Calhoun, Gilmer, Jackson & Roane

Four WV Counties all in a Row

New 37-Page Booklet

Early days in Calhoun, Gilmer, Jackson and Roane Counties in West Virginia are recalled in this new 37-page booklet comprised of excerpts from four rare vintage books: Historical Collections of Virginia by Henry Howe (1845); History of West Virginia by Virgil A. Lewis (1889); West Virginia in History, Life, Literature and Industry by Morris Purdy Shawkey (1928); and West Virginia,  a Guide to the Mountain State, a WPA publication (1941) The booklet is printed on 60# opaque paper, with the print size enlarged as needed to fit the 8 1/2 x 11 size. The front cover is a parchtex card stock, protected with a vinyl sheet.

Communities currently listed for this area by the National Association of Counties include (some are not mentioned in the booklet): Calhoun County Arnoldsburg, Big Bend, Big Springs, Chloe, Five Forks, Floe, Grantsville (County Seat), Millstone, Minnora, Mount Zion, Nobe, Orma,. Sand Ridge, Tanner. Gilmer County -- Baldwin, Cedarville, Coxs Mills, Flower, Gilmer, Glenville (County Seat), Letter Gap, Linn, Lockney, Nicut, Normantown, Perkins, Rosedale, Sand Fork, Sand Fork (Layopolis), Shock, Stouts Mills, Stumptown, Troy. Jackson County Advent, Cottageville, Duncan, Evans, Gay, Given, Kenna, Kentuck, Le Roy, Liverpool, Millwood, Mount Alto, Murraysville, Ravenswood, Ripley (County Seat), Rock Castle, Romance, Sandyville, Sherman, Statts Mills. Roane County -- Amma, Clio, Gandeeville, Harmony, Left Hand, Linden, Looneyville, Newton, Reedy, Spencer (County Seat), Tariff, Uler, Walton.

Among the many subjects included are: physical features and county formations, the various county seats including the Great Calhoun County Seat Controversy, first court, first grand jury, and early pioneers, Where names came from; George Washington and Ravenswood, CSA Lt. William K. Park, Thomas Walker Gilmer, Capture of Pedro and White by Indians; Glenville State Normal School/Glenville State Teachers College, Inspiration for a song, Spencer State Hospital, Rubbish at Ripley courthouse, Oil vs. Salt at Burning Springs, "Hell-Fired Band" south of Arnoldsburg, Salt Hill and the making of sorghum and other bits of history and trivia.

Attention Genealogists: This booklet contains relatively detailed biographies of some county residents of yesteryear. These frequently include ancestors, siblings, children, in-laws, affiliations, war records, and business activities, in the course of which they often shed light on the businesses, churches, professions and institutions, and on the events of the day. The biographies include: Elmer H. Flinn, George H. Mangus, Edward G. Rohrbough, Forrest Barnhart, Charles E. Baker, Francis W. Dickerson, Richard Marmaduke Bachtel, Dr. Paul C. Starkey, Richard Lee Hays, Elias Jefferson Harris, Leslie Darl Moore, Samuel Paris Bell, Harry R. Adams, Thomas Jefferson Casto, Jacob M. Harper.