The Allegheny Sportsmen's Association

 

The Allegheny Sportsmen's Association (ASA) was a hunting and fishing club located in Minnehaha Springs, West Virginia. It was founded in 1912 by J. A. Viquesnay, the State Warden, and H. M. Lockridge. The ASA acquired 5,000 acres of land in the area, which it stocked with fish and game. In 1913, the ASA built a luxurious club house on the property, which was known as Allegheny Lodge. Allegheny Lodge was four stories tall and had a kitchen, dining room, pool rooms, and a large club room with four wood-burning fireplaces. The lodge was a popular destination for hunters and fishermen from all over the state.

The ASA disbanded in the early 1980s, and Allegheny Lodge was destroyed by fire in 1983.

Here are some additional details about the Allegheny Sportsmen's Association:

• Membership in the ASA was open to men only.
• The ASA had a strict code of conduct for its members, which prohibited hunting and fishing out of season, as well as the use of certain types of traps and bait.
• The ASA also sponsored a number of conservation programs, including the planting of trees and the construction of fish hatcheries.
• Allegheny Lodge was a popular destination for weddings and other social events.

The Allegheny Sportsmen's Association was a significant part of the history of Minnehaha Springs and Pocahontas County. The club house and its surrounding property were once a popular destination for hunters and fishermen, and the ASA played an important role in conservation efforts in the area.

The history of the elk at Minnehaha Springs

 

 The history of the elk at Minnehaha Springs, West Virginia, is a story of both success and loss. In 1913, the Allegheny Sportsmen's Association (ASA) imported a herd of 67 elk from Yellowstone National Park to the town of Minnehaha Springs. The ASA hoped to establish a sustainable elk population in the area, and they also wanted to provide hunters with a new game species to pursue.

The elk thrived in their new home, and they quickly multiplied. By 1920, there were an estimated 300 elk in the Minnehaha Springs area. The elk became a popular tourist attraction, and they also helped to boost the local economy.

However, the elk population began to decline in the 1930s. The Great Depression led to a decrease in tourism, and the elk were also hunted more heavily. By 1932, the elk herd had disappeared from Minnehaha Springs.

The exact reasons for the decline of the elk herd are unknown. However, it is likely that a combination of factors contributed to their disappearance, including habitat loss, hunting, and disease.

The elk were never reintroduced to Minnehaha Springs, but their legacy lives on. The town still bears the name of the fictional Indian princess Minnehaha, and the old ASA clubhouse is now a bed and breakfast. The elk herd may be gone, but the story of their time in Minnehaha Springs is a reminder of the beauty and fragility of nature.

Here are some additional details about the history of the elk at Minnehaha Springs:

• The elk were imported to Minnehaha Springs in two shipments, on January 9 and February 6, 1913.
• The elk were initially kept in a fenced enclosure until they were acclimated to their surroundings.
• The elk were released on the property of the Allegheny Sportsmen's Association, which is a private hunting and fishing club.
• The elk population peaked at around 300 animals in the early 1920s.
• The elk began to decline in the 1930s due to a combination of factors, including habitat loss, hunting, and disease.
• The elk herd disappeared from Minnehaha Springs in 1932.
• The elk were never reintroduced to Minnehaha Springs.
• The town still bears the name of the fictional Indian princess Minnehaha.

Lynchings in Pocahontas County

 

Lynchings in Pocahontas County

 There have been no lynchings in the County for two generations and the three we have record of took place during the Civil War. 

The following is taken from the Pocahontas Times for January 28th 1932 and was written by Calvin Price. In January 1862, a colored man belonging to John W. Warwick was taken by a mob, from the jail in Huntersville, and hanged on a tree.

 Reverend Henry Arbogast and Eli Buzzard were taken from their homes and shot near the roadside. Their body's were found the next day. ( I have sent something on this before)

 Timothy Alderman of Douthard's Creek was taken from his home and shot to death in the woods near the bridge at Minnehaha Springs. His body was not found for three weeks. Whether all were killed the same night, I do not know. I do know that Timothy Alderman was murdered the night of January 22, 1862. 

The reason of the inflamed feeling against these men, was the fact that they were Union sympathizers and had been accused of giving information to the Federal Forces.

 Large bodies of Confederate soldiers were camped in various parts of the County that winter. Timothy Alderman was one of several that had warning that they were in danger. He was preparing to hide himself in the mountains and was waiting for his clothes to dry when the lynchers came for him.

 He was 56 years 11 months and 28 days old the day he was murdered, January 22. He was found February 9. He left a widow and 8 small children, the youngest a daughter of two years, who sickened and died with dyptheria about the day her father was found.

 They were buried in the same grave. Two of his grandaughters, Mrs. C. H. Kellison and Mrs. Lanty Underwood sent me a poem some years after by Mary Ann Alderman and here it is. 

For three long weeks in hopeless woe, Friends searched for him in vain; When lo, one stormy winters eve They him beheld again. Yes, there the loving father lay The murdered man was found; His face was buried in the snow, 

Mrs. John Lee another grandaughter gave me this clipping when I was at her home getting material on their church. She says that a man claimed to have a dream and he said that he saw Alderman's body at a certain spot. They went to this place and did find the body, but they always thought this man knew more then just having a dream.