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Violet

 

Violet's Hollow: Reconstructing the Faded History of a Pocahontas County Hamlet



Section I: The Enduring Landscape: The Greenbrier River and the Little Levels


The history of any Appalachian community is first and foremost a story of topography. Before the arrival of settlers, industry, or even names on a map, the land itself—its rivers, valleys, and mountains—dictated the possibilities of human existence. In Pocahontas County, West Virginia, two dominant geographical features shaped the destiny of its southern region: the fertile plains of the Little Levels and the powerful artery of the Greenbrier River. The unincorporated community of Violet, a place so small its history is nearly invisible in official records, owes its existence to its precise location at the confluence of these two defining landscapes. Its story is incomprehensible without first understanding the land that cradled it.


The Greenbrier River as a Lifeline and Industrial Highway


The Greenbrier River is the primary drainage system of Pocahontas County, a vast territory aptly named the "Birthplace of Rivers" for the eight headwaters that rise within its borders.1 From its origins, the Greenbrier flows southward, carving a natural corridor through the Allegheny Mountains that has served as a route for wildlife, Native American trails, pioneer migration, and ultimately, industrial transport.2 For the small communities that would eventually cling to its banks, the river was a lifeline, providing water, food, and a connection to the outside world.


Its most significant historical role, however, was as an industrial highway. Long before the railroad penetrated the remote mountain valleys, local entrepreneurs recognized the river's potential for transporting logs from the vast, untapped forests to downstream sawmills.4 The Greenbrier was uniquely suited for log drives, a dangerous and seasonal enterprise that became the first engine of the region's timber industry.2 This early industrial activity set the stage for the establishment of numerous small camps and informal settlements all along its course. Violet's specific location, situated directly on the Greenbrier River approximately four miles east-northeast of Hillsboro, places it squarely within this historical industrial corridor, a waypoint on the journey of countless logs floating from the deep woods to the mills.6


The Little Levels: An Agricultural Haven


In stark contrast to the rugged, timber-rich mountains that dominate most of Pocahontas County, the Little Levels district is a unique geological anomaly. This broad, relatively flat plain west of the Greenbrier River is underlain by limestone, creating some of the most fertile and productive farmland in West Virginia.2 From the earliest days of European settlement, this area, with the town of Hillsboro at its center, supported a robust agricultural economy based on livestock grazing and crop cultivation.2


The agricultural prosperity of the Little Levels fostered a culture fundamentally different from that of the mountains. It was a society of settled farmsteads, of land ownership passed down through generations, and of community institutions built to last.7 This agrarian world was stable, its rhythms dictated by the seasons of planting and harvest. The families who put down roots here established a distinct social and cultural identity that would later contrast sharply with the transient, industrial, and often chaotic culture of the logging camps that erupted along the river and in the mountain hollows.


The location of Violet is not a geographical accident; it sits at the physical and economic intersection of these two worlds. The community lies on the very edge of the Little Levels district, on the banks of the industrial river. Its history was therefore shaped by the interplay and tension between the established farming families of the plains and the transient loggers working the river. This duality is the essential key to understanding its origins and identity. Violet was a place where these two distinct ways of life met, where local farm boys might have sought seasonal work on the log drives, where families may have had a foot in both the agricultural and timber economies, and where the settled world of the Levels gave way to the wilder, more transient world of the river.


Section II: The Pioneer Foundation: Settlement, Farming, and Frontier Life (c. 1750–1880)


Before the roar of sawmills and the shriek of locomotive whistles echoed through the Greenbrier Valley, a different kind of society took root in the Little Levels. For more than a century, this region was a frontier, a place defined by the slow, arduous process of settlement, the establishment of a stable agrarian culture, and the constant threat of conflict. This pre-industrial history is the foundational layer of the region's identity. The society that emerged—grounded in family, land, and faith—created a stable world that would soon be irrevocably transformed by the industrial revolution that swept through the mountains in the late 19th century.


First European Settlement and Frontier Conflict


The European history of Pocahontas County begins with the arrival of Jacob Marlin and Stephen Sewell at the present-day site of Marlinton around 1749.7 These men were the vanguard of a westward movement, but their presence was an intrusion into a land long reserved by the Iroquois Confederacy as a hunting ground.10 The nations of the Iroquois resisted European encroachment, and for the next half-century, permanent settlement in the Greenbrier Valley was a slow, perilous, and often bloody process.2


Settlers who followed Marlin and Sewell in the 1750s were frequently driven out by Indian attacks during the French and Indian War.2 Even after settlement resumed in the 1760s, raids continued through the Revolutionary War period and into the 1790s.2 Life on the frontier was militarized by necessity. To survive, settlers relied on a network of forts that served as both militia bases and communal havens in times of danger.12


 Fort Warwick, for example, was a crucial outpost where militia members trained before engagements like the Battle of Point Pleasant in 1774, and it provided refuge for local families throughout the ongoing conflicts.11 This long period of insecurity forged a resilient and self-reliant culture among the pioneers.


The Rise of an Agrarian Society in the Little Levels


The majority of the early permanent settlers in the Little Levels were of Scotch-Irish descent, migrating from Pennsylvania and the Valley of Virginia.13 They brought with them a deeply ingrained culture of agriculture and stock raising, and they found the fertile limestone soil of the Levels to be an ideal environment for their way of life.9 The region quickly became known for its excellent grazing lands, supporting the beginnings of a livestock industry that remains important to the county's economy today.2 While slavery was present from the earliest years, the small scale of the farms meant that it never reached the proportions seen in eastern Virginia.7


Over time, a stable, family-based society developed, with Hillsboro emerging as its social and economic hub.8 Prominent families like the Hills, for whom the town was named, and the Beards established multi-generational farms, creating a society where land ownership, lineage, and community standing were paramount.17 This was a world built on permanence, a stark contrast to the temporary nature of the industrial camps that would follow.


Community Institutions: Churches and Schools


As the frontier became more settled, pioneers worked to establish the institutions that would define their communities. Often, the first non-dwelling structures built were churches, which served as the moral, social, and sometimes educational centers of pioneer life.19 These early congregations, primarily Presbyterian and Methodist, provided not only spiritual guidance but also a crucial framework for social cohesion.


Education was also a high priority. In 1842, the Little Levels Academy was established in Hillsboro, becoming the focal point of community life and a symbol of the settlers' aspirations for their children.9 The academy, along with a corresponding school for girls, provided a level of higher education rare on the trans-Allegheny frontier and solidified the Little Levels' reputation as a center of culture and learning in the region.9


The pre-1880 society of the Little Levels was thus characterized by stability, slow growth, and a deep connection to land, family, and community institutions. This established order, built over generations, provides a crucial baseline against which the chaotic, rapid, and transformative impact of the subsequent timber industry can be measured. The arrival of the loggers and the railroad was not an evolution but a cataclysm, imposing a new industrial reality upon an old agrarian world. The culture of a small, riverside place like Violet was almost certainly a hybrid, forged in the collision between the settled farmers of the Levels and the transient industrial workers who descended upon the valley.


Date

Event

Significance for the Little Levels District

Source(s)

c. 1749

Jacob Marlin and Stephen Sewell establish a homestead near present-day Marlinton.

Marks the beginning of European settlement in the Greenbrier Valley, initiating a long period of frontier conflict and gradual expansion.

7

1760s

Permanent settlement resumes in the area, with families like the Kennisons and McNeels establishing homesteads.

Represents the beginning of the formation of a stable, land-based community after the disruptions of the French and Indian War.

2

1774

Militia members from the region train at Fort Warwick before the Battle of Point Pleasant.

Highlights the militarized nature of frontier life and the active role of local settlers in regional conflicts.

11

1821

Pocahontas County is officially formed from parts of Bath, Pendleton, and Randolph counties.

Establishes the political and administrative framework for the region, with Huntersville as the first county seat.

2

1842

The Little Levels Academy is established in Hillsboro.

Solidifies Hillsboro as the educational and cultural center of the district, reflecting the community's commitment to education.

9

1883

The Pocahontas Times, the county's first newspaper, is established.

Marks a new era of communication and a more cohesive county identity, chronicling local life on the cusp of industrialization.

2

1886

The Town of Hillsboro is officially incorporated, the first in Pocahontas County.

Signifies the maturation of the community from a pioneer settlement to an established town with formal governance.

8

1891

The county seat is moved from Huntersville to Marlinton.

Reflects the shifting economic and demographic power in the county, driven by the anticipation of the railroad and timber boom.

2

1900

The Chesapeake & Ohio Railway's Greenbrier Division reaches Marlinton.

Revolutionizes the region's economy, ending its relative isolation and launching the peak era of the timber industry.

2

c. 1960

The last major timber operation (Cass mill) closes.

Marks the end of the industrial timber boom, leading to economic transition and the decline of many small company towns.

2

c. 1980

The Greenbrier Division rail line is abandoned and converted into the Greenbrier River Trail.

Ushers in the modern era, redefining the river corridor as a hub for recreation and tourism rather than industry.

26

Table 1: Timeline of Key Developments in the Little Levels District (1749-1980)


Section III: The Timber Revolution: Railroads, Log Drives, and Company Towns (c. 1880–1930)


The half-century between 1880 and 1930 represents the most transformative period in the history of Pocahontas County. The arrival of large-scale industrial logging—first by river and then by rail—shattered the region's agrarian isolation. This "timber revolution" remade the physical and cultural landscape, clear-cutting vast tracts of virgin forest, spawning new towns overnight, and attracting a diverse, mobile workforce that fundamentally altered the county's social fabric.28 It was within this dynamic and often chaotic context that small, informal communities like Violet were born. Their history is inextricably linked to the rise and fall of the timber boom.


The River Drivers: The First Wave of Industrial Logging


The first phase of the timber boom was powered by water. In the 1870s, long before a railroad reached the upper Greenbrier Valley, the St. Lawrence Boom and Manufacturing Company began harvesting the immense stands of virgin white pine in Pocahontas and Greenbrier counties.5 The company established a massive sawmill at Ronceverte and used the Greenbrier River as a natural conveyor belt to transport its raw material.5

The process was a marvel of rugged ingenuity. Logging crews, known as "wood hicks," worked deep in the mountains through the fall and winter, felling trees and moving the logs to the banks of tributary streams.5 When the spring rains and snowmelt swelled the waterways, specially constructed "splash dams" were opened, releasing a torrent of water that carried the logs into the main channel of the Greenbrier.25 The annual log drive was a dangerous and arduous affair. River drivers, balancing on the moving logs, spent their days in ice-cold water, using peaveys and pikes to keep the timber moving and break up jams.4 Following the drive were "arks"—large rafts fitted with bunkhouses and cook shanties—that served as mobile headquarters for the crew.4 For several decades, the Greenbrier River was an industrial artery, and any settlement along its banks, including the area that would become Violet, would have witnessed this annual spectacle of floating timber.


The Iron Horse Arrives: The Chesapeake & Ohio Railway


While the river drives were effective for floating buoyant white pine, they were seasonal and could not transport the heavier hardwoods that also covered the mountains. The true catalyst for the timber boom was the arrival of the railroad. In 1899, the Chesapeake & Ohio (C&O) Railway began constructing its Greenbrier Division, a line that closely followed the river. It reached Marlinton in late 1900, the future site of Cass in 1901, and Durbin in 1902.2

The railroad's arrival was a watershed moment. It provided year-round, reliable transportation, opening up the entire region to intensive logging. Investors, including U.S. Senators Johnson N. Camden and Henry Gassaway Davis, had been buying up vast tracts of timberland for years in anticipation of this moment.2 With the completion of the C&O line, dozens of sawmills and tanneries sprang up almost overnight, creating a new industrial spine along the Greenbrier River.1 This rapid industrialization created an enormous demand for labor, drawing in workers from across the country and fundamentally altering the county's demographics and economy.29 It is precisely within this period of explosive growth and settlement that a small residential cluster like Violet would have become necessary and viable.


The Boom Towns and Logging Camps


The timber industry gave rise to a new type of settlement in Pocahontas County: the company town. Large, meticulously planned towns were built by major corporations to house their workforce. Cass, founded in 1901 by the West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company, was the largest and most famous, a complete community with company houses, a store, a church, and a school, all centered around a massive sawmill.11 Other lumber towns, such as Harter, built by the Harter Brothers Lumber Company just north of Marlinton, replicated this model on a smaller scale.33

In addition to these formal towns, the landscape was dotted with smaller, more primitive logging camps. These were often temporary settlements built along railroad spurs deep in the mountains, consisting of crude shanties that could be moved as the logging operations advanced.29 The social environment of these camps was a world away from the settled farms of the Little Levels. They were populated by a diverse and largely male workforce of native-born mountaineers, African American laborers from the South, and immigrants from Italy, Austria, and Greece.29 Living conditions were often rough and segregated, and the work was grueling and dangerous.28


The existence of these formal and informal industrial settlements provides a critical framework for understanding a place like Violet. Its conspicuous absence from historical maps and official records of the era is not evidence of its non-existence, but rather a powerful clue to its identity. Major company towns like Cass and even smaller operations like Harter are well-documented. The 1925 U.S. Geological Survey topographic map of the Lobelia quadrangle, for instance, is noted for its meticulous detail, showing individual houses and small settlements throughout the Little Levels.35 Yet, Violet does not appear. 


This "cartographic silence" strongly suggests that Violet was not a formal company town or an officially recognized village. Instead, it was likely an informal, vernacular settlement—a place that emerged organically, known to locals by a colloquial name but lacking official status. This pattern is characteristic of the Appalachian industrial landscape, where many small hollows and riverside clusters were named for a prominent family or a natural feature without ever being formally platted or incorporated. The community likely existed as a known local place for decades before it was eventually recorded by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names and given an official designation.6


Company Name

Primary Location of Operations

Time Period

Key Activities and Infrastructure

Source(s)

St. Lawrence Boom and Manufacturing Company

Mill at Ronceverte (Greenbrier Co.); Timberlands along the Greenbrier River up to Cass (Pocahontas Co.)

c. 1871–1910

Harvested virgin white pine; operated annual log drives down the Greenbrier River using splash dams and log arks; built "The Big Mill," the largest softwood mill in the country at the time.

5

West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company

Mill and company town at Cass; timberlands on Cheat Mountain.

c. 1901–1960

Harvested red spruce for pulpwood and lumber; operated one of the largest timber operations in the state with an extensive logging railroad system (Cass Scenic Railroad), multiple logging camps, and a workforce of over 2,500.

11

Harter Brothers Lumber Company

Mill and company town at Harter, 5 miles northeast of Marlinton on the Greenbrier River.

c. 1900–1920s

Operated a significant sawmill with a logging railroad, company houses, and a wooden bridge crossing the Greenbrier River.

33

Denmar Lumber Company

Mill at Denmar, on the Greenbrier River.

Early 1900s

Operated a large lumber mill in the community of Denmar.

33

Warn Lumber Company

Mill at Warntown, near Mill Point on Stamping Creek.

Early 1900s

Operated a sawmill and company town with a boarding house for workers.

33

Campbell Lumber Company

Mill at Campbelltown; logging on Williams River.

Early 1900s

Operated a sawmill and a logging railroad with a log loader for hemlock logs.

33

Howe's Leather Tannery

Tannery at Frank, near Durbin.

c. 1904–Post-WWII

One of the world's largest producers of shoe sole leather; utilized tannin-rich bark from local chestnut, oak, and hemlock trees supplied by the logging industry.

11

Table 2: Major Timber Operations on the Greenbrier River, Pocahontas County (1870-1930)


Section IV: Unearthing Violet: An Investigation into Name, Origin, and Identity


With the historical stage set—a landscape defined by the river and the Levels, a society transformed by the timber boom—the investigation can now focus on the central mystery: the origin of Violet itself. Lacking a formal founding date, a charter, or a place in official histories, the story of this small community must be reconstructed from faint clues, genealogical records, and logical deduction. By systematically examining the available evidence, it is possible to move beyond speculation and build a compelling, evidence-based theory for the community's genesis and, most importantly, the source of its evocative name.


The Known Facts and the Central Mystery


The sum of concrete, official information about Violet is remarkably sparse. The U.S. Geological Survey's Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) identifies it as an unincorporated community in Pocahontas County, located on the Greenbrier River at coordinates 38∘09′25′′N 80∘08′31′′W.6 This places it 4 miles (6.4 km) east-northeast of Hillsboro, within the broader Little Levels district.6

Beyond this, the record falls silent. The community is absent from the foundational text of local history, William T. Price's 1901 Historical Sketches of Pocahontas County, a comprehensive work filled with details on families and settlements.37 It is also missing from early 20th-century federal publications like Henry Gannett's 1904

A Gazetteer of West Virginia and from detailed topographic maps of the period, which were known to record even individual farmhouses.35 This absence frames the investigative problem: Violet was a place that existed on the ground, in the lives of local people, long before it was recognized by cartographers or government agencies. Its history is unwritten, and its name is a puzzle. Two primary theories emerge from the available evidence.


Theory 1: The Natural Connection - A Floral Appellation


One plausible and straightforward explanation for the name "Violet" is that it was inspired by the local flora. The practice of naming places after plants, animals, and natural features is common throughout Appalachia. Pocahontas County is renowned for its biodiversity and spectacular displays of springtime wildflowers, including numerous species of violets that dot the fields and forest floors.40 The recent discovery of a previously undocumented species, the prostrate blue violet (

Viola walteri), in nearby Pendleton County underscores the region's botanical richness and the prominence of this particular flower.41 It is conceivable that the area along the Greenbrier River where the community formed was known locally for an abundance of wild violets, leading to the simple and descriptive name. While this theory is appealing in its simplicity, it remains speculative, as there is no direct historical or anecdotal evidence to support it over other possibilities.


Theory 2: The Personal Connection - A Genealogical Investigation


A more compelling theory, supported by specific documentary evidence, is that the community was named for a local resident. The practice of naming small, unincorporated places after a founding or prominent family was common in the region; the nearby community of Mace, for example, was named for a local family who lived there.42 A thorough search of genealogical and census records reveals several individuals named Violet who lived in Pocahontas County during the critical period of the timber boom, when the community likely formed and acquired its name.

The evidence points overwhelmingly to one individual as the most probable namesake: Violet Mae (Morrison) Bowers (1898-1963). Her life story aligns perfectly with the geographical and chronological context of the community's formation. According to census and genealogical records, Violet Mae Morrison was born in Huntersville in May 1898.43 Crucially, the 1900 U.S. Census records her as a one-year-old child living with her parents, Clabe and Bertha Morrison, in the

Little Levels district.43 The 1910 census again places the eleven-year-old Violet and her family in Pocahontas County, this time in the Edray district, which borders the Little Levels.43

This places her childhood directly in the vicinity of the future community of Violet during the most explosive period of industrial development. She was a toddler when the C&O railroad was completed just a few miles from her home in 1900, and she grew up as the timber boom reached its absolute peak. Small, informal settlements often acquired their names through local custom. A cluster of houses near the Morrison family's land, a bend in the river where they lived, or a stop on a logging spur where her father or brothers worked could easily have become known colloquially as "Violet's place" or "Violet's hollow." Over time, this informal designation could have solidified into the accepted name for the settlement, a name that persisted long after the Morrison family's direct connection to that specific spot may have faded.

While other individuals named Violet appear in county records, their connection is less direct. Violet Wilfong was born in the county in 1914, placing her within the latter part of the boom era, but her family's specific location is not as clearly tied to the Little Levels district.44 Other notable women, like Violet Roberta Phillips Cassell (b. 1924) and Creola Violet Loyd (b. ~1932), were born later, after the community's name was likely already established.45 Their existence, however, is significant in that it demonstrates the popularity of the given name "Violet" in the region during the early 20th century, lending further credence to the theory that the community's name has a personal, rather than a botanical, origin. The convergence of Violet Mae Morrison's age, her documented residence in the Little Levels district, and the historical timing of the timber boom makes her the strongest and most logical candidate for the namesake of this quiet riverside community.


Full Name

Birth/Death Dates

Known Residence / Magisterial District

Associated Family Surnames

Notes

Source(s)

Violet Mae (Morrison) Bowers

1898–1963

Little Levels district (1900 Census); Edray district (1910 Census)

Morrison, Auldridge, Bowers

Primary Candidate. Her childhood (age 1 in 1900) directly coincides with the arrival of the C&O railroad and the peak of the timber boom in the exact geographical area. The Morrison family's presence in the district provides a strong geographical and chronological link.

43

Violet Wilfong

b. 19 Dec 1914

Pocahontas County (specific district not identified)

Wilfong

Secondary Candidate. Born within the latter part of the timber boom era. Less compelling than Morrison due to a later birth date and less specific location data.

44

Violet Roberta (Phillips) Cassell

1924–2016

Born at Cass, Pocahontas County

Phillips, Cassell

Supporting Evidence. Born after the community name was likely established. Her existence demonstrates the prevalence of the name "Violet" in the county during this period.

46

Creola Violet Loyd

c. 1932–2025

Born and raised in Pocahontas County (likely near Marlinton)

Loyd, Wilson

Supporting Evidence. Born after the timber boom's peak. Further demonstrates the local popularity of the name "Violet" in the early 20th century.

45

Table 3: Genealogical Data for Individuals Named "Violet" in Pocahontas County, 1890-1930


Section V: Echoes on the River: Violet in the Modern Era


The industrial fervor that likely gave birth to Violet was, by its very nature, unsustainable. By the late 1920s, the vast tracts of virgin timber had been cut, and the Great Depression hastened the decline of the remaining mills.2 The end of the boom initiated another profound transformation in Pocahontas County, shifting the region's focus from resource extraction to conservation and recreation. The story of Violet in the modern era is one of quiet persistence, its identity now shaped not by the industry that has vanished but by the natural landscape that endures and the recreational artery that has taken the railroad's place.


The End of the Boom and Economic Transition


The decline of the timber industry left a scarred landscape in its wake. Decades of intensive logging followed by severe forest fires in the 1930s had damaged much of the land.2 In response, a new ethos of conservation began to take hold. The federal government established the Monongahela National Forest in 1920, and the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) arrived during the Depression to begin the long work of reforestation.2 CCC camps, including Camp Watoga and Camp Seebert near the Little Levels, built cabins, trails, and lakes, laying the infrastructure for a future tourism economy that would eventually supplant timber as the county's primary industry.11


The post-World War II era saw the final closure of the county's largest industrial operations, including the tanneries and the massive Cass mill, which cut its last log in 1960.2 The county's economy diversified, with tourism growing from a minor enterprise into a major industry.2 The establishment of the Green Bank Observatory in 1956 and the development of the Snowshoe Mountain ski resort further shifted the county's economic focus toward science and recreation.11


From Railroad to Recreation: The Greenbrier River Trail


For the small communities along the Greenbrier River, the most significant change was the abandonment of the railroad that had been their lifeline. With the timber gone, the C&O's Greenbrier Division saw its traffic dwindle, and the last passenger train ran in 1958.27 The tracks were finally removed in 1979.27 However, this end marked a new beginning. The state of West Virginia acquired the abandoned right-of-way, and by 1985, it had been converted into the 78-mile Greenbrier River Trail, one of the longest and most scenic rail-trails in the country.26


This act of preservation redefined the entire river corridor. The flat, gentle grade that once carried trainloads of logs now hosts hikers, cyclists, and horseback riders.26 The trail passes directly through or near the sites of former logging towns and railroad stops like Seebert, Watoga, and Burnsides, connecting them in a new recreational network.48 Violet's modern identity is now inextricably tied to this trail. The community sits along this path, a quiet 

waypoint for travelers exploring the natural beauty of the valley.




Violet Today: A Quiet Reflection of History


Today, the area known as Violet is a quiet residential and agricultural hamlet. It consists of a small collection of homes and farms nestled along the Greenbrier River, a place passed through by those enjoying the tranquility of the Greenbrier River Trail. Its industrial past is all but invisible, save for the unnaturally flat grade of the trail that was once a bustling railroad bed. The sounds of saws and steam engines have been replaced by the rustle of leaves and the flow of the river.


Violet embodies the full arc of the region's history. It was born from the dynamic intersection of pioneer agriculture and industrial timber, its name a faint but persistent echo of a single family's life during the height of the boom. Its present-day tranquility is a testament to the resilience of the landscape and the profound economic and cultural shifts that have reshaped Pocahontas County. It remains, as it likely always was, a place defined more by its location and its people than by any official designation—a quiet hollow on the river, holding the faded memories of a bygone era.


Recommendations for Further Research


While this report synthesizes the available evidence to construct a comprehensive history of Violet, the sparseness of official records means that certain aspects of its story can only be fully illuminated through targeted, primary-source research. For those wishing to continue this investigation, the following steps are recommended:


  • Courthouse Records: A focused search of land and property records at the Pocahontas County Courthouse in Marlinton is the most critical next step.51 The objective would be to identify deeds, tax assessments, and probate records from the period of 1890 to 1930 for parcels located along the Greenbrier River in the 4-mile stretch between Hillsboro and Seebert. Specifically, searching for transactions involving the Morrison family (particularly Clairborne "Clabe" Griffith Morrison) or other associated families could pinpoint the exact location of their holdings and potentially reveal property names or descriptions that reference "Violet."


  • Local Archives and Oral Histories: Direct engagement with local historical organizations could yield invaluable, unwritten information. Contacting the Pocahontas County Historical Society and the Genealogy Group of Pocahontas County is highly recommended.52 Inquiries should be made regarding any oral histories, family photograph collections, unpublished memoirs, or locally-held maps that pertain to the Morrison family or to life in the small, informal settlements along the Greenbrier River during the timber boom. These organizations often hold vertical files on specific families that may contain letters or notes not available elsewhere.53


  • Newspaper Archives: The archives of the Pocahontas Times, the county's newspaper of record since 1883, represent a rich source of social and economic history.22 A systematic search of the newspaper for the period 1900-1940 could uncover social notices (births, marriages, deaths), property sale announcements, or local news items that mention the Morrison family's activities. It is also possible that a brief mention of a logging camp, a railroad siding, or a community gathering could provide the first written reference to the place name "Violet."


  • Topographic Map Analysis: While historical map searches have thus far been inconclusive, a high-resolution copy of the 1925 U.S. Geological Survey "Lobelia" quadrangle map should be acquired and analyzed.35 This map is known for its exceptional detail. By plotting the precise modern coordinates of Violet onto this historical map, it may be possible to identify unnamed structures, a schoolhouse, a church, or a cluster of buildings that correspond to the community's location, providing a visual snapshot of the settlement during the late timber era.

Works cited

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  4. Timber/Timbre: Falling Trees and Rising Voices · Introduction - Part III - Omeka S Server - West Virginia University, accessed July 30, 2025, https://omekas.lib.wvu.edu/home/s/timber/page/introduction-partIII

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  12. National Register of Historic Places Registration Form - West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture & History, accessed July 30, 2025, https://wvculture.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Warwicks-Fort-REDACTED.pdf

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  14. Pocahontas County Pioneer "Lest We Forget" - USGenWeb Archives, accessed July 30, 2025, http://files.usgwarchives.net/wv/pocahontas/bios/wmsharpsr-bio.txt

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