Stuff you find...

I have been going through Ronnie's research and pictures a little at a time and has really been an arduous task. It has really been a lot of work and it seems like I’m getting nowhere fast. Now I’m not trying to gain any sympathy, every now and then I run across something that gives me a little chuckle like this photo and makes it worthwhile.

This photo is classic. The photo has "Cole Girls" written on the back. Other than that I really know nothing. I assume it is from Mt. Lookout, but that's only a guess. These ladies look liked they just stepped out of the saloon to me. I hope I'm not insulting anyone.

If you have any information regarding this photo, please let me know.

Emory

Community WW I Veterans

I thought I would post this photo of the WW I veterans from Mt. Lookout. Seems the least I can do for old War Heroes. From what little information I can find I believe this photo is from 1917. The tall guy third from the left in the back is my grandfather, George Wesley Kincaid.

Front Row, L to R; G.B. Jones, Charles Halstead, Henry and G.L. Pitsenberger

2nd Row: Charles Shaffer, Crosby McClung, William Murray Johns, Arthur Amick.

Back Row: Z.B. McClung, Emory Underwood, G.W. Kincaid, Frank Johns, C.S. McClung, Alex Hendrickson.

If you have anything you would like to add, please let me know.

Update: A big thanks to Loretta Legg and Tom Legg for pointing out my missing name. William Murray Johns was the name that was missing from the second row.

Emory

Mt. Lookout General Store

I was asked recently if I had any pictures and information on the old General Store in Mt. Lookout. What I know is very limited. Here is the information that I have gleaned from others (Debbie Fraley). It was built in 1901 by Walter Legg and served as the General Store and the Post Office. It is now owned by John and Mary Bethune as Gauley River Pottery. Here are a couple of photos that I have.

 According to what I have been told that is Walter Legg in the front on the right and Pete Legg in the back on the right. I have no idea who the other two are.

If anyone has more pictures or information on the store I would love to hear it.

Emory

Lots of Work to do...

I just returned from Thanksgiving with my family and have returned with multiple boxes of information that Ronnie had collected. I have plans of getting all of this converted to digital form and have it posted in the near future. There is a large box with nothing but photos. I will probably start with those and hope that I can find some help with identification. I will be uploading these photos to My Mt Lookout Heritage facebook group and the new My Mt Lookout Heritage Google+ page.

For those of you who have never used Google+, I would like to encourage you to try. Why? I really feel it has a better interface and I have much more control over my security. Facebook just leaves me a little flat. But, I will post the pictures to both locations since facebook has a very large following. I hope you enjoy the Photos!

Emory

Kincaids in Paris, France !

I have heard my Dad talk about this. Unfortunately I really don't remember to much of the story. My Dad (Emory) was in Paris during WW II waiting to be sent elsewhere. He somehow found out that his brother Emil was there by coincidence.  My Dad is on the right and Uncle Emil on the left.

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Ramsey Family History

There are few people that grew up in Mt. Lookout who in some way or another are not related to Bartholomew Ramsey. This was put in print in 1933 and was compiled by J.C. Ramsey. I have read a little of this and found some good information about several of my ancestors such as Elizabeth "Letty" Ramsey Legg and William Legg. I hope you will find this interesting.

Emory

Ramsey Family History

Stumps and Stones

Here is Stumps and Stones which refers to some of the pioneers of the community. I personally don't know where this originated. Perhaps someone can help me out with this.

Emory

Stumps and Stones

Legg Archives

I am really unsure where these documents originated. You will see that it starts out with a will for Thomas Legg dated 1808. There are several pedigree charts and handwritten notes throughout. I did find a small error referring to my father as Emory George Kincaid. His middle name was Garfield. This might explain some of the errors I have found lately with other pedigree charts showing up with the middle name incorrect.

Emory

Legg Archives

McClung Genealogy 1904

Update: This file has been compressed and made searchable.

Here is the McClung Genealogy by Rev. William McClung dated September 1, 1904.
I was unable to compress this file and make it searchable so it is quite large.
I will try to make the file more manageable when I find time.

Emory

McClung Genealogy 1904

Shawver's Bridge

I really like this old photo. I'm hoping I can enhance it and get it printed and matted. It has really got me thinking about it though. I don't remember hearing much about it as a kid. Of course it was way before my time. But then again, I would have probably not have been interested anyway.

Other than the name does anyone know any history on this bridge? I know where Shawver's Bridge Road is in Fayette County and am assuming that it was somewhere near the location I spotted below:

Of course that is just my guess based upon extending the road in Fayette County.

I just received additional information on this bridge from Roger Legg who is the Great Great Grandson of Thomas Shawver (builder of Shawver's bridge). I have placed this information in italics to differentiate it.

Mt. Lookout is a rolling plateau of fertile land about three or four miles long and about a mile or so wide. To the west and running at the side of the plateau is a narrow canyon or gulch several hundred feet deep where Meadow River roars on its way toward the ocean as it cascades over the boulders in its bed.

In 1882 Tom Shawver bought a narrow parcel of land in the bottom of this canyon alongside the river. He harnessed the power of the river and installed a grist mill (a mill for grinding corn meal, graham flour, etc.); then, a flour mill (mill with rollers, sieves, etc.) capable of grinding wheat and separating it into its various products (flour, middlings, bran, etc.). He engineered a device to use the power of the river to operate a sawmill. First. a rip-saw (a straight saw blade that was thrust back and forth across the log to rip in into boards (Operated by hand by early settlers). Later, his overshot waterwheel power system was changed to a turbine. He installed a circle saw and a planing mill. He also operated a blacksmith shop. 

In the meantime the community and his business were in need of a bridge across this violent river which was too swift and rough to ford or ferry. So in 1884, Tom Shawver and his stalwart sons engineered and built a toll bridge 25-ft. above normal water level. This bridge, built of timbers from the forest, was over one hundred feet long and consisted of a number of spans bearing on the huge boulders in the riverbed. He also constructed a road through a gap in the cliffs of the canyon wall on the Mt. Lookout side. Fayette County built a road to the other end of the bridge. Toll was five cents for pedestrians and ten cents for wagon, etc. No toll, if going to worship, funeral or mill. This proved to be one of the most used highways in the area, second only to the Kanawha-James River Turnpike, which ran about where US Rt. 60 now is and connected James River, VA to Charleston, WV. This bridge stood for many years.

The description of the bridge certainly fits the picture shown above. Mr. Shawver was quite the entrepreneur from what we see here. I would love to get more information on the mills and blacksmith shop. I really want to thank Roger for this.

They Hacked the Clearings

Here is another publication from Legg's Press. I'm not  sure of the date. The title page says "A few historical records relative to Mount Lookout and other communities including Anecdotes of the Pioneers by Crosby McClung and Some Old Records by W.D. Halstead. The rest being by W.C. Legg".

Emory

They Hacked the Clearings

The Story Of Mt. Lookout

Here is another document I found. This is "The Story of Mt. Lookout" by Carrie Jo Huffman.

The Story of Mt Lookout

The Kincaids of Ramsey, WV

Here is another publication that my brother had. I have put it into Adobe pdf format and have made it searchable. I hope this will be useful. Let me know if you have any problems with the file.

Emory

The Kincaids of Ramsey WV

Mt. Lookout Family Record Book 1938

Here is a copy of  "Mt. Lookout Family Record" by C.A. McClung in Adobe pdf. It was printed in 1938 by Legg's Press in Mt. Lookout. Ronnie scanned this from an original that he found. I compressed it and used OCR software on it so that you could search the document making it a little more convenient. I have other documents that I plan to post in the near future. Please let me know what you think. Enjoy

Mount Lookout Family Record Book

Emory

Mt Lookout String Band

This is my very first blog post. Well, I guess I should say second. I decided to move this from Blogger to WordPress due to additional options.  I still plan to push photos to Facebook.  However, I have don't know what might happen with Facebook and their changes. I would hate to lose any of the information we have been sharing.

It is interesting to know that Mt Lookout had there very own string band. It is even more interesting when you find your grandfather in one of those pictures! I wasn't even aware that he played an instrument. As a kid I never saw him with an instrument. I really know very little about the band or these pictures. Is there anyone out there who can provide any stories or maybe identify anyone in these photos? I would love to know more about them.

Back Row-Allen McClung,Alonzo Evans,Norway Hunley, George Kincaid, ?, Jim Underwood,Kelly McClung, ?. Front Row- ?, Vince Dotson,Mertie Ann McClung Dotson, Mary McKinney,Crosby McClung, Lydia Lois McClung Dotson, ???.

The information above I was able to find through some of Ronnie's records and help from Carolyn Warburton.

Left to Right - Andy Dotson, Mary McKinney, Crosby McClung, Veste Mae Odell McClung,??,Lydia Lois McClung Dotson,??,headshowing Lorton Champ, Mertie Ann McClung, Crosby McClung.

If you have any information you can leave comments here. I know that blogging is a little different than what most of us are used to. If you want to leave your comments through Facebook or email that is fine also.