on, or rather in, the river bank, in the vicinity of the present residence of C. C. Lewis, Esq .. on Kanawha street, within a few hundred feet of the Clendennin garrison or block-house ; and while I have not found a record in the County Clerk's office showing the fact, still it is gener- ally understood that Lewis Tackett, the proprietor of Tack- ett's Fort, at Coalsmouth, was the contractor and builder.
I find that on the 4th day of November, 1795, while the work of constructing the jail was going on, the following pro- test entered on the Court record: "George Alderson, gentle- man Sheriff of Kanawha County, entered his dissent against the jail as being insufficient." Upon seven other occasions the same entry is made of the protest of Sheriff Alderson
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against the construction of the jail according to the plans and specifications before referred to. He was right. It was both unreasonable and, to say the least, inhuman to construct a prison under ground, when there was such a vast quantity of level land unoccupied and timber of the largest and best quali- ยท ties for such purposes standing within a few rods of the site of the underground prison pen. The jail was, however, con- structed according to the order of the Court, and was used for prison purposes of the county for a number of years.
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