U.S. Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ -- USGenNet Inc. -- Please read the U.S. Data Repository Copyright Statementon the following page: ----------------------------------------------------------- CHAPTER XXX. THE TWENTIETH CENTURY Just as the developments and problems of the period from 1880 to 1900 were largely influenced by the comple- tion of the railroad to Weston, so the developments and problems of the past two decades have largely resulted from the discovery of oil and gas in the county. In some respects the period showed great progress in the social and economic life of the people; but new problems have arisen which are now only partly solved. The effects of the oil and gas developments upon the agricultural interests of the county were extremely harm- ful. In 1900 Lewis County ranked as one of the fore- most stock raising counties of the state, standing sec- ond only to Harrison in the cattle industry. The abun- dant royalties for oil and the rentals and payments for wells in the gas fields gave the farmers sufficient income to maintain a comfortable existence without the back- breaking labor of cutting briars, digging out hickory bushes and building fences. The well-to-do farmers moved to the towns where they could enjoy the con- veniences of better schools, better churches, and com- parative leisure. Farmers' sons, who would otherwise have operated the farms when their fathers retired, had found the high wages paid by the oil and gas companies a greater incentive than the opportunities to develop the old farm and keep it producing. Farm labor was scarce and the prices were almost beyond the reach of the farm- ers owing to the competition of the oil and gas com- panies. The terrible condition of the roads which came as a result of the oil and gas development made the mar- keting of produce difficult and spoiled much of the at- tractiveness of country life. The drilling of a well on a farm was discouraging to the owner of the surface, for the location might be made in the middle of his meadow, and a road, which might be ten feet or a hundred feet in width, led to it from the highway. Aside from the actual damage to the land, fences were torn down, gates left open, and the existence of the careful farmer was in various ways made burdensome. The result was that many of the best farms in the oil and gas territory were allowed to grow up in briars and bushes. The owners or tenants continued to live in the farmhouses, to cut the hay from the meadows, to rent out the pasture to cattle dealers for what they could get, and sometimes to cultivate a small corn patch in ad- dition to the garden. Little attention was given to im- proving the breeds of cattle and sheep, to the selection of seed or to other important features of progressive farm- ing which had gradually been built up in previous de- cades. The acreage in corn in Lewis County decreased twenty-five per cent in the decade from 1900 to 1910. The farmers who stuck to their business increased their wealth through the ready market for their grain and produce which the oil and gas development created. Court House and Freeman's Creek districts increased greatly in population in the ten years from 1900 to 1910, and the increase is wholly due to the immigration of workers into the oil and gas fields. The country store- keepers and blacksmiths shared with the farmers in the prosperity. In Weston the effects of the oil and gas develop- ment were immediately evident in the larger volume of business, in the increase of population, and in the devel- opment for the first time of a really extensive manufac- turing industry. By 1902 it was estimated that the oil business had added five hundred people to the popula- tion of the town. Twelve oil well supply stores had been established, and an extensive pipe line yard had been set aside. The capacity of the livery barns in ex istence in 1900 was insufficient for the needs of the hun- dreds of teams engaged in hauling supplies, and many new barns were built. East of the town the Weston Glass Company was erecting a plant. East Weston had been surveyed and lots were offered for sale. In 1902 the Bank of Weston and the Lewis County Bank were established to share the business which had greatly in- creased in volume. The manufacture of glass in Weston began in 1902 directly as a result of the discovery of gas in the county. The location of the glass manufacturing industry de- pends primarily upon a cheap and plentiful supply of natural gas in the vicinity of deposits of glass sands, and good transportation facilities for the product. Weston is rather well fitted to be a center of the industry. The East Weston factory was built and equipped for the making of glass tile by a new process. It was claimed that the company was the holder of the only patent for a wholly satisfactory glass tile, because other processes either made an inferior piece of work or there was too great a proportion of breakage in manufacture. The factory was in operation about five years, giving employment to about fifty men, until it suspended oper- ations on account of excessive breakage. In 1912 the company was reorganized for the manufacture of glass- ware specialties, but about the time the factory was ready to be opened again it was completely destroyed by fire. In 1904 the Crescent Window Glass Company was incorporated with a capital stock of $125,000. The first plant was erected immediately. A second plant, more complete than the first, was placed in operation in 1907. The old plant was completely destroyed by fire in Feb- ruary, 1913, but it was immediately rebuilt. It has re- mained the premier manufacturing industry of Weston. The Bastow plant, now known as the Lewis County fac- tory, was placed in operation about 1910 for the manu- facture of glassware specialties. The oil and gas development led to the establish- ment of other plants not directly dependent on gas for fuel, and to the enlargement of older industries. The Sun Lumber Company, the Weston Lumber Company and the Danser Manufacturing and Supply Company were all incorporated in 1904 or 1905. One effect of the industrial awakening was to increase the population of the suburbs of Weston. Homewood was established near the Crescent plant. The building of houses in the nar- row Polk creek valley was begun, which has resulted in the present string more than a mile long. Kitsonville and Haleville were more closely built up. In 1913 the McGary addition was opened. Some of the old houses inside the limits of the town were removed and more modern dwellings or apartment houses were erected in their places. The town soon bore an appearance of bus- iness prosperity such as it had never before enjoyed. A consequence of the oil and gas development which was not so pleasing to the better class of citizens of Wes- ton was the establishment of gambling joints which ran wide open in the heart of the town. "Faro, roulette, craps and poker were in full tilt day and night," and many a man, after he had been made drunk by the free whiskey dispensed in the places, imagined that he could break the game; but invariably he left penniless. Sev- eral frequenters of the joints lost thousands of dollars. Jane Lew became an important shipping point for gas well supplies after active operations were begun in the vicinity. Much of the casing for the wells on Kinche- loe creek, McCann's run, Hacker's creek and the sur- rounding regions, as well as pipe for lines through the vicinity were unloaded in the Jane Lew yards. In 1906 Jane Lew had excellent prospects of securing a glass factory. A lot sale was held to open an important tract almost as large as the area of the town. The village was incorporated in 1907, for the purpose of forestalling fu- ture efforts to license saloons there. The increase in population since that time has justified the move. Street lights, sidewalks and other minor improvements have been made by the town authorities. At present there is a franchise under consideration by the council for the construction of waterworks. The Bank of Jane Lew was established in 1903, and the Peoples Bank in 1911. The construction of the trolley line added to the prosperity of the town and made certain its future. Rumors of another railroad to Weston were in the air as early as 1901. A right of way was being secured up the river from Clarksburg as far as Goodhope. Later, surveys were made from east to west — from Roaring creek to the Little Kanawha river, to locate a route pop- ularly supposed to be for the Wabash, which was re- ported to have purchased the Western Maryland rail- road. The route finally decided upon for the western extension of the Western Maryland lines was construct- ed by the Davis-Elkins interests as the Coal and Coke railroad. It passed through Collins Settlement district from one end to the other. Entering the county from- Braxton at Orlando, it followed Clover fork almost to its head, passed through a long tunnel to the valley of the West Fork near Jacksonville, and continued up that stream and its left fork past Walkersville and Craw- ford to French creek in Upshur County. The road was 175 miles long in all, connecting Charleston and Elkins, and forming the only north and south line from the Great Kanawha to the Monongahela valleys in the central part of the state. It taps some of the finest timber and coal lands to be found anywhere in the state. The Coal and Coke railroad has been of great value in the development of Collins Settlement district. The products of the southern part of the county can find their way to eastern markets. Before the construction of the railroad most of the agricultural produce was consumed at home. Dairying and fruit growing on a commercial basis were impossible because the local demand for the products was not great enough to justify the expense. Much timber land on the upper course of the West Fork had remained undeveloped because it was unprofitable to haul the lumber to Arnold. Immediately upon the beginning of the construction work in the fall of 1903 there was a market for dairy pro- ducts, poultry and truck in the construction crews along the route. The two tunnels caused two large towns to grow up with hundreds of laborers, doctors, timekeepers, merchants and other hangers-on. Nor was all the sud- den prosperity confined to the tar paper towns. Jack- sonville, Walkersville, Crawford and Orlando awoke to new life. After the grading had been finished and the track laid in 1906 the laborers abandoned the shacks which were torn down. Jacksonvile relapsed into its accustom- ed somnolence. Other communities took advantage of their opportunities. A lot sale was held at Orlando which resulted in the building of homes for a large additional population. Enterprising citizens incorporated a whole- sale produce and commission house, and a representative of the new company was soon on the road. Blake and Chapman, both flag stations, afforded a means of travel for the people of Clover fork. Wymer and Jewell were also established as flag stations on the Left fork of the river. The first extensive development of coal in the county was begun as a result of the construction of the Coal and Coke railroad. A party of Pennsylvania capitalists formed the Jacksonville Coal and Coke Company in 1906 and purchased the farm of R. W. Crawford at the mouth of Indian Cap run, and the mineral rights on the Reger farm farther up the run. A long siding was put in, a tipple constructed, and considerable coal was mined. A mining village quickly grew up in the old meadow, which usurped the rights as a flag station which had been given to a strip of meadow land near Jacksonville. The new village was called Emmart in honor of one of the officials of the company. The Elk Lick vein of coal which the company operated was tilted away from the mouth of the mine, and this fact made the drainage prob- lem one of great difficulty. Some trouble also was ex- perienced in selling the product on account of the ex- tremely high ash content (14.95%). Failure to sell ad- ditional stock and to obtain credit to make needed im- provements caused the company to suspend operations. The land again reverted to agriculture, though a small village still remains there. Walkersville, as a result of the building of the rail- road, soon entered upon a period of prosperity. The old rivalry between the village and Crawford had continued, the advantage resting now with one now with the other. At the time of the completion of the railroad Crawford seemed the more promising place, and it was selected by the railroad company as the site of the only regular sta- tion between Frenchton and Orlando. Walkersville was to be a flag station, the company giving as a reason the lack of funds to build a depot. The citizens of Walkers- ville raised by subscription sufficient funds to erect a standard station, and the railroad company, perhaps un- willingly, sent an agent there to occupy it. The energy of the people and the superior location soon turned the scales in favor of Walkersville. Besides being the nat- ural shipping point for Ireland, Duffy and all the other territory on the Right fork, it enjoyed a good local trade. The lumber industry on the Right fork has been ex- ceedingly important. Immediately upon the completion of the Coal and Coke railroad, the sawmill site of W. E. Mick and Son below Arnold was abandoned and the mill moved to Walkersville, nearer the location of the timber supply. Many thousands of logs were brought from the upper valley of the Right fork by means of a wooden tramway until the distance became so great that ithe wooden tramway was no longer practicable. The Micks determined to build a narrow gauge railroad, and incor- porated the Walkersville and Ireland Railroad Company in 1907. The work was partly financed by two Grafton business men who had large timber holdings in the dis- trict to be tapped by the railroad. Within a few months the railroad was completed to Ireland and log trains were running. The people of Ireland, who had begun to receive shipments of merchandise over the new road, looked for- ward to the time when passenger service would be in- augurated. The owners of the road took advantage of the opportunity to be of real service to the community. During the winter of 1907-8 some mechanical genius of Ireland constructed a passenger car on a lumber truck. The result could hardly be compared with a Pullman, but it served the purpose for which it was built. From the time of its completion it made one or more trips daily. The train stopped wherever there was a passenger to board it or a basket of eggs to be taken to market. Con- ductor H. O. Wilson obligingly marketed farm produce and executed orders for groceries, delivering the goods at the proper stop and blowing the whistle to announce the fact. The road was, a great convenience. Subsequently W. E. Mick and Son acquired com- plete ownership of the Walkersville and Ireland railroad. As the supply of marketable trees became exhausted they extended it first to Duffy, then to Bablin, then to Ingo, from which point they "went in" to wildest Up- shur. The mill was moved from one terminus to the other following the progress of the road. Walkersville did not suffer from the removal of the mill. It was still the junction of two railroads of different gauges and there was plenty of work for several men in transferring the goods from one road to the other. The narrow gauge railroad has meant much to Duffy, Bablin and the whole "Shoestring". As the heavy timber was removed from the hills along Glady creek and the left fork of the Little Kanawha river, the underbrush has been removed also and farms have succeeded the primeval forest. The lum- ber jack has been followed by the permanent settler, and the last frontier of Lewis County has been passed. The whole of the county may now be said to have become improved land after the lapse of almost a century and a half from the date of the first settlement in the Hack- er's creek valley. As was expected Arnold lost nearly all its import- ance as a shipping point for the southern part of the county. The exception is in the case of live stock. The stock dealers of the section regarded the facilities of the Baltimore and Ohio as superior to those of the Coal and Coke, and continued to drive their stock to Arnold and Roanoke. Plans have been made at various times by the Balti- more and Ohio company to improve the branch line lead- ing into Webster and Nicholas counties. Surveys had been made, both along the old line and from the mouth of French creek to Centralia. The latter route, if adopt- ed, would have eliminated the grades from Weston to the main line. Early in 1917 the Baltimore and Ohio purchased the controlling interest in the Coal and Coke, which thereafter became the Charleston division of the Baltimore and Ohio. The deal has solved many of the problems of the older road. Heavy freight from Rich- wood and way points is routed over the Coal and Coke from Orlando to Sago, thus avoiding the heavy grades on Oil creek and on Buckhannon mountain. Empty cars are sent from Grafton via Clarksburg and Weston, thus giving what is in effect a double track from Graf- ton to Orlando. The condition of the old roadbed along Oil creek has led to a proposal to abandon it and con- struct a short stretch of railroad from Arnold to con- nect with the Charleston division near Jacksonville. The purchase of the Coal and Coke has enhanced the importance of Weston as a railroad center. The shops have had rather more work to do. Late in 1919 some of the principal offices of the Charleston division were moved from Gassaway to Weston. Demand for street car service to Clarksburg followed the oil boom. In 1902 the Clarksburg and Weston Street Car Company was incorporated to build a line from Weston to connect with the Fairmont and Clarks- burg lines. Delays followed. Franchises were secured from the Harrison County court for the construction of a track via West Milford. After more delays the com- pany abandoned its intention of building the line up the river, and built a stretch of track to Mt. Clare. In 1912 the Monongahela Valley Traction Company was organ- ized and it took up the work in earnest. Franchises were secured from the county court of Lewis, and from the city of Weston. The route from Mt. Clare via Lost Creek, Jane Lew and Jackson's Mill was determined upon, the right of way was obtained and construction work began immediately. The road was well constructed throughout. The first car arrived at Jane Lew, 26 July 1913, and at Weston shortly afterward. The service ren- dered by the company was rather poor for some time owing to overloading the wires, but the difficulty was solved by the installation of additional power plants. The effects of the construction of the interurban line were seen at once. Weston was placed within an hour and a half of Clarksburg and the main line of the Balti- more and Ohio. Many Weston people took advantage of the opportunity to do their shopping in Clarksburg to the great disgust of the business men of Weston. The competition of the Clarksburg merchants was, in the long run, of great advantage to the people of the town and the local merchants as well, for it compelled Weston mer- chants to keep more up-to-date stocks of goods. The completion of the trolley line to Weston led to the re- vival of the proposal to connect Glenville with the out- side world and in 1915, the Kanawha Traction and Elec- tric company was incorporated by Weston business men. Officials of the Monongahela Valley lines inspected the proposed route, and the extension for a time seemed a matter of course to the people of the western Freeman's Creek district. The old fair ground owned by Mrs. Minnich was cut up into town lots and sold about the time construction work on the interurban line really indicated that it would be built. The cheap means of communication has made Shadybrook a thickly settled suburb. The broad meadow at Turner stop has also been built up to some extent. The tract of land on which stood the Jackson homestead and Jackson's mill was purchased by the traction com- pany for use as a memorial park. A bridge was soon af- terward constructed across the river at that point by the county court. The park has become a favorite picnic ground for the people of Weston and surrounding points. The location has made Jackson's Mill a shipping point for oil well supplies for the Freeman's creek field. Tank cars convey from the siding there the product of the gas- oline plant at the mouth of Freeman's creek. Below Jackson's mill the trolley nears the site of Westfield, which may after all be a town. Jane Lew has received a large accession of population as a result of the trolley, and the further growth of the town is assured. Some years ago, when an extension of the line to Buckhannon was being urged by Upshur citizens, the people of Hack- er's creek and Jane Lew began a movement to have the line go by way of Hacker's creek and Buckhannon run. All the territory along the trolley line has been built up and the farms have been improved. The great war led to considerable activity in the development of coal in Lewis County. For the first time since the construction of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad the principal movement of coal was from the county and not to the county. The operations on Stone Coal creek were continued until the close of the war when the mines were temporarily closed. At the close of 1919 preparations are being made by the Coal Land Development Company to open a mine just below Brownsville and to operate it on the co-operative plan. Preliminary construction, including a ventilating shaft, slope, spur crack and the surveying of a town site at the mouth of Washburn run, has been completed. Beginning about 1901, most of the coal lands of the county available for quick development have passed out of the hands of the farmers. Much of the coal on Fink creek, Leading creek and other sections has been pur- chased by large corporations. The chief political movement of importance in the twentieth century was the campaign against licensing saloons. The prohibition movement had been a factor in politics from 1869, when a prohibition ticket was elected to till the offices of Weston. The victory was not long enjoyed. In the country districts the saloons were grad- ually forced out of business by the increase of federal and state license fees. The sentiment of the people of the county in 1888, when the vote on the prohibition amend- ment was taken is shown by the vote of 983 for and 1082 against. In 1890 the conditions following the construc- tion of the railroad resulted in a movement to abolish saloons in Weston. Speakeasies sprang up on all sides, and after a brief period of ineffectual enforcement of the law, the regulated traffic was restored. The oil and gas boom brought another wave of vice and crime. By 190- prohibition sentiment was shown to be very strong when J. G. Jackson, candidate on the prohibition ticket for county commissioner, ran second only to the Republi- can candidate. Though the election was hardly a fair test owning to the personal popularity of Mr. Jackson and other issues, yet it showed that considerable anti-saloon sentiment existed. In 1906 J. W. Duncan, an avowed anti-license candidate, was elected on the Republican ticket. A brief period without saloons followed, and li- censes were again granted. The election of E. M. Stal- naker in 1908 made certain the triumph of the prohibi- tion forces, and on 1 July 1909 the saloon passed out of Lewis County. The vote of the people on the prohibi • tion amendment submitted in 1912 was 3,264 for and 700 against. In 1909, following much heated discussion concern- ing the license question and public utilities, a new char- ter was granted to Weston by the Legislature. Aside from extending the term of the mayor, doubting the num- ber of councilmen and calling the corporation the "City of Weston" instead of the "Town of Weston", there were few changes from the old charter. It failed to include any of the numerous suburbs or to improve the form of government to any great degree. Sentiment for a new charter which will place the government of the city in the hands of a commission has been increasing. Mc- Gary Addition, North Weston, Kitsonville and a part of East Weston have recently been included in the city. In 1913 the people of Polk creek, Shadybrook and Hale- ville voted on a proposition to incorporate a new town to include all three suburbs. Fortunately the movement failed; all three suburbs are part and parcel of the social and economic life of Weston, and should take part in the political life of the city. Though Weston has always been one of the most progressive communities in the state, though it has many modern improvements, yet the municipal government has not approached the limit of service to the people. The fire department should be reorganized; the flood waters of Stone Coal and Polk creek should be controlled in some way; a garbage reduction plant and refuse cre- matory plant should be built; a sewage disposal plant is a pressing need of the people; aid should be given in the establishment of a hospital; and better sanitary arrange- ments should be made in other ways to protect the health of the people. Once these improvements have been taken up, the citizens, by a community effort, will establish a Y. M. C. A. and a public library. One of the business needs of the city is a chamber of commerce. Good work has been done by the Rotary club, but that organization should be supported by an association of business men with an energetic secretary. The setback in agriculture which followed the oil and gas development was only temporary. A revival of interest took place about 1911, which has increased until farmers in all sections of the county are taking up scientific farming as never before. The passage of the Jewell bill in 1905 which provided that beef furnished to state institutions should be inspected both on foot and dressed, created a home market for Lewis County- cattle. Though the act was soon removed from the stat- ute books, its influence continued to be felt for some years. The establishment of a stock farm at Crawford by E. G. Davisson, who kept only purebred stock, gave a great impetus to the pure bred stock industry in the southern part of the county. The Halls, the Laws, C. L, Cookman, W. R. Jewell and numerous others did much to awaken interest in pure bred stock in other sec- tions. The telephone, rural mail delivery and the auto- mobile have made country life more pleasant. The farms gradually came into the possession of men inter- ested in agriculture. The fields which had been allowed to grow up in filth were cleared again, the broken fences repaired and the land was again productive. The year 1911 will long be remembered in the agri- cultural history of the United States because of the fail- ure of the hay crop. Farmers, unable to winter their stock, shipped them to markets where they entered into competition with many more than the usual number The result was that prices fell steadily. By fall the live stock raisers of Lewis County faced the alternative of selling their cattle at ruinous prices or having them un- derfed the next winter. In the emergency several farm- ers in different sections of the county determined to build silos, and thus secure the greatest possible food value from their corn crops. From the small beginning, the construction of silos has been extended until scores have been built, and more are being added every year. Greater attention to scientific methods of feeding stock and to the use of fertilizers has followed. One of the first measures taken to revive interest in agriculture was the organization of boys' and girls' clubs by Perry G. Alfred in 1907-08. The work has been continued, largely under his direction until taken over by a paid agent of the government in 1919. In 1914 the Lewis County Agricultural Association was organized Avith John W. Smith as president and Perry G, Alfred as secretary. The purpose of the association was to re- move obstacles to the development of agriculture and to improve conditions on Lewis County farms through united efforts. Co-operative purchasing of supplies was begun. In 1917, as a result of considerable agitation by members of the association, the county court agreed to pay part of the salary of a county farm bureau agent who should devote his entire time to the work. D. W. Parsons was the first agent. By far the greatest contribution of the agricultural association to the county has been the inauguration of a policy of building permanent roads. In order to avoid the necessity of having to travel over roads which had been condemned in winter because they were unsafe, members of the association secured the passage of a special act by the Legislature enabling the county court of Lewis County to lay a levy of twenty-five cents on the hundred dollars for the construction of permanent roads. The county court, after much consideration, laid the levy, and in the spring of 1916 construction began on the four main roads leading out of Weston. Since that time a short stretch has been added each year. In 1916 it was proposed to bond the county for $1,000,000 for the construction of permanent roads, but the move- ment failed. Proposals have also been made in several of the magisterial districts to issue bonds for the con- struction of brick or concrete roads. In keeping with the educational progress of the state, Lewis County has made improvements in schools. At Weston two small brick buildings on the corner of Court and Third, with the addition of several ramshackle wooden structures, remained the educational plant of the town until 1911. Efforts were made as early as 1904 to provide for the erection of a modern high school build- ing through a bond issue, but the people were apathetic. In 1910, after the bond issue had been defeated several times, the citizens of the district finally voted to issue bonds to the amount of $75,000 for the erection of a high school and three suburban buildings. Improvement in the instruction of the schools has followed the erection of new buildings. The board of education of the Jane Lew independ- ent district established a high school in 1912 which has steadily improved both in quantity and quality of in- struction. During the administration of M. L. B. Linger as county superintendent, 1911-1915, efforts were made to establish high schools in most of the magisterial dis- tricts. The voters failed to authorize the expenditures. The fact that three of the districts meet at Weston and that the railroad connections of the others make for division of territory, has prevented agreement as to the site to be chosen in any of the districts. Three citizens of Lewis County have recently pub- lished books which deserve notice. In 1900, Frances Moore Bland published "Twilight Reveries," a collec- tion of poems which has been favorably received by the critics. In 1915, the history of the settlements in the upper West Fork and Buckhannon valleys was told in an interesting way by Lucullus Virgil McWhorter in his "Border Settlers of Northwestern Virginia." The book is the product of years of patient research and is a very distinct contribution to the historical literature dealing with the American frontier. A scholarly work which is appreciated far more by students of the political history of the country than by the people of the county is Judge Henry Brannon's exhaustive study of the Fourteenth Amendment. It is one of the most important contributions made in recent years to American political thought. Besides the publication of this work, he has also made a contribution of national importance to the development of legal knowledge. The decisions of the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals on questions affecting leaseholds, most of which were written by him, have been adopted by the courts of other states where oil development came at a later time than in West Vir- ginia. Progress was made also in the religious organiza- tion of the county. All the denominations represented at Weston have erected new churches within the past generation. Jane Lew has two brick churches which should be the pride of the town. Improvements have been made in many of the churches in the country, and in some of the less well organized communities new churches have been built. Higher salaries are now being paid to pastors in all parts of the county. The organ- ization of the Lewis County Sunday School Association early in the century has caused an increased interest in Sunday school work and has broken down denomina- tional prejudice to some extent. A student of Lewis County history thirty years from now will probably come to the conclusion that the life of the people of the county in the year 1919 was rather crude and old-fashioned. Though great developments have already taken place, others must come in the fu- ture. Lewis County seems now to stand on the thres- hold of a new era of social development greater than any it has yet experienced. -----------------------------------------------------------