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Historic
Sites
Boggs Mill
Stone
Located along Webster County Route 1 and the Little
Kanawha River, A large rock remains that Andrew "Andy" Boggs reportedly
moved from Lewis County side of the Little Kanawha River to his mill site
in the late 1800s. Boggs was a gunsmith and is also remembered throughout
the area for his extraordinary physical strength. Boggs was the first to
be buried on top of a hill east of the millstone. The cemetery is known as
the Boggs cemetery. The story is told that during the Civil War, Andy, who
was sympathetic with the Confederacy, hid from the Yankees on that
hilltop. He is said to have remarked, "If one could hide from the Yankees
there, surely it would be a good place to hide from the devil."
Cleveland
Over the years, the village now known
as Cleveland has had three different names: Buffalo Fork, Point, and
Cleveland. This reflected the change in name assigned to the post office
located in the community. The first post office was established there in
1853, and was named Buffalo Fork, after the small nearby stream that flows
into the right fork of the Little Kanawha River. Thirty years later in
1883, the post office was dubbed "Point" simply because a shorter name was
preferred for postal purposes. Point, however, was short-lived, as two
years later, in 1885; the post office name was changed to Cleveland, in
honor of Grover Cleveland, who was just beginning his first term as
President of the United States. It is interesting to note that Cleveland
was the first Democratic President elected after the Civil War.
Cleveland
United Methodist Church
The Cleveland United Methodist church
is located on the "Old" Cleveland/Hacker Valley Road, Webster County 20/1.
Jack Hoover of Cowen and Charley Henderson of Upper Glade built the church
in 1925. The church was in continuous operation for 67 years. In 1992, due
to declining membership and lack of finances, the church was made a
Memorial Church. As such, it serves the community for funerals, special
meetings, and the annual homecoming held each August.
Hacker
Valley
The little village of Hacker Valley was named in honor
of John Hacker, who reportedly took possession of a tract of land nearby
by "tomahawk mark" around 1772.
Johnson
Home
The Johnson home, constructed in 1886 by John N. "Squire"
Johnson, is well preserved. It is one of the few remaining examples of
19th Century architecture unique to the area. Consideration is being given
to applying for its designation as a National Historic Site. An historical
sign was recently erected near the home through the efforts of the
Northern Webster County Improvement Council, Inc. through the National
Scenic Byways Program created by the Transportation Equity Act for the
21st Century. Mr. Johnson built some of the one-room schools of the area
and served for a time as justice of the peace, thus the nickname "Squire."
He was married twice and fathered 19 children.
Mayton
Barn
The Mayton Barn is located along the Byway near the
Hacker Valley Post Office. It is one of the oldest barns in the area. It
was constructed in the early 1900s in what is known as the Mayton Bottom.
The name "Mayton" is derived from the name of a lumber company that was
situated in this large bottom around 1900.
McCray
Cemetery
Located on the "Old" Cleveland Road, Webster County
20/1, is the McCray Cemetery, named in honor of James McCray whose grave
was the first in the cemetery.
McCray
Rocks
Located on the "Old" Cleveland Road, Webster County
20/1, about one mile from Cleveland is a directional sign commemorating
the rocks where Union soldiers killed James McCray, son of Robert McCray,
in 1862. A trail winds up the steep hill to the rocks, which have been
known as the McCray Rocks for years.
Mollohan
Mill
Bernard Mollohan constructed the in mill 1894. Beth
Mollohan, his great granddaughter, who resides nearby, owns the mill. It
is unusual in that the water wheel is horizontal to the water rather than
vertical. The mill is a National Historical Site, and was listed in the
National Register Information System September 2, 1982. The Mollohan Mill
was the first historical site to be listed in Webster County.
Mount Zion
Church
From Wheeler it is a little less that a mile to the
Mount Zion Church. Keep a lookout just beyond Wheeler for a picturesque
and pristine waterfall on the right. The church sits on a point formerly
known as Moats' Point. The church was first established in 1893. In 1932,
the original church was destroyed by a "mini" tornado. The present church
was built in 1934.
Old Sulphur
Spring
Located along the Byway, WV Route 20, at Jerry Run is
the Old Sulphur Spring. The spring was the site of the first Anderson
reunions, held in the mid 1920s. During the late 1800s and early 1900s the
spring provided water for the nearby Jerry Run one-room school. It is a
landmark in the Jerry Run Community and is still used by families during
periods of drought. Located near the spring are a shelter, picnic table,
and stone fireplace. Work is being done to update the Sulphur Spring area
for use as a rest stop along the Mountain Parkway Byway.
Pugh
This is the site of the former Pugh Post
Office (1888-1911) and the Wesley Anderson Store and Grist Mill.
Anderson's home and store building are still standing and in good repair.
Alta Cogar currently owns the buildings. An Anderson store invoice dated
March 21, 1906, substantiates the fact that the country store carried all
sorts of merchandise. It lists the cost of one coffin and material for
burial purposes of a small child at $6.45. The father of the child could
not pay the invoice until the following fall after he harvested his crops.
Sharon
At Jerry Run is the site of the Sharon
Post Office that served the Jerry Run community from 1890 to 1900. Dr.
William W. Hutchinson served two terms as postmaster. Patrick W. Bruffey,
another early resident, was postmaster a short while, after having served
as superintendent of Webster County Schools.
Warren Scott
"Goodin" Lingle
Beyond the McCray Cemetery we arrive at the
location where Warren Scott (Goodin) Lingle was killed while racing a
spirited horse with a friend on March 7, 1922.
Wheeler
The Wheeler Overlook provides a
panoramic view of the village of Wheeler. In the early 1900s, Wheeler was
the hub of the community, containing a store, post office, gristmill,
jewelry repair, and photograph shop. The store, now known as Lowther's
Store, was established around 1900. It is believed to be the longest
continuously operating store in Webster and, perhaps, surrounding
counties. The store building is a National Historical Site. It was listed
in the National Register Information System on April 7, 1997.
William
Damute Berry
A little ways up the hill from the church we come
to the William Damute Berry home place. Mr. Berry settled in this area in
1856. He was married to Hanna Laverne McCray, the daughter of Robert and
Margaret McCray, original residents. | 
