St. Albans
Historical Society
Newsletter - Fall 2009
Morgan’s Kitchen Fall Festival
This year’s 6th annual Morgan’s Kitchen Fall
Festival will be on Saturday, October 10 from 10-4
pm at Morgan’s Kitchen. Apple Butter making, Reenactors, Cabin tours, Scout demonstrations, old
time music. Volunteers needed.
The 4rd Annual St. Albans Founder’s Day
will be held on Saturday, Oct. 10 from 10-4 pm.
Numerous activities are planned with the St.
Albans Historical Society having an Open House at
the Historical Society Building, a Pow Wow and
numerous activities on Main St. throughout the
day.
Wm. P. Burdette Building Summer
Open House
We had the Historical Society Building open this
summer for visitors from Memorial Day thru August
from 10-4 pm every Saturday. This gave people a
chance to not only see our Military displays and
photos, but to do some family history research
through our records and books. We had over 100
visitors this summer Thanks to all our volunteers.
Morgan Kitchen Summer Open House
Morgans Kitchen was once again opened this
summer for visitors from Memorial Day thru Labor
Day, from 2-4 pm every Sunday. This is our 16th
year for doing this. We had over 75 visitors this
summer…many first time visitors. Thanks to
everyone that helped !!
2009 Upcoming Events
October 10, 2008 - Morgan’s
Kitchen Fall Festival / Founder’s
Day
October 17,18, 24,25, 2008 - Fall
Train Open House at Historical
Bldg.
8-9:30 am
November 8, 2008 – Regular Meeting
December 5, 2008 - Christmas
Homes Tour, Saturday, 6 - 9 p.m.
St. Albans Main St.
The Renaissance Committee of the St. Albans
Historical Society is accepting quotes from
various business owners for a store-front
restoration grants (façade grant) of their historic
building. We have $3,600 to supply businesses
that was left over from the St. Albans
Renaissance Group budget. Owners must match
the grant.
Christmas Homes Tour
The 16th Annual homes tour will be on
Saturday, December 5 from 6-9 pm. More later.
Books for Sale:
All of our books we have for sale are
available at the Curosity Shop.
- “Early History of St.Albans” (NEW)$5.00
- “Coalsmouth Journal, 1982” $5.00
- “A Historical Sketch of St. Albans WV –
1938” $5.00
- “St. Albans Historic and Architectural
Survey” $5.00
- “Bicentennial of the Burning of Fort
Tackett, 1790 – 1990” $5.00
- “The Last Dollar” $5.00
- Tornado Remembered” $5.00
- “Cemeteries of St. Albans” $25
- “Upper Kanawha Valley
Cemeteries”$30
- “History of St. Albans” (Video) $20
Dues:
If you have not paid your 2009 dues….make a
check out and give to Jane Milam. $7 individual
and $10 family. Our new year will begin with the
February meeting.
Election of Officers:
The election of officers will be during the
September meeting. Up for election are the office
of Vice President and Secretary
(2 yr.
terms)
Elliott Street & Zerkle Street
Houses
These houses were built in Pt. Pleasant around
1940 for the boat building plant (or possible the
ammunition plant) in operation during World
War II for the defense workers. After the
factory closed shortly after the war, they were
no longer needed.
The Union Carbide plant in the Kanawha
Valley was increasing production with
returning soldiers to the workforce and
desperately needed housing. These threedozen or so houses were bought and
moved to the hilltop of St. Albans in 1948.
Five were shipped on barges with all five
on one barge. They were presumably
unloaded from the barge from the Kanawha
River near the old ferry site (Lou Windell’s
Marina) and trucked to the old Campbell
farm. The remaining houses were brought
by truck form Pt. Pleasant. The Campbells
still own adjacent property. The new streets
became Elliott and Zerkle Streets and
Summit Drive and formed a circle near the
top of the hill there. This area is known to
many as Eldot.
Each house had a basement and two
bedrooms and they were really quite small.
In order to purchase one of these homes,
an owner had to prove employment to the
bank that they worked at the Union Carbide
plant. It is thought that Elliottt Street is
named after a Carbide official and Zerkle is
named after on of the first businessmen
and banker in town, “Doc” C. A. Zerkle.
Due to their small size and the small lot
size, many of the homes today remain
unchanged, except for perhaps new siding
and windows. The houses on the upper
end of Elliott Street past Summit Drive are
later additions but are similar in style.
Photos were supplied by Rick Norris who
lived in one of these houses in the 1950’s.
Information is supplied by Richard Milam,
whose family acquired one of the 1st of
these houses.
THE SIMMERINGS – MAY 1934
(St. Albans High School Newspaper)
St. Albans Commencement (1934)
Baccalaureate Sermon at Baptist
Church,
June 10, 1934
- Reverend Lynne B. Meade will deliver the
annual baccalaureate sermon to the
Seniors of St. Albans High School at the
Baptist Church, Sunday, June 10 at 8 P. M.
- The complete program is as follows:
- Musical Prelude - Fifth Grade Chorus,
Central School, 7:45-8:00 P.M.
- Processional - School Orchestra.
- Invocation - Rev. J. E. Myers.
- Hymn: “Day is Dying in the West,” “The
Heavens are Telling” by Beethoven, High
School Chorus.
- Scripture Reading and Prayer - Rev. J. S.
Thornburg
- “I Come to Thee” by Caro Ronia, Martha
Kindt, Paul Dawson.
- Hymn - ”Holy! Holy! Holy!”
- Sermon - Rev. Lynne B. Mead.
- Hymn - ”Faith of Our Fathers.”
- Benediction - Rev. C. L. Nisbet.
- Recessional - School Orchestra.
Jennings Randolph To Give
Commencement Address (1934)
Hon. Jennings Randolph, West Virginia
congressman from the Second
Congressional District, will deliver the
Twentieth Commencement address to the
1934 graduating class on Thursday, June
14, at 7:00 P. M.
Mr. Randolph is a graduate of Salem
College, and although a very young man,
has had a great deal of experience as a
commencement speaker, especially in the
past few years. In college, he was a
prominent member of the debating team,
and has a reputation as an entertaining
and fluent speaker.
(cont.) Jennings Randolph To Give
Commencement Address (1934)
In addition to Mr. Randolph’s address, which
will be the main feature of the evening, other
interesting parts of the program will be the
valedictory by Maxine May, the salutatory by
Jessie Jacobson, the presentation of the class,
by principal Mr. B. E. Liggett, and the
presentation of diplomas by Mr. H. T.
Crawford, president of the Kanawha County
Board of Education.
The annual commencement program June 14,
1934 is as follows:
- Processional—School Orchestra.
- Invocation—Rev. C. L. Nisbet.
- Salutatory - Jessie Jacobson.
- “The Green Cathedral” by Carl Hahn - High
School Chorus.
- Valedictory - Maxine May.
- “Homing” - Del Riego - Evelyn Johnson.
- “Nightfall” (arranged from “Lubestraum”) Listz
- Margaret Weimer, Evelyn Johnson, Dorothy
Nisbet, Jerry Johnson, Sue Hagaman, Laura
Woodard.
- Presentation of Class - Bassell E. Liggett,
Principal of High School.
- Presentation of Diplomas - H. T. Crawford,
President of Kanawha County Bd. of Ed.
- Recessional - School Orchestra.
THE SIMMERINGS – MAY 1930
SENIORS SNEAK TO UPPER FALLS
The Senior “sneak” has come and gone and
few will forget it. The custom is that the Seniors
each year take a sneak, but it takes four years
to become a senior. On Thursday, April 24, the
Seniors arose early, packed what lunch they
wanted, and carried themselves to the vicinity
of the Upper Falls of Coal River.
Arriving at the Falls, the Seniors wandered
through the country, in search of a suitable
place to stop and leave their food. The “Falls”
was supposed to be the destination but a few
ventured to other parts.
Cont.
SENIORS SNEAK TO UPPER FALLS
Several notable things happened that day
never before did we know that Kathryn
Lynch could perform the Indian war dance
so perfectly. But when Shorty Hardman
aided her by putting a small frog down her
back, Kathryn did that dance better than
Chief Flying Cloud could have done. After
the dance there were a great many pictures
taken and the cameras and Kodaks are still
in working order. Imagine that!
A few of the boys and girls ate their
lunches but what a sad thing it proved!
Although they had eaten in the best of
spirits, few ventured into the water again
lest the lunch they had eaten should sink
and take them with it. If you doubt this, ask
Helen Trowbridge, she was swimming
across the river; Homer Robinson swam up
behind her and gave her a little ducking.
When she came to the top she was afraid,
not because Homer had ducked her, but
she thought that the cheese she had ate
had weighted her down. Funny ideas, these
women!
We couldn’t help but worry about J. D.
Treanor who looked so pale and wane, and
spoke few words all day long. He spent
most of the day looking for rare flowers, but
no “Roses” were in bloom on that river
Everyone wanted to go a long ways on
the sneak so that caused an early
departure. Some returned by car, some by
train and others walked or got home the
best way they could. Lawrence Gatens was
in such a hurry, he forgot his pants—
bathing trunks, I mean; and Eva Saynes
forgot her vanity case. We never knew a girl
to do that before! However, Shorty
Hardman was with her, and that accounts
for it all.
THE SIMMERINGS – MAY 1935
High School History
(later the Jr. High School)
St. Albans High School was organized in
1913 under the supervision of Mr. Charles P.
Guice. The building used was a six room red
brick building, situated just above the graded
school building. This building is now used as a
part of Central School. There was also a small
concrete block building just across the street
from the main high school building which was
used as a classroom by the commercial
department. Mr. Guice was superintendent for
six years. Mr. M. P. Summers became
principal of the high school in 1922 serving
two terms as principal and then was made
superintendent of the St. Albans’ schools.
Mr. John E. Hughes succeeded Mr. Summers
as principal and served two terms 1924-25.
The attendance at the high school had been
increasing so rapidly that a larger building was
needed. The St. Albans Independent District
School Board decided to build a new fourteen
room building which is the present high school
building.
The new building was finished for the 1924-25
term of school with Mr. John E. Hughes as
principal. This building contains fourteen large,
well ventilated, and well lighted rooms. It is
equipped with a modern hot air heating plant
and a modern clock system. It has a well
equipped commercial department and
chemistry laboratory.
In 1927 the gymnasium was added which
was a big aid to the athletic department of the
school, permitting the addition of physical
education to the curriculum. From 1925 till
1930 the high school had no principal but was
under the supervision of Mr. Summers. For the
term 1930-31 the school board appointed Mr.
W. A. Burgess as principal with Mr. H. C.
VanCamp as supervisor, and again in 1931-32
Mr. Burgess was appointed principal with Mr.
L. K. Lovenstein as superintendent.
Mr. B. E. Liggett was made principal in 1932,
which position he has held continuously since
that time.
From: “THE KANAWHA
VALLEY – 1872, Resources,
Developments and Special
Business Directory”
Prof. Harries S. Daddow, geologist and
mining engineer, has made the most recent
reliable mineral exploration of West Virginia,
and in a practical and exhaustive book, called
“Coal Iron and Oil,’’ has so thoroughly and
truthfully discussed coal interest of the
Kanawha Valley that the reader will be
abundantly repaid by the reading of the
following extract of the coal in this region.
“THE COALS OF THE GREAT KANAWHA”
“Coal River, Elk River and
Gauley diverge from the Great
Kanawha and spread their
branches over one of the richest
and most magnificent coal
regions in the world, and bring
down their wealth to one
common center on the Great
Kanawha; or such might or may
be the result under future
developments.
The coals of this region
generally are better, purer and
more available for all the
requirements of trade and
manufacture than the coals of
any other portion of the
Allegheny coal field.
The seams of coal are more
numerous and their thickness
greater than any other portion of
this coal field. It can be mined
cheaper and with more
economy generally, under the
same rates of labor, than in any
other in this country without
exception.
The markets of the West, and
the great Ohio and Mississippi
Valleys, are open beyond any
controlling competition to the
trade of the Kanawha in coal,
cont.
From: “THE KANAWHA VALLEY –
1872”
Charleston is 200 miles nearer Cincinnati
than Pittsburg, and always open to
navigation; while the Ohio to Pittsburg is
frequently closed by ice in winter and
interrupted by low water in the summer. The
principal volume of the great and rapidly
increasing trade of the West may be diverted
to the seaports of Cities East via, of the
Kanawha Valley, with much economy in
time and transportation power.”
Many of the predictions of the Professor have
been realized already; and the Kanawha region is
fast approaching the prominence that has been
assigned it by the Professor.
Above Charleston there are no less than
eighteen workable veins of bituminous, splint and
cannel coal, ranging in thickness from 2 ½ to 11
feet. The coal of Paint Creek section, has proved
by Wilson’s survey, and by many actual openings,
are as follows, the first vein lying 25 feet above the
mouth of the creek :
Above Mouth
of Paint Ck.
Thickness of vein
No. 1 - Coal - Bituminous
25
6½
No. 2 - Coal – Bituminous
50
6½
No. 3 - Coal – Bituminous
65
4
No. 4 - Coal – Bituminous
75
2½
No. 5 - Coal – Bituminous
85
2½
No. 6 - Coal – Bituminous
100
3½
No. 7 - Coal – Bituminous
150
2½
No. 9 - Coal – Cannel
230
4
No. 10 - Coal - Bituminous
270
3½
No. 12 - Coal - Bituminous
380
3
No. 13 - Coal - Bituminous
400
3½
No. 14 - Coal – Cannel
430
7
cont.
The coal area of West Virginia exceeds
that of Europe, 6,000 square miles, two
thirds of which lies upon the Kanawha,
and its tributaries; and the yield per acre
is greater than that of Europe;
consequently we have in this region
more coal than all Europe. Reducing the
average thickness of the coal fields of
West Virginia to 6 feet, we have over
94,000,000,000 tons, which at the
average home value of $3 per ton gives
us the enormous coal wealth of
$282,000,000,000. At the rate of the
last annual production, the coal of
West Virginia would last over 100,000
years. If this production was increased
twenty times it would still last 5,000
years.
The foregoing remarks have been
based upon the trade in coal ; but when
we add that vast iron ore beds that are
found in immediate connection with it, the
importance of this region as a coal field is
greatly increased on account of its use in
manufacturing iron.
It may be thought that the magnitude of
our coal interests has been exaggerated,
but we only urge the skeptic and
capitalist to come and see, and we dare
say they will exclaim with the one of old,
“the half has not told me”.
The Cincinnati Commercial says :
“It is evident that Cincinnati must look
to West Virginia, and more particularly to
the Kanawha Valley, for her future coal
supply unless she chooses to be bled to
death by the Pennsylvania monopoly.
The total area of coal is greater than that
of Pennsylvania by one thousand square
miles, and contains one-thirteenth of the
coal area of the whole United States, by
surface measure only, no account being
taken of her greater aggregate thickness
of workable seams. The seams of coal
are more numerous and of greater
thickness here than in any other part of
the great coal field.”