By: James C. Bailey

THE ROCK

Several factors contributed to the establishment of the community we know now as Rock. The topography of the area, the establishment of a post office and the arrival of the railroad to the area each were main factors in Rock being located where it is today. Interestingly, Rock is located, one mile down stream, on the Bluestone River from where the original community began. The original settlement, at the conf1uence of Sandlick Creek and Bluestone River, was across from a huge rock cliff for which the community of The Rock was named. Sandlick Creek was a commonly traveled route to Princeton, West Virginia, the County seat. In the mid 1800's there were few homes, a church, and a post office, built along the river just below the mouth of Sandlick Creek. In 1852 Charlie Day was appointed the first postmaster of 'The Rock" post office. Eventually, the Norfolk and Western Railroad built a track along the Bluestone River to the mouth of Widemouth Creek, and then up Widemouth Creek to Matoaka, West Virginia and Arista, West Virginia. When the track was opened to rail traffic, a passenger train with a mail car ran daily, carrying passengers and delivering mail. ROCK

Because the location of "The Rock" post office was across the river from the N&W tracks and inaccessible to the service of the daily mail car, the post office was relocated downstream one mile from the rock cliff and renamed Rock. Located in a store owed by John and Ida Neal, Greenville Bailey served as the postmaster. Because the post office was near the mouth of Widemouth Creek and the N&W RR tracks, this centrally located site was convenient for the scattered population living on Wright Mountain, Black Oak Mountain, Browning Lambert Mountain, as well as being more accessible to the farms located in the Bluestone Valley. Postal patrons arrived by horseback or on foot to transact business. There were a few farms in this area which produced food for the local families but in a few cases extra produce was sent via the train to the coal camps. The area between the three mountains, Browning Lambert, Wright and Black Oak, it could be reached by five different roads. The most commonly traveled road entering Rock was from Riverside or what is now Montcalm. Traveling north, a traveler would pass through the town of Rock and travel up Widemouth Creek to the town of Matoaka. The folks living on Wright Mountain and Black Oak Mountain had roads coming down the mountain sides. For the people living on the Black Oak Mountain it was necessary for them to cross the Bluestone River either by crossing a ford or a swinging bridge. Families living down the Bluestone River below Rock traveled a road that was close to the river and forded or crossed the river several times. As automobiles became more prevalent new roads were built away from the river and creeks.

HIGHWAYS AND BYWAYS

A wagon road existed which followed Bluestone River with fords used to cross the river to avoid the steep banks. This worked well until the river raised and the water was too deep for the horses to wade across the river. A rider on horseback could cross the swollen river, provided his horse would swim across.

Now with the trains running and horse drawn conveyances such as wagons, buggies and sleds the first vehicular transportation arrived in Rock. Charlie Hughes introduced the first car, a Ford sedan to Rock. Roads were improved, a bridge built across the Bluestone River and new roads built to accommodate this new mode of transportation. All of these improvements helped develop a sense of community o the area and served to put Rock on the map.

BUSINESSES

As Rock grew in population two additional stores were built to meet the needs of the area. The town of Montcalm (Riverside) and Matoaka were the closest sources for goods that were not stocked in the three general stores in Rock.

LOCAL BUSINESSES AND INDUSTRY

In addition to the three stores there were several businesses in Rock, which contributed to the local economy. Most of these businesses were located in an area between the railroad and the road along Bluestone River. Beginning at the upper end of town and in front of the Charlie Hughes home, there was a planning mill and a barrel stave mill, both owned by Mr. Hughes. These two businesses relied on the native timber grown in the area. Nearby there was a concrete block plant that manufactured cement blocks for the construction of the Rock Cliff Bottling Plant. In this same area the N&W Railroad built a passenger / freight station and had a spur track to set off rail carts to receive heavier shipments.

A saloon sat in the general area of the new Rock Post Office. Apparently it was short lived and not a very popular place in Rock. Not too far downstream was a slaughterhouse. This venture was also short lived since many of the farmers did their own slaughtering and either canned or cured their meat to preserve it.

Another business that used lumber was located in the lower end of town. It was the coffin shop, which supplied coffins for the burial of the local citizens. The Bailey Cemetery was located across the Wright Mountain Road from the coffin shop. The coffins were a commodity which was sold at Neal's Store. Also in this general area near the mouth of Widemouth Creek was a restaurant which at this time we cannot identify the owner. A large three story boarding house was located between the two general stores and was torn down to build two homes nearby.

This accounts for the businesses and industries in Rock proper located on the north side of the Bluestone River. On the Southside of the Bluestone or the Black Oak Mountain side there was a six-bed hospital with an icehouse nearby. The Rock Cliff Bottling Co., a store across the road and the Virginian Freight/Passenger Station were all in this vicinity.

The hospital was built by Dr. John Bird and Dr. Vermillion and served a large area accessible by horseback, buggy, or by train. An icehouse was located on the premises and served the local citizens and the hospital. The ice was shipped from Princeton by rail in a boxcar and hauled from the Virginian RR to the icehouse by a horse drawn wagon.

The bottling plant was started by Smith and Young and originally named the Smith Bottling Co. The date the original building was built is unknown at this time. A larger building was built around the first building at a later date. As the plant grew, two additions were added to the back by Dr. Byrd and leased to the bottling plant. The Smith Bottling Company was sold to the Northfork Coca Cola Bottling Company and named the Rock Cliff Mineral Springs for the rock cliff previously mentioned, and three natural springs piped down from Black Oak Mountain. The plant received sugar and bottles in boxcars set off in front of the plant. Sodas, using Virginia Dare extract were bottled in Rock and delivered to Bluefield; Northfork and Welch warehouses to be distributed in retain stores. In addition to the Rock Cliff sodas, several different nationally registered brands were bottled at various times, depending on demand. The Rock Cliff Plant was best known for its Pale Dry and Golden Ginger Ale. Fro time to time a truckload of Ginger Ale and Sparkling Spring Water was delivered from Rock to the Greenbrier Hotel at White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia to be used as mixers. The Rock Cliff Bottling Plant employed more people than any other business in the community.

The store building across the road from the bottling plant was built by Will Linkous. Over the course of the years it was used not only as a store but also a church. There were two apartments upstairs. Later the downstairs was converted into living quarters and served as the home for Fred and Ruth Earnest for many years. Fred tore the original building down and used the salvaged materials to construct a new house, which he occupied until he and Ruth died. Robert and Lorna Jones now own it.

THE VIRGINIAN RAILWAY

The Virginian Station was built about the time the railroad tracks were completed. It was located across the tracks from the bottling plant along with a large electrical sub-station used y the electric locomotives. Early on there were three passenger trains that stopped at the station. Those living in the area use rode the passenger trains to Matoaka and back the same day, or to travel to Princeton. Upon completion the passenger train ran from Roanoke, Virginia to Deepwater, West Virginia. Electric locomotives pulled most of the coal trains, but a steam locomotive always pulled the passenger train. The freight/passenger station was torn down about 1940 and replaced with a small shelter for passengers. After that the passenger train only stopped when someone flagged it to board or someone was to depart.

Equipment used to construct the roadbed was hauled to Rock on the N&W and unloaded in Rock to be moved across the river to begin grading east. The equipment was steam powered and was assisted by many teams of horses and mules pulling dump carts to haul dirt and rock loaded by the steam shovels. The progress was slow and quite challenging. In the general area of Rock there were numerous cuts in the mountainsides, two tunnels and a long bridge crossing the Bluestone River.

Laborers were housed in shanties built in the field above the railroad on land owned by Crockett Bailey. In addition to the shanties there was a commissary and payroll office not too far above the railroad tracks at the lower side of the camp. There was a stone quarry west of the first tunnel where stone was crushed for use for the roadbed. The track between the first tunnel and the Bluestone Bridge was first built as a single track. Later, the roadbed was widened and a sidetrack was built. It was used for passing and storing both empty and loaded coal cars. The sidetrack was recently removed and the old roadbed now provided access for the railroad maintenance of way to do track work.

Upon completion of the railroad, a section house was built along side the track in Rock to house a section foreman. A crew of men was responsible for the upkeep of the track from near Matoaka east to a point mid-way between the two tunnels. The section foreman who lived and worked at the Rock section were a Mr. Carson Thomas and a Mr. Hornbarger. The Rock crew was replaced by a crew from Princeton and is now worked by a crew from Elmore. Most of the work is now done by machinery.

In the early 50's the electric lines were removed and the electric locomotives were replaced by diesel electric locomotives, very similar to the ones today being used to pull coal trains on the Norfolk Southern, which recently merged with part of the Conrail System.

Other enterprises were two grain mills, which flourished in the outer bounds of Rock. Both were water powered. The mill on the Bluestone was referred to as the Tunnel Mill because a tunnel was blasted through a hill to turn water from the river through the tunnel with a drop of about 10 feet on the lower side. The tunnel worked because the river made about a two mile loop around the hill and returned to a narrow neck where the tunnel was. The tunnel was blasted and Charles Bailey and his brother Amos built the mill. The mill ground grain at night by lantern light and carded wool during the day where there was natural light.

The mill and adjoining property was bought by the N&W Railroad to prevent the Virginian Railroad from coming up the west side of the river. This resulted in the Virginian having to built on the East Side of the river, which was much rougher terrain on which to build track The tunnel still exists and water flows through it when the river raises a couple of feet.

ENTERTAINMENT

The only organized recreation and entertainment for the residents of Rock when time permitted, took place in a large field located between the Virginian and the Bluestone River, beyond the bottling plant. Baseball games were the main source of entertainment. Most of the coal companies had baseball teams and were very competitive. Since level land was not very plentiful near most of the mine camps, this site was ideal for Saturday and Sunday afternoon games. In addition to baseball this field was used for motorcycle races. Riders came from distant towns to race and do stunts such as running through a wall of fire. From time to time carnival rides were set up for additional entertainment. A lot of spectators and participants came on the train, rode horses or walked.

CHURCHES

The residents of Rock had a choice of two place of worship, The Baptist Church on the West side of Bluestone and the Methodist on the East side of the Bluestone, on Black Oak Mountain. The Methodist Church was built in 1887 on land donated by Charles W. Bailey and the lumber by Samuel Shutt. Both churches are still in use today.

EDUCATION

Early schools in the area were fairly accessible by foot. The first school in Rock was above the N&W Railroad and below the Baptist Church. It was a one-room school. As the population grew a larger, four-room school was built across the river where the road started up Black Oak Mountain. Because of declining enrollment it was closed in 1973 and consolidated with Montcalm Elementary School in 1974. After Rock School closed the building was converted into apartments. This venture failed because the apartments were too hard to heat with oil heat. The building was destroyed to make way for a new two lane concrete bridge which replaced the old steel single lane bridge. Early on there were three other schools in the general area. One was on Wright Mountain, one on t the river road below the Cedar Cliff Shale bank and the third about a mile up Sandlick Creek, named Rocky Hollow School. This one served youngsters who walked from Black Oak Mountain and down Sandlick Mountain.

CEMETERIES

For the families who lost loved ones there is a cemetery close by Rock proper and five in the outlying areas. The first to be started is called the Bailey Cemetery, located at the forks of the Matoaka, Wright Mountain and River Road. It was on property owned by Richard Bailey, Jr. and he was one of the first to be buried there. The largest of the four cemeteries in the outlying area is located part way up Browning Lambert Mountain and is on property once owned by Bluford Bailey. The next to cemetery is located about half way up the Wright Mountain Road, on the north side, not too far beyond the Bailey Cemetery and referred to as the Wright Cemetery. The Robinett Cemetery is on Black Oak Mountain located on what is now the Ash Farm. This cemetery had several graves and is unkempt.

The smallest of the cemeteries is the Linkous Family Cemetery a short distance from where "The Rock Post Office" stood. It is now overgrown, but can be found by a large tombstone that has a picture of Mr. and Mrs. Linkous in the stone. The fifth cemetery that was used very early in the settlement of "The Rock" is located up on top and to the back of the rock cliff. It has been badly vandalized and is very difficult to find in the undergrowth of brush and trees.

BUSINESSES

At one time there were four stores in Rock. The first was built by Winton Bailey and Son Luther. It was located at the forks of the Matoaka, Wright Mountain and River roads. It housed a general store, feed store, barber shop, post office and it also sold coffins. Mason Bailey built a store up the river from the forks of the road. This store outlasted the other three stores. Another store was built on the other side of the river and across the road from the bottling plant. It was built by Will Linkous and was later converted into apartments.

The last store was built by Denver Echols and was run by Leonard Bailey, Dewey Lacy and Gene Kelly. Each of the four stores were two stories with living quarters on the second floor.

Questions??????

Need answers to these!

1. What year did the N&W Railroad buy the Tunnel Mill and adjoining property?

2. When was a larger building built around the original building at the bottling plant?

3. When was the bottling plant originally built?

Retyped and edited by Mike Lawrence
April 29, 2007

Click here for a list of employees of The Rock Mineral Springs Bottling Company

Many thanks to James and Nancy Bailey for sharing this article.

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Dollie Mae Keys Lawrence
5705 Rock River Road
Rock, West Virginia 24747

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