Jim, I think I mentioned to you once before that as a young man working out of Pineville, my work regularly took me to the Coal Mountain region, of which you write. The road from Justice to Long Branch was not in existence at that time and one's only choice was to go through Sun Hill, up over the mountain to Simon and down Long Branch and then eventually up Cub Creek to Guyan and Coal Mountain. I was selling, delivering and making collections for a furniture store as a convenience to the customers who couldn't make it into the store. Many people bought their furniture and appliances that way without having even seen the items they purchased before they were delivered. There was no electricity and the roads were unpaved and rutted along much of that torturous route, although Coal Mountain was a modern coal camp like an oasis in a desert and did not suffer those inconveniences. There were places along Long Branch and Reedy Creek, when they were improving those roads, that were impassable in wet weather and the State Road crews would use their road graders to push my truck over the obstacles. My work took me into every "nook and cranny" of that area. Many of the residents were farmers who also worked in the mines at Coal Mountain and many were quite wealthy by the standards of the time. Because of the isolation and their frugal nature, they spent very little on anything other than the bare necessities of life. Except for the young men who considered me a rival for the affections of some of the local girls, I have never experienced hospitality such as was shown to me by those simple mountain folks. It was virtually impossible to get away from some of them without sharing a meal and/or lengthy conversation. I remember, in particular, one lady who was well into her eighties and who lived alone and spent hours on her front porch listening to major league baseball games on a battery powered radio. She was a walking baseball encyclopedia, and relished my weekly visits and our arguments as to who was the better batter, Ted Williams or Stan Musial. Her last name was Toler; I don't think I ever knew her first. Another vivid memory is of me and my partner having to deliver a 400-pound iron cook stove down over a bluff and then across the Guyandotte on a home made wooden boat. I still think that was a better choice than using the long swinging bridge, which was the only other means of access from the road. Since those times, I have moved in considerably different circles. Now I am embarrassed to say that I know fewer than half the people on my street, while at that time, I was acquainted with half the people between Sun Hill and Guyan. I can't help but feel some pangs of nostalgia when I think or hear of those friendly people who were so much of my heritage. As Thomas Wolfe wrote, we can't go home again. We may return to the places, but we can't return to the times and people who were there when we were growing up. Thank you for indulging an old man and his memories of much simpler, and in many ways more rewarding, times. STAN On Sunday, May 7, 2006, at 12:12 AM, Jim Burgess wrote: > Dear Logan County, West Virginia Genealogist, > > I have thought of this before perhaps you have to. > > Think about how small this area would be > Tridelphia District Logan County, West Virginia > Spruce District Logan County, West Virginia > Huff Creek District, Wyoming County, West Virginia > Clearfork District, Wyoming, West Virginia > Baileysville District, Wyoming, West Virginia > > All most all of my father's family lived in these five districts. > > Sure would have been easier if they had been in the same county. > > How big is Huff Mountain - Buffalo Mountain - Cook Mountain - Cherry > Pond > Mountain > & Coal River Mountain > > Small Area all things considered - Rugged Mountains! My ancestors > lived, > loved > died and are buried in these beautiful mountians. > > Maybe 40 - 50 miles square - just guessing! > > If you had to drive all around it - it would be long drive > > Sacred ground for this Logan Wyoming Boone Hill Billy! > > When I used to Coal Mountain I would go through Gilbert - It never > occured > to me > to go through Oceana. I was very dumb! > > I know Logan County like the back of my hand. Sure wish I knew the > Clearfork > Oceana Baileysville area better. I want to spend a week in Wyoming > County > some > day. > > How much coal has been taken out of these hills? > > My mind goes crazy at midnight???? > > Jim Burgess > > -----Original Message----- > From: Jim Burgess [mailto:jim@promobiz.biz] > Sent: Saturday, May 06, 2006 11:30 PM > To: WVLOGAN-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: [WVLOGAN] Allen Blankenship and Sarah Toler > > > Are these two gentlemen the same person? > Sarah is the daughter of Squire Toler and Elizabeth Blankenship. > > Is Dollie the second or third wife of Allen Blankenship - even James > Allen > Blankenship? > > 1870 Logan County, West Virginia Census Clear Fork District Dwelling > 11 > Blankenship, Allen 21 > Blankenship, Sarah 25 > Blankenship, Staton 2 > Blankenship, Mary V 1/12 > > Not able to find in the 1880 Census - They must be there somewhere? > > 1900 Wyoming County, West Virginia Clearfork District District 14 > Dwelling > 162 > Blankenship, Allen White Male Feb 1844 West Virginia > Blankenship, Dollie White Female Apr 1877 West Virginia > Blankenship, Lilly White Female Mar 1885 West Virginia > Blankenship, Rosa White Female Mar 1887 West Virginia > Blankenship, Rhoda White Female May 1896 West Virginia > Blankenship, Hannie White Female Sep 1897 West Virginia > Blankenship, Bud White Male May 1900 West Virginia > > Looks good - do not have a clue if this is a match! > > Jim Burgess > -----Original Message----- > From: Jim Burgess [mailto:jim@promobiz.biz] > Sent: Saturday, May 06, 2006 10:49 PM > To: WVLOGAN-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: RE: [WVLOGAN] Toler Descendants 3rd Generations daughters who > married > > > Joel, > > Thanks for this information. So sad to see children die so early in > life. > > Jim > > -----Original Message----- > From: Joel Hager [mailto:joel.hager@us.army.mil] > Sent: Saturday, May 06, 2006 9:09 PM > To: WVLOGAN-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: RE: [WVLOGAN] Toler Descendants 3rd Generations daughters who > married > > > Jim, > > I discovered a Toler connection to my Hager family. I am sorry I have > only > death records for the known children. > > Joel > > 6. Juanita Toler-[291241] (Charles Dolt 1) was born on 23 Dec 1922 in > Logan > County, West Virginia, died on 6 Sep 1969 in Milton, Cabell County, > West > Virginia at age 46, and was buried in White Chapel Cemetery, > Barboursville, > Cabell County, West Virginia. > > Juanita married Gay McComas-[171800] [MRIN: 105488], son of Ulysses > Simpson > 'Buzz' McComas-[230577] and Elizabeth 'Lizza' Hager-[230573]. Gay was > born > on 30 May 1922 in Fez Creek, Union Dist., Lincoln County, West > Virginia and > died on 2 Oct 1996 in Branchland, Lincoln County, West Virginia at age > 74. > > Children from this marriage were: > > 9 F i. Mattelene McComas-[291730] was born on 31 > Jan 1941 in Fez Creek, Union Dist., Lincoln County, West Virginia, > died on 6 > Feb 1941 in Fez Creek, Union Dist., Lincoln County, West Virginia, and > was > buried in McComas Cemetery, Fez Creek, Lincoln County, West Virginia. > > 10 M ii. Jackie McComas-[291904] was born on 7 Sep > 1947 in Hamlin, Carroll Dist., Lincoln County, West Virginia, died on > 9 Sep > 1947 in St. Mary's Hospital, Huntington, Cabell County, West Virginia, > and > was buried in McComas Cemetery, Branchland, RT. 3, Lincoln County, West > Virginia. > > > ============================== > Search the US Census Collection. Over 140 million records added in the > last 12 months. Largest online collection in the world. 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