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“We should be too big to take offense and too noble to give it.” — Abraham Lincoln
John
February 3, 2021
I’m looking for a photograph of Enoch Scaggs. Respond at barkerjandg0@gmail.com
John,Enoch’s 1918 Draft card shows
that he had blue eyes and light
brown hair. He was of medium
height and build.
He was 36 years old and he was
the Foreman at Logan County
Light and Power Company
in Logan,WV.
You might look at the photos on
this website or do an online search.
I’m a relative of the Curry family that goes quite some ways back. My great aunt Pearl Abraham had been a long time and prominent citizen of the county. I’m beginning to piece together facts around the murder of my cousin and our relationship to the Hatfield’s. Thank you
For those of you who like to read.
Please put this info into your search:
3 Men Who Refused to Bury The Past.
It was wrtiten in 1986 by the Washington Post.
The story is about the Becco Cemetery now
called Browning Cemetery at the findagrave.com site.
Three old retired coal miners who had relatives
buried in the Becco Community Cemetery
filed a lawsuit against the Island Creek Coal Company.
Hello, im trying to find out if my daughter’s grandfather is buried here.
His name was Frank Dempsey. His wife was Diana williams Dempsey.
Deborah, many found at familysearch.org.
None with wife name of Diana.
One name of Frank who was single, was born in 1913
& he died in 1953. He was a coal miner.
D.R. shows burial in Claypool Cemetery.
I recently did research on exactly your family and found interesting connection through Celia Lucy Ward that are worth everyone’s time. The Ward family itself goes back to early colonial times. But her mother was Elizabeth Bolling and Bolling’s are connected to Pocahontas and both Presidents Bush.
Nancy Clark, did you look in the
1947 & 1969 phone books on this site
for the store. Might be ads in the back
of the phonebooks.
What was the name of it & where
was it located?
Does anyone have any memories, stories, photos of the late William “Bill” or Madonna George from Holden? Im one of their many grandchildren and would love to hear any stories folks may remember of them?
Adam George
Yes, I knew Bill and Madonna. Madonna was my piano and choir teacher. Steve, Brent, Mark, Jeff, and Debbie were friends of mine. We went to the same church together. A wonderful family of good, decent people. I think I’m a better person from knowing them
Yes. The George family was my next door neighbor on Bebe St, before Debbie was born. Madonna was my piano teacher in 2nd thru 5th grade, then we moved to St. Albans. My mother would look after the boys while she gave me my piano lesson. She was the BEST!
Never had any piano teacher that I liked( after we moved) after having her! Great family!!
Judy Marcuzzi Johnson
Madonna George lived on Hamilton Dr. 4 houses down from my parents. Madonna gave me piano lessons. She was very kind. She took great pride in her yard. When I was little I had a hermit crab brought back from Myrtle Beach. My brother and I were playing with it in the backyard. We thought we closed the lid on the cage but when we went back out after dinner it was gone. A year or so later, Madonna called my father and said she found a small toy in her bushes that was probably ours.(t
The hermit crabs shell was painted and my brother wrote his name on it. My brother went down to get it and it was our hermit crab!!! To this day we are baffled as to how it survived the winter and we have no idea what it ate during that time. We laugh about that story to this day.
My grandfather Walter Humphrey worked there and that morning he didn’t go cause him and grand ma had an argument and he called off ,but he ended up being electrocuted years later at a time he owned in Barnesville down netherworld ,my father shared this with me
Bob Piros you once posted a 1969 Logan phone book. Can you tell me where I can find that once again?
Mary, go to the site index on this website.
Also Franklin Thompson is the owner
of this Logan website & he did all of the
work of posting the phonebook.
I only donated it to his site.
Thank you so much. I found what I was looking for.
In Dwight Williamson’s January 22, 2020 LOGAN BANNER article regarding 1916-17 era events in Logan County, he commented: “…. It was also noted that a person could catch a train at 7 a.m. in Huntington and be at the “new model town” of Omar at 11:30 a.m., just in time for lunch at Island Creek Coal Co.’s “fine new club house…..”.
Dwight inadvertently misnamed the name of the coal company at Omar.
Dwight apparently was referring to information discussed in the opening comment in the OMAR topic of this website which was a March 30, 1916 article (courtesy of Brandon Kirk blog) in THE LOGAN DEMOCRAT newspaper. The article reads, in part, thusly: “……we can leave Huntington at 7 o’clock in the morning or at 2:40 in the afternoon, just as you prefer. If we go in the morning, we arrive at Omar at about 11:40—in time for a good dinner at the company’s fine, new club house….”
The town of Omar, WV was the center of operations for the MAIN ISLAND CREEK COAL COMPANY which started operations in 1914. It was not the same company as the ISLAND CREEK COAL COMPANY which began operations (as UNITED STATES COAL & OIL COMPANY) some 10 years earlier at Holden, WV.
The 1908 telephone listing for phone number 95 was: United States Coal &Oil Co. The 1925 telephone listing for number 95 was: Island Creek Coal Co.
MAIN ISLAND CREEK COAL COMPANY was not listed in the 1925 directory but WEST VIRGINIA COAL & COKE CO. at Omar, WV was.
In the display featured in the topic “1916 West Virginia Advertisements” on this website, there is a business card of:
Island Creek Coal Co.
Holden, W. Va.
Mines of
UNITED STATES COAL & OIL COMPANY
There also is a business card of:
Main Island Creek Coal Co.
Omar, W. Va.
In the 1916-17 era, there was a mine at Switzer, WV operated by the ISLAND CREEK COLLIERY CO. There also was a LITZ-SMITH ISLAND CREEK COAL CO., CHAUNCEY, WV and a LOGAN ISLAND CREEK COAL CO., CRITES, WV. None of these operations appear to have been affiliated with any of the abovementioned companies.
I would suggest that one of the most significant Logan County events of the 1916-17 era was the coming of public utility electricity to the non-coal town general public accomplished by the 1915 completion of the Logan County Light & Power Company plant at Logan.
The next-to-last paragraph of my above commentary lists three (3) 1916-17 era Logan County coal companies with “ISLAND CREEK” in their names. Please note there also was a STANDARD ISLAND CREEK COAL CO., CORA, WV. None of these operations appear to have been affiliated with Main Island Creek Coal Co. at Omar or with Island Creek Coal Co. at Holden. Although, part of a Standard Island Creek Coal Co. mine at Cora was on property leased from United States Coal & Oil Co. (Island Creek Coal Co.)
Family members had a grocery store at 550 Stratton St and later at 48 St Charles Street in the late 1940’s early 50’s. It was called Marino’s they delivered groceries all over and in a few of the surrounding cities. Nono woimd bake bread and have it ready for whem the miners gotnoff of work. Does anyone remember this store? Im looking for stories or pictures during that time that would coincide. They owned the building at the time but later sold it to the salvation army. Where would I go to obtain the property sale information?
Thanks!
Sandy Mariano
Sandy, are you related to Charlie Mariano,
might have been a Basketball player at
Logan East Jr. High School?
You might call Logan County or check with
a local Logan realtor for help.
Sandy, you might try the Logan
County Assessor, phone # is
304-792-8520.
Yes sir, Charlie Mariano 🙂 and thank you for the number, I will try that number.
Thanks!
Sandy
Sandy, you’re welcome.
Do you know your relatives
first names & when they were
born? Lots of listings on the
familysearch site.
You might be able to find them
in the 1940s census.
I do know them thank you 🙂 the only thing that most of them couldn’t remember where details about the store since they were young.
Thanks for your help 🙂
Sandy
Sandy, look at the photos
in the main gallery on this
website as it shows a few
photos of Stratton st.
At least you can see the
area where the store might
have been.
You can also pinpoint the
location by looking up the
addresses of the other
stores on the street.
You can also search online
for Marino store photos.
I found a listing for Marino
Brothers restaurant in
Clarksburg,WV.
They are on Facebook.
They might be related to you.
Always keep searching.
Thanks, Bob. I have looked up the old addresses already and have seen the photo’s of a Stratton Street. They are super cool. Marino’s is not related as our last name is actually Mariano. I think the general consensus was that Marino’s was easier to say than Mariano’s. Nono and Noni sold the store and part of the family left for California. Was just hoping someone else may have a little more personal knowledge of the store. I’m going tonhave to make a trip there this year. I need to find Black Wolfe Cemetary. It’s top of a hill that is pretty inaccessible as it is near a strip mine, near the golf course. I am told by a woman at the court house that her husband has been 4 wheeling near that area and it’all over grown and fenced off. I would like to go clean it up and photograph the graves that are marked. My childrens 3rd great grandmother is buried there. Are you in the know about that place? I’ve done all the paper and online search for them and the location. ..now to go there.
My grandmother Mary McCloud had a general store in Logan. It burned down around the early 70’s after she died. Does anyone have a picture of the store?
Sandra, we lived directly behind Marino’s grocery, at 549 Main Street. The mother’s name was Sonja. Silas was my age (I’m 73 now) and his younger sister was Sarah. When I went back to Logan in 1987 I took some photos of the store as it stood, although I’m pretty sure the Marino’s didn’t own it then. I’ve often wondered what happened to my childhood friend Silas. We left in 1959 when I was 12.
Hi Charlie!! So excited to read your comments!!! I will get you in touch with Si and Sarah! My email is smakalani@aol.com.
Do.you happen to still have thise photos? I would love a copy of them if possible.
I would love to hear your memories of everything as well.
I believe I have those photos. I’ll try to put some together and send you some jpegs.
Sounds fantastic Charlie thank you so much! Just shoot me an email and I’ll forward it on to Silas and you guys can connect.
Hello Charlie, so glad that you will be able
to help Sandra out.
This website has a form that you
can fill out if you want to send
your photos to share with others.
Also you & Sandra feel free to share
your Logan history with this
website.
Thank you for all your efforts Bob 🙂
Is it Charlie or Doc. My son’s ex Sandy is doing a geneology for his for her children. She said she ran into your post yesterday. Amazing. We left after Christmas 1958 and took our time and got to Pomona CA in Jan 59. I guess we weren’t into phones and letters. We severed all friendships getting caught up in life in California. Pity.
I’m retired after 35 years in youth corrections and my wife and I are real estate brokers. We live in Oceanside CA. 2 children, 2 step[-children (she’s my second wife) 3 grand kids, 1 great grand. Sarah in Pulaski VA with her husband. Parents passed a few years ago.
Hope to hear from you. My e-mail is attached but I post my phone number. 951-764-4881. Si
Hey Sandy Sorry I don’t know our connection. I assume you are the daughter to one of my cousins, sons and daughters of Maggie and Franck. Hello. The store was opened by my Noni and Nono and my parents. When we moved to Cal they gave my parents 1700 for their share. yes, that’s right 1700 in the early 60s. Soon after they bought a house on Pine just above the railroad tracks in Logan.
For awhile they leased the store to the Charleston Gazette as a place the carriers came in the morning and pick up the papers for delivery. Then it sat vacant and deteriorated. I was there about 1982 for one of the funerals and the Salvation Army had the key. They told me it was unsafe to go upstairs where we lived with our parents and grandparents, but he turns his back and I went up the rickety steps and looked inside at how small the rooms were for 5 people.
Don’t know if they refurbished the place or tore it down, but the SA bought it. Trying to message Charlie Barnes by old neighbor and playmate. Thanx Hope to hear from you. simariano95176744881@gmail.com
PS Saundra, we owned the place on Charles and THEN later moved to Stratton.
Si, wonderful family story
posted on Facebook.
Hope to see it posted on
this Logan site as a Post
where it will remain for many
who don’t have Facebook
to see & read.
Sandra,
To find the property sale information you will need to see the deed for the sale which is on record in the Logan County Clerk’s office. The seller of the property is the “grantor” and the buyer is the “grantee”. There are “GRANTOR” and “GRANTEE”record books indexed alphabetically in the Logan County Clerk’s office records room.
IF you know the CORRECT names of the parties, you can look at those books and find out the deed book and page number for the transaction. It is a fairly simple task and takes only a few minutes. The office workers will make you a copy of the deed for a modest fee. Typically, they will not do this research for you by telephone but they are cordially helpful when you visit. If you have friends or family in Logan, you may get them to do the work for you.
Good luck!
I remember the store. I had a friend by the name of San Marino. Any info about him?
sam passed away His brother Frank Mariano is on FB
How many of you got paddled
while going to Logan County Schools?
Do you recall the teacher & school?
Did your teacher tell you why you
were getting paddled?
Did the teacher ask your parents
if it was ok to hit you?
Happy New Year to you Bob. I just recently added an article to my post, “Memories of a WV Mountain Kid”, about an incident that occurred when I was in the 9th grade, riding the school to Logan East Jr. High where I ended up getting my butt busted by A.R. Marushi.
Bob – I made a mistake. The article I posted is about a rooster named “Stubbs”. I haven’t posted the article about the school bus ride and the paddling yet. Getting ready to though. Sorry about that. Keith Gibson
I don’t know if anyone can help but I’m going to give it a shot. My Grandparents Alvin (Wayne) McDonald and Ollie Emma (Hale) McDonald were from Logan. (Peach Creek)
My Grandmother’s 1st born son was born out of wedlock Elbert Jefferson Hale on January 15, 1927. I cannot find a birth certificate.
He died September 2, 1940.
On his death certificate (I did find one) it lists her dad as the baby’s father Elbert Hale.
I did not know about any of this until I was older. All my Greatmother’s other children clam up and claimed to know nothing. All are gone but 2 and one is my dad. He is the last of 9 kids. He never knew the 1st born because he was born and died before my dad’s time.
I guess my grandmother had a picture of him displayed but I was also to young to remember. Jefferson cannot be found on find a grave because he only had a rock for a headstone. He is buried in McDonald Cemetery. The way he died is conflicting some say dynamite but my Grandmother told my dad he was shooting at mine caps.
Which he has the gun with a stick shoved in it by my Grandfather so it could never be shot again.
I hope someone can fill in some blanks and give me peace. I would love to get him a headstone so he’s not forgotten.
Thank you.
S S, make a donation in his memory
every year.
Lots of churches use money to help
those in need.
Wishing all of you who use this site
to have a Wonderful Christmas &
a Happy New Year.
Stay Alert & Safe everywhere
that you go.
Is there a cemetery on or very near the Country Club near Chapmanville? Need name of Cemetery and those buried there, especially any Elkins.
The internet is the window to the World.
Put the info into your search & see
what comes up.
You can also call the Country Club
& ask them.
Search on the findagrave.org site.
Yes. You can put a golf ball through one of the old headstones; I forget which hole. I believe it is an old Butcher cemetery. I have seen a listing of the graves in an old Logan County Genealogical Society publication from the 1978-1984 era.
Brandon, do you have any history
about the Augustine family & their
truck hauling business of produce
in Logan County about 1928 to 1932?
Also not sure who you are replying to
in your article about the Butcher cemetery?
I replied to the person who asked about a cemetery at the golf course.
Ok. Say I was wondering since
you are taking photos of cemeteries
if you have ever thought about
taking some of Man Cemetery.
There are two located behind
the Speedway in Man.
There are over 200 graves that
haven’t been recorded due
no one is able to get through the
brush.
There is a 1947 photo on the
Man Cemetery site on this Logan
site that shows the location of
the second cemetery.
Some people have said that
both cemeteries use to be
well maintained.
Many thanks to all of the Veterans who
have served & are still serving our
Wonderful Country.
Thanks for keeping us Safe.
You give us Hope for the Future.
For all of you who use this Logan website.
Happy Halloween.
Stay Alert & Safe as you travel everywhere
you go.
For Douglas Dempsey, you were looking for a
photo of four men in suits.
There is a photo on the Monaville site that
you might be interested in.
Row 3- photo # 4.
Bob,
Quite a while ago I made a post commenting that I had seen some men in suits sitting at what looked like a banquet table. I recognized that one of the men was Mr. Larry Derenge (Sr.) whom I had worked with at Southern Ohio Coal Company in the early 1970’s. I could not recall where I had seen that photo on (I think) this website and that I could not find it again.
When I worked with Derenge in the early 70’s he was perhaps in his early-mid 60’s of age.
Derenge was an Island Creek Coal engineer at one time. In some way Derenge had been a protégé of Don Chafin and had been involved in the creation/early history of Chafin Coal Company. Derenge painted the picture to me that Chafin had “screwed him over” some way and forced him out of the deal.
Derenge was a tall, lanky man with an Abe Lincoln type face. I do not readily recognize anyone in the Monaville photo. However, the man in white has a stature like Derenge and I suppose that the man in white maybe could be Derenge since Island Creek had mines (11,12,13) at Monaville area. I really don’t know.
Thanks!
Doug, according to familysearch Larry
is in the 1940 census. Says he lived
in Holden & he was a Assistant
Superintendent. He was born in 1912.
No other records found.
In the ‘60’s Mr Derenge lived in the Midelburg Addition of Logan, on Nighbert Avenue. I grew up with his son, also Larry. The younger Larry also went into mining, possibly as some kind of engineer, have lost track of him. Curiously I later did some photography in a Chafin mine up Rich Creek.
Derenge, Lawrence F
Lawrence F. Derenge of Apple Grove died Tuesday, Jan. 31, 1995, in the Morris Memorial Convalescent Home in Milton.
A member of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Point Pleasant, he was owner of the Hidden Acres at Apple Grove, a supervisor at Meigs Mines, an associate of Alum Creek Coal Co., and taught mining at the University of Rio Grande. A WVU graduate with a degree in mining engineering, he was the owner of Gallia Coal Company in West Columbia.
He was preceded in death by his parents, William Michael and Madalyn (Our) Derenge; 11 brothers and a sister; and his first wife, Edwina (Pering) Derenge.
Survivors include his wife, Marvella (Smith) Derenge; daughter, Penny Stauffer of Lexington, Ky.; son, Larry Derenge, Jr. of Lexington; eight grandchildren, a niece and several nephews.
The funeral will be Thursday, 11 a.m., at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church with Father Melvin Averman officiating. Burial will be in the Woodmere Memorial Park, Huntington. Friends may call at the Wilcoxen Funeral Home Wednesday, 7 to 9 p.m., with Rosary service to begin at 7 p.m.
I think that about 20 years ago Larry Jr. was an official of the Fola Mining Company (a Consol company) that had a large mining complex near Bickmore in Clay County.
Seen on Facebook today.
Happy Birthday to Mr. William ( Bill ) Farley.
106 years old.Hope you have many more.
According to his 1940 draft card he was a
coal miner who worked for the
Crystal Block Coal Company in Sarah Ann,WV.
He was born in Mingo County WV. as was
his wife Thelma ( 1920- 2005 ).
Wow!! Still no hard evidence!!
After several weeks of research I still haven’t been able to find any evidence that an elementary school existed at the mouth of Davy branch in the early 1900’s, even though three very credible witnesses have said it did. It is said that the school was situated at the mouth of Davy Branch somewhere between 1910 and 1940. There is proof that the property belonged to my great grandfather, Floyd Buchanan, from 1885 until 1912. After searching the 1835 to 1968 deed books of Logan county, I found no record of any deed between Floyd Buchanan and the Board of Education. Floyd passed away in 1909 and their daughter, Lillie Mae (my grandmother) became the legal owner of the property at Davy Branch in 1912. Lillie Mae was married to Andrew C. Harless at this time and there is a deed between Andrew C. and Lillie Harless and the Board of Education. The deed shows that Andrew and Lillie Harless sold 19/100 of an acre to the Board of Education in 1917. However, the deed also shows that the property was at Rum Creek. The problem is this: There’s no record of Andrew C. and Lillie Harless ever owning any property at Rum Creek. Could this have been error, and possibly should have said Davy Branch instead of Rum Creek, which is only a little over a mile up river? …………..Just wondering. Keith Gibson
Floyd,
When you emphatically state that “…There is proof that the property was owned by my great grandfather, Floyd Buchanan, from I885 to 1912…”, it suggests that the exact location of the purported school is known. Accordingly, within a somewhat localized area, you should be able to determine the current owners of the lands/lots at that site are. Researching the title chain for each of the current owners should reveal as to whether or not any of them have a conveyance from the board of education in their title chain.
The 1917 conveyance of 19/100 of an acre to the Board of Education amounts to being a lot of some 8,000 square feet in size (nominally, a lot about 80 feet by 100 feet in size). This suggests that the lot was a part of a larger tract of land which your grandmother (and Floyd Buchanan) may have owned.
It is possible that the 1917 deed had a reversionary provision whereby the property would be conveyed back to the original owner when the property was no longer used as a school. Often, this reversion is not documented in a timely manner or is not done simply because no one followed up.
I would note that by 1917, the Logan County coal industry was thriving in the Rich Creek, Rita, Lyburn, Rum Creek areas. Accordingly, much of the properties (at the least, the mineral rights) in those areas had been secured by the mining and land companies. It is possible that Floyd Buchanan could have conveyed property to a mining or land company. Typically, such conveyances would have somewhat detailed descriptions (surveys?) of the property.
You can find a listing of the current owners of properties at Davy Branch by using information on this website:
https://www.mapwv.gov/flood/map/
It will give you the names and addresses along with tax map/parcel numbers for current owners. Using that information you can get further information from this website.
https://publicrecords.onlinesearches.com/WV_Logan.htm
That information may include the deed book/page number of the the deed by which the current owner acquired their property. This will give you a head start on doing title searches.
Good luck!
Thanks Doug! A lot of good information there. Really appreciate it. –
Keith G
Keith, wonderful job of researching.
You might want to send a letter to the
Editor of the Logan Banner.
Maybe contact Franklin Thompson who is
the owner of this Logan site to see if your
Logan County history research could be
put on this website as a Post.
Then it could be shared on Facebook.
If you have any family photos please consider
sending them to Franklin to be posted on
this Logan site.
Bob, thanks for the compliment. I do have some old photos and have written down some things I’ve discovered about some of my ancestors, actually on both mom and dad’s side of the family. One in particular is my great great grandfather Thomas Buchanan, a 2nd Lieutenant (Union) in the civil war who was even mentioned in a book by Robert Alonzo Brock, written in 1888, called “Virginia and Virginians.” I’d be more than happy to submit some of the photos and information I have. Just don’t know much about how to do it.
Keith, go to top of page,
click on contact & fill
out form.
Thanks Bob, I just submitted some pics and info. to Mr. Thompson.
Does anyone know how I can get some information about an elementary school that existedl at the mouth of Davy Branch in the early 1900’s, across the river from Lyburn. I’m convinced that it existed because my mom, who was born in 1910 said she graduated from the eighth grade there. I even have her diploma, dated 1926. I asked my older brother and sister about it (they were born in the early 1930’s) and they said they could remember the school and that a couple of the local boys burned it down so they wouldn’t have to attend school. Any help would be much appreciated.
K. Gibson
Keith, doesn’t the diploma give the name
of the school?
You could try an online search.
Maybe call the Logan Banner.
Logan Board of Education.
Thanks for the reply. Unfortunately the diploma doesn’t have the name of the school on it. I remember back in the 1950’s when mom showed me some old foundation blocks that was all that was left of the old school. My older brother and sister (who live in Texas and North Carolina) who are in their 80’s, said they could remember the teacher allowing them to sit in class with our aunt Blanche Harless before they were even old enough to start school. The reason I’m searching for some evidence is because I’m finishing up a manuscript for a book I’ve written called “Buchanantown – Memories of Days Gone By.” I’ve already finished one manuscript called
“Memories of a West Virginia Mountain Kid,” but I need to get someone to read it and give me their honest opinion about it. I’ve searched the internet for information about the school but haven’t come up with anything.
Keith, sounds like you are going
in the right direction.
Go to External Links on the right
hand side of this page.
Contact Brandon Ray Kirk’s Blog.
He is an expert writer.
He is a book author.
Thanks Bob!! Really appreciate it
Keith,
As to the existence of a school at the mouth of Davy Branch, I will offer this information.
On the 1913 USGS Topographic map (Logan quadrangle) the only school shown on that side of the river was at the upper side of the mouth of Rich Creek. There was a low water ford crossing of the river at the mouth of Rich Creek and one just above the mouth of Madison Branch (“Madison Creek”).
On the 1926 USGS Topographic map (Logan quadrangle) there was a school shown at the upper side of the mouth of Madison Branch and a school shown at the lower side of the mouth of Rich Creek. The low water ford river crossings at Madison Branch was shown there but no crossing or bridge was shown at the mouth of Rich Creek. The map shows an extensive amount of houses and coal mining at the mouth of Rich Creek. This is somewhat puzzling to have coal mining with no apparent roadway for transporting coal to the railroad on the other side of the river. The railroad bridge to Rich Creek was not built at that time.
On the 1925 and 1928 USGS Topographic maps (Gilbert quadrangle), there is shown a Rich Creek School located near the head of Rich Creek. This was perhaps 4 or 5 miles up Rich Creek and in a very sparsely populated area.
All of the old maps show the Davy Branch Madison Branch areas sparsely populated.
I seem to recall a discussion on this website about old schools in the Madison Creek area but I don’t know under which topic title it was posted. I seem to recall that comments were made that students walked a mile or so from the area below and at Davy Branch to the Madison Branch school.
I seem to recall posting in that discussion that if a person knew the exact or closely approximate location of an old “school”, one can research the title chain of current properties at those sites and find where the old property owners conveyed parcels of land to the “board of education” for use as a school house. (Sometimes lots were conveyed to “churches” and those buildings were also used as schoolhouses, or, vice-versa.)
I note that the “new” road construction displaced many of the old houses and properties, However, the construction plans for the road has maps and information showing the names of the property owners that sold right-of-way to the state. In reviewing that information, you may be able to recognize names that lived at or very near where you think a school might have been,
Good luck!
Thanks Doug, really appreciate your comment. I mentioned before that my older sister (born 1931) related how the teacher allowed her to sit in class with our aunt Blanche Harless, before she was even old enough to attend school. She also said, if she remembers correctly, that the teacher’s name was “Paul Amos,” but mom’s1926 diploma shows the teacher’s name as “Nelle Yvonne Kane. It also shows the County Superintendant as “E.V. Parsons, My sister also said the teacher lived there at the boarding house that our grandmother, Lillie Harless, ran. I’ve searched everywhere I know to search, but I haven’t contacted the Logan Banner yet, which I intend to do as soon as I can. Thanks again, Keith Gibson
Researching Gertrude “Gertie” Mae Gunnells Thompson. In 1940 census she lived in Triadelphia (Houses facing Buffalo Creek). I think she died shortly after the birth of daughter Shelba Jean Thompson in 1941 since her husband Watha remarried shortly after that. May be buried in Scalf family Cemetery. Shelba Jean never knew her mother and would love to find her grave. Thanks for any pointers! Lauren Davis
Lauren, try familysearch.org &
search for her death record which
will show you where she is buried.
Thanks 🙂 I’ve tried both Family Search and Ancestry. No record of her death. Just going to keep lookin. Thank you, Lauren
Lauren, you might try searching at
billiongraves.com.
Also do an online search for
Scalf family cemetery as there are
lots of them in many states.
I searched in Kentucky, no luck.
Thanks Bob!
Wondering if anyone here went to Sunbeam Elem in the early 50’s. Two story gray building, grades 1 through 6. We moved to Ohio 1953. Teachers were Mrs. Hale, Mrs.Scaggs, Miss Gore, of what I remember. Now that I’m 76, I wonder what happened to classmates. My name is Jean Ann Morrison. My dad worked in mine at Omar.
Jean, you could call the Logan Banner
to see if they have ever done a story about
the school.
You could search for classmates on Facebook.
My grandfather Bernie Eddings was the mayor of Logan in the 30’s his son was born in Breacolm not sure of the spelling anyone know anything about them Diana Eddings Sevy
Diana, do an online search for the info.
Check the familysearch.org site.
Call the Logan Mayor’s office.
For those of you who do family research projects.
Always be willing to search all sources.
In 1987 when I started my family research I sent a letter
to the Williamson Memorial Hospital in Williamson,WV.,
seeking info about family members who might have been
treated there. I received back a reply about a child Balazs Piros
which was my Grandfather’s name who had died there in 1922.
No one in my family knew about this child. My Aunt who lived
in Huntington,WV said she would drive over to the cemetery in
Williamson & look for the grave. After cleaning off the brush & weeds
from my Grandmother Vilma Piros’ grave she found the grave of a
child on the backside of my Grandmother’s grave.No marker was
there so my Aunt had one made.
Hello, I live in California and have started writing my family history. Where was Skin Creek (as listed in the 1900 census)? I assume around Mill Creek. My Bell family moved to Logan from Tazewell, VA, after the Civil War. I am related to so many families, due to the families being so large at the time: Craddocks, Pridemores, Elkins, Whites, Canterburys, Belchers, Neeces, Nuckolls, Marcums, Jarrells, Sansoms…. That is just the direct line. I have lived in California most of my life, so my 30+ years of doing genealogy, is to bring me back home.
Best Wishes.
Marilyn, did you do an online search for the names?
Are you asking about Logan County WV?
Which family member was in the 1900 census?
Marilyn, I also have Bell in my line. My Bells turned in to Gunter (Gunther). Do you find Gunter in your line?
Great Logan memories, Ian trying to find out about my grandfather, I was told by my Father that his dad Joe Arnold Moses operated a beer joint in blackbottom in the late 40’s early 50’s. I seen the picture on this web sight from the Logan Banner of three black men and a women standing in the middle of black bottom, do anyone know the tall light skin in the hat in this picture. He may be my Grandfather.
Thanks
Vince Moses Sr.
vmoses2010@hotmail.com
I have always herd that a woman was burried alive at the Devil Anse cemetery and was wondering if its true or anyone else herd this..i think it happened in the early 80s
Ana, have you checked with Logan County Law
Enforcement about this? Sounds like a Boo-Boo
story someone told you. You can’t believe
everything that you hear.
Douglas Dempsey had good information on the drive-ins of many years ago, many of which I remember. The one near the end of the Midelburg bridge was operated, and probably owned, by “Uncle Dave” Coeburn, who lived near the railroad crossing in the upper end of Stollings. It was a favorite place for the high school crowd to eat lunch. Even closer to the school was a small restaurant that catered to the LHS trade but I don’t remember its name. Later it was called the Gold and Blue. As for Mecca, I don’t know when it went into business, but my father, William T. Harvey, operated it from around 1933 to 1945. He didn’t like running a beer joint, but he was trying to scrape up enough money to get back in the coal business. Mecca was situated on the property of the Dingess-Rum Land Company, which owned large tracts on Dingess Run and on Rum Creek. Mecca’s probably long gone now — it’s been ages since I was on that road. Some years ago I asked Dad where the name came from, but if he knew and told me, it has completely slipped my mind.
Robert,
From your comments on your father being in the coal business I assume he is the same William T. Harvey who operated a small mine in Bearwallow Hollow at Melville in the late 60’s-early 70’s time period. If that is so, I will tell you that I did some surveying work for him at that time in that mine. As I recall, I was working full time surveying for Island Creek and a co-worker there and I did some sideline “moonlight work” surveying for some small coal operators in the Logan area. I had some interesting conversations with Mr. Harvey and I was most impressed by his mining knowledge.
He was living in a large brick house across from Minton Chevrolet at the time.
Douglas,
Yes, that was Dad you did the surveying for, but I don’t remember the name Bearwallow. Could that possibly have been Bandmill Hollow? Wasn’t that where Melville was located? Dad’s last operation was a company called Logan Coals, Inc., and it worked the Five Block seam, way up near the top of the mountain.somewhere between Buffalo Creek and a branch of Little Coal River.
If you talked with him at any length, he probably asked you if your folks were from Fayette County — he was raised on a creek in that county named Upper Dempsey.
Robert
Robert,
The hollow is Bearwallow Hollow but it is on up the road from Melville just below Wanda.
Most of my conversations with your father were about mining engineering, etc. I seem to recall he had several books and maps about coal mining in general, not his specific operations.
Was your mother Helen Harvey, the teacher? I had her for a social studies class at Logan in the late 50’s. I recall that she had an expression which she used. Speaking in the voice of a refined Southern lady she would say: “Well, my stars and garters!” (I often use that expression myself.)
Douglas,
Yes, my mother was Helen Harvey. She began teaching at Dehue during the Great Depression, then migrated down to Logan High School. No doubt she used the expression “Well my stars and garters” at school and probably at home, too, but I don’t remember.
Thanks for the comment.
Robert
Wondering if anyone has information or recollection of the Paluso Family. My grandfather was Louie Paluso and he retired from Amherst Mines I believe. His brother – Simmons – and father worked for Island Creek and drove a truck. His father – Tony – was a plumber for the mines as well. Julia was his sister. Louie ended up moving to Man and married Elizabeth White, the school teacher who was killed by some kids by throwing rocks at her. Simmons and Julia lived up in Holden until they passed within days of each other in the early 90’s.
Melissa, you can find the family in the
1930 & 1940 census at familysearch.org.
Shows Louie & Elizabeth marriage in Logan
in 1963.
Dwight Williamson, since you are an expert of the
Hatfield family, can you answer why Midleburg Island
was once named after Elias Hatfield?
Also does the Logan Banner have any history
or photos of the Island in the early 1900’s?
There was a wooden bridge built before the
concrete bridge was built. It was from the Island
to the side of the Kroger store.
I remember crossing that bridge. They once rented horses for people to ride. It was probably in the early 1950s.
Shelly, thanks for your reply.
It was the only way to get on
and off the Island?
Just wonder if anyone has a photo
of it?
I am looking for information regarding Amherst Coal Company store. I have no idea if it was in Amherstdale or Logan. I purchased some scrip for a Christmas gift for my brother and would like some background information to go with it. He is at least a third generation coal miner in the central part of the state and has an interest in coal mining related antiques. The scrip will be a nice addition to his collection.
Thank you,
Judy Channell
judychannell@hotmail.com
Judy,
I lived on Buffalo Creek at Latrobe about 2.5 miles above Amherstdale during my grade school years (1st thru 5th in the late 1940’s-early 50’s). My father worked for Amherst for a short time.
Amherstdale (Amherst Coal Company) is a small community located on Buffalo Creek about 4 miles up above Man, WV.
There are several photographs pertaining to the community and company on this website. My favorite photo is the 3rd photo on page 4 of the Main Gallery of the Logan County Photos. That photo is a view from the front of the Amherstdale Theater looking at the large houses of the higher-up officials of the coal company. In the foreground of the picture is a billboard posting of movies being played or upcoming at the theater. I spent many hours watching movies there.
Some other Main Gallery photos you may want to review include:
Number 22 on page 5, Number 46 on page 5,
Number 29 on page 6
In the Bits of History and Nostalgia photo gallery photos 17 & 18 along with others are pertinent . Photo number 15 is also pertinent.
In the Directory of Logan, WV Circa 1925 photo gallery you will find photos 12 and 14 of interest.
In looking at items on this website I have seen pictures that are “articles” from a publication called “FOUR WING NEWS”. (It is listed as FOUR WINGS NEWS also). The articles seem to relate to Island Creek Coal’s activities and employees. One article is dated 1948.
I assume the publication is an Island Creek “newsletter” they furnished to their employees periodically. Does anyone know anything about his publication? Thanks!
“In addition to the Logan Banner there have been the “Four-Wing News” (1942-1949), which was produced by Island Creek Coal Co.; the Logan Democrat, 1911 thru 1919 and again in 1936 thru 1938; the Logan News (1941-1962 and 1963 thru 1983, and the Guyandotte Voice, 1987-1996.” – Info credit Dwight Williamson
Anyone remember the Sammons family? My dad Paul was born in 1941 and grew up in Ethel.
Regarding Dwight Williamson’s recent Logan Banner and Williamson Daily News newspaper article about the MECCA DRIVE-IN and other Logan County drive-ins detailed on the home page of this website, I have some observations and comments.
Dwight recalls several of the old 1950’s-60’s era Logan county “curb girl” drive-ins which I too recall. (I believe Dwight inadvertently misnamed the Cliff Side Drive-In as the Clifftop Drive-In.)
Dwight missed the popular OUTSIDE-INN between West Logan and Justice Addition which had curb service. Likewise, he missed the STEWART’S ROOT BEER place in West Logan.
I seem to recall there was a roadside eatery place at the upper end of Crites on Buffalo Creek in the early 50’s. I don’t recall if it had curb service. I seem to recall it may have been named, owned or operated by someone by the name of Stephens (sp?).
In Chapmanville town itself, in the late 40’s-early 50’s there was a “drive-in” place owned by my great uncle Enoch Fillinger. It was next to what was then Chapmanville High School across from about where the Town ‘N Country Foodland store is now. I seem to recall the place was called TIGERS DEN or something like that. I think they had curb service but I’m not sure. It and Enoch’s house next to it were bought out to make room for an expansion of the high school back then. (I know that years later there was a dance hall place called TIGERS DEN near the Crawley road railroad crossing.)
In the 40’s-50’s there was a sort of “roadside” eatery in the east end of Logan near Midelburg Bridge called EAST END BARBECUE. I recall that driving through Logan my Dad would stop in there and get sandwiches and drinks. Sometimes he would stop at a place just past the Buick garage at Stollings and get hot dogs or burgers. I believe that place was a beer joint called the STOLLINGS BARBECUE. I don’t think either of these places had curb service.
Similar to Dwight’s experiences, MECCA was the late night hangout spot for me and my friends during high school. We would meet there for the cheeseburger meals and listen to the bluesy rock-and roll music on Randy’s Record Shop on our car radios.
One night we were parked beside a couple of coal miners and one of them got out to go to the rest room. When he got back to get in his car he sat down in his seat, grabbed the door and slammed it closed. Unfortunately, he had forgotten that he had a tray full of food and drinks hanging in his car window. It all landed up in his slap.
Over a period of time my friends and I developed a friendship with a young curb girl at MECCA. I believe Betty was her name. As I recall, later on we heard that she had been seriously injured when a car pulled in too fast to park and hit her, pinning her against the building breaking her legs.
Dwight’s article suggests the MECCA opened around 1946. I note that a photo of the MECCA on this website (Logan County photos, main gallery, page 2, row 18, 3rd picture) has a note suggesting the MECCA existed as early as 1936, noting that an advertisement of it appeared in the Logan Banner that year. It is easy to forget that until Corridor G was built, the main road to Charleston (old Route 119) from Logan went through Stollings and passed by the MECCA. It is possible that the MECCA existed there in the mid-1930’s.
Dwight doesn’t know how the MECCA was so named. I believe I know how it got that name. It could have been one of those “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?”
Of course the word “mecca” has long been a colloquial expression signifying a central point of gathering, congregating, socializing and meeting. This derives from the name of the city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia known as the holiest city of Islam, the birthplace of Muhammad and the destination site of the great obligatory annual pilgrimage of millions of Muslims. In other words, Mecca became a “guiding star” for billions of people.
As I recall, the neon light sign on top of the building was a sort of fan-shaped starburst array of several straight neon lights a few feet long and of various colors. As I recall the lights blinked on and off, sort of a “twinkle effect”.
Sometime, in my several semesters of learning Latin from Mrs. Ghiz at Logan High in the late 50’s, or in some other reading I have done over the years, I ran across a Latin phrase of: “MECCA, MECCA, PARVA STELLA”. The translation listed for that phrase was: “TWINKLE, TWINKLE, LITTLE STAR”.
Recalling the “twinkling” neon light sign atop the MECCA DRIVE-IN, it immediately answered my own question as to how the place got its name.
Of course the question still remains: Was the place named to match the neon sign or was the sign designed to fit the name of the place? Hmmmm??
I recall that the design of the sign on top of the MECCA changed some time after the 1950’s-60‘s. I recall I missed the old “twinkling star” sign. I also miss MORRISON’S old “CHICKEN IN THE BOX TO GO IN THE FINGERS HERE” sign. As I recall, that sign had a band of “blinking” neon arrows around its edge pointing to the building.
To me, you went to MECCA for the cheeseburgers, PENNY’s for the onion rings and MORRISON’S for chicken. I don’t recall the MORRISON’S jumbo burger basket from my late 50’s high school days but I recall it from the mid-60’s. MORRISON’S jumbo burger basket is the best drive-in restaurant meal in the country!
Logan County drive-ins served another function in the late 50’s and especially during the mid-to-late 60’s. Hot rod cars and street drag racing! Many a street race was arranged on the curb at MORRISON’S with the preferred stretches of road being Melville straight stretch, Holden straight stretch, Barnabus straight stretch, Logan-Wyoming county line on Huff Creek, Three Mile Curve, Logan-Lincoln county line. The straight stretch from West Logan to Justice Addition saw its share of action too. In the late 60’s racing was done on the road to Williamson just past 22 Mountain on the Mingo side.
15 Mud Fork straight stretch was used often on a limited basis. Of course, anywhere on Mud Fork was like a speedway at any time. (My first street race was a short run by the railroad tracks at Crooked Creek. I lost!)
I don’t consider PENNY’S or MECCA as having been places where much street racing was arranged but I’m sure some impromptu races were cooked up on those curbs too. Of course, the PATIO was a big hub for racing on that end of the county and the JUNCTION was the deal on that end of the county. It was common for groups of Logan cars to go to PATIO or JUNCTION for racing.
I hope others can provide their own commentary and answer some “drive-in” questions posed by Dwight’s typically excellent article.
Blair,WV.,1950’s/60’s, Gibson’s Drive Inn.. Owners were Virgil Gibson(former Logan police officer) and Doyle (Kinkaid) Gibson, formerly taught at Logan Jr. High.They resided in Blair, their home was attached to the drive inn. Great hand cut french fries, homemade slaw or chili dogs, cheese burgers, pop cooler, hand dipped ice cream and a great candy case.Add a great juke box .So us Blair folks had our little place to go.A dollar, when you could get it as a kid, could get you a plate of hot fries and a cold Nehi.
Looking for info on the ice plant that was located in Mt Gay.
You might want to check this website’s 1947 & 1969 phonebooks.
Do you recall the name of the Ice Plant, if so do an online search.
On page 47 of the 1947 phone book under the topic ICE, there is a business listing of:
FROZEN-INDUSTRIES, INC Monitor Junction
I don’t know if Monitor Junction is the same as Mt. Gay but I seem to recall that in the early 1950’s, there was an ice plant located at about where the Logan Auto Trim and Glass shop is now in Mt Gay.
I also seem to recall that there was ice available in Logan on or near Dingess Street. This may have been at one of the wholesale grocery business locations.
I recall that in the early 1950’s somewhere around Logan my father bought some “dry ice” (frozen carbon dioxide) to use in a picnic cooler basket when we drove from Logan to Gilbert for some kind of an outing. After our picnic, when we were driving home we stopped and threw the remaining chuck of dry ice into the river and watched it bubble up like a small volcano for several minutes.
It was located by S Joe Ally Behind Fortunas market. Do not have any additional info. When I was a kid I would help unload refrigerated semi trucks there.
Rick, you are right about the location of the Ice Plant.
It was close to the Joe S. store. The Plant was run
by a Romeo Comeretto who was born in 1892 in Italy.
He also worked at the Pure Water Company in the
City of Logan in 1942 according to his Draft Card.
There was a significant Jewish community in Logan which began about 1920 and lasted until the 1990’s.
There is a book, Coalfield Jews
An Appalachian History which
can be bought at Amazon.com.
It tells the story of a Logan family
in 1920.
Here is a bit of Jewish history for Logan: https://brandonraykirk.com//?s=jews&search=Go
Thank you for the historical information I read about the Jews in Logan. I went to Our Lady of the Mountains Academy catholic Boarding School in Paintsville KY, now a day school There were approximately 100 Italian families in Logan County in the 1950s IIRC. But one of our classmates from Logan was not catholic, he was Jewish. His family owned the Capital Theatre The capital unlike the Guyan and the Logan theaters all downtown, ran older movies. I saw all the abbot and costellos there and The Wizard of Oz, made in 39, seemed new to me in the 50s.
On Sept. 10th 2018 it was reported in
The Gazette-Mail that the New River Gorge
National Park in Thurmond,WV. started using
” Goats” to eat the weeds. Their website is:
https://www.wvnews.com/newsfeed/wv/state-park.
Wonderful to see a better solution in getting a
job done with less expense.
Many times there have been requests by people
looking for family members graves in brush filled
cemeteries in Logan County WV.
There is a solution to this problem, ” Goats ” to
eat the brush.
Its being done at the Congressional Cemetery in
Washington,D.C. There are 68,000 graves there
& 30 ” Goats ” are eating the weeds & vines.
This site is also a wonderful research site.
http://www.congressionalcemetery.org.
So take some ” Goats ” for a walk in
Logan County cemeteries & let them do
the work for you.
Looking for information on William C Ferguson. Married to Florence Osborn. they had a son Alton. They lived in Chapmansville.
Nancy, what are their birth &
death dates. What info are you
seeking?
I am trying to find anyone that is willing to tell me about, Logan Memorial park ( Logan Cemetery) and Black Wolf Cemetery in Logan. Black Wolfe I have been told is top of a mountain and near a strip mine. I have family buried there and would really like to get photos of the area, as well as headstones. The family at Black wolf I have been told you can only get to by ATV, and is just passed the golf course. Anyone have info. on it, or have been there. The family names are Mitchem and Day.
As for Logan Memorial Park, there is a Sarah Elizabeth Clark Rankins. Any information would be so helpful. I want to plan a trip there before summer is over and would appreciate any tips for getting to both places. I am told Black Wolf is remote and a little scetchy to get to. Any idea’s?
Thanks,
Sandy Mariano
Sandy, the D.R. which you posted on the
FAG site says the cemetery is located in
McDowell Co. WV.
You also posted a photo of Sarah 1888-1948
on the FAG site.
Not sure what you need help with?
Yes I recall posting the photo. I was asking for someone to take a photo of her headstone. and also someone that could help me with information on Black Wolfe Cemetery, since it’s remote.
Does anyone know when the Logan Bus Terminal burned down? And I’d also like to know if anyone has a picture of the old Greentop Drive -in at Aracoma?
I am searching for the burial site of Bertha Mae Belcher Vance. She was married to Larkin Bilton Vance. He died in Feb. 1942 and is buried in Claypool Cemetery. Thank you for your help.
You might try looking fot
the D.C. at familysearch.org,
it will show you where she
is buried.
Claypool Cemetery is at
findagrave.com.
Does anyone have any info about the
Bengal Coal Company that was in
operation in Kistler.There was also
a Kistler Theater at the
Bengal Camp about 1910.
Bob,
I have seen the large hollow at Kistler shown on some maps as Burgess Branch or as Bingo Hollow. I have seen it on some maps as Bengal Hollow. Today’s 911 mapping shows a Bengall Hollow Road Rte 16/02 branching off a Rte 16/2 “unnamed” road going up the hollow. Current USGS maps show it as Bingo Hollow.
On some old mine mapping of the Kistler area there shows a listing for a Bengal No. 61 mine with Utilities Coal as the owner. There was no definite map of the Bengal No 61 mine.
Apparently, the #61 Mine area is on the left (west) side of the hollow and the #62 Mine area is on the right (east) side. I haven’t seen any mapping listing a Bengal No 62 Mine but on another map of the area there is a label of a Bengal No 62 mine (Utilities Coal also) on the right side of the hollow.
I personally don’t recall ever seeing any railroad siding tracks on the north side of Buffalo Creek at Kistler. The 1913 USGS topo maps (Logan Quad) show railroad on up Buffalo Creek but no sidings at Kistler, nor do the maps show any “mining” activity at Kistler in 1913. The 1926 USGS maps do show sidings on the north side (and south side) of Buffalo Creek at Kistler and they show “tram road” mine haulage tracks going up both sides of the “Bingo” Hollow at Kistler.
I don’t know anything about the connections between Bengal Coal, Utilities Coal and Amherst Coal companies.
I note that Dwight Williamson’s article on the town on Man lists Bengall Mining Company as one of four (presumably large) mining companies in the vicinty of Man in the mid-1920’s. I note that Dwight lists separately Bengall and Kistler among Taplin, Mallory and Landville as areas comprising the community of Man at that time.
It would seem that a theatre at Bengall/Kisler would have come some years later than in 1910.
We appreciate your research and documentation. Keep up the good work!
Douglas,thanks for the info & comment.
Please look at the photo gallery under the
Man & Tradelphia District. I found this photo
years ago in a coal mining book as I was
doing research about my GG Rebeka Lipcsak
who lived & died in Kistler. Your info has helped
me greatly regarding the location of the Bengal
Coal Company.
In the photo look on the left side & one can see
coal cars. In the middle of photo one can see
the coal tipple & the cables on the hill.
Appears to be a Church in the background.
Bob,
Thanks for calling my attention to the photo of Bengal. As I discussed before, the photo is probably 1920’s or later vintage because the 1913 USGS maps doesn’t show the camp, mines or railroads on that side of Buffalo Creek. The 1928 maps do.
An Eagle Chilton Coal Company proposed coal augering map dated Dec-1961 indicated the tipple was some 600 feet down from the hollow. (The hollow is named Burgess Branch on that map.)
The photo is quite grainy so it is difficult to discern the details. I believe what you think is “cables” going up the hill is actually a pasture fence along a cleared field. As to what the larger building is up in the hollow, I think it is more than likely it is one of the coal company’s buildings rather than a church.
I think the tipple is off the left edge of the photo and it appears that there is a railroad coal car visible at the upper left side of the photo. Above the car about halfway to the top of the picture appears to be a mine haulage tramroad which ran from the tipple area all the way up in the hollow at the coal seam elevation about 100 feet above the houses in the hollow. Tramroads ran up both sides of the hollow to mines on each side. There was another tipple on the upper end of the camp for the mines on the right side of the hollow.
I note that the 1928 USGS maps shows no “churches or schools” on them at Bengal but a schoolhouse is shown at Crown. The 1963 USGS map shows 3 churches at Bengal, one at the lower end and a couple at the upper end toward Crown. I think it is likely that the lower end church (in 1963) came to be in either the Bengal Coal Company building or the Kistler Theater building shown in the photo.
Good luck on additional research!
There are so many “branches” on this website that it is (at least for me) very difficult to go back and find a photo that one may have seen in a casual review of the site. SOMEWHERE on this site, there is a picture that I have not been able to find, even after doing quite a bit of looking.
The picture I’m looking for is a black & white picture of a small group of men dressed in suits. The title information states that one of the men is Larry Derenge. The photo appears to have been taken perhaps in the 50’s or 60’s or so.
Larry Derenge was a mining engineer that had worked at Island Creek (among other companies). I met him in the early 1970’s when we were working at the huge Southern Ohio Coal Company Meigs Mining project that was being built near Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio. That project consisted of the construction of the James M. Gavin power plant on the Ohio River near Gallipolis, Ohio, two very large shaft and slope underground mines (Meigs #1 and #2); #2 connected to #1 by a two-mile or so long overland conveyor belt and a 14-mile overland conveyor belt from the Meigs Mine #1 site to the power plant.
Derenge and I were at the Meigs Mine #1 operation where he was chief engineer and I worked for him as resident engineer for the mine. Technically, I was the very first person ever hired by Meigs Mine #1. At that time, our offices were literally in house trailers parked in the middle of a muddy corn field. Each mine was designed to have 300 or so underground employees. At that time Derenge was perhaps in his early 60’s and I was about 30. Both of us being Logan Countians and ex-Island Creek employees, we hit it off quite well and he took me under his wing and became my mentor.
Although I hadn’t gone to college, by that time in my work experience I had acquired a pretty good engineering education in fields related to mining. I grew up in Logan County mining, worked several years as an operating engineer in steam plants in Washington DC followed by several years in mining engineering at Island Creek, Dehue and other companies.
The huge Southern Ohio Coal Company mining complex was being built in the boonies of farm country where there were not any experienced coal miners. Accordingly, virtually everybody that worked there was “imported”. As one might expect, there were literally dozens of Logan Countians that came to work there. At times, it felt like old home week for us. Regretably, on the very first day of “production” at Mine #1, there was an accident where a roof bolt operator had a serious injury to his hand, the very first injury for the mine. That person was Roger Bryant from Logan County.
Except for the very few of the highest engineering jobs, the lower level engineering jobs were filled by very young graduate engineers, some of them being quite recently graduated from college. Notwithstanding the fact that I didn’t have the college education, Derenge told me that he wanted me to specifically handle the planning for the #1 Mine. That work was basically the planning of the mine ventilation design, sequencing production development, budgeting and monitoring construction. Although I wasn’t very much older than the other low level engineers, they came to regard me as the “old timer” and they often would come to me for advice.
The mine was a slope and shaft mine which had just begun construction. The shaft(s) were some 300 feet deep. On the morning the construction of the first shaft reached the coal seam Derenge grabbed me to go with him to “see” the coal. He had the construction crew rig up a 55 gallon steel drum to a hoist rope. We climbed up into it and stood up in it holding onto the hoist rope. The crew lowered us down the 300 feet. We got out and inspected the seam. I picked up a large lump of coal as we got back into the barrel proudly proclaiming to Derenge that I was the first first employee of Meigs Mine #1 to load coal from the mine. I still have that lump of coal although it has crumbled into small pieces over the years. It was an exciting time.
In those days my father had just begun working for Chafin Coal Company. Upon my telling Derenge of that Derenge told me that earlier on, he and Don Chafin had some sort of “partnership” in a deal for operating coal mines to feed the power plant in Logan. Derenge told me that by some “hookery or crookery”, Don Chafin had forced him out of that deal. I never asked for details.
Once, on the spur of the moment, Derenge gave me an impromptu lesson on the “least radius of gyration” engineering principle, sketching out drawings on a table top napkin. He was an engineer’s engineer and a heck of a nice fellow.
I left Southern Ohio Coal in 1975, returning to work at Dehue as chief engineer.
Derenge lived in Point Pleasant when I worked with him. His hobbies included bird dog hunting. He had a son, Larry Derenge, Jr. whom I think was(is) in coal mining, I seem to recall him involved in mining operations in Clay County some time ago.
If anyone can find the picture of Derenge on this website I would appreciate it.
For those of you doing research and
find a Code 189 on the D.C. It means
injuries by animals such as a bite,gored,
or kicked by an animal.
My name is Genny Chambers Smith and I am seeking info on a trial that was in Logan in April 1949. My Father Frank told me my mother Patsy was a witness to a crime and went into labor with my brother who died 2 days after birth. My Father and mother are both deceased now.
Genny, you might contact the
Logan Banner & see if they
can do the research for you.
Thanks Bob, I will see what they can do.
Genny, you’re welcome.
If nothing pans out for you
you might try this site,
wvgenweb.org, go to
links to WV Web sites.
Also do an online search
for 1949 Logan County WV
Murder Trials.
Ginny, Since you know the date (April-1949) you can find it in the Court House records. I can’t recall but I think that the records show cases which were heard in a particular term of the Court. It may be that the cases are indexed by date too.
Thanks for that tip. I did not know that.
My family moved to Latrobe on Buffalo Creek when I was 4yrs old in 1945 As I can remember my father worked in mines at Lundale and at Cartwright Hollow at Crites until 1952 when he began working for Island Creek and we moved to Mud Fork. I went to Crites grade school first thru third grade and there was a post office and large store at Crites at that time which I assume was a company store. There was a company store at Latrobe too. (This store building was moved across the creek and used as a Boy Scout Hall when the camp was built.)
I went to Lundale grade school for fourth and fifth. I seem to recall that there was a large office building at Lundale and I seem to recall the building had a walk-around sidewalk around part of it where there was a payroll window that men would walk by to collect their pay. This same type of mine company office with walk-by payroll windows was at Amherstdale next to the theater. I assumed that was the Amherst Coal Company office.
Later on in life I came to think my father had worked for a company called Logan County Coal Corporation which I understood had its offices at the large office building at Lundale. I don’t know where he collected his pay.
I always thought Amherst Coal Company operations as being below Latrobe on Buffalo Creek and Logan County Coal Corporation above Latrobe.
Recently I happened to be looking thru some of my father’s old papers and found that for all the years he worked on Buffalo Creek, he was paid by Amherst Coal Company, not by Logan County Coal Corporation.
I recently was looking at some examples of coal company scrip and found that there is scrip in the name of Logan County Coal Corporation, Lundale, WV. Likewise, there is scrip in the name of Amherst Coal Company, Lundale, WV. I know there was a company store at Lundale but I don’t know which company it was. I think there was only one coal tipple at Lundale.
Does anyone have any information as to which of the companies had any mines, offices and/or stores at Crites or Lundale?
One thing I am sure of is that whichever of the companies my father worked for had a person the employees called “Uncle Bill Chaney” who was a mine official, like maybe a mine superintendent or general manager.
Douglas, you might want to look at
photos under Logan Co. Main Gallery.
There is still a Cliff’s Coal Mine
in Lundale. Four photos that I took
while visiting in the area in 2014.
Bob, The Cliffs Coal Mine facility is located a few miles above Lundale at what is/was Saunders, WV. It is my understanding that Cliffs is a successor company of Pittston who “caused” the flood.
Through a succession of ownerships Alpha Natural Resources had the property and when Alpha went bankrupt Cliffs acquired it. I assume Cliffs is a subsidiary of iron-ore producer Cleveland-Cliffs, who attempted to buy Alpha outright a few years ago but the deal didn’t go thru due to a downturn in the metallurgical coal market.
I think at one time, Bill Chaney, worked for Amherst Coal at Slagle….
I assumed that the “Uncle Bill Chaney” my father worked for on Buffalo Creek in the late 40’s-early 50’s was a middle aged man or older. He had a son Bill Chaney (Jr) who was into mining also. I met Bill Jr. in the early 1970’s. He appeared to be in his mid-30’s at that time. We briefly discussed his father. It is possible Bill Jr. may have been the Chaney that worked at Slagle.
My grandfather, Ben Tobin, his wife, Rose, and his 5 children lived in Logan from 1913 to 1931. Ben had a restaurant called “The German Restaurant” from 1913 to 1914 and then had to change the name to the “Tobin Restaurant,” This was in the Bennett and Campbell Bldg on Stratton St. Does any one know the address from the Bennett and Campbell Bldg today? The in 1916, Ben changed the name to “The Tobin Hotel and Restaurant”. It was next door to Dr. Steele’s home and also next door to The Mick Hotel, the Chambers Hotel and the Riffe Hotel. The Aracoma was nearby but on the next street. If anyone can figure out where the hotel, please let me know!
my email address is randwass@nc.rr.com
Below is a poem which I transcribed from a typed Xerox copy. I think I typed it correctly, spelling and punctuation. I will note that in the fourth line of the typed Xerox copy the word “ROUND” appears to me to have been overwritten in pencil by the word “ROTTEN”. It could be some other word. The Xerox copy appears to be a second or third (or more) generation Xerox copy. The Xerox copy was found in some of my father’s papers by my sister. She has no idea where the document came from. I have no idea about the five men listed at the end of the poem. I would like information about the document.
“THE LOGAN COUNTY CREW”
COME ALL YOU FATHERS AND MOTHERS,
AND SISTERS AND BROTHERS,
I WILL RELATE THE HISTORY,
OF THE ROUND COUNTY CREW,
CONCERNING A BLOODY ROUND,
AND MANY A HERO DEED
I PRAY YOU PAY ATTENTION,
REMEMBER JUST HOW IT READ.
IT WAS IN THE MONTH OF AUGUST,
ON ONE ELECTION DAY.
JOHNNY MARTIN WAS SHOT AND WOUNDED,
THEY SAY JOHNNY DAY.
MARTIN COULD NOT BELIEVE IT,
HE COULD NOT THINK IT SO,
HE SAID IT WAS FLOYD TOLLIVER,
WHO SHOT THE FATAL BLOW.
TOLLIVER WAS ARRESTED AND
CONFINED IN THE LOGAN JAIL,
THERE TO REMAIN FOR AWHILE.
IN THE HANDS OF LAW AND JUSTICE,
TO BRAVELY STAND HIS TRIAL.
SOME PEOPLE TALK OF LYNCHING HIM
ALTHOUGH THEY FAIL.
TOLLIVER’S FRIEND REMOVED HIM
TO THE KENTUCKY JAIL.
THEY PUT THE HANDCUFFS ON HIM,
HIS HEART WAS IN DISTRESS.
HE SEEMED TO BE UNEASY,
HE SEEMED TO BE IN DREAD.
THEY HAVE SET A PLAN TO KILL ME,
TO THE JAILOR, TOLLIVER SAID.
HE WAS IN THE SMOKING CAR
UNACCOMPANIED BY HIS WIFE,
THEY DID NOT WANT HER PRESENT,
WHEN THEY TOOK HER HUSBAND’S LIFE.
SHE WAS IN ANOTHER CAR,
BUT SHE HEARD A TERRIBLE SOUND,
SHE CRIED, “OH, LORD, THEY’VE KILLED HIM.”
WHEN SHE HEARD THE PISTOL FIRE.
WHEN THEY ARRIVED IN MOOREHEAD,
THEY HAD NO TIME TO LOOSE.
A MAN APPROACHED THE ENGINEER
AND TOLD HIM NOT TO MOVE.
HE STEPPED UP TO THE PRISONER
WITH A PISTOL IN HIS HAND.
IN DEATH HE SOON WAS SINKING,
HE DIED WITHIN THE ARMED BAND.
THEY WOUNDED ED SIZEMORE,
ALTHOUGH HIS LIFE WAS SAVED.
HE SEEMED TO SHUN THE GUNSHOTS,
SINCE HE STOOD SO NEAR HIS GRAVE.
THEY SHOT AND KILLED SAL BRADLEY,
POOR, SOBBER, INNOCENT MAN.
HE LEFT HIS WIFE AND CHILDREN,
TO DO THE BEST THEY CAN.
FATHERS, MOTHERS, AND FRIENDS,
IT WILLNEVER BE FORGOT.
BRADLEY’S BODY WAS PIERCED AND TORN
BY A THIRTY-THREE BUCKSHOT.
RELATIONS STILL AT WAR.
OH, WILL IT NEVER CEASE?
OH, LORD, WE’D LOVE TO SEE OUR LAND
ONCE MORE IN PEACE.
I WILL RELATE IT AS A WARNING,
TO YOU YOUNG MAN, MY FRIEND,
YOUR WHISKEY WILL CAUSE YOU TROUBLE,
IN THIS YOU MAY DEPEND.
FOR IN THE BOTTOM OF THE WHISKEY GLASS,
THE LURKING DEVIL DWELLS,
AND BURNS THE BREATH THAT DRINKS IT,
AND SENDS THEIR SOUL TO HELL.
DON CHAFIN
GEORGE A. THOMPSON
LICHE THOMPSON
KENNIS MOUNTS
ALAN MOUNTS
Douglas, great poem.
Some of the lyrics sound
like the song,Dark As A Dungeon..
This is the Rowan County Crew composed by J.W. “Bill” Day. It references the Tolliver-Martin Feud in Morehead.
On the website https://www.pinterest.com/wvyourway/logan-county/ that shows some 116 pictures, there is a picture titled Logan WV that was saved by a woman named Melissa Allison. The photo is a faded yellowish color showing a view of a community of houses with a smokestack in the background. The picture is not of Logan but is a view of Peach Creek with the railroad yards in the background and the smokestack that was once there.