They Came Here

They came here---built their homes, found jobs and raised their families. They attended the churches and schools. Many are laid to rest near their homes. Others came, worked at a job, visited with family or friends and moved on.

Communities . . .

Schools . . .

Buffalo - Cox - Dry Ridge - Fairview - Nelson - Freeport - Petroleum - Rusk - Second Big Run

Churches . . .

Family Records . . .

Other . . .

Old Friends

New friends, I cherish, and treasure their worth,
But old friends to me are the salt of the earth.
Friends are like garments, that everyone wears--
New ones are needed for dress-up affairs.

But when we're at leisure, we're more apt to choose
The clothes that we purchased with last season's shoes.
Things we grow used to, are things we love best--
The ones we are certain have weathered the test.

And isn't it true (since we're talking of friends)
That new ones bring pleasure when everything blends,
But when we want someone who thinks as we do,
And who fits, as I mentioned, like last summer's shoe--

We turn to the friends who have stuck thru' the years
Who echo our laughter and try all our tears;
They know every weakness and fault we possess,
But somehow forget them, in friendship's caress.

When I made the decision to compile this book of information about people, places and happenings in our community, I thought perhaps I would have 25 or 30 pages. I am not going to name any particular person but just say everyone--and I repeat, everyone--whom I asked for information came forth a hundred-fold.

My only regret is that someone did not do this sooner, before so much good information went to the grave with many of our loved ones. Some families have been gone from the area so long, I was unable to find any member for any information and used only what someone remembered and told me.

I chose the communities I did, as they formed a circle, and the folks who lived here met at the stores, schools and churches as one large family.

Like all writings, I am sure there are errors and maybe all too many, but our memory does play tricks on us, and, using information from word of mouth, I am sure there were times that I misunderstood or wrote information down in error. I have tried to eliminate any information that would hurt or embarrass anyone.

My hope is that you will enjoy reading this book as much as I have enjoyed getting it all together.

I want to say thanks from the bottom of my heart to each of you who worked so hard to get information to me and gathered up things that were in addition to your own family.

I am sure each of you realizes this book could not have been gotten together if each of you had not contributed what you did.

This book was compiled and is being distributed on a non-profit basis.
November 1984.

Communities

A large number of the families who are mentioned in this writing had a mail address of Petroleum. Only fitting we should know a little about it.

This community had a post office established in June 1857. The name was changed to Roger's January 1866 but changed back to Petroleum on October 10, 1879. The office was in different houses in the community but established in its present location June 15, 1917 at the time Charles W. Thrash was postmaster. The first postmaster was James Kelly who was appointed in 1857. The town was laid out about the time the B & O Railroad came through. Other people who served as postmaster are as follows:

At one time, two rural routes went out of the post office. Some of the carriers were:

This spot is located on Dry Ridge between the two schools. A fellow by the name of Frederick had a log house here. He and his family lived here for several years, and he was what was called in his day a medicine man. He brewed blood medicine--herbs boiled in an iron kettle with horseshoes. This iron content was good for the blood. He sold this mixture. Memories of some residents was that he lived around the turn of the century. The census gives a man by the name of Nicholas Frederick, age 27, living in the area, and his occupation was listed as a peddler. It is believed this might be the same person.

In later years the Astron Oil Company drilled a well that made 150 barrels of oil a day. This opened up the field in the mid-1920s.

Dad, who was F. M. Netser, bought the store from a man by the name of Shafer. He had it only thirty days when he sold it to Dad in June 1912. The building was built in 1886. The first store building in the community was across the road in what is now the post office. This was a partnership by the families of Douglass and Rutherford. A Mr. Reitz had a store across the railroad facing my dad's store--a general merchandise type store. His wife had a millinery shop in the same building. It was a sight in the spring to see the ladies coming out of the shop with their new spring hats. Henry Perrine bought the store from Mr. Reitz.

The blacksmith shop was run by Ed Wyatt and William Cross. Mr. Reitz also had an icehouse here. Ralph Jackson had the livery barn. Dr. E. H. Douglass had his office in the house I now own. The Eureka Pipe Line Co. had a pump station here with two 500-barrel tanks for storage. The oil was pumped to Elm Run from them. Dr. Shirkey practiced here for a while. G. B. Douglass was the postmaster. Charles Thrash took the test and became postmaster.

Jim Beckner bought a large tract of timber in Ellis Run. He built a house and barn for Jim Mahaney. Jim lived here and took care of the horses for Jim.

The B & O had a block station, a passing siding, an agents siding and a section gang of 8 or 10 men, a water pump station and pumper. Earlier, there were two mail routes. Daniel Sharpnack was the B & O agent at this time. There was a cooper shop here--made barrels to ship the oil in. This was before iron pipe was made.

A lady by the name of Jennie Gordon with her two daughters, Elizabeth and Bertie, ran what was called the Gordon Hotel. The hotel was also run by Roy Pepper and Will Hickman. The building is still standing today.

The Presbyterians were active until about 1915. A Rev. Cleveland was pastor. About this time the Methodists bought the church.

My dad ran the store until 1945, then I took over and ran it until 1972. The building stood until November 1981, when a train hit it and did so much damage it was beyond repair.

Petroleum was laid out for a town as early as 1854 in view of having it made a railroad station, and it took its name from the petroleum spring nearby. The land where the settlement is today was owned and settled by Richard Parker, who transferred it to Richard Rutherford Sr. and went West. The B & O erected its first building here in 1856, and this was the year the first train ran through the village.

Several names are prominent, but dates are lacking. James Kelly was an early merchant, Andrew Shaw was a blacksmith, Dr. Van Slyck of New York, the first hosteler; Dr. Humphrey, an early physician; Rev. D. M. Sleeth, an early minister; Philip Reitz, an early merchant; Dan and Jo Sharpnack, and many more.

In 1845--or maybe before--sulphur springs were found on the James Deem land on the opposite side of Hughes River from Staunton Pike, above Freeport. These springs were soon found to contain curative properties. Col. Turner Boulware was postmaster at this time, then known as Blue Sulphur Springs. The post office was located on the right bank of the Hughes River and known as Cisco.

The sick and afflicted came from near and far. By 1847 this was a noted place. The springs were especially believed to have a curative effect for ones who were suffering from asthma. Whether real or imaginary, these springs were believed to have effects for dropsy and other ailments. One man was said to have come and drunk this water for a while and lost twelve inches in his waistline.

A hotel was built near the springs and coaches came bringing the sick with their servants, which was the custom during those days. Hughes River had to be crossed from the North or the South regardless of the way they came. The Deems Ford was the only crossing close by. A Mr. Dulin operated the hotel and post office for a time under the name of Vernon post office. Staunton Pike came through here in the year of 1850 or 1860. In the early 1930s, prisoners from the State Penitentiary camped a short distance west of Cisco and worked on the road, making it into a hard-surfaced road. These men played good ball, making it a great past-time on Sunday to go and watch them play. A man by the name of John Rexroad was the superintendent at the camp.

The ford was hard to cross when it rained enough to swell the river. A hotel was built to take care of those who came when the river was out of its banks and could not be crossed; often times parties camped out all night waiting for the river to go down so they could get across. In the early 1840s, Bushrod Creel was in the area and laid claim to the land. It was about this time the California House was built and stood until it burned to the ground. It has been called the "Father of Freeport." Bushrod Creel built the house.

Around the early 1900s, a store, church and blacksmith shop were in the area of the present site of Cisco we know today. There was a resident in the area by the name of Cisco Jackson. It is believed the little settlement was named for him. There was an oil seepage close to the Jackson farm that was developed and commercialized. It was sent all the way to Parkersburg and Marietta.

The church was across the road from the store and blacksmith shop. Some of the early merchants were Cisco Jackson, Frank Cain, Clarence and Pearly Geer, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas, Stoke Enoch, Leaman Gill and Charles Marshall. Mr. Marshall owned the store when it burned to the ground in March 1938. At the time the store burned, Granville Nutt operated the blacksmith shop, and there were living quarters in back of the store. A man by the name of France Blair lived there, but no one was lost in the fire. Later, Mr. Marshall built a store across from his home on the Cisco-Cairo Road and operated it for many years.

There were tragedies as well as pleasant times in our little community. Water was always a problem; Buffalo Run would flood and the backwaters cover the road and bridge, shutting off all travel except by boat. The largest flood in Buffalo Run was June 21, 1939. The flood that hit the area on June 1938 washed away the Petroleum bridge. Many of us today remember the flood of June 1950 that washed away bridges and houses for several miles upstream from Cisco.

A little boy by the name of George Steven Fordam drowned in Buffalo Run, March 7, 1959.

Four children of the Dexter Mason family drowned in a boat accident on Hughes River near Gillespie bridge in December 1934.

Floyd Nelson and his four children were drowned in a flash flood near his home on Island Run in August 1943.

This place was settled at a very early date. It was located at the mouth of Goose Creek on Hughes River in Wirt County. Freeport, in early days, was called Goose Creek. Very old records show it being called Crow Creek. A large foreign element came to the area in the oil boom of the 1850s and 1860s. To hold the local laborers, these people gave many free supplies to the people in the area. The place was called "free port" as a community joke. About this time many large houses were built here. The people were very strong unionists. When the Lincoln-Douglas debate was held in Freeport, Illinois in 1858, the people fell for this name, and the community has been called Freeport ever since.

The Freeport post office was operated from March 1859 until 1906. For two years, 1866 to 1868, there was a post office at Freeport and the California House both. The oil that was found here added much to the fast development of the community. Located on the Staunton Pike, stagecoaches stopped here. A toll house was located in the community for a while. The California House, built by Bushrod Creel, served as a friendly stopping place for travelers. George Creel, son of Bushrod, first managed it.

T. J. Steers & J. W. Wandling owned a large timber tract on Goose Creek. There was a man by the name of J. B. Neely involved at the same time along with H. B. Pribble and O. S. Fought.

The California House was sometimes referred to as the Creel House. At the time of the Gold Rush in California, men would meet here and plan a trip to California--so it goes that this is how it got its name. A description of the house was found. It was a 10-room house built in 1860. People came to drink sulphur water, and some businessmen came from Philadelphia to the oil find here like the gold rush in California. Marcellus Clark, son-in-law of Mr. Creel, managed the hotel for a while, then Col. Turner Boulware in 1862. He was here for eleven years.

Many readers remember the bridge that crossed the stream at Freeport as the covered bridge at Goose Creek. J. F. Darnell had a mill and store here in the early 1900s. This was previously run by the Dulin and the Pribble families, being started around the time of the oil find here. The community had a school and church with a fairly large attendance. The school has been closed for about twenty years. The old covered bridge was replaced with a modern cement bridge in the early 1930s when the road was being rebuilt. At one end of the bridge stood the blacksmith shop run by Jack Smith who lived on the old Foutty farm. At the other end of the bridge stood the Morgan Hotel, a stagecoach stop, owned and operated by Levi M. Morgan. Mr. Morgan and several people of his day are buried at the Freeport Cemetery.

Another store was operated by Rolandus Marshall. The building that housed his store burned, and he moved to Cairo and operated a hardware store there for many years.

The town had a doctor; a Dr. Shirkey practiced here for several years. His son, Earl Jennings, who died in December, 1951, at the age of 51 years, is remembered for some quaint poems, and he also wrote songs.

Some of the family names of the community are Vernons, Collums, Morgans, Andersons, Lockharts, Wares, Twymans, Hawkins, Fouttys, Demons, Hulls, Jefferys Cains, Friedleins, Ballangees, Trouts, Darnells, Fultzes, Sharpnacks, Bumgarners, DeGoines, Marshalls, and many more.

The first bridge at Freeport was erected about 1842; the covered bridge was erected in 1879. Builders and helpers were: Ransom Foutty, John Huffman, Thomas Gilmer, Commodore and Cortez Foutty. The iron bridge was built in 1904. Those helping were Bill Emerick, J. F. Darnell, and John Jones Sr.

John Fleming, a German chemist, owned land at Freeport around 1861; he had around 2000 acres. He made and sold McLains Liver Pills, made of herbs. He cleared land for a "vineyard" to grow these herbs. The vineyard was managed by Mr. Eschbacher and Sons. They rest in the Freeport Cemetery. Ben Arnold was at the vineyard, later, Mr. Lexlor, who died and left the estate to his son, Ford. In 1934 the property was inherited by a Mrs. Jessie Toma, who lived on the property for a number of years. Bernard Lockhart later lived on the property.

The settlement of Rusk was named for Anna Sophia Rust Lewis. Anna was born in Fairfax County and married Charles T. Lewis May 5, 1847. Somewhere along the transition the Rust was recorded as Rusk.

At one time this was a promising community. There were three stores, one with the post office, which was established in 1880. Another store was with the grist mill and another one in the Lodge Hall. Early merchants in the area were J. W. Heck, William Moats, James Kelly, Ben Twyman and Lee Dulaney. The grist mill was operated by William Moats and in later years by his son Elza. Isaac Nutter was the first settler; his cabin stood on the W. J. Moats property. Dan Pribble had a mill here as early as 1839. The mill was run at one time by William Meredith. Frank Davis, who was a son-in-law of Meredith, was a merchant and postmaster at one time.

Mr. Moats built a large home near the mill; the house still stands today and is occupied by Belle Wyer. The church property was purchased from Mr. Moats in 1895, and people in the community built the church. The building that stands today is in need of repairs. Part of the roof is blown off and the rain pours in. Like so many of our churches--a tragic ending to one of God's houses.

At one time Martha Lewis operated the switchboard located in what was known as the Heck residence. The store was purchased by John Heck and his wife Dora. They operated it for many years. After the death of Mr. Heck, Ben Twyman bought the store, married Mrs. Heck, and moved to Ohio. They were living there at the time of their death. The last family to operate the store was the Lee Dulaney family. The store building is still owned by his two children: A. D. and his sister, Elizabeth. This is truly a landmark.

The grist mill at the little hamlet was typical of the time. People brought corn and wheat to be ground, and a share of it was taken to pay for the grinding. Mr. Moats had a nice store along with the mill. One thing that is remembered is the big basket of chocolate-covered vanilla candy that he always had setting there. Billy lost one arm at the mill, but he learned to work with the other arm and operated the store and mill for many years after this loss. The house was sold in 1950, but the mill was closed many years before this.

Some family names in the Rusk community were W. B. Kenny, Ralph DeVaughan, Roger Martin, Homes McClead, Dudley family, Ivan Banks, Richard Case, Bradley family, Fred Bush, Blankenship family, Mason family, and there are many more.

There is a record of a baptizing at Rusk, May 2, 1915. The ones who were baptized were: Noel Higgins, Frank Reese, Glen and Bessie Kerns, Charlie Waller, Grant Beckner, Lew Beckner, Jessie Dulaney, Ocie Cain, Mary Valentine, and Nellie Cain.

Churches

Prior to 1868, little is known about the church in the little German settlement of Freeport. The log church was either Baptists or U. B. and was located in the middle of the Freeport Cemetery.

On September 1, 1868, a deed was made to David Deem, John W. Collums, and Jessie Lee for an acre of ground from the estate of John V. Rathbone for church property. Later, a "house pattern" of lumber was donated by Elam and Denise Collums Vernon for the construction of a church.

In 1893, the building was completed; Josiah and Virginia Collums deeded the church to the trustees (Jim Whitman, C. R. Nelson, J. W. Nelson, G. B. Cain and J. W. Cain). It is supposed at their death the deed went to the trustees of the Walker U. B. Church in Christ (Lonzo Hewitt, Marvin Stephens and Henry Ware). It was these trustees who deeded the church to the Beulah Presbyterian Church trustees on October 9, 1929.

It was at this time that Rev. Ed Black and his brother Lou, Presbyterian ministers, became actively involved with the church. With the help of the Darnell sisters, Agnes and Noma, Sunday School, Bible School, singing schools and programs for almost every occasion were successful. A church choir consisting of the Darnell sisters, Ruth Lockhart, Floyd Ware, Russ Mahaney, Smith Daubenspeck and Mr. and Mrs. Pearl Eddy, was formed and kept busy singing for other churches and funerals. Another popular group from the church was the Fultz family. At one time, Rev. Black brought water from the River Jordan and baptized several of his members by sprinkling them with it. I've heard my grandparents, Carl and Kate Lockhart, talk many times of being baptized with water from the River Jordan.

By 1941 the population of the community had decreased, and very few were left to attend the church. By this time, Rev. J. C. Wolfe was pastor and stayed until 1950. At this time the church was closed and remained so until 1962. On April 16, 1962, a deed was made to Rev. Orval Cunningham, who purchased the church from the Beulah Hill trustees (E. W. Allman, Barcelena Mace Townsend, Louis Reed and E. Black). Services began as soon as the brush and trees were cut from in front of the doors. This came about by the urging of the Darnell sisters and Rev. Cunningham, feeling led by the Lord. One of the first members of the newly reopened church was Joseph Collums, son of Josiah Collums mentioned earlier as one who was involved in the original establishment of the church. The church was named the Freeport Baptist Church. It prospered and grew until another room was added on the west side of the church. Rev. Cunningham remained pastor until 1975, when Rev. Dale Johnson was elected pastor and remained with them for a year. In January 1976, Rev. Charlene Spaur, daughter of Rev. Cunningham and Ruth Lockhart Cunningham, was elected pastor and remained there until January 1980. Much growth was experienced in church attendance from area youth at this time. Two new rooms were built on the north end of the church as well as the enlargement of the pulpit area. In 1980, Rev. Cunningham returned to pastor the church.

After all these years and being under three denominational names, the Freeport Church is still conducting regular services.

The Buffalo Methodist Protestant Church was organized in 1897. It was a one-room building facing the Staunton Pike at Cisco. The actual organizing of the group took place in the house next to the church. It is still standing today. The one-room building had two doors on the front of the building and the congregation entered at the front of the church. No way you could be late and sneak in the back. This building burned to the ground on March 2, 1953. The present building was started immediately and the church rebuilt in a short time. Each year in September, the church has a homecoming and many who have gone to church there in years past return for this occasion.

The records for this church were scarce. Services were usually held in the afternoon, and the same minister preached here that was on the Rusk and Buffalo charge. There were a few kids in the community who felt they were "churched a bit much"--Buffalo or Rusk in the morning and then to the Fairview church that afternoon. A record was found in some papers of one who was school teacher there at that time--Bernice Tennant Cox. She has the minutes recorded that Sunday School was organized Sunday, March 13, 1921: Superintendent, L. V. Boston; Assistant Superintendent, M. L. Schoolcraft; Secretary, Dora Tennat; Treasurer, Lew Tennant; and Librarian, Edna Boston.

Services were held here for a number of years--perhaps until around the 1940s or thereabouts. Some who are rememberd as being teachers are: Belle Boston, Mae Schoolcraft, Edna Boston, and there were others.

This church stood a short distance off the Dry Ridge road on ground given for a church by William Sharpnack. The church was built around the mid-1800s. Mr. Sharpnack built a dam in the creek nearby--mill seat-sawed lumber with water power and built the church. John Bell, who lived in the community until around 1940, remembered the saw mill and the work going on.

There was a celebration at the church when the debt was paid off. The incident was told to Lathrop Foutty by his father, Bert, who was in attendance at the celebration. There was ice cream and lemonade and a big affair. A group of people who called themselves Atheists moved in close to the church and set up shop with their platform dancing, their fortune tellers and all kind of amusement. This only helped the church; people came to both affairs, ate what the church put out and the old devil was defeated--when the church debt was paid off.

Very early in the building of the church, when the walls were up but the roof wasn't on, a preacher came on the site. He was flipping a silver dollar up in the air, and the coin went down between the walls. He wanted the wall torn out to get his dollar, but the carpenters told him no; he should not have been flipping it around. The coin remained between the walls.

Mr. Daubenspeck bought the church in 1942 and tore it down. He felt the original roof was on it then and best poplar lumber he ever saw. When the church was torn down, a man by the name of Mun Deems found the dollar between the walls. Since he found it, Mr. Daubenspeck told him to keep it. The church served the community well; it was a Methodist, probably an M. P. Some of the people who were active in the church were: B. W. Foutty, David Whiteman and Jim Whiteman. The father of William is believed to have built the log house that served both as school and church near the spot where the Dry Ridge School stood in later years. It is thought the work on the buildings was done by both William and Hiram Sharpnack.

Ann Daubenspeck remembers one time that she, along with her mother, had attended something going on at the church; they did not have any light to get home by, and Mrs. Daubenspeck lighted matches all the way home so they could find their way.

Early Schools

Several log school houses were in the area around the mid-1800s. They were typical of the time, being called "Old Field Schools." When several families located in one spot, the need was soon realized for a school and a church. The log building would usually serve for both.

A typical term of school would begin with a stranger appearing on the scene and report going from cabin to cabin that the schoolmaster was in the neighborhood. From where he came, no one knew; no credentials or diplomas were needed. It was necessary that he teach the three R's. He would bind himself to this with his "article" that he carried from house to house. He would solicit subscriptions to the school which he is to "keep" for so much a "quarter" and "board 'round"--that is, with the pupils.

Then he goes to the school commissioner of the district and enters into a contract to pay for his quota of the literary fund, the tuition for the indigent children of the neighborhood.

The morning that school begins, the boys and girls for several miles around begin to appear. Attendance isn't compulsory. Bill Jones can't come this morning, his father did not get his shoes made; the leather was too green. Betty Davis is not there as her mother did not get her dress done in time. Another girl stays home to help with the work; her mother just had another baby. A boy stays to help his father with the work. It has rained and the harvest is too far behind to lose him to school. The two Adams girls across the creek are not there; the rains have raised the creek and they can't get across. The master has his bundle of sticks or switches already cut from the woods nearby. The quarter closes in due time and the master collects his tuition from the ones who are able to pay; then, with sworn statements of amount due for teaching the indigent children, he goes to the treasurer of the county commission and collects his money. He goes--perhaps none know where.

Schools of higher learning appeared at an early date. Any one of these may have been attended by students from our area. Four of these schools were in Parkersburg. The Parkersburg Association, Inc. in April 1838; The Asbury Academy, Inc. in 1841; The Meade Collegiate Institute, Inc., 1851; and the Parkersburg Classical and Scientific Institute, Inc., 1861.

A record tells us that the 1907 school term in Grant District was six months and the salary of a number one teacher was from $40 to $45 per month.

The high school at Cairo was started in 1905; the building that housed the school for eight years was small and very inadequate. The one that stands today was erected in 1913 and closed as a high school in 1971. That year 17 students graduated.

Many students in our area were not able to go to high school until sometime around 1934, when the bus started running from Cisco to Cairo. The road was made into a year-round road which allowed many of us to go to high school. Previous to this time, students either rode the train or lived with someone in Cairo. Since many pupils were from homes of farmers, we did well to make it through grade school. High school was out of the question.

For someone who never attended a one-room school with all eight grades, the following will not mean too much. For we who attended the one-room school, it will bring back memories. The opening exercise it mentions could be a salute to the flag, a poem, a song, or maybe the teacher would read a chapter in a book each morning until the book was completed. If the weather was bad and we were late getting to school, this was one thing that was deleted.

Some subjects were not taught every day. Little time was wasted. Noon and recess was a time for ball games, ante over and many other games we played. Remember the counting out games we did to choose up sides for teams, etc.? In the winter, much time was spent indoors, but if the snow was right, a snowman would appear in almost every schoolyard in the neighborhood.

Many students spent their recess period studying or reading. One of the ways the teacher had of punishing a student was to keep them in for so many recesses or the noon hour. This was a terrible punishment in our opinion--worse than the whipping or standing in the corner.

In 1910, Miss Merle Royce with a lady friend drove a horse and buggy from Petroleum (5 miles) and applied for the Dry Ridge School from the three trustees (A. F. Daubenspeck, Jim Harbert and Bill Foutty). She was hired and boarded with the Fouttys, who lived near the school. Many of the teachers boarded with this family. Her students that year were: Clara, Charlie, Edna, Walker and Okey Harbert; Cora and Mary Sharpnack; Tom and Annie Daubenspeck; Walter, Herbert and Gladys Huffman. Miss Merle went to Washington, D.C. during the war and worked there until she retired.

The next year, 1911-1912, Miss Prudence Shingleton came from Petroleum and taught probably the same students. She married Stoke Enoch the next year. At Christmas-time, Stoke--who kept a store at Cisco--brought the treat. He brought a box of Christmas candy, an orange and a beautiful card, embossed and signed by Miss Prudence. When it snowed, Stoke came for her in a real fairy tale sleigh with a beautiful horse and sleigh bells.

The next year, 1912-13, Miss Mae Tennant from Buffalo Run taught. Not sure if she stayed at home and if Bernice and Inez came with her. Her students were: Sherman, Rose and Ted Kerns; Tom, Annie and Margaret Daubenspeck; Charlie, Okey, Lucy and Walker Harbert; perhaps Virginia, Evelyn Nellie Hartleben and Walter, Gladys and Jessie Huffman as they were our ages.

In year 1913-14, Harley Malson from Walker taught and boarded at the Foutty home. Besides the students of the year before, Myrtle and Annie Hull came and Clinton Todd enrolled. Clinton was living with his aunt and uncle, the Fulls, who lived near Huffmans.

In 1914-15, Miss Fannie Simmons from Harrisville taught and stayed at our house. She taught Charlie, Walker, Lucy and Okey Harbert; Walter, Herbert, Gladys and Jessie Huffman; Sherman, Rose and Ted Kerns; Tom, Annie and Margaret Daubenspeck; Virginia, Nellie and Evelyn Hartleben; Richard Haymond and his sister, Susie. Miss Fannie played the violin. She went to Pennsylvania to teach and retired from there.

In 1915-16, William Hill from Gillespie taught. In addition to the students above, Dotsie Huffman came.

In 1916-18, Miss Mae, who lived near, taught the next two terms. Students in addition to the above were Finley Daubenspeck the first year and Smith Daubenspeck went her second year.

In the next two years, 1918-21, Miss Myrtle Hull taught. The students were Margaret, Finley and Smith Daubenspeck, Evelyn, Nellie and Alice Hartleben; Jessie and Jotsie Huffman; Emma and Tots Wagner. Not sure if Lewis or Dinnin children came this year.

In 1921-22, Joe Cullum from Freeport taught. Students were Emma and Tots Wagner; Thelma, Woodrow and Delmar Lewis, Robert, Kathleen, Dorothy and Rosalie Dinnin; Pearl Nelson; Finley and Smith Daubenspeck.

Ann Daubenspeck taught the next two years and the students were the same, except Pearl Nelson transferred.

In 1924, Margaret Daubenspeck started teaching and taught the next two years. Students were Thelma, Woodrow and Delmar Lewis; Kathleen, Dorothy, Rosalie and James Dinnin; Smith Daubenspeck; Emma and Tots Wagner; and Andrew Foutty.

Miss Mary Greer from Cairo taught in 1928-29. The students were the same as the year before, except I think Edith Foutty started.

I'm letting you take over from here: Lura Kellar taught, Goldie Goodnight and Oma Cunningham

We had a pot-bellied stove, a wooden blackboard painted black, and a huge map of the United States that covered the wall on the left of the door, showing the states and the territories not taken into the union yet. Was Kansas still a territory or was it Arizona in 1910? Wraps hung on nails in the back, a long bench on each side of the door was for lunches and the water bucket. The water was carried from Foutty's for all the years the school operated. The teacher's desk was on a raised platform. Recitation benches were along the front next to the teacher's desk.

Margaret's daughter, Cindy, still has my beautiful card Miss Prudence gave me. It is in the post card album that Miss Mae gave Margaret for a consolation prize. She was five years old and wasn't allowed the honor roll certificate that older students got for perfect attendance. She missed one day that year. I didn't miss a day in eight years. I know when the ones on my side of the room moved there and moved away. Maud Full lived in a house above Huffmans when Clinton Todd went to school in 1913. I think they called that the Old Dutch Fred.

Grade	Subject	Recitation Begin	Time
All	Opening Exercise	9:00	10 min.
7-8	History and Civics	9:10	20 min.
1	Reading	9:30	10 min.
2	Reading	9:40	8 min.
3	Reading	9:48	10 min
4	Reading	9:56	10 min
5	Reading	10:06	10 min.
6-7	Literature	10:16	19 min
	Recess	10:35	10 min.
3-5	Primary Arithmetic	10:45	20 min.
1-2	Story and Literature	10:55	10 min.
6-8	Grammar School Arithmetic	11:05	25 min.
3-4	Spelling	11:30	5 min.
5-6	Spelling	11:35	5 min.
7-8	Agriculture	11:40	20 min.
	Lunch	12:00	60 min.
1	Reading	1:00	10 min.
2	Reading	1:10	10 min.
4-5	History - Geography	1:20	15 min.
6-8	Language	1:35	25 min.
4-5	Language	2:00	10 min.
	Recess	2:10	10 min.
1-8	Writing and Spelling	2:20	15 min.
8	Physiology	2:35	15 min.
4-7	Hygiene-Sanitation	2:50	20 min.
8	Literature	3:10	15 min.
1-3	Geography - Agriculture and Nature Study	3:25	10 min.
6-7	Geography	3:35	15 min.
6	History	3:50	10 min
	Dismissal

I can live with my arthritis and my partial fits me fine
I can see thru my bifocals, but, oh, how I do miss my mind.

(Ann supplied us with the school information from 1910-1929. Why, oh, why is she worried about her mind?)

In 1929 Lura Kellar from Cairo taught and she taught the following year. Students were about the same as the previous year, except Loraine and Maxine Cox and Ruby Foutty started.

In 1931, Goldie Goodnight came to teach and taught here for six years. Her students were Delmar Lewis; Andrew, Edith and Ruby Foutty; Chester, Carl, Mildred and Mable Foutty; Loraine, Maxine, Opal and Betty Cox; James, Carrol, Ralph and Elizabeth Dinnin; Elsie and Opal Waggoner; Glen Modesitt; Ray, Hilda, Junior and Emza Kerns; Johnnie, Paul and Loretta Jenkins; Diora, Nanny and Woodrow Davis; Betty and Bob Lamm; Isabelle Ballangee; Harold, Calvin and Alma Nelson.

The last teacher at the school was Oma Cunningham from Harrisville. She was teaching when the school closed in 1942 for the lack of students. The students that year were: Harley, Flo and Carl Sinnett; Robert, Calvin, and Alma Nelson; Bob and Betty Lamm; Mary Frances and Betty Lynch; Betty and Bernadine Cox; Lathrop Foutty.

The enrollment in 1912 was 21 students. It is believed the very first teacher of the school, around 1880, was William Sharpnack. A few years' records are lacking.

This school was located on Goose Creek about two miles upstream from Freeport. Some of the kids I went to school with were: Roy and Oren Hewitt; Floyd and Perry Modesitt; Paris, Morey and Stella Vancamp; Hilton, John and Grover Twyman; Berley Johnson; Jessie Muir; Burey, Cleveland and Johnson Deems; Irene Wyatt; Bill, Fred, Gerald and Hazel Cox. Some of the teachers I had were Lydia Campbell, Daisy Wyer, Alice Perrin. Mrs. Perrin was my first grade teacher. We were playing ball, and I came around the corner of the school house and ran into Lucy Howell, knocked her down and broke her leg. I hated it, but we just ran together at this blind corner. I remember the one time that I was punished in school. Opie and me were setting behind this girl that had long hair. We set together and she set in front of us. We pulled her hair. She told the teacher and we caught it.

Some others that went to this school were: Bessie and Wilma Hewitt; Dan and Justine Farr; Charlie and Lena Heldreth; John, Earl, Ralph, Elza and Joe Trembly; Hazel Grimm and there may be others.

I remember the building well. It was a log school and sorta set on a raise in the ground. I remember the seats were double; two of us set together most of the time.

This school stood near the bridge over the Buffalo Run on the road from Cisco to Cairo. It was built on ground purchased from the Rogers family. The first school was a log structure and stood along the same road but much closer to Route 47. The building was burned to the ground in the late 1960s, along with other buildings at the time. Some of the early teachers were Zula Ann Daubenspeck (1928-29); G. G. Hoover (1929-30); Robert Armans (1930-31); Page Hickman (1931-32); C. D. Carpenter (1933-34); Virginia Donnelly (1934-35); Bess Scott (1935-37); Virginia Douglas (1937-39). Others were Atchie Smith; Thelma Hall; Beryl Templeton; Ara Carle Tennant; Molly Hornish; Mable Burge; Helen Atkinson; Mae Tennant; Prudence Shingleton; Mary Luzader (1912-13); Ross Fox (1911-12); Anna Hull (1917). The enrollment in 1912 was 23 students. Some of the families who attended this one-room school were: Marshalls, Pribbles, Geers, Gills, Rogers, Beckners, Jenkins, Higgins, Jacksons and many others.

This school was on Goose Creek, upstream from Second Big Run School. It was built around 1925 on ground that was originally the Cox Farm. The school closed in 1946 or 47. Some of the children that attended were: Orval Modesitt; Addie, Luda and Daisy Wilson; Beulah, Ray, Floyd, Harold, Myrtle, Rosemary and Evelyn Deem; Virginia, Herbert and David Everly; Ruth and Naomi Thomas; Frank and George Nulter; Jennings and Belva Bonnell; Troxal, Dale and Ellen Trembly; Mabel, Zora and Roy Deems; Garnet, Edna and Dorothy Deems; Dorma, Don and Mary Sams; Clyde, Ruby, Howard and Mabel Trembly. There were children from a family by the name of Halfhill and also a Grimm family.

Some of the teachers were: Beulah Freed, Rose Everly, Ruth Dennis, Annie Riddle, Essie Weaver, Val Sayre Hammond, Scholly Morgan, Nancy Perrin, Emery Burd, Harold Grimm, Virginia Everly and there may be others.

Mabel, do you remember when you threw a bar of soap and cut a hole in one of the boy's head when he tried to kiss you?

Other children attending were: Stella Deems, Margaret, Mary, Jack and Ted Modesitt, Arthur, Rose and Dorothy Marlow, Chester Anthony. The families moved from the community, and the school was closed for lack of students.

This building was located at the forks of the Fairview and Buffalo Run Road. At one time it was called the Frog Pond because of the large pond close by. The school was closed around the 1940s. Records indicate one year the school term was from September 27, 1915 to March 10, 1916. This was the year Janet Powell taught. Her students that year were: Newton Cain; Ora, Inez, Bernice and Dora Tennant; Mansel and James Sims; Ralph, Lessie and Nellie Null; Samuel Harper; Marion Null; George Waller; Aubrey and Blanche Hardesty; Arthur and Edna Boston; Harley and Garnet Schoolcraft. In the year 1919, Bernice Tennant taught, and her students were (first names only are available, but here they are): Mansel, James, Arthur, Charlie, Harley, George, Ramon, Dail, Fred, Garnet, Dora, Emma, Thelma, Gladys, Ada, Edna, Violet, Nellie, Gracie, Thelma and Beatrice.

Some of the teachers were: Ara Carle Tennant, Frank Stotlar, Janet Powell, Mae Tennant, Bernice Tennant, Fannie Simmons, Clara Davis, Mae Cowell, Coral Lemon, Virginia Douglass, Eleanor Douglass, Charles Moore, Goldie Goodnight, Mary Valentine, Florence Bennett, Charles Cantwell, Anna Daubenspeck and there may be others. In the school year 1912-13, there were 33 pupils enrolled. The improvement done that year was a new roof on the coal house.

This school was located in the heart of the little community of Rusk. It was originally started in a log house--at that time not really a true public school. It was started by a Mrs. Ann Rust Lewis in the 1800s. The first school was across the road from the building today that is used as a community building. Irwin Dotson gave the land for the school house. Records indicate the school was closed about 1952. Some of the teachers of the school were: Mona Linger (1921); Ben Twyman (noted he was strict but a good teacher); Janet McGregor, Janet Powell, Zenith Powell, Mae Tennant, C. Wesley Moyers, Ethel Pew, Mrs. Phillips, Charles C. Moore, Glenn Fowler, Homer Elder, Walter B. Phillips, Miss Carroll, Clarence Carpenter, Anna Rust Lewis, and there may have been others.

This school was located in the community of Freeport in Wirt County. Several of the students of the school went to Cairo High School even if it was in Ritchie since it was closer and easier to get to and from. Some of the teachers were Joe Cullum, Mr. Jones, Myrtle Hull, Donald Frank, A. C. Farnsworth, Matilda Riggs Farnsworth, Kathryn Holbert, Rose Everly, and there are others. The other schools in Wirt County that were nearby were Flint Run, Second Big and Cox School.

An old log house, formerly occupied by a family by the name of Nelson, was made into a schoolhouse for children in 1922. There were no schools for the children to attend. This building was located about 3/4 mile on Flint Run from Hughes River in Wirt County.

The families who attended the school were: Will Perrin, Cecil Jackson, John Moore, Dave Hess, Charley Nelson, George Cunningham and maybe others.

The teachers were Margaret Goldin, Anna Riddle, Raymond Holbert, Ruth McCauley Dennis, Beatrice White and maybe others. The children went through the eighth grade here.

A new school was built on the Cecil Jackson farm near the forks of the Hughes River and was called the Jackson School. The families who attended this school were: Jacksons, Roberts, Shucks, Cunninghams and may be others. The teachers were: Kate Samples, Ann Riddle, Mamie Cheatham, Parl Casto, Carl McCoy, Bessie Henderson McCauley, Garnet Hickman Shears, and there may be others. All of these teachers are deceased.

This building was a two-room school located on the Petroleum Hill. A school record of 1913 lists the following students enrolled: Davey E. Cornell; Margurite O'Brien; Jessie, Pete, George, Leo, Vera and Edith McQuaid; Mary and Archie Harris; Sarah and Wallace Rutherford; Holmes George and Mary Douglass; Goldie Raymond; Chester McFarland; Maude and Roy Cornell; Arthur and Marvel Thrash; Ruth Curry; Icie Miracle; Ernestine Tennant; John Miracle; Frank Netser; Louise, Ruth, and Ralph Roberts; Hazel Boston; and Hazel Royce. Teachers at that time were Archie Carpenter and Henry Davis.

Some of the teachers of the school were: Henry Davis, Vida Grimm, Archie Carpenter, Clarence Carpenter, Eleanor Waller, Erman Dotson, Cecil Shutts, Vesta Casto, Mary Clark, Ellen Marshall, Thelma Hall, and there may have been others. The school was opened in 1868 and made into a two-room school in 1880. This was one of the last schools in our area to close for lack of students. The enrollment in the year of 1913-14 was 41 students.

Another school in the area was the Victory School that had the students from the areas of Petroleum toward Goose Creek and Nutter Farm. Students from these schools went on to Cairo High School either by bus or by train.

The Country Doctor

The late Dr. E. H. Douglass, who died in 1943, left a heritage of country practice that extended for a period of over 45 years. For 40 years of this time, Dr. Douglass was a company physician for the B & O Railroad.

Dr. Douglass was born in the Petroleum community. His parents were stock of the early settlers of that area, having come from Scotland in the 1820s. They settled around Cairo and later bought much land in the area of Petroleum, where they conducted a mercantile business and engaged in farming.

"Ed" Douglass, for his formal education, was graduated from Muskingum College at New Concord, Ohio, and received his MD from New York University - Bellevue Hospital. After this he returned to his home community where he engaged in the practice of medicine until the time of his death in 1943.

This physician's early boyhood was spent on a farm on the waters of Goose Creek. The Douglass farm was located near the railroad, and it was here that he developed a great love for trains and men of that time who worked on the railroad. It was along the track that he watched the trains as they labored up the grade near his home. One incident that is related by members of his family proved his boyhood interest in the train crews.

On the Douglass farm there were apple trees with fine eating apples. Dr. Douglass, when a youngster, often gathered these apples and went to the track side where the engineers would reach from the cab and pick apples from a stick held by the lad. This went on for quite some time until his parents caught him in the act and then forbade him to carry on this dangerous practice. The parents feared that he might get too close to the train and suffer injuries.

It was about the turn of the century that Dr. Douglass was appointed a B & O company physician. He served the railroad in this capacity until his death. This was a good thing for both the company and for the young doctor. At that time there were many accidents on the railroad and it was necessary to have company doctors located strategically along the road. There was little real compensation for this connection, but free transportation for himself and, later, his family.

During this time and before the advent of the hard roads, the passenger trains--and sometimes the freights--were used to transport people to the hospitals. And in most of these cases the doctor would often, of necessity, travel with the patient to the hospital.

Too, this connection with the railroad served the doctor and his patients well. Many times a hurried call in the night came from the family of an ill person and the quickest way to the bedside would be a freight train, or even a fast train. It was a common thing for the engineers to be handed a message at another point to slow down and take Dr. Douglass on the engine and let him off near the home of the ill or injured person. In this manner, lives were saved through a kindly act of the engineers who learned to know this young doctor well. Night or day, they slowed their trains down to let the doctor get on so he could minister to his patients near the track. It was a generous gesture that brought comfort to many of the sick that were patients of Dr. "Ed."

During his practice, many injured persons were treated in railroad accidents. One particular case is recalled that took place in the fall of 1920 or 1921.

A heavy freight train was laboring up the stiff grade on Eaton Hill. This train entered the tunnel at Eatons, and shortly thereafter a terrific explosion took place, injuring the three men in the engine. The accident which occurred was a boiler explosion which came about as a result of the engineer's failing to keep sufficient water in the boiler. In this bad accident, the engineer, Tom Swiger, died before he could reach a hospital. The brakeman and fireman, although badly hurt, survived the blast.

Dr. Douglass was called, and he hurried to the scene of the accident some four miles from his home and remained with the men until they reached a hospital in Parkersburg. Mr. Swiger's burns from the escaping steam were too great, but through Dr. Douglass's efforts, the brakeman and fireman were saved. He was able to relieve the suffering of the engineer by the administration of drugs.

This was only one of the many cases where the doctor was able to assist in caring for the sick and injured. Many patients were brought to his office who needed immediate hospitalization. There was no way except the trains to move these people to hospitals. There were four "local" passengers a day, but it was often necessary to have the fast passengers stopped to place the ill or injured in the baggage car for transport to the hospitals. In every case the doctor went with the patient and administered care until the hospital was reached.

Not all of the good doctor's practice was carried on by train-riding. For many years, he rode horseback throughout the countryside to carry on his profession. In winter this was a cold and miserable way to reach the sick people who called for his aid. But many hours were spent in the saddle in rain, cold and sleet. Sometimes the hours would be so long and his only rest would be to "doze" in the saddle as the horse picked its way back home over the muddy and sometimes frozen road. But it was the life of a country physician, and it was few times that Doctor Douglass ever failed to respond to a call from the sick or injured, be the weather whatever it would.

Later, as automobiles came into being, he would use his family auto for his country calls. And this too had its pitfalls. Often, during a rainy season, the car would become mired in the mud, and a nearby farmer would have to be called with his team of horses to extricate the newfangled contraption from where it had become stuck.

Along with his treatment of the ill, Dr. Douglass gained a considerable following in obstetrics. It was not then possible to move an imminent mother to the hospital for the birth of her child. Most of the children in that day were born in the parental home. And through the practice of this, Douglass became a well-known obstetrician dealing capably with every kind of emergency, and there were many during that period, while bringing children into the world. It is estimated by the records still in the family possession that he brought as many as fifteen hundred children into the world in his years of practice.

This doctor and railroad physician had no thought of retirement as he reached the age when men, today, retire. Although in ill health for some time before his death, he would still see patients in his office. This was during war-time (1943), and many of the younger doctors had gone into the service. Dr. Douglass still carried on and gave of his fading energy to the people who sought his medical care, at the age of 76 years.

About the last case that is recalled by his family occurred when a young soldier became ill upon a troop train which was to pass through the village. Word was sent ahead and Dr. Douglass, although almost too weak to go, went to the train and diagnosed that the young man was suffering from acute appendicitis. The soldier was removed from the train in Clarksburg and underwent surgery.

It was a short time after that that Dr. Douglass' health failed. He was removed to the hospital in Parkersburg, where, a few days later, he died. His death brought to an end a lifetime of service to his community and to mankind. And so it ended as Doris Larsen wrote in her poem, "Our Legacy":

And so it is with words and deed...
Though the writers and doers depart,
The thoughts they pen and their acts performed
Live on in the human heart.

(This writing would not be complete without the mention of this good doctor who touched so many of our lives through the years. I am very grateful to Virginia Douglass Pepper who shared this article with us. It is taken from the book "Ritin’ and Railin’", written by her late husband, A. Brooks Pepper.)

Names of the people who were in some way associated with Dry Ridge as recalled by Ralph and Carroll Dinnin. Thanks--this brings back many memories when we see these names.

Family Records

This family began in Ritchie County through George W. Amos (1833-1913) and his wife Caroline Swisher Amos (1827-1913). In the year of 1860, he moved to the Cisco area. In later years, Richard and Lucille Amos lived in this area. A son, Clifton, was born in 1911, and there was a daughter, Susan, who died in 1942. This family visited on Buffalo Run in 1951. It was perhaps their last visit to their former home.

It is also remembered that a Mrs. Amos and her children, a son and a daughter, came to the Dry Ridge area and lived in the house that was later purchased by U. D. Cox. Her husband had been a doctor in the Pittsburgh vicinity and died. She came with her two children and they attended school at Dry Ridge for a time. She did not live here long, evidently life with the two children in such a rural area was too much stress for her.

Tom Backus married Hulda Tennant and lived at Cisco for several years. They had one daughter, Bernice, who married Willie Frazier. Tom died in 1949; Hulda, born in 1877, died in 1963; Willie died in 1968. They are buried at the Knights of Pythias Cemetery.

Tom married Julia Geer Badgett and lived in the Cisco and Buffalo Run area. He was a farmer. They had one son, Brady, who married Myrtle Sellers. Brady worked in the timber and mercantile business. They live in the Walker area where their son, Tom, has the store. Their other son, Larry, died in 1949, as a baby. Tom died in 1943 and Julia died in November 1950 during the big snow. Her funeral was delayed for several days because of the road conditions.

Born about 1864, son of Mary Whiteman Bell, who was born in 1844. They lived in the Dry Ridge area. John's father died during the Civil War, a short time before John was born. John and his mother lived with the Whiteman family. Their house burned, and John and his mother moved to a house he had built on Fox Run. He lived here until he could no longer take care of himself in the late 1930s.

Mary was found dead from drowning in a hole of water near the house. He received money from his father and worked some in the timber business around Pickens, West Virginia. He will be remembered for his soft-spoken way and the red handkerchief he wore around his neck until the day he left to go to the nursing facility. He lies buried in the Harrisville Cemetery.

Merrill Bell and Daisy Wyers Bell McFee moved to Dry Ridge from Elizabeth. The children attended Dry Ridge School and lived in the area for a number of years. Their children were: Amos Bell (1918-1975) married Edith E. McHenry, who died in 1972 while living at Petroleum. Roger lives in Minnesota; Julia married George Varner and lives near Cairo; Lavonne Sines lives in the Parkersburg area; and Annie Amith lives near Petroleum.

B. F. Bennett and Estella Morgan Bennett lived in the Gillespie-Racy area. There were six children, some whom married and lived on in the area:

Ocie (1896-1983) married Creed Cain (deceased) and lived her married life near Rusk.

Ezekiel and Marcella Braden lived nearby to W. D. Braden. They had a large family; their children were: Sarah E., born in 1860; George W., born in 1864; Jesse C., born in 1867; William B., born in 1869; Martha, born in 1871; Julia, born in 1873; and Cora B., born in 1878. Ezekiel was born in 1828 and his wife born in 1841. They were in the area around 1900 and the children attended school on Dry Ridge.

Charlie (1888-1978) and Gertrude Conley Burk lived in the Petroleum area for many years. Charlie was an oil field worker. He was the son of Martin Burk of the area. Gertrude died in 1957. They were parents of five children: Martin F., James Edward, Joseph, Charles and Kathleen Kazemer.

Robert and Rebecca West Burk lived in the Petroleum area. They were parents of three daughters: Evelyn Burk (1905-1981), Helen Shohan and Elizabeth Guinn.

Floyd Ballangee married Lou S. Putnam, daughter of Charles and Agnes Putnam of Buffalo Run. They lived most of their life in the Freeport area. She was born about 1870 in Virginia and died July 1968. They were parents of four children: Elton, who married Edith Farnsworth; Hubert, who married June Fultz; Lillian, who married Frank Fought; and Isabelle, who married Cecil Foutty. Elton died in 1978 and Hubert died in 1970. The two daughters live in the Newark area. This family lived for many years across the iron bridge at Freeport, coming to the area in 1913 from Ohio. Floyd died in 1951. Elton married Edith Farnsworth and lived for some time on Buffalo Run. Their son, Harold Elton, was born December 25, 1936.

Wilbert and I lived on the George Stage farm approximately one mile from the Fairview school on Buffalo Run from 1937 to 1942. I remember how the road came down the hill on the left side of the house, along the front, then turned to the right, thus going on three sides of the house. We have fond memories of our first home. Two of our three children were born here, Evelyn and Leonard.

Our living came from Wilbert working a large span of mules in the Petroleum, Tate Hill and Dry Ridge area. This included the oil fields, logging to the sawmill and hauling pulpwood. We did some farming. We had a few chickens and pigs. Ruby wanted to have a few duck eggs hatched out since we were near the water. We had three little yellow fluffy ducklings. We do not remember what happened to two of them but we found one floating in the creek with its head cut off. We thought a turtle was responsible for that. We were sad. Mr. Stage wrote from Oklahoma and asked us to send him a ham. We shipped it to him and received five dollars, which paid a month's rent.

After midnight one night, we were awakened by a car horn blowing. They wanted a place to stay for the night. My brother-in-law changed his voice so I would not recognize him. Wilbert kept trying to send them on down the road. They had a good laugh out of that.

When we had the old wall phones, the line was fixed on the outside of the house so it could be unhooked during an electrical storm. Wilbert was awakened in the night during a really bad storm. He went out onto the porch, unhooked the line and threw it. Just as it touched the ground, a big ball of fire came from it.

We attended church services at the Fairview schoolhouse. Rev. Clifford Phillips was our pastor. He and Lucille are counted among our best friends today. We remember one night during services, he was preaching and our only light, a gasoline lantern, was getting more dim by the minute. It was like a kerosene lamp about to burn out for lack of oil. He was preaching hard and threw his arms up. He struck the lantern and all at once it came on bright and stayed that way for the rest of the service. Ruby nearly cracked up, but Clifford was so serious, she wanted to hide under the seat.

Several years after moving from there, we went back with the children. It was sad to see the roof falling in and the briers and weeds growing through the windows.

We moved to a house near Nutter Farm from Buffalo Run; our youngest son, Orville, was born here. We now live near Parkersburg. We have eight grandchildren. Evelyn married Ronald Hendricks and lives in Georgia. They have four children: Fred, Stefan, Alisa and Kristina. Leonard married Judith Taylor and lives near Parkersburg. They have two children: Eric and Brenda; Orville married Laura Floe Surface and lives near Pittsburgh. They have two children: Sherri and Amy.

Arthur and Zora lived in the area for a few years, moving to Parkersburg. They are parents of three children. Arthur died in 1982 and Zora still lives near Parkersburg. Their daughter Eleanor married Partick Iannilli and lives in South Carolina; Arthur L. (Bud) married Jean Harvey; the other son, Merlin, is deceased. He was born in 1938 and was killed in 1982 while living in Texas.

Sam Booth (1834-1899) married Peridillia Haught (1838-1914) and lived in the Freeport area. He raised a large family, including Jo, who married Mable Cox; Rosa married a Mr. Nelson; and Mary Ann married Arch W. Swisher, and they settled in the Rusk area. Others of this family were: John W., Hulda J., James S., Amanda, William S., Frances A., Lilly C., Effie R., and there may be others. Several members of the family are buried at the Freeport Cemetery.

John (1885-1983), son of John and Mary Williams Border, was married to Isabelle Jane Middleton (1899-1968). She was the daughter of William and Fannie Lewis Middleton. He was a farmer in the Cisco and Oxbow area. They were parents of two children: Willis married Helen Louise Hill and had two children: Larry, who lives in Parkersburg; and a daughter, Charlene, who died in 1965 at the age of 10 years. John and Isabelle's other son, Lloyd, lives in the Parkersburg area.

Mary is a descendant of the Williams family who were early settlers on Buffalo Run.

Lived in Cairo and was the constable for many years for Grant District. He was a frequent visitor to the area.

Mr. Braden and his wife, Mary Elizabeth, lived on Dry Ridge in the house later occupied by Edward Nutter. They had two children: Chauncy, born in 1891, married Irene Wyatt. A daughter, Elizabeth was born in 1898. Records are lacking where members of this family are living at present. Records show that Mary Elizabeth was born in 1846 and died in 1926. Bill worked in the timber business.

Charles (Chuck) was born in 1906 and married Addie Wilson from Ellis Run. They lived in the Dry Ridge area until 1963 when they moved to Parkersburg. Chuck worked for Union Carbide Company and drove the school bus. After several years of severe illness, he died in June 1979. They were parents of three children: John, Lavonne and Donald.

John married Carolyn Layfield and lives at Petroleum. They have four chldren: Johnnie Lee married Elaine Harris and has two children; Jimmie Lee and Bobby Ray who live at home; and Jackie Carol, who married John Boone and lives on Mellin Ridge. The grandchildren are Amanda Lee and Christiana.

Lavonne married Robert Jenkins of Cairo and had three children: Linda Darlene, Paul David and Kitty Loraine. Linda married Dwayne Sinnett and has two children; Paul David married Norma Clark and has two children; Kitty Lorraine married Rodney Mullen and has one child. Lavonne's grandchildren are: Felicia, Joshua, Missy, Laura Beth and Joni Lorraine. Donald Woodrow married Patty Bell and they are parents of two children, Tabatha Zahn and Darchelle Lynn. They live on Stillwell Road. Addie makes her home with her daughter, Lavonne, on Kites Run, Walker. Lavonne has remarried to Raymond Pell Kendall.

Owned the peach orchard on the ridge near the Dinnin place. He told the younger ones in the neighborhood he had a shotgun that would shoot one thousand yards and then the shot would raise--not fall down. He sure had his way with kids and eliminated having to run them out of his orchard.

Paul was the son of Rev. Ed Black and lived at the Morgan Hotel in Freeport. Paul had a sister, Maymie. Both are deceased.

Joe (1884-1967) was the son of Sam and Peridilla Booth. He married Mabel Cox who was the daughter of Ulysses and Martha Cox from Goose Creek. The Booth family lived in the Freeport and Goose Creek area until later in life; their health failed, and they moved closer to their daughters. They were the parents of three daughters: Opal married Dyke Howard (1905-1977). She lives in Vienna. Ethel (1912-1976) married Roland Leep (1910-1978), and they had one son, Loren. Virginia, the youngest daughter, lives in Parkersburg. Joe and Mabel are buried at the Evergreen Cemetery.

The Bostons are English and Scottish descendants. Burkes General Armory describes the coat of arms. Henry arrived in Northhampton,Virginia in 1643, under the sponsorship of Mr. Obedience Robins.

John L. Boston was born in Washington County, Ohio, and Mary Ann Miracle was also born in Washington County. My grandfather served in the Civil War, 1861 to 1863, under the Ohio Voluntary Infantry. They came to West Virginia to Pleasants County near 1878. In 1898 they purchased approximately 50 acres on Dry Ridge, near Petroleum, Ritchie County. They were parents of six children: William (1872-1960) married Clara Tennant; Walter (1885-1967) married Lucy Reynolds; Vernon married Malinda Belle Carpenter; Hattie married Presley Metz and Bertie married Andrew Waller.

My parents, Leonard Vernon Boston and Malinda Belle Carpenter Boston, moved to a small house on this farm. Dad was employed in the oil fields in Volcano. There were eight children in our family. On Sunday afternoons we sometimes entertained ourselves by gathering around the organ, singing with relatives and friends. Dad died in March 1954, and my mother died in 1959.

Arthur, the oldest, married Zora Deems and had three children. He lived in Parkersburg at the time of his death in 1982.

Edna married Joe Trembly; they live in the Parkersburg area and have four children: Ivan, Virginia, Wanda Lee and David.

Wilbert married Ruby Trembly and lives in the Parkersburg area. They are parents of three children.

Raymond married Isabelle Rutherford (1920-1952). They were parents of four children: Patricia, Loretta, Robert and John. Raymond later re-married to Mildred Cunningham and lives in the Parkersburg area.

Dorse married Juanita Houchin; they live in the Walker area and are parents of one son, James.

Ruth (1922-1974) married Arnold Rutherford, who died September 1982. They had three children: Pearl, Roy and Charles.

Roy C., staff sgt. serving in World War II, was killed in Luxemburg, Germany, in February, 1945. Roy was a squad leader, holder of the Purple Heart and Good Conduct Medal. He was born July 8, 1924, and is buried in a soldiers' cemetery in Luxemburg.

We attended the Fairview School. I remember a man by the name of Mr. Rose coming to our school and entertaining the children by playing three musical instruments at one time: French harp, drum and accordion. We also attended church in the same building. We children all found employment in or near Parkersburg and reared our families here. Descendants of Vern and Belle Boston present in 1984 number approximately 160

Married Clara Tennant on Christmas Day, 1898. She was the daughter of Adam and Harriet Tennant and lived on Buffalo Run. They attended school at Fairview. Bill and Clara shared 57 years of life together and were the parents of eight children:

Carl (1919-1979) married Martha Turner, was living in Texas when he died. Martha died in 1971.

Ada, born in 1909, married Preston Sims, who died in 1945. She married Hershel Lanham, also deceased, and is now married to Frank Nagy and lives in Parkersburg.

Wilma married Woodrow Davis and lives at Petroleum. The children attended school at Fairview and Petroleum.

Allen Beckner (1834-1921) married Martha Jane Holmes Beckner (1842-1928). They lived at Cisco and built the old log house which many of us remember standing up from the mouth of Buffalo Run. This was their first home, and they later moved to the house at Cisco that is standing today. They were parents of four boys, James P., born in 1855; Henry M., born in 1861; David L., born in 1867; Charles A., born in 1869; and one daughter, Oceana.

Charles Andrew was born at Cisco and married Sarah Mason, born in 1871. They lived on the road from Petroleum to Cisco Road in a house that Charlie built for his family. The house still stands today, occupied by Mrs. Criss and her son. He was a farmer and worked for several years for the State Road in Ritchie County. The weather was never too cold, or the creeks too high, for this couple to go and lend assistance in sickness or death. Sarah died at the farm home in 1947. Charlie moved to Parkersburg, lived for several years and died in March 1961. To this couple two children were born:

Grace (1896-1980) married Harley Thomas (1897-1961). They were married in March 1920. They lived most of their married life in Parkersburg and had three daughters: Helen married Robert Sandy; Mable married Bernard Matheny; and Betty married Gene Lincicome who is deceased. All three girls live in Parkersburg.

George (1902-1929) married Ellen Lewis and lived most of his life in and around Parkersburg. To this union three children were born: Charles, Denver and Patricia.

Jim, as he was called by everyone, lived with his wife, Janie, at Cisco. They never had children. Janie had a son by a former marriage who died young. Stoke, her son, married Iva Brown and had one daughter, Lorraine, who lived at the home of her grandparents. Mr. Beckner made a home for both his granddaughter and daughter-in-law as well as a lady by the name of Cora Weaver, and a man, Joe Landis. He owned several acres of land and was in the timber and cattle business. Mrs. Beckner was born in 1851 and died in 1926; Jim died in 1934. Both are buried in the Beckner Cemetery at Cisco. The house they lived in for so many years still stands today. A nephew, Cummins Beckner, who made his home with them, later purchased the farm and lived there with his family for several years.

Henry M. Beckner married Catherine Valentine (1863-1932) and had four children. Catherine died when the children were small. Their children were Carl, Effie, Vivian and Cummins, who came to live with his uncle after his mother died.

Cummins married Bess Scott, a school teacher, and lived in the Beckner homestead until moving to Parkersburg in later years. His wife, Bess, still lives in Parkersburg. They had three children: James, Carl Scott, and Jane Alice. Cummins died in April 1980; was born September 1886.

David L. Beckner married Catherine Cain Beckner. They were known to their neighbors as D. L. and Kate. They lived on the Cairo-Cisco Road for many years. The house still stands today along the river bank. Kate was the daughter of Elias and Rachel Deem Cain of the Rusk area. To this union there were eleven children born: Ralph, born in 1890; Ray, born in 1895; Grant, born in 1898; Lou Allen, born in 1901; James, born in 1904; Thomas, born in 1906; Frank; Harry; Martha; Nellie, died in 1898; an infant; and Herman died in 1911, at the age of one year.

Ralph, the eldest son, married Della Law in 1917. They had two children, Lura Lee Moomau of Petersburg and David who died in 1979 at the age of 50 years. Ralph died in 1969 and his wife, Della, in 1954.

Grant married Ruth Depue (1900-1965) and they had one son, Gerald, in Missouri and two daughters, Alice Renker and Beulah Casto. Grant died in 1976.

Lou Allen (John) married and lived in Ohio. He died in 1981, but his wife, Grace, still lives there. They were parents of two sons, Jack and Lee A.

James B. married Grace Swain and lived in Michigan; Grace died in 1945 and James in October 1982. Their two daughters are Mary Louise Blanco and Sheila.

Thomas married Helen Nutter and lived at the home place for many years. They now live on Route 47 near the Newark Road. They were parents of five children: Paul, Howard, Delbert, Douglass and Mary Adams.

Frank married Dollie Maze. Dollie is deceased and Frank lives in Ohio. They had two children: Katie Cloud and Jo Ann Letty.

Harry lives in Arizona. His wife Mary is deceased. They have two sons: David of Pennsylvania and Robert of Illinois.

David married Mary Hornish after the death of Kate, and they had one daughter, Marjorie. Marjorie married Wayne Shields and died April 1940 along with her infant son, David Lynn. Mary--or Molly, as she was often called--died in 1968. Several members of the family are buried at the Beckner Cemetery. David died in 1942, Kate in 1917.

The Cain family can be traced to the earliest settlers of the Rusk and Freeport area. Several members of the family also lived in Wirt county. It is believed all the families by the name of Cain are related. The name has remained unchanged in spelling since the earliest immigrants came over several hundred years ago.

Creed was born in 1887, the son of James T. and Emma Bond Cain. He married Osie Bennett (1896-1983), the daughter of B. F. and Estella Morgan Bennett. He worked as a carpenter and in the oil fields. They lived across Hughes River near Rusk. Creed died in 1979. They were the parents of one son, Kensil, who lives in Vienna.

Jeff was married to Lizzie Brown, who died in 1945. They lived across the Hughes River in the Rusk area. The house is still standing and occupied by the Ivan Banks family. Ivan, his wife, and two children live here. Jeff died in 1944.

Siotha Cain (1842-1918) was the son of Jesse (1812-1898) and Margaret Nutter Cain (1814-1900). He married Lucinda Dulaney and lived in the Rusk and Gillespie vicinity. There were four children in the family: Laura Sickles, born in 1868; Turner, born in 1879, married Lillie Cline. Clara (1873-1963) married William Cline, who died in 1936, while living in Parkersburg. Alice (1880-1954) married Fremont Jackson, who was killed in 1943. This couple were life-long residents of the Rusk area.

Elias (1838-1913) was the son of Jesse and Margaret Nutter Cain. He married Rachel Deem, born in 1850. They lived in the Rusk area and had a family of eight children:

Lucy Ellen (1879-1974) married Ellsworth Douglass, who died in 1944. He was a merchant from Gillespie Run. She later married a Mr. Kelly and was living in Parkersburg when she died.

William James (1871-1962) married Stella Law, and they were parents of one son, Paul, who died in 1978 at the age of 78 years. He later married Bertie Higgins (1870-1901).

"Bus" was raised in the home of Bob Cain on Cabin Run. He married Edna Deems, daughter of Ben and Ethel Joy Deems. They were parents to nine children: Glen F. (1938-1983); Donald E., David L.; Jeffery E.; Richard; Margie Codwell; Twilla Enoch; Linda Price and Jennifer Bullard. Bus and Edna moved from Parkersburg to Newark, Ohio, near some of their children. They lived in the Petroleum area for several years.

Thomas and Oceana Beckner were married November 3, 1897, by Rev. John Hickel, an M. P. minister. They had two daughters, Bethel Chloe, born August 14, 1900; and Frances Bertha Willard, born May 30, 1902. They lived on Buffalo Run in a house built by James P. Beckner. Tom Cain died in 1905 and Oceana married Amos Witcraft in 1913. She died while living in Parkersburg, February 23, 1959.

Bethel Cain married Dewey Moyers of Harrisville, July 12, 1919; to this union were born nine children: Winifred, Maxine, Regina, Herman, Thomas, Robert, Bernard, Carl and Richard. Thomas and Bernard died in infancy. Bethel died June 5, 1969, at her home in Warren, Ohio.

Frances Cain married Warden Ritenour of Little Hocking, Ohio, October 27, 1928. Warden died December 9, 1937, in Detroit, Michigan, in an accident at work from a fall. Frances later married Ed. F. Sells, of Athens, Ohio, on April 24, 1954. Ed died April 15, 1956. I now live in Parkersburg.

These brothers were two of the earliest--if not the first--settlers on what is now Dry Ridge and Buffalo Run. They came here around 1815 or even before.

Joe (1891-1967) married Mary Elizabeth Nutter (1892-1984). They lived in the Freeport area. Joe was a school teacher, and they were the parents of two children: Paul and Gwendolyn Salyers. This couple is buried in the Freeport Cemetery that was their home for so many years. Records show that Joe taught at Freeport and Dry Ridge.

Lived in the Freeport area. He is now deceased but was the son of Charles Cain, who died this year at the age of over 100 years. He had brothers, Virgil, Rom and Robert.

Mr. Cuthbert was a cattle buyer in the area. He lived on Laurel Fork and is remembered as riding a horse he called Sealem that had cattle ropes tied on the saddle. Mr. Cuthbert always wore a black hat. Children in the Goose Creek area had a fear of him, being sent along with his load of cattle to Baltimore. Markers at the Petroleum Cemetery reveal that he was born in 1844 and died in 1915. His wife died at a very young age, according to the marker: Clara Gilman Cuthbert, born in 1850, died in 1878. A daughter, Jessie, died in 1900 at the age of 23 years.

Gerald Cox tells of his experience with Mr. Cuthbert when he was just a small boy. He, being one of the younger of the boys, was the target of their pranks more than once. All the Cox kids were swimming in Goose Creek in their birthday suits, which was not out of the ordinary for them. Their clothes were in a pile on the creek bank. One of the older boys yelled, "Here comes Ralph Cuthbert on Sealem." Gerald came out of the water and ran for the house leaving his clothes lay on the creek bank. They were the least of his worries at that particular time. Gerald was born in 1900, so this gives you an idea about when this incident occurred.

No record is found where Joseph lived. He was born in 1875 and died in 1932. On November 12, 1908, he married Mary Ann Dean of Freeport. Mary Ann was born in 1870, died in 1949. They moved to Harrisville, West Virginia.

Rufus E. and Elizabeth Caldwell Cox (1828-1917) moved to the Goose Creek area sometime after the Civil War. They lived on the Hosier Foutty farm and bought property farther up Goose Creek and lived here until 1918. Rufus (1822-1905) moved to the area from Morgantown. There were several in this family: Jennie, who lived at Petroleum for several years; William U. married Martha Sharpnack, taught school in the Freeport vicinity, and later moved to Cairo, married the second time to Katie Weber; Sarah, who was born in 1861 and lived only about 4 months; Will (1855-1933); Ulysses, born in 1862, married Martha Howell and later married Mary Jane Sims. Martha died in 1890, Mary Jane in 1970, and Ulysses in 1934. Rufus and Elizabeth are buried at the Mt. Olive Cemetery along with Elizabeth's sister, Matilda Caldwell, who always made her home with the family.

Liss, as he was known to his family and friends, lived in the family home on Goose Creek until 1918, when he bought 93 acres on Dry Ridge. He said he got tired of the water ruining his crops each year. Seems as if when he bought on the hill he was sure the water would not bother him any longer. This farm was part of the W. H. Bickel holdings and was purchased from Charles Haymond who moved to Florida. Liss married one of the neighbor girls, Martha Howell, born in 1866. They had three children, Nora, Mable and Dudley. Martha died the day Dudley was born, March 1890. Liss remarried, to Mary Jane Sims (born in 1874), the daughter of James Henry and Mary Cronin Sims. To this union there were six children born:

Nora (1885-1972) married Arza Stewart from Pennsboro. Arza was killed about 1919 in a tragic oil well accident. Nora spent her last years in Parkersburg.

Dudley E. (1890-1960) married Anna Lemons from Freeport and lived around Walker. Their children are: Dorothy, Emma Louise, Esther Bernadine, Mary, Anna Pauline, John Calvin, Opie Lee and Dudley Evans. Ann died in 1973.

William U. (1897-1975) married Emma Spears, later married and lived in Youngstown, Ohio, at the time of his death. His wife, Mary, lives in Ohio.

Fred E. (1898-1969) married Lura Fortney from the Eatons area, and lived in Parkersburg. They had two sons, Clyde (died in 1983) and Clarence, who lives in Parkersburg.

Russell B., born in 1899, married Bernice Tennant, and lived in Buffalo and Dry Ridge area.

Gerald D. (born in 1900) married Cecelia Baily from St. Marys and lives in Pennsylvania. His wife has been in a wheelchair for about twenty years. They have three children: Lee David, Russell and Lois Brubaker.

Ernest (1905-1953) served in the Navy; he retired and was living in California at the time of his death.

When the family moved to Dry Ridge, Fred, Russell, Gerald and Hazel were at home. He farmed and is remembered as raising game chickens. When his son Russell moved to the farm in 1929, Liss built him a small house on the side of the farm toward Dry Ridge and lived there the rest of his days. He and his first wife, Martha, are buried at Dry Ridge.

Russell moved to the Dry Ridge area about 1918. Born in 1899, he married Bernice Tennant, also born in 1899, the daughter of Simon and Lucy Tennant from Buffalo Run. Bernice taught school in the area. They went to housekeeping on Rice Run, being married May 1921. To this union there were six daughters born. The children attended Dry Ridge School, and Cairo High School, and the family attended the Buffalo Methodist Church. The children are as follows:

Loraine, born in 1922, married David H. Metz, born on Cabin Run. They were married in 1946, after David returned from the service. They had three children: Patricia married James Hardin; Lee married Deborah Bauerbach; and Paul Alan. Loraine remarried after David's death in 1980, to Howard Trembly, and they live in Parkersburg.

Maxine, born in 1924, married William Law of Parkersburg. She and Bill have two sons, Craig and Alan; the family lives in Florida--one grandson, Jason.

Opal, born in 1926, married Frank L. Spiker, the son of a former minister in the Petroleum area, Rev. Frank L. Spiker. They have six children: Patsy, Russell L., Merrianna Cox, Janie Davis, Susan Sesco and Lisa Davis. They live in Williamson and have 11 grandchildren.

Betty Jean, born in 1929, married Robert Garrison and they had five children: Carol Cline, Gary, Diana Reed, Linda Braughman and Pamela Riel. Betty has remarried to Guy W. (Tom) Lowther and lives at Cairo. She has six grandchildren.

Bernadine, born in 1931, lives in Pennsylvania. She has five children: Carolyn Sue, Vickie, Jeanie, Steven and Paula--four grandchildren.

The school closed in 1942 and the family moved to Parkersburg, selling the farm to Harold Nelson. He in turn sold it to Westvaco. Bernice along with her other family members is buried at the Dry Ridge Cemetery. Not having any brothers put us girls in the corn field, garden, potato patch and the hay field. It was all a part of life then, but I'm not sure that I would want to live it over again.

Russell remarried to Susie Cronin and lived at Rusk until her death in 1973. He married the third time to Pearl Harper. He made his home at the Willows Nursing Home, and passed away October 26, 1984.

We had many good times, growing up on the farm. We were poor, but did not realize it and were a happy family of kids.

Arthur and his wife, Henrietta Cunningham Criss, and family moved from the Big Island Run area of Wirt County to the Charlie Beckner farm on Petroleum Road in 1948. The children attended school at Rusk, Petroleum and Cairo. There were seven children:

My grandfather, born Daniel Marion Sharpnack, July 30, 1845 in Wetzel County, Pennsylvania, died March 29, 1914. He married Ella Reitz, born January 15, 1844 in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, died September 11, 1919. They were married December 5, 1867 and had three children, one of which was my mother, Rachel Lydia Sharpnack, born March 23, 1870 at Petroleum; died January 1, 1955. She married Sidney Riley Curry, and they had four children.

Ruth, born April 14, 1905, at Taitt Hill, married Ralph K. Sears (1905-1982). They had no children.

Daniel Sharpnack, born September 7, 1907, at Taitt Hill, married Hildren Stinespring. They had two children: Daniel Wayne, born in 1949; and Paul Robert, born in 1951. Daniel died April 21, 1958.

Paul Reitz, born September 29, 1909, at Taitt Hill, married first time Marie Stutler Turner; second marriage, to Marguerite Cale. He had no children. Paul died July 11, 1981.

Mary Louise, born August 22, 1911, at Taitt Hill, married Richard S. Skaggs. They were married May 1939. They had one daughter, born December 1947, at Marlinton. Mary died December 23, 1972. She was teaching her 37th year of school when she died.

My Dad, Sidney Riley Curry, was the son of H. B. Curry and Mary Riley. He had five sisters: Ella, Cora, Bell Addie and Elizabeth. I believe they were most all teachers, but all are deceased. He worked in the oil fields. Dad died January 20, 1956.

I have been told that my great uncle, Lew Reitz, had the first store in Petroleum. Grandad Sharpnack was a telegraph operator and so was my mother. I do not know about the name of Grandad's home, but it was a beautiful home--first bath room, running water in the house furnished by a gas engine for power. I think too, they had the first sewing machine. I left Petroleum in 1925, but hope this helps you some.

George and his wife, Mary Florence Kerns Cunninham, lived for many years in the Cisco area. The children went to the Nelson and Flint Run School and the Buffalo Methodist Church. He came to the area from Gilmer County where he was born. There were seven children: Fred (Buck), Carl, Orval, Bernard, Ray, Mary Elizabeth Butcher and Grace Marshall. The children are all living except Mary, who died in March 1984. Orval is a minister living in the Kanawha area; Grace lives in the Petroleum area. Both parents have been dead for a number of years.

My father came from Butler, Pennsylvania, to work in the oil fields. His first wife died when his son, Wiley, was five years old. He had married Emza Smith of Doddridge County when he worked in the Sistersville oil field. Besides Wiley, their children were: Thomas, Annie, Margaret, Finley and Smith. In 1910, they bought the Frank Sharpnack farm and moved from the California House to the old William Sharpnack house, where they lived until 1960. This house was built about 1870. Alvin died in 1951 at the age of 91 years. Emza died in 1964 at the age of 88 years. When Frank sold to the Daubenspecks, he moved to the farm adjoining Anthony's that might have been the John Sharpnack place. Frank's wife was Laura Hewitt, who came from Ellis Run.

Margaret married William Booher, lived in Charleston and taught school for many years. She died in 1983.

Woodie was born June 13, 1924, in West Union, son of Clifford and Grace Putnam Davis. He was one of 11 children. His father died when he was 13 years old. His mother and family moved to Buffalo Run in 1937. He and two of his sisters attended school at Dry Ridge. He was inducted into the Army in the second World War at the age of 18. He served 32 months, 23 of these were in the South Pacific. He was discharged January 21, 1946. He married Wilma Boston in 1946. Wilma was born at Petroleum November 20, 1927, the daughter of William and Clara Tennant Boston. She attended Petroleum school for eight years and graduated from Cairo High School on May 31, 1945. Woodie and I have three daughters:

Our daughters attended school at Petroleum and Cairo. Woodie was employed at Union Carbide at Marietta for 30 years, retiring in December 1981. We still live at Petroleum in sight of my parents' homeplace.

Walter and Attie Davis lived in the Petroleum area. They were parents of the following children: Addie E. (1909-1960) married Lester Tippins; Enid Adams; Thelma Sargent; Claude A. Dotson.

Walter remarried and had three children by this union: Vada Morehead, Hazel Smith and Floyd Dotson.

Mable (1899-1984) was the daughter of Eliza Daily and Lukas Weekley. She lived in Volcano several years ago but more recently lived in the Marietta area.

This family came to the Freeport area in the early days. Floyd was the son of Hosier and Elzada Pribble Darnell. He operated the mill and was a partner of Hiram Butcher Pribble for many years. Floyd, born in 1858, married Rosa Parsons, born in 1862. They were the parents of five children: Frank Leslie (1897-1898); Bernard Parsons (1908-1915); Ethel (1895-1937); Noma (1890-1962); Agnes (1899-1964).

The family lived all their life in the Freeport community and took an active part in all events. All three girls are remembered for singing and musical ability. They played the organ and sang at many functions in the community. The family home is still standing on the river bank in the little hamlet of Freeport. Traces of the old mill are still there, fond memories of bygone days.

Three counties -- Wirt, Wood and Ritchie -- corner on property located on the left hand fork of Goose Creek where Adam Deem settled on a 3000-acre tract sometime before 1800. He and his brother Jacob were sons of John Deem of Fayette County, Pennsylvania. Jacob settled on Tygart Creek, was accompanied here by James Fought, son of Phillip from Pennsylvania, after the Revolution. Adam enlisted in the Continental Army in 1777, and served under Captain Stokley.

He is known as the pioneer of Freeport or Goose Creek. He came to Freeport at an early age and settled at what is known as "Deem Homestead" near the mouth of Goose Creek. He died in 1861 at the age of 104 years. He is buried on his farm along with his wife, Catherine. They were parents of twelve children: seven sons -- Adam Jr., Phillip, Jacob, John, James, David and Isaac; two of the daughters were Mary, who married William Foutty, and Catherine, who married John Foutty. Both girls married in 1816 to these two brothers, sons of George Foutty.

Adam Jr. married his cousin, Hannah Deem, and lived in the Freeport area for several years and moved to Ohio, where both are buried. The children of this couple were Abraham, John, Adam III, Isaac, Philip, Jacob, Margaret, Charlotte, Melissa and Elizabeth.

Phillip married Rachel Kidwiler, came to the county in 1810, and settled on the river not far from Rusk. They are both buried on the Dotson farm at Rusk. Their children were Perry, James, Adam, Elizabeth, Rachel, Catherine, Hannah, Roena, Mary and Cinderilla.

James lived at Freeport and is buried in the Freeport Cemetery. His wife Rachel Sargent Deems moved West after his death.

Isaac, another son, married Nancy Enoch and established a home on Goose Creek. He and Nancy had ten sons and three daughters: Abraham, Calvin, Commodore, John M., Jeremiah, Matthew, Isaac and triplets that died as infants: Margaret, Mary and Sarah.

John, another son, married early in life, lived all his life at Freeport, had three sons, David, John and Jehu, two daughters, Rachel Black and Elizabeth Braden. All their children but David remained in the Freeport area. He went West at an early age.

With this large family settling in the area, we little wonder at so many landmarks bearing the name of Deem. Deems Ford was an important factor in the development of Freeport and the successful operation of the California House.

Ben, as everyone called him, was the youngest son of Isaiah and Harriett Nutter Deems. He was born in 1882 and died in 1973. Ben married Ethel Charlotte Joy on January 17, 1915. Ethel was born in 1897, the daughter of George and Ollie Shahan Joy. They lived on Goose Creek for many years and all of their children were born here. They attended the Cox School. They were parents of 15 children:

Garnet Deloris, born in 1916, married Joseph E. Wilson (1912-1973) and they had two boys, Robert F. and Larry W. Garnett is now married to George H. Wilson.

Anna Edna, born in 1917, is married to Wilbur Brown (Bus) Cain. Their children are Margie, Glenn, Twilla, Donald, Linda, David, Richard, Jeffery and Jennifer. Edna and Bus live in Newark, Ohio.

Dorothy Lanada, born in 1918, married Howard Santee (1914-1967). They have five children: Kenneth, Nancy Lee, Garry Allen, Carolyn Sue and James Edward.

Stella Virginia (1920-1980) married Ralph Deem and had twin boys, Denver and Densil.

Bessie Lenore (1922-1980) married Donald Neff and had three children: Gerald, Donald Jr., and Roger who died as an infant.

Mary Louise, born in 1924, married Gerald Whitecotton and has two children, Sharon and Pamela.

Beulah, born in 1926, married William Richards, now deceased. They never had children.

Myrtle Gay, born in 1928, married Harry Eugene Wenmoth and has two children, Victoria and Douglass.

Evelyn, born in 1930, married Bernie Ruble (deceased) and they had one son, Randy. She is now married to Carl Stout and has one daughter, Susan.

Rosalie, born in 1932, married Robert Williams and has two daughters, Peggy and Debra. Elizabeth Nell, born in 1935, married Larry Corvin and has four children: Beck, Kathy, Hidei and Tyson.

Benjamin Franklin, Jr. (1937-1959) married Betty McAtee and had one daughter, Kimberly.

William Edward, born in 1938, married Lynda Hendershot and has one daughter, Melissa. Charlotte Jane, born in 1941, died in infancy.

Ben was a hard-working man, working on the farm to raise his family. He is buried in the family cemetery at Eatons. He and Ethel lived in Vienna for several years before his death; Ethel still lives there.

Elliott (1890-1957) lived all his life on Goose Creek. He was the son of John (1845-1921) and Mary Deem (1851-1926). Elliott married Nora Ellen Joy, born in 1895. To this union there were eight children born; Nora still resides in Parkersburg.

Mable, born in 1914, married Charles Rollyson who died in 1983. They were parents of five children: Janet McCullough, Melvin married Donna Applegate; Bonnie married Dale Fore; Sharon married Paul Morehead and Frena married Calvin Morehead.

Roy Franklin, born in 1918, was killed April 1978 while working at the power plant at Willow Island. He married Sarah Vinson and they had six children: Van F., Seymore A., Larry A., Georgia Garton, Edna Copen, Nora Jean Savley. After Floyd was killed at the accident at Ravens Metal, Roy married his widow, Naomi, and they had one daughter, Tina, who is married to Roger Carr.

Ray, born in 1921, married Ruth Reese. They were parents of eight children: David, Daniel, Dale, Darrell, Darlene Willis, Marilyn Allman, Carolyn Jacobson and Debra Roush.

Harold, born in 1929, married Ora Lee Gain, and they have three children: Michael, Bryan and Tammy Kapaldo.

Floyd, born in 1932, was killed in accident at Ravens Metal in 1958. He married Naomi Stephens. They were parents of four children: Mark, Stephen, Sharon, Catherine Hickman and Melanie Houchin.

She and her daughter, Rose, lived in the Fox Run area in sort of a cave made back in the rocks. They lived here summer and winter. She was a hard-working woman, worked for Hosier Foutty for some time.

James H. Dinnin (1875-1959) was born at Volcano, Wood County. He was the son of John (1833-1911) and Melissa Whaley Dinnin (1841-1924). He married Alice Thrash (1883-1971). She was the daughter of John and Amelia Pew Thrash and lived on Goose Creek on the Thrash farm, about three miles from Freeport. My parents lived at Volcano until 1918 when they moved to Dry Ridge, about one mile from the Dry Ridge School. Our farm was part of the old Thrash farm. The following children were born at Volcano:

Amelia Mae (Lucy) taught school and married Bill Cantwell. Lucy later married Frank Catalan. She died in 1970, living in Parkersburg.

This made a total of eleven children. Dr. E. H. Douglass delivered all of them. My father worked in the oil fields for the Astron Oil Company from 1918 to 1942, when he retired. As the boys became old enough to work, they all had a little experience working with our father in the oil fields. During World War II, all four boys served in the Army--Robert James, and Carrol in North Africa and Europe; and Ralph in the Pacific. After the war, James worked on construction jobs, was a mechanic for Ford Motor Co., drove cement mixer trucks for Criss and was a rural mail carrier on the Davisville route.

Carroll worked on construction jobs, Normandi Bottle Gas Co., Pinkerton and cut timber. Ralph worked on construction, railway mail clerk for ten years, retiring on disability. He preached in the Methodist church for ten years, worked for Pinkerton and cut timber.

Some of the entertainment at Dry Ridge was special holiday programs presented at the school, literary at Fairview and competition between the schools in spelling and arithmetic and outdoor games, picnic and field trips. Robert and Dorothy were exceptionally good at spelling, and Robert was a talented arithmetic problem-solver. On a few occasions after he was through school, the teachers would send him problems to work for them.

James was very active in the Eastwood Fire Department and the Lions Club. Carrol and Ralph were, and still are, very eager to read and spend hours with books and papers.

My parents were of the Catholic faith but as there were no Catholic churches near Dry Ridge, and they did not have an automobile, they were not active in church work until the last few years.

My mother completed several correspondence courses and received certificates and awards. They are both interred in the Catholic Cemetery at Eatons in Wood County.

Lemon Dotson (1872-1964) was the son of Ellis and Sarah Doll Dotson of around Pennsboro. He married Minnie Jane (1884-1929) in December 1912. They lived in the Rusk community and he was a Church of Christ preacher. The family included the following children: Nellie Williamson, Doris Evelyn Smith, Sarah Miller, Dallas Morris, Clarence and Carl Irvin. Dallas was killed in World War II. Clarence Floyd (1913-1982) married Dorothy Wodard and was living in Norfolk, Virginia when he died. He was retired from the Navy after 21 years' service.

Carl Irvin married Vivian McClead and lives on the Dotson homeplace at Rusk. He and Vivian have three daughters, Charletta Jean, Roselee Isabelle and Beverly Jean.

The Dotsons first came to the area in the early 1720s. The original spelling of the Old World was Dodson, but for some unknown reason it became changed to its present form. Two brothers, James and William, came from England and settled near Richmond, Virginia, and from James--or some say his name was Richard--the families in this part of the country trace their lineage.

Irvin (1836-1917) and Sarah Cain Dotson (1833-1915) lived at Rusk. They had two children: Floyd, and a daughter, Minnie Jane, who married Lemon Dotson.

Nay Dotson (1869-1959) was the son of Hiram (1825-1901) and Lucinda Dotson (born in 1842). He married Roberta McClead and lived in the Petroleum community or nearby. They had one daughter, Winnie Newman, who is now deceased. They are buried at the Hopewell Cemetery.

Erman Dotson (1890-1967) was the son of Charles W. and Sarah Elder Dotson. He married Susie Arman (1892-1967). Both were school teachers and lived in the Petroleum community. Susie quit teaching and raised her family but Erman taught for 44 years. They were in the hospital at the same time and died within a few days of each other. They were parents of five children: Wilma Bowersock in Indiana, Mildred in Michigan, James R. in New York, Erman R. and Harold in Georgia.

Lucinda Leap Dotson and Hiram Dotson were my grandparents. They lived on Goose Creek in a two-story farm house on a hill below the Elfritz Cemetery. My mother, Grace Dotson, was the youngest of five children. As I was only two years old when Grandpa died, I don't remember him at all. I do, however, have many happy memories of Grandma Dotson and the many visits to her home. Grandma lived alone after Grandpa died. Her children were all married and were settled nearby. I really don't know how she made a living as there was no Social Security at that time. I know she had chickens, cows and had a big garden, so she must have sold eggs, milk and cream.

She was very independent and wasn't afraid of anything. She did all the work herself and never asked her children for anything. She not only had a big garden but dug the ground herself.

Grandma had a wood stove in the living room for heat and one in the kitchen for cooking. I remember the "wood choppings." One day each fall people would gather at her house for the event. Women cooked all day and men chopped wood, sawed and stacked and by evening her winter's supply of wood was in place. I later married one of the boys who always came for the chopping, Ensel Metz.

I remember the times we went to her house from Short Run School for lunch. She would have a big pot of homemade tomato soup with drop dumplings. I have never been able to make it.

Grandma had a room built over her rock cellar which she called her loom room. I remember seeing her sit there, hour after hour, weaving. She made her own carpet and beautiful quilts.

Grandma made weekly visits to the Shriver farm. She walked over, and I can remember how we would watch for her to appear at the top of the hill. She would have dinner with us, and spend the afternoon arguing politics with my father. She almost always wore a long black dress. She run out of wood and had put one end of a fence rail into the stove and the other end on a chair. She went to the garden for a few minutes. When she thought about the fire and started toward the house, it was too late. The blaze was so high she couldn't get into the house. She lost everything.

With her home gone, she spent her last few years living with her children. She and Grandpa and most of the children are buried at the Elfritz Cemetery.

Thomas A. and Sarah Cain Douglass lived in the Rusk area. They had several children, three of the chi

Jerome A Vandiver	Nov. 1859
George Rutherfod	June 1861
Philip Reitz	Oct. 1866
Frederick Reitz	June 1867
Daniel M. Sharpnack	June 1871
William Thrash	Aug. 1885
Daniel M. Sharpnack	Apr. 1889
Jackson R. Mounts	Apr. 1893
Daniel M. Sharpnack	Dec. 1896
George B. Douglass	Sept. 1901
Charles W. Thrash	June 1915
William A. Thrash	Feb. 1944
Marguerite Thrash	Aug. 1972*

Amos Bell	John S. Coss	Russell B. Cox
C. W. Davis	James E. Dean	Ralph B. Dinnin
George B. Douglass	Andrew D. Foutty	Clarence F. Geer
Elias Hickman	Charles L. Jonas	Glenn G. Kerns
William J. Koehnlein	John D. Lanham	Ralph McCollum
Chester A. McFarland	Lewis W. McFarland	Raymar McFarland
Wilford A. Mason	Harvey C. Metz	Herbert C. Netser
Hobert Pepper Jr.	Nancy L. Putnam	Mary E. Rinehart
Daniel A. Sharpnack	Preston Simmons	Raymond A. Simmons
John V. Sims	Frank L. Spiker	Charles L. Tennant
William A. Thrash	Ralph C. Valentine	Garred P. Vinson
Denver Webb

Bert Foutty	Mr. Thomas	Marshall Jenkins	Claude Waggoner
Minnie Mae Jenkins	Whitemans	Dinnins	Grover Whitecotton
John Thrash	Wolfe family	Marion Coman	Rose and Art Deems
Hilton Twyman	Aubrey Hardesty	Grant Marshall	Agnes Marshall
Tennant family	Gerome Thoma	Roy Hutchinson	Jim & Mary Spears
Hugh Pribble	O. C. Beckner	Harold Mason	Lawrence Geer
Chuck Boston	Addie Boston	Fought family	Harold Nelson
Braden family	John Sims	Lawrence Huffman	Wilson family
Grace Davis	Jim Harper	Ima & Bob Poe	Charles Eugene Taylor
Ott Nelson	Granville Nutt	Lon Elliott	Frank Nelson
Norf Nelson	Bushrod Creel	The Burnhammers	Rose Everly
Carl Feick	Ordie Nutter	Rennie Cain	Joe Mackey
Willie Foutty	Frank Kerns	Emma Kerns	Mr. Gilmer
Mr. Daubenspeck	Susan Jenkins	Bill Hartleben	Johnny Black
Delbert Whitecotton	Walter Deems	Dudley Cox	Ed Jenkins
George Foutty	Eskey McCauley	Bess McCauley	Josh Greene
Bill Hull	Tom Badgett	Clell Gaines	Sid Curry
Rachel Curry	Pete Moore	Clarence Geer	Ralph Wilson
Arthur Criss	Jesse & Jim Riley	Paul Black	Charles Taylor
Lawrence Stage	Schoolcraft family	Waller family	Frank Dulaney
Ben Deems	John Jones	Don Mason	Freddy Simmons
Charley Backus	Russell Cox	Haymond family	Wagner family
Glen Modesitt	Charley Nelson	Wig Bickel	Lou Bickel
Wallace Jeffery	Joe Trembly	Edna Trembly	Carl Nutter
Criss Nutter	Guy Stutler	Jennie Ford	Charlie Foutty
Jim Harbert	Sharpnacks	Russell Pierson	Pete Jenkins
John Bell and mother	Amost George	Combs family	Aaron Twyman
Jane Howell	Johnny Fox	Joe Booth	Guy Lewis
Elton Ballangee	Bob Whiteman	Floyd Fluharty	Charlie Beckner
Bill Boston	John Higgins	Bill Wright	Charles Wilson
Gene Metz	Edgar Wilson	Pribble family	Junior Nichols
Ed & Mae Nutter	Vern Boston	Gene Peregory	Mary Peregory
Heater family	Elliott Deems	Bill Taylor	Everett Parsons
Cecil Nutt	Buster Putnam	Fred Lamm	Leo South
Earl Lynch	Jim Mahaney	John Nelson	Elza Trembly
Vint Hissem	Charlie Thrash	Ward Nutter	Charley & Dave Cain
The Morgans	Everett Holbert	Mary Jones	Starcher family
George Hall	Duane & Sharon Jenkins	George Foutty	Andrew Hill
Blaine Gill	Hershel Cain	Robert Williams	Rodney Settles
Perine family	Jim Carter	C. T. Smith	Dempsey Coss
Bill Collins	John Roberts	"Bear" Brooks	Tom Backus
Buss Cain	Ms. Frank Munday	Lloyd Taylor	Tom Headley
George Monroe	Gary Gregg	Leroy Settles	Joe Collums
Bill Collums	Pearl Burgy	Lathrop Charter	Noah Welch
Clyde Piersol	Mr. Dawson	Richard Jonas	Bill Black
Andy Smith	Denver & Ruby Beha	Freidlein family	Floyd Darnell
Jewell Headley	George Lemons	Charles White	Seymore Settles
F. M. Netser	Ralph Dunbar	Mr. Maxwell	J. Duncan Lodge
Red McKitrick	Bill Nutter	Bud Kerns

They

Came

Here…

copyright © Loraine Cox Metz, 2004, 1984

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