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Glen Vaughn

 

"glen vaughn 1.pdf" is a comprehensive historical and genealogical scrapbook titled "Pocahontas County Bicentennial" (Vol. 1), compiled in 1976 by Lt. Glen L. Vaughan, U.S. Navy (Ret.) of Annapolis, Maryland. Serving as the first volume of a planned four-book historical series, it captures a treasure trove of local newspaper clippings (primarily from The Pocahontas Times), first-hand military letters, naval logs, school records, and early pioneer narratives of Pocahontas County, West Virginia.

Core Themes and Contents of the Volume

1. Founding Families & Revolutionary Records

  • The Vaughan Family: Traces the Vaughan brothers who migrated from Brunswick County, Virginia, in the mid-1850s, including grandfather Burrell Vaughan who settled near Lobelia, West Virginia, and married Maggie Anderson.
  • Elijah Burrell Vaughan: Documents the life of Lt. Vaughan's father, Elijah Burrell Vaughan (born September 25, 1873). After graduating from the Huntersville Academy in 1895, he married Fatima Susan Waugh on April 22, 1896, and became a section foreman for the Chesapeake & Ohio (C&O) Railway before being tragically killed in a railway accident at Handley, West Virginia, on May 1, 1906.
  • The Sharp Family: Outlines lines of descent for the Sharp family, identifying William Sharp of Huntersville, who arrived before the Revolutionary War in 1773, and John Sharp of Frost, a native of Northern Ireland who settled in the area around 1790.
  • The Poage Family: Traces the descendants of pioneer Robert Poage of Augusta County, detailing Colonel James Poage who founded Ripley, Ohio, and the history of the family's historic communion silver.
  • John Bradshaw's Pension & Cherry Tree Grave: Details the Revolutionary War pension testimony of John Bradshaw, who served as an Indian spy in 1776 under Captain John Henderson and died in December 1834. He donated the land for Pocahontas County's first public buildings in Huntersville. His final resting place in the old Huntersville cemetery is famously marked by a wild cherry tree growing directly over his grave.

2. Early Marlinton School History

  • Marlinton Graded School (1907–1914): Preserves Lt. Vaughan's personal recollections of starting school in the fall of 1907. Because the brick building (erected in 1906 by E.D. King) was not fully completed, classes were temporarily held in the dining room of the old Dilley Hotel.
  • Early Teachers: Commemorates pioneering educators such as Miss Beckett (second grade, 1908), Miss Sally Cromwell (third grade, 1909), Miss Anna Lee Ervine (fourth grade, 1910), and Miss Catherine Ervine (fifth grade, 1911 or 1912).
  • First High School Graduation (1916): Notes that under Principal Minnie Jane Merrills, the very first graduating class of four students emerged from Marlinton High School in the spring of 1916.

3. The Old Opera House of Marlinton

  • Origins and Architecture: Built by J.G. Tilton in 1909 or 1910, the building was a hub of early 1900s local culture.
  • Community Activities: Serves as a nostalgic landmark that housed a roller skating rink, theatrical performances (such as The Pied Piper of Hamlin and Seven Nights in a Bar Room), and early silent films like The Diamond From the Sky.
  • Town Basketball Court: Relives how the local basketball team played in the Opera House, which boasted the largest court in the state at the time.

4. George Douglas McNeill ("G.D.") Tributes

  • Educator and Author: Commemorates George Douglas McNeill, a beloved Pocahontas educator who served as school superintendent and high school principal during a 42-year career. He was also a noted local historian and author of The Last Forest.
  • Great White Fleet Service: Records G.D.'s naval service during the historic 1907–1909 "Round the World" voyage of the U.S. Navy's Great White Fleet.
  • The Emotional "Last Visit": Preserves Lt. Vaughan's moving memoir of his final visit in November 1963 to an aging and blind G.D. at his Buckeye farm, where they shared stories of their respective naval service before McNeill passed away on March 22, 1964.
  • Louise McNeill: Features letters and poetry by G.D.'s daughter, West Virginia Poet Laureate Louise McNeill Pease, thanking Glen Vaughan for honoring her father's memory.

5. Local Historical Landmarks & Lore

  • Knapps Creek Community: Features Enid Harper’s 1924 history of Knapps Creek, highlighting early Irish settler Michael Dougherty (arrived ~1770), early water-powered sawmills, and the 1853 establishment of the Frost post office.
  • Cass Scenic Railroad: Details the arrival of the C&O railroad line to Cass in 1901, the logging operations of the West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company, and the legacy of GC&E (Greenbrier, Cheat and Elk) vintage Shay engines.
  • The Seneca Trail: Records the history of the ancient "Warrior's Road" pathway that marked the 1732 boundary between the British Crown and Native American tribes, roughly followed today by Route 219.
  • Hillsboro & Green Bank History: Chronicles the early settlement of Hillsboro (established by Richard Hill), its early academies, and the detailed land grants of Green Bank dating from 1780 to 1795.
  • Cheat Bridge Post Office: Tells the story of Sue Cromer, who carried mail on horseback starting in 1906 (often suffering frozen feet) and served as Cheat Bridge postmaster from 1923 until the post office closed in 1949.

6. Lt. Glen L. Vaughan’s Naval Records

  • Greenbury Point Radio Station: Captures Vaughan's service as a Radio Man 1st Class at the Navy's high-power transmitting station near the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland .
  • Cruise of the USS Rochester: Preserves letters and logs from his 1924–1925 cruises aboard the cruiser USS Rochester, detailing travels through Balboa (Canal Zone), Cartagena (Colombia), and Port Limon (Costa Rica).
  • Commissioning the USS Phoenix: Records his pride in helping to put the cruiser USS Phoenix in commission in November 1938, referencing its famous war record and nickname, "The Lucky Phoenix".

🌲 Would you like to explore a particular section in deeper detail, such as the complete list of early teachers at the Marlinton Graded School or G.D. McNeill's reflections on the Great White Fleet?

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"glen vaughn 2.pdf" is a rich historical and genealogical scrapbook compiled in 1976 under the title "Pocahontas County Bicentennial" (Vol. 11) by Lt. Glen L. Vaughan, U.S.N. (Ret.) of Annapolis, Maryland. This extensive document preserves local newspaper clippings (primarily from The Pocahontas Times), personal family letters, detailed genealogical trees, obituaries, and memoirs highlighting the early settlement, development, and prominent families of Pocahontas County, West Virginia.

Core Themes and Contents of the Scrapbook

1. Genealogical Records of Founding Families

  • The Vaughan (Burrell Vaughan) Family: Traces the descendants of Burrell Vaughan (born in Brunswick Co., VA, and married to Mary Jane Anderson), including detailed branches for children such as Thomas Renick Vaughan, Hannah Virginia Walton, Charles Lockwood Vaughan, and Elijah Burrell Vaughan. It features the Vaughan family Coat of Arms and Historiography, a letter from the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway confirming the tragic death of section foreman Elijah Burrell Vaughan in 1906, and clippings of large family reunions at Droop Mountain State Park (such as the 1947 reunion attended by over 260 relatives).
  • The Knapp and Summers Families: Compiled by Joseph W. Summers, this section outlines the descendants of Caleb Knapp (who was in Greenbrier County as early as 1787). It details lineages from Caleb's marriage to Elizabeth Waugh, through Robert Waugh Knapp (born 1831), and into the Summers line after Elmira Francis Knapp married James Summers in 1877. Complete lists of births, marriages, and military service are recorded over several generations.
  • The Waugh Family: Contains comprehensive lists of attendees from the Waugh family reunions in 1951, 1952, and 1953, as well as key family obituaries including Capt. Levi Waugh (Commander of Moffett Poage Camp, United Confederate Veterans), Elizabeth S. Waugh, Franklin C. Waugh, Harlow Waugh, and "Sister Waugh" who died in San Francisco.
  • The Hill Family: Clyde Waugh compiled records of the descendants of Richard and Nancy Hill (born 1763 and 1769), and George Hill (born 1832) with his wives Nancy Jordon and Julia Beard.
  • The Bradshaw and Poage Families: Details brothers James and John Bradshaw who emigrated from England around 1760 and settled in Huntersville (with John donating land for the county's public buildings). It also captures the history of the Poage family of Augusta County and the story behind their precious family communion silver.
  • Other Local Families: Includes brief ancestral sketches for the Waltons, Renickes, Donnallys, Mayses, Drakes, McCormicks, Andersons, and Howards.

2. Pocahontas County History & Religious Foundations

  • Early Settlement and Formation: Traces the mid-1700s migration of Scotch-Irish settlers across the Allegheny Front of the Appalachian Range into the Greenbrier Valley. It details the formation of Princess Augusta and Pocahontas Counties, naming Huntersville as the original county seat.
  • George Washington's Mission: Highlights a 1753 expedition where a young George Washington traveled with local guides to deliver a letter of warning to French forces in the Ohio Valley.
  • Episcopal Church History: Documents the early history of the Episcopal Church in West Virginia, focusing on the development of Madison Parish, the missionary travels of Bishop Peterkin, and the building of St. John's Church in Marlinton and the church at Clover Lick.

3. The Pocahontas Times and Hand-Set Printing

  • A Dying Craft: Contains features on The Pocahontas Times itself, celebrated as one of the last hand-set newspapers in America. It details its history under editor Calvin Price and subsequent running by Jane Price Sharp, showing photos and describing the laborious process of hand-setting metal type for printing.

4. Pearl S. Buck Coverage

  • Honoring the Nobel Laureate: Contains numerous clippings dedicated to the famous author Pearl S. Buck (born in Hillsboro, Pocahontas County). This includes her 1973 obituary detailing her burial at her farm in Bucks County, PA, reports from the Pearl S. Buck Foundation, and the preservation/restoration of her birthplace.

5. Childhood Memoirs and Local Lore

  • Marlinton Circus Days: Colorful recollections of the circus visiting Marlinton in the early 1900s, including visits by "Buffalo Bill" Cody’s 101 Ranch and performances by Annie Oakley.
  • Coon Hunting and Local Life: Offers a window into the 1890s through childhood memoirs, describing a boy’s first coon hunt, local neighbors like the Overholts, and letters written by Harlow Waugh.
  • Panther Sightings: Features 1976 newspaper articles about a large panther killed in the Jacox-Lobelia area and community debates concerning cougar populations on Cheat Mountain.
  • Civil War Military Records: Includes a complete roll call and casualty list of Company I, 25th Virginia Infantry Regiment (Confederate), in which local soldier Levi Waugh fought.
  • Community News (1970s): Records 1976 updates such as the Durbin Bicentennial celebrations, local Board of Education budget meetings, and funded state park improvements for Watoga State Park and the Cass Scenic Railroad.

🏡 Would you like me to extract more details about a specific family line (such as the Vaughans, Waughs, or Knapps) or pull some of the historical memoirs from this scrapbook?

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Introduction & Overview of Volume III

  • Scrapbook Title & Author: This document represents Volume III (Part 1) of the "Pocahontas County Bicentennial" scrapbook series compiled by Lt. Glen L. Vaughan, U.S.N. (Ret.) of Annapolis, Maryland ``.
  • Distribution: Initiated on June 1, 1976, Lt. Vaughan prepared four original copies of this volume, distributing them to himself, the Editor of The Pocahontas Times, Mrs. Anna Fisher, and the Meade Waugh family collection ``.
  • Focus: This section of the scrapbook series deals primarily with Pocahontas County's schools (past and present), local memoirs, and community activities surrounding the 1976 American Bicentennial ``.
  • Poignant Personal Note: On a page dated June 6, 1976, Lt. Vaughan added a handwritten note recording that at 08:00 AM on June 7, 1976, he was admitted to the operating room to have a malignant tumor and about 40 inches of his intestines removed ``.

Lt. Vaughan’s Boyhood Memoirs in Marlinton (Early 1900s)

  • "A Visit Home to Pocahontas":
    • Lt. Vaughan describes driving up Elk Mountain through a heavy fog and looking down at Edray Cemetery, where his father, brother Edwin, Aunt Annie Baxter (and her son Floyd), and Grandmother Amanda Frances Poage Waugh are buried ``.
    • He notes looking across Elmer Poage's Farm to see the house built by Uncle Preston Baxter and the ruins of the large log house enlarged by his grandfather, Civil War veteran Levi Waugh (C.S.A.), who raised nine children (six by Amanda Frances Poage, three by Ella Ruckman) ``.
    • He recalls Indian Draft Church and School (originally in the same building), where his Aunt Lizzie went to school, and the cemetery behind it containing Levi Waugh, Ella Ruckman, Sally Waugh Denison, and the unmarked graves of Levi’s three little brothers and sister who died of disease during the Civil War ``.
    • He recalls Mountain View Cemetery on a beautiful hill above Marlinton. The first burial was Dr. Williams, a Scottish doctor who was the father of A.D. Williams and Ed Williams . It is also the resting place of his mother (Fatima Susan Denison), brother James Herbert Vaughan, step-father Clyde Ernest Denison, Aunt Elizabeth S. Waugh, and Uncle Harlow Waugh.
    • Up Knapps Creek, his ancestors date to the late 1770s, including his great-great-grandfather Samuel Waugh and his father James Waugh (a Revolutionary War veteran who received a land grant). Both Samuel and James 2nd are buried in unmarked graves at Bethel, in the hill country near Dilley’s Mill ``.
    • He notes that Col. George Washington Poage (Grandmother Martha Poage's grandfather) donated the land for the first church and cemetery at Oak Grove in Hillsboro . His grandparents Burrell Vaughan and Mary Jane Anderson are buried behind the Old Stone Church in Lewisburg.
  • Marlinton's Historic Fires:
    • The Tannery Fire: The largest and most damaging fire in Marlinton occurred when the local tannery burned down in the 1920s, severely affecting local employment ``.
    • The Valley Hotel Fire: In 1912, the large Valley Hotel behind the railroad passenger station, owned by Mr. Humes, was completely destroyed. Lt. Vaughan remembers visiting the ruins and hearing notes played on the lobby's piano by classmate Madeleine Hume ``.
    • Main & Third Building: A two-story frame building at Main Street and Third Avenue (housing several shops) was completely lost to a fire ``.
    • Marlinton's Bandstand & Newsstand: Recalls the town bandstand in the middle of the lot where Saturday night concerts were led by printers Bob Cramer and Tom Anderson . Later, Mr. Echols built a small newsstand on the lot, which was bought by Harry Sharp in 1919 and eventually moved across the street to the old A.S. Overholt building.
    • Fourth & Court Street Fire: A fire destroyed the entire block where the Post Office stands, including a fruit stand and several shops, with Modern Woodmen and I.O.O.F. halls on the second floor ``.
    • Marlinton Steam Laundry & Kliens Store: Both the laundry (behind the railroad freight depot) and Kliens Department Store (on Main Street, burned around 1915) were lost in separate fires ``.
    • The Tent Show Fire: A tent show set up between Miss Susie Gay's house and the bowling alley/swimming pool caught fire and burned in three minutes because the canvas was dry and the crew foreman was smoking ``.
    • The Powerhouse Fire: During his mid-teens, the municipal powerhouse burned. Lt. Vaughan was working as the night telephone operator at the Bank of Marlinton Building. After the alarm sounded, he saw the fire above the Clifton Forge Wholesale Grocery Building. The local hospital lost power, but the next morning, the tannery connected the hospital to its own electrical equipment. The town eventually sold the plant to West Penn Electric Company ``.
  • Early Mountain Medicine:
    • Lt. Vaughan recalls that local doctors in the teens were often involved in farming, cattle, or lumber ``.
    • He details getting his tonsils out by Dr. J.W. Yeager. If a boy needed a tonsillectomy, the "gang" would follow the patient (such as Denny Lynch) to Dr. Yeager's office. Dr. Yeager was often found scaling lumber in the rail yard behind Richardson's Hardware Store. He would open his little black bag, pour alcohol on his hands, reach in and snip the tonsils, show them to the boys, and then give them change to buy ice cream cones at S.B. Wallace's Drug Store ``.
  • The Adventures of "Two Mountain Boys" (Lt. Vaughan & Maurice Lang):
    • Maurice Lang's father, David Lang, was a scaler for the Watoga lumber mill. Maurice and Glen once took the morning train to Seebert, waded the Greenbrier, and hiked over two mountains to the logging camp, receiving a stern dressing down from David Lang for walking through dangerous rattlesnake country ``.
    • Later, David Lang worked for the West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company near Slaty Fork. Maurice and Glen walked from Marlinton to Slaty Fork (starting at 3:00 AM and arriving at 11:00 AM) to see logs being dragged over mountains by overhead steel cables and dropped into the river . The logs were loaded onto flatcars and hauled to Slaty Fork, where a Shay engine pulled them to Spruce.
    • On another Slaty Fork trip, Glen caught a two-pound trout, which was cooked by Charlie the camp cook . He also recalls camping near the tunnel bend with Dempsey Johnson, where they were visited by game warden Mr. Moore, who taught them outdoor survival and sportsmanship.
  • Earning Money & Childhood Activities:
    • Muskrat Trapping: Maurice and Glen trapped muskrats in the slough below the railroad track. Ira Brill of the Peoples Store and Supply Company taught them how to properly skin the rats, which earned them a dollar more per pelt ``.
    • Medicine Bottle Salvage: They collected old, hand-blown medicine bottles from the town dump by the creek. To clean them, they filled them with fine sand and water, inserted a willow stick, tied them to a string, and anchored them in the river rapids to let the current shake the stain out. After boiling them in a laundry boiler to sterilize them, they sold them to local doctors . He recalls selling his final basket to Dr. J.W. Yeager for 82 cents.
    • Spending Habits: With their earned money, they bought suspenders, knee-length stockings, candy at Overholt's General Store, and went to the Saturday Matinee to watch a "Pearl White Serial," followed by chocolate sodas at Key's Drug Store with Gertrude Overholt (later Mrs. Thomas Trent) ``.
    • The Great Flu & Beyond: Recalls the 1918-19 flu epidemic in Marlinton, where everyone cooked and shopped for their neighbors . In the early twenties, Maurice joined the Air Force and Glen joined the Navy.
  • Tragic Slaven House Fire (1908-1909):
    • Lt. Vaughan recalls playing in an apple orchard near Birds Run when they saw a young child running from Mr. Slaven’s house on fire from playing with matches. The child (youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. R.B. Slaven, brother of Hubert and Rebecca) tragically died, and Glen served as a flower boy at his funeral ``.
  • Swimming the Greenbrier River:
    • At age 16, Glen, Winfield Hobart, Jack Anderson, and Hubert Slaven took a dare to swim the muddy, cold Greenbrier River during flood stage. Winfield had to be rescued by men with a boat and rope, while Glen and Hubert swam downstream and exited below Calvin Price's home, receiving severe disapproval from their parents ``.

The 1976 Pocahontas County Bicentennial Celebrations

  • Bicentennial Week Schedule (July 3 - July 11, 1976):
    • The county organized a full calendar of events including Durbin Jubilee Day, rodeos, a "Chautauqua" at Hillsboro, the Miss Pocahontas Pageant, and the famous Pioneer Days ``.
  • Durbin Bicentennial:
    • Held on July 3, 1976, at Hiner Park (donated by Mr. and Mrs. Richard Hiner), featuring a parade and carnival. Guests included Mrs. Julia Pitsenberger of the WV House of Delegates, Mayor Alma Mick, Janey Warner (booth organizer), Louise Collins, and Lottie Moore ``.
    • The Durbin Bicentennial Commission used a $2,000 grant from the American Revolution Bicentennial Commission to complete the Durbin Mayor's office ``.
  • Marlinton Fourth of July Celebration:
    • A massive Bicentennial celebration was held in Marlinton on Sunday, July 4, featuring the PCHS Band (directed by Charles Fauber), Mayor Ed Rexrode, and Dale Curry as master of ceremonies. Congressman Harley Staggers spoke, Connie Campbell and Davy Corcoran performed as Martha and George Washington, and a giant Liberty Bell cake was baked by Helen Kellison, Cameron Astin, Osa McLaughlin, and Sally Nottingham ``.
  • Pioneer Days Parade & Events:
    • Held July 9-11, 1976, with Misses Mabel and Fleeta Lang (former owners of Lang's Dress Shoppe in Marlinton) serving as Honorary Parade Marshals ``.
    • Steve Hunter served as Parade Director and Julia Price as coordinator . Highlights included pioneer conveyances, Native American historical reenactments, an antique car show, a flea market, and a production of the play "Godspell" by the Greenbrier Theatre.
  • Cass Bicentennial Projects:
    • Governor Arch Moore approved $2,000 in Bicentennial funds for Durbin's community center and $3,000 for Cass to renovate the mayor's office, rebuild the historic foot suspension bridge over the Greenbrier River, and convert a former church into a community center ``.

Local Infrastructure, Schools, & Transportation (1976)

  • Cass Scenic Railroad & Greenbrier Scenic Railroad:
    • Jim Reep, superintendent of the Cass Scenic Railroad, prepared for the 1976 summer season by repairing Shay locomotives 2, 3, and 5 ``.
    • Meanwhile, the Greenbrier Scenic Railroad announced it was abandoning its passenger operations from Durbin to North Caldwell Station due to high operating and leasing costs ``.
  • The School Bond Dispute & School Safety Controversy:
    • Former superintendent Charles Moore wrote a passionate "Open Letter" criticizing the 65% of Pocahontas County voters who rejected a school safety bond . He detailed the hazardous, unsafe, and fire-prone conditions of local school buildings (like Hillsboro Elementary and Marlinton Graded), citing a state fire marshal's report that flagged 94 safety violations. He urged the Board of Education to call a special election to protect the county's 1,486 children ``.
  • Golden Horseshoe Winners:
    • In May 1976, Marlinton Elementary students Greg Friel, Layton Beverage, Anne Burns, and Vera Wade were named Golden Horseshoe Winners by State Superintendent Daniel B. Taylor for their high scores on the West Virginia studies test ``.
  • Board of Education Business (May 1976):
    • Approved student field trips (including Hillsboro fifth grade to Cranberry Glades, Hillsboro second grade to Edray Fish Hatchery, and senior class picnics to the Green Bank Observatory) ``.
    • Hired new teachers Rebecca Ann Fleming (Hillsboro science), Harry Booth (Marlinton physical education), Laurel Puleo (Marlinton first grade), and Donna Barksdale (transferred to Title I Reading Specialist) ``.
    • Reviewed construction bids for the new vocational wing at the high school, noting that bids from Kyle Construction ($136,951) and Moss Associates ($126,834) exceeded the $124,000 budget, requiring negotiations to eliminate the maintenance lab portion ``.
  • Demolitions in Marlinton:
    • Two historic buildings were torn down in April 1976: the Paul Golden warehouse (built 1900-1905) next to Marlinton Motor Sales, and the Marlinton Electric building next to the Opera House, which had formerly housed a three-chair barber shop ``.
  • Pocahontas County Museum:
    • In May 1976, the Frank and Anna Hunter House (housing the museum) was officially entered into the National Register of Historic Places ``.

Pocahontas County Genealogy & Early Settlers

  • SAM HILL's Early Settlers List:
    • Includes a comprehensive alphabetical roster of early county settlers extracted from Rev. W. T. Price’s Historical Sketches of Pocahontas County, naming families like the Arbogasts, Baxters, Beards, Bradshaws, Clendenins, Friels, Kinnisons, McNeels, Poages, Slavens, and Waughs ``.
    • Henry Harper Correction: Enid Harper wrote to The Pocahontas Times noting that Sam Hill had mistakenly omitted her great-great-grandfather, Henry Harper (who settled in the area in 1812), from the published pioneer roster ``.
  • Douthards Creek School & Knapps Creek History:
    • An article traces the history of schooling in Frost and the Knapps Creek community, detailing early log schools taught by Miss Mattie Gum before the Civil War, Cove Hill School (1894), and Douthards Creek School (built 1910) ``.
  • Mary B. Cromer's Recollections:
    • Mary Cromer describes graduating from D & E Commercial Department in 1916 and working at the Bank of Marlinton in 1917 under Mr. Echols and Mr. Hunter . She vividly recalls her first airplane ride after WWI, when a pilot from Hinton offered 15-minute flights over Marlinton for \$15, allowing her to see all the way to Huntersville.

Lt. Vaughan’s Naval Association

  • Military Order of the World Wars (MOWW):
    • Includes a page from the Annapolis Chapter Roster (1974-1975) officially identifying "Vaughn, Glen L., Lt., USN, Ret." as an active member ``.

🛶 Would you like to delve deeper into any of Lt. Vaughan's childhood memoirs, such as his vivid recollections of Dr. Yeager's backyard tonsillectomies or his wilderness treks with Maurice Lang?

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"glrn vaugh 3b.pdf" represents Volume III, Part III (also referenced as Vol. 3, Part III) of the "Pocahontas County Bicentennial" scrapbook series compiled by Lt. Glen L. Vaughan, U.S.N. (Ret.) of Annapolis, Maryland. This scrapbook preserves historical news clippings, letters, school records, meeting minutes, and essays highlighting local history, the 1976 American Bicentennial, and regional genealogies.

1. Scrapbook Purpose and Personal Background

  • Compilation & Focus: Dedicated primarily to collecting recollections of the early one-room schoolhouses of Pocahontas County, as most official early school records were destroyed by fire.
  • Scrapbook Distribution: Lt. Vaughan prepared four original copies of this volume for himself, the Editor of The Pocahontas Times, Mrs. Anna Fisher, and the Meade Waugh family collection.
  • Vaughan’s Health Update: The volume preserves correspondence in which Lt. Vaughan shares that he was recovering from major surgery in early summer 1976, during which a malignant tumor and 40 inches of his intestines were removed, confining him to home for about eight weeks.

2. Early Schools, Educators, & Academic History

  • Superintendent James D. Lannan’s Actions: Lannan's addresses to county teachers are preserved, as well as his letter forwarding Lt. Vaughan's school history inquiries to retired superintendent Charles Moore of Buckeye.
  • Historical One-Room School Data: Includes a 1912 article showing that Pocahontas County historically had 110 schools or grounds, only 13 of which were fenced, with only 3 out of every 4 children actually enrolled in school at the time.
  • School Enrollments (Sept. 1976): First-day enrollments for the 1976-77 county school year totaled 1,979 students, split across Marlinton (671), Hillsboro (253), Durbin (161), Green Bank (350), and Pocahontas County High School (544) .
  • Margaret S. Waugh’s Recollections: Documents her journey from Fort Wayne, Indiana, to Marlinton in 1930 to teach business and mathematics, describing the train ride from Ronceverte as "an oasis to us" and recalling other teachers of the Depression era.
  • Slaty Fork School (1908–1915): Lists schoolmate memories compiled by Lena Hannah Baxter, naming classmates like Herbert Vaughan, Arnold Klein, Leo Price, and Floyd Baxter, alongside teachers like Maude Smith and Kyle Woods.
  • Buckeye Graded School & G.D. McNeill: Captures Louise McNeill Pease's detailed descriptions of early school days and lists Buckeye school festivals, playground games (e.g., "Prisoner's Base", "Run, Sheep, Run", and "Pretty Girl Station"), and high school memories from the 1920s.
  • Huntersville Teaching Note: A hand-written margin note by Lt. Vaughan records that his father, Elijah Burrell Vaughan, taught school at Huntersville from 1896 to the spring of 1899.

3. Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) History (1933–1937)

  • Meade L. Waugh’s Memoir: Features an extensive, first-hand account of the CCC's regional impact during the Great Depression.
  • Camps and Projects: Details local camps including Camp Thornwood (F-6), Black Mountain (F-15), and Camp Wattago. It highlights the "miraculous" work of enrollees who built fire roads, cleared streams, planted millions of trees, and established state parks.
  • "Thornwood Eaglet" Portions: Preserves columns, sports rosters, staff listings, and inspector reports from Camp Thornwood's bi-monthly camp newspaper from May 1937.

4. 1976 Pioneer Days & Bicentennial Events

  • Festival Schedules: Logs schedules for Pioneer Days and Hillsboro Chautauqua events from July 8–11, 1976, including wagon rides, craft exhibits, a horse-pulling contest, muzzle-loading rifle shooting, and a square dance.
  • Parade & Contest Winners: Names the winners of the July 15, 1976, Pioneer Parade and the Old-Time Music Contests (highlighting winners in fiddle, banjo, and bluegrass band categories).
  • Pioneer Home Sites Directory: Reproduces a list of original home sites of Revolutionary War-era pioneers in Pocahontas County, detailing exact locations for names like John Bradshaw, Joshua Buckley, Abram Burner, Jacob Gillispie, David Hanna, John McNeel, and Jacob Warwick.

5. Local Church & Family Histories

  • New Hope Lutheran Church: Chronicles the 100th anniversary of the Minnehaha Springs congregation, which was established in the summer of 1876 by Henry White and his wife Sabina.
  • Baxter Presbyterian Church Centennial: Features an August 1958 article celebrating the 100th anniversary of the church at Dunmore, which was originally dedicated on August 27, 1858, and served as a shelter for Union soldiers during the Civil War.
  • The Gibson Family History: Traces descendants of David Gibson, who migrated from Waynesboro in the early 1800s to settle in Hillsboro.
  • The Hill Family Reunion: Records the 27th annual Richard Hill family reunion held on August 15, 1976, at Droop Mountain State Park.
  • McNeel Bible Project: Explores a 1976 effort to preserve a family Bible from 1690 belonging to John and Martha Davis McNeel.

6. Edray History & Local Lore

  • Edray Pioneer Origins: Documents the first settlers of Edray (such as Charles Drinnon and Robert Moore Sr.), the logging of virgin timber, early water-powered mills, and the 1850 establishment of the Edray Post Office.
  • "Grandmother’s Day, 1870": Details 19th-century domestic arts such as hand-churning butter, using wood ashes to create lye soap, baking buckwheat bread, and fermenting cabbage for sauerkraut.
  • The Wooden Greenbrier Bridge: Shares history of the pre-Civil War wooden bridge across the Greenbrier River at Marlinton (Marlins Bottom), which operated a 5-cent toll managed by Margaret Davis Poage Price.
  • The 1976 Autumn Flood: Details the heavy rainfall of October 13, 1976, which caused the Greenbrier River to crest at 13.1 feet in Marlinton, washing out roads and flooding local businesses like Fas Chek and Burns Motor Freight.

🛶 Would you like me to pull the detailed list of early teachers hired for the 1976–1977 school year, or perhaps explore Meade Waugh's detailed descriptions of daily life inside the Camp Thornwood CCC camp?

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"glen vaughn 4.pdf" represents Volume IV (the final book) of the "Pocahontas County Bicentennial" scrapbook series compiled by Lt. Glen L. Vaughan, U.S.N. (Ret.) of Annapolis, Maryland. Initiated on April 23, 1976, this compilation preserves local newspaper clippings, genealogical records, school logs, letters, and community memoirs.

1. Scrapbook Overview, Compilation, and Dedication

  • Compilation & Distribution: Lt. Vaughan prepared four original copies of this final volume: the first for himself, the second for the Editor of The Pocahontas Times, the third for Anna Fisher, and the fourth for the Meade Waugh family collection.
  • Dedication: He dedicated this paper to his lifelong advisors and friends: Mr. G.D. McNeill, Mr. C.W. Price, and Mr. C.E. Denison.
  • Volume Division & Health Update: In a letter dated November 10, 1976, Lt. Vaughan notes that he was working on what he hoped would be the final volume (originally planned as Volume III but divided because of its size). In the letter, he also notes that he recently underwent cancer tests and X-rays and was feeling better.

2. Early Pocahontas County Schools & Educational History

A major focus of this scrapbook is preserving the history of early county schools, inspired by a packet of historical school notes collected by Hubert Taylor of Wilmington, Delaware. Key schools documented include:

  • Green Bank District School History:
    • The first school in the Green Bank area was a typical "pay school" built around 1780.
    • Green Bank Academy: Chartered in 1842 (first taught by Prof. Benjamin Arbogast) and built as a two-room brick building. It was repaired in 1882 and replaced by a two-story "Advanced School" in 1893. In 1907, the old brick walls were condemned, and a new one-story frame structure with folding partitions was built.
    • Green Bank High School: Founded in 1916 by John W. Goodsell and Dr. Leland Moomau. The first term opened in fall 1918 (with teachers Lucy Meredith, Margaret Hunt, and Lillian Moomau), and its first graduate was Grace Curry in 1919. A Vo-Ag building was added in 1930.
  • Glade Hill School: Log structure built before 1873 on Wesley Chapel Road (about 3 miles from Dunmore). It was replaced in the late 1890s by Thorny Branch School.
  • Thorny Branch School: A new frame building built in 1903 west of Wesley Chapel Road. Replaced by Gum Spring and Wesley Chapel schools when enrollment reached about 48. It was later moved and used as a granary by Jack Taylor.
  • Gum Springs School: Built around 1908 on the Pete Oliver farm by C.M. Acord, taught by teachers like Vincent Clay McCoy and Mamie Ginger.
  • Wesley Chapel School: Built on land loaned by James and Nelia Taylor between Green Bank and Dunmore. It featured a pot-bellied wood stove and a 4-gallon stone water cooler with forest designs. Teachers listed from 1930 to 1942 include Jennie Woods, George Kerr, Kathleen Taylor, McNeer Kerr, Hilda Leader, Roland P. Sharp, and Grace Moore Sharp. It was torn down by Troy Lusk in the late 1940s.
  • Hillside School: Built east of Dunmore in 1901-1902. Taught by teachers including Miss Emma Warwick and Mrs. Alice McLaughlin Brooks before closing in 1926.
  • Oak Grove School: Included an old school (active around 1905-1908) and a new school on Sheets Road where Glenna Gibson was the last teacher in 1941-42.
  • Other Local Schools: Features historical notes on the Cross Roads School (burned in the 1880s/90s after a tramp slept inside), The Curry School (on the Ellis Curry farm), the temporary school in front of Wesley Chapel Church active during a typhoid epidemic in 1907, and the Poage Lane School near Clover Lick (with recollections by Juanita Shinaberry Dilley).
  • School and Teacher Roster: Preserves a January 1935 Pocahontas Times list of "Top Nochers 90+" students and comprehensive ledger lists of historical teachers/students for schools across the county.

3. Pocahontas County Pioneer History & Genealogy

  • Revolutionary Soldier James Waugh: Documents James Waugh, who served three years in the Revolutionary War and was wounded under Marquis de Lafayette at the Battle of Brandywine. His plantation was located below Jacob Warwick's Fort at Clover Lick. It tracks his descendants, including James Waugh 2nd (who married Rebecca McGuire and had 12 children).
  • Pioneer Cabin Sites Project: Details a project by the Pocahontas County Historical Society (chaired by Larry Jarvinen) to locate and mark the cabin sites of 23 Revolutionary War-era pioneers with bronze plaques.
  • Pioneer Settlers List (Before 1800): Preserves an alphabetical roster of early families in the Buckeye-Marlinton-Knapps Creek, Hillsboro-Mill Point, and Dunmore-Green Bank areas.
  • Early School Tuition Ledger: Features an 1804 account sheet showing school tuition fees owed to James Cooper (1780-1845) in Green Bank, indicating that Virginia Pounds, Shillings, and Pence were still in use at the time.
  • Huntersville in 1823: Reproduces an 1823 letter by Col. J. Howe Peyton describing the crude conditions of Huntersville, mentioning John Bradshaw’s log home/loom house and the rugged local mountain hospitality.

4. CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) Recollections

  • Meade L. Waugh's Memoir: Features an extensive, detailed memoir of daily life and operations within the CCC camps from 1933 to 1937.
  • Camps & Projects: Highlights work done at Camp Thornwood (F-6), Black Mountain (F-15), and Camp Watoga. It describes enrollees earning $30/month (with $25 sent home to their families), clearing forests, building roads, and developing parks.
  • Reunions Support: Preserves letters advocating for West Virginia newspapers to sponsor reunions for former CCC members who served in the region.

5. Local Lore, Historical Infrastructure, & Community Life

  • "Some Snow!" Letter (1855): Preserves a famous 1855 letter by James Trotter of the Trotter Brothers mail carriers to the Postmaster General, explaining that severe snowstorms on Cheat Mountain blocked their route between Huttonsville and Staunton. He wrote: "If you knock the gable end out of Hell and back it up against Cheat Mountain and rain fire and brimstone on it for forty days and forty nights, it won't melt the snow enough to get your d----- mail through on time."
  • The Old Eagle Tale: Features a story from The Pocahontas Times about an 1851 tragedy in Bath County where a great golden eagle carried off a child of Mr. and Mrs. Moorman Gilland.
  • Marlinton Covered Bridge: Displays photographs of the historic 1854 wooden covered bridge at Marlinton (Marlins Bottom), which was eventually replaced in 1915.
  • Town of Cass Restorations: Covers the 1970s purchase of the town of Cass by the State of West Virginia for $669,611 to restore it to its early 1900s logging era appearance.
  • Poem "There Ain't No G in Marlinton": Features a local poem reminding readers that the town's founders, Jacob Marlin and Stephen Sewell, spelled the town's name without a "G".
  • Marlinton Milk & Ice Delivery (1914):
    • Milk: Mr. Isen Waugh delivered milk daily to Marlinton from his buckboard buggy, using hand-wiped copper measuring cups.
    • Ice: Residents placed numbered cards (25-50-75-100) in windows to signal the weight of ice blocks they needed from the Third Avenue ice plant.

6. Reminiscences of "Greenbrier Hill School" & Black Heritage

  • Greenbrier Hill School: Documents a letter from William "Billy" Lindsay (San Francisco) detailing his time attending Greenbrier Hill School in Marlinton, which was the largest black school in the county. He fondly remembers his teachers, Mr. Bolden and Mrs. Mitchell, and provides a list of classmates who attended during his eight years.
  • Enoch "Bunk" Lindsay: Recalls Enoch driving kids to school from the Tannery Row when the weather was severe, and shares memories of consolidation events for Black schools held in local churches.
  • Garland McFerrin: Commemorates Garland McFerrin, a beloved disabled resident who worked as a popular "soda jerk" at Harry Sharp's News Stand.

7. Bicentennial Updates & School Controversies (Late 1976)

  • School Bond & Renovation Debates: Outlines controversies over school facilities in late 1976. Following a defeated bond issue, a Citizens Committee surveyed the county, estimating that bringing existing schools in Marlinton, Hillsboro, Green Bank, and Durbin up to fire safety standards would cost $1,238,327.
  • NRAO Property Transfer: Documents Green Bank receiving 11 acres of federal property (formerly part of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory) to preserve for nature study and to build a new Pocahontas County Free Library.
  • Marlinton Christmas Parade & St. Nicholas Day: Covers the December 1976 celebrations, including the 3rd annual St. Nicholas Day at the Pearl S. Buck Birthplace in Hillsboro.
  • National Christmas Tree: Details how a 41-foot native red spruce from the Monongahela National Forest near Cranberry Glades was selected as the National Christmas Tree at the Capitol in Washington, D.C. for December 1976.

🏫 Would you like me to extract more details about the early history of a specific school (like Green Bank High or Wesley Chapel School), or pull the detailed genealogy of the James Waugh family?

Glade Hill School

  • Location & Construction: Stood in the front yard of what later became the Albert Wilfong home, located on Wesley Chapel Road about 3 miles from Dunmore. It was built before 1873 as a log structure with only two windows on each side, furnished with a crude table, desks, and benches.
  • Early Memories & Incidents:
    • James Gillespie, one of the early teachers, was once drenched when student Ulysses Nottingham hung a bucket of water over the front door as a prank.
    • Students Rella Taylor and Katie Kelly stole a candied pear from a classmate, which Russell Taylor helped them eat; both girls received a whipping for the theft.
    • Nina Taylor (Sheets) recalled walking past the Higgins Spring on her way to attend her very first school term here.
  • Closure: The school stopped operating in the late 1890s and was replaced by the new Thorny Branch School. The old log building was briefly used as a home by the Charles Wilfong family before being torn down.

Thorny Branch School

  • Location & Replaced Glade Hill: Replaced the Glade Hill School and was built as a frame building downstream from the Lawrence Kelly house (about 1/4 mile west of Wesley Chapel Road).
  • Early Teachers:
    • The school's first teacher in 1903 was Susie McCarty, who boarded at Pete Oliver's and took her four-year-old first-grader, Inez Oliver, along to class.
    • Clownie Hull was a notable early teacher who "could be heard giving lessons all the way up the hill in the road".
  • The Slab Pile Incident: Downstream from the school was a slab pile where an old sawmill once stood. During a term taught by Clownie Hull, student Mac Wooddell was being whipped when he had an accident in his pants. Classmates Andy and Forrest Taylor took Mac down to the slab pile and built a protective fence around him out of the wooden slabs.
  • Later Use: Replaced by the Gum Springs and Wesley Chapel schools after enrollment climbed to 48. The building was bought and moved up the hill by Sam Elliott, and was later used as a home by Nola and Jack Taylor after their marriage in 1930 before being converted into a granary.

Gum Springs School

  • Location & Operation: Located on the Pete Oliver farm about 3 miles from Dunmore, built as a frame structure by C.M. Acord that began operating around 1908.
  • Typhoid Outbreak Origins: The construction of the school was accelerated when a severe typhoid fever epidemic struck the Galford's Creek community.
  • Teachers: Vincent Clay McCoy served as the first teacher. Other teachers included Clara Sheets, Mamie Ginger, and Norma Johnson.

Hillside School

  • Location & Construction: Located on Wesley Chapel Road about 1.5 miles east of Dunmore. Built in the winter of 1901 and completed in January 1902 by Charles Acord and others, with laborer Lanty Ryder helping construct it.
  • Timeline & Fate: First opened in February 1902 for a five-month term with Miss Emma Warwick as teacher. The school ran until its final term in 1925–26 under teacher Mrs. Gray Grimes Hiner, after which the building was purchased by Garfield Grimes. The site eventually became overgrown with pines on the bank above the road.

Old Oak Grove School

  • Location & Origins: Located at the head of Rosin Run, about 3.5 miles from Green Bank. It was active by 1894 when the Wesley Chapel Church was organized inside the schoolhouse.
  • Anecdotes:
    • Teacher Maude Mason once whipped Laurence Kelley, Russell Taylor, and Robert Taylor for skipping school to ride a sled with Jim Sutton to take a coffin up to the Alderman Place.
    • Russ Taylor recalled that a classmate named Luther Hudson once tore his pants at this school.
    • An even older precursor school existed down the hollow from the Philip Sheets farm, where James Cooper taught before the Civil War.

New Oak Grove School

  • Replacement & Closure: Replaced the old Rosin Run building and was built on Sheets Road (half a mile from Wesley Chapel Road).
  • Final Term: Closed at the end of the 1941–42 term under its last teacher, Glenna Gibson, when student numbers dwindled after Kent Galford moved his family to Green Bank.

The Curry School

  • Location & Fights: Located on the Ellis Curry farm in the hills east of Dunmore.
  • Memories: Pioneering teacher Mack Brooks taught his very first term of school here. Later, teacher Elizabeth Oliver (McCutcheon) was remembered for struggling to keep students Neil Horner and Ernest Sheets from fighting.

The Cross Roads School House

  • Location & Fate: Located below Green Bank on the Dunmore Road at the intersection of Hill Road and Route 28. It operated during the 1880s and 1890s, but was ultimately destroyed by fire when it was believed a tramp slept inside and accidentally set it ablaze.

Old Building in Front of the Wesley Chapel Church

  • Emergency School: Originally built as a store by Henry and James Taylor in 1907, it was converted into a temporary school for about three terms (1908–1910) when a typhoid epidemic hit Galford's Creek.
  • The Rock Prank: Student Russ Taylor was whipped by teacher Ezra Wooddell at this temporary school after Russ threw a rock at Woodsie Gumm but accidentally struck classmate Charlie Hoover in the head instead.

Poage Lane School

  • Location & Winter Hardships: Located three miles west of Clover Lick on the road to Marlinton, built on land owned by Quincy H. Poage.
  • Snow Wading: Former pupil Juanita Shinaberry Dilley recalled wading through snow as deep as four feet during the winter, though students rarely missed a day. In the 1890s, teacher Miss Annett Ligon rode horseback two miles from her home near Clover Lick to teach.

✏️ Would you like to explore the ledger lists of teachers and students for any of these specific schools, or perhaps read some of the original local guidelines for teachers in the early 1900s?

 

 

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