Raymond Daugherty
Mathias, WV
October 2004
Dear Mr. & Mrs. Clark,
It was really a thrill to talk to you in person about the Inn which you and your wife
Elisse are operating... One of my cousins sent me an article about you from the
Register Herald... A teacher at Mount View High School who had bought my books said
that even though Landgraff had suffered tremendous flood damage, some efforts were
underway to restore the area with tourism. I am really pleased to see your
contribution... I grew up in Landgraff, going to school in Landgraff, Keystone and
Welch, where I graduated from high school in 1934. Times were terribly rough and no
work was available (not even in mining), so I entered the Civilian Conservation Corps
(CCC). After 6 years with the CCC, I went to Norfolk, and worked as a civilian in the
Naval Supply Depot during WWII until I was drafted in 1945. I retired in 1981 from the
Rockingham Poultry Marketing Co-op in Broadway Va., and after my wife died in 2000 I
wrote three books: Tall Tales But True, The CCC and Me, and Blunders and Blessings.
Since talking to you on the phone and writing, I have talked to my brother Ralph,
received email data from his daughter Sherry, and talked by phone with our sister
Margie. What I want to pass on now is somewhat a composite of information from all
these sources and my own memories.
Let me start with what all of us have referred to as the "old hotel". I do not know
when it was built, but it was owned by the Empire Coal and Coke Company, as were
all the buildings in Landgraff. It was definitely on the site where you now have your
Inn. I have vivid memories of the fire itself, as all or most of the men stopped their
other work to fight the fire. It was hopeless for the hotel, but burning shingles were
blown by the wind all over town, especially on the nearby buildings. It was a
continuous effort to stomp out the burning debris on the roofs of other buildings and
the leaves in the yards, which kept being set ablaze. I am not completely sure of the
time of year, but it was probably in the late summer or early fall, as fallen leaves were
there to burn. It was in the day time, and I was at home, so I had not yet started to
school. My brother Ralph recalls that he was in school, but still young enough that
our Uncle Clarence Maness carried him home on his shoulders. There is a difference
of 1 year and 9 months in our ages, so by doing a little math I have calculated the
probable year of the fire. Ralph started to school in the fall of 1922, finishing 1st grade
in spring of 1923. I started in the fall of 1924, finishing 1st grade in the spring of 1925.
As they skipped me in two elementary grades, both of us graduated from high school
in 1934. The fire would have had to be in either 1922 or 1923, when Ralph was in
school and I was still at home. I know that my mother, Cora Williams Daugherty, and
some of her family, worked in the old hotel before she married our Dad, Grover
Cleveland (Cleve) Daugherty. Margie recalls they may have had a part in management
of the businesses. I do not recall much about the new replacement building, where
you now are, but on our visit to the area 4 years ago (2000) I was able to confirm the
location as being the same one as the old hotel. This is the only building there that
Margie recalls as she grew up. She noted that it still operated as a hotel with many
boarders, and one of the cook's names was either Swem or Swim. We lived in various
houses in Landgraff as we grew up. The last one was directly across the street, and
was there when we went into the CCC. This operated as a combination store, post
office and Empire Headquarters Office. The building was still there when we entered
the CCC, but it burned down a few years ago, not to long before our visit in 2000.
(EDITOR'S NOTE:, the Empire Coal & Coke Company Store, a wooden building down
Route 52 from the Inn, was on the National Register of Historic Places. It burned down
in 1997). There was a contraption on the railway border which held a movable arm,
and the mail bag would be inserted vertically. When the through train came by, an
arm from the train would reach out and grab the mail bag. The Norfolk & Western
Railway owned the lines at this time, with both passengers and freight trains- a lot of
coal- going to Norfolk, Virginia. There were both local and through trains going in
both directions, with slight changes in numbers. I am not sure, but I think the one
through train was the Powhatan Arrow, in addition to the Pocahontas. Numbers were
3,4, 23, 24, 15 and 16. I remember that at just about our bedtime, two trains came
through, one local and one through and they came back the next day. Even my first
trip to the dentist in Keystone was by train. We played ball on the shoulders of the
railway tracks, on top of the gravel or stone. Various stories about our growing up and
the railroads are included in the books I sent you... I do recall that the "cut" between
Northfork and Keystone had a pretty bad reputation for some pretty tough incidents. I
also remember that after my parents moved to Eckman, after Dad lost his job at
Landgraff, a neighbor killed 2 men. He was operating a private coal mining deal under
his own contract, and the company miners were on strike. They would not allow him
to get out his last load and tried to pull him out of his truck. He promptly shot both of
them. I believe the Deputy making the arrest was a schoolmate named Cyphers (or
something similar). Also, 2 coal miners were killed by a slate fall the day before I left
home to go into the CCC. I can remember many family names in Landgraff: Stofflett
(the Superintendent), Shaffer, Dillard, Moyer, Ruhl, Sours, Akers, Wright, Aunspaugh,
Brown, Smith and many more. I didn't know him then, but Sen. Robert Byrd was born
in Landgraff and later moved elsewhere. I have talked to him a time or so in the past
year, and we are almost the same age. I understand Margie is planning a trip to
Southern West Virginia... It is possible they will be heading toward Landgraff and if
they do I am sure they will stop in. I hope this added information will be of some value
to you. I still hope I will l have the opportunity one of these days to visit the area and
meet you and your wife in person. I hope my books will be of interest to you and your
guests.
Sincerely,
Raymond Daugherty
Mathias, WV
October 2004
Dear Mr. & Mrs. Clark,
It was really a thrill to talk to you in person about the Inn which you and your wife
Elisse are operating... One of my cousins sent me an article about you from the
Register Herald... A teacher at Mount View High School who had bought my books said
that even though Landgraff had suffered tremendous flood damage, some efforts were
underway to restore the area with tourism. I am really pleased to see your
contribution... I grew up in Landgraff, going to school in Landgraff, Keystone and
Welch, where I graduated from high school in 1934. Times were terribly rough and no
work was available (not even in mining), so I entered the Civilian Conservation Corps
(CCC). After 6 years with the CCC, I went to Norfolk, and worked as a civilian in the
Naval Supply Depot during WWII until I was drafted in 1945. I retired in 1981 from the
Rockingham Poultry Marketing Co-op in Broadway Va., and after my wife died in 2000 I
wrote three books: Tall Tales But True, The CCC and Me, and Blunders and Blessings.
Since talking to you on the phone and writing, I have talked to my brother Ralph,
received email data from his daughter Sherry, and talked by phone with our sister
Margie. What I want to pass on now is somewhat a composite of information from all
these sources and my own memories.
Let me start with what all of us have referred to as the "old hotel". I do not know
when it was built, but it was owned by the Empire Coal and Coke Company, as were
all the buildings in Landgraff. It was definitely on the site where you now have your
Inn. I have vivid memories of the fire itself, as all or most of the men stopped their
other work to fight the fire. It was hopeless for the hotel, but burning shingles were
blown by the wind all over town, especially on the nearby buildings. It was a
continuous effort to stomp out the burning debris on the roofs of other buildings and
the leaves in the yards, which kept being set ablaze. I am not completely sure of the
time of year, but it was probably in the late summer or early fall, as fallen leaves were
there to burn. It was in the day time, and I was at home, so I had not yet started to
school. My brother Ralph recalls that he was in school, but still young enough that
our Uncle Clarence Maness carried him home on his shoulders. There is a difference
of 1 year and 9 months in our ages, so by doing a little math I have calculated the
probable year of the fire. Ralph started to school in the fall of 1922, finishing 1st grade
in spring of 1923. I started in the fall of 1924, finishing 1st grade in the spring of 1925.
As they skipped me in two elementary grades, both of us graduated from high school
in 1934. The fire would have had to be in either 1922 or 1923, when Ralph was in
school and I was still at home. I know that my mother, Cora Williams Daugherty, and
some of her family, worked in the old hotel before she married our Dad, Grover
Cleveland (Cleve) Daugherty. Margie recalls they may have had a part in management
of the businesses. I do not recall much about the new replacement building, where
you now are, but on our visit to the area 4 years ago (2000) I was able to confirm the
location as being the same one as the old hotel. This is the only building there that
Margie recalls as she grew up. She noted that it still operated as a hotel with many
boarders, and one of the cook's names was either Swem or Swim. We lived in various
houses in Landgraff as we grew up. The last one was directly across the street, and
was there when we went into the CCC. This operated as a combination store, post
office and Empire Headquarters Office. The building was still there when we entered
the CCC, but it burned down a few years ago, not to long before our visit in 2000.
(EDITOR'S NOTE:, the Empire Coal & Coke Company Store, a wooden building down
Route 52 from the Inn, was on the National Register of Historic Places. It burned down
in 1997). There was a contraption on the railway border which held a movable arm,
and the mail bag would be inserted vertically. When the through train came by, an
arm from the train would reach out and grab the mail bag. The Norfolk & Western
Railway owned the lines at this time, with both passengers and freight trains- a lot of
coal- going to Norfolk, Virginia. There were both local and through trains going in
both directions, with slight changes in numbers. I am not sure, but I think the one
through train was the Powhatan Arrow, in addition to the Pocahontas. Numbers were
3,4, 23, 24, 15 and 16. I remember that at just about our bedtime, two trains came
through, one local and one through and they came back the next day. Even my first
trip to the dentist in Keystone was by train. We played ball on the shoulders of the
railway tracks, on top of the gravel or stone. Various stories about our growing up and
the railroads are included in the books I sent you... I do recall that the "cut" between
Northfork and Keystone had a pretty bad reputation for some pretty tough incidents. I
also remember that after my parents moved to Eckman, after Dad lost his job at
Landgraff, a neighbor killed 2 men. He was operating a private coal mining deal under
his own contract, and the company miners were on strike. They would not allow him
to get out his last load and tried to pull him out of his truck. He promptly shot both of
them. I believe the Deputy making the arrest was a schoolmate named Cyphers (or
something similar). Also, 2 coal miners were killed by a slate fall the day before I left
home to go into the CCC. I can remember many family names in Landgraff: Stofflett
(the Superintendent), Shaffer, Dillard, Moyer, Ruhl, Sours, Akers, Wright, Aunspaugh,
Brown, Smith and many more. I didn't know him then, but Sen. Robert Byrd was born
in Landgraff and later moved elsewhere. I have talked to him a time or so in the past
year, and we are almost the same age. I understand Margie is planning a trip to
Southern West Virginia... It is possible they will be heading toward Landgraff and if
they do I am sure they will stop in. I hope this added information will be of some value
to you. I still hope I will l have the opportunity one of these days to visit the area and
meet you and your wife in person. I hope my books will be of interest to you and your
guests.
Sincerely,
Raymond Daugherty
| Raymond Daugherty, the West Virginia author of "Tall Tales But True", "The CCC and Me", and "Blunders and Blessings", sent Elisse & Dan his memories of growing up in Landgraff in the 1920s. A portion of these letters, detailing the fire of 1922 that he witnessed that burned down the Empire Coal & Coke Company's wooden building (that was replaced by the brick "Miner's Clubhouse" that is now the Elkhorn Inn) is below. Mr. Daugherty's books are in the Elkhorn Inn's "Museum Room" for our guests to read. To order Raymond Daugherty's books, call him at 304-897-5366 or call the Elkhorn Inn at 1-800-708-2040 or click here to email Elisse. "Tall Tales But True" - $15.50 + shipping "The CCC and Me" - $13.50 + shipping "Blunders and Blessings" - $15.50 + shipping $7.00 shipping. WV residents add 6% sales tax |
| History of the Elkhorn Inn, Landgraff, and McDowell County, West Virginia, Page 3 Scroll down for LOTS more historic photos! |
| The Gary Country Club (US Steel) - now Blackwolf Links Golf Course: |
| Empire Coal & Coke Co. Scrip |
| Pocahontas Route, NW Railroad, 1897: |
| McDowell Street, Welch: |
| Kimball, 1910: |
| Court House, Welch: |
| Coalwood Road, Welch, 1942: |
| Maple & River Streets, Welch, 1911:: |
| Center View, Kimball, 1902 |
Grace Hospital,
Welch:
Welch:
| Courthouse, Welch: |
| Courthouse, Welch, 1911: |
| First National Bank, Welch:, |
| Welch National Bank, 1902: |
| Landgraff Realty Scrip: |
| Miner's Hospital, Welch: |
| Pinnacle Rock, 1936: |
| Welch, 1910: |
| Stevens Clinic Hospital, Welch: |
| Welch, East End, 1931: |
| Welch, 1909: |
Bank & Wyoming Streets, Welch:
| Bird's Eye View Showing World War Memorial and Court House, Welch: |
| Welch, 1920: |
Welch, 1900s:
Southern West Virginia Vintage
Postcards:
Postcards:
| Post 8 Scrip |
| Pinnacle Coal & Coke, Mora, WV: |
| Landgraff, 1935 - Empire Coal & Coke Company: |
| Landgraff, 1920: |
| Switchback: |
| Pocahontas Air Transport, Bluefield, WV: |
| Bird's Eye View, Kimball: |
| Pocahontas Line, NW Railroad: |
| Keystone Mine, 1907: |
| Welch, WV: |
Welch, 1906:
| NOTE: Everything on this website is for educational purposes ONLY. NOTHING may be reproduced from this website without the express, written permission of Elisse & Daniel Clark. For more information call 304-862-2031. |