By Joann M. Ringelstetter
In 1928 and 1929, identical monuments were installed in each of the 12 states crossed by the National Old Trails Road (Route 40), also known as the National Road, which started in Bethesda, Maryland, and extended to Upland, California. These statues were commissioned by the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution to honor the courage, fortitude, and faith of the pioneer mothers on their journeys west.
The statues were created by sculptor August Leimbach and were made from a mixture of stone, marble, cement, lead ore, and a pinkish crushed granite from Missouri. With the large pedestal base, the monuments are 18 feet tall and weigh over 17 tons. The statues themselves are over 10 feet tall and they feature a pioneer mother holding a baby in one arm and a rifle in the other. A small boy stands at her side, clutching her skirt.
The front of each pedestal reads, “Madonna of the Trail, N.S.D.A.R. Memorial to the Pioneer Mothers of the Covered Wagon Days.” The back of each pedestal reads, “The National Old Trails Road.” The sides of the pedestals vary with inscriptions featuring national and regional history.
The National Road followed the route taken by the pioneers as they journeyed west in their covered wagons in search of a better life. The photo below is a small section of a large mural in Reynoldsburg, Ohio, created by artist Curtis Goldstein. It shows a covered wagon loaded with supplies and sitting next to a National Road mile marker.
Arlene B. Moss, chairwoman of the committee of the Daughters of the American Revolution, came up with the idea for these monuments. She said, “The statue is a fitting tribute to the brave pioneer mothers who aided so much in the progress of this country. These brave women backed their men folks through hardships, privations and during hard Indian battles. Without the pioneer women, there would have been no progress in this country.” The first statue was dedicated on July 4, 1928, in Springfield, Ohio.
At the dedication of this monument, Judge Harry S. Truman, President of the National Old Trails Road Association, and future president of the United States, spoke at the ceremony, saying, “They were just as brave or braver than their men because, in many cases, they went with sad hearts and trembling bodies. They went, however, and endured every hardship that befalls a pioneer.” One side of this monument has an inscription about local history. It says, "Three miles southwest of here General George Rogers Clark, commanding Kentucky frontiersmen, vanquished the Shawnee Confederacy, August 8, 1780, resulting in opening the Northwest Territory."
Three days later, on July 7, 1928, the second monument was dedicated in Wheeling, West Virginia. At the dedication, Arlene B. Moss said, "The monuments will serve as great national shrines. The beauty of these memorials will add to this country's natural scenic wonders and will remain as lasting memorials."
Frank Davis, Secretary of the National Old Trails Road Association, said, "While this is a memorial to the pioneer mothers, the project when completed in the 12 states, will also serve as a memorial to the present-day mother…”
On the side of this monument, it says, “To the Pioneer mothers of our mountain state, whose courage, optimism, love, and sacrifice made possible the National Highway that united the east and west.” The National Road, also called the Cumberland Road and the National Pike, had reached Wheeling, West Virginia by 1818. Today, the historic Wheeling Suspension Bridge, which opened in 1849, still carries the National Road across the Ohio River, where it continues to make its way westward.
Happy Shunpiking!
Joann
Photos in this blog post can be purchased as wall art, paper prints, downloads, phone cases, and keepsakes by clicking on the photo. You will be taken to the gallery website where you will see a big blue "BUY" button. Or to see all photos available, click on the "Browse Galleries" button on the menu at the top of this page. Thank you for your interest!
Shunpiking To Heaven Backroads Blog
Showing posts with label West Virginia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label West Virginia. Show all posts
Friday, May 15, 2020
Wednesday, March 13, 2019
The World’s Largest Teapot
By Ruth A. Ringelstetter
In the spring of 2017, Joann and I were on our way to photograph in East Liverpool, Ohio, but first I had a little detour for us into Chester, West Virginia, just across the Ohio River.
You have to get off the new Highway 30 onto Old Highway 30 (The Lincoln Highway) to see the teapot. It started as a big barrel advertising Hire’s Root Beer in Pennsylvania. In 1938, William “Babe” Devon purchased the big barrel and had it shipped to Chester. It was covered in tin to form a teapot shape, along with adding a spout, a handle, and a large glass ball to make the knob of the “lid.”
The Teapot stood in front of Devon's pottery outlet store. Local teenagers were hired to run a concession and souvenir stand which was set up inside the Teapot.
During World War II, the teapot was closed for two years. It reopened in 1947 with new owners and food was sold again until the late 1960’s.
For a time, the teapot was painted blue and white and sold other items including lawn and garden items, china, and novelty items. When the business closed, the teapot sat abandoned until 1984.
When C&P Telephone bought the land it sat on, it was in danger of being scrapped. Geneva Hill, a Chester native rallied the citizens to save it.
For years, the teapot was moved around town as money was raised for restoration and problems were discovered and resolved.
Finally, in 1990, the teapot was moved to a location at the intersection of Old Highway 30 and State Highway 2, and a white fence was built around it. When we visited, even the little creamer had been restored.
If you pay attention when you’re traveling, you’ll be surprised by some of the interesting, or kitschy things you might be able to take a slight detour to see.
Happy Shunpiking!
Ruth
Photos in this blog post can be purchased as wall art, paper prints, downloads, phone cases, and keepsakes by clicking on the photo. You will be taken to the gallery website where you will see a big blue "BUY" button. Or to see all photos available, click on the "Browse Galleries" button on the menu at the top of this page. Thank you for your interest!
In the spring of 2017, Joann and I were on our way to photograph in East Liverpool, Ohio, but first I had a little detour for us into Chester, West Virginia, just across the Ohio River.
You have to get off the new Highway 30 onto Old Highway 30 (The Lincoln Highway) to see the teapot. It started as a big barrel advertising Hire’s Root Beer in Pennsylvania. In 1938, William “Babe” Devon purchased the big barrel and had it shipped to Chester. It was covered in tin to form a teapot shape, along with adding a spout, a handle, and a large glass ball to make the knob of the “lid.”
The Teapot stood in front of Devon's pottery outlet store. Local teenagers were hired to run a concession and souvenir stand which was set up inside the Teapot.
During World War II, the teapot was closed for two years. It reopened in 1947 with new owners and food was sold again until the late 1960’s.
For a time, the teapot was painted blue and white and sold other items including lawn and garden items, china, and novelty items. When the business closed, the teapot sat abandoned until 1984.
When C&P Telephone bought the land it sat on, it was in danger of being scrapped. Geneva Hill, a Chester native rallied the citizens to save it.
For years, the teapot was moved around town as money was raised for restoration and problems were discovered and resolved.
Finally, in 1990, the teapot was moved to a location at the intersection of Old Highway 30 and State Highway 2, and a white fence was built around it. When we visited, even the little creamer had been restored.
If you pay attention when you’re traveling, you’ll be surprised by some of the interesting, or kitschy things you might be able to take a slight detour to see.
Happy Shunpiking!
Ruth
Photos in this blog post can be purchased as wall art, paper prints, downloads, phone cases, and keepsakes by clicking on the photo. You will be taken to the gallery website where you will see a big blue "BUY" button. Or to see all photos available, click on the "Browse Galleries" button on the menu at the top of this page. Thank you for your interest!
Sunday, June 14, 2015
The Historic Town of Thurmond, West Virginia
By Ruth A. Ringelstetter
In the spring of 2010, as Joann and I were returning from North Carolina, I took the opportunity to plan the route past a couple of the highlights in West Virginia. Don’t get me wrong, we do want to spend a lot more time there, but I’ll need to do a lot more research before then.
One of the places that we did manage to visit was the historic town of Thurmond. Thurmond is in the New River Gorge, which is one of the most important natural areas in West Virginia.
Thurmond was a flourishing town, mostly due to the C&O Railway. At its height in the 1930s, the population of Thurmond was nearly 500. In 2013, the population was 5. It is the smallest incorporated town in West Virginia.
We laughed about how small the town hall was, but now, knowing that the town only has 5 residents, we know that little building is big enough.
Thurmond has a small row of remaining main street buildings, but it never had a main street. The railroad tracks ran just a couple of feet outside those buildings. At that point, the gorge is very narrow, and there was no room for tracks and a road. Just the tracks.
To enter Thurmond, you must cross a one-lane bridge. This one-lane vehicle bridge and the railroad bridge are side by side. Joann was a little reluctant to cross, wondering what might be happening on the other side. I wasn’t driving so I, of course, was telling her to just drive over it.
The first building you see is the restored depot. Today, it is a Park Service visitor center for the New River Gorge National River. It was built in 1904 to replace an earlier building that burned in 1903. It was enlarged in 1914, and was restored in 1995 by the park service.
The depot is also an Amtrak flag stop. Amtrak passes through three times per week, but only stops if there are passengers ticketed to or from the station. In the early years, 15 passenger trains per day passed through Thurmond, and it served 95,000 passengers per year.
The depot originally had three waiting rooms. One for white women, one for white men, and one for African Americans. It also housed a clerk’s office, trainmaster’s office, yardmaster’s office, car distributor’s office, and telegrapher’s cabin. The projecting bay served as a signal tower.
Many of the railroad buildings are gone now, but the coaling tower and sand house still stands as a testament to the coal that travelled through town. More freight used to pass through Thurmond than through Cincinnati, Ohio.
A few of the other main street buildings have been stabilized by the National Park Service and display signs about historic Thurman in the windows. One of those buildings is the former National Bank of Thurmond. It was built in 1917 and housed a jewelry company until 1922.
The National Bank of Thurmond acquired the building and renovated the front into what you see today. Originally, the building had cast iron storefronts, but the bank remodeled their half into a limestone façade.
The original plan was to renovate the buildings to be used for tourists, but no money was available, so only the depot was completely remodeled. The other buildings were stabilized or removed if they were past stabilizing or didn’t contribute to the historic district.
We hope to return to West Virginia, and if we do, we will probably return to the Thurmond area. If you find yourself in West Virginia, be sure to enjoy the natural beauty and small historic towns.
Happy Shunpiking!
Ruth
In the spring of 2010, as Joann and I were returning from North Carolina, I took the opportunity to plan the route past a couple of the highlights in West Virginia. Don’t get me wrong, we do want to spend a lot more time there, but I’ll need to do a lot more research before then.
One of the places that we did manage to visit was the historic town of Thurmond. Thurmond is in the New River Gorge, which is one of the most important natural areas in West Virginia.
Thurmond was a flourishing town, mostly due to the C&O Railway. At its height in the 1930s, the population of Thurmond was nearly 500. In 2013, the population was 5. It is the smallest incorporated town in West Virginia.
We laughed about how small the town hall was, but now, knowing that the town only has 5 residents, we know that little building is big enough.
Thurmond has a small row of remaining main street buildings, but it never had a main street. The railroad tracks ran just a couple of feet outside those buildings. At that point, the gorge is very narrow, and there was no room for tracks and a road. Just the tracks.
To enter Thurmond, you must cross a one-lane bridge. This one-lane vehicle bridge and the railroad bridge are side by side. Joann was a little reluctant to cross, wondering what might be happening on the other side. I wasn’t driving so I, of course, was telling her to just drive over it.
The first building you see is the restored depot. Today, it is a Park Service visitor center for the New River Gorge National River. It was built in 1904 to replace an earlier building that burned in 1903. It was enlarged in 1914, and was restored in 1995 by the park service.
The depot is also an Amtrak flag stop. Amtrak passes through three times per week, but only stops if there are passengers ticketed to or from the station. In the early years, 15 passenger trains per day passed through Thurmond, and it served 95,000 passengers per year.
The depot originally had three waiting rooms. One for white women, one for white men, and one for African Americans. It also housed a clerk’s office, trainmaster’s office, yardmaster’s office, car distributor’s office, and telegrapher’s cabin. The projecting bay served as a signal tower.
Many of the railroad buildings are gone now, but the coaling tower and sand house still stands as a testament to the coal that travelled through town. More freight used to pass through Thurmond than through Cincinnati, Ohio.
A few of the other main street buildings have been stabilized by the National Park Service and display signs about historic Thurman in the windows. One of those buildings is the former National Bank of Thurmond. It was built in 1917 and housed a jewelry company until 1922.
The National Bank of Thurmond acquired the building and renovated the front into what you see today. Originally, the building had cast iron storefronts, but the bank remodeled their half into a limestone façade.
The original plan was to renovate the buildings to be used for tourists, but no money was available, so only the depot was completely remodeled. The other buildings were stabilized or removed if they were past stabilizing or didn’t contribute to the historic district.
We hope to return to West Virginia, and if we do, we will probably return to the Thurmond area. If you find yourself in West Virginia, be sure to enjoy the natural beauty and small historic towns.
Happy Shunpiking!
Ruth
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Three Wooden Crosses
By Ruth A. Ringelstetter
Joann and I have seen three wooden crosses on hillsides near home for years, but we never thought to take a photo until we started to see them during our travels.
If you travel around the country at all, you may have seen three wooden crosses along the road, in a churchyard or at a cemetery.
Then we came across a set of crosses that were colored, with the center cross being a gold color and the two smaller crosses a light blue. Research shows many sets of crosses like these were put up or inspired by one man.
Bernard Coffindaffer was born in West Virginia and by the age of ten was an orphan. He graduated high school at the age of fourteen and served in the U.S. marines in the Pacific and was wounded at Iwo Jima.
He worked in the oil business and later had a coal washing business in the mountains of West Virginia where he earned a small fortune. He became a Christian at the age of forty-two and eventually became a self-proclaimed Methodist minister serving seven small churches in Pocahontas County, West Virginia.
In 1982 he underwent heart by-pass surgery after which he liquidated his business. Two years later while napping, he had a vision. He said it was “a genuine, marvelous, glorious vision. The Holy Spirit instructed, blessed, dealt with me and told me how to go about installing these crosses. It was an experience you have once in a lifetime.”
During the final nine years of his life, he oversaw the installation of 1,864 sets of crosses. The crosses were made from California Douglas Fir. The center cross was painted gold and the smaller crosses on either side were painted a light blue. The crosses symbolize Christ on the Cross flanked by the two thieves that were crucified with Him.
In 1999, Sara Stevenson Abraham answered the Lord’s call to continue the Ministry. She formed a new non-profit organization called “Crosses Across America, Inc.”, located in Vicksburg, Mississippi.
Their mission is to preserve, maintain and construct roadside crosses across America with a goal of having a new cluster of crosses every fifty miles along the highways and byways of North America.
We enjoy finding the crosses whether they are put up and maintained by a church or the ones put up or inspired by Mr. Coffindaffer and hope we find many more in our travels around the country!
Happy Easter and as always Happy Shunpiking!
Ruth
Joann and I have seen three wooden crosses on hillsides near home for years, but we never thought to take a photo until we started to see them during our travels.
If you travel around the country at all, you may have seen three wooden crosses along the road, in a churchyard or at a cemetery.
Then we came across a set of crosses that were colored, with the center cross being a gold color and the two smaller crosses a light blue. Research shows many sets of crosses like these were put up or inspired by one man.
Bernard Coffindaffer was born in West Virginia and by the age of ten was an orphan. He graduated high school at the age of fourteen and served in the U.S. marines in the Pacific and was wounded at Iwo Jima.
He worked in the oil business and later had a coal washing business in the mountains of West Virginia where he earned a small fortune. He became a Christian at the age of forty-two and eventually became a self-proclaimed Methodist minister serving seven small churches in Pocahontas County, West Virginia.
In 1982 he underwent heart by-pass surgery after which he liquidated his business. Two years later while napping, he had a vision. He said it was “a genuine, marvelous, glorious vision. The Holy Spirit instructed, blessed, dealt with me and told me how to go about installing these crosses. It was an experience you have once in a lifetime.”
During the final nine years of his life, he oversaw the installation of 1,864 sets of crosses. The crosses were made from California Douglas Fir. The center cross was painted gold and the smaller crosses on either side were painted a light blue. The crosses symbolize Christ on the Cross flanked by the two thieves that were crucified with Him.
In 1999, Sara Stevenson Abraham answered the Lord’s call to continue the Ministry. She formed a new non-profit organization called “Crosses Across America, Inc.”, located in Vicksburg, Mississippi.
Their mission is to preserve, maintain and construct roadside crosses across America with a goal of having a new cluster of crosses every fifty miles along the highways and byways of North America.
We enjoy finding the crosses whether they are put up and maintained by a church or the ones put up or inspired by Mr. Coffindaffer and hope we find many more in our travels around the country!
Happy Easter and as always Happy Shunpiking!
Ruth
Sunday, September 19, 2010
The Cotton Hill Mill of West Virginia
By Joann M. Ringelstetter
Last week, I told you about our visit to the Whipple Company Store in Fayette County, West Virginia. We had intended to stop there for a few minutes, but we were there for an hour or so, and probably could have stayed all day listening to the wealth of information Joy and Charles Lynn had to share about the coal miners and the Company Store.
When we finally got back on the road, we traveled through the town of Fayetteville. And even though we were behind schedule, we couldn’t resist stopping to take a photo of this old fashioned Fayette Feed Company building, which is now the New River Bikes store. Then we continued along the scenic mountain roads of Fayette County in search of an old grist mill Ruth had planned for us to visit.
The mill is known as Cotton Hill Mill and it sits on the banks of Laurel Creek, a beautifully flowing mountain creek. The best views of the mill are from the busy highway, so we pulled into an abandoned gas station that was built over the creek (basically on stilts) just past the mill.
I pulled out my camera equipment and hiked back up the highway until I was above the dam. It was a nice view from there because there was a blooming redbud tree to frame my image. Then I walked back towards the car and set up my tripod to capture the view from below the dam. As I was finishing, a pickup truck pulled up and the man said, “So you like the old mill, do you?”
“Are you the owner?” I asked, hoping to learn more about this mill. His name was Gordon and he told me that he was the great grandson of the man who built the mill and that the mill had been handed down in the family. The millstone contained within the mill is dated 1845 and it was cut from stone taken from the Seine River in France. Gordon also said that he had been waiting for years to have the opportunity to buy the house next to the mill, which had also been built by his great grandfather. And he recently had the good fortune of acquiring the home.
Gordon then asked me if I wanted to hear the story of how the mill came to be built. Of course, I did! He said that his great grandmother had grown up on top of the hill behind the mill. When the railroad was being built, her father decided to open up a boarding house for the railroad workers. But they needed an easy way to get to the boarding house from the valley below. So he put a rope ladder down the side of the steep embankment so that the railroad workers could climb up to the boarding house at the end of the day.
Gordon’s great grandfather was one of those railroad workers and he met Gordon’s great grandmother when he stayed at their boarding house. As fate would have it, they fell in love and he asked for her hand in marriage. Her father, however, wanted to make sure that this young man would be able to provide a good life for his daughter.
So he told the young man that he couldn’t marry his daughter until he could prove his worth. Upon hearing this, Gordon’s great grandfather purchased the land below the hill next to Laurel Creek and proceeded to build a grist mill to support himself and his bride to be. This land also had a log cabin on it and Gordon’s great grandfather built a house around it, which now belongs to Gordon.
I thanked Gordon for the information and for giving me permission to walk around the mill for a closer look and then we were on our way. As we headed toward Kentucky, we passed the beautiful Cathedral Falls. There is a small bridge over the stream where you can stand for a great view of the waterfall. So I took the following shot standing on that bridge.
But then I couldn’t resist trying to get close enough to capture the scene below. It meant hiking along the edge of a fairly steep embankment and then walking gingerly across many rocks in the stream, but I managed to do so without any mishaps. Meanwhile, Ruth was back at the car with her fingers crossed, as I’m sure happens often.
I hope you’ve enjoyed these stories from West Virginia. As I mentioned last week, we spent less than 24 hours there, but we gave it everything we had and we still have at least one more story for you from our travels there.
Happy Shunpiking!
Joann
Photos in this blog post can be purchased as wall art, paper prints, downloads, phone cases, and keepsakes by clicking on the photo. You will be taken to the gallery website where you will see a big blue "BUY" button. Or to see all photos available, click on the "Browse Galleries" button on the menu at the top of this page. Thank you for your interest!
Last week, I told you about our visit to the Whipple Company Store in Fayette County, West Virginia. We had intended to stop there for a few minutes, but we were there for an hour or so, and probably could have stayed all day listening to the wealth of information Joy and Charles Lynn had to share about the coal miners and the Company Store.
When we finally got back on the road, we traveled through the town of Fayetteville. And even though we were behind schedule, we couldn’t resist stopping to take a photo of this old fashioned Fayette Feed Company building, which is now the New River Bikes store. Then we continued along the scenic mountain roads of Fayette County in search of an old grist mill Ruth had planned for us to visit.
The mill is known as Cotton Hill Mill and it sits on the banks of Laurel Creek, a beautifully flowing mountain creek. The best views of the mill are from the busy highway, so we pulled into an abandoned gas station that was built over the creek (basically on stilts) just past the mill.
I pulled out my camera equipment and hiked back up the highway until I was above the dam. It was a nice view from there because there was a blooming redbud tree to frame my image. Then I walked back towards the car and set up my tripod to capture the view from below the dam. As I was finishing, a pickup truck pulled up and the man said, “So you like the old mill, do you?”
“Are you the owner?” I asked, hoping to learn more about this mill. His name was Gordon and he told me that he was the great grandson of the man who built the mill and that the mill had been handed down in the family. The millstone contained within the mill is dated 1845 and it was cut from stone taken from the Seine River in France. Gordon also said that he had been waiting for years to have the opportunity to buy the house next to the mill, which had also been built by his great grandfather. And he recently had the good fortune of acquiring the home.
Gordon then asked me if I wanted to hear the story of how the mill came to be built. Of course, I did! He said that his great grandmother had grown up on top of the hill behind the mill. When the railroad was being built, her father decided to open up a boarding house for the railroad workers. But they needed an easy way to get to the boarding house from the valley below. So he put a rope ladder down the side of the steep embankment so that the railroad workers could climb up to the boarding house at the end of the day.
Gordon’s great grandfather was one of those railroad workers and he met Gordon’s great grandmother when he stayed at their boarding house. As fate would have it, they fell in love and he asked for her hand in marriage. Her father, however, wanted to make sure that this young man would be able to provide a good life for his daughter.
So he told the young man that he couldn’t marry his daughter until he could prove his worth. Upon hearing this, Gordon’s great grandfather purchased the land below the hill next to Laurel Creek and proceeded to build a grist mill to support himself and his bride to be. This land also had a log cabin on it and Gordon’s great grandfather built a house around it, which now belongs to Gordon.
I thanked Gordon for the information and for giving me permission to walk around the mill for a closer look and then we were on our way. As we headed toward Kentucky, we passed the beautiful Cathedral Falls. There is a small bridge over the stream where you can stand for a great view of the waterfall. So I took the following shot standing on that bridge.
But then I couldn’t resist trying to get close enough to capture the scene below. It meant hiking along the edge of a fairly steep embankment and then walking gingerly across many rocks in the stream, but I managed to do so without any mishaps. Meanwhile, Ruth was back at the car with her fingers crossed, as I’m sure happens often.
Cathedral Falls, Fayette County, West Virginia
I hope you’ve enjoyed these stories from West Virginia. As I mentioned last week, we spent less than 24 hours there, but we gave it everything we had and we still have at least one more story for you from our travels there.
Happy Shunpiking!
Joann
Photos in this blog post can be purchased as wall art, paper prints, downloads, phone cases, and keepsakes by clicking on the photo. You will be taken to the gallery website where you will see a big blue "BUY" button. Or to see all photos available, click on the "Browse Galleries" button on the menu at the top of this page. Thank you for your interest!
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Glen Jean and the Whipple Company Store
By Joann M. Ringelstetter
“You load sixteen tons, what do you get?
Another day older and deeper in debt.
Saint Peter, don’t you call me, ‘cause I can’t go;
I owe my soul to the company store.”
In 1955, deep-voiced Tennessee Ernie Ford recorded the number one hit “Sixteen Tons,” a song about the hard life of a coal miner. West Virginia has a rich coal mining history and our West Virginia travels this past spring took us through the mountainous terrain of Fayette County, a traditional coal mining region.
We spent less than 24 hours in West Virginia, but we made the best of our short time there. After photographing the Glade Creek Grist Mill at first light (see our blog post dated May 9, 2010), Ruth said she had a surprise in store for me. On the way to this “surprise,” we stopped in the town of Glen Jean, which at one time was centered on the coal and railroad industries. Once the coal boom ended, the town began to fade away.
The only significant building remaining is the former Bank of Glen Jean, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. This bank was built in 1909 by William McKell, who owned one of the largest coal companies in the area and also a railway company that transported coal. The Bank of Glen Jean ceased operations in 1939 following the death of William McKell.
After eating our breakfast in front of this historic building, Ruth navigated us to an old Appalachian coal mining ghost town called Thurmond, which we will tell you about in a future post. After spending a couple of hours there, we headed to the unincorporated town of Whipple, which was also a coal town during the first half of the 20th century.
This was our first visit to a coal mining region, so we had never photographed any coal-related architecture before. When we pulled up in front of the Whipple Company Store, I was thrilled to see such an unusual building. In 1890, coal baron Justus Collins built this magnificent building and three others just like it. Today, the Whipple Company Store is the only one still standing.
As I was setting up my tripod across the road from the Whipple Company Store, which is also the home of the Appalachian Heritage Museum, a woman came over with a welcoming smile and introduced herself as Joy Lynn. She told me that she grew up in the area and had dreamed of owning the Company Store ever since she was a little girl. In 2006, her dream came true when she and her husband, Charles, purchased the building, which was in danger of being demolished.
When coal companies opened mines in an area, they built coal camps so that miners and their families had places to live near the mines. The coal companies owned the entire town and the company store served most of the needs of the mining families. Mine workers were paid in scrip, which was a type of money produced by the coal companies. It could only be used at the company store where prices were higher than at stores outside of the coal camps. Because of this, as time went on, families became deeper and deeper in debt to the coal company.
The Whipple Company Store is a fascinating place. It has a hand-operated freight elevator, a post office, a secret second floor, a hidden safe, and a third floor ballroom. According to Joy, the Company Store “sold everything from candy to caskets” and many bodies were embalmed in a mortuary in the basement. According to some accounts, the place is frequented by the ghosts of West Virginia coal miners. If you’re interested in learning more about this unique place, visit the Whipple Company Store website.
We’d like to thank Joy and Charles Lynn for their heart-warming hospitality in showing us the wonders of the Whipple Company Store. As Tennessee Ernie Ford used to say, "Bless your pea-pickin' heart!" and as we always say, Happy Shunpiking!
Joann
“You load sixteen tons, what do you get?
Another day older and deeper in debt.
Saint Peter, don’t you call me, ‘cause I can’t go;
I owe my soul to the company store.”
In 1955, deep-voiced Tennessee Ernie Ford recorded the number one hit “Sixteen Tons,” a song about the hard life of a coal miner. West Virginia has a rich coal mining history and our West Virginia travels this past spring took us through the mountainous terrain of Fayette County, a traditional coal mining region.
We spent less than 24 hours in West Virginia, but we made the best of our short time there. After photographing the Glade Creek Grist Mill at first light (see our blog post dated May 9, 2010), Ruth said she had a surprise in store for me. On the way to this “surprise,” we stopped in the town of Glen Jean, which at one time was centered on the coal and railroad industries. Once the coal boom ended, the town began to fade away.
The only significant building remaining is the former Bank of Glen Jean, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. This bank was built in 1909 by William McKell, who owned one of the largest coal companies in the area and also a railway company that transported coal. The Bank of Glen Jean ceased operations in 1939 following the death of William McKell.
After eating our breakfast in front of this historic building, Ruth navigated us to an old Appalachian coal mining ghost town called Thurmond, which we will tell you about in a future post. After spending a couple of hours there, we headed to the unincorporated town of Whipple, which was also a coal town during the first half of the 20th century.
This was our first visit to a coal mining region, so we had never photographed any coal-related architecture before. When we pulled up in front of the Whipple Company Store, I was thrilled to see such an unusual building. In 1890, coal baron Justus Collins built this magnificent building and three others just like it. Today, the Whipple Company Store is the only one still standing.
As I was setting up my tripod across the road from the Whipple Company Store, which is also the home of the Appalachian Heritage Museum, a woman came over with a welcoming smile and introduced herself as Joy Lynn. She told me that she grew up in the area and had dreamed of owning the Company Store ever since she was a little girl. In 2006, her dream came true when she and her husband, Charles, purchased the building, which was in danger of being demolished.
When coal companies opened mines in an area, they built coal camps so that miners and their families had places to live near the mines. The coal companies owned the entire town and the company store served most of the needs of the mining families. Mine workers were paid in scrip, which was a type of money produced by the coal companies. It could only be used at the company store where prices were higher than at stores outside of the coal camps. Because of this, as time went on, families became deeper and deeper in debt to the coal company.
The Whipple Company Store is a fascinating place. It has a hand-operated freight elevator, a post office, a secret second floor, a hidden safe, and a third floor ballroom. According to Joy, the Company Store “sold everything from candy to caskets” and many bodies were embalmed in a mortuary in the basement. According to some accounts, the place is frequented by the ghosts of West Virginia coal miners. If you’re interested in learning more about this unique place, visit the Whipple Company Store website.
We’d like to thank Joy and Charles Lynn for their heart-warming hospitality in showing us the wonders of the Whipple Company Store. As Tennessee Ernie Ford used to say, "Bless your pea-pickin' heart!" and as we always say, Happy Shunpiking!
Joann
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Milling Around West Virginia - Glade Creek Grist Mill
By Joann M. Ringelstetter
Ruth and I just returned from a two-week photography trip to North Carolina. This is the first of a number of stories we will share from the trip. On the tenth day of our trip, we left North Carolina, crossed the corner of Virginia, and headed into West Virginia. Our plans called for us to reach Babcock State Park by evening.
Within the boundaries of Babcock State Park, on Glade Creek, in the New River Gorge National River area, sits one of the most photographed mills in West Virginia. This mill is a 1976 reproduction of Cooper’s Mill, a grist mill which once stood nearby on Glade Creek.
The Glade Creek Grist Mill was authentically constructed using materials from three former West Virginia mills. The Stoney Creek Grist Mill, dating back to 1890, provided the basic structure and was carefully dismantled in Pocahontas County and put back together piece by piece at Babcock State Park in Fayette County.
The beautiful overshot waterwheel was salvaged from Spring Run Grist Mill in Grant County after a fire destroyed everything but the waterwheel. The Onega Grist Mill, in Pendleton County, supplied the materials for other parts of the mill. Today, the Glade Creek Grist Mill produces freshly ground buckwheat flour and cornmeal, which can be purchased by park visitors.
Glade Creek, which is full of boulders and small waterfalls, is an idyllic setting where fly fishermen, photographers, sightseers, nature lovers, and mill enthusiasts join together to enjoy the sights and sounds of this wonderful setting. We visited Babcock State Park on a beautiful spring evening and the creek was full of fly fishermen. As I was photographing the mill from the huge rocks downstream, I met some nice people who were also there to photograph the mill.
When I’d finished and was heading back to the car, I saw an older couple standing in front of the mill. They looked very much in love, which was confirmed when the gentleman got down on one knee to propose.
I noticed that the man had a camera on his belt, so I gave them some time and then went over and asked them if they would like me to take their picture. They were very pleased and recreated the moment so that I could capture it with the grist mill in the background.
After that, Ruth and I went up the mountain to have a picnic supper as we watched the last rays of daylight sink into the valley below. The next morning, we returned in the predawn hours to capture the mill as the moon was beginning to set.
If you ever have the opportunity to visit West Virginia, don’t pass up the chance to enjoy the beauty of this wonderful state park and grist mill.
Happy Shunpiking!
Joann
Photos in this blog post can be purchased as wall art, paper prints, downloads, phone cases, and keepsakes by clicking on the photo. You will be taken to the gallery website where you will see a big blue "BUY" button. Or to see all photos available, click on the "Browse Galleries" button on the menu at the top of this page. Thank you for your interest!
Ruth and I just returned from a two-week photography trip to North Carolina. This is the first of a number of stories we will share from the trip. On the tenth day of our trip, we left North Carolina, crossed the corner of Virginia, and headed into West Virginia. Our plans called for us to reach Babcock State Park by evening.
Within the boundaries of Babcock State Park, on Glade Creek, in the New River Gorge National River area, sits one of the most photographed mills in West Virginia. This mill is a 1976 reproduction of Cooper’s Mill, a grist mill which once stood nearby on Glade Creek.
The Glade Creek Grist Mill was authentically constructed using materials from three former West Virginia mills. The Stoney Creek Grist Mill, dating back to 1890, provided the basic structure and was carefully dismantled in Pocahontas County and put back together piece by piece at Babcock State Park in Fayette County.
The beautiful overshot waterwheel was salvaged from Spring Run Grist Mill in Grant County after a fire destroyed everything but the waterwheel. The Onega Grist Mill, in Pendleton County, supplied the materials for other parts of the mill. Today, the Glade Creek Grist Mill produces freshly ground buckwheat flour and cornmeal, which can be purchased by park visitors.
Glade Creek, which is full of boulders and small waterfalls, is an idyllic setting where fly fishermen, photographers, sightseers, nature lovers, and mill enthusiasts join together to enjoy the sights and sounds of this wonderful setting. We visited Babcock State Park on a beautiful spring evening and the creek was full of fly fishermen. As I was photographing the mill from the huge rocks downstream, I met some nice people who were also there to photograph the mill.
When I’d finished and was heading back to the car, I saw an older couple standing in front of the mill. They looked very much in love, which was confirmed when the gentleman got down on one knee to propose.
I noticed that the man had a camera on his belt, so I gave them some time and then went over and asked them if they would like me to take their picture. They were very pleased and recreated the moment so that I could capture it with the grist mill in the background.
After that, Ruth and I went up the mountain to have a picnic supper as we watched the last rays of daylight sink into the valley below. The next morning, we returned in the predawn hours to capture the mill as the moon was beginning to set.
If you ever have the opportunity to visit West Virginia, don’t pass up the chance to enjoy the beauty of this wonderful state park and grist mill.
Happy Shunpiking!
Joann
Photos in this blog post can be purchased as wall art, paper prints, downloads, phone cases, and keepsakes by clicking on the photo. You will be taken to the gallery website where you will see a big blue "BUY" button. Or to see all photos available, click on the "Browse Galleries" button on the menu at the top of this page. Thank you for your interest!
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