January 2013 VOL. 3 Issue 1

New members welcome! Yearly membership dues:

Individual—$10

Couple—$15 Family—$20 Under 18—$3

MCHS: Telephone 304-367-5398

PO Box 1636, Fairmont, WV 26555 Email: marionhistorical@yahoo.com

Marion County Historical Society

Please meet your MCHS Board of Directors:

President— Dora Kay Grubb

Vice President— Guy Ward

Treasurer— Christa Greco

Secretary— Elizabeth Swiger

Parliamentarian— Royal Watts

Historian— JoAnn Lough

In This Issue:

Welcome Features— 2-7 Founder’s Month Butcher School Women’s Club Sam Jones Coal Country Spotlight 8-9 Marlene Mitchell County Jail Faith UM Church Cemetary News— 10-11 Gift Shop— 12 Upcoming Events— 13 Trivia— 14-15

The Marion County Historical Dispatch

The Marion County Historical Society will soon be having a weekly column in the Sunday edition of the Times West Vir-ginian. This column will pertain to Marion County History with different writers, including some past articles authored by Glenn D. Lough and Thomas Koon. If you have an article you wish to submit, e-mail it to the museum at the above e-mail

address, drop of off, or mail it to us.

The MCHS was awarded the “Event of the Year for 2012” by the Marion County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau for the Holiday Historic Home Tours at their annual meeting. A Procla-mation of Excellence was re-ceived by the MCHS from Gov-ernor Earl Ray Tomblin.

Welcome! This is hoping the 2013 edition of our newsletter finds you well. We have several interesting articles to pique your interest and a few newsworthy updates and events.

January was a very busy month at the Marion County Historical Society. January is Founder’s Month and that brought us many causes to celebrate!

On these days, the Museum hosted an open house to commemorate our founders. Tours were given, refreshments were served, and music entertained the attendees. See pages two and three for additional information.

Happy Reading! Christa

Founders Day Banner displayed in front of the Marion County Courthouse

Get ready for the Mountain State History Expo on April 6th, from 10AM-2PM sponsored by your very

own Marion County Historical Society!

Planning is underway so reserve your tables now! First table free, additional tables $10 each. Your display may be set up on Friday afternoon or by 9:30AM on Satur-

day (we furnish the tables and two chairs).

If you have any questions, please call Dora at 304-612-1377 or e-mail her at marionhistorical@yahoo.com.

MCHS Contact Information:

Telephone: 304-367-5398 Address: PO Box 1636 Fairmont, WV 26555 Email: marionhistorical@yahoo.com

Originally prepared 2006 by JoAnn Lough, Chair, City of Fairmont Historic Landmarks Commission.

January:Founders’Month

The Marion County Historical Society Museum held an Open House on January 3, 14, 19, and 25, 2013 in celebration of Founders’ Month. The open houses in-cluded a short ceremony, late 18th and Early 19th century music, refreshments, exhibits, museum tours, and his-tory chats. Also in keeping with the festivities, Wes-Banco held a celebration honoring Boaz Fleming’s birthday on January 3, 2013.

On JANUARY 3, 1758. Boaz Fleming, founder of Middletown, Virginia, now Fairmont, West Virginia, was born in Delaware. He served in the Revolutionary War. Encouraged by David Morgan, in 1787 at the age of 29 along with his wife, Elizabeth (“Betsy”) Hutchin-son and one year old daughter Clarissa (photo)* he led a party of 43 persons (aged new-born to 80) with all their worldly goods, including farm animals, across the Alle-ghenies from near Milford, Delaware, to the Morgan Settlement near now Rivesville, earlier Pleasantville, then Milford in his honor. He purchased 254 acres on which he lived and farmed. (See more information on his found-ing Fairmont under Middletown.) Fleming died March 20, 1830 and is buried in Fairmont’s Woodlawn Cemetery Historic District alongside his wife. They were originally buried in the Presbyterian Church Cemetery, located where WesBanco (Watson Building) Drive-in now stands at the corner of Adams and Jefferson (Lot 40). (See map.)* On JANUARY 14, 1842, Marion County was established by an Act of the General Assembly of Virginia. House Bill 69, to create a new county from parts of Monongalia and Harrison Counties which had been created from the West Augusta District, was introduced by delegate William S. Morgan, son of Stephan Morgan and grandson to David Morgan, greatly assisted by Senator William J. Willey, half-brother to Waitman T. Willey. Waitman was a Farmington native and first West Virginia senator to the US Senate. The new county was named by Thomas Conaway in honor of Revolutionary War hero General Francis Marion, “The Swamp Fox”, of South Carolina. Middletown was named the County Seat. (See displays with William S. Morgan background.)

Founder’s Month January 2013 Volume 3, Issue 1

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Francis Harrison Pierpont

L-R: Gladys Miller, Nancy Koon, Joann Lough, Betty An-drews, and Dora K. Grubb as they pose for a photo during

the Historical Society’s Founders’ Day festivities.

Continued from page 2:

On JANUARY 19, 1820 Middletown, Virginia, Now Fairmont, West Virginia, was established by an act of the Virginia Assembly. In 1817, Boaz with his sons cleared a 40 acre parcel of his 254 acres in order to establish a town which could serve as a county seat for a new county that he and others were planning. In 1819 he laid out his town into 85 one-half acre lots (map)* The surveyor was William Haymond, Jr. (compass)*who later served as postmaster for Polsley’s Mill, Middletown’s post office (post office)*. Fleming named it Middletown, no doubt, in honor of Middletown, Delaware, where he met, “courted”, and married his wife, “Betsy.” He named the streets and set up a trustee form of government. The first trustees were John Barns (President), John W. Kelly, Josiah Wolcott, John W. Polsley, Jesse Ice, Benoni and Thomas Fleming. Fleming’s hopes for a county were real-ized, sadly, 12 years after his death. Note: Fleming first lived in the ruins of the “ancient stone fort” near the now Mollohan Bridge. He then built a cabin on what became Lot 36 (map)* and later moved to a cabin on Lot 47. Fleming sold the first lots August 6, 1819. All of the names of the persons who first purchased lots from Fleming are in the court records and are listed on pp. 420-425 in Now and Long Ago by Glenn D. Lough. This book is available in libraries. In 1843 Middletown was incorporated as the Borough of Fairmont. 1865 the trustee form of government changed to mayor and council. The first Mayor was Jacob Beeson, whose home, built in 1851, still stands on Locust Ave-nue. January/February, 1899, the West Virginia Legislature granted the Borough of Fairmont a new charter by which the towns of Palatine, once Polsley’s Mill, and West Fairmont, once Pettyjohn, were incorporated into Fair-mont. The name was changed to the City of Fairmont. 1913 the town of Barnesville, now Bellview, was incorpo-rated into the City.

On JANUARY 25, 1814 Francis Harrison Pierpont, the “Father of West Virginia,” was born at Easton, five miles south of Morgantown. Fairmont’s Pierpont was elected as the Governor of Restored (to the United States) Virginia, at the Second Wheeling Convention, June 20, 1861. There were now two Virginias--Union and Confed-erate. The Wheeling Conventions were meetings of elected representatives from Northwestern Virginia who were loyal to the United States and did not agree to Virginia’s leaving the Union at the time of the Civil War. Pierpont’s plans and actions, prior to and while serving as the Governor of Restored Virginia (1861-68), made him greatly responsible for the creation of West Virginia June 20, 1863. Pierpont died March 24, 1899, and is buried in the family plot in Fairmont’s Woodlawn Cemetery Historic District next to his wife, Julia Augusta Robertson Pierpont. April 30, 1910, the US Congress accepted his statue from West Virginia to stand in Statuary Hall of the US Capitol Building, Washington, DC, honoring him as the “Father of West Virginia.” (See Museum photo displays and brochure.) *Indicates feature of Museum exhibit

Founder’s Month January 2013 Volume 3, Issue 1

Francis Harrison Pierpont

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Feature: Butcher School

Butcher School By Nancy Bickerstaff, President

Fairmont Women’s Club (with some additions and editing by Dora Kay Grubb)

I would like to update you on the buzz about Butcher School! Butcher school is an inte-gral part of Fairmont’s History. Raymond Alverez has conducted some research on the school. It is named after Bernard L. Butcher, who was the First State Superintendent of Schools and is buried at Woodlawn Cemetery. He also started the Marion County Historical Society in 1908. In1880, Mr. Butcher was elected as state superintendent of schools. Progressive-minded, he did much during his years as state superintendent to further the cause of better education for the public: re-established the "School Journal," ob-tained legislation which provided for the educa-tion of black teachers, established Arbor Day, making WV the first state east of the Mississippi to have an official Arbor Day, and helped make the state's schools more uniform with better buildings and teachers. Butcher School was built in 1896. Fairmont Normal School (now Fairmont State University), used Butcher School as a modal training school for student teachers. I attended the first through sixth grades at Butcher School.

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Future Plans: Revitalize and Readaptation The school was purchased by Rebuild America of Florida. They checked the school out and decided it did not fit their plans. They are willing to turn the school over to a non-profit for the price of the back taxes. It is the hope of the Women’s Club along with the Marion County Historical Society and other interested groups or partners that the school be reclaimed and readapted. Possible future uses of the building: museum, genealogy, art, quilting, a place to meet for various civic groups, a classroom from the past, an ice cream parlor, retail establishments, or a community center. To accomplish this we will need donations of time and money. Much has already been done. Mike Hogan has worked on the outside cleaning it up. Ernie VanGilder of V&W Elec-tric donated the paint that was used to cover the unseemly graffiti. The roof has been replaced with metal and all of it is covered but a small portion. And Guess what? It is not going over the hill. That was the story I heard back in the 40s; it is not going anywhere! So be thinking of ways we can make this happen!

Feature: Woman’s Club

The Greater Fairmont Woman’s Club: An Update By Nancy Bickerstaff, President The GFWC Woman's Club of Fairmont works with the Mu-seum all of the time. I would like to give you a brief update on the Historic Landmark also known as the Thomas Fleming house. All three floors have been completed and are open for tours. We rent the facility and have three bus tours coming this summer. We are also involved in the community, hosting the Southside neighborhood. ( I would love to know more about Fairmont Development Corp. Mr. Thomas Flem-ing was a member of this group of movers & shakers).

We find details in the house now since we have replaced the roof and are restoring the back and left side of the house. We found another pocket door that needs repaired. We are working on repairing a clock. We had three gifts from the family. These were wonderful things that belonged to Annie Sweeny Fleming. Her pill box, her mechanical pencil that she wore around her neck, (since she did the books for Mr. Fleming) and a tea spoon with her initials on it. We discovered wonderful Woman's Club silverware engraved with Woman's Club on it believed to have also belong to the Flemings. The kitchen

has a "Call Box" that was made in Wheeling. Also known as an Annunciator it was used to call the servants from different rooms in the house. We have repaired the kitchen door buzzer and front door buzzer. The home was completed in 1902, the contractor was George Kisner, who was the same contractor who built the Cook Hos-pital. We are told that Annie was the architect. A lady beyond her time, also the founder of the GFWC Woman's Club in 1906. We believe the Woman's Club is the oldest ladies’ group other than church groups in Fairmont. Anyone having any memories or facts about the Club, please get in touch with us. We have an Archives Room we will be working on. We would like pic-tures of ladies who belonged to the club back in the day. I found records of Mary Lyda Hutchinson hosting meet-ings at Sonnencroft. The history that sits on 300 First Street is wonderful. We welcome ladies to join the club or contact us for a tour. Contact Nancy Bickerstaff at nbicky@comcast.net or call 304-366-3231 to make arrange-ments.

This is an 1800s photograph of the Thomas Fleming man-sion.

This is a photograph of the Greater Fairmont Womens Club as of 2012 (formerly the Thomas Fleming house).

This is a photograph of grand staircase as it was decorated for Christmas at the mansion (photo courtesy of Theressa Nicholds).

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Feature: Sam Jones

“Sad” Sam “Toothpick” Jones

Contributed by: Dora K. Grubb, President Marion County Historical Society & Museum

Although born in Ohio, Sam Jones grew up in Grant Town and Monongah, West Virginia, where he actually didn't play much baseball as a kid. He went to Dunbar High School. While in the Army Air Corps in World War II, an officer recruited Jones for the camp baseball team, and he was a natural pitcher.

While a young man, Jones started a habit of keeping a toothpick in his mouth, and as a pitcher he con-tinued to do so, earning his nickname. Known as "Toothpick" this "Sad Sam," Jones and Quincy Trouppe while playing for the Cleveland In-dians in 1952 formed the first black battery in the American League. In all, Jones pitched in the Majors for the Cleveland Indians, Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals, Detroit Tigers, San Francisco Giants and Baltimore Ori-oles Sam Jones pitched a no-hitter against the Pirates on May 12, 1955. It was the first no-hitter by an Afri-can American in the Major Leagues. He walked the bases loaded in the ninth and then struck out Dick Groat, Roberto Clemente and Frank Thomas to complete the no-hit game. He walked seven in the game. The achieve-ment earned him a golden toothpick. It was the first no-hit in Wrigley Field since Hippo Vaughn threw nine hitless innings against Fred Toney of the Reds in 1917. This was the only game where two pitchers have pitched nine no hit innings each. Jones also set the modern, major league record for walks that year, while leading the league in hit bats-men. Stan Musial and his battery mate, Hobie Landrith of the Cubs, considered his curveball to be one of the best of all time. His wicked curveball, combined with a good fastball and consistent wildness, kept batters from getting too comfortable in the batter's box. He pitched a one-hitter on June 15, 1959. On September 26, 1959, Jones had a no-hitter through seven innings, but rain stopped that game, so he did not get credit for a no-hitter. Three times Jones led the league in strikeouts, and four times he led the league in walks. In 1959, he led the NL in wins with 21 and an ERA of 2.83. Jones died at age 45 in 1971 in Morgantown, WV, of lung cancer. He is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery. Check out Jones's stats at Baseball-Reference.com.

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NORTHERN APPALACHIAN COAL MINING HERITAGE ASSOCIATION (NACMHA) INTERACTIVE COAL MINING EXHIBIT

By Michael Rohaly The NACMHA established an interactive coal mining exhibit in Fair-mont, West Virginia adjacent to Coal Country Miniature Golf Course near I-79. Interactive displays to date include a coal shoveling station, a virtual coal mine which visitors can “walk” through, and a dexterity tester used to test coal mine applicants in the old days. Coal picks, hard hats, photographs, ventilation measuring instruments are also on display as well as a tabulation of coal mine disaster victims in the local area over the past 100 years and more. The exhibit is free and open to the public during summer months. A $1.00 donation is suggested. Artifacts displayed have been donated or loaned by persons in the regional community. Maintenance of the facility is performed as an in-kind donation by Coal Country Miniature Golf. Staff members open and close the facility

and perform routine cleaning, therefore hours of operation are one hour after opening of the miniature golf course until one hour before its closing. During peak summer months, hours are noon until 10PM. The miniature golf business annually donates funds to insure the building. The building is owned by the property owner and is currently leased to NACMHA for a nominal $1/yr. NACMHA funding is entirely through grants, donations and volunteer work. Visitors are also accepted by appointment with reasonable notice by calling Mike at 304-534-1776. The public is also encouraged to visit the organization’s Facebook page and the website at www.orgsites.com/wv/nacmha. E-mail address is nacmha@aol.com.

Coal Country January 2013 Volume 3, Issue 1

Coal Country

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Above photos depict various parts of the interactive display at the Northern Appalachian Coal Mining Heritage Associa-tion’s Interactive Coal Mining Exhibit (Photos courtsey of Mike Rohaly).

Coal shoveling station,(Photo cour-tesy of Mike Rohaly)

Spotlight On: Marlene Mitchell

By: Gladys Miller

Smiles, grins and cheerful words, are what will greet you when you run into this life-long citizen of Marion

county. She is a mother, grandmother, and soon to be great-grandmother.

Marlene Mitchell is the first black woman to serve as the Admin-istrative Assistant in the Marion County Home Incarceration Program, under the Marion County Sheriff’s Department. She has worked for the program six and one half years, and has learned to wear many hats in working with the clients. Ms, Mitchell is also a Licensed Minister and utilizes the Histori-cal Society to perform wedding ceremonies. She has served on the Fair-mont City Council and is a past president of the Jackson Addition Im-provement Association. Ms. Mitchell considers herself a ‘’ baby senior citizen’’, and has discovered latent talents she didn’t know she had, such as drawing, making crafts for her family and creative dancing.

Marlene Mitchell

This is a photo of Dora with Commissioner Tennant as she accepts one of only two bricks salvaged from the demolition of the Fairmont Theater.

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Have you seen this recently issued specialty license plate celebrating 150 years of WV’s statehood? They are available at your local DMV office for a $30/year registration fee. The DMV will exchange your current plate and charge you a pro-rated fee. The fee is usually applied in November. So if you get yours today, it would be about $17. For additional information call 1-800-642-9066 .

Spotlight On:

Update from Dora: The Faith United Methodist Church has been sold and was formally closed in January. The church will be torn down, with most of the 100 year old stain glass windows being crushed under the wrecking ball.

On Wednesday, January 16th, a ribbon cutting ceremony was performed for the re-opening of the County Jail. Re-opening the jail will save taxpayers and the Marion

County a lot of money. inmates will be held and processed at the facility instead of being sent to the Regional Jail in Doddridge County. The photo on the left is of the jail which was con-

structed in 1912. The photo on the right depicts the ribbon cutting. Left to right: Chief Deputy Ralph Wright, Councilman Butch Tennant, Council President Randy Elliott, and Ernie VanGilder.

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Woodlawn Launches “Adopt a Grave” Program

(Adapted from the Times West Virginian Article by Jonathan Williams, December 28, 2012 edition) In December 2012, Woodlawn Cemetery launched the “Adopt-A-Grave” program. It’s mission is to give his-tory lovers the opportunity to sponsor the grave of someone integral to the city and state’s success by contributing to the cemetery’s upkeep. The cost of adopting a grave is $80 a year per grave and is open to individuals, organizations, and corporation sponsorship. There are many famous Fairmont families – the Watsons, owners of Fairmont Coal Co. (now Consol); the Flemings, who founded the city; the Hutchinsons, of Hutchinson Coal; and many more – buried in the historic district, but the majority of them don’t have living family in the area to take care of their graves. These men of means and influence made Fairmont their home and devoted con-siderable resources to improving the city and the state. Now that the “the Gilded Age” of coal barons and millionaires has come and gone, Fairmont’s proud sons lie buried in the historic section of Woodlawn Cemetery as their legacies fade and their graves fall into disrepair. This initiative will greatly enable current stewards of Fairmont’s his-tory to protect and maintain the historical district of the graveyard Woodlawn is a large cemetery and requires a lot of mainte-nance to keep it looking nice. The majority of the cemetery’s expense are maintenance costs. It costs $60 to $80 a week in gas to mow the grounds. Money from sponsored graves will go toward gas, weed-eater string and other equipment maintenance.

Raymond Alvarez is the first participant in the program and adopted the grave of Andrew C. Lyons. Lyons was a renowned architect whose work can be seen through downtown Fairmont. Alvarez is working on a research project on Lyons and is looking for any pictures of him or his family (wife Mary Katherine and daughter Beatrice) that people may have.

The cemetery recently created a new website and is working on creating up-to-date maps of where everyone is buried. See page 11 for additional information. A note from Gena: Following the appearance of this article in the Times WV, the Marion County Historical Society has expressed interest in adopting the grave of Bernard Lee Butcher (see below), and the Women’s Club of Fairmont is interested in the graves of Thomas and Anna Fleming and their children. How about you? Are you a mem-ber of a profession, like a judge, lawyer or legislator; the UMWA; the Masons; Eastern Star; Daughters of the Ameri-can Revolution; teacher, minister, missionary, photographer? I know we have people from these professions and inter-ests here at Woodlawn. Your annual sponsorship will help us keep things looking nice at Woodlawn. Contact Gena Wagaman at (304) 657-1813 or gena.wagaman@yahoo.com if you are interested in adopting a grave.

Cemetery News: Woodlawn Cemetery Update

Contributed By: Gena Wagaman

January 2013

Vol 3; Iss 1

Woodlawn

Gena Wagaman and Raymond Alvarez kneeling be-hind the headstones of Mary K. and Andrew C. Lyons at Woodlawn Cemetery.

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Woodlawn’s New Web Site The new Woodlawn Cemetery Web Site was online as of September 2012. Please check it out at www.historicwoodlawncemetery.org. A group of Robert Tinnel’s students from the Douglas Education Center in Mones-sen, Pennsylvania filmed and produced a video promoting the Adopt-A-Grave pro-gram and the perpetual cemetery’s need for the public’s assistance. Mr. Tinnel who owns the Allegheny Image Factory, narrates the video. It has been posted to the new Web Site and highlights the fol-lowing: • origins of the cemetery that began

with Joseph Hamilton, • the fact that more than 10,000 indi-

viduals are buried there, • 100 Civil War Veterans are buried

there, • the Former Governor of the Restored

State of Virginia and the Father of West Virginia, the Honorable Francis Harrison Pierpont is buried there

• The cemetery was designed by the same architect who designed the US Presidential retreat, Camp David

Please contact Gena Wagaman at (304) 657-1813 or gena.wagaman@yahoo.com for additional information.

Cemetery News: Woodlawn Cemetery Update

Contributed By: Gena Wagaman

January 2013

Vol 3; Iss 1

Marion County Historical Society & Museum 211 Adams St., Fairmont (next to the Courthouse)

COME VISIT OUR GIFT CORNER FOR ALL OF YOUR SHOPPING! At the Marion County Museum

Supporting WV Craftsman while promoting the history and heritage of our city, state, and region!

Sales now possible through the website: www.marionhistorical.com

Telephone: 304-367-5398 E-mail: marionhistorical@yahoo.com

Gift Shop January 2012 Volume 3, Issue 1

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Upcoming Events

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All events are subject to change. Please continue to check our Website:

www.marionhistorical.com or call 304 (367-5398)

February 23: 10:30 The Annual Membership Meeting at Central United Methodist Church 12:00 Guest Speaker: Mark Bowyer on early African-American Schools in Marion County April 6: 10:00 -2:00 Mountain State History Expo located at the Marion County Court House: Free to public. Tours, displays, live music, etc. April: Another Dinner Theater as requested by public. Cost 22.50 Details to be announced later May 25: Julia Pierpont Day: Details to follow June 20th: West Virginia Day: The MCHS will be working in conjunction with Rivesville to have a full day & night program. August 10th: Morgan Morgan Reunion at Prickett’s Fort TBA—A day at Prickney-David Morgan home -music, period food & more (Colonial Period) 27th: A day at Woodlawn Cemetery: Grave Rubbings, tour of historic graves, etc. September: TBA Hands on for Children. A day of old fashion fun. Learn to weave, make baskets, candle dipping. October: TBA Downtown Ghost Walk TBA Dinner Theater November 17th: Annual Membership Meeting 30th: Annual Holiday Historic House Tours—Winner of the Convention & Visitors Bureau 2012 Event of the Year December: TBA A Colonial Christmas 14th: Annual Christmas Open House

MCHS

Telephone 304-367-5398 PO Box 1636, Fairmont, WV 26555 Email: marionhistorical@yahoo.com WWW.MARIONHISTORICAL.ORG

Trivia Answers

By Dora Kay Grubb In the last issue we asked:

1) Where is Coffin Hollow and why was it named that?

Just outside of Monongah is an old cemetery that has Civil War Soldiers who died during the Battle of Fairmont or Jones Raid. According to the story a Union Soldier had been killed a Confederate Soldier. Years later as the former Union Soldier was passing the graveyard he heard a blood-curdling rebel yell. There was the dead soldier seated above his coffin chasing him. For months when the Union Soldier would travel that way the Confederate Soldier would follow him riding his coffin but only to mouth of the Hollow. Later the Union Soldier was found in the Hollow dead from an old bullet in the head. From that day on it was known as Coffin Hollow. Taken from the Book COFFIN HOLLOW & other ghost stories by Dr. Ruth Ann Musick. This book is for sale at the museum or through our website: www.marionhistorical.com

2) Who was "Sad" Sam "Toothpick" Jones? (He was from Monongah) Known as "Toothpick" this "Sad Sam", Jones pitched in both leagues and had some very good years. For the Cleveland Indians in 1952 he and Quincy Trouppe formed the first black battery in the American League. In all, Jones pitched in the Majors for the Cleveland Indians, Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals, Detroit Tigers, San Francisco Giants and Baltimore Orioles . For more information on “sad” Sam “toothpick” Jones see article on page 6. 3) Mannington had two other names before the name of Mannington. What were they and where did the name Mannington come from? Mannington was first named the "Forks of the Buffalo." Many towns were named by landmarks to ex-plain their location in the beginning of the settling of the areas. This name came from two streams-Pyles fork and Warrior Fork- merging to form Buffalo Creek. By 1840 effort were made increase the popula-tion of the Hamlet. Two Brothers, George and Samuel Koon, opened the only tavern for many miles. Folks would often refer to the settlement as "Koon's Town" later shortened to Koon Town. In 1850 news was received that the B & O Railroad would be coming through the town. The people wanted a more proper name. A B & O Civil Engineer, Charles F. Manning, a very likeable fellow, was responsible for the building of the railroad through the area bringing new jobs. In his honor, it was decided to name the town after him and add a ton to the end, hence the name Mannington. This was taken from the book, "An Appalachian Legacy, Mannington Life and Spirit" by Arthur C. Prichard. The only place I know this excellent book can be purchased is at the Mannington Library for $20. If you go to buy one, tell them the Marion County Historical Society sent you.

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New Trivia

As we have entered the 150th year of statehood, see if you know the answers to the following trivia questions: 1) Where was the first Capitol of West Virginia? 2) Who was the first Governor of West Virginia? 3) What was the first choice of names for this new state? 4) Who entered the statehood Bill to the Virginia Assembly? 5) Why is there a controversy over the legality of the formation of our State? Clue: look at Article IV. Section 3, Clause I of the United States Constitution.

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