GEORGE & FLORENCE BROWNING BACUS-EARLY
Several proud residents who once lived at Dehue placed this sign twice at the entrance to Dehue only to have it stolen.
Dehue had its beginning about 1916, and was named after D.E. Hewitt who operated a large bandmill in the vicinity. In 1923, the mine became part of Youngstown Sheet and Tube. Dehue resembleda little “United Nations,” because our community was made up of European-born, Blacks, and men from neighboring states who were seeking better lifestyles. The Blacks had their own school and church, and I had never heard the word segregation. The bosses row had two-story houses with indoor plumbing. We lived in “Kentucky Row.” It was named that because most everyone who lived in that row of houses were from Kentucky. My world was small inside the bubble where I lived . . . and I didn’t think it would ever change. Dolores Riggs Davis
THE YOUNGSTOWN MINES CORPORATION, DEHUE, WEST VIRGINIA – ca 1950’s
DEHUE BOY SCOUTS COLLECT FOOD FOR THE NEEDY AT CHRISTMAS IN 1930
Left to right: Bill Schroder Mays, Frank Mariano, Johnny Patrick, Peter Cozmyk, Woodrow Dillo, Gideon Dean, John Hatfield (son of Willis and grandson of Devil Anse Hatfield), Paul Bency, George Lewis, Tony Lepetrone, Silas Mariano, —-Patrick,Sammy Lepetrone, Clarence Bailey, Bill McCoy, Victor Vidovich, Fred Schroder, Louie Zeto, Millard “Dixie” Howell, Manuel Dillon, Jim Bency. Scoutmaster, Adam Johnson not shown.
In the background of the Boy Scout’s picture are our famous landmarks. To the left is the Dehue Grade School which went from grade one to eight. The middle building housed the post office and theater on the top level, and on the bottom level the Fountain, barber shop, and poolroom. The building on the far right housed the grocery store and payroll office, and upstairs was our Civic Club room where many get-togethers where held.
Dehue is located off Route 10 on Rum Creek, and is seven miles southeast of the city of Logan. The mining towns of Dabney, Dehue, Macbeth, Cham, Orville, Argyle, Yolyn, and Slagle on Rum Creek that once hummed with activity are all but ghost towns. The Dehue of my past is onlyfaded photos in my album. I blinked . . . and it was all gone. Only a wide spot beside the road reminds us of where our homes once stood.
NATIVITY SCENE DECEMBER 22, 1967
PHOTO BY: Lucia “Boo Boo” Ruiz Marshall
Sherla & John Peyton
Wedding picture – February 13, 1938
Sherla and John Peyton took care of the Nativity scene each year. Sherla drew the life-sizepictures on plywood and painted them. John cut them out with a jigsaw, and attached stakes to the backs of each one, so they could be displayed by driving the stakes into the ground. On Christmas eve, many of the people who lived in the community gathered around the triangle and sang Christmas carols.
“Dehue was the hub of my world. It had a school that was safe, teachers who loved their students .. . even those from other coal camps,” Ed Ward told me recently. Dabney, Macbeth, Cham, and Orville attended Dehue Grade School, and Ed lived at Macbeth. “Dehue had a movie house where I learned to love Red Ryder and the Lone Ranger for only twelve-cents a show. I could buy a milk shake at the Fountain, and get a haircut at the barber shop. Dehue was on the cutting edge of my culture. The company store always smelled so good, and at Christmas the triangle was decorated with bright lights and a nativity scene. (Ed is married to Sue Hunley also from MacBeth.)
STUDENTS AT DEHUE GRADE SCHOOL PREPARE TO LEAVE FOR THE LOGAN CHILD HEALTH CARE DAY PARADE. LATE 1930’S.
DEHUE GRADE SCHOOL – MAY 1956
top row: Birdie Ingram, Gladys McCormick, Helen Ferguson, Mary Moore, Lena Adkins
front row: Jean Steele, Helen Pence, Stella Ferguson, Gladys Riggs, Shirley Peyton, Agnes Canellas, Mrs. Hatfield, Beatrice Prichard, Maude Kitchen, Verde Gostovich, Mary Hatton
THE DEHUE EXHIBIT
The photo was taken by Jane DeMarchi at the Mine Health and Safety Academy in Beckley where the exhibit is now permanently housed.
Dr. Gay Bindocci of the Comer Museum at West Virginia University developed the Dehue Exhibit which made its first appearance at the tenth annual Dehue Reunion on August 12, 1995. The exhibit focuses on the social, cultural, and technical aspects of the development and demise of Dehue. Photographs, personal memorabilia, and objects are displayed on the free standing, nine-panel thirty-thousand dollar structure. The Dehue History Book was used as the focal point of the exhibit, and all the information on the exhibit was edited by Dolores Riggs Davis.
The exhibit was built in Virginia by Jonathan Jager and his wife, Kathy Guest. They have constructed many exhibits including several for the County Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, Tennessee. For a year the Dehue Exhibit traveled to other area colleges and libraries to educate the youth and instill a better understanding of our heritage. The exhibit was last shown at the Dehue Reunion on August 8, 1998. Due to cost and wear and tear the exhibit no longer travels.
DEHUE EXHIBIT COMES HOME FOR GOOD
The Dehue Exhibit finally found the way home on Wednesday, March 29, 2006. It had been housed at the Beckley National Mine and Health and Safety Academy. It will be permanently displayed at the Museum in the Park at Chief Logan in Logan County.
Several former Dehue residents gathered for the arrival of the exhibit. Those attending were Melissa Perovich, Kay Perovich, John Perovich, Roger Ramey, Janie Ramey, Brenda Sipple, Donna Burress, Florence Backus, John Owsley, Gay Owsley, John Zeke, Turner and Fred Hodges.
Museum in the Park board members attending were Sherriee Adams, Ginger Baker and board president Frankie Esposito. Assisting in erecting the exhibit was Adam Hodges, museum coordinator, Clarence Craigo, technical advisor for the museum and Donal Bolyard of the Royce J. & Caroline B. Watts Museum at the College of Engineering and Mineral Resources at WVU. WVU funded the transport of the exhibit to Chief Logan State Park. Martha Sparks, society editor and webmaster of the Logan Banner covered the story.
DEHUE HISTORY BOOK 1916-1994
The Dehue History Book debuted in December 1994. The 152-page book depicts the rise and decline of the mining town of Dehue. Six hundred photos paint a vivid picture of the Logan County and Dehue which was once owned by the Youngstown Mining Corporation. Included in the book are 124 personal histories and 212 obituaries of people who once lived and worked there at Dehue. Vintage pictures cover the organization of the UMWA local 5869, Black history, the Dehue Reunion, clubs, sports, school, theater, company store, church, park, and Dehue and Macbeth miners in their work clothes. A special section covers the 1935 and 1936 Macbeth Mine Disasters. However, it would have been impossible to complete the project without the help of my childhood friend, Mona Moore-Miller. Betty Wagner-Pozega, and Lillian Porter-Smith helped edit the book. Dolores Riggs-Davis
Sorry, as of August 28, 2008 all the Dehue Books have been sold. There will not be another printing.
VIOLIN LESSONS
Violin lessons brought a touch of culture to Dehue students. Teacher: Adam Johnston with students (back row-left to right) Ernest Sepessy, Olga Kukshtel, Ray Gordon Ross. Front row, Elena Grinko, Johnny Black, and Tommy Lakin. Photo by Louis Grinko. ca 1940’s.
THE DEHUE FOOT BRIDGE
This bridge linked Dehue with Rum Creek Road. The Dehue Grade School was to the right of the bridge.
DEATH IN A POTATO PATCH
BY: Dolores Riggs Davis
EDWARD EVANS AND IDA B ROSE EVANS
Edward was born March 4, 1882 and died September 29, 1949
All of my life I have heard that the Lord works in mysterious ways. At age twelve I found out how that works. I lived in the mining town of Dehue, West Virginia, and had just entered Mr. Otto Tabor’s seventh grade class at Dehue Grade School. It was a warm September evening in 1949 when dad helped our neighbor, Wetzel Miller search for his father-in-law, Edward Evans. Mr. Evans was late returning from his garden which was located on the mountainside up Magazine Hollow. They found his body in his potato patch. Dad said he looked so peaceful laying there you would have thought he just sat down to rest and fell asleep.
EMMETT AND GLADYS RIGGS-1949
Mr. Evans and his wife Ida made their home with the Millers, and were the parents of Wetzel’s wife, Maggie. Rev. Henry Miller, a relative of Wetzel’s came from Lincoln County to preach the funeral. Mom and I kept the Miller children while dad went to the funeral.
When dad came home from the funeral, he said that Rev. Miller was starting a revival at the Dehue Community Church that very Sunday night. “I heard that little man can preach, and I think I’ll just go down and see for myself,” he announced. So our family went to church that night. The only time I remembered going to church was in Kentucky to hear my Grandfather Brickey. Grandpa preached one of those “hellfire and damnation sermons.” I had planned to stay with my Uncle Ira and Aunt Irene for a week. After listening to that sermon, I grabbed the paper sack out of Uncle Ira’s truck that held a few items of my clothing. And I went home with my folks.
It was a pitiful turnout with only four adults and five children in attendance. When the altar call was made, I was the first to stand up and go kneel down. Dad said he felt like the Lord shouted into his ear. “There you stand almost forty-years of age, and your daughter who hardly knows sin is up there praying for forgiveness.” He felt it would be his last call, so he rushed to the altar. Everyone else followed him with the exception of my five-year-old brother. Junior was swinging both fists at Rev. Miller. It was a funny sight watching the preacher hold on to Junior’s head and push him away to avoid his punches while he tried to help everyone pray through. Dad asked my brother as we walked home that night why he acted that way. “Well dad, he said . . . I didn’t know they’d all be drunk and a dancin’ down there.” We all laughed, but dad knew he had some explaining to do.
DOLORES AND EMMETT RIGGS, JR.
“I’m like Popeye the sailor man,” dad would say. “I just yam what I yam and I ain’t no yammer. “It was dad’s favorite line. He was one of those hard-drinking miners who nursed the bottle on the weekend, but reported for work on Monday. So, dad “gettin’ religion” was big news in our community. They actually held a lottery on just how long he could hold out without a drink.
DAD’S FAVORITE HERO . . . POPEYE THE SAILOR MAN
However, the tables turned when all the curious went to church to see if Riggs really got religion and got a dose of their own. The revival lasted for six weeks with standing room only attendance. They took them right down to the Guyandotte River at Rum Junction and baptized them after church. People pulled their cars up close to the river bank and left their headlights on to illuminate the way.
The death of Edward Evans was the direct result of many souls being saved that fall of 1949, and Dehue was a changed community. Dad went on to become a Freewill Baptist minister, youth leader, and the pastor of two churches in Logan County. I truly believe that the Lord does work in mysterious ways. Dolores Riggs Davis
NOTE: When Edward Evans granddaughter, Joan read her grandfather’s death guest book she ran across our names on one of the pages. She had seen my name on the Logan Homepage often, and sent me an e-mail asking if I could be that Dolores Riggs. And as they say . . . the rest is history. She sent me this lovely picture of her grandparents, and I wrote the story.
BUDDY FRYE’S FIFTH BIRTHDAY PARTY
He is in the middle with his hands up and doesn’t look very happy. Mona Moore is one with all the curls. She is standing second from the left.
NOTE: THE ARCHIVES SECTION OF THE CULTURAL CENTER IN CHARLESTON COPIED 184 OF MY PICTURES, AND ALL OF THEM WERE NUMBERED. YOU CAN ORDER AN 8×10 COPY FROM THEM. I HAVE A LIST OF THE NUMBERS.
Was born in 1967 Steve Joe Collins every one knew me as Joe in Dehue grew up there in the 3rd camp remember it was a 45 min walk out. The life was good people sometimes not so much back then as far as kids went but would not trade a day. Hard life for coal mining and people but was a good honest life times were different back then Golden Tex Collins was my dad. But still miss everyone so wish we could go back but time moves on.
Dehue…good old Dehue! I loved going with my mom down to Dehue. It was a kind of off the beaten track place as one drove down to Man. As places in Logan County went, it was not too bad. The people seemed to be happy, and their houses were nice inside. The outside of the houses were all gray (maybe because of the coal dust… who knows), but the inside of the houses were rather spacious for Logan. The people were not rich; nor poor. The true poverty was up on Mud Fork. We had friends who lived in shacks and used outhouses as toilets. I’m not sure they even had running water at Mud Fork.
We knew three people from Dehue: Tony and Henrietta Ramirez, and Mr. James Forbes (their neighbor). We used to live at Mt. Gay where the Kroger now stands. Henrietta was blind and was in the middle of the trailer park hollering for help, so we helped her. This was about 1962 and I was about 7. I think I might have heard her hollering and went and told my dad. From that point on, we learned all about Dehue because my mom visited the place all the time and did things like sold Avon.
I think the Henrietta and Tony shopped at a company store there, and yes…as the Tennesse Ernie Ford song went “they owed their soul to the company store.” Henrietta would get mad at Tony sometimes and would always lower her voice one octave and call him Antonio instead of Tony. That was always a clue that she was mad at Tony. She would say: it is time to go home now, Antonio. His family was Mexican, but most of them didn’t speak Spanish. Both are long gone and buried up at Forrest Lawn Cemetery.
My mom and I would hit Morrison’s before we went down to Dehue for a coke and a chili dog. I sometimes got slaw on my dog and called it a slaw dog. The last time I went to Dehue, I remember two songs playing on the radio as we hit three-mile curve: Yesterme, Yesteryou, Yesterday… by Stevie Wonder, and I Started a Joke by the Bee Gees (basically the late 1960s.)
I would like to thank you for telling me how Dehue got its name. When I first heard the name, I thought “what is a Dehue?” Now I know! There was one man who mentioned that he was one of the last to leave Dehue. I guess he turned off the light. I can’t imagine being the last one in a vibrant little town like that to leave. I’ve enjoyed the trip down memory lane!
I was two + years old and that Is my earliest memory of living in Dehue. We had an out house
and I remember being locked in the (now called a toilet) by a neighbor named Frye. We later moved to Charleston in September 1943. My father Frank Myers worked in the mines. My brother Frank Jr and sister Wanda attended grade school at Dehue grade school.
My mother was born at Dehue. I don’t know how long the family lived there. Her name was Jacqueline Cochran. She was the daughter of Slim and Reva Cochran. My mother’s aunt’s name was Lola Jayjohn married to Harry Jayjohn. They lived in Logan. Slim and Wilson Cochran are buried in Forest Lawn Cemetary. My mother is still living and is 93 born in 1930. I can’t remember Slim’s real name. Also, my grandmother Reva I mentioned in this was a Moore. Two of her brothers lived in Logan. Their names were Roy Moore, and Malcolm. There’s a swinging bridge somewhere there in Logan and Roy Moore is buried across that bridge. Roy was killed in the coal mine. Wish I could remember more.
My Father (Art Watts) grew up in Dehue as my grandfather James Watts worked in the mine there
Grew up hearing found memories of his time in Dehue
Would love to hear from anyone that might have known them
Juat wondering why the people who use to live in Dehue haven’t made any comments about the article about Dehue called Footprints in the Sands of Time. Great story and photos.
I grew up in Dehue I was next too the last person to move out I would still be living there if they didn’t make us move I have a lot of good memories from Dehue
Thanks for these pictures and stories. I lived in Dehue with the Hattons back in the 1950’s and it was the most wonderful experience The people were the best you could find anywhere. Am an old man now and wish I could go back.
Good memories Dick.
I tried finding Dehue today. Does it still exist? I was on Rum Creek road but never saw an old coal camp. My grandmother lived there when she was a little girl. She was born in 1911. I’ve never been in the area. She had two encounters with creature she said looked like a devil so I’ve always remembered the name. Never seen any other stories about the creature either.
Thank you.
The community of Dehue does not exist today, not a single house, building or other structure of the old Dehue underground mine is left. Currently, the area is the site of ponds, roads and other facilities of the large surface mines that operate on the mountaintops in that area.
With reference to Google maps, the “entrance” to Dehue is a small bridge on the right at the end of a long straight stretch going up Rum Creek Road (RT. 14) about 1.1 miles from the exit off the new 4-lane (RT. 10) road.
There is no public access to Dehue across that bridge. However, on the occasion of the annual Dehue re-union, attendees arrange with the mining company to allow a limited access. It is a melancholy memory lane experience.
I can remember growing up in dehue in the 70’s. We lived in the colored camp as they called it then we moved down the road and lived beside Conrad and Beatrice Pritchard. My dad used to work at the coal mines way in the back of the holler. My dad’s name is Dewey McCoy and my mom is Ida. Everyone called me junior or junebug and my sister and brother are Delbert and Sherry Harrison. If anyone has pictures or lived in Dehue about the time we did, I would love to see the pics or hear the stories. I can be reached at: cibveteran0@gmail.com Thanks
Diana (Daniel) Cook here-we were in school together-recently I was thinking of you and could not remember your last name-sheesh- We had moved in the second house from the bridge where that church was -the Yellow house and the garages were across the road-Ramey’s live in the small house soon as you come across the bridge-
I am looking for information on my Grandfather, Elwood Forrest Norton, who died in a mining accident in November 1928. I have not been able to find any information on this, only memories from my mother who was only 8 years old at that time.
Linda Packer (linpac@consolidated.net)
Linda,familysearch.org shows his
death record. He is buried in
Paragon,KY. Shows the info
regarding his death.
Thank you
Hello everyone. My name is David Scarberry. My grandfather died from a mining accident that occurred on August 19, 1944 and passed on August 21, 1944. His name was Wallace Peck and my grandmother’s name was Pearl Stansberry Peck. I have a copy of his death certificate which says he was treated at a hospital in Logan. This was way before my time and any info or pictures that may be available that you wish to share would be greatly appreciated.
David, to get the info you want, go to familysearch.com. Look for his records there.For photos do a online search for coal miners.
Hi Deloris, I have a picture of the Hutchinson Coal Co. “Dabney Mine ” Day Shift, Clean Coal W. Va., August 6, 1940. My dad, Paul Kota and uncle John Lester are in the picture. There are 31 coal miners altogether in this picture. I remember as a child going to Dabney to see my grandparents on the weekends. Also going to the store in Dehue. We lived in Chapmanville, W. Va. just 12 miles outside of Logan. Thanks for the memories. I now live in Lake Butler, Florida. Nancy Lee (Kota) Fillyaw.
My Father, Elwood Cooper died in the mine in 1950. Any information would be appreciated.
My dad was Ernest Sepessy (son of Mary Sepessy and George Albert, grandson of Julia and John Sepessy). He is one of the boys in the violin class picture. Does anyone have any other information about the picture or the Sepessy family/coal mine? Thanks!
actually… the Ernest Sepessy in the photo is my dad’s (Ernest Albert) Uncle Ernest —they were close in age!.
My dad was John Sepessy, Mary’s brother and son of Julia and Steve Sepessy. I live in Barboursville, WV. My grandfather Steve died in a Slatefall in 1944 or 1945.
Hi Joe. Glad to hear from you! My dad, Ernest Albert was Ernest Sepessy’s nephew though they were similar in age. My dad was very tall so they called him Big Ernest, though the younger! When I was a kid in the 60s, our family went to visit the boarding house, where Julia was still there with a few former miners, Mike and ?? My dad used to stay at the boarding house some summers. A few years ago my husband and I went to WV but the boarding house and mine were gone. We did find the cemetary where “John S” was buried but it was in disrepair so we couldn’t locate his grave. We used to be in touch with Uncle Ernest’s daughter in Muskegon MI, and visit Uncle Joe (Loslo) and Aunt Helen in Rantoul IL. My dad sadly died in 1993, too young. His sister, Priscilla died about 4 years ago. Are you aware of other Sepessy family members who are alive? I’m 65 and live in Chicago. Really nice to hear from you! Bev
If I may throw a curve into all of this. My father was Bill Sepessy. I recognize many of the names I see listed here and I am the youngest of my fathers children, not that I am young now. I never understood the separation from not knowing any of the relatives. I remember hearing my father speak on the phone alot with Ernest, Steve and remember seeing Mary once. I remember taking one trip to the boarding house around 1967 but not many memories. My father passed away in 1982 while we lived in NJ. Does anyone have pictures of him as a child?
My daughter Ashley recently did one of the family history test and was contacted by a Loslo and sent some pictures. I dont remember her name but was in her 20’s. I have three brothers and a sister. We have questioned many times why we never met so many of the aunts and uncles. Not sure if the distance was just so great for traveling back then. Would love to hear. I guess most from their generation have passed at this point.
Hi Bob! I’m going to post some pictures of all the Sepessey siblings on the FB page.
Bob, your dad, Bill, is in the pictures I just posted on Logan page.
Beverly
I tried finding the FB page and cant seem to locate it. Can you send me a link or friend request in FB to it. If you search my name my photo shows me with a red convertible.
Not to split hairs but my name is John and not Bob. Thank you for responding so quick.
Hi John! Try this! Https.www.facebook.com/groups/184333842401852/?ref=share
Thank you for the link. I was able to access it and hopefully accepted into the group. Thank you for your patience and help.
Hi John, if you go to the Monaville site,
you will see a 1924 B.B. team photo.
It shows Joe and Gabor Loslo in it.
Its in Row 13, photo # 2.
There is another photo taken in 1930
of four Monaville B.B. members.
The second boy is unknown, could
he be a Sepessy family member?
Photo is in Row 8, photo # 2.
Joe, if you go to the findagrave.com
site and put in Forest Lawn Cemetery
and put in John Sepessy you will find
where all of your family members
are buried.
Bob, thanks! I decorated my Dad’s and Grandparents graves every year. But thank you for caring.
Joe, on this website is a photo of
the 1934 to 1935 LHS Class of teachers.
First row photo # 5 in white dress is
Margaret Sepessy Reppard.
Was she related to you?
If she was, do you know her history?
Hi Bob. Can you send/post the picture you reference of the 1934/35 teachers with Margaret in it? Thanks!
The LHS Class of 1934 and 1935 photo
was posted on this website by
Franklin Thompson on Sept. 12, 2011.
Go to Site Index to find it.
Hi Beverly, there is a photo of Karen Sue Herman Holly
( 1952- 2020 ) on the findagrave site.
She was the daughter of Margaret and Cassem Herman.
Karen looks a lot like Margaret.
She is buried in Sunset Cemetery Franklin County Ohio.
Hope you will do your Sepessy Family History
on this Logan site some day.
Joe, did Margaret teach at Mt. Gay Grade School?
There is a teachers group photo and she might
be in it. Can you please look at it by going
to the Site Index you will find the site.
Thanks for your help.
I am so grateful for the picture of the boy scouts. In that, pictured are my children’s Great grandfather and his Brother, as children. Silas and Frank Mariano. If anyone remembers them or their family, will you please contact me. 🙂
Sandy Mariano
smakalani@aol.com
Frank was my Uncle
Joe carrere June 2021 Frank was my uncle too. Baba is my bab
♡
so many good memories of dehue. this was place where everybody was like a family. i sure miss the reunions and seeing the friends that lived there. for those of you that don’t know my wife is waiting on kidney transplant so we have stay close to hospital in salt lake city.so thanks for all these wonderful memories and hope to see you soon.
Deloris
Enjoy the pages and pictures you have keep up, I cherish all the memories of
Dehue and never miss a reunion. take care Think of you and Donald often
Rose Perovich Kelly
A LITTLE HISTORY ON THE DEHUE FOOT BRIDE
..A PLACE TO SETTLE SCORES!
Seeing the photo of the foot bridge at Dehue brought back so many memories. During the early and mid 60s it was the place were we settled scores. The bridge was located between Dehue and Hutchinson, so none of the parents could see us there if we had a fight, especially on the road side of the bridge.
One afternoon while riding the school bus from Logan High School, Donald Cline knocked me out of my seat, because he wanted to set in my place. Told him, will get you back at the bridge after we get off the bus. The school bus droppped us off and we had to walk from Dehue Grade School to Hutchinson. When we got to the bridge I
told Donald, OK lets settle this. As I was taking off my jacket he sucker punched me so hard I saw stars and he took off running. After my head stopped ringing I remember chasing him from the Dehue Foot Bridge, around the curve to the lower end of Hutchinson, darn if he didn’t out run me! I never did get him back for that sucker punch, Stanly and the family moved shortly after that, I always liked the Cline Family however…… THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES.
My grandparents, George & Lilly Hester, lived in Dehue in the ’40s and ’50s and I remember going there as a child…my parents, aunts & uncles would sit on the front porch overlooking the railroad tracks and chat, laugh and sing. Most have long since passed away but the sweet memories of those times remain. Thanks for the pictures and stories of Dehue! They are very much appreciated by a “native son” of Logan County.
My father, Howard Hester, was George’s brother. My father and mother, Margaret and I visited there twice before I was 7 yrs old. I think we lived in Wheeling then. I once rolled down the bank to the tracks on someones triycyle there. I remember the switchback road that took us down to the town and the coal tiple that was the end of the railroad and the town. I also remember my uncle pointing out a man walking and saying he was one of the original either a Hatfield or Mccoy. Hatfield, I think after just seeing a program on PBS called The Mine Wars. Don Hester
I am Don Hester. Parents were Howard and Margaret hester. George was Howards bro and was my uncle. We lived in Wheeling and visited Dehue a couple times when I was very young 5 or 6. I remember the drive down the mountain and I fell down the hill onto the tracks once while riding someones triicycle. Uncle George always pointed out one of the “original Hatfields.
Mr Hester (George) had a deep bass voice and would sing in church in dehue… he moved to New Haven WV I think or near that area in Mason County… the Hatfielld man you saw was Willis Hatfield.. he took care of the community water plant (sand was all that was used to filter the water….) He was know for passing lifesaver mints to all the kids … some called him the Mint Man… he lived with his daughter and her husband Luke Rutherford below the tipple across the tracks… always super nice to me.. teased me all the time about having the best dog in Dehue….
lol-I am Diana (Daniel) Cook–He called me the little girl with big black car-Dad _Ora Odd Daniels-moved us into the boarding house that Ketron’s had-and he got a black Lincoln Continental -I LOVED that thing-electric seats that raised me up to where I could see over the hood- I learned here a while back that the Miners use to talk about me too-LOL_they had the big coal trucks and where other people would pull over to the sides of the Road when they came by I would just slow down and they went by me slow-LOL–never did pull over for them-well did not know I was supposed to. We moved to Dehue when I was going into 3rd grade-there were 5 of us kids at the time-Myself and brother and sis-took to the mountains-stayed there in the school months- went back to KY where I was born-for summers to stay with mamaw and papaw and other relatives and first 2 weeks of school there-cause WV started after Labor day-but we lived in the Colored camp across from Mrs Mary and Bill Alexander-LOVED THOSE TWO PEOPLE to death-they adopted Johnny Lee and he became our baby too-lol-then we moved down to the Yellow duplex just past the bridge from the Black church-went there too-and we still lived in those mountains- Swung on grapevines-have photos – best 5 years of our early 3rd grade to 7th-ever-never saw the first snake-mom always said we made too much noise-had cousins join us too-but dang in the yard or on the road or wherever but never in the mountains. We just found so many beautiful GOD made beautiful things otherwise and enjoyed it-
Diana,I thank you for your wonderful story.Please post your family photos.
Eugene, George was my uncle, brother to my dad Howard Hester. We visited Dehue 2 time when we lived in Benwood,WVA. I was jus 5-6 years old then. I remember the porch and tracks and one time fell down the bank to the tracks on a borrowed tricycle. I don,t know how long George and Lilly lived there. Quite a drive down the mountain to Dehue.
Have lot of wonderful memorys of Dehue. We raised our children there. Thank you for these memories.
Walk down memory lane