By Dwight Williamson
There certainly was no Walmart, but there once were many stores in Logan County, some of which even doubled as what was known as “filling stations.”
On a smaller scale, I suppose one could compare those stations to today’s Speedways or 7-11 stores; the difference being a mechanic usually available.
Younger folks of today, most of whom seem to always look for the easiest ways to reach any goal, would have loved being able to pull into a gasoline station, have someone pump the fuel for them, take their payment, and even bring back any change without the driver ever getting out of the automobile.
Can you believe the attendant even wiped clean the vehicle’s windows for every customer purchasing gas? Man, things sure have changed.
There is a Greek proverb that reads, “There is nothing permanent except change.” And older folks, who have seen many changes in their lifetimes, can attest to the memories of such things as rotary telephones that included what were called “party lines.” Nowadays, party lines (get your grandma to explain those to you) do not exist and rotary type telephones are almost as antiquated as using two tin cans with a string attached, compared to the “smart” phones of today.
Also gone with the winds of change, though, are the numerous “mom and pop” stores and family owned service stations that were once located throughout most of Logan County. For example, presently, there is not a single gasoline station on Mud Fork and only one in the Holden-Whitman area.
Once dotted with several stores, there now is one store (Save-a -Lot) that serves the Holden-Whitman communities. Nearly every Logan County community probably has lost stores or gas stations at some point in local history. However, Mud Fork does have the distinction of having one of the oldest operating grocery stores in the county, Leslie’s Market at Verdunville.
The store, which features a delicatessen that includes homemade calzones and pizza, has been family operated for over 60 years. Leslie Bryant Jr. ran the popular store for 40 years after taking over the business from his father (Leslie), who operated it for 20 years. The store was originally opened by Ward and Katherine Spry, purchased by Bryant in 1956, then leased to William Bailey, who was the father of longtime former Verdunville postmaster, Loretta Copley.
Bryant was a coal miner at the time he purchased the property, and after the elderly Bailey decided to retire, Bryant left the mines and took the store operation over, according to Leslie Jr., who ran the store when it was affiliated with “Little Giant” stores and then later IGA. Over the years, customers mostly from Mud Fork, Dingess and Harts traded heavily at the location, which granted credit to its customers.
Following Bryant’s retirement about one year ago, his brother, Davey, and his wife, Shelia, took over the business. Now, with Davey Bryant facing a rare lung disorder that requires a trip to Pittsburgh every three months for a highly expensive experimental drug for treatment, the Bryant family has chosen to sell or lease the long-standing business, which includes a three-bedroom, two-bath apartment with a two-car garage and a three-bay car wash.
Eager to keep the traditional store operating, Leslie Bryant said he was willing to finance the purchase for a prospective buyer. “Heck, I’ll finance it for them and let them make low monthly payments,” Bryant said. “It’s perfect for a young couple or family because it provides a home and a business. There’s over 5,000 square feet in the store.” Bryant can be reached at 304-953-4911.
The historical significance of Leslie’s Market is that it has outlasted at least 18 other stores that formerly existed on Mud Fork, including three Island Creek Coal Company stores. Gasoline was available at several locations that once operated on Mud Fork and some of those included, Adkins’ Exxon, Adams Gulf, Baisden’s Gulf, Bunch’s Exxon, Don Cains’ Ashland station, No. 16 Company store, Shegon Esso station (operated by Oak and later, John Mullins) and Abe Dingess’ gas station. More recently, a store at upper Mud Fork also dispensed gasoline. Although the store is now re-opened by Phillip Vance as Vance’s Carry-Out, fuel is not yet available there. Ironically, Vance’s grandfather (Tom Vance) once operated a grocery at lower Mud Fork.
At one point in history, five stores were located within about a mile from each other. They included No. 16 Island Creek store, Harris Market (later becoming Don Cains’ and then Bill Wilcox’s grocery), Lucian and Florence Baisden’s, Ken Blackburn’s, Lee Evans’ and No. 17 Island Creek store. Other stores known to exist on Mud Fork include Archie Moore’s, Murredu’s (later becoming Perdue’s Grocery), Kitchen’s Grocery, Maggie Burton’s store, Karnell Bryant’s Grocery (formerly known as Ken Wilcox’s store) and a dry good place believed to be called Mame’s that was located at upper Mud Fork. A few of the older generation remembers movies being played at that location. At least two other stores, one at Dempsey Branch, and another brick building purchased by the local college, also once operated as grocery stores, but their names are not available.
Like so many other locations throughout Logan County, each family owned business was usually a gathering place for locals in the evening hours to congregate, tell tall tales, and argue politics. In today’s society, the same things go on in another fashion—Facebook and Twitter.
I certainly hope Leslie’s Market will continue to operate as a store. And not just because the place has the best pepperoni rolls made anywhere in the county, either.
Dwight Williamson is a contributing writer and a former reporter for The Logan Banner. He currently serves as a Logan County Magistrate.
*Published with the author’s permission.
Articles by Dwight Williamson on this site.
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- A guardian angel from 1972
- A stringent look into the history of Logan County
- Alderson helped elevate Logan to greatness
- City losing another historical structure
- Coal camp Christmas memories
- Death of the Hatfield brothers
- Don Chafin and the Battle of Blair Mountain
- Early 1900s Logan was crime infused with soap opera
- Early Logan Co.: A mighty tough place to live
- Early Logan County was a ‘mess’
- Early Travel in Logan County
- English credited with discovering coal in Logan Co.
- Every building in downtown Logan has a story
- Finding Princess Aracoma
- Fires change course of Logan’s history
- Growing up with the Company Store
- Halloween escapades of the “Porch Sitters”
- History before our eyes
- Holiday memories from the Shegon Inn
- Life was more free when tram roads crossed the mountains
- Logan Co. people with national interest
- Logan High School almost missed being on the island
- Monumental efforts gave us our ‘Doughboy’
- Recalling one of the worst floods in Logan
- Recollections of old stores and “filling” stations
- Remembering some of the coal camp communities
- Remembering the Community of Holden 22
- Spiritually reuniting Logan’s pioneer couple
- The Civil War in Logan County
- The Creation of Logan County
- The end the Hatfield political dominance
- The historic cemetery in Logan
- The journey of Logan’s Woman’s Club
- The legendary Don Chafin
- The little town at the mouth of Buffalo Creek
- The man responsible for the creation of Mingo County
- The Midelburg family history in Logan
- The murder of Mamie Thurman remains a mystery
- The murderous ’30s
- The old custom of ‘funeralizing’
- The porch sitters
I really enjoyed the article on filling stations. I remember my dad Denver Short from McConnell who owned the Keystone Service Station across from Logan Bowling Center in the 60s. It was a full service station with windows washed and gas pumped. It was flooded in the big flood of 63 and he went to Stollings Post Office and a boat picked him up and he was taken to the station by a friend. Good memories in spite of the flood.
I really enjoyed this article. My Uncle was Leslie Bryant Sr. was mu uncle.
Sandy, you might want to check the 1947 &
1969 phonebooks on this Logan website
for an ad.
Also do an online search for Mariano’s.
You could make contact with one of their stores,
https://www.marianos.com.
Sometimes you might find a will for your
family members at familysearch.org.
I really enjoyed reading this article tho I grew up in Stollings then married a Dehue boy, Gene Bills, in 1963 then we moved to Ohio. Florence Rovillard Bills.
Anyone remember Greenway Baisden’s little store in Mudfork? He had pinball machines and a juke box. In the evening the place would be packed with teenagers dancing and the area around the store was packed with both old and new cars of the era. Mostly 1950s and 60s.
I remember he had some sons Robert John George
I dated his grandson greenway for about a year.
Hi there, I’m wondering if you remember my Grandfather, Michael F. Hiroskey…I believe that he was shot in front of a Gas Station in Omar?? I’m getting different locations? re: this incident, But I’d appreciate any info. that you may have….
Verla,his D.C. is at familysearch.ogr.
Shows that he was shot at a Gas Station
in Switzer, Jan.10th 1942. His wife was
Pearl Booth. Mike is buried in
Steel Cemetery.
Thank you, Bob I appreciate your help!!! Mom said that his Birthday was Jan. 10th?!!!! Yes, Pearl Susan Booth was my “Nanny”..I have her Wedding rings!! God Bless, You!!!
Verle,you’re welcome.
Mike’s D.C. shows birth as
March 5th 1897 in Poland.
His 1918 Draft card shows
March 5th 1898.
Verle have you been to his
grave site?
No, the last time Mom was here, She and her brother, Gene Hiroskey tried to find it, But she said that they never did….So, i wouldn’t know where to look?!!!
No i haven’t..i don’t know where it would be?!! My Mom and her Brother, Gene Hiroskey tried to find the last time she visited WV, But was unable to locate it!!!
Verla, ok I did some searching for
you today. Are you sure that Michael
had a gravestone marker?
According to the findagrave site,the
graves at Steele Cemetery were moved
to Forest Lawn Cemetery.
There are four Hiroskey graves there
but Michael’s grave isn’t listed.
I did set up a Memorial page for him
in Steele Cemetery.
Hmmmm…I’m not sure whether he had a gravesite or not…I remember saying “that he was buried near an old Oak tree” But that’s all i remember…Thank you for doing the Memorial Page for him!! You were very helpful…Next ques. My Nanny “supposedly” was married to George Wooten, But no one seems to know much about him…Do you???
Verla, I don’t. You might want to
do some research at familysearch.org,
you might be able to find something.
Also keep checking on the findagrave
site, something might turn up.
I am the son of Rupert (Rupe) Adkins (son of Rupert and Sharlot Adkins) and Virgilene Hatfield (daughter of Edwin Morrow and Mabel Hatfield), both of whom lived in Thompson Town. Can any of you tell me the exact location of Bill Tiller’s beer joint? I understand my mother lived in a house just behind it as a child and later in an apartment building to the east of it.
Also, where was the Mud Fork Cash Store located?
Rupert, Bill Tiller’s beer joint was in the same building now known as Kitchen’s Grocery (no longer in operation). It is a large two-story white building with a fire hydrant in front of it a couple houses down from Vance Street on Google maps.
I moved to Thompson Town at 11 yrs age in 1954, a few houses up from Tiller. Some of my family still lives at Thompson Town. Tiller was in operation then and I could go in there for candy, pop or chips only with permission from Mom.
My memory is that behind the Tiller bar was fancy with mirrors, sparkling signs, etc. Customers would watch Cincinnatti Reds baseball there. Bill had a large “talking” parrot behind the bar. The Reds had a player named Ray Jablonski. Watching the game Tiller would say “Play ball Jabo!” The parrot would say the same thing in perfect English.
Our neighbor was Jack Adkins. His daughter Janice taught at Verdunville. I seem to recall Jack had a brother named Rupert. Is that your family line?
Good luck!
Thank you so much for the reply and for sharing those memories. I had seen a building I suspected was the old Bill Tiller place on Google Maps, but I wasn’t sure. Thanks for confirming.
And yes, that is my family line. Janice Adkins was the sister of my grandfather, Rupert Adkins Sr. He and his family, including my father (also named Rupert) lived next door to Mabel Kitchen in Thompson Town, but that would have been in the mid to late 40’s, maybe early 50’s. My mother, Virgilene Hatfield, was born in a house behind Bill Tiller’s place, and then, after moving for a few years to Kentucky and back with her family, she later lived in the old two-story apartment building that I believe is still there just a little down from Bill Tiller’s and across the street from the college. That would have been during the time you lived in Thompson Town in the 50’s.
Thanks again for taking the time to reply.
Mark,
Was Rupert Sr. Jack’s brother or son? I thought Jack’s children were Janice, Rulon and Jim.
I watched the Notre Dame-Oklahoma football game in 1957 with Rulon at his house when Notre Dame beat Oklahoma ending their 47-game winning streak.
I recall that part of the Adkins clan moved to Arizona or New Mex. I remember Jim traveled out there and prospected for uranium in the late 50’s. He showed us his Geiger counter instruments. He had a large brown Plymouth station wagon with big tailfins on it.
Did your father have a red and white 1956 Ford in the late 50’s?
I’m not familiar with the name Mabel Kitchen. Murel Kitchen and his wife Nora ran the Kitchen Grocery. My sister was married to their son Tommy.
My great grandfather was James Bartley Adkins (maybe he went by Jack?). He lived in the white two-story house on the corner of Vance St. and Mud Fork Rd. west of the Bunches and south of Rulon’s house. His children were Violet, Gaynell, Rupert Sr. (my grandfather), Ralph, Janice, James Jr. (Jim), and Rulon. I know Violet and Gaynell wound up in the Phoenix area.
My father had a brother named Jack, along with brothers Virgil and Melvin and sister Sharolyn.
I know my father had a 1956 Ford at one time, but I don’t know if it was red and white. I’ll have to ask.
I’m surprised you didn’t know any of the Hatfields that lived in the apartment building just east of Bill Tiller’s beer joint, since you would have been a contemporary of theirs in Thompson Town. My mother, Virgilene Hatfield, had four brothers, Nick, Bob, Foster, and Claude (Carl).
Mark, We lived next door to Jack on the west side.
I remember that around 57-58 some young man in a red and white 56 Ford would stop and park in front of Jack’s house and run in for a visit. I thought he was either a grandson or nephew.
He always had the car spotlessly clean. Like most Mud Fork hot rodders he had loud Hollywood mufflers and the car was standard shift. I think it was a Ford Customline model. I paid close attention to the car because my Dad had a 56 Ford Crown Victoria car the same red and white colors. Whenever I look at the rock wall in front of the Adkins house, I can’t imagine that the young guy could park the car in front of it and not get hit by passing cars.
I seem to recall your mother’s family living in a house behind Tillers where there was (is?) a cinder block wall that ran down toward the brick apartment building you mentioned. There was a Muncey family at about that location.
I had a brother a couple years younger than me and a sister about 5 years younger than me so your Mom and her brothers may have been more in their age brackets. I’ll ask my sister.
Mark,
I asked my sister (born 1949) about your mother and her brothers. The only Hatfield she remembers was a Foster Hatfield. She thought he was a friend of my brother Ken (born 1944) but she thought he lived on up Mud Fork somewhere.
Mabel Kitchen was Murel Kitchen’s father’s (William Clem Kitchen) second wife’ (Murel‘s stepmother). Murel’s real mother was May (Hallie) Jones (she died the same year Murel was born). Mabel was Mabel Mangus, born 9-7-1907. Her father was Cush (Cersh) Mangus and his mother was Vicie Thompson. Mabel had a sister named Claudie.
Bill Tiller, Bertha Tiller, and son, David Tiller listed as neighbors to Jack Adkins. Other neighbors listed in 1940 census are Jesse, Cora, James and Ward Spry. Jeff and Mary Evans clan also listed.
My sister found 1954 LHS yearbook pictures of Rupert Jr. and Virgiline.
My sister believes Jack Adkins married a Verdunville school teacher, Hazel Scaggs, after his wife died.
Douglas,
I talked to my father and it turns out the red and white 1956 Ford was his. He was pleased to hear that someone from the old neighborhood remembered it.
Your sister is correct about Jack Adkins marrying Hazel after the death of his first wife, Gertrude. I believe she passed away in 1959.
When my father’s family was living in Thompson Town, his dad brought home a pet goat they named Torchy. One time it got loose and managed to get into Mabel Kitchen’s house and shredded her curtains. As you can imagine, she was not at all pleased.
In conversations with my father and uncles, they have frequently mentioned Jesse Spry and his store, which I believe was just across the street from the apartment building where my mother lived.
One thing I’ve been trying to figure out but have not had much luck finding information on is the boundaries of what would have been considered 15 Camp. My father was born there and I’ve been trying to locate a map or something that shows where the various coal camps on Mud Fork started and ended. No luck so far.
Mark,
I’m pleased to hear your Dad had that 56 Ford. I thought he was a cool dude, good looking guy, neatly dressed and on his way courting (your mom I assume). For some reason I associate him and that car with the song “Rebel Rouser” of that time period.
You are correct on the location of the Jesse Spry store. My brother was born in the small brick house on the lower side of the store in 1944. I’m not sure but I think my brother’s middle name “Ward” is a naming after Jesse Spry’s son Ward.
About the Mud Fork “coal camps”, you can do courthouse research and find where the areas of coal camps were subdivided out and made into separate lots by Island Creek. By selecting a current house in an area you think was a coal camp and researching the chain of title for that house you can determine if it was an original Island Creek property.
A sort of indicator of what were “official” coal camps is the look-alike structure of the houses. The area across the creek between the upper end of Thompson Town and below the 15 railroad crossing is known as Mounts Addition. The old houses in that area were all of the same style and it is possible that this was an Island Creek coal camp. If so, it is likely that it was the beginning of coal camps going up Mud Fork. It is possible that there was a coal camp in the area just above the crossing.
The Hedgeview area definitely was a coal camp and some of the houses across the railroad just below the J.B. Ellis School probably were coal camp houses. All of the above mentioned houses appear to have been built when Island Creek started mining on Mud Fork sometime between 1912 and 1926 (as shown on those USGS topographic maps).
The last coal camp going up Mud Fork likely is the area between where the Maryatta Church is and Workman Branch where the old gas compressor station was. This area is probably shown on some maps as the Shegon Subdivision. The area where # 28 coal tipple was is Argonne Subdivision and just above it is the Dempsey Subdivision.
The large “brick Building” store at Thompson Town that was displaced by the college was Jess Spry’s store back in the day. After Jess, the store was operated by a couple of dapper dressed (coat and tie) guys for a while. There was a small brick apartment house next to the store (part of the complex) that my family lived in briefly in the mid 1940’s. My brother was born there. I have faint memories of riding a tricycle “on sidewalk” in front of the building.
The upstairs of the store had apartments. A noted WW2 “local hero” veteran, Montgomery Hager was stabbed to death in an apartment there during a “card game”.
I remember “filling up” my gas tank and getting a set of dishes for free.
Does anyone remember Fred Rushden’s store in Rossmore’s “lower camp” Fred was a Syrian but his store was referred to as The Jew’s store. He was a good friend to his customers and some of us might have gone hungry but for his largess!
Jim Coleman
Rossmore resident from 1948 to 1959
Fred was my uncle. I visited the store many times and we got most of our groceries there. He and my father Frank owned it, but Fred and Jean ran it well. They both were born in the USA, but their parents were Muslims from Lebanon and Syria. At that time they were the same country before the Sikes-Pecot (British-Frence) agreement divided it. We were all closeand families visited frequently.
I recall also the people who sold food from between the buildings in downtown during the 50’s when I was in jr high school.
Do you have any photos or information on the Dee and Ida Walker family. They named their children, Ray, Day, Gay, Fay, May and Kay.