West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1894-02-01


death In June, 1S41, and his wife
survived him but three days. Then
his nephew, who was his deputy.
the late VIM. II. Grimes, succeeded
to the business and became POST
master. 1t was during his iucum.
oency that the mail service reached
It's zenith. The country was rapid
~ settling up. and the Stone House
was now opened as Tavern and
became one of the stage stations on
the road, and the travel Of the road
was rapidly increasing.
The fame of this noted Tavern
spread afar, and the weary travellers
would often stop over for rest,
and very frequently take advantage
OF the Postoffice to write letters
back to their friends. Besides this.
a corls Of engineers were Engaged
In exploring and selecting the most
practicable route for the b. & O.
X. X. The correspondence with the
Company who employed them, and
the correspondence of the contrac-
tors who opened the road, increased
the affairs Of the Office to such a
degree that it required the constant
attention OF one person to attend
to 1T. During this time, about 1915.
mail route Was established 10
Wcstern-ford (now st. George), and
another Office was established on
the N. w. Va. Pike at Cheat
Bridge. Mr.. Grimes served as Post.
master for ten years and he resign.
cd, and the late |. L.. Painter was
appointed Postmaster, with David
Ridenour as his deputy. On the
10Th day Of July, 1857. the Post
office was moved to West Union
(now Aurora). During the fall of
1901 The Is. u o. Road began carry.
ing the mail as far west AS Salt lick
Fails. and realizing tho fact that
the mril service would soon cease ON
the Turnpike, the route to King
wood was discontinued and tri-
weekly service WAS proposed and
established from oakland, ana re
turned by Winston, (ncw Fort Pen
dleton, the name of Smiths Farm
having long been dropped } In
February. 1852, the stages east of
Cheat river were withdrawn from
Turnpike. Mr.. Painter only held
The otlice Que year, aud July 1852
David Ridenour, his deputy, was
appointed Postmaster and held the
Office for forty years. On the LIST
OF July. 1866. the route to Oakland
was abandoned and bi. weekly SER
vice established to Sult-hck Falls.
The route from here to " esternford
was extended to Fillmore (nuw Nj.
Rose), Now Interest (now Kernsl.
and Leadsville (now Eikins), to a
weekly service. In 1857 route
was established from Holly Mead.
ows, IN Tucker county, to Oakland.
and the Horse Shoe Run Postoftice
Was established, with Abraham ID.
Wotring as Postmaster. This route
was discontinued during the war.
Ia 1859 the Leadsville route was
discontinued, and the name of the
Postoiiice at Salt HEX Falls was
changed to Portland. The dark
days of the war followed and our
Postmaster guarded with care tho
office and distributed the mail with
strict fidelity to his oath. In 1866
the route from Holly Meadows 20
Oakland was re opened and ID. q.
Wotrlng was appointed Postmaster
at Horse Shoe Run. In 1872 the
Office was established at Painters
Mill (now Ambov), with /. T.. Pain
ter as Postmaster. On the LIST day
OF October, 1874, the name of Ger
man Settlement was dropped and
Aurora substituted. Carmel Office
was established in 1879, and the
same year al office was established
at Maple Run (now Eglon). This
office was supplied from Aurora
twice a week, but WAS soon dlscon-
tinued. and the Holly Meadow
route changed so as to pass Eglon.
The tri-s eekly service this year.
which was thtnged in 1881 to daily.
and the daily mail service from
Oakland to Eglon. with the estab.
lishment OF the Office Mt Brookside
and the daily mail from here to St.
George. which has since been re.
duced TO twice week, are all fresh
IN the minds of the people, so your
correspondent will close before be
tires the readers. out aud must ask
their pardon.
One strange feature about the
Postal Service here is. that almost
all Of tho mail in this vicinity has
been handled by the descendants Of
the first Postmaster, rs will be seen
by the following Henry Grimes
was his son-m Inv, VIM. II. Grimes
HE grand sou by marriage, David
| Rfdpupur IL his cgrat.I -. AZ. a.