Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1909-09-01
KEN0vk IS THE
GREAT HUB
Around Which Large BuSt-
ness Industries are Be-
ginning to ReVOlve.


Geo. Byrne, a special correspondent Of
the Manufacturers Record, recently
visited Kenova and the following is
what he says Of tina tcity.
This town is described by the advance
agent as the pivotal point of the three
great States, Kentucky. Ohio and West
Virginia 1t lies Oh the West Virginia
siCe of the Ohio and the Big Sandy
rivers. where the two flow together,
with Kentucky just across the latter
and Ohio Immediately beyond the for
mer. The name, as will be readily srr
missed, Is made up of the authorizations of
the three States, except that Virginia IS
used instead of West Virginia. The
town was laid Off some 20 years ago,
and for time promised to spring into
immediate prominence. but the panic OF
1893 caught it right in the formative
state and nlpped It's root. BY the time
prosperity again came to the country
the owners of the townsite. Philadelphia
people, had become more interested in
other things, and so nothing was done
to carry out the plans promulgated IN
the beginning. A few industries were
sent here by force of circumstances, and
those that were established have pros
cause of the inactivity of the owners of
the land and the trouble attendant up.
on securing proper locations for homes
and business plants.
But a new era has dawned for Kenova
A number of Huntington men, we'll
cognizant of the advantages of this To-
cation for a manufacturing and dis
tributing center, have secured by pur-
chase the lots still left to the original
promoters, and are engaged in letting
the world know that Kenova is on the
map, ready to do business in a business
way with business people. They are the
same =, - who have largely had to do
with the building of the hustling city of
Huntington, and they promise TO do as
good a part by Kenova.
They have here, as basis upon
which to work, a town of 1000 people,
with broad streets tanked for many
blocks by cement sidewalks. Among
its industries and facilities are:
The big plant of the Patton Lumber
Co, which is saving lumber at the rate
of many thousands of feet daily, and
now has 100000 feet stacked on the
yards, with as much more il logs ly-
ing on the river hank.
The Kenova Poplar Manufacturing
Co., maker of all kinds of interior finish.
ings.
The Three States Veneer Manufactur.
ing Co, maker of veneers.
The Wood Box Co., maker of all
kinds of wooden boxes.
The power house of the Ohio Valley
Electric Go. which furnishes power TO
run the traction line between Guyan-
dotte and Hanging Rock, and also sends
the current into most of the nearby
towns for lighting purposes.
The Norfolk & Western Railway
here crosses the Ohio river GU its way to
the cities and communities of the great
West, after coming in from the great
Pocahontas coal fields and tidewater.
The two branches of this road, rendered
necessary by the tremendous business of
the coal fields, here converge into the
one line before IL takes the big bridge
for the Ohio shore
The Chesapeake d Ohio main line
passes through and is joined by its Big
Sandy branch, just across the Big San.
dy river in Kentucky.
The Ohio River division of the Balti-
more 81 Ohio has its southern terminus
here
The OHIO river, navigable now for
most of the year, and with perpetual
navigation IA certainty for the near fu-
ture. flows majestically by, ready to
carry to the markets of the Southwest
the products OF Kenova's mills and fac
tories, az well as the output II the
mines that first reach navigation here
The Big Sandy river locked and dam.
med for many miles into the interior,
and with a wealth of timber continually
coming from the forests along its banks,
joins the Ohio here and gives Kenova
the benefit OF its raw material, while the
Twelve Pole river, two miles above and
the Guyandotte, 10 miles up, bring
down with each freshet thousands of
feet of the best of timber ready for the
hungry tooth of the saw.
The Ohio Valley traction line runs its
big cars through the entire length Of
the Town every few minutes, and brings
the citizens here into close neighbor-
shop with those Of Guyandotte, Hunt
ington, Ashland, Catlettsburg, Ironton.
Portsmouth and other cities and towns
on both sides of the Ohio.
The location is superb, the land level,
the bottom wide and for the most part
lying above the highest Of high-water
marks
These things Kenova has now has
had for some years.
When the new owners took hold Of
their property they did so with the full
knowledge that they must bring here a
number of manufacturing enterprises,
which would create population for the
town by creating employment for it.
And they set about the task with conf
dence and enthusiasm, and also with
the spirit of enterprise which comes
from confidence and begets enthusiasm
The first big manufacturing institu-
tion to begin work upon its plant under
the new regime is the Basic Products
Co., which is hard at it putting in what
is intended to be the most perfectly