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Thompson Chapel

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Alabama, Lee County, Opelika
Organized c. 1872 by Rev. John Ford, Tom Isaiah, Julius Crockrum, Daniel Billingslea, Fannie Bryant, Charity Harris, Sarah Chambers & others, & named for presiding Bishop J. P. Thompson. This congregation first met in a house near the oil mill & later at a grape arbor on Torbert Street. Sanctuary erected 1878, remodeled 1911 & annex built 1962.

(African Americans • Churches, Etc.) Includes location, directions, 3 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Railroad Avenue Historic District

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Alabama, Lee County, Opelika
obverse
The Railroad Avenue Historic District was the downtown nucleus of Opelika when the city was incorporated as part of Russell County, Alabama in February, 1854. The city limits extended a mile in every direction from the Montgomery and West Point Railway Station. In 1864 another railroad was built from Opelika to Columbus, thus establishing the city as a transportation center. During 1864 and 1865, Opelika's government supply warehouses, its dept, rolling stock and railroad were a target of Federal raiders Rousseau and Wilson. Train service from Atlanta to Montgomery was re-established in 1865.

reverse
When Lee County was established on December 5, 1866, Opelika became its county seat. The commercial district, a collection of wooden buildings, was destroyed by fire in 1868. The physical rebuilding of the district began during the 1870's. The Railroad Avenue Historic District is composed of 105 buildings which date primarily from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It contains the major commercial and political structures in the city. The District was accepted for placement on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.

(Railroads & Streetcars • Settlements & Settlers • War, US Civil) Includes location, directions, 4 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Albright

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West Virginia, Preston County, Albright
In 1812, David Albright, a War of 1812 soldier, settled on Muddy Creek with his family. In 1821 he purchaed 687 acres on the Cheat River. A bridge was built across the river in 1828 and the area was called Albrightsville. The name was shortened by the Post Office in 1882. The M&K Railroad reached town in 1906. Albright was incorporated in 1914.

(Political Subdivisions • Railroads & Streetcars • Settlements & Settlers) Includes location, directions, 2 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Mortality

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West Virginia, Raleigh County, near Beckley


This bronze, titled "Mortality," is the work of West Virginia sculptor Bill Hopen. His study of a dying tunnel worker eulogizes the many men lying in unmarked graves near Hawk's Tunnel about 30 miles from here. There was no memorial for nearly a thousand workers who died from breathing silica dust during tunnel construction. The tunnel was constructed to divert the New River three miles through a mountain to supply hydro-electricity to a private power plant at Gauley Junction, a subsidiary of Union Carbide Corporation. It was begun in 1930, completed in 1935, and is still in use today. The dam for the tunnel can be seen from Hawk's Nest State Park.

"I think it important that we remember these men as individual souls whose lives were needlessly cut short."
Bill Hopen

(Disasters • Environment • Industry & Commerce • Man-Made Features) Includes location, directions, 3 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Dunkard Bottom

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West Virginia, Preston County, near Albright
Thomas Echarlin (Echarly) and two brothers settled here, 1784; first white men of record in Preston County. Brothers killed by Indians and cabin was burned. Site of National Guard Camp since 1909.

(Military • Settlements & Settlers) Includes location, directions, 2 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Preston County / Maryland

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West Virginia, Preston County, near Hopemont
Preston County. Formed from Monongalia in 1818 and named for James Preston, 13th governor of Virginia. here is model Federal homestead project, sponsored by Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt, the wife of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 32nd President.

Maryland. Named for Queen Henrietta Maria, the wife of Charles I, who gave a royal charter to Cecil Calvert, second Lord Baltimore, 1632. First settled at Saint Mary’s City in 1634. It is one of the thirteen original colonies.

(Political Subdivisions) Includes location, directions, 4 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

From Agriculture to Mining

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West Virginia, Raleigh County, near Beckley


Shortly after European explorers arrived, permanent settlers began to use the "Indian Path" to enter southern West Virginia. The first permanent settlers arrived at Paint Creek in the early 19th century. Agriculture was the dominant way of life for those first settlers who called these rugged mountains home. Some farmers became very successful farmers with large landholdings; however, most farmers struggled to sustain their families on a rough subsistence lifestyle. The pastoral charm of the more successful farming communities can still be seen today along Paint Creek in the communities of Sweeneyburg, Maynor, Cirtsville, and Lively.

When railroads arrived and opened the door to vast coal deposits, many farmers gave up the plow to work in the mines. Only the most successful farmers retained an agricultural lifestyle, and these farmers enjoyed a relatively affluent lifestyle compared to the miners in the coal camps. While mining was not easy work, the steady income and access to company stores made the tradeoff worthwhile for many. Within a short period of time, Paint Creek transformed from a land of scattered farms and homesteads to a land bustling with coal camps and the sound of steam engines.

The shift from agriculture to mining did not remove agriculture from the blood of the miners. Immigrant miners, many of whom had been farmers in their home lands, brought agricultural skills with them. Gardens became a common sight in the coal camps. Because miners' wives did not have any other local industry available to them, they often tended gardens and kept animals with the help of their children. Gardening provided a safeguard against inconsistent employment, economic depressions, and strikes that frequently swept the coalfields. Gardening also helped minters reduce their dependency on company stores and avoid debt. Some miners used the bounty of their gardens to produce homebrew which they sold for supplemental income.

The Paint Creek Scenic Trail is included within the National Coal Heritage Area. Funding for this project was provided in part by the Beckley Area Foundation and The Federal Highway Administration.

[Photo captions, from top left around to top right, read]
1.
Carl Pittman navigates a horse-drawn cart in Maple Fork. This area of upper Paint Creek in Raleigh County has been a predominately agricultural area since the time of settlement.
Photo courtesy of Max Tyree

2. Mr. Lively stands on his farm in Lively just to the north of Pax. Mr. Lively, first name unknown, is a descendent of the Lively family that first settled this area in 1844.
Photo courtesy of Don Davis

3. Each Friday, or "mill day", farmers from around the region brought their grain to Asa Spangler's Mill in Cirtsville for grinding.
Photo courtesy of Don Davis

4. The Virginian Railway crosses a trestle in Sweeneyburg. The Virginian Railway arrived in this area in 1906 and offered access to the Atlantic coast at Hampton Roads, VA.
Photo courtesy of Homer Aliff

5. Patrons enjoy some drinks outside the Needmore Saloon in the early 1900s. Because Raleigh County did not permit the sale of alcohol, the saloon was built just across the county line in Fayette County.
Photo courtesy of Don Davis

6. This impressive trestle is found along the Paint Creek Scenic Trail in Sweeneyburg. The trestle is about 200 ft. tall and 500 ft. long, and was originally constructed by the Virginian Railway.
Photo courtesy of Ronn Raszetnik
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What is the Paint Creek Scenic Trail?
The Paint Creek Scenic Trail is a scenic byway/backway that begins at Tamarack in Beckley and travels 44 miles to Pratt along the Kanawha River. Prior to the construction of the West Virginia Turnpike, this road was the main route of travel between Beckely and Charleston. Today, the Paint Creek Scenic Trail offers travelers a leisurely and scenic alternative to travel on the Turnpike. Visitors can learn about the natural, cultural, and historic heritage of this storied landscape, as well as enjoy some of southern West Virginia's finest trout fishing. Two byway sections offer a well-maintained single lane road that is accessible to all vehicles. One backway segment is a remote and narrow paved roadway that is unsuitable for tour buses and RVs, but will appeal to those in search of a true off-the-beaten-path adventure.

(Agriculture • Environment • Industry & Commerce • Settlements & Settlers) Includes location, directions, 3 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

African-American Rosemere Cemetery

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Alabama, Lee County, Opelika

Side 1
On February 9, 1876, the City of Opelika paid D.B. Preston $80 for two acres of land to establish an African-American section of Rosemere Cemetery. This rectangular area of the cemetery contains 176 blocks, with 16 being partial blocks. A full block has 32 grave spaces. Dr. John Wesley Darden (1876-1949) settled in Opelika in 1903. He became the first African-American doctor within a 30 mile radius. He married Miss Maude Jean Logan. After they were married, Dr. and Mrs. Darden made house calls in his horse and buggy. Dr. Darden opened a drug store on Avenue A and recruited his brother, John Benjamin "J.B." Darden, as his partner. J.B. had recently graduated and was a registered pharmacist. Two other doctors are also buried here: Dr. William F. Clark (1882-1966) and Dr. Eugene A. Lindsey (1888-1955). (Continued on other side) Side 2 (Continued from other side) Willie Bessie Brady (1904-1999), known as Miss Bessie, taught in a private, one room school. Although without a college education, she taught grades one through twelve. After school attendance laws were enacted, Miss Bessie had to close her school, but because of overcrowding at the public school, she was later allowed to teach with a V Certificate. She taught Kindergarten at the first public Kindergarten for African-American children at the Central Parks and Recreation center in Opelika. Elder Brooks, Sr. (1908-1970) was the first African-American licensed plumber and electrician in Opelika. He was also among the first African Americans to vote. More than 50 veterans are buried in this section. They include veterans of WWI, WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. Seven Ministers of the Gospel who guided the community are at rest here.

Listed in the Alabama Historic Cemetery Register, June 14, 2011

(African Americans • Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Education • Science & Medicine) Includes location, directions, 4 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

New Rosemere Cemetery

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Alabama, Lee County, Opelika

Side 1
The City of Opelika purchased 19.6 acres of land to expand Rosemere Cemetery. This rectangular area is the newest portion. There are 193 blocks with varying numbers of sections and spaces in each. 467 grave markers have death dates prior to 1942. James A. & Wilma Ophelia Parker Kilgore are buried here. As owners of a local grocery, they worked hard, practiced frugality, and invested wisely. The Kilgores willed $1,200,000 for a trust fund to provide Lee County High School graduates with college scholarships. On April 12, 1934, Dr. Gilmer Harrison Moore was buried here. Dr. Moore was a charter member and officer of the Kiwanis Club and also was a Mason and Shriner. He served many years on the Board of Stewards of Trinity Methodist Church. He was a member of the Opelika City Council, President of the Chamber of Commerce, and a City Health Officer, a Surgeon fro the Central of Georgia Railway, and was also prominent in the State Medical Association. (Continued on other side) Side 2
(Continued from other side) New Rosemere Cemetery contains several Woodmen of the World grave markers including some that are shaped like trees. There are more than 200 veterans interred in New Rosemere including veterans of the Civil War, Spanish American War, WWI, WWII, Korea and Vietnam. There are 30 National, State, County and City elected officials buried here. Some of them held multiple offices over the years. They include Legislators, Judges, Mayors, Alderman, Commissioners, Councilmen and Sheriffs. Dr Jesse Gary Palmer, a nine time mayor of Opelika, is buried here. Mayor Palmer was known as the "father of paving" because he initiated the paving of Opelika's streets.

Listed in the Alabama Historic Cemetery Register, June 14, 2011

(Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Settlements & Settlers) Includes location, directions, 4 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Lebanon Methodist Meeting House

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Alabama, Lee County, Opelika

Here
in 1837 was
Lebanon
A Methodist
meeting house
around which grew up
Opelika

(Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Churches, Etc. • Settlements & Settlers) Includes location, directions, 4 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Top Rock Millstone

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Alabama, Lee County, Opelika


This "Top Rock" Millstone
was in a grist mill
owned and operated by W.S.A. Bence
on Sweetwater Creek in Clay County, AL
1919-1947

Donated by H.S. Bence

(Agriculture • Industry & Commerce) Includes location, directions, 4 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Old Rosemere Cemetery

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Alabama, Lee County, Opelika

Side 1
On July 23, 1869, the City of Opelika purchased ten acres of land for a cemetery from Dr. A.B. Bennett for $100 an acre. On November 23, 1869, he accepted his choice of a lot in exchange for the debt. The earliest marked grave is dated September 25, 1854, for Nelson Clayton, the four year old son of H.D. & V.V. Clayton. This grave was moved from the Clayton plantation. 34 grave markers have death dates prior to 1869, and all of these burials were moved here. The first internment may be James DeVane who died on August 17, 1869. His burial is located just inside the gates.The Genealogical Society of East Alabama canvassed Rosemere from November 1999 to November 2002 to reestablish lost burial records. The Society gave the paper records they created to the City of Opelika. This triangular area of the cemetery is the original portion. There are 64 blocks including 9 partial blocks. A full block is 80 ft square with spaces for 128 graves. The Ladies Memorial Association tended and beautified the original cemetery. In February 1916, the City built the Cemetery House as a restroom and shelter for the Ladies. Also in 1916, the Ladies Memorial Association named this place "Rose Cemetery."
(Continued on other side) Side 2
(Continued from other side) Unknown Confederate Soldiers are honored in Block 11. In 1899, the United Daughters of the Confederacy erected marble headstones with the inscription "Unknown CSA." These markers were later replaced with the 14 stamped crosses that now stand here. Block 12 in Rosemere is called "Baby Land." Most of these babies died at birth or only lived a day or two. The city did not collect fees for burials in Block 12. Only a few of these graves were ever marked with inscribed stones. The longest epitaph is the account of a drowning of Berry Olivia Edwards in 1865. Their father, Loxia Edwards, served as Opelika's mayor. Over 200 veterans are interred in this section of Rosemere. They include veterans of the Indian, Civil, and Spanish American Wars, WWI, WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. Resting here are 97 National, State, County, and City elected officials including Congressmen, a Governor, Legislators, Judges, Sheriffs, Commissioners, a District Attorney, Mayors, Aldermen and Councilmen.
Listed in the Alabama Historic Cemetery Register, June 14, 2011

(Cemeteries & Burial Sites) Includes location, directions, 5 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

John Adams

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Tennessee, Giles County, Pulaski
Born in Nashville, July 1, 1825, he served as an officer of the First Dragoons following graduation from the Military Academy in 1846. Resigning at Secession, he rose to command a brigade in the Confederate Army of Tennessee. He was killed leading his brigade at Franklin, Nov. 30, 1864. He is buried in the cemetery 300 yards south.

(Cemeteries & Burial Sites • War, US Civil) Includes location, directions, 1 photo, GPS coordinates, map.

The Indian Path

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West Virginia, Raleigh County, near Beckley


Known as the "War Road", the "Hunter's Road", or simply the "Indian Path" by the time European explorers arrived in the 18th century, Paint Creek had long been a route of travel for Native Americans. Delawares, Mingoes, Ottawas, Senecas, Shawnees, Cherokees, Catawbas, and others regularly traveled Paint Creek to and from settlements in western Virginia. Indians frequently used the area as a staging ground for incursions into European settlements that were encroaching from the east.

When European explorers arrived, Paint Creek abounded with visual evidence of Native American activity, the most obvious evidence being the "painted trees" for which Paint Creek is named. Before European contact, many American Indian nations did not have written languages or alphabets. Some tribes used glyphic writing systems of symbols and pictures to transmit information. Along Paint Creek, many war and hunting parties painted pictographs on trees to transmit information about their exploits, or to mark trails. Early settlers named two prominent areas of painted trees near the present-day Raleigh/Fayette County line as "The Big Painted Trees" and "The Upper Painted Trees".

In 1755, Shawnee warriors abducted Mary Ingles and her two sons from their family's homestead near present-day Blacksburg, Virginia. The warriors led Mary down Paint Creek en route to a Shawnee village near Portsmouth, Ohio. After a time, Mary and a fellow captive carried out a daring escape. With fierce determination and one tomahawk in hand, Mary began a treacherous 450 mile journey back to Virginia. Along the way, it is believed that Mary may have attempted to find her original route through Paint Creek, but was unsuccessful. Instead, Mary began a harrowing journey up the New River Gorge. Mary was found alive lying in a corn patch near present-day Eggleston, VA, and she eventually re-united with her husband.

Indian Trails of Raleigh County
The Indian path on Paint Creek was one of many similar paths that crisscrossed the area of present-day Raleigh County. One major junction of Indian trails was located just north of Pax near the site of "The Big Painted Trees". Here, a major path branched off and headed northwest toward the Coal River. Another path branched south toward the Bluestone River and Virginia. This path toward Virginia - often called the "Paint Creek Trail" - traveled through the east side of present-day Beckley where Kanawha Street is located.

[Photo captions read]
1.
This re-creation of an 18th century Delaware (Lenape) Indian war party record depicts a military maneuver in western Virginia. Painted records such as these gave Paint Creek its distinctive name.
Photos by Doug Wood

2. This re-created war record represents the war party of a Delaware (Lenape) warrior named Two Bears. Such records were common throughout eastern North America.
Photos by John Boback

3. This is a re-creation of a Delaware (Lenape) hunting record. The actor is portraying a hunter using charcoal and bear grease as paint. Bark was stripped from a living tree to paint this record, and this was the typical method for making records.
Photo by Ed Robey

(Colonial Era • Native Americans • Roads & Vehicles • Settlements & Settlers) Includes location, directions, 2 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Harris Hill

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New York, Erie County, Clarence
Harris Hill was named for Asa Harris, pioneer who settled here in 1807 and opened a tavern. When Buffalo burned during the War of 1812, Harris Hill became a haven for refugees. Many Buffalo business places were moved here temporarily, including the County Clerk's office and the Niagara Frontier's first newspaper, the Buffalo Gazette. Erected by Erie County Sesquicentennial Committee 1971

(Settlements & Settlers • War of 1812) Includes location, directions, 4 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Corner of Pettit and Bay Street

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New York, Niagara County, Wilson
Pettit Street runs between Harbor and Lake Streets and was the link between the village merchants on Young Street and Wilson Harbor. After the railroad was established, Pettit Street was the route that visitors from all over Western New York and Rochester took from the Wilson Depot to the harbor. Many of the prominent early businessmen of Wilson built their homes on Pettit Street, only a short walk to the business district. As you walk this street, you will see some fine examples of the Greek Revival and Victorian architectural influences of our past. The old wood frame house immediately in front of you was at one time a parsonage for the Baptist Church down the street. Further on, there are early homes of both brick and frame construction. When you reach the east end of Pettit Street (at the corner of Young and Lake Streets), you will see the large cobblestone restaurant (now the Wilson House) that was once the home of Luther Wilson, son of founder Reuben Wilson and a community leader in his own right.

This house served as a parsonage for the Baptist Church in the 1870's ~ as told by C. F. Horton

(Churches, Etc. • Entertainment • Settlements & Settlers) Includes location, directions, 4 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Pettit Street and Chestnut Street

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New York, Niagara County, Wilson
The Baptist Church standing here today was erected in 1920 after a fire consumed the old frame church on July 3, 1917. The frame church with its twin towers was erected around 1880 and had replaced the original stone church built in 1843.

Frame church built circa. 1880, replaced after the fire of 1917 by the stucco building standing today.

Stone church built circa. 1843, torn down to be replaced by the new frame church in 1880.
~ as told by C. F. Horton

(Churches, Etc.) Includes location, directions, 5 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Town of Clarence - Ransom's Grove

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New York, Erie County, Clarence
First settlement in Town on Clarence (and second in Erie County) made near this site in 1799 by Asa Ransom. Birthplace of Harry B. Ransom, first white male child on Holland Purchase. Joseph Ellicott opened Holland Land Company Office here at Ransom's Tavern in 1801. Plaque erected by Clarence Jaycees in 1964 for Historical Society of the Town of Clarence

(Settlements & Settlers) Includes location, directions, 4 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Watchman's Flag Shanty, West Shore Railroad

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New York, Erie County, Clarence
The New York, West Shore and Buffalo Railroad was established in 1882, but the owners never expected it to be a successful business. They knew that rail baron Chauncey Depew did not like competition with his New York Central Railroad; they expected that Depew would purchase the West Shoe just as he had done with other rivals. After only one year of operation, the West Shore was bankrupt, and its holdings purchased by the New York Central. Construction in the Hollow took place between 1882 and 1883, and the first train crossed Main Street on 1 January 1884.

The West Shore crossed Main Street west of Salt Road.

The watchman's flag shanty guarded the West Shore Railroad crossing on Main Street in the Hollow. The watchman's shanty was a small building adjacent to the tracks. It was furnished with a bench, a comfortable chair and a small coal stove. The long-handled stop sign hung outside the door within east reach when a train approached.

The watchman's shanty at the West Shore crossing Main Street.

In 1959, the watchman's job was abolished. Mrs. Phyllis Ruszaj saved the shanty from destruction. It was moved by wagon to the Melvin Ruszaj farm on Salt Road. Michael and Barbara Scott donated the shanty to the Historical Society of Clarence in 2004.

The West Shore depot in Clarence Hollow was built in 1884.

(Railroads & Streetcars) Includes location, directions, 5 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Lewisburg Graded School Bell

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West Virginia, Greenbrier County, Lewisburg


This bell installed
Lewisburg Graded School 1878
Given to park by
George L. Lemon

(Education • Man-Made Features) Includes location, directions, 4 photos, GPS coordinates, map.
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