Old Pocahontas Times

 

 

Thunderbolts on Droop Mountain and the Allergy that Saved the Kanawha Valley: Secrets of the Pocahontas Archives

The Ghost in the Newsprint

There is a certain ghostliness to old newsprint, a lingering presence that only reveals itself when you begin to sift through the yellowed pages. Sifting through the archives of The Pocahontas Times is less an act of research and more a journey into a world where the lines between the miraculous and the scandalous are delightfully thin. These records, preserved in the ink of decades past, reveal more than just a dry list of births and deaths; they uncover a Pocahontas County filled with architectural mischief, revolutionary environmentalism, and cinematic drama. To look back is to realize that our "ordinary" present was built on the extraordinary, often bizarre, lives of those who came before us.

The Preacher, the Lightning Bolt, and the Double Life

One of the most cinematic episodes in our local religious history features a man known to his flock as Preacher Johnson. The setting was a revival tent on Droop Mountain, pitched during a "terrible thunder storm" that seemed determined to test the faithful. Rain didn't just fall; it ran through the tent in a stream, while the wind howled across the peak as only it can on top of that mountain.

Despite the elemental fury, Johnson refused to close the meeting. In a moment of high-tension theater, he plucked an 18-month-old child from the congregation and made a daring pledge to the heavens:

"if this child was going to heaven, he was going with it."

The response from above was instantaneous and terrifying. At that exact moment, a man named John Boyce—a deeply religious soul from Spring Creek—was praying aloud, asking the Lord "to remove anything that was in the way of souls being saved." Suddenly, a literal bolt of lightning tore through the tent. It struck Preacher Johnson with such force that it knocked him over the organ stool and completely shattered the pocket watch in his possession.

The preacher remained unconscious until the next evening, seemingly a survivor of a divine intervention. However, it wasn't long before the "mask slipped." While preaching at Beulah Church a few months later, the preacher learned the sheriff was closing in. It turned out Johnson was a fugitive from Virginia with a wife and children he had conveniently forgotten, while the woman he was currently living with was not his wife. The "preacher" vanished as quickly as the lightning strike, never to be heard from again.

Architectural Surveillance: There was Method to this Drafty Madness

The construction of early log buildings often had practical motivations that seem quite mischievous to the modern eye. When the Mt. Olivet United Methodist Church—a "Northern" Church organized in 1877—was first built on Droop Mountain across U.S. 219 from the current site, it featured a peculiar architectural choice: there was no mortar placed between the logs.

This wasn't a failure of craftsmanship; it was a form of low-tech surveillance. Preachers used the cracks between the logs to peer through and "check the attendance" before they ever stepped inside. This "Northern" vigilance, however, eventually met its match in local ingenuity. One evening, a group of neighborhood boys, tired of the preacher’s spying habit, placed snuff in the very crack he used for his pre-service reconnaissance. When the preacher took his customary look, the boys blew the snuff directly into his eyes. History doesn't record if the church was finally sealed after that, but one imagines the preacher’s "oversight" was significantly hampered that night.

West Virginia: The Unlikely Pioneer of Clean Air

While West Virginia is frequently cast as a land of heavy industry, the archives tell a story of unlikely environmental leadership. Carl Beard, a native of Mill Point and a chemistry graduate from Davis & Elkins, became the first director of the West Virginia Air Pollution Control Commission (APCC). Beard’s path to environmentalism was deeply personal; he was forced to abandon a career as a production engineer for companies like Fairchild Aircraft because of a "severe allergy to industrial plastic."

This personal struggle fueled a revolutionary, data-driven approach. In an era where very few states cared about the sky, West Virginia became the 16th state to pass air pollution laws in 1961. Beard refused to "compromise after the fact," insisting that his commission be driven by iron-clad data rather than political convenience. The results were staggering: in Kanawha City, suspended particulate matter plummeted from over 1,000 micrograms per cubic meter in 1965 to roughly 200 by 1976. As Beard once noted:

"the American people must develop some kind of a national purpose — a national understanding of what the problem is."

The Etymology of a Town: A Neighborhood Handshake

The names on our maps often feel like they were carved into the mountains by time itself, but the origin of "Dunmore" was actually a simple, neighborly rebranding. The area was originally known as Mathewsville, named for Andrew G. Mathews. But geography changed forever when Isaac Moore Jr. and a citizen named "Dunkum" purchased Mathews' fine farm and divided it between them.

In a moment of collaborative creativity, the two neighbors "jointly coined the word Dunmore" by splicing their own names together. They applied the new name to the post office, and with that simple neighborhood handshake, Mathewsville was erased from the geography. It is a striking reminder of how property owners once held the power to rewrite the very identity of the land they stood upon.

When a Bull "Joined" the Congregation

Pioneer "Camp Meetings" were raw, visceral experiences held under brush arbors—temporary shelters made of branches that offered little protection from the wilderness. At one such meeting at Shisler Field (now "The Old Camp Ground"), the spiritual and the savage collided.

A bull belonging to Johnny Cutlip had been teased by local boys in a nearby field until the animal was in a state of madness. Just as the congregation reached a crescendo in their singing, the bull jumped the fence and "joined the meeting." The transition from a spiritual hymn to a scene of chaos was near-instantaneous. The day was only saved when Will Cutlip, who was attending the service, grabbed his rifle and fired seven shots into the animal to bring it down. It was a stark reality of early county life: the thin line between a prayer meeting and a hunt could be crossed in the time it took to finish a chorus.

Conclusion: Tracing the Line of Descent

Looking back at these accounts, we do more than just entertain ourselves with the bizarre; we trace a "line of descent" from these pioneers to the current residents of Pocahontas County. Whether you are a descendant of the Moores, the Cutlips, or the Beards, these "ghosts" in the newsprint are the very people whose "bravery, industry, and self-denial" carved a life out of the wilderness. They endured lightning strikes, angry bulls, and industrial smog so that we might enjoy the comforts and clean air of today.

As we move forward, we should ask ourselves: which moments of our "ordinary" 21st-century lives will seem most shocking, humorous, or revolutionary to a reader sifting through our archives a hundred years from now? To them, we will be the ghosts in the digital record, waiting to be rediscovered.

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Briefing Document: Historical and Contemporary Developments in Pocahontas County

Executive Summary

This document synthesizes key themes and data points from historical archives and news reports concerning Pocahontas County, West Virginia. The source context spans over a century, offering a multidimensional view of the region's pioneer heritage, institutional development, and contemporary environmental leadership.

Critical Takeaways:

• Legacy of Pioneer Industry: The region’s identity is deeply rooted in the history of pioneer families, most notably the Moores, whose contributions include the establishment of local post offices (Dunmore) and significant involvement in the state legislature and judiciary.
• Environmental Stewardship: Carl Beard, a native of Mill Point and Director of the West Virginia Air Pollution Control Commission (APCC), represents a shift toward modern environmental regulation. Under his leadership, the state achieved significant reductions in air pollutants, particularly in the Kanawha Valley.
• Ecclesiastical History: The Mt. Olivet United Methodist Church serves as a focal point for community history on Droop Mountain. Its century-long narrative highlights the resilience of local congregations and the evolving nature of rural religious circuits.
• Industrial Prospects: Natural resource exploration continues to be a factor in the local economy, evidenced by coal prospecting permits granted for the Sharps Knob area.

I. Pioneer Heritage and Genealogy: The Moore Family

The sources emphasize the profound importance of tracing pioneer ancestry to appreciate the "bravery, industry and self-denial" that established the region’s current comforts.

The Moore Lineage

• Isaac Moore, Jr.: A prominent figure who resided in Dunmore. He and a citizen named Dunkum purchased a farm from Andrew G. Mathews; the name "Dunmore" was coined by joining their names to replace the previous name, "Mathewsville."
• Moses Moore: Resided on the "home place" and was noted for his Christian character. His wife, Isabella (daughter of Thomas Campbell), survived him.
• Political and Judicial Influence:
  • I. Brown Moore: A member of the West Virginia Legislature (1898–1899).
  • Judge C. Forrest Moore: Resided in Covington, Virginia, and presided over the high-profile trial of Goodman for the shooting of Colonel Parsons. Forrest Depot was named in his honor.
  • Ernest Moore: Served as the Sheriff of Pocahontas County.
• Geographic Distribution: The family settled across various points, including Knapps Creek, Mt. Vernon, and Hillsboro (named for Colonel John Hill, a relative by marriage).

II. Environmental Management and Leadership

A significant portion of the contemporary reporting focuses on the career of Carl Beard and the evolution of air quality regulation in West Virginia.

The West Virginia Air Pollution Control Commission (APCC)

Carl Beard, a 1950 chemistry graduate of Davis & Elkins College, has served as the Director of the APCC since its early years.

Aspect	Details
Organizational Growth	Originally a five-member board (1962); now a seven-member commission including the director of health and commissioner of agriculture.
Strategic Philosophy	Avoidance of "compromises" that rendered city-level programs ineffective; emphasis on public fact-finding and national purpose.
Major Success	In the Kanawha Valley, suspended particulate matter decreased from over 1,000 micrograms per cubic meter in 1965 to approximately 200 in 1976.
Current Challenges	Disappointment regarding the lack of cooperation from electric utilities in installing available environmental control technology.

Biographical Highlights: Carl Beard

• Origin: Native of Mill Point; graduate of Hillsboro High School.
• Professional Hardship: Forced to leave production engineering roles at Fairchild Aircraft and Western Electric due to a severe allergy to industrial plastic.
• Recognition: Honored with the Alumni Distinguished Service Award from Davis and Elkins College on May 6, 1977.

III. Institutional History: Mt. Olivet United Methodist Church

The history of Mt. Olivet, located on the Greenbrier-Pocahontas County line on Droop Mountain, provides a case study in rural institutional endurance.

Foundational Years (1877–1921)

• Origin: Organized in 1877 by campers in a field owned by James Shisler. Meetings were originally "Brush Arbor Meetings" lasting 10 to 14 days.
• Construction: The original log building was completed in 1880. Early records indicate there was no mortar between the logs.
• Notable Anecdotes:
  • The "Maddened Beast": During a meeting, a bull jumped a fence and joined the congregation; it was killed by Will Cutlip.
  • Preacher Johnson: During a severe thunderstorm, Johnson continued a revival meeting despite lightning strikes, eventually being knocked unconscious when a bolt hit the organ stool. He was never heard from again after the incident.

Modern Era and Maintenance (1939–1977)

• Unification: In 1939, the Northern and Southern branches of the Methodist Church merged, leading to the union of Mt. Olivet and Mt. Zion.
• Infrastructure: The church was wired for electricity in 1948; prior to this, oil lanterns were used.
• Restoration: Significant repairs occurred in 1953 (caulking logs, new cement steps) and 1973 (creosoting logs). In 1976, congregants built picnic tables and celebrated the national Bicentennial.

IV. Local Industry and Legal Affairs

Resource Exploration

• Coal Prospecting: The Cherry River Coal and Coke Company received a permit (No. 144-77) to explore ten acres for strip mining in the Sharps Knob area.
• Land Ownership: The prospecting area involves land owned by the Georgia-Pacific Company, with minerals owned by the Gauley Company and the Island Creek Coal Company.

Legal and Land Notices

• Bartow Church Property: The West Virginia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church announced the proposed sale of a half-acre tract in "Travellers Repose," originally conveyed in 1883 by Charles C. and Elizabeth Burner.

V. Community Milestones and Observations

Vital Statistics (1977)

• Births:
  • Sara Dawn Peacock (April 13) to Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Peacock.
  • Jamie Carlton McNeill (November 29) to Mr. and Mrs. Blix McNeill; notably a fifth-generation descendant of 95-year-old Lee Sizemore.
• Obituaries:
  • Moody H. Moore (83): Former farmer, deputy assessor, and WWI veteran.
  • Harold Collins (64): Retired Chesapeake & Ohio Railway employee and WWII veteran.

Local Culture and Humor (1913)

Archived snippets from Denmark, WV, provide a window into early 20th-century social life:

• Social Activity: Frequent business trips to Marlinton and Beaver Creek.
• Local Humor: A "Duty" sentinel warning friends to "stay away" from a certain section, and observations on the "very good" health of the people in Laurel Creek.

Public Recreation

The Marlinton Motor Inn served as a social hub in late 1977, hosting "Singles Night" and New Year's Eve festivities featuring the band Black Horse.