And while we're out this way, here's a little history as told by Mrs George Jenkins to the Charleston Gazette 1927
MRS. GEORGE JENKINS TELLS STORY OF GUTHRIE-CARPENTER
Community Constructed First Log School House and Churches in 1855;
Charleston Was Then Day’s Journey Away
A
community from which its inhabitants have seldom cared to roam since
the first pioneers settled there is the Guthrie-Carpenter community,
Union district, Kanawha county, on the Sissonville road a few miles
north of Charleston. Mrs. George W. Jenkins, who traces her ancestry as
well as that of most of the citizens of the section back to the first
settlers, has prepared the following history of the community:
“The
first settlers in the Guthrie-Carpenter community came early in the
19th century, building their cabins in the wilderness and enduring
hardships of which we of the 20th century have no conception. They
cooked by the open fire, their cabins were lighted by tallow candles
which they ‘dipped’ themselves; materials for clothing and for bed
clothes, as well as the garments themselves were made by hand; the shoe
cobblers came annually and made shoes for the whole family; furniture
and farming implements also were handmade.
“Today the
Guthrie-Carpenter community has gas fires, gas and electric lights,
hard roads, graded schools, telephones, radios and automobiles. In
those days going to Charleston was a day’s journey; today the city is
20 or 30 minutes distant.
“The first school house was built in
1855 near the present home of Jarrett Casdorph. This was a log building
heated by wood fires, the teachers and pupils cutting the wood. School
was in session three months of each year.
THE FIRST CHURCH
“A
building of the old Aultz estate was used for a church, people going
for miles on foot to worship there. Later churches were built. Among
the first was a log church near the present site of the Wesley chapel.
Bethel church was also built by the pioneers and the log church stood
until within the past 15 years when it was torn down and a modern frame
building erected in its place.
“Other early churches were the
Primitive Baptist church near what is now Bonham school, and Thompson
chapel. Later, as the community became more thickly settled, Tupper’s
Valley church, Morgan chapel and Bias chapel were built.
“Among
the earliest settles in the community were John and Henson-Guthrie,
brothers who made their homes and cleared farms near what is now
Guthrie post office. Three of the children of John Guthrie – Grant,
Stephen and Virginia – now reside on the original farm. Another son,
Dr. Alexander Guthrie, is now in the West.
“Azariah Casdorph was
another early settler. Among his grand-children now living in the
community are Henry, Smith, Joe, Lawrence, Ira, John, Daniel and Willis
Casdorph; Hascom and David Young; Mrs. Robert Bonham and Mrs. Melton
Coffman. One of Aariah Casdorph’s sons, Harrison, was killed in the
Shenandoah Valley in 1863.
“John Casdorph, brother of Azariah,
came to the Guthrie-Carpenter section about the same time. Jarrett
Casdorph and Mrs. Lucinda Pugh are his children. Eight grand-children,
Mrs. N. M. Patton, Grover and Kemp Pugh, Mrs. J. G. Carpenter, Mrs.
Leonard Thaxton, Calvin and Lafayette Guthrie and Mrs. Joseph Lilly
live near the old homestead.
THE BONHAMS
“William
H. Bonham came from Lawrence county, O., in 1842. A son, T. G. Bonham,
and a daughter, Mrs. Jarrett Casdorph, reared their families in the
community. Another son, P. L. Bonham, followed his parents to Kanawha
county. Both sons were soldiers in the Union army. T. G. Bonham for
many years a missionary Baptist minister.
“Mathias Young came
with his family from Greenbrier county and settled where George Dueley
now lives. His sons were Robert, Williams, Thomas and Henry. Robert and
Henry, both ministers of the Gospel, reared their families in the
community. Children of Henry Young who now reside here are Herbert
Young and Mrs. Emmett Jonkins. U. G. Young, successful real estate man,
and James Young, mechanic, other sons, are living in Charleston.
“Children
of Robert Young who made their homes in the community were Mrs. T. G.
Bonah Bonham, Mrs. Frank Aultz and Mrs. James Shepherd. Peter Young, a
son and early resident, was considered one of the most learned school
teachers in this section of the state in the early 60s. He is now a
retired merchant living at Charleston. Robert Bonham, Albert Bonham,
George Denley, Mrs. Gordon Young, Mrs. David Young, Robert Aultz and
Mrs. Will Good, all of whom are residents of the community, are
grandchildren of Robert Young.
“Josiah Tate, another old settler, is
remembered by the presence now of Mrs. Joseph McCutcheon, Marion,
William and Adam Tate and Mrs. Minerva Gaylor and a number of
grandchildren.”
Thomas Jenkins came with his wife and nine
children to Two-Mile from Eastern Virginia in the early 40’s. Three
children were born after their arrival here. Three sons, Thomas, Rosser
and G. W. Jenkins served with the Seventh West Virginia cavalry in the
Civil war. J. S. Jenkins was a Methodist minister for 70 years. Alex,
Charles, Joseph, Emmett, Elsie, Walter and George W. Jenkins and Joseph
Guthrie are grandchildren, as are Mrs. W. B. Young and Mrs. Ellen Good.
“Charles
Fore, whose father settled on Tupper’s creek, has lived in the
community for 50 years. His sons, Lightburn and Oscar, also live here.
THE FIELDERS
“Dr.
F. G. Fielder was another old settler. He lived where his grandson,
Thomas Fielder, now resides. He had three sons, William, Robert, and Z.
T. Fielder. Margaret, daughter of F. G. Fielder, married James
Whittington. She lived in this community until recently. She now lives
at Charleston.
“William Whittington settled on what was later
known as Whittington’s divide, which separates the waters of Two-Mile
and Tupper’s creeks. He had one son, James, and one daughter, Puss. The
former married Margaret Fielder. Two sons, Owen and Ladd, live on the
Whittington farm. The other son, Elvin, lives in Charleston and the
daughter, Julia, married Smith Casdorph. Puss Whittington married
Jessie Whittington. Among their children who still live in the
community are Fred, Lisbon and Black Whittington. The grandchildren are
Lem, James, Sullivan, Lawrence and Ben Whittington and Mrs. Lucy Young.
“Samuel
Humphreys settled near what is now known as Humphrey’s Lane. He had
four daughters, one of whom married J. S. Jenkins. Another became Mrs.
Stape Hundley.
“Joseph Good moved into the community about 1864
from Jackson county. Three of hs children, Grant and William Good, and
Mrs. Mary Jane Wallace, still reside in the community.
“Samuel,
Luallen, Wyth and Martin Haynes, four brothers, settled adjoining
farms. All were fathers of large families. John and William, sons of
Luallen, were Civili war veterans John and another brother, Hoode
Haynes, still live in the community. Among the grandchildren are
Samuel, Rufus, Dan, Lock, Joe, Arnold, Ben, Jim and William Henry, Mrs.
Tandy Casdorph, Mrs. Ad Whittington and Mrs. B. T. Belcher.
THE YOUNGS
“John
H. Young built his home where Mrs. Simeon Young now lives. The sons
were Boss, Simeon, Lewis and George Young. The grandchildren are
Bascom, David, Gordon, William and Haynes Young and Mrs. Joe Jenkins;
Mrs. Callie Tate and Mrs. Lock Haynes.
“John McFarland lived on the
farm adjoining John H. Young and was a son-in-law of Mrs. Young. Mrs.
Louis Thomas, Mrs. Robert Payne and Ice McFarland were his children.
“James Wallace’s house stood where A. B. Wallace’s store now is. A. B. and James and one grandson, Robert Wallace, reside here.
“David
Thaxton had a large family. His children reared their children in the
community. Among the grand-children are Ab Thaxton, Mrs. Mauder Young,
James Monroe, Thaz Thaxton, Rife Thaxton, Perry and Silas Thaxton, Mrs.
George Dueley, Mrs. Own Whittington and Mrs. Will Ransom.
“Adam
Aultz, an early arrival in the community, was the father of two sons
and two daughters. One grandson, Dr. O. L. Aultz, is well known
throughout the county. The daughters married John and King Shepherd,
brothers. Adam Shepherd and Dr. Shepherd, both of Spring Hill, and King
Shepherd of South Charleston are children of John Shepherd.
“Thomas
Lane lived where his father, Bobbie Lane, settled. Mr. Lane was a
farmer and a soldier and a magistrate. Robert, Ed and John are his sons
and Mrs. Richard Glass and Mrs. Wilbur Jenkins and Mrs. James Walker
are granddaughters.
“Dr. William Mairs was a pioneer physician
in the community. Three sons and one daughter. Joe Brown and Dr. Tom
Mairs and Mrs. Ed Layne, are now living. Mrs. Richard Glass and Dr.
Atlee Mairs are grandchildren.
“Granville Carpenter was a
son-in-law of David Thaxe served for years on the board of education of
the district and was largely instrumental in the improvement of the
school system. His son, J. G. Carpenter, served in the same capacity
for four years after having been justice of the peace two or three
terms.
PROMINENT CITIZEN
“In
summing up we find that from his community have come doctors, teachers,
preachers, nurses and merchants. The doctors are William Mairs, his
son, Thomas Mairs, and grandson, Atlee Mairs; Dr. Fielder, Dr. Ben
Dueley, Dr. O. L. Aultz, Dr. L. L. Aultz, and Dr. Fred Thaxton.
“Among
the teachers are: Peter Young, William Fielder, Peter Silman, Mrs. M.
W. Cavender, Mrs. Phil Stalnaker, George Dueley. Ed Young. Owen
Whittington, Albert Bonham. George Jenkins, Ira and Lawrence Casdorph
and Mrs. Lillian Caldwell. Peter Silman later served as state senator
and sheriff of Kanawha county.
“The preachers were: Henry Young,
J. S. Jenkins, T. G. Bonham, John Haynes, James Holmes and James Bird.
Miss Mollie Casdorph has the distinction of being the only graduate
nurse in the community.
“When the first country life conference
was held in the community there was hardly a student in high school.
Now it takes two buses to carry the high and junior high school
students to the district high school at Dunbar. The graded school at
Guthrie, known as Bonham school, has also grown from a two-room frame
building to a four-room brick building equipped with running water,
indoor toilets, electric lights and gas fires. The board of education
plans to put an addition to the school at Carpenter, Wallace Heights
schools, making it a four-room building.
SUBSTANTIAL PROGRESS
“Now,
now only have the schools improved, but each year finds home conditions
improved. When the first country life conference was held A. T.
Bonham’s dairy and the Kanawha Farm dairy, owned by Lloyd D. Smith,
were the only Class A Dairies in the community, and though they are
still the largest dairies, several new Class A barns with modern
equipment have been built. These include the V. C. Tate dairy, the
Jenkins dairy, Fielder, Whittington, Ollie Edens, Good, Ransom, Boyd
Cunningham, Robert Aultz, and Ira G. Casdorph dairies, and dairy farms
owned by Jesse Humphreys and Robert Bonham are now under construction.
“A
large pasteurizing plant is to be operated by the Kanawha Farmers’
Dairy company, in nearing completion at a cost of several thousand
dollars.
“Several miles of hard road have been made, a number of
residences, dairies and poultry houses are lighted by electricity.
Three gas lines have been laid by citizens at their own expense,
furnishing gas to a large number of families in the community.
“With
all of the conveniences and advantages over our forefathers, and having
for an example their ideals of good citizenship and Christian living,
we ought to be a happy, contented people, and endeavor to live such
lives that we may be able to say that we ‘study the Scriptures and
apply them, know our neighbors and love them, know our community and
serve it, understand our government and act as good citizens, study
world problems and help solve them and know God and glorify him.’ We
could then appreciate the words of William Cullen Bryant who wrote:
“’So
live that when thy summons comes to join the innumerable caravan that
moves to the pale realms of shade, where each shall take his chamber in
the silent halls of death, thou go not, like the quarry-slave at night,
scourged to his dungeon, but, sustained and soothed by an unfaltering
trust, approach thy grave like one who wraps the drapery of his couch
about him, and lies down to pleasant dreams.’”
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