HISTORY OF BELL COUNTY VOLUME II

                             CONTENTS
 
 
 

     XI     Industrial Life                                       1

    XII     The New Industrial Period                   22

   XIII     Participation In The Wars                   37

    XIV     History Of Bell County Schools         52

     XV     History Of Schools Continued            71

    XVI     History Of The Churches                   74

   XVII     Literary History Of Bell County       107

  XVIII     The Medical Profession                    117

    XIX     History Of Middlesborough               128

     XX     Roads Of Bell County                         143

    XXI     Recreation In Bell County                 152

   XXII     The Future Of Bell County                162
 
 

        In pioneer days, the immigrant took up land, and built a log house on it, from timber at hand, for a residence. He built his barn corn-crib, and smoke-house from logs similar to those of his residence. Then a portion of the land was cleared for the crops of corn, oats and vegetables.
Photo Kirby Mill

        The buildings were erected at "workings," in which his neighbors participated. At these "house-raising" or "workings" the neighbor men and some of the women were invited by a messenger, usually one of the children of the family, to aid in erecting the building or buildings, and the women to help prepare and serve the dinner for the workers. This dinner was a veritable feast. The farmer usually had a few jugs of good moonshine whisky to encourage the workers. Hard work, rivalry among the men, and joking were carried on at these "workings." Feats of skill and acts of heavy lifting of the logs were loudly applauded by the workers, and often the worker became the butt of a joke at some mistake or awkward move he made. But the crowd, on the whole, was one of the best natured, jovial and lively crowds that could be imagined.

        Many tables had been arranged, from plank on the farm, for the dinner, and these were loaded with the products of the farm. A hog or two had been killed, or perhaps a calf or two, or some sheep, and these, together with milk, butter, preserves, pies, cakes, and vegetables graced the board. When at the table the men turned their jokes at the women, teasing them about some article of food or about some gossip of the neighborhood. But I can remember that the men didn't make much off of the women. They were their equals in repartee.

        At the "log-rollings," the logs, which had previously been sawed from the trees cut down, were rolled into piles by short spikes or poles, usually cut from sour-wood, over the field or clearing, preparatory to being burned. After the log heaps, which contained some of the finest big timber, poplar, oak, walnut and hickory, had dried out sufficiently, then the farmer fired these and kept them chunked-up until all the pile was consumed by the fire. Following this the field or clearing was plowed by a bull-tongue plow, corn planted and cultivated. Later, the ground, after the roots had rotted, might be sowed in oats or grass, in order to give the ground a rest. Then following either of these, the ground was put back in corn. Usually the hillsides were used for corn and oats, and the bottoms for grass.
 
 

But every few years the grass-land was plowed up, tended in corn for a year or two, and then put back in grass.

        The stock, horses, cattle and sheep, were usually turned out in the forests, during the summer months, to graze. The hogs ran out all the time, except when they were put up in pens to be fattened. The horses, used for plowing, were usually turned out on grass near the house and fed some corn or oats, or both.

        Nearly all the tools used on the farm were homemade. The plow-stocks were made from wood on the farm and the plows were fashioned from iron in a crude black-smith's shop on the farm. Two kinds of plows were generally used the old bull-tongue, long and narrow, and the shovel plow, broad and short. The bull-tongue was used to break up the ground, preparatory to planting, and the shovel plow was used to cultivate the corn, potatoes, etc.

        Hoes were also made from iron in the shop on the farm and a handle inserted in an "eye" in the hoe. The broadaxe, for hewing logs, the axe, the frow, for riving boards, and even nails, were made from iron in the shop.

        At first, the pioneer raised crops for his own use only. He had no markets, except as products were sold to neighbors. Men working for the farmer were usually paid in products from the farm. Later the Carolinas began calling on the farmers of Bell and adjoining counties
for hogs, horses and cattle. Then the "drover" business began. Droves of hogs, or herds of cattle or horses, were collected at some central point, in Bell County this was Cumberland Ford, from which place they were driven on foot to the Carolinas.

        Later came the local country store, which bought up gin-seng, bees-wax furs and other products of the farm and forest, and, by degrees, a limited market was found for the surplus products of the farm.

        The corn was pulled from the stalk, after the fodder had been stripped from the stalks, pitched into piles, when the first frosts came, it was hauled to the crib in a sled. It was piled in a shed by the side of the crib. Then the corn-huskers would surround the pile of corn and begin shucking, pitching it into the crib. Men and women both participated in the corn-shuckings, and, when a red ear was found, the finder had the privilege of kissing the nearest women (if he could.) Than a laugh would resound through the crowd, since the women would interfere in the process and try to prevent the kiss. Sometimes the woman would run and the man after her, to the amusement of all. Then all would settled down and the corn would fly into the crib.

        Following the community "corn-huskings," "log-rollings," and "house-raisings," the evening, after supper, was turned in to a "party." The young people of the community came in with one of the old-time fiddlers and proceeded to clear away the furniture in the large room, usually the sitting room, for the "party." The fiddler
 
 

played,  in  turn, "Skip-to-my-Lou," "Sourwood Mountain," "Chase the Buffalo," and so on, as the participants skipped over the floor. Often these parties extended into the wee hours of the morning.

        I can remember the corn-shuckings, logrollings, and house-raisings as a boy. The barn on my father's farm, which is still standing, was erected in this way, and the logs on most of the fields on my father's farm were piled-up at these log-rollings. The number of corn-shuckings at my father's place would run into big numbers, with parties, the night after, thrown in.

        I was a boy of eight or ten years of age before the first cook stove came to our house. Before that time my mother cooked on the open fire place in the living room. This was characteristic of our people generally in Bell County before the time of the Civil War.

        Grass was cut with a mowing blade by hand and oats were cut with a "cradle," a blade at the lower side with five or six fingers of wood, about the same length, to catch the oats when cut. With the hand the cut oats were lifted off and thrown down in rows, later to be taken up and tied in bundles after curing.

        Hogs were killed in the frosty or snowy part of November or December, cut up and hung in the smoke-house where later a small fire of hickory wood smoked the meat. When first cut up after killing the hogs, the meat was thoroughly salted and left on a bench till the meat had taken salt. In the fall of the year, the farmer would often kill a few yearlings for beef or some sheep for mutton, in order to vary the diet of pork. In this way the farmers of Bell County lived before the industrial era began.

        Nearly every farmer had his cane patch, from which molasses was made. Molasses formed a regular diet for the Bell County farmer's family. This largely took the place of other sweets. I can well remember the big vats on the furnace in which the juice of the cane was boiled down. Sometimes it was boiled in large kettles set in the furnace in rows, but later vats were made of sheet iron. A ladle was used to skim the boiling liquid. The cane was ground on an old cane mill, the cane stalks being run between two upright rollers and the juice caught in tubs below. At the top of the mill a large sweep pole extended out from the mill, to which a horse was hitched, and the head of the horse was tied in such a way that he walked in a circle.

        The stir-off was the final boiling of the liquid just before it was taken out of the vats, or probably got its name from the taking of the hot molasses from the vats or kettles. These stir-offs were usually at night and the neighbors from far around would gather in. The cane stalks were all piled up around the mill and the boys would run and play on these. Near the vats was a hole in the ground where the skimmings were poured during the process of boiling down the liquid. One of the tricks of the boys was to cover this hole over with the ground up stalks and let same smart boy run his foot and leg into    this hole. The boys, in their playing, could always maneuver someone
 
 

into it. This, of course, was considered great sport. Some maple syrup and sugar were made from the sugar maple.

        The old water mill came along with the pioneer. Usually the water mill in Bell County was of the turbine type. In some other parts of the country there was the overshot type. These were both water mills. Saturday was usually milling day and the roads of the county were lined with the boys going to mill with their corn sacks under them. Around the mill the boys fished or parched corn while they waited for their turn. A sack of meal was called a "turn." In the dry seasons of the year, many of the streams dried up so that grinding could not be done on the water mills of the neighborhood and the people would have to go to Flat Lick, on Cumberland Gap, to get grinding done.

        Shelton Evans ran a mill on Little Clear Creek; Henry Rice, and his father before him, had a mill on Cumberland River in the Narrows above Pineville; Rev. John C. Colson ran a mill with horse power in Middlesborough, before the founding of this town; Calvin Smith ran a mill in Little Clear Creek just above Clear Creek Springs; the Haynesses had a mill on the lower end of the J. T. Fuson farm, this being one of the first Mills on Little Clear Creek; Alec Carroll had a mill on Greasy Creek; Frank Creech, and his father before him, had a mill near the mouth of Pucketts Creek; there was a mill on the old Shelton farm on Big Clear Creek; and, as I remember it, there was a mill near the mouth of Straight Creek.

        I remember that Shelton Evans, on Little Clear Creek, had an upright, straight saw attachment to his mill, where he sawed lumber for the neighborhood. I can still see this old long saw going up and down through a log. It was a slow process. But many of the houses on Little Clear Creek have lumber in them today that was sawed on this old Mill.

        Pumpkins were an important crop on the farm. They were usually planted in the corn where the land had an overflow soil. Some of these pumpkins grew very large. I can remember my father telling me about two pumpkins my grandfather had on one vine in what is now known as the Jeff Fuson bottom, an overflow bottom. One of the pumpkins weighed one hundred pounds and another one weighted seventy-five pounds. Pumpkins were used to feed hogs and cattle. They were also cut in strips and dried for family use. They were made into pies or stewed and fried in grease for table use. Often pumpkins were piled up under fodder and kept till longer after Christmas. The cushaw was another product of this type and was sweeter and better than the pumpkin.

        Every farmer had his large garden. Most everything was raised in this garden: peas, onions, Irish potatoes, sweet potatoes, lettuce, mustard, muskmelons, water melons, beans, cucumbers, strawberries, corn for roasting ears, tomatoes, cabbage, and other garden vegetables. Often the garden would contain from two to five acres. This was heavily manured each year and kept to the highest state of production.
 
 

        Chestnuts were gathered from the forest in great quantities. People would often take horses or mules, with sacks, into the forests to gather chestnuts and come back loaded with twenty-five or thirty bushels of chestnuts. Sometimes some of these were sold, but, in the main, they were consumed on the farm. Black and white walnuts were also gathered in for use on the farm or for sale. Hickory nuts were also brought in to be cracked on the hearths before the fire on winter evenings. The chestnut blight, in the last few years, has killed all the chestnut trees and this has been a great loss to the remaining farmers in Bell County, since the masts cannot be counted on so well for hogs anymore.

        Huckleberries were picked in the woods and blackberries in the fields and canned for Winter use.

        The pioneer had his bees also. From these he supplemented his sorghum with these sweets. Nearly every farmer had his bees, and still most of the farmers, or a good many of them, at least, have bees. My Uncle James Arthur Fuson, who lived only a half mile from us, in his old age, made a special study of bees and kept them on a large scale. He sold large quantities of honey, and at one time had over one hundred bee hives. I like to think of him as the "keeper of the bees."

        The pioneer early planted his orchard with trees of the apple, peach, and pear. In the main they were apple orchards. Apples did well in this mountain region, but peaches and pears did not do so well. Certain types of apple tree, like the old limber-twig, seemed to be native to the country, or were so well adapted that they produced an abundance of apples. Then, too, the limber-twig was a winter apple and could be holed up in the ground or put in closets near the fire and kept all winter. When I was just a boy, there were large apple orchards all over the county. Most of these have died out, and many of them have not been kept up. There are fewer orchards in the county today than formerly. This is accounted for from the fact that there are fewer farmers in the county today than formerly. The soil has washed away from the hillsides, many of the farmers have gone to public works, and the new generation is not interested in farming like their fathers were.

        Some of the best farming land of the county is as follows: In the Yellow Creek Valley around Middlesborough, along Cumberland River from the Harlan County line to the Knox County line, on lower Pucketts Creek, on Greasy Creek, in the Fuson Settlement on Little Clear Creek, the lower part of Big Clear Creek, and some parts of the two Straight Creeks. The district of South America is a kind of plateau region and was a good corn and grass section. In addition to these farm lands there was rich coves up in the mountains that afforded a good place for raising corn, or other crops; but most of this cove soil, where it was cleared off, has washed away and the land is growing up in timber.

        After the earliest pioneer period, the lumber business started in the mountains. The large poplar was brought out to the streams and floated down them to the mills, which were located far away, at first. The first mills were the Jones Lumber
 
 

Company and the Kentucky Lumber Company, both located at Williamsburg, Kentucky. The logs were hauled out of the mountains with oxen, later with mules, branded and rolled into the streams, to be floated away to the mills when the tides came. These tides were usually in the fall and spring. The logs were rolled into the stream-beds before the tides came, and, when the tide was on, men went along the banks of the streams with long poles and kept the logs afloat. At the mills long booms, logs connected with chains, were stretched across the river to hold the logs, so that they could be fed into the mills as needed.

        One of my first boyhood occupations was driving oxen in hauling out logs, big fine yellow poplar logs. One log, I remember, the tallest man could not look over the end of it. It must have been about eight feet through. I remember it had to be quartered up in order to get it out of the woods. Roads were made into the woods, mere trails where the bushes had been cut out, and the logs were hauled along these trails to the "dumps." On some of these trails, there were very steep places and the oxen knew these places as well as we did and kept out of the way of the logs when they slid down these places. On one occasion, my oxen started to run on one of these steep places and the log caught on a rock sticking up in the bed of the trail, and one oxen changed ends and lay on his doubled up neck. I yelled bloody murder, I was so scared, and the men ran to me, cut the bow from the yoke with an axe and the steer jumped up and ran off. It took some time to catch him because of his fright. I was sure he was dead while he lay there, but I was jubilant when he jumped up and ran off.

        Later, mules were used to haul logs from the hills, and, at the foot of the mountain, where the dump was, the logs were put on log wagons and hauled to mills in the local community. After the poplar and walnut were taken out, then mills came to almost every part of Bell County and sawed out the oak, what poplar was left, and other timbers.

        On this second invasion of the timber areas, T. J. Asher, of Wasioto, had the largest saw mill that was ever in the county. It was located at Wasioto, and brought logs from the upper Cumberland in Bell County, and from the three forks, Martin Fork, Clover Fork, and Poor Fork, of the Cumberland in Harlan County. This mill employed hundreds of men and had millions of feet of lumber on its yards over a period of twenty or twenty-five years. Somewhere around 1909 or 1910 Asher went out of the lumber business and went into the coal business. The large lumber period was over. What timber was left was just about sufficient to take care of the mining business. Since mining business began the small timber, as well as the large, is being cut down, and the forests now are beginning to look like brush mountains, the thick small growth is so thick and tangled up with the fallen tree tops.

        Jack Asher, brother of T. J. Asher, at one time, had one of the largest stave mills that was ever in the county. His dam was across the lower part of Straight Creek and staves were floated down the Left and Right Forks of Straight Creek to his mill. He obtained his staves from his extensive lands on the two Straight Creeks.
 
 

        In the later farming period, from 1840-1889, better houses, barns and out buildings were built. With the coming of saw mills, the old log house was torn down and plank houses, as they were then called, were built, or the old log houses were weather boarded on the outside and ceiled on the inside and an addition to it was built. Painted houses became more common in this period, and yet many tenant log houses remained and a few of them can be seen even today. The log barn gave away to spacious frame barns, with big halls running through them, with horse stalls on either side. Smoke houses were improved and the old ash-hopper, for making lye as an ingredient of soap, soon disappeared during this period, since stores began bringing in soap.

        Tobacco has never been raised in Bell County on a commercial scale. Nearly every farmer raised his tobacco, but it was for his own use. He tried to supply his own demand with his tobacco, allowing a sufficient amount for giving away a lot of it. There were professional tobacco beggars in those days. The fellow who was too lazy or indifferent to raise his tobacco always begged it, and he got by pretty well, since the average farmer was generous with these fellows.

        In the early days in Bell County, cotton was grown, together with some hemp. Sheep were kept for the wool, and the household garments were made from the cotton, wool, and flax. These were spun and woven in each home, and the clothes made from them for the family. I must have been fourteen or fifteen years of age before I ever wore any "store" clothes. We wore our jeans and cotton made at home. Our shoes were also made from leather we tanned with oak bark in troughs, or vats. The farms were sufficient unto themselves in those days. They supplied the needs of the family for food and clothing.

        I remember an incident in this connection, showing the reliability of the mountain farmer on his own products and the effect it has when he does not have a farm that will produce these. One of our native boys left Browney's Creek and went to Texas. The one crop was cotton where he was. He bought his food and clothing on the credit and paid for them when he sold his cotton crop. After about three years of this he came back to his old home place. He was asked why he came back, and his reply was "I am tired of living out of a poke." In Bell County a paper bag is called a poke. What he meant was this, that he was tired of living on a farm where he could not raise a diversified crop for his own use. In this he was true to the nature of his Bell County people. The centuries of his inheritance could not be changed in a few years. He came back to his own, and his own received him gladly.

        Some of the leading farmers in the county, in the most active farm period from 1840 to 1889, were Little Clear Creek: William K. Evans, Shelton Partin, Wesley King, J. J. Evans, Mose Lake, James Mason, Silas Miracle, John Evans, Robin G. Evans, Ingram Evans, Peter Evans, John Evans (son of John Evans), W. L. Fuson, James Robinson Fuson, Sr., Mathew Fuson, Millard Fuson, James Robinson Fuson,
 
 

Jr., Elijah Smith, Judge Beth Ann Fuson, Henry Jefferson Fuson, John Thomas Fuson. James Arthur Fuson, Shelton Evans, Enoch Smith, Andrew Smith, Calvin Smith, and some of the Hendricksons near the Moss farm, between the Moss farm and Smith Hill.

        Big Clear Creek: Rufus Moss, J. M. C. Davis, Lovell near the Shelton farm, Sheltons on the Shelton farm, Bratcher Mason, Philip Lee, Rife Mason, Martin Head, Tom Fuson, Alvis Partin, James Henderson.

        In the district known as South America, a district cut off from Whitley County and added to Bell, some of the farmers were I. A. Overton, John Partin, Shelton Madon, Bill Madon, Scott Partin, James Madon, Beth Fuson, who lived near the Whitley-Bell County line, and Davis.

        On Greasy Creek, the farmers were Judge John Goodin, Bill J. Goodin, W. H. Dean, Dan Dean, Will Dean, Bill Tinsley, the McGaffeys, Ebenezer Bronster Goodin, and his father John (Jack) Goodin, Thomas Goodin, father of John (Jack) Goodin, Rev. Ebenezer Ingram, Thomas Ingram, John Fuson, Thomas H. Fuson, Will Fuson, John Fuson at head of the creek, James Robinson Fuson, Hard Goodin, the Begleys, the Goldens, John Faulkner, Joe Faulkner, the Thompsons, the Collins, and the Goins family.

        On Red Bird there were two prominent farmers, Rev. Wilk Asher and Bill Knuckles.

        The two Straight creeks had a large farming population and some of the farmers were Berry Howard, W. P. Slusher, John Lock, Henry Broughton, P. W. Woollum, A. J. Bailey, John R. Howard, Jim Howard, Jack Asher, Isreal Woollum, the Saylors, Jasper Howard, the Elliotts, the Burns, and others.

        Up Cumberland River from Wasioto to the Harlan County line there were T. J. Asher, Bird at the mouth of Bird Branch near Wasioto, Hugh Browning, Levi Hoskins, Joe Parsons, Lewis Green, Nute Hoskins, Nute Creech, James Kirby, Blind John Taylor, Hamp Lewis, the Taylors, Dan Collett, Skelt Collett, Jahu Collett, Mount Pursifull, Gilmore Cox, and others.

        On Browney's Creek and leading farmers were Robert Wilson, Bob (Red Bob) Wilson, J. M. Wilder, John B. Cox, Joe Lee, Levi Lee, John Lee, James Hoskins, Mose Wilder, Jeff Wilder, Bill Wilder, Nute Wilder, John (Er John) Lee, and others.

        On Hances Creek there were farmers Rev. John C. Buell, Rev. Henry Calvin Miracle, Rev. Abraham Miracle, Henry Risner, Feeling Risner, James Durham, Chesley Thompson, John Durham, Jerry Pittman and others.

        On Yellow Creek, including Stony Fork, the farmers were William H. Baughman, Jeff Henderson, Rev. J. C. Colson, J. C. Colson, the Marsees and Turners, others.
 
 

        On Puckett's Creek some of the farmers were Bob Howard, Big Bill Howard, the farmer of Frank Creech, Brit Lee, Brit Howard, David Lee, and others.
Photo Robert Howard

        On Cannon Creek some of the farmers were Simon Peace, T. J. Kellems, J. E. Kirby's father, Alex Givens, Granvel Givens, and others.

        On Cumberland River below Pineville, the farmers were Silas Woodson, who later became Governor of Missouri, Roberts, his father-in-law, who lived near the mouth of Greasy Creek, Frank Hendrickson, Judge John Goodin, Bill J. Goodin, later Frank Creech, Gillis Hendrickson, Allen Gibson on Turkey Creek, Grant Brown at Wallsend, and others.

        The approach to the economic problem in Bell County in 1938 was largely influenced by a general five-point program adopted the first part of the year, at which time Bruce Poundstone, Field Agent in Farm Management, Experiment Station, Lexington, Kentucky, met with a group of farm leaders from different sections in the county.

        The 1938 Bell County Agricultural extension five-point program adopted was as follows:

    1. Live-at-home gardens
    2. Thirty "Four H" clubs in 30 communities
    3. Soil conservation
    4. Forestry management
    5. Co-operation with the Agricultural Conservation Program

     The things actually done in Bell County in 1938 were...

     1. 161 families took part in a garden contest sponsored by the Middlesborough Chamber of Commerce.

     2. 22 Four-H. clubs were organized in 22 communities.

        (a) 566 club members completed 628 farm projects valued at $15,686.

             (1) 438 boys enrolled and completed 489 farm projects,
and 128 girls did likewise with 139 farm projects.

             (2) 256 boys and 17 girls enrolled and completed 273 corn projects. 141 of this number grew one acre, each, to Johnson County white corn. The remainder grew one acre, each, native corn.
 
 

             (3) 58 boys and 34 girls set 10,375 strawberry plants to finish 92 small fruit projects.

             (4) Other 4-H club projects enrolled and completed: 41 boys in the big project; 11 boys in the Irish potato project; 25 boys in the woodwork project; 93 boys and 88 girls in the garden project (None of these were among the families taking part in the adult garden projects contest); 3 boys in the poultry project; and 2 boys in miscellaneous projects.

             (5) 100% of the number enrolled finished.

     3. Soil conservation work.

          (a) 612 soil building and conservation practices adopted by 524 farmers as follows:

             (1) 176 farmers sowed 13,083 pounds of rye grass seed on 872 acres.

             (2) 115 farmers spread 1687 tons agricultural limestone on about 325 acres.

             (3) 130 farmers used 12,800 pounds (64.4 tons) TVA superphosphate on about 644 acres grass and clover lands.

             (4) 94 farmers sowed 6,082 pounds Crimson clover on 606 acres corn and soybean land.

             (5) About 100 farmers sowed other clovers, timothy, redtop, orchard grass, and turned under crops of rye, crimson clover and soybean land.

     4. Forestry management.

     Three farmers planted a quantity of black locust seed in May for the purpose of distributing seedlings in November to 4-H club boys (Quantity planted was about 60 pounds of unhulled seeds).

     The Asher heirs reported they have 20,000 acres cut-over forest lands which they have fire protection for with the State Forestry Service.

     5. Cooperation with the Agricultural Conservation program.

     Forty-one days were spent by the County Agent in working with ACP Bell County Committee in holding meetings and acquainting farmers with their rights and duties as described in the Agricultural Conservation Act.

     The fine work of the Executive Field Clerk, who usually spent seven days per month in the county, and the Bell county ACP
 
 

Clerks, made it unnecessary to use more than 41 days in promoting
ACP in detail.

     6. Other agricultural extension activities actually performed:

          (a) Approved feeding practices carried out by 41 flock owners of 3475 laying hens.

               (1) 16 houses with additions were built.

               (2) 900 birds vaccinated against colds, etc., by six flock owners.

               (3) 312 laying birds blood-tested by a local hatcheryman for pullorum. These seven flock owners were the first to ever do this type of work in the county.

               (4) 74 flock owners have housing facilities for 10,225 birds. Toward the latter part of the year three of this number quit... sold their laying birds.

               (5) There is one local hatcheryman in the county and located in Middlesboro. According to his report he hatched and sold 70,000 baby chicks this spring ranging in price from $6 to $9 per hundred. The hatching eggs came from seven flock owners in Tennessee and Virginia. Bulk of his eggs came from Tennessee Flocks.

               (6) 1200 house-wives in Pineville and Middlesboro were circularized with monthly letters, beginning in June and running through September, calling attention to the appetizing edibility of infertile eggs over other eggs in warm weather. Results were fairly good. The 34 flock owners of 3,160 laying birds of infertile eggs were unable to supply the demand. Prices received by these producers were above market price for other eggs.

               (7) Roy Asher, Poultry 4-H boy, bought 185 White Leghorn baby chicks in the spring. November 30, this year, he had 103 laying pullets. His expenditure amounted to $106.68. His cash receipts for sale of eggs and fryers (counting what the family used at market price) came to $115.20.

               (8) A total of $12,890 worth of poultry and eggs reported sold by 41 flock owners and one hatcheryman.

               (9) Eleven dairymen sold $10,640 worth of milk from 113 cows. One dairyman with 21 cows ranging on 42 acres of pasture land sold $4,332 worth of milk. The feed bill, labor (excluding his labor) miscellaneous, and delivery costs, came to $2,782. Eighteen of his cows were in production throughout the year.

               (10) Twelve farmers planted 10 1/2 acres of Hybrid seed corn. One of this number planted nearly 3/4 acres to Kentucky varieties of Hybrid corn on steep land. His claim, along with the other eleven, is that hybrid corn failed. The other eleven planted out of state
 
 

varieties and they are positive it has no place in crop growing in Bell County.

                    (a) Seventeen young men and 4 young women enrolled and completed their projects.

                         (1) Ten boys and three girls planted 13 1/2 acres of Johnson White seed corn. Three boys planted an acre, each, to native corn. Five Utopians set 700 aroma strawberry plants. One young lady planted an acre to nine varieties Hybird seed corn, furnished by W. C. Johnson, Field agent in Agronomy, Experiment Station, Lexington, Kentucky. The so-called Ky-69 showed 37 1/2% increase in yield over the native variety planted in the same field.

               (12) Twenty-six rural leaders cooperated in the 4-H program in 22 communities.

               (13) Adult leaders aided in promoting the Agricultural Extension program in 30 communities. Twenty-one men and 3 women took part in this work.

               (14) Three poultry judging teams were trained.

               (15) Seven farm practice demonstration teams, two members each, were trained.

               (16) State fair.

                    (a) Poultry judging team--No placing

                    (b) Secretary's record book, 6th place.

                    (c) Potato record book, first place.

                    (d) Poultry record book, second place.

                    (e) Potato exhibit, 4th place.

                    (f) Strawberry record book, 4th place.

                    (g) Seven communities were represented at the state fair with a poultry judging team and 10 exhibits.

               (17) Twenty-six farmers grew about 12 acres of burley tobacco.

               (18) Five farmers grew about 35 acres to Johnson County white corn.

               (19) Three hundred eighteen farmers were visited 1,214 times.
 
 

               (20) Fifteen method demonstrations, with an attendance of 220 were held.

               (21) Sixteen boys and one leader attended the 4-H club camp in August.

               (22) Two leaders attend the 4-H club leaders' conference at Quicksand, Ky., in June.

               (23) Three garden tours, with 15 in attendance, were made. Also, two tours and eleven in attendance, visiting the pig and strawberry projects.

               (24) One hundred seven meetings were held with 3,427 in attendance. Also, 54 meetings by 4-H club leaders were held with 1,059 attending.

               (25) 11,473 miles were traveled in promoting the     agricultural extension program.

              (26) 664 individual letters were written; 44 circular letters; and 102 news articles, relating to the agricultural extension program, were sent.

               (27) Weights from seven 4-H club members growing one acre, each, to Johnson County white corn, and Tennessee red cob corn, showed an average yield of 49.7 bushels per acre.

        Bruce Poundstone, Field Agent, Farm Management, Experiment Station, Lexington, Kentucky, met with twenty-one farm leaders, December 3, 1937, in Pineville. At this meeting a five-point approach for promoting that phase of economic life relating to the farm was planned as follows: (See the five points set out at the beginning of this paper). How well this five-point farm program was carried out in Bell County will be partly told in the rest of this report.

        The Middlesborough Chamber of Commerce became interested in this portion of the five-point agricultural extension program relating to the growing of vegetables for family use. A committee was selected to work with the county agent and arrange for a contest. Prizes to be awarded to the gardeners growing the greatest number of varieties of crops in the garden.

        Visitations, letters, and new articles, resulted in 161 families taking part, and much interest was shown. The contest was county wide, and two tours by the committee were made in every community where the garden work was being done.
 
 

        The rainy season came along, and for the first time in a generation more rain fell through May to August than was ever known. This discouraged every one to such an extent that few records of accomplishments were reported. One gardener reported the selling of $141.00 worth of green onions and cash expenditures of $33.00. Another gardener reported the harvesting of twenty-four bushels Irish potatoes from the planting of two hundred pounds of cobblers after his family of eight used from the crop two months.

        Many of these gardeners are asking if there will be a 1939 garden test, thereby indicating their willingness to try it again. The Chamber of Commerce is willing and so the same thing will be repeated next year.

        Although the 1938 program called for thirty 4-H clubs in the county, one in each of thirty communities, twenty-two were organized with a total of 966 boys and girls enrolled in 1,146 farm and home projects. Nine hundred forty-nine club members completed 1076 projects.

        Statistical review of club work in the county: Members competing: 1930, 33; 1931, 139; 1932, 276, 1933, 488; 1934, 687; 1935, 682; 1936, 944; 1937, 889; 1938, 949. Organized clubs: 1930, 1; 1931, 7; 1932, 11; 1933, 14; 1934, 21; 1935, 28; 1936, 30; 1937, 32; 1938, 22. Leaders: 1930, 3; 1931, 3; 1932, 15; 1933, 19; 1934, 24; 1935, 26; 1936, 58; 1937, 59; 1938, 53. Projects: 1930, 42; 1931, 142; 1932, 302; 1933, 596; 1934, 741; 1935, 956; 1936, 1147; 1937, 1196; 1938, 1076. Estimated value: 1930, $210.00; 1931, $568.00; 1932, $906.00; 1933, $2394.00; 1934, $2964.00; 1935, $7624.00; 1936, $11470.00; 1937, $12896.00; 1938, $15686.00. Corn project members competing: 1936, 36; 1937, 127; 1938, 273; Garden project members competing: 1936, 453; 1937, 262; 1938, 181; Poultry project members competing: 1936, 24; 1937, 8; 1938, 3; Pig project members competing: 1936, 30; 1937, 6; 1938, 41; Small fruits project members competing: 1936, 9; 1937, 10; 1938, 92; Woodwork project members competing: 1938, 25; Miscellaneous project members competing: 1938, 4; Irish potato project members competing: 1938, 11. For the year 1938, 438 boys and 128 girls enrolled in 628 projects, and finished the same number.

        The two Kiwanis clubs in Pineville and Middlesborough distributed 10,375 Aroma strawberry plants to 92 club members. Certain Kiwanians have the name of one or more 4-H club members. The club member will pay his or her Kiwanian sponsor for the plants by returning one half gallon berries at picking time for each 100 plants received, and the plants become the property of the club member at the end of the berry season in 1939. Club members in nine communities received plants.

        Boys and girls, to the number of 273, in 20 out of 22 clubs, planted one acre each to corn. Of this number 141 planted Johnson County white seed corn. The corn for 139 out of the 141 was donated by two banks and two wholesale grocery companies in Pineville and Middlesborough. Each club member receiving this corn will return, and is now returning, 20 ears to the donors as payment for seed. The corn received will be stored and redistributed to another group of club members next spring. The Middlesborough Chamber of Commerce offered its second annual award of $25.00 to the club members growing the most corn per acre. It almost appears the award will go begging this year as the yields are very, very disappointing to all concerned. Reports from seven club members show production varying from 32.1 bushels per acre to 74.4. Average yield, 49.7 bushels per acre. Top yield of 74.4 bushels was by a boy growing the Tennessee red cob variety. Last year, the highest yield was 132.7 bushels, Johnson County white.

       This was the worst season for corn, garden, small fruits, and orchards, for a generation or more. Many club members and farmers were forced to plant their entire corn crop in June. Those that planted earlier were unable to cultivate their crop. It was just an all-round bad season. No corn show this year.

        Three boys enrolled in the poultry project. One bought 185 white leghorn baby chicks. His expenditures to November 30, amounted to $106.68. His assets on that date were, cash receipts for sale of birds and eggs, $115,20; and 103 laying pullets. Another boy bought 300 Rhode Island Red baby chicks. His project is a practical loss. Less than half of his 100 pullets are laying. The third boy started out with 190 yearling hens. A report from him the first of July, 1938, shows that he made a profit of $1.59 1/2 per bird above feed cost the first six months of the year.

        Twenty~five boys were enrolled in this project which is handled by a young farmer in Middlesborough. The boys made one article each. Things made were: tie racks, hat racks, broom holders, and row boats. Six of the latter were made and sold by two boys. This is our first year to take this work seriously. It is hoped the work will spread to other communities and that the number in the Middlesborough 4-H club will be more than doubled the coming year.

        R. T. Kincaid, a Kentucky-Virginia farmer, living in Middlesborough and owning a small farm of 26 acres in Bell County, conceived an idea of giving a number of pure bred Poland-China gilt pigs to boys near Middlesborough. These boys were to feed and care for the pig, and at farrowing time, pay for their pig by returning to him half of the first litter. Five pigs were placed on this plan. Six boys are in the breeding project, and 35 in the fat pig project.

        Seven communities were represented in the county contest by two club members from each club in the seven communities. The winning team was composed of two boys who demonstrated the building of a row boat. This team represented Bell County in the district contest for farm practice demonstrations, held in London, Kentucky, the last week of May, prior to Junior Week, in Lexington, the first part of June. It was the first time a farm practice team had ever used a practice other than some straight farm practice.

        Sixteen boys and one club leader attended the Junior Camp Week in August. Two men leaders attended the 4-H Club Leaders' and Officers' Conference at Quicksand, Kentucky, in June.

        Three poultry judging teams, composed of three members each, were trained to take part in the county contest. Winning team to represent Bell County in the state meet in Louisville at the state fair the second week in September. The team failed to place.

        For the first time 4-H exhibits entered in the state fair took first place. This achievement was a first placing on a crop record book, and second placing on a poultry record book. A 4th placing was won by a potato exhibit. Altogether, seven clubs were represented at the state fair by a poultry judging team and 10 exhibits.

        Two community corn shows were held, and prizes of a merchandising nature were awarded the winners. These prizes were given by a local wholesale grocery company in Pineville.

        Bell County figures show approximately 15,000 acres planted to cultivated and summer legume crops, annually, for the past five years. These deserted looking fields take on a grim picture as winter approaches. There they lie, bare and naked. The winter rains and freezes taking a heavy toll. One eminent authority on agriculture said to a group of 4-H club members a few years ago in the county, "many of these fields should never have been de-forested, much less, planted to cultivatable crops, but they have been, and here they are. It's up to us to do the best we can."

        In addition to these 15,000 acres of cultivatable crops there are probably that
 
 

many acres or more given over to pasture lands. These being either too steep, or completely worn out fields and unfit for crop production on many farms. Cover crops for the cultivated crop lands, lime and phosphate added. It was no trouble to show the farmer how his farm was wasting away. He knew that already and for the past 25 years had been making some sort of a living for his family from sources other than the farm. (There are probably 1800 farmers in Bell County, and there are less than 100 who are able to secure two-thirds of their living from the farm). At one time, and that was a generation ago, practically every farm provided a living for the family on it in Bell County.

        This was the picture of our situation when we met in December, 1937, and planned out five-point program to help the farmer help himself. The farm leaders knew what we were up against, and they knew that there was nothing to do but to tackle the job.

        Some, over 1200 farmers were in the Agricultural Conservation Program, and it was hoped this would be an incentive for the farmers to use practices that would build and conserve the soil. The triple AAA began with 18 farmers in 1934 receiving benefit payments; 32 farmers in 1935; 133 in 1936; and 349 in 1937. By the middle of summer, this year, it became apparent there would be a slight increase in the number of farmers adopting soil building practices over previous years. A study of the situation showed the greatest increases in 1937 and 1938 in soil building practices in Bell County were among the farmers who used TVA superphosphate on assignments. Local merchants turned thumbs down on accepting assignments for grass and clover seed.

        Late in the season, and only with a few days to go, W. C. Wilson, Assistant State Agent for this part of the state, came to the county and suggested one more attempt to persuade some merchant to accept seed assignments. The merchant was found and 176 farmers, who would not have adopted any soil conserving practices this year in time to qualify  for benefit payments under the Agricultural Conservation Act, seeded 20,337 pounds of a mixture of rye grass, orchard grass, red top, and timothy, on 872 acres of crop land. Much of this seeding, 13,183 pounds, was rye grass. Our first experiment with this cover crop. Reports are coming to the County Agent, showing enthusiasm for this new cover crop, and best of all, keen interest in the Agricultural Conservation Program.

        Prior to finding the merchant who would agree to take seed assignments, a local man had been located who agreed to accept assignments from farmers for agricultural limestone. Forty nine farmers, who would not have accepted a single practice in time to qualify for benefit payment under the Act, gave assignments to the local limestone dealer for 641 tons of limestone which was spread on nearly 200 acres of crop land.

        Farmers receiving limestone: 50, 651 tons; 65, 1036 tons. Farmers receiving TVA superphosphate 130, 64.4 tons. Farmers receiving grass seeds: 176, 20,337 pounds;
 
 

125, 8,000 pounds. Farmers turning up soiling crops: 75. Total number of farmers: 356 assignments. Total number of farmers not making assignments 265. Total practices adopted by both groups: 621. 96% of those making assignments would not have qualified for benefit payments under the 1938 Act. Applied farm practices on 1666 acres crop land by assignment farmers. Applied farm practices on 1275 acres crop land by non-assignment farmers. Three, and sometimes four, practices were applied on a single acre by farmer in both groups.

        Our chief concern is to cover the cultivated lands in 1939 with a growing crop. We hope to have found a way to encourage our farmers to protect their farms.

        Our second year for growing crimson clover found this cover crop increasing in favor with the farmers. Ninety-four farmers seeded 6,082 pounds on 606 acres. It is estimated, 40 farmers seeded 120 acres to crimson clover in 1937. When crimson clover was turned under in the spring of this year and planted to corn, chiefly, no production records were obtained in the fall, but by observation it was noted that crops growing on such fields were better than usual.

        Last year three farmers planted 3 1/2 acres to hairy vetch. This year 6 farmers report the seeding of 200 pounds on 14 acres. This cover crop has received attention from too few to draw any conclusion as to its place as a cover crop in Bell County. When grown with small grain it has done much better and so has the grain crop.

        Our forest lands are so close to us that we have not taken them seriously, and will not until our state Legislature takes a more definite hand in the way of appropriation for a Forester in each county.

        Three farmers were given about 60 pounds of black locust seeds unhulled. About 30 pounds came from a cultivated locust planting over in Whitley County. These seeds were hulled by two farmers who prepared a seed bed and sowed the seed the first part of May. Five seedlings were observed in July in one of the two beds by the County Agent and the farmer. None in the other bed. About 30 pounds of unhulled black locust seed were obtained by the County Agent from trees growing along the highway on top of Log Mountain, this county, and these were given to a farmer in South America
 
 

section of Bell County on the Whitley line. The farmer didn't want to hull the seed and so he sowed them in the pod or hull the latter part of May. When inspected by the County Agent in July it appeared most of the seed were good, for numerous seedlings were found in the plant bed. The bed has not been observed since.

        The Asher heirs reported the placing of 20,000 acres of cut-over timber under fire prevention with the State Forestry Service.

        Of the 1800 farmers in Bell County 1219 are in the agricultural conservation work. About 23,000 acres of crop land are in these ACP farms. It is estimated that about 500 farmers will receive benefit payments for this year's work.

        This year 17 boys and four girls enrolled in utopia work. Three boys and one girl set 500 Aroma strawberry plants in the spring. The four girls and 14 boys grew 18 1/2 acres to corn this year.

        Eleven farmers planted hybrid seed corn on about 10 acres. Another farmer planted one half acre in yellow hybrid seed corn. The corn turned out less than the poorest corn in the county.

        It is estimated 26 farmers are growing 12 acres to Burley tobacco. Two tobacco grading demonstrations were held in the county in October to show the growers how to strip, grade, and prepare tobacco for the market. Audrey Waits, Kentucky farmer and special agent for grading demonstrations; which were attended by nearly all the tobacco growers in the county. Bell County tobacco is usually sold on the Tazewell, Tennessee, market where prices have been regarded as the highest for Burley tobacco over a period of years.

        There were 74 known poultry flock owners with more than 10,000 laying birds, at the beginning of the year in Bell County, independent of the various flocks owned all over the county by farmers. One flock owner with 275 laying birds had a profit of 70 cents per bird over feed cost from November 1, 1937, to October 31, 1938. Another poultryman with 150 laying birds sold clean eggs and had a profit of $2.20 per bird.
 
 

        A local seed and feed merchant in Middlesborough has 27,000 egg incubator in the rear of his store. This year he bloodtested 18 poultry flocks for pullorum in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia.

        Very little work has been done among dairymen in the county because of two factors. one is the presence of a local milk concern which ships into the county about 70% of the milk sold annually. Seven years ago, a check of the milk business showed 76% of the whole milk sold in Bell County came from outside the county. Today, the percentage is somewhat lower.

        There are same 10 or 12 dairymen with about 200 cows who sell milk the year round in Pineville and Middlesborough. They are local Bell County men who run these.

        Nineteen farm owners have around 400 acres growing standard fruit trees. We were in a big way for a good fruit year when along came the late spring freezes and destroyed everything but a few pears.

        Black berries, red and black and purple raspberries, dewberries, boysenberries, strawberries, and some others are grown in the county, or grow wild.

        It appears the following item should be given more than passing thoughts in helping some of the Bell County people to become a little more farm minded:

          1. Promote the Agricultural Conservation Program.

          2. Save our soil

               (a) Cover crops on all cultivated lands and summer legume fields.

               (b) Lime and superphosphate on 600 farms.

               (c) Fire protection for all woodland owners.

          3. Grow our own food.

               (a) Develop the home garden

               (b) 200 for 1939
 
 

          4. Eligible boys and girls enrolled in 4-H club work

               (a) Urge local civic leaders' co-operation with soil conservation service for construction of commodious buildings on government project for housing of large numbers of 4-H club members in their summer camps.

               (b) Chief objects: corn and small fruits. Minor projects: Poultry, pig, potato, garden, and woodwork.

          5. Find farm facts

               (a) Annual cost and income data on the better farms.
 
 

        The Louisville and Nashville Railroad was extended from Corbin and reached Pineville in 1888. This was the beginning of the new industrial era of Bell County. I was in Pineville the day the first train came in. The people from all over the county must have been there. I well remember the large crowds. I was then a lad of twelve. When the railroad was being built through the Narrows, when it was extended from Pineville to Middlesborough, I remember what a time we had getting to Pineville through the Narrows when the blasting was going on. We were often held up for hours, and we could hardly hold our horses when the boom of the blast occurred, and then after the blasting was over, the horses balked at the smell of the powder. Some of them had to be left at the mouth of Clear Creek and we had to walk into town and carry our loads, or tote them as we would say in Bell County.

        Mr. Robert L. Kincaid, of Harrogate, Tennessee, Executive Vice-President of Lincoln Memorial University, has furnished me some very interesting data on the coming of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad into this section. The information was furnished him by John M. Scott, Secretary of the L. & N. R.R. Co., Louisville, Kentucky.

        "Construction of that part of the Knoxville Division of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad from Lebanon southward was begun in February, 1865, and by July 1, 1866, had been completed as far as Crab Orchard. On February 4, 1868, the extension was opened for business as far as Broadhead, and trains were operated to M. Vernon on November 16, 1868. Operation to Rockcastle River began September 8, 1870. By July 1, 1882, the road was in operation to London, and the extension reached the Tennessee State Line at Jellico in April, 1883.

        "That part of the Cumberland Valley Division of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad, from Corbin, Kentucky, to Norton, Virginia, was completed and put into operation as follows: From Corbin to Pineville, May 1, 1888; from Pineville to Cumberland Gap, September 1, 1889; from Cumberland Gap to Big Stone Gap, Virginia, April 15, 1891; and from Big Stone Gap to Norton, May 15, 1891.

        Since the building of the main line through the county extensions have been made throughout the county, to the various coal fields in the county: up Bennett's Fork and
 
 

Stony Fork above Middlesborough; to Harlan from the main line at Wasioto; up Yellow Creek, from the mouth of this stream, to the mines on Clear Fork of Yellow Creek; up Puckett's Creek; up Tom's Creek; to the mines at Cardinal; up Big Clear Creek; from Wasioto to Chenoa; up Greasy Creek to the mines there; up Four Mile Creek; up Straight Creek, both Left and Right fork; up Clear Fork of Cumberland River, where both the Southern and Louisville and Nashville railroads operate. Both of these roads operate through the tunnel under Cumberland Gap in and out of Middlesborough. The Southern Railroad operates only in the county in and around the Middlesborough valley and the head of Clear Fork of Cumberland River. All the other roads are owned and operated by the Louisville and Nashville Railroad Company, to which company the county owes its development.

        The Kentucky Lumber Company and the Jones Lumber Company, Williamsburg, Kentucky, in the '80's and '90's were floating logs down the Cumberland River from Bell County to their plants. The lumber business began with the floating of logs to mills outside of the county. About this time some few saw mills operated in the county, but did not amount to much because of the lack of getting the lumber out to the markets on account of no railroads. With the coming of the railroad in 1888 all this was changed.

        The Pinnacle Printery, Of Middlesborough, published a book by J. C. Tipton, in 1905, known as THE CUMBERLAND COAL FIELD AND ITS CREATORS. This book gave a history of the industrial development of Bell County up to that time. The coal business, at that time, was sixteen years old. The lumber business of T. J. Asher and Sons came along with the early development of the coal business. Mr. Tipton says of this company:

        "The business was originally founded by Rennebaum & Slawson in 1886, as a circular saw mill with capacity of some 18,000 feet of lumber per day, in its present location about two miles above the now flourishing city of Pineville. In 1890 the property was purchased by the present owners and the mill was changed to a band saw mill increasing its capacity to 30,000 feet per day.

        "The mill is most admirably located on the Cumberland River just at the point where the Louisville and Nashville Railroad leaves the river on its southern and eastern course through the Cumberland Coal fields. The railroad gives them access to the markets of the world and the Cumberland River and its tributaries bring right to their booms the various kinds of high grade timber for which eastern Kentucky is notably celebrated. Owing to good business management and the high grade of these products, the business has been eminently successful under its present management. In 1895 the plant was entirely remodeled by putting in a strictly modern saw mill plant with a capacity of 50,000 feet daily and adding an up-to-date planing mill of large capacity, enabling them to fill orders promptly, of any size, either for lumber in the rough or dressed. As the plant now stands it is one of the best equipped in the south or
 
 

 elsewhere and the raw material they control, in the quality of the timber and its accessibility is surpassed by none and equaled by few in America. Soft yellow poplar lumber is their principal output and the quality is such that it gives them a world wide market. They have a very considerable export trade, their products going so far as South Africa. Certain lines of trade in Great Britain use large quantities annually of their A 1, A 2, and A 3 brands of yellow poplar. Atlantic Coast cities take probably the larger part of their various kinds of lumber, though they fill many orders from cities as far west as San Francisco and north as far as Montreal and Quebec. Whenever they have a surplus they find a ready market for it in the middle west and north of the Ohio River. The plant is run to its full capacity and has not been shut down a working day since 1895, except a week or so annually for the purpose of cleaning up and overhauling. Their timber is cut in the winter and carried to booms on the spring freshets of the Poor, Clear, and Martin's Forks of the Cumberland River. They have the only large mill in this section and control most of the desirable timber of easy access in these streams.

        "They also own in fee simple, some 15,000 acres of coal and timber lands adjacent to the Louisville and Nashville and Southern roads from which poplar and pine has been cut but is heavily timbered with oak, ash, chestnut, lynn and other marketable woods.

        "These lands are underlaid with various seams of coal which permeate these mountains, ranging in thickness from three to six feet, some which faces immediately on the Louisville and Nashville Railroad, and the farthest of it may be from either the Southern or Louisville and Nashville branch line. One vein of camel coal is now being opened on their property about one mile south of Wasioto.

        "The firm stands high in business and financial circles wherever they are known and particularly so in Eastern Kentucky and Tennessee. They are essentially self made men of the truly American type with all the geniality and hospitality for which Kentuckians are notable. Square and upright in all of their dealings they have gained the unlimited confidence of the public and their word as to the quality they offer to sell, is all the bond required by those who know them best.

        "The senior member of the firm, T. J. Asher, takes an active part in the business, being a practical mill man he superintends the operating departments. Robert Asher, the oldest son of T. J. Asher, is in charge of the office business, assisted by a stenographer and J. M. Carroll the bookkeeper. Mr. Carroll gained his experience in the lumber business in upper Michigan and has been clear through the course from prep to post graduate. Other members of the firm are H. H. Asher, G. M. Asher, and A. J. Asher, and they are each department managers in operating the plant.

        "The firm also operates one of the largest department stores in Bell County, located at Wasioto. This business is managed by Dr. M. Brandenburg, son-in-law of T. J. Asher."
 
 

        The following has been taken from the HISTORY OF KENTUCKY published in 1928 by the S. J. Clark Publishing Company, Chicago-Louisville.

        "Endowed with a broad vision and keen sagacity, Thomas J. Asher has erected the guide-posts of progress and success in Eastern Kentucky and his work in connection with the development of the lumber industry, the opening of the rich coal mines in Harlan and Bell Counties and the building of railroads and highways has been of inestimable benefit to the state. He resides in Pineville (should be Wasioto) and through the wise utilization of his talents and opportunities he has become one of the wealthiest men in the Cumberland Gap region. Of a retiring disposition, he has never cared for the artificialities of life and his democratic manner, innate courtesy and kindness of heart have endeared him to those who enjoy the privileges of his friendship.

        "Mr. Asher's paternal grandfather was born in North Carolina, October 5, 1777, and about 1795 responded to the call of adventure. He was one of the early settlers of Clay County, Kentucky, and aided in planting the seeds of civilization in this region. He had many encounters with the Indians but was a man of intrepid spirit, inured to hardship and danger, was an experienced woodsman, a great hunter and a splendid type of the Kentucky pioneer. He transformed the wild land into a fertile, well improved tract and resided on his farm in Clay County until his death on the 8th day of May, 1844.

     "It was there that his son, Andrew Jackson Asher, was born July 11, 1817, and he also chose the career of an agriculturist, likewise becoming an expert marksman. He was industrious and persevering and through earnest, systematic effort developed a valuable farm on Redbird Creek, in Clay County, but spent the latter part of his life in Bell County. He married Margaret Hendrickson, who was born in 1821, in Knox County, Kentucky, where her parents were early settlers. She was a devout Baptist and passed away in Bell County in 1904, while her husband's demise occurred August 1, 1888, when he was seventy-one years of age.

        "Their son, Thomas J. Asher, was born on the old homestead May 21, 1848, and was reared and educated in Clay County. When a young man he moved to Bell County and acquired a farm near Calloway, also entering the logging business. His first logs were sold to the Southern Pump Company, of Burnside, Kentucky, and from 1870 until 1881 his activities his activities were centered at Calloway. He then located at Wasioto, in the same county, and increased the scope of his labors. In 1889 he started a sawmill, in which he installed the first circular saw used in this section of the state. About 1895 he improved his equipment by the purchase of a band saw and erected a steel frame mill capable of producing from fifty to seventy-five thousand feet of lumber each day. He created a large industry and conducted the mill until 1910. Since 1900 he has figured conspicuously in coal mining operations in Bell and Harlan counties and constructed a railroad twelve miles long with a two-mile branch along Tom's Creek. He is present of the Asher Coal Mining Company, whose properties are located at Colmar, Varilla and
 
 

Tejay in Bell County and in Coxton, Wood and Chevrolet, Harlan County. The output of these mines averages four thousand tons daily and the corporation ranks with the largest of the kind in eastern Kentucky. The village of Tejay derived its name from Mr. Asher's initials. He is also president of the Bailey Construction Company, a well known firm of road contractors, with headquarters at Pineville. In his character the qualities of enterprise and conservatism are perfectly blended, thus enabling him to direct his energies into channels where fruition is certain.

        Mr. Asher was married March 3, 1870, to Miss Varilla Howard, for whom the village of Varilla in Bell County was named. She is a native of Calloway, Kentucky, born May 14, 1848. Mr. and Mrs. Asher have five children: Hugh H., president of the Bell National Bank of Pineville; Robert, who is connected with a furniture house of Cincinnati; George M., a prominent dairyman and coal operator of Bell County; Andres J., who is engaged in farming near Pineville; and Verdie Ray, the wife of Dr. M. Brandenburg, formerly a physician and now a successful hardware dealer of Pineville. He is engaged in the coal business and has extensive farm holdings in Oklahoma.

        Mr. and Mrs. Asher are affiliated with the Baptist Church and in politics he is a republican. He was elected county Judge of Bell County and served for four years, from 1914 until 1918, performing his duties in a thoroughly satisfactory manner. He has achieved the full measure of success and has made the 'square deal' a principal of his life. In 1916 the Courier Journal published an article written by Tom Wallace, whose description of Mr. Asher's constructive work is as follows:

        The most prominent figure in Pineville, and one of the most interesting in the Kentucky mountains, is County Judge T. J. Asher, who is building the Dixie Highway in Bell County. He educated himself after he was a grown man and is now reputed to be more than once a millionaire. He lives in a cottage (two-story frame house) by the roadside at Wasioto, a station a mile or so outside of Pineville, where he had a lumber camp when he was interested chiefly in lumber.

        Judge Asher is of a nervous temperament. He knows everyone and talks to everyone but he rarely stands still for five minutes at a time.

        After Judge Asher went out of the lumber business about 1910, he built his railroad from Wasioto up Cumberland River to Tejay, and opened up mines on his property. The road later went on into Harlan County. Mr. Asher developed some 30,000 acres of coal lands on the upper Cumberland in Bell County and in Harlan County. Later he purchased about 20,000 acres of coal and timber lands on the upper waters of Straight Creek and on Redbird Creek. A railroad was extended up the Left Fork of Straight Creek and now these lands are being developed.

        T. J. Asher is by far the leading industrialist of Bell County, and one of the greatest businessmen southeastern Kentucky ever produced. He did more to give the
 
 

laboring man employment, more in taxes for the building of roads and bridges, more to the cause of education in taxes, and more to the general upbuilding of Bell County than any other man who has lived within the confines of Bell County up to his day. As a tribute to his high-minded purpose and accomplishments his picture adorns the front page in this book.

        The coal business in Bell County, after the coming of the railroad in 1888, took two lines of development. Middlesborough was the hub of one of these and Pineville was the other. In each case a large land company built the towns, and laid out the first lines of development. In Middlesborough it was the American Association. In Pineville it was the National Coal and Iron Company.

        Middlesborough is the logical result of the purchase of some sixty thousand acres of the best mineral lands in this section by the American Association, a Kentucky corporation, but made up mostly of English shareholders. They invested millions here. The Town Company was formed and the embryo city was given the name of Middlesborough, after the great manufacturing city of the same name in England. The town was incorporated in 1890 and before the close of the year had a population of over 6000, a well laid out town with a street car line, an electric light plant, water works, the finest hotel between Louisville and Knoxville, numerous office buildings and business houses that would credit any city of 50,000 population. The undoubted success of the first business enterprises here led to overcapitalization and over production, and the Baring failure in England and great financial collapse in this country in 1893, following in the wake of this new enterprise, caused a reaction and the enormous shrinkage in values that swept everything before it except those that had elements of stability behind them. It is worthy of note that none of the coal companies or any of the traders failed or went into the hands of receivers. Alexander A. Arthur was the leader of this movement in the Middlesborough area.

        Pineville, the present town, was laid out by the National Coal and Iron Company. Before the coming of the railroad in 1888, the town had occupied the Narrows south of the present town. The boom brought a court house, office buildings, churches, school building, business houses, and dwellings in large numbers. Pineville became a town of four or five thousand people within a short time. After the development of the town the company developed the old Straight Creek mines, at the forks of the two Straight Creeks. This was one of the big mines of the county. After the boom, a slump came. It brought values down, some failures, and a general depression of business. But, out of this depression and readjustment, came a permanent prosperity which has lasted, in varying degrees, since that time. Theodore Harris and M. S. Barker were the prime movers in this new industrial movement in the Pineville district.
 
 

        From these two centers, the Middlesborough and Pineville districts, the coal business moved in different directions and spread, n a few years, over most of the county. In the Yellow Creek Valley, the line of coal development crept up Bennets Fork and on into Tennessee, up Stony Fork to its head on top of Log Mountain, across Log Mountain to Clear Fork of Cumberland River, down Yellow Creek to Excelsior and below, and toward Fern Lake. In the Pineville area, the lines of coal development went to Wallsend, up Straight Creek, up Four Mile Creek, up Greasy Creek, up Big Clear Creek, and later up Cumberland River to the Harlan County line, and how it is moving on up the Left Fork of Straight Creek into the Red Bird area and promises to develop a bigger coal field than Bell County has ever had in the years before.

        This business was originally organized in 1888 as the Pine Mountain Iron and Coal Company. That company was the pioneer in the coal business here and the promoters of the town of Pineville. They owned practically all of the land now included in the city limits, built the first Pineville Hotel and other buildings, and advertised the town until it became a familiar name in many sections of the country. Like pioneers in many other development enterprises, the first result was disappointment to the promoters in a financial way, though it blazed the way for the development and prosperity that followed in its wake. The property was operated under another title with various degrees of success for a number of years. In 1896, the property with all of its franchises and improvements, was sold at public sale, when it was purchased by some of the present owners of the property and later an entirely new company was organized under the title of the National Coal and Iron Company, of which Theodore Harris, President of the Louisville Banking Company, of Louisville, became president. Maxwell S. Barker, a member of the Louisville bar, was made Vice-President and General Manager, and Samuel H. Stone, Secretary and Treasurer. W. R. Wood is the Superintendent in charge of the operations at the mines.

        The property passed into their possession, with that since acquired, includes 15,000 acres of choice mineral and timber lands and 300 lots in the incorporated city of Pineville.

        The present company began operations in 1898 with a daily capacity of 250 tons. The coal is high grade steam, domestic, gas and coking coal, and has rapidly grown in favor wherever introduced. The coal is known on the market as Straight Creek Coal.

        There are 200 coke ovens in connections with the plant, but they are not run at their full capacity.

        There are some valuable deposits of iron ore on the property, and judging from its quality, location and surroundings, the time will come when it will become one of the
 
 

valuable assets of the company. (In this Mr. Tipton missed his guess. The company has come and gone and the iron ore was never worked).

        This plant, as it now stands, is one of the best equipped and largest producing mines in the Appalachian Coal fields, says Mr. J. C. Tipton. He continues: "The property was originally acquired in 1889 (the year after the railroad came to Pineville) and its development began at once but the venture was not a financial success until after the purchase of the property by the present company which occurred on August 1, 1904. At that time Mr. Charles E. Hall, of London, England, became president and general manager, D. B. Logan, Vice-President and E. Reno Short, Secretary and Superintendent, the later two of Pineville, Kentucky. It is a Kentucky corporation but the stock is largely held in England; some of the shareholders are among the nation's most prominent men of affairs both in politics and in the business world. The new management at once revised the conditions, the business was thoroughly systemized both inside and outside the mines. The output of the mine was largely increased until their present capacity is about 800 tons per day.

        They are now working in two entries, one on each side of the valley, using the same tipple for both mines. Both pick and machine methods are used in mining. Electric motors are used in gathering the cars and the track inside the mines is a complete railway system in miniature.

        For rapidity and economy in getting the coal from the Mine to the tipple the system in use here is not surpassed anywhere.

        They own approximately 1500 acres of coal land on which there are other valuable seams. The company is now preparing to make an entry on another seam higher up the mountain which has a thickness of 60 inches (in comparison of 36 inches for the one they are working) at the opening now and is some eight or nine hundred acres in extent. There are fifty coke ovens located near the tipple and the coal used to make coke is disintegrated and carried from the tipple to the ovens by elevators and conveyors.

        Mr. Charles E. Hall, the president and manager, is the controlling spirit in the enterprise. He devotes all of his time and the present favorable condition of the company's affairs are due entirely to his personal application and correct business methods.

        Mr. Short, the Secretary, has been connected with the mine for many years. He is Mr. Hall's right hand man and has proved a very valuable assistant in the laborious work such a business involves.
 
 

        The central office, railroad station, telegraph and express offices are at Wallsend, Bell County, Kentucky. Wallsend today is a part of Pineville.

        This mine, the Wallsend mine, was the first one to start operations in Bell County, having started in 1889 and one year after the railroad entered Pineville.

        The Bell Jellico Coal Company was capitalized at $100,000.00 and had it general offices in Pineville, Kentucky. It was located on Greasy Creek. The property consisted of 1400 acres. R. G. Yingling, of Williamsburg, Pennsylvania, is the president; M. L. Chadman, of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, is treasurer, and A. C. Bowers is the general manager in active charge of the business; F. G. Tice is secretary and in charge of the store and books.

        D. B. Logan was one of the prime movers in developing Pineville after it had come through the slump after the boom days following 1888. He made large investments in Pineville property and in coal lands around Pineville. The Pineville Hotel, originally built for an office building for the National Coal and Iron Company, was remodeled and turned into a hotel. The stockholders of the hotel company were Dr. Tilson Ramsey, President; T. J. Asher, Vice-President; D. C. Burchfield and D. B. Logan. The hotel flourished for many years as the leading hotel of Pineville.

        The Bell National Bank was organized in 1904, and, for many years, was a faithful and strong institution in the development of Bell County. The Board of Directors were C. J. Johnson, T. F. Gibson, T. R. Ware, W. R. Wood, E. G. Conant, D. B.Logan. D. B. Logan was made president and C. J. Johnson Vice-President and E. G. Conant cashier. The capital stock was $25,000.00

        This corporation is the successor of the parent of all the developments that have followed their coming into the field in 1889. They sowed with a lavish hand but others have gathered most of the yield so far. They and their friends built the railroad lines converging here, and dug through the Cumberland Mountains at the expense of many million dollars. They purchased and opened up for development nearly 50,000 acres of mineral lands and built railroads in order to make them accessible. They furnished the Town Company money to improve the town; they built the Harrogate Inn, and the magnificent Four Seasons Hotel, (some of the buildings and grounds are now occupied by Lincoln Memorial University); the Middlesborough Hotel, water works, electric light plant, churches and school houses, business blocks, and in fact it was their money that changed this plateau and wild mountain valley from an almost inaccessible wilderness
 
 

to their present high degree of development and prosperity.

        In an attempt to save their original investment they felt compelled from time to time to make large additions to their first capitalization until the aggregate reached far beyond what the developments will justify for years to come. They built the Knoxville, Cumberland Gap and Louisville Railroad 81.80 miles; and Middlesborough Belt Railroad 28 miles, and the Marietta and North Georgia Railroad 259 miles, making a total of 368.80 miles, together with all the rolling stock and other equipment, but the English investors lost all the money they put into railways and rolling stock. They now own between sixty and seventy thousand acres of mineral lands in Bell County, Kentucky, Claiborne and Campbell Counties, Tennessee, and in Lee County, Virginia. That much of the property is underlaid with rich and valuable mineral deposits cannot be disputed, but in order to give them any commercial value an outlet had to be provided, and here is just where the promoter and first manager of the company, Mr. A. A. Arthur, lost his bearings. It was a case of "biting off more than he could chew." It would have been a draft on the Bank of England to have financed the numerous developments and improvements he set on foot. He failed to take into consideration the fact that the country was new and undeveloped, that new markets had to be secured, that there was a bitter opposition to be overcome, and that there was no support in sight for the numerous fine hotels he built, towns projected and industries financed, and that it take years for a new railroad through a new country to become self-supporting. He induced the Association to put up the money to buy the properties and build the railways, but as the earnings never met the interest charges, or current expenses, the properties all went one after another into the hands of the receivers. The Baring failure in London and the panic of '92 and '93 in this country contributed to this end somewhat, but early mismanagement made the step unavoidable in the end. In 1891 some of the largest shareholders, becoming dissatisfied with Mr. Arthur's management, looked about to find someone to take his place, and selected an old personal friend, James Herbert Bartlett, an engineer by profession, a member of the Institution of Civil Engineers of England, the American Institute of Mining Engineers, and of various other engineering societies. In November, 1891, an arrangement was made, and Mr. Bartlett arrived at Middlesborough in January, 1892, as general manager of the American Association, Limited, and in 1893 was made receiver for the Middlesborough Belt Railway and for the Association's landed property, and in that capacity, to some extent, straightened out the tangled affairs of the company and put it on a business basis. In the reorganization which followed the investment of the English shareholders who owned about two and half million dollars in ordinary and preferred shares was wiped out. The bondholders' interest was not paid and they had to take the property for their debt; new stock and bonds were issued and sold to buy the property from the receiver. After the reorganization was completed, Mr. Bartlett was made managing director and has not only put their property on a sound basis, but by good business judgment and conservative management has brought the credit and standing of the community up with themselves to a position where they have both the respect and confidence of the outside
 
 

Though the original investments were lost, the improvements made were of a substantial permanent character, and are here yet. The money spent has enhanced the value of other property in this part of Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia, a hundred fold. The aggregate of taxes collected here now is dollars where twenty years ago it was cents. The business affairs of the company and the entire community is now on a basis where success is assured.

        A large proportion of the coal lands in the Middlesborough district belong to the Association, some of it leased to mining companies. There are now eleven mines in operation on their property, mostly located on Bennetts Fork of Yellow Creek, which are served by both the Southern and Louisville and Nashville railways. About one million tons of bituminous coal were sent to the market in 1904. Since the reorganization of the company they have cut loose from all subsidiary companies and devote their entire attention to developing the mineral resources of their property, and Mr. J. H. Bartlett, the Managing Director, has been indefatigable in his efforts to bring additional capital and additional prosperity to this community, having incorporated and promoted the Middlesborough Mineral and the Cumberland Railways, which are now being built to develop the Clear Fork region and the land of the Association, and one of which is projected to go to Harlan, the surveys having been completed and rights of way secured. The investment here is large and the ramifications of the business covers a wide field and it requires a high degree of both financial skill and executive ability to properly manage the property and arrange for further and future development.       Photo Coal House

        The opening of the Clear Fork district, which will probably take place this year, will enable an entirely new and extensive coal field to be developed. The Southern Railway and the Louisville and Nashville Railway are jointly building the new line so that all the Association's lessees here will have the exceptional advantage of being able to reach all Southern markets over two main trunk lines, the Northern markets over one. Nowhere else in this country can such another situation be found.

        The Association's lessees at present are: Fork Ridge Coal and Coke Company, Bryson Mountain Coal and Coke Company, Yellow Creek Coal Company, Reliance Coal and Coke Company, Mingo Coal and Coke Company, Nicholson Coal Company, Ralston Coal Company, Sterling Coal and Coke Company, Fern Lake Coal Company, Winona Coal and Coke Company, Turner Coal Company, Excelsior Coal Company, Virginia Iron, Coal and Coke Company, Middlesborough Pressed Brick Company. The offices of this company are in Middlesborough, Kentucky, U.S.A., and its officers are J. H. Bartlett, Managing Director; J. D. Templin, Superintendent; J.C. Richardson, Mining Engineer; G. W. Easton, Resident Attorney; H. M. Axline, Secretary; T. Milam, Treasurer; Frank McIlhiney, Janitor.

        John Ralston is one of the pioneer coal men of the Middlesborough section. He came in ahead of the railroad and was actively developing his plans while Middlesborough was yet in the hands of its promoters. The Mingo Mountain Coal and Coke Company was the first coal company in the Middlesborough field and Mr.
 
 

Ralston was president of this company. Mr. Ralston continued as president of this company until 1894, when additional capital was infused and an eastern man was chosen for the position, Mr. Ralston taking the place of Vice-President and an active manager. He remained in that capacity until 1901, when he ceased to be actively engaged in the Mingo property, having previously organized the Ralston Coal Company, of which he was the president and active manager. This company was successful from its inception. In 1902 the Stony Fork Coal Company was organized with Mr. Ralston at the head and his son, Charles E. Ralston, as Superintendent. His son Robert L. Ralston is Vice-President and Superintendent of the Mingo Coal and Coke Company. He has five sons, all but one actively engaged in the coal business here. Robert L. and Charles E., as before mentioned, Herbert M. is Superintendent of the Ralston mine, and James Howard is in the general mercantile business at Ralston mine and Stony Fork. Mr. Ralston is a native of Scotland, coming to this country with his parents when a boy of six years. The family settled in Pennsylvania, near Harrisburg, where our subject made his home before coming to this field.

        C. M. Woodberry came to Middlesborough in 1889 when the town was yet in the embryo state; he was the first vice-president of the Town Company, and took an active part in the developing the young but prosperous city. He was the general manager of the Electric Light, Heat and Power Company, Vice-President of the First National Bank and held other positions of trust and responsibility. In 1891 he formed a connection with the Mingo Mountain Coal and Coke Company, taking the position of treasurer and sales manager. In 1895 the Mingo Mountain Coal and Coke Company was reorganized and named the Mingo Coal and Coke Company, and Mr. Woodbury was chosen President. One of his sons, Daniel Corydon Woodbury, is a rising Electrical Engineer, located with a prominent railroad company in New York City; another son, Edward N. Woodbury, is a cadet at West Point; while William N., a third son, is at Yale College taking a Mining Engineering course.

        Fork Ridge Coal and Coke Company is the largest mine in the Middlesborough (1904) district. This company has leased 3,000 acres and their leases extend for fifty years.

        The company began operations in 1895 and worked with surprising degrees of success until 1899 when it passed to the present owners, who have operated the mine since that time under the same charter and corporate name.

        Hu L. McClung is President of the company, Tecumseh Milam, Treasurer, and E. B. Taylor is General Manager in active control of the Property. Mr. Taylor is a native of England and by profession is a mining engineer. He came to this country in 1889.

        The Middlesborough Coal Company, Middlesborough, Kentucky, was largely a coal selling agency for the Reliance Coal and Coke Company. The incorporators of the Reliance Company were: Job Whitehead, John Gent, J. B. Huff, Hunt Evans, and Thomas Ingram. Three years after the organization P. C. Swab purchased the
 
 

holdings of Mr. Sanner and became the sole owner. Mr. Walter Whiteman, of Philadelphia then became President and Daniel Cooper Swab, son of P. C. Swab, became Vice-President and Treasurer. D. C. Swab, G. W. Whiteman and Q. A. Tipton were the owners of the Middlesborough Coal Company. Mr. Tipton was in active charge of the Reliance mines.

       Bryson Mountain Coal and Coke Company began operations in 1890. Mr. T. Cockill is President of the company and holds the majority of the stock. Mr. J. H. Keeney took charge of the mines as General Manager in 1900.

        The Nicholson Coal Company was organized by W. F. Nicholson in 1902. He was connected with the Excelsior Mining Company before that time. He is a native of Virginia and spent his mature years in banking and mining.

        J. L. Manring came from Ohio in 1895 and began work as a bookkeeper for the Middlesborough Coal Company. He later organized the Manring Coal Exchange, a coal sales agency for the Middlesborough district, and handled insurance in connection with the agency. He was Vice-President and General Manager of the Fork Ridge Coal and Coke Company. In 1903, Mr. Manring aided in the organization of the Sterling Coal Company and was its first president. In 1904 the Manring Coal Exchange was organized with J. L. Manring as President and R. E. Hess as Secretary and Treasurer. Mr. J. L. Manring and others purchased the Bennetts Fork Coal and Coke Company but reorganized it and named it the Winona Coal and Coke Company. Manring was chief executive. The offices of the Manring Coal Exchange, the Queensbury Coal and Coke Company, the Sterling Coal and Coke Company and the Winona Coal and Coke Company are all in the two-story stone front building on Twentieth Street, erected for the Watts Steel and Iron Syndicate.

        The Sagamore Coal Company on Stony Fork began operations in 1892, with M. J. Saunders, President; Burke H. Keeney, Vice-President; James L. Larmour, Secretary; A. M. Chamberlain, Treasurer and General Manager. Mr. Chamberlain owns the controlling interest in the mines. The railroad was completed to the mines in 1903 and the first shipments were made January 1, 1904.

        Luke and Drummond Coal Company was also located on Stony Fork. George Luke and Hugh Drummond were the owners of the stock in this company. They came to this field in 1896 and were connected with the Bennetts Fork Coal Company. In 1903 they left this company and formed the Luke and Drummond Coal Company.

        The Yellow Creek Coal Company was located on Bennetts Fork near the Kentucky-Tennessee state line. This was one of the large companies of the Middlesborough field. The men who promoted this company and owned the stock in it were: John G. Fitzpatrick, who married a sister of Congressman David G. Colson; Joe Bosworth, who went to the Kentucky house and senate a number of terms and who was the father of good roads in this section; and E. S. Helburn, who figured large in the
 
 

development of Middlesborough and the surrounding territory. J. E. Evans, who was city Judge of Middlesborough, was bookkeeper for this company for many years.

        The Turner Coal Company, of Middlesborough, was organized just before the year 1904, and worked what was known as the Turner Vein. It is some 200 feet lower than the Bennetts Fork seam. The mine was located only about one mile from Middlesborough. The company was made up of local people, Mr. William H. Turner being the president and general manager of the company.

        There were two banks which played an important part in the early development of this section around Middlesborough, the National Bank of Middlesborough and the Citizens Bank.

        The National Bank of Middlesborough was organized in 1903 and began business January 4, 1904. The officers were R. C. Ford, President; L. L. Robertson, Vice-President; W. C. Sleet, Cashier. The Directors were J. Goodfriend, of J. Goodfriend & Company; E. S. Helburn, Treasurer of the Yellow Creek Coal Company; L. L. Robertson, M. D.; Daniel Cooper Swab, Vice-President and Treasurer of the Reliance Coal and Coke Company; C. N. Miller; of Miller Brothers Merchants; Ray Moss, railroad contractor; J. L. Manring, President of the Sterling Coal and Coke Company; C. M. Woodbury, President of Mingo Coal and Coke Company; George W. Albrecht, President of the Pinnacle Printery and Post Master; John Ralston, President of the Ralston Coal Company; R. C. Ford.

        The Citizens Bank had a capital stock of $25,000 and was organized for business in 1903. The Directors were W. F. Nicholson, J. L. Manring, B. H. Perkins, and A. I. Miller.

        The Middlesborough Pressed Brick Company was organized and incorporated in 1894. The coal, fire-clay, plastic clay and shale of the highest quality are in the hill just in the rear of the plant. The company is composed of J. F. Harkness, President and Treasurer; Will S. Harkness, Secretary. Directors are J. F. Harkness, Andrew Harkness, James Harkness, Will S. Harkness, and Alex Harkness.

        The New South Brewery and Ice Company was located at the foot of Cumberland Mountain beneath the Gap and began business in 1893. In 1904 this brewery was selling annually twenty-five thousand barrels (liquid measure 31 gallons) of their products in the states of Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina and throughout the south, and some of their brands of bottled beer went regularly into Cincinnati, Chicago and other northern cities. The officers of the company were Fred W. Wolf, President; Charles H. Schreiber, Vice-President; Steve Hauser, Secretary; and William Wallbrecht, Treasurer and General Manager. Mr. Kumli was their brew master.
 
 

        The Dabney-Ould Company was organized in Middlesborough in 1903. The wholesale house handles everything in the way of staple and fancy groceries, druggists' sandries, provisions, hay, grain, feed and flour. E. H. Ould, President of the company, is a resident of Norton, Virginia, and head of the Norton Hardware Company, wholesale hardware dealers of that city. George R. Debney, the Secretary and Treasurer and active manager of the business, is a resident of Middlesborough. The incorporators were E. H. Ould, George R. Debney, and E. W. Morris.

        The New Cumberland Hotel is located at 18th Street and Cumberland Avenue, and has three hundred feet of broad verandahs. It is an up-to-date hotel with a large number of rooms. F. D. Hart, Jr., is proprietor (1904).

        The principal coal companies now operating in the county are--

        Kentucky Ridge Coal Company, Crocket, Kentucky, J. Whitfield, Manager; Coleman Fuel Company, Fields, Kentucky, C. R. Coleman, Manager; Buffalo Coal Company, Sidney, Kentucky, W. N. Chappell, Manager; Bell Coal Company, Little Creek, Kentucky, Byron Whitfield, Manager; Big Jim Coal Company, Blanch, Kentucky, Charles Guthrie, Manager; Straight Creek Coal Company, Cary, Kentucky; Barker Straight Creek Coal Company, Jensen, Kentucky, R. R. Adkins, manager, Pioneer Coal Company, Kettle Island, Kentucky; Kentucky Home Coal Company, Dower, Kentucky, J. M. Pursifull, Manager; Bell Jellico Coal Company, Ruby, Kentucky, Mr. Ellison, Manager; Kentucky Straight Creek Coal Company, Belva, Kentucky, W. L. Lewis, Manager; Southern Mining Company, Insull, Kentucky, F. J. Gilbert, Manager; Kentucky Cardinal Coal Company, Cardinal, Kentucky, Mr. Strauss, Manager; Cairnes Coal Mining Company, Cairnes, Kentucky.
 
 

        Our people in Bell County have participated in the wars from the earliest times in this country. They were fighting the Indians and settling Bell County while the Revolutionary War was in progress. They helped to open up the Northwest Territory under George Rogers Clark. They fought against the British in the battles of King's Mountain in the Revolutionary War and at New Orleans under Jackson in the War of 1812. One of the leaders of the Revolutionary War lies buried in the county, Col. Arthur Campbell.

        They did their part in the Civil War on the side of the Union. The large majority of the people of the county was on the side of the Union. However, the county furnished some men for the Confederate side of that war. They have been patriotic people, people who believed in fighting for what they believed was best in government and for the best interests of their community.

        They helped to occupy Cumberland Gap, during the Civil War, under General T. T. Garrard and General George W. Morgan. They helped to stem the tide that poured through Cumberland Gap and Baptist Gap in the early stages of the Civil War. Their lands were overrun by the forces of both sides and their stock and supplies were taken away by both sides. They learned what war meant when supplies of the army came from the community where the army was in occupation or where it was on the march.

        They fought in the War with Mexico and were in the Spanish-American War. Col. David G. Colson, who served two terms in Congress from the old Eleventh District of Kentucky, raised a regiment of soldiers for the Spanish-American War in Bell and adjoining counties, and was at Anniston, Alabama, when the war closed. Elsewhere in this narrative will be found listed the names of the men and officers of his regiment.

        A goodly number of men went from Bell County into the World War. Many of them gave their lives for the cause. A fitting tablet to the memory of those dead has been erected in the Court House yard at Pineville.

        They, together with the other Appalachian people, turned the tide in favor of liberty and freedom in the revolutionary War; at King's Mountain they defeated Ferguson and turned the tide in favor of the colonies; they stood as a wall against the South in the Civil War and
 
 

helped to Preserve the Union; they fought in the War of 1812, the War with Mexico, and all the other wars of this country. They truly are a patriotic people, and their history is closely linked with the growth and development of this country from its very beginning. They came here with a hatred of Kings, under whom they had suffered, and they still maintain that hatred, and have kept the fires of liberty aglow since the settlement of this country. The tramp of their pioneer feet can still be heard, if you have the imagination to hear it, as you stand in that famous pass, Cumberland Gap.

     Mr. A. B. Lipscamb, in his POLITICAL HISTORY OF KENTUCKY, says with reference to Kentucky's part in the Revolutionary War: "Historians have overlooked the part played by these pioneers in the Revolutionary War--for, while Washington held the tide water line facing eastward, George Rogers Clark and the hardy hunters, facing westward, held the line in Kentucky which protected the rear of Washington's army at the time of its sorest need."

        The Wilderness Road through Bell County furnished a highway for the soldiers of Clark, Boone and others, pushing north and west, and, for that intrepid band of hunters, who pressed south, at a critical stage of the War of the Revolution, and won a smashing victory over Ferguson at King's Mountain. Governor Isaac Shelby and Col. Arthur Campbell were two leaders of the Revolutionary forces who delivered that master stroke against the British forces. Col. Campbell, as was shown on this occasion, was an intrepid fighter, with a cool head and a dogged determination. Historians do not all agree as to which officer was in charge of the Campaign against Ferguson; but the evidence seems to point to Col. Arthur Campbell. However, that may be, it is recognized that Col. Campbell's judgment and action helped to win this decisive battle, a battle that should go down in history as the turning point in the defeat of British arms, the Battle of King's Mountain.

        Col. Arthur Campbell moved to Yellow Creek Valley, the present site of Middlesborough, where he lived the remainder of his days, died and was buried. So Bell County holds the remains of one of the most valiant men of the Revolution.

        W. H. Haney, in HISTORY OF THE MOUNTAIN PEOPLE, says" "Bell County also bears testimony to the good blood of the Kentucky pioneers. In speaking of the War of 1812, Mr. Lewis P. Summers says: 'Colonel James Campbell died in service at Mobile, Alabama, and Colonel John B. Campbell fell at the battle of Chippewa where he commanded the right wing of the army under General Winfield Scott. Both men were sons of Colonel Arthur Campbell, the father of his country. Campbell himself died at his home, on the present site of Middlesborough, Kentucky, in the year 1811, and his body was buried at that place according to the direction of his will, which is on record at the County Clerk's office of this county.' Recently the grave of Colonel Arthur Campbell was discovered in an out of the way place with an iron slab bearing the inscription:
 
 

    'Here lies, entombed, a Revolutionary sage,

    An ardent patron of the age,

    In erudition great, and useful knowledge to scan--

    In philosophy hospitable, the friend of man,

    As a soldier brave, virtue his morality.

    As a Commander, prudent, his religion charity.

    He practiced temperance to preserve his health.

    He used industry to acquire wealth.

    He studied physic to avoid disease.

    He studied himself to complete the plan,

    For his greatest study was the study of man.

    His stature tall, his person portly,

    His feature handsome, his manner courtly.

    Sleep, honored sire, in the realms of rest,

    In doing justice to thy memory, a son is blest.

    In doing justice to thy memory, a son is blest.

    A son is inheriting in full thy name,

    One who aspires to all thy fame.

                         Colonel Arthur Campbell.'

        The battle of King's Mountain holds an important place in the history of Bell County, because of its valiant leaders lies buried in Bell County, as stated above; because some of the fighters in the ranks came from Bell County; and because Bell County furnished a highway through its territory for the Kentucky contingent in this battle to pass through to the battle ground, the battle having been fought by Kentucky, Tennessee, and North Carolina riflemen. These men were hastily brought together from the mountains, principally, of Tennessee and Kentucky and rushed to the scene of battle, without having been trained together as an army. Many of them were trained soldiers, having battled against the British forces before and having fought under Clark and in the Indian wars. Many of them however, were hunters of no, or little, military experience. The Kentuckians were brought together by Shelby and marched on horseback and on foot through Cumberland Ford,
 
 

the Narrows, and Cumberland Gap and south to King's Mountain. After they passed the Gap they were joined, on the route, by the Tennesseeans.

        Julian Hawthorne, in his HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES, says:

        "A company of backwoodsmen under Macdowell, chased across the Alleghenies by Tarleton, roused the settlers in the remote region to activity, and they raised a force to resist him. Isaac Shelby (afterwards the first Governor of Kentucky and one of the first owners of the present site of Pineville) and John Sevier led them over the mountains, effecting a junction with Campbell, and this little army was joined by a party of three hundred and fifty under Cleveland on September 30th. Ferguson was sent against them, and Tarleton joined him with his light infantry and the British legion. The American Western Army (as it called itself) camped at Cowpens, and there received the reinforcement of William with four hundred men; they now numbered altogether about seventeen hundred. Learning from Williams that the British were encamped in a strong natural position on the top of King's Mountain, they resolved to attack them, and nine hundred picked horsemen set out the same night on the adventure. They arrived at the foot of the precipitous mountain on the 7th of October (1780). The enemy numbered eleven hundred. The Americans divided into four columns, and climbed to the attack in front and rear, and were within four hundred yards before they were discovered. They were met by the bayonet, but although they themselves were unprovided with that weapon, they continued the attack. The battle lasted an hour; four hundred and fifty of the enemy were killed or severely wounded; Ferguson himself fell; and the rest surrendered. The Americans lost but twenty-eight killed and sixty wounded. The attack was heroically led by Shelby, Sevier, Campbell, Winston, Williams, and Cleveland."

        Hallack, in his HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY, says with reference to this battle:

        "King's Mountain (October 7, 1780) is as noteworthy toward the end of the war as Bunker Hill was at the beginning. The battle marks the turn of the tide in favor of the patriots."

        In the HISTORY OF TENNESSEE, 1887, published by the Goodspeed Publishing Company, Gen. Bernard, an officer under Napoleon, is quoted as saying:

        "The Americans, by their victory in this engagement, erected a monument to perpetuate the memory of the brave men, who had fallen there; and the shape of the hill itself would be an eternal monument to the military genius and skill of Col. Ferguson in selecting a position so well adapted for defense; and that no other plan of assault but that pursued by the mountain men, could have succeeded against him."

        This statement was intended to praise Ferguson as an officer in the battle, but incidentally Gen. Bernard has praised the mountain men for taking this almost impregnable position. Hence the quotation of this statement here.
 
 

        Lewis Green, 1751-1835, who lies buried in the valley between Tanyard Hill and Calloway Hill, was a Revolutionary War soldier. His name appears on the roll of Kentucky pensioners and was allowed forty dollars per year. He enlisted at Blackamon's Fort on Clinch River, at the age of twenty-five, in the spring of 1776, Russell County, Virginia. He made a trip to the Kentucky settlements at Harrod's Fort and was also with Boone in scouting parties. He came to Kentucky as a surveyor and acquired a large tract of land from the top of Pine Mountain to the waters of the Cumberland.

        At the age of eighty-two years, in 1833, he made application for a pension before acting Justice of the Peace, as he was un