This is from a lady on the Mercer Co. list. Rick ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Susan E. Richmond <[email protected]> Date: Dec 4, 2007 9:06 PM Subject: [WVMERCER] Good Resource To: "[email protected]" <[email protected]>, " [email protected]" <[email protected]>, WVWYOMIN-L < [email protected]> I hope the following will be of interest. In doing a Google search for one of my ancestors, I happened onto Google Books. Their web site is a great searchable resource of modern and old books on about any subject you can think of. Most of the more modern books either have no preview, limited preview or a snippet. Many earlier books have the complete book in a PDF file which can be viewed online or downloaded. When viewed online, they are fully searchable. All have a link which will tell you which libraries have the book and how far away the library is from your zip code. I have done a lot of reading about the Civil War and have developed a preference for books that were written by the original participants or their children. I've been trying to find books of this type about the Revolution and on the Google Books site, I have found many which meet my criteria. Up until now, I've had a hard time finding the old books. I've also found books of old records that have helped with my research on several of my ancestors. The web site address is: http://books.google.com Some of the books I've downloaded are: History of the Colony and Ancient Dominion of Virginia - 1860 History of the Battle of Point Pleasant - 1909 Stories of the Old Dominion - 1879 The Army of Northern Virginia in 1862 - 1892 The History of the Clay Family - 1899 Loyal West Virginia From 1861 - 1865 - 1895 Annals of Augusta County, Virginia - 1902 The book Images of America - Wyoming County only has a snippet, but you can see page 64 which has two pictures of John Cooke's log cabin. Susan Richmond _________________________________________________________________ Your smile counts. The more smiles you share, the more we donate. Join in. www.windowslive.com/smile?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_Wave2_oprsmilewlhmtagline PLEASE CHECK EACH OF YOUR SUBJECT LINES! ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Just found a tad bit that you may have over-looked? in the WV culture site under marriages, A.J. Simpkins lists his mother as N. Simpkins and father as J. MURPHY....that is in 1882 when he marries Charlotte Steele. There is also another listing for him in 1881 [marked as unreturned?] when he was to marry Martha Mounts...he lists his dad as: JAS MURPHY.... JAS would have been James, i believe. Henry in 1887, when marrying Sarah Acord, lists his father as J. Rutherford who is prob. the same man as Anderson's father (?). in none of the censuses i looked at is Nancy ever listed as married...makes me wonder if she was just ahead of her time, and quite the VERY modern woman...? looks like she had that farm in Logan VA/ WV FOREVER - -and that seems to be her only means of income. in the 1840 LOGAN VA census she is shown on her own ...it lists her with one male child between the ages of 1 to 5, two daughters under the age of 5 and one between the ages of 5 to 10...she herself is shown as between the ages of 20-30. So the male would have been Robert bn. in 1840 and the three girls would have been Martha, Sarah & Josephine... even in 1840, Nancy is shown as being unmarried and there is no Samuel Simpkins around...anywhere...in all of VA from what i could find! in the 1850 Logan census i see that Eli Simpkins, age 30, is listed with his wife Matilda and two children, all of them living with a Stotts family - -they are in the same Dist. 32 in Logan as Nancy Simpkins. I am guessing that Eli and Nancy were siblings? or IF there really was a Mr. Samuel Simpkins, perhaps Eli was his brother? what a wonderful puzzle you have ! ----- Original Message ----- From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Sent: Tuesday, December 04, 2007 6:20 PM Subject: Re: [WVLOGAN] Nancy Simpkins/ children 1850 census / some childrenhad diff Dads Hi, Can anyone help me with Nancy Simpkins listed on the 1850 -1860 Logan Co. census. had 14 children. some she had out of wedlock. Did she have a Hiram Simpkins ? spelling can be Simkin . Someone told me her husband was Samuel or a Joseph Simpkins or that could be his full name. What happen to him ? Maybe the kids on 1850 were his ? Some told me she was the Simpkins being they did not know about him. I found she had a son Anderson D. Simpkins born June 1855 to James Rutherford . how did Nancy make a living being no husband ? any data on her or her children is more than welcome - same with a Eli Simpkins I have some data on him. he is my 3rd gfather . long story with him too,.. married a few times and a few children out of wedlock in KY . Nancy Simpkins born abt 1814 VA [ was married ? to Samuel or Joseph Simpkins - need data ] listed on the 1850 {W} Logan Co. VA census. Nancy had many children some were not her late husband's . I only know of . James Rutherford was the father of Anderson D.Simpkins born abt 1855 he married Nancy Cline . she had 14 children 1.} Martha Adeline Simpkins born abt 1834 {1.} married 1854 to Davidson SAMSON s/o Ruth STARR {2.} 1860 John Blankenship had children with him . I found in a Hatfield /McCoy book Martha Adeline Simpkins had a son Asa Bell McCoy b 1857 with Asa Peter McCoy ? 2.} Sarah Simpkins born 1837 married Henry Clay Runyon s/o Alex and Sarah STARR RUNYON 3. } Josephine Simpkins b 1839 Francis Marion HATFIELD s/o Ferrell Marion Hatfield 4.} Robert Simpkins b 1840 - do not know anything more on him 5.] John Simpkins b 1841 - nothing more on him 6.} Jane Simpkins b 1842 nothing more on her 7.} Joseph Simpkins born 1844 married 1st Pricy McCOY - d/o Pyrrus McCoy { Pricy married a few times . married Joseph's brother last.} 2nd married Elizabeth HATFIELD d/o Ephriam and Nancy Hatfield, sister to "Devil Anse" { Elizabeth md 2times before } . 8.} George Simpkins born 1845 nothing more on him 9.} Samuel Simpkins b 1848 married Harriet MAYNARD d/o Richard and Charlotte TAYLOR MAYNARD 10.} Henry C. Simpkins b 1849 married Pricy McCOY d/o Pyrrus McCoy . Henry and Pricy were living in Pike Co. KY 11.} Anderson D. Simpkins born June 1855 married Nancy Cline d/o Jacob and Cynthia Cline Cline Anderson's father is listed as James Rutherford on their md record 1 Jan 1877 Logan co. WV. 12.} Lorenzo Dow Simpkins 1856 listed on the 1860 with Mother. do not know anything more on him who was his Father ? 13.} Andrew Jackson Simpkins born 1858 married Charlotte Steel , October 22, 1873 Logan Co. 14.} Charles Simpkins b 1863 listed on the 1860 Logan do not know anything more on him. ------- Many Thanks Patty Cartwright 707 Oak St New Castle, PA 16101 **************************************Check out AOL's list of 2007's hottest products. (http://money.aol.com/special/hot-products-2007?NCID=aoltop00030000000001) ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Shelby, I had forgotten about "Crack the Whip" ("Whipcracker"). What a great game..... unless you were on the end. Thanks for reminding me. Stan On Dec 4, 2007, at 4:40 PM, [email protected] wrote: > Shelby

We also had "hygene "exams every morning. Mrs Powell Cook was my 5th grade teacher. She would appoint Martha Curry to look in our ears, to see if they were clean. One morning, she told the teacher I had soapsuds in my ear. I hadnt dried off good. Mrs Cook said it was ok, while snickering ! That Martha was the school snitch. One had to be careful around her. I remember all the shots we took each year. I suppose that kept down epidemics, as we kids sometimes forgot to wash. Shelby ************************************** Check out AOL's list of 2007's hottest products. (http://money.aol.com/special/hot-products-2007?NCID=aoltop00030000000001)

Hi Stan; I read with interest your school time story. We also had a big Burnside stove for heat. It sat in the middle of a sandbox,for catching falling embers. We also had a sandbox for displaying our handicrafts. At Thanksgiving time we had a cabin, toy farm animals,tools used then, like saws & axes made out of a Prince Albert tobacco can(s). At xmas, it was the nativity scene. Easter was all about Jesus scenes in the sandbox. We learned a lot of creativity from the sandbox,with little coaching. The playground was like your Matheny school; just bare earth for games like tag, whip cracker,running games. Shelby ************************************** Check out AOL's list of 2007's hottest products. (http://money.aol.com/special/hot-products-2007?NCID=aoltop00030000000001)

Hi, Can anyone help me with Nancy Simpkins listed on the 1850 -1860 Logan Co. census. had 14 children. some she had out of wedlock. Did she have a Hiram Simpkins ? spelling can be Simkin . Someone told me her husband was Samuel or a Joseph Simpkins or that could be his full name. What happen to him ? Maybe the kids on 1850 were his ? Some told me she was the Simpkins being they did not know about him. I found she had a son Anderson D. Simpkins born June 1855 to James Rutherford . how did Nancy make a living being no husband ? any data on her or her children is more than welcome - same with a Eli Simpkins I have some data on him. he is my 3rd gfather . long story with him too,.. married a few times and a few children out of wedlock in KY . Nancy Simpkins born abt 1814 VA [ was married ? to Samuel or Joseph Simpkins - need data ] listed on the 1850 {W} Logan Co. VA census. Nancy had many children some were not her late husband's . I only know of . James Rutherford was the father of Anderson D.Simpkins born abt 1855 he married Nancy Cline . she had 14 children 1.} Martha Adeline Simpkins born abt 1834 {1.} married 1854 to Davidson SAMSON s/o Ruth STARR {2.} 1860 John Blankenship had children with him . I found in a Hatfield /McCoy book Martha Adeline Simpkins had a son Asa Bell McCoy b 1857 with Asa Peter McCoy ? 2.} Sarah Simpkins born 1837 married Henry Clay Runyon s/o Alex and Sarah STARR RUNYON 3. } Josephine Simpkins b 1839 Francis Marion HATFIELD s/o Ferrell Marion Hatfield 4.} Robert Simpkins b 1840 - do not know anything more on him 5.] John Simpkins b 1841 - nothing more on him 6.} Jane Simpkins b 1842 nothing more on her 7.} Joseph Simpkins born 1844 married 1st Pricy McCOY - d/o Pyrrus McCoy { Pricy married a few times . married Joseph's brother last.} 2nd married Elizabeth HATFIELD d/o Ephriam and Nancy Hatfield, sister to "Devil Anse" { Elizabeth md 2times before } . 8.} George Simpkins born 1845 nothing more on him 9.} Samuel Simpkins b 1848 married Harriet MAYNARD d/o Richard and Charlotte TAYLOR MAYNARD 10.} Henry C. Simpkins b 1849 married Pricy McCOY d/o Pyrrus McCoy . Henry and Pricy were living in Pike Co. KY 11.} Anderson D. Simpkins born June 1855 married Nancy Cline d/o Jacob and Cynthia Cline Cline Anderson's father is listed as James Rutherford on their md record 1 Jan 1877 Logan co. WV. 12.} Lorenzo Dow Simpkins 1856 listed on the 1860 with Mother. do not know anything more on him who was his Father ? 13.} Andrew Jackson Simpkins born 1858 married Charlotte Steel , October 22, 1873 Logan Co. 14.} Charles Simpkins b 1863 listed on the 1860 Logan do not know anything more on him. ------- Many Thanks Patty Cartwright 707 Oak St New Castle, PA 16101 **************************************Check out AOL's list of 2007's hottest products. (http://money.aol.com/special/hot-products-2007?NCID=aoltop00030000000001)

To: My WV Friends From: Stan Browning Although these reports apply specifically to my school, I am counting on there being similarities with some of your schools that you will enjoy recalling. School Days Part 2 The old Matheny Grade School where I first attended school was sandwiched in between State Route 10 and the Laural Fork River at the present site of the Matheny Methodist Church. Looking at the schoolhouse from the road, there were two outhouses set side by side on the right of the schoolhouse and a coalhouse on the left. The old Methodist church, which has long since been replaced by a modern brick structure, sat farther to the left between the schoolhouse and the school playground. The playground was scarcely larger than the abbreviated basketball court, which was the only hint of a sports facility at the school. The court had a bare earth surface and was used for many interesting games that I had never heard of before, such as, base, tag, bearhoo and fox-and-geese. It was perfect for marbles, which was OK except when the older boys tried to slip in a few games of “keeps.” Some of the girls jumped rope and played hop- scotch. Only the older students who came early in the morning to catch the school bus to the junior high and high schools at Oceana played basketball. My primary pals and I were usually satisfied to simply play along the riverbank or climb in nearby water birch trees that lined the banks. Matheny Grade School had two-rooms separated by a hall. There was a small porch facing the road. Patriotism was emphasized, although WWII had not yet started. Our daily routine began with all students in the school lining up in front of the schoolhouse to say the pledge of allegiance to the flag. Ralph Stewart was my teacher and he taught primer through the third grade. Carroll Brooks was Principal and taught grades four through six. Grades seven and above were bussed to Oceana. In our room, pupils in two of the three grades worked on assignments from the teacher while the other class was being taught. I could read before I started school and had it not been for multiple classes in the same room, I would have been extremely bored. As it was, I was learning multiplication tables while in the first grade. Like almost all small Wyoming County schools in those days, there was no indoor plumbing or electricity. Two outdoor toilets, one for the boys and one for the girls, were located side-by-side behind the school. They were favorite targets for the teenage pranksters of the community on Halloween. The only provisions for hand washing after a visit to the toilet was a large pan of water and a cake of soap placed on a table in the hall between class rooms. Ordinarily, several students would use the same water before someone decided to change it. A single bulb hung by a cord from the ceiling in the center of the room provided supplemental light on cloudy days. Each schoolroom was heated by a large Burnside stove situated in the center of the room. The stove was constructed of iron and had no jacket to guard against accidental burns or to prevent the school from accidentally catching fire and burning down. The only safety precaution was an insulated mat placed under the stove to catch embers that escaped occasionally through an opening in the lower bowl of the stove. The stove was fueled with coal and often glowed red during operation. Students near the stove roasted while others continued to wear their winter coats inside the building. Sometimes in the early morning the windows were coated with ice due to the normally large amounts of moisture created by several young bodies in a confined space. The chairs (“seats” in those days), are noteworthy. The basic component of this old-time furniture consisted of a seat in front with a desktop fastened on back. A pupil’s desktop, with a small storage space below the work surface, was an integral part of the back of the chair occupied by the student in front of them. Each assembly was screwed to the floor, one in front of the other in rows, with each person having a seat from one assembly and a desktop from another. This resulted in an unused row of desktops in the back and a row of empty seats in the front. Some of the assemblies were made for more than one person. Since we were not yet old enough to be interested in the opposite sex, we tried to pair up with a buddy in one of the “double-wides.” Each student’s attendance record was noted and displayed on a card that was posted on the wall for all to see. We received a star for each day and a reward for excellent attendance. We were further motivated by ongoing spelling contests, which culminated at the end of a preset period with a “candy-breaking party.” My primary and first-grade teacher was Ralph Stewart, who was from a family of educators, who were also noted for their musical talents and teaching abilities. Ralph and two brothers, Hershel and Height, formed a country music band of considerable fame that was often invited to play at events throughout the region. Ralph was also widely recognized for his penmanship. It was no accident that music and penmanship were strongly emphasized in our classes. Each day in the classroom began with music and all three grades joined in. Many of the songs we sang, such as “Dixie,” “Little Brown Church in the Wildwood” and “Away in a Manger,” are still favorites. We got to show off our talents at Christmas when the entire school was involved in presentations of songs and plays. At that time, Mr. Stewart gave each of us a small brown bag that contained a stick of peppermint candy, gum, orange-slice candy and a few other goodies that I don’t recall. As noted before, my mother taught me to read before I started school. But I was bewildered when I tried to read from a songbook and the words were different from those Mr. Stewart was singing. It was then that I discovered that I was not to sing all the words line after line in the first group bordered by those funny-looking symbols, but that I should skip from group to group, singing only corresponding lines from each group. There were various health problems unique to the times. I grew up deathly afraid that I would get “Infantile Paralysis” (Polio). We were vaccinated for diphtheria and inoculated for smallpox by the County Health Nurse, who visited the school early in the school year. There was no voting on it, everyone had to receive the shots. It was the first time most of us had ever seen a hypodermic needle so it was an experience only a little short of traumatic. Inspections for head lice were held frequently. Any evidence of the little critters resulted in the carrier being dismissed from school until the problem was eliminated. Fall sores, likely caused from having to walk through wet weeds, were common. They were very painful and could last for several weeks. To emphasize hygiene, the Lifebuoy Soap Company, through the schools, distributed samples of their product and cards on which to keep a record of when we washed, brushed our teeth, combed our hair and so on. We classified our paper as either “tablet” paper or “notebook” paper, and most of us wrote with a “penny pencil.” A tablet cost a nickel and a pack of notebook paper cost the same. The penny pencils, as suggested by the name, cost a penny apiece. They were always a tan color and had white pointed erasers. Each desktop had a hole for a bottle of ink, and we were taught to write with an ink pen that was replenished with ink by dipping it into the bottle. Two of the older students were hired as janitors. They came to school early and started the fires in the morning. They prepared the kindling and carried in the coal before they left in the evening. They aligned the furniture and swept up after classes. Dusting the erasers, carrying water and cleaning the outhouses were favored chores for students in order to be excused from the classrooms. (More about attending school in Wyoming County later on)

To: My WV Friends From: Stan Browning Although these reports apply specifically to my school, I am counting on there being similarities with some of your schools that you will enjoy recalling. School Days Part 2 The old Matheny Grade School where I first attended school was sandwiched in between State Route 10 and the Laural Fork River at the present site of the Matheny Methodist Church. Looking at the schoolhouse from the road, there were two outhouses set side by side on the right of the schoolhouse and a coalhouse on the left. The old Methodist church, which has long since been replaced by a modern brick structure, sat farther to the left between the schoolhouse and the school playground. The playground was scarcely larger than the abbreviated basketball court, which was the only hint of a sports facility at the school. The court had a bare earth surface and was used for many interesting games that I had never heard of before, such as, base, tag, bearhoo and fox-and-geese. It was perfect for marbles, which was OK except when the older boys tried to slip in a few games of “keeps.” Some of the girls jumped rope and played hop- scotch. Only the older students who came early in the morning to catch the school bus to the junior high and high schools at Oceana played basketball. My primary pals and I were usually satisfied to simply play along the riverbank or climb in nearby water birch trees that lined the banks. Matheny Grade School had two-rooms separated by a hall. There was a small porch facing the road. Patriotism was emphasized, although WWII had not yet started. Our daily routine began with all students in the school lining up in front of the schoolhouse to say the pledge of allegiance to the flag. Ralph Stewart was my teacher and he taught primer through the third grade. Carroll Brooks was Principal and taught grades four through six. Grades seven and above were bussed to Oceana. In our room, pupils in two of the three grades worked on assignments from the teacher while the other class was being taught. I could read before I started school and had it not been for multiple classes in the same room, I would have been extremely bored. As it was, I was learning multiplication tables while in the first grade. Like almost all small Wyoming County schools in those days, there was no indoor plumbing or electricity. Two outdoor toilets, one for the boys and one for the girls, were located side-by-side behind the school. They were favorite targets for the teenage pranksters of the community on Halloween. The only provisions for hand washing after a visit to the toilet was a large pan of water and a cake of soap placed on a table in the hall between class rooms. Ordinarily, several students would use the same water before someone decided to change it. A single bulb hung by a cord from the ceiling in the center of the room provided supplemental light on cloudy days. Each schoolroom was heated by a large Burnside stove situated in the center of the room. The stove was constructed of iron and had no jacket to guard against accidental burns or to prevent the school from accidentally catching fire and burning down. The only safety precaution was an insulated mat placed under the stove to catch embers that escaped occasionally through an opening in the lower bowl of the stove. The stove was fueled with coal and often glowed red during operation. Students near the stove roasted while others continued to wear their winter coats inside the building. Sometimes in the early morning the windows were coated with ice due to the normally large amounts of moisture created by several young bodies in a confined space. The chairs (“seats” in those days), are noteworthy. The basic component of this old-time furniture consisted of a seat in front with a desktop fastened on back. A pupil’s desktop, with a small storage space below the work surface, was an integral part of the back of the chair occupied by the student in front of them. Each assembly was screwed to the floor, one in front of the other in rows, with each person having a seat from one assembly and a desktop from another. This resulted in an unused row of desktops in the back and a row of empty seats in the front. Some of the assemblies were made for more than one person. Since we were not yet old enough to be interested in the opposite sex, we tried to pair up with a buddy in one of the “double-wides.” Each student’s attendance record was noted and displayed on a card that was posted on the wall for all to see. We received a star for each day and a reward for excellent attendance. We were further motivated by ongoing spelling contests, which culminated at the end of a preset period with a “candy-breaking party.” My primary and first-grade teacher was Ralph Stewart, who was from a family of educators, who were also noted for their musical talents and teaching abilities. Ralph and two brothers, Hershel and Height, formed a country music band of considerable fame that was often invited to play at events throughout the region. Ralph was also widely recognized for his penmanship. It was no accident that music and penmanship were strongly emphasized in our classes. Each day in the classroom began with music and all three grades joined in. Many of the songs we sang, such as “Dixie,” “Little Brown Church in the Wildwood” and “Away in a Manger,” are still favorites. We got to show off our talents at Christmas when the entire school was involved in presentations of songs and plays. At that time, Mr. Stewart gave each of us a small brown bag that contained a stick of peppermint candy, gum, orange-slice candy and a few other goodies that I don’t recall. As noted before, my mother taught me to read before I started school. But I was bewildered when I tried to read from a songbook and the words were different from those Mr. Stewart was singing. It was then that I discovered that I was not to sing all the words line after line in the first group bordered by those funny-looking symbols, but that I should skip from group to group, singing only corresponding lines from each group. There were various health problems unique to the times. I grew up deathly afraid that I would get “Infantile Paralysis” (Polio). We were vaccinated for diphtheria and inoculated for smallpox by the County Health Nurse, who visited the school early in the school year. There was no voting on it, everyone had to receive the shots. It was the first time most of us had ever seen a hypodermic needle so it was an experience only a little short of traumatic. Inspections for head lice were held frequently. Any evidence of the little critters resulted in the carrier being dismissed from school until the problem was eliminated. Fall sores, likely caused from having to walk through wet weeds, were common. They were very painful and could last for several weeks. To emphasize hygiene, the Lifebuoy Soap Company, through the schools, distributed samples of their product and cards on which to keep a record of when we washed, brushed our teeth, combed our hair and so on. We classified our paper as either “tablet” paper or “notebook” paper, and most of us wrote with a “penny pencil.” A tablet cost a nickel and a pack of notebook paper cost the same. The penny pencils, as suggested by the name, cost a penny apiece. They were always a tan color and had white pointed erasers. Each desktop had a hole for a bottle of ink, and we were taught to write with an ink pen that was replenished with ink by dipping it into the bottle. Two of the older students were hired as janitors. They came to school early and started the fires in the morning. They prepared the kindling and carried in the coal before they left in the evening. They aligned the furniture and swept up after classes. Dusting the erasers, carrying water and cleaning the outhouses were favored chores for students in order to be excused from the classrooms. (More about attending school in Wyoming County later on)

To: My WV Friends From: Stan Browning Although these reports apply specifically to my school, I am counting on there being similarities with some of your schools that you will enjoy recalling. School Days Part 2 The old Matheny Grade School where I first attended school was sandwiched in between State Route 10 and the Laural Fork River at the present site of the Matheny Methodist Church. Looking at the schoolhouse from the road, there were two outhouses set side by side on the right of the schoolhouse and a coalhouse on the left. The old Methodist church, which has long since been replaced by a modern brick structure, sat farther to the left between the schoolhouse and the school playground. The playground was scarcely larger than the abbreviated basketball court, which was the only hint of a sports facility at the school. The court had a bare earth surface and was used for many interesting games that I had never heard of before, such as, base, tag, bearhoo and fox-and-geese. It was perfect for marbles, which was OK except when the older boys tried to slip in a few games of “keeps.” Some of the girls jumped rope and played hop- scotch. Only the older students who came early in the morning to catch the school bus to the junior high and high schools at Oceana played basketball. My primary pals and I were usually satisfied to simply play along the riverbank or climb in nearby water birch trees that lined the banks. Matheny Grade School had two-rooms separated by a hall. There was a small porch facing the road. Patriotism was emphasized, although WWII had not yet started. Our daily routine began with all students in the school lining up in front of the schoolhouse to say the pledge of allegiance to the flag. Ralph Stewart was my teacher and he taught primer through the third grade. Carroll Brooks was Principal and taught grades four through six. Grades seven and above were bussed to Oceana. In our room, pupils in two of the three grades worked on assignments from the teacher while the other class was being taught. I could read before I started school and had it not been for multiple classes in the same room, I would have been extremely bored. As it was, I was learning multiplication tables while in the first grade. Like almost all small Wyoming County schools in those days, there was no indoor plumbing or electricity. Two outdoor toilets, one for the boys and one for the girls, were located side-by-side behind the school. They were favorite targets for the teenage pranksters of the community on Halloween. The only provisions for hand washing after a visit to the toilet was a large pan of water and a cake of soap placed on a table in the hall between class rooms. Ordinarily, several students would use the same water before someone decided to change it. A single bulb hung by a cord from the ceiling in the center of the room provided supplemental light on cloudy days. Each schoolroom was heated by a large Burnside stove situated in the center of the room. The stove was constructed of iron and had no jacket to guard against accidental burns or to prevent the school from accidentally catching fire and burning down. The only safety precaution was an insulated mat placed under the stove to catch embers that escaped occasionally through an opening in the lower bowl of the stove. The stove was fueled with coal and often glowed red during operation. Students near the stove roasted while others continued to wear their winter coats inside the building. Sometimes in the early morning the windows were coated with ice due to the normally large amounts of moisture created by several young bodies in a confined space. The chairs (“seats” in those days), are noteworthy. The basic component of this old-time furniture consisted of a seat in front with a desktop fastened on back. A pupil’s desktop, with a small storage space below the work surface, was an integral part of the back of the chair occupied by the student in front of them. Each assembly was screwed to the floor, one in front of the other in rows, with each person having a seat from one assembly and a desktop from another. This resulted in an unused row of desktops in the back and a row of empty seats in the front. Some of the assemblies were made for more than one person. Since we were not yet old enough to be interested in the opposite sex, we tried to pair up with a buddy in one of the “double-wides.” Each student’s attendance record was noted and displayed on a card that was posted on the wall for all to see. We received a star for each day and a reward for excellent attendance. We were further motivated by ongoing spelling contests, which culminated at the end of a preset period with a “candy-breaking party.” My primary and first-grade teacher was Ralph Stewart, who was from a family of educators, who were also noted for their musical talents and teaching abilities. Ralph and two brothers, Hershel and Height, formed a country music band of considerable fame that was often invited to play at events throughout the region. Ralph was also widely recognized for his penmanship. It was no accident that music and penmanship were strongly emphasized in our classes. Each day in the classroom began with music and all three grades joined in. Many of the songs we sang, such as “Dixie,” “Little Brown Church in the Wildwood” and “Away in a Manger,” are still favorites. We got to show off our talents at Christmas when the entire school was involved in presentations of songs and plays. At that time, Mr. Stewart gave each of us a small brown bag that contained a stick of peppermint candy, gum, orange-slice candy and a few other goodies that I don’t recall. As noted before, my mother taught me to read before I started school. But I was bewildered when I tried to read from a songbook and the words were different from those Mr. Stewart was singing. It was then that I discovered that I was not to sing all the words line after line in the first group bordered by those funny-looking symbols, but that I should skip from group to group, singing only corresponding lines from each group. There were various health problems unique to the times. I grew up deathly afraid that I would get “Infantile Paralysis” (Polio). We were vaccinated for diphtheria and inoculated for smallpox by the County Health Nurse, who visited the school early in the school year. There was no voting on it, everyone had to receive the shots. It was the first time most of us had ever seen a hypodermic needle so it was an experience only a little short of traumatic. Inspections for head lice were held frequently. Any evidence of the little critters resulted in the carrier being dismissed from school until the problem was eliminated. Fall sores, likely caused from having to walk through wet weeds, were common. They were very painful and could last for several weeks. To emphasize hygiene, the Lifebuoy Soap Company, through the schools, distributed samples of their product and cards on which to keep a record of when we washed, brushed our teeth, combed our hair and so on. We classified our paper as either “tablet” paper or “notebook” paper, and most of us wrote with a “penny pencil.” A tablet cost a nickel and a pack of notebook paper cost the same. The penny pencils, as suggested by the name, cost a penny apiece. They were always a tan color and had white pointed erasers. Each desktop had a hole for a bottle of ink, and we were taught to write with an ink pen that was replenished with ink by dipping it into the bottle. Two of the older students were hired as janitors. They came to school early and started the fires in the morning. They prepared the kindling and carried in the coal before they left in the evening. They aligned the furniture and swept up after classes. Dusting the erasers, carrying water and cleaning the outhouses were favored chores for students in order to be excused from the classrooms. (More about attending school in Wyoming County later on)

I was informed (or misinformed) earlier today that Man use to be the county seat of Logan County. Anyone have any info on that. I lived there from the mid 30's to the 50's and it was always Logan during those years?????? Ralph

Thanks, Ralph; The bus company was owned by the Buskirk family of Logan. They had two divisions; one division had service from Logan to Charleston, Huntington, Bluefield, Williamson; the other division served the mining towns of Logan Co. WV. It was called the 'Black Diamond Lines ". In addition, a passenger train ran between Huntington and Gilbert daily. So getting around back then was an easy task ! Shelby ************************************** Check out AOL's list of 2007's hottest products. (http://money.aol.com/special/hot-products-2007?NCID=aoltop00030000000001)

I recall the Bus service in abt 1945 between Logan and Man that ran about once every hour. On the side of the Buses was the statement, "Serving the Billion Dollar Coal fields" I think the Buses were Greyhound but they may have been a local company. But it showed where our living came from. Ralph ----- Original Message ----- From: <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, December 04, 2007 7:56 AM Subject: [WVLOGAN] Mining Stories ots > Di you know the City Of Logan once had two operating coal mines ? One was > the > Aracoma mine,on the west end; and the Wilson mine, on the east side. Logan > was one of the richest coal towns in WV, back years ago.They had two coal > companys paying taxes to the city. Both mines are now gone. > > Shelby > > > ************************************** > Check out AOL's list of 2007's > hottest products. > > (http://money.aol.com/special/hot-products-2007?NCID=aoltop00030000000001) > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Di you know the City Of Logan once had two operating coal mines ? One was the Aracoma mine,on the west end; and the Wilson mine, on the east side. Logan was one of the richest coal towns in WV, back years ago.They had two coal companys paying taxes to the city. Both mines are now gone. Shelby ************************************** Check out AOL's list of 2007's hottest products. (http://money.aol.com/special/hot-products-2007?NCID=aoltop00030000000001)

On this subject I know of some families who were from Logan and went to the "field" as it was referred to. But that could have been any of many over seas as Africa on and on. >From Logan a man named Wooten or Wooten and I believe he was William, anyway just a coalminer had a son Russell who became a coalminer. Now, William was older than my dad, and dad was born in 1906. So Russell was around dad's age and worked the mines with dad. But he became a local preacher. The churches could give a man a "local preachers license". He was not ordained and could not perform marriages but could preach. Russell came to Indiana for two years of Bible school then on to Michigan for two more years of College. He married there. Then he went to the mission field where he and his wife served for over 2o years. A Logan county boy. We asked him to give the eulogy at dad's funeral. It was wonderful how he talked of him and dad in the hills and mountains. Then three months later I attended his funeral. They both were 84 when they died. Also another man from Logan, Whites addition I think. Robert Stoneoff. He became a teacher, and I think taught at a college out west, maybe Oregon. But, summers he went to work in the mission "fields". But his work was with his hands. He helped build churches. I spoke to him a few years ago and he was still doing it. This Logan county boy. There are many Logan people who of went on to help others but hide their light so to speak. I am proud of these 2 men that I know of. Judi

I know that Boone Co. communities had missionaries from one of the denominations. A man named Jack Weller wrote a book "Yesterday's People" about rural Appalachian Mountain folks. Rick

Thanks, Shelby. Blair did have a reputation years ago. They were good ladies. Rick On Dec 3, 2007 11:04 AM, <[email protected]> wrote: > Her name was : Mrs. Brannock. > I believe the two were sent by the Moody Bible Institute to Appalachian > duties.Blair already had three churches, so it was kind of a slam on us > that we > were so far back in civilization, that we needed missionerys, lol But, to > their > credit, they did introduce religeon to the children of the community. > > Cuz > Shelby > > > ************************************** > Check out AOL's list of 2007's > hottest products. > > (http://money.aol.com/special/hot-products-2007?NCID=aoltop00030000000001) > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message >

When were they there Hester? I lived in Landville and attended church from about 1935 to 1952 but the names don't ring a bell Ralph ----- Original Message ----- From: <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, December 03, 2007 12:38 PM Subject: Re: [WVLOGAN] Missionaries > Does anyone remember Tilden or Andrew Parsons from Landville Church? > > Hester </HTML> > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Does anyone remember Tilden or Andrew Parsons from Landville Church? Hester </HTML>

Hi Rick Yes we had Missionaries in the Landville Church. A Ms Hollenbeck & Ms Dalghish (?). They also came into the grade school at Landville for a few hours a week and taught. Can you see that happening now? Ralph ----- Original Message ----- From: "Richard Stewart" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Monday, December 03, 2007 11:41 AM Subject: [WVLOGAN] Missionaries > Hello Shelby - Do you remember the other missionary in Blair besides Ms. > Koch? I've been trying to remember her name. I wonder if other Logan Co. > communities had missionaries living in them? Thanks. Cousin Rick > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > [email protected] with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Her name was : Mrs. Brannock. I believe the two were sent by the Moody Bible Institute to Appalachian duties.Blair already had three churches, so it was kind of a slam on us that we were so far back in civilization, that we needed missionerys, lol But, to their credit, they did introduce religeon to the children of the community. Cuz Shelby ************************************** Check out AOL's list of 2007's hottest products. (http://money.aol.com/special/hot-products-2007?NCID=aoltop00030000000001)