*J3 « - > >r\ v—-H s# Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2012 with funding from LYRASIS members and Sloan Foundation http://www.archive.org/details/historyofgreenbrOOcole HISTORY OF GREENBRIER COUNTY ILLUSTRATED BY J. R. COLE Author and Publisher LEWISBURG West Virginia /Vc*^ INTRODUCTORY Our work on the history of Greenbrier now comes to an end. The present volume is both historical and biographical. The original plan comprehended sketches of a general character for the first volume, and those of a personal one for the second vol- ume, but circumstances somewhat frustrated that plan. Lieut. Gaude N. Feamster was to aid in the preparation of the work, but circumstances intervened in that case also. Then, by mutual agreement, the work on the second volume was left for the lieu- tenant to write and publish himself. After digging away in the court records to some extent, Mr. Feamster decided to make his work consist of the annals of the county wholly. As that con- clusion would of necessity exclude the general history of the county, it left the more important part of that work to be taken care of by us. In the meantime, Col. Thomas H. Dennis, editor and pro- prietor of the Greenbrier Independent, issued an edition to me- morialize its semi-centennial anniversary. A dozen or more of our photo-engraving plates accompanied certain articles in that edition, which are both authoritative and of considerable value. In view of the fact that those articles should be preserved for future reference in some more permanent form, some of them have been printed in this present volume, but none of the bio- graphical sketches have been reproduced. It was the intention of the editor of the Independent to con- tinue the publication of his paper, to some considerable extent, along that line, but there were reasons why the project at that time could not be made to succeed. Now things are different. 4 HISTORY OF GREENBRIER COUNTY The publication of biographies, as originally intended, should be continued until all the leading citizens of the county have been fully represented and written up in the Independent. Old Green- brier can furnish the material and the enterprise should be en- couraged. A county having 2,500 homes, with a real estate asset of over $10,000,000, can produce a citizenship any people ought to be proud of; and every reliable farmer, within its boundaries ought to have a sketch of himself and of his family to add to the general history, if he is not a Hun. The Author. TABLE OF CONTENTS COUNTY HISTORY I Introductory Remarks. 2 The Greenbrier River. 3 Greenbrier County. 4 Roster of State Officers. Officers. 5 Roster of County 6 Railroads. 7 Lewisburg. 8 Ronceverte. 9 White Sulphur. IO Williamsburg District. ii Early Churches. 12 Rainelle. l 3 Progress of Methodism. 14 Educational Progress. 15 Bench and Bar. 16 A Pioneer Wedding. HISTORY OF FAMILIES Page Aldersons 308 Stuarts 3i Mathews 67 Prices 60 Millers 98 Keslers 108 Feamsters 134 Arbuckles 220 Sydenstrickers 240 Erwins 244 Wyatts 340 Bells 343 Dunbars 269 Dotsons 343 Murrills 183 Currys 230 McClungs 209 INDEX. BIOGRAPHICAL Page Page Arbuckle Family, The 220 Dennis, Robert F. 228 Argabrite, Jacob 286 Dennis, Thomas H. 230 Argabrite, James M. 290 Dice, John C. 223 Argabrite, George T. 291 Dice, Charles S. 224 Alderson, John, Sr. 308 Dotson Family, The 343 Alderson, Thomas 3°9 Dunbar Family, The 269 Alderson, John, Jr. 310 Dunn, Henry C. 194 Alderson, George 3*2 Dwyer, David A. 19S Alderson, Joseph 313 Alderson, Capt. Jack 316 Erwin Family, The 244 Alderson, George 3 J 7 Educational Progress 43 Alderson, J. Marshall 319 Alderson, John M. 320 Feamster, Thomas L. 134 Alderson, Bettie M. 322 Feamster, Claude N. 144 Alderson, Sampson I. 324 Feamster, S. W. N. 155 Alderson, Joseph N., Jr. 229 Fleshman, David M. 255 Fleshman, Andrew A. 259 Bench and Bar 46 Ford, Edgar S. 180 Boone, James H. 79 Boone, William A. 89 George, Henry H. 161 Boone, William F. 91 George, Thomas L. 162 Boone, Robert H. 91 George, John 165 Burr, Aaron B. no George, Henry 117 Bray. A. B. C. 120 George, Powhatan A. 165 Buster, Claudius 125 Gilchrist, George A., M. D. 242 Buster, George H. 127 Bell, Henry T. 158 Humphries, Mathew N. 256 Bell, Robert M. 160 Hennessy, Michael E. 103 Bell, Johnston E. 171 Hunter, Henry F. 112 Bell, Mason 175 Hunter, John A. 114 Blake, Wlliam B., Jr. 341 Handley, John O. 123 Beard, Harry Lee. M. D. 182 Handley, Harvey 124 Beard, Samuel C, M. D. 196 Holt, Homer A. 147 Beard, Elisha F. 243 Hinkle, Samuel W. 163 Hunt, W. R. 178 Clark, George Lynn 96 Hayes. William B. 216 Crickenberger, Emmett H. 206 Handley, John A. 226 Curry Family, The 231 Hanna, Maynard 239 Caldwell, James R. 235 Hundley. Bertha A. 334 Coffman, Price 253 Huddleston, Abraham E. 259 Coffman, O. B. 254 Hill, Edwin F. 325 Cole, George W. 275 Cole, Joseph R. 296 Jarrett, Joseph 327 Conner, Charles E. 300 Jackson, Martha A. 128 Clay, Thomas G, M. D. 303 Jasper, Richard 132 Jarrett, Thomas H. _ 179 Darnell, William E. 215 Johnson. Andrew Davis 339 251 De Laad, Rev. John J. 207 Johnson, Andrew Emerson INDEX. Page Page Keyes, Humphrey B. 250 Peters, John 232 Kesler Family, History of 108 Pyles, William P. ."........ 248 Kincaid, Alexander C. 301 Preston, John A. * 272 Peyton, Gen. Charles S. 284 Patton, Tristam Lewisburg 24 329 Patton, P. B., and Brothers"".".'."."'."." Level, Robert A. """""™T"!"[" 87 335 Lewis, John 100 Lewis, Charles C. 104 Railroads 21 Lewis, William 115 Roster, State and County 14 Lewis, George 116 Ronceverte, City of 25 Laing, James 130 Rainelle, Development of 35 Rodgers, James M. 92 Ramsey, Reuben W. 204 Mathews, J. W. 72 Hucker, , James Thomas 205 Mathews, J. Warrick 74 Ratliffe, William .._.""""".'_'. Mathews Family, The 67 G 227 Rapp, Burke A. 262 Mathews, Alex F. 345 Rupert, Cyrus A., M. D. Mays, Jonathan 109 335 Raymond, Edward F. Methodism, Progress of 42 338 Miller, Everette Bell ....Z...Z"-'- 1 18 Montague, Russell W. 149 Stuart, John 51 Masters, William 199 Stuart, Lewis Lacy 60 ' Miller Family, The 98 Svme, Conrad H. _ 166 Miller, William G. 94 Snyder, Judge A. C. 186 Moore, Houston B. 202 Skaggs, Howard C. 217 Moore, David T. 201 Skaggs, James M. 222 ..!."""""" Murrill Family, The 183 Sydenstricker, John M. 241 McWhorter, J. Scott 192 Stratton, James H. 285 McWhorter, Joseph M. no McDowell, Samuel H. 173 Totten, Mrs. M. J. 122 McClung, Dr. William H.""_""."." 210 Tyree, Samuel F. 129 McClung, William E. 214 Thurmond, Joseph S. 150 McClung, Jacob O. .:.'_""__. 238 Tuckwiller, David 294 McClung, James F. 246 McClung, James W. 264 McGeachy, Rev. Daniel P. 269 Walkup, James E. 267 McElhenney, Rev. John, D. D. 293 White Sulphur Springs 28 White Sulphur 33 Williamsburg District Nelson, William E. 80 34 White, William "~Z'"".'.'"Z 81 White, Rebecca 83 O'Connell. Daniel 191 White, Nekon„„^™""^™~."_\" 86 Osborn, Samuel W. 295 White, Henry Alexander 87 White, George Edward 107 Price, Samuel 62 White, George Lake 176 Price Family, The 60 Withrow, James 190 Price, Oscar A. 62 Williamson, Mrs. A. M. Cole.... 283 Pace, S. Nelson 198 Wyatt Family, The 340 ; ; ; ! THE GREENBRIER RIVER (By Rev. H. A. Murrill.) I. O, gentle River, thou art here, Dark flowing 'neath this ancient bridge, And trembling 'gainst its stony wall And haunted by that towering ridge. II. To the rusty ring on the maple tree My boat chain is securely tied. With every wavelet's heave and swell, In this light skiff I rock and ride. III. Spring's voices and the flowers fair Are stilled and folded for the eve The softening breeze and twilight hour, My phantasy and dreams do weave. IV. Thy source, O sparkling River, tell, The mystic fount from which thou art sprung I've traced thee up by islet strand Where wildest notes by birds were sung V. Where the water birches' ragged limbs Were blending with the spicewood sweet Where winsome children in their play Had come to splash with their dancing feet. VI. I've traced thee on by mill and town To the dell where dawn is ere behind, _ Where shades of the rhododendron cling, To bind the spell of the mountain wind. ; IO HISTORY OF GREENBRIER COUNTY VII. I've caught in the path of thine infant feet The trout flashing gold in thy water fall I've tracked the deer in the dingle deep To the grayest crags of thy cradle wall. VIII. Thou art not all river, not all form, Thou are not all shore and silver stream, But half of thy life is law and wave And half of thy beauteous life is dream. IX. As a joyous dream in the long ago, Thou dwellest in the Eternal Mind, And slept in His heart since the first stars shone As a rare and radiant gem enshrined. X. From starlight down to where fireflies shine, Thou comest on, thou beautiful stream, With music and sparkling joy for all Down the flowery shore and path of thy dream. March 8, 1917. : GREENBRIER COUNTY In an article for the semi-centennial of the Greenbrier Inde- pendent, written by William H. Sawyer, of Hinton, in speaking of Greenbrier county, the writer says The oldest county in West Virginia is Hampshire, formed in third is Green- 1754; the second Berkley, formed in 1772, and the and brier, formed from Montgomery and Botetourt, in 1777, Indians called this named from its principal river.