General Merchants, Hiser, West Virginia
Hiser, W.Va. is located about three miles south of Petersburg and takes its name from Mr. W. F. Hiser, member of the firm of Hiser & Sites.
Mr. Hiser opened up a store at this place in 1904, and so successful was the business that it was found expedient to increase the stock, so Mr. I. W. Sites was taken into partnership early in 1907, and at this time the firm name of Hiser & Sites was assumed.
Mr. Hiser was born in Pendleton County, 1873, and remained with the family on the farm until he was seventeen years of age, when he commenced work along the line of the West Virginia Central Railway, and from 1895 to 1900 contracted the getting out of pulp wood at Davis, W.Va. On leaving Davis, in 1900, he opened up a store at Pansy, W.Va. and continued to run it until 1904, when he disposed of the store and came to Hiser.
Inter Potomac Industrial Edition 1908
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JORDAN RUN
Loney Keplinger
Visiting Sonnie and Delores Keplinger and Dorcas have been Fred and Dawn Knicely, Kevin and Kristy.
Sonny and Delores Keplinger were visiting her grandfather, Walter Nelson, who under went surgery on Friday at Rockingham Memorial Hospital, Harrisonburg, Virginia. Also on Tuesday the Keplingers were visiting her grandmother Mrs. Cora Nelson at Mouth of Seneca who recently underwent surgery.
Saturday was senior Citizens day at Camp Galilee at Terra Alta. 129 attended, 15 from Arthur, Maysville and Scherr attended.
Mr. and Mrs. Rosco Goldizen of Bloomfield, Iowa, spent from Thursday through Monday visiting Mr. and Mrs. Ed Goldizen. Sunday visitors in the same home were Mr. John Evans of Gormania and Mr. and Mrs. Junior Nesselrodt of Keyser.
Craig and Dougie Edwards of Silver Spring, Maryland spent the past two weeks with their grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Doug Disney.
Mr. and Mrs. Virgil Keplinger wee visiting Maynard Keplinger Thursday evening
Word was received here last week of the death of Arthur Rohrbaugh, formerly of Keyser. Mr. Rohrbaugh spent the past few years in Texas with his daughter. He was born and reared here on Jordan Run and lived here before moving to Keyser. His wife, Hattie Stonestreet Rohrbaugh died February 01, 1955. We can remember when Arthur and his brother did all the thrashing grain in this area. This was a great treat for us, to help our neighbors thrash and for them to help us. Those days are over.
Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Edwards of Silver Springs, Maryland and Clem Rohrbaugh of Weaton, Maryland were weekend guests of Mr. and Mrs. Doug Disney.
A baptismal service was held Sunday aftern0oon at the pond at Gene Evans when eight were baptized in to the Church of the Brethren of Jordan Run.
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Miller and family of Delaware are spending some time with his mother, Mrs. Dorothy Miller and relatives.
The writer and wife visited Norman Woodrow, Myrtle Burgess and Carl Doman Sunday afternoon.
The annual Homecoming will be held this Sunday, September 5 at Jordan Run. All are welcome.
Misses Twila and Pansy Berg called in our home recently.
The writer and wife were supper guests in the home of our son and family Thursday evening.
LANDES
Mrs. George Yokum
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Moreland and granddaughter of Belpre, Ohio were recent visitors of Mrs. Stella Alt and Charles.
Charles Kimble, Hambleton, Ohio and Mrs. Verda Whetzel were visiting Mrs. Louvene Kimble Thursday.
George W. Stump accompanied Jesse stump to Baltimore last Monday and spent the week visiting Mr. and Mrs. William Konitzer and Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Riggleman.
Mr. and Mrs. Clement Stump visited Mr. and Mrs. A. M. Parsons and Mrs. John alt and grandchildren on Wednesday evening.
Mrs. Neva Kesner and Kathy Stump were visiting Vernon Kesner Saturday at the Veterans Hospital in Martinsburg where he has been a patient since last Tuesday.
Mr. and Mrs. Oather Ours and Mrs. Louvene Kimble were visiting Mr. and Mrs. Edgar Alkire of Piedmont Saturday evening.
Mr. and Mrs. David stump and Toni attended the state Fair on Friday. Amanda stayed with her grandparents. Mr. and Mrs. Clement Stump.
Visiting last week I the home of Dallie, Glenna and Kathy stump were Mrs. Marvin Thorn, Marion, Janice and Paul, Mrs. Phyllis Shook and Crystal and Clement Stump.
Mrs. Stella Alt spent Saturday night with Mr. and Mrs. bill Alt and family and accompanied them to Winchester, Va. on Sunday where they attended a family reunion.
Sunday afternoon visitors of Mr. and Mrs. Bill Calhoun were Ray Getz, Romney and Mr. and Mrs. Randy Ketterman and Mark.
Mr. and Mrs. Bill Calhoun were Saturday evening visitors of Mr. and Mrs. George Kile. Visiting Sunday were Cleo Alt, Mars. Phyllis Waddy, Gina Dove, Judy Kile, Mrs. Annie Keny and Pam Kimble.
Mr. and Mrs. George Yokum spent the weekend visiting Mr. and Mrs. Glen Hartman of Harrisonburg, VA, Jacob A. Hedrick and Miss Cindy Wilford were also Sunday dinner guests in the same home.
Recent visitors in the Clement Stump home were Jesse stump, Gina Dove and Judy Kile.
Mr. and Mrs. Pat Rhine were Monday visitors of Mrs. Stella Alt.
Visiting in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Borror during the week were Mr. and Mrs. James Kesner and family. Mrs. Shirley Feaster, Mrs. Phyllis Shook and girls, Mrs. Pat Sherman and Patti. Mrs. Ruth Ann Keplinger and Vicki and Jimmy Yokum.
Roland Borror, Roger and Lonnie and Carolyn and Douglas Borror visited Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Borror recently.
Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Borror were Sunday dinner guests of Mr. and Mrs. James Kesner and family.
Mrs. George Yokum, Mrs. Glen Hartman and Cindy Wilfong were Sunday afternoon visitors f Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Ratliff and Mr. and Mrs. Condie Hedrick, Harrisonburg, Va.
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Martin
Martin was a rambling village settled about 100 years ago along the Knobley Road in the northeastern corner of the county.
Situated in the village were nine houses, a store and post office, a saw and woolen mill and blacksmith shop. Thorn Run furnished water to power the mills.
The gristmill, saw mill and blacksmith shop were owned by Christopher Columbus Martin.
Four to six-horse or mule teams hauled wagons loaded with bark to the New Creek Tannery.
Early residents were the McNemars, Markwoods, Martins, Georges, Harrises and Rotrucks�later Billmyers.
The oldest house standing in Martin is the Lee Harris Home, built by Taylor Martin. A brother of Christopher, their father is reputedly none other than Christopher Columbus.
Another very old house in the area is the William George home that stands south of the Knobley cemetery. Its current owner is Allen Patchett.
Behind the Lee Harris home is the log cabin and small farm that George bought to give to his daughter, Ruhama George Dolly when her husband, Abijah Dolly, lost all his property during the Civil War.
There was a still at the foot of the Dolly place that belonged to Christopher Martin Sr. Minor Martin and John Billmyer took the still to the flats and traded it for a sawmill. A man by the name of Markwood owned and operated the woolen mill.
The Inskeep Farm was built in 1871 by Mr. and Mrs. Aaron Baker. Mrs. Baker was the late L. V. Inskeep�s maternal aunt. Mr. Baker�s first wife was named Peppers and was from Hampshire County. His second wife was Mary E. Lyon. �
Peppers died when the Bakers lived in the old log house below the barn across the road during the Civil War when soldiers stopped for a meal and she excitedly went to the milk house at the foot of the hill for butter and milk. While in the milk house she died, supposedly from the excitement of the arrival of soldiers.
After Mr. Baker�s death, I. V. Inskeep purchased the farm in 1911. It was sold again in 1960.
Aaron baker taught school in this area and continued to buy acreage until he had approximately 1, 000 acres. He originally came from Baker in Hardy County, was a teacher and a justice of the peace.
Maysville
by Mary Harris
Maysville was named for John and Henry May, two brothers who located and built a mill there about 1831. The Mays migrated from Rockingham County and later donated land for a new Courthouse in the town which served as county seat off and on until1897.
The Mays lived in what is known as the Will Franz house and contained a single room at the time.
Other early settlers of Maysville included Franz, Scherr and Vossler. Later came Hetzler, Hollen and Trenton.
The first Franz to arrive in Maysville was a doctor and the father of Mrs. Will Franz.
The town�s saw mill stood by the race along Lunice Creek. The woolen mill, a three story building, was operated by the Scherrs and provided work for many of the town�s citizens. The woolen mill stood behind the present day R. C. Kimble store.
The race from the creek provided the mills� power. Yet a third mill, this one producing grist, was located in lower Maysville and was maintained by the Hollens.
Mrs. Edward F. Vossler and Mrs. Arnold Scherr ran the general store. Mrs. Vossler was the town�s first postmistress.
The Scherrs lived in the house owned today by Mrs. Amy Snyder. Mrs. Vossler resided where Donald Rexrode now lives.
The Grant House (now owned by W. G. Bosley) was a hotel built around the turn of the century by the C. H. Vosslers. It was later sold to Mr. and Mrs. Emil Vossler and still later to Squire Hiram Powell. Powell was a teacher and Justice of the Peace in addition to running the hotel until his death.
A blind teacher, Prof. Johnson, held the first normal school in Maysville. Miss Blanche Babb and Prof. Joseph N. Stayman each conducted normal schools also.
A pottery briefly set up shop, where Mrs. Gordon Cook now resides.
Noah May and Ed Kline were both carpenters and coffin makers of the town.
The old Courthouse was erected where the United Methodist Church now stands. George Yokum was the jailer, made and repaired shoes and delivered mail to Jordan Jun.
Benny Kline still operates his father�s planning mill.
Originally, there was only one church on the creek bank built by the Methodist with aid from the Lutherans. Both denominations used the building. The disastrous 1949 flood completely washed away the church and it was rebuilt. After the Methodists and U.U. B. united, it was sold.
The old church of Christ on the hill on Knobley Road is no longer used.
Maysville�s Edward F. Vossler represented grant County to the House of Delegates during the 11th session of the Legislature in 1872-73.
Vossler�s Store Robbed Thanksgiving Eve, 1915
On Thanksgiving Eve in 1915, three men rode horseback into Maysville and after visiting the Church of Christ, taking the carpeting from the aisle of the church, returned to the store and post office, owned and operated by the late C. H. Vossler and his son, Clarence, where they proceed to enter the store and made their way to the safe. After covering the safe with the carpet to muffle the sound, nitro-glycerine was used to blow open the door. Mr. Vossler�s papers, checks and $400 cash was then stuffed into an empty mail sack. They then returned to the church, separated the money from the papers, and hid the papers and mail sack in a corn stack in a cornfield belonging to Taylor Kessel.
Thanksgiving morning discovery of the robbery was made by the late W. E. Clauze, when he opened the store for the day�s business. Mr. Vossler was promptly notified as were the sheriff, the late Dr. W. T. Highberger, and W. D. Trenton, his deputy.
Search was started and the culprits followed down the Falls Road to the Greenland Gap Bridge where a horse blanket, stolen previously from Jim Idleman, a teacher at Scherr, and a leather purse containing $7.10 in pennies were found.
From there they were traced over the mountains and late in the evening three men, supposed to have been the wanted men, stopped at the Hartmansville store where they bought food.
Mr. Vossler imported bloodhounds from Fairmont, but it remained an unsolved crime.
By way of an explanation, the recent breaking and entry of our school brought this tale to mind that has been told to me by my mother, and with the cooperation of Mr. Vossler�s daughters, Mrs. Taylor Kessel and Clerk of the Court, Elton Hiser, we have been able to gather the facts as are present here.
From a Newspaper clipping.
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Town Landmark Razed in 1930�s
From a Newspaper clipping
The store building that has housed the Vossler store at Maysville for many years burned Monday night. The building with everything around burned, and it took hard work to save the nearby property; Ed May�s house was on fire several times. The building was unoccupied, the stock of goods having been sold and it is not known how the fire started, being discovered about 1 o�clock in the morning. A part of the building was a substantial structure having been built out of lumber manufactured the old way, hewn from logs. It was the old stand of the late Arnold Scherr, later owned by Hon, C. H. Vossler. Mr. Vossler recently sold the ground and building to Corbett Kimble who has planned to erect a garage and service station on the site. Mr. Kimble intended to use the old factory building and build to it, but now a new building will cover the site.
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How Medley Was Named
No Medley Ever Lived in Medley
The Story of how the small community arrived at its name is worthy of note.
According to all available knowledge no one by the name of Medley ever lived at Medley. Thornton Stallings was the first merchant at Medley and also the first postmaster. The first time he went to Baltimore to buy goods for his store, the wholesale man asked him where he was to ship the goods and was told by Mr. Stallings to ship it to Patterson�s Creek Depot. He then asked the name of the place where he did business. He was told that the place had no name. The wholesaler then asked what the people do who lives there. Mr. Stallings told him that the place was way out in the country and consisted of a tannery, a harness shop and farmers, - a medley of things. The wholesaler replied, �Well, we�ll just call it Medley.� He was then told that there was no post office and that the nearest post office was at Williamsport. The wholesaler said he would bill the goods to Medley, but address the letter to Williamsport. This was done. The mail from Williamsport was brought to Medley for all by anyone who was inclined to go after it. Soon afterward application was made for a post office at Medley, which was granted and the name of Medley was officially established. This account has been verified by Thornton Stallings� son, H. L. Stallings and his daughter, Emma Stallings.
Medley by Mary Harris
A little village located on Patterson Creek road about halfway between Burlington and Petersburg. It originally consisted of 11 homes, eight on the road and three at the foot of the ridge.
Also among the first establishments were a church, schoolhouse, store, post office, doctor�s office, two shoemaker shops, a Justice of the Peace office, tannery, blacksmith shop and stable where the stage transporting mail, express and passengers between Keyser and Franklin changed horses.
The first medical doctor there was Joseph F. Scott who set up practice in 1878 and served the community until his death in December 1911.
The surrounding area contains substantial farm home.
Familiar names in the area include, Schell, Babb, Miller, Hershey, Scott, Stallings, Michael, Stingley, Reid, Strother, Naedele, Lahman, Inskeep, Bruce, Hillards, Stewart, Ware and Kent.
Thornton Stallings ran a store and was the community�s first postmaster. His grandson, Arnold Stallings, is the present postmaster. In the interim, I. V. Inskeep, Frank Williams, and H. L. Stallings held the position.
Kercheval�s History of the Valley� notes that on January 20, 1864, General Rosser, with a strong Confederate force, captured a train of 93 wagons, 300 mules and 20 prisoners at Medley. Among the prisoners was Judge Nathan Goff of West Virginia. Goff�s house allegedly fell on him, which resulted in his death. In charge of the wagon train was Col. Joseph Snyder.
Reid Murders Near Medley Shocked County:
HORRIBLE screamed the headline of the Grant County Press in its October 29, 1909 edition. Brutal Double Murder, Whole South Branch is Wrought up Over the Crime was the banner headline of the Wheeling intelligencer.
The unsolved double murder of Mrs. E. M. Reid and her son, Coker, who perished amidst the hand-set flames of their home one mile south of Medley on the night of October 21, 1909 remains one of the county�s most chilling and sensational crimes.
The motive of the slayings was apparently robbery as the Reids, according to newspapers accounts at the time, �kept a large amount of money in the house in what was called their strong room.
It was determined that Coker Reid, 21 had first been murdered in the nearby drill shed before being dragged into the house where the fire was set. Authorities found his hat, half-filled with blood, within the barn and containing a small hole made by a sharp instrument the murder(s) used as the death weapon. The hole would have required a blade three inches wide.
The charred torso and head of the widowed mother (E. M. Reid had died about three years earlier), the Wheeling Intelligencer related, indicated that she too may have been bludgeoned to death rather than killed in the fire.
Near the bodies, a mason�s hammer was found.
Evidently, the murder(s) set the fire to erase the evidence of their deeds.
T. M. Michael, a neighbor who lived near the Reids, first noticed the two0story house in flames around 11 p.m. and rushed to the scene. But the house was already engulfed in flames by the time of his arrival. Unable to gain entrance, he called in vain for the occupants. The house was completely razed by the fire.
Neighbors first attributed the fire to lightening as a severe storm had just passed through the area. It was not until the next morning that Coker Reid�s blood-splotched hat was discovered in the drill shed.
The Press reports: �The news of the awful crime and terrible fate of one of Grant county�s most estimable families spread rapidly and hundreds of neighbors and citizens from far and near visited the scene.�
Bloodhounds borrowed from the state penitentiary in Moundsville were rapidly dispatched to the scene but so many onlookers had visited the scene that the dogs couldn�t discern the murder�s scent from hundreds of others.
Despite a $500 reward offered for information leading to the conviction of the perpetrators, no one was ever brought to trial.
The two Reids were interred in Lahmansville cemetery with Revs. J. S. Willridge and L. A. Racey officiating.
************************************************************************NORTH MILL CREEK
Virginia Ketterman
Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Ours and daughters, Danny Ours and daughter of Harman visited Mr. and Mrs. Alonzo Ours during the weekend.
Mrs. Mary Stoner of Westminster spent a week with Mr. and Mrs. Harman Kile.
Mrs. Clyde Davis and Mrs. Lottie Hockman attended the Helmick Picnic at the Day Park Sunday.
Mrs. Leona Nelson and Mrs. Denton Kisamore visited the former�s sister, Mrs. Emma Shreve at the Harrisonburg hospital Saturday.
Kenneth Miller of Westminster was a Tuesday supper guest of Mr. and Mrs. William Hatcher.
Mrs. Leroy Boooks and girls spent Tuesday with her mother Mrs. Nellie Brennen.
Mr. and Mrs. John Moyers visited Mr. and Mrs. William Hatcher Wednesday.
Those visiting in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Davis last week were Mrs. Lottie Hockman, Ruthie and Brenda Goldizen, Mrs. Linda Berg and two children, Mrs. Elbert Berg and Robert Goldizen.
Mrs. Leona Nelson Spent a few days with Mr. and Mrs. Bennie Nelson because of illness.
Rev. and Mrs. Joseph Eversole are on vacation at this time.
PANSY
General Merchant, Pansy, West Virginia
Between Petersburg and Pansy, Grant County�about five miles from Petersburg, and one mile from Pansy- is located the general store of Mr. G. E. Hiser, from which the people in that section of the country obtain their good and dispose of their produce.
Mr. Hiser was born at Pansy August 17, 1875. He was schooled at the local district schools and at Bridgewater College, Bridgewater, VA, from which institution he graduated in vocal music and after graduation followed the teaching of music for three years. Since 1896, during the winter months, he has taught school, filling in the vacations at farming and milling, and since 1903, at which time he entered the mercantile business, has given his time during vacation to the store.
In 1905 Mr. Hiser was married to Miss Sudie Iman, of Grant County, West Virginia and they with their only child, reside in a dwelling near the store.
Inter Potomac Industrial Edition 1908