Going past Dunlap Hollow in Kanawha State Forest the road begins to go up the hill. It follows around the hill until it comes down at the upper picnic area. As you travel around this road you can look down on the campground. Did you ever stop to wonder what that looked like 100 years ago? It wasn't a wilderness. It was a bustling busy coal town. A railroad traveled by the creek and a Post Office was located in the company store. The name of the Post Office was Chilton. And if you check old birth records you will find quite a lot of people are listed as being born in Chilton.
We can search old records, old papers and the writings of many people about the time of the turn of the century. We can remember stories our parents and grandparents told us when we were younger. We can put together a picture of how our park looked one hundred years ago.
In 1881 N.S. Shaler surveyed the area that is now Kanawha State Forrest. He published his findings in a pamplet called "BLACK BAND IRON & COAL COMPANY". A copy can be obtained from the Archives at the Capital in Charleston.
In this pamplet he stated:
"This tract of land, which I am credibly informed contains within one boundary an area of thirty-five hundred acres., lies upon the headwaters of Davis Creek in West Virginia. Davis creek is an affluent of the Kanawha River entering that stream from the west at a point about four miles below Charleston., a town of four thousand inhabitants. From the mouth of the creek to the northern border of the tract of land is about ten miles; from Charleston to the eastern border of the land is about seven miles."
"From the main Davis Creek it is easy to get access to all parts of the land by the side valleys, at least ten miles of hillsides containing the valuable iron and coal beds are thus made accessible to tramways."
"As yet there has been no actual mining done upon this land, and the explorations are open and shallow drifts upon coal and iron beds. Explorations have shown there are at least three seams of coal sufficently thick for working".
Mr. Shaler goes on to recommend the area for coal mining and iron ore production. He suggests how the company could begin the work step by step. He also suggested a railroad could be built to carry out the coal, iron ore and timber. By his wording he must have done his survey at the bidding of Anheuser-Bush. They bought the property and mined the coal.
Anheuser-Bush bought 2,379 acres from J. Wilson Humbird and John A. Humbird January 15,1888. This became the BLACK BAND MINING & MANUFACTURING COMPANY. In 1894 they bought an additional piece of land from George Shrewsberry. In 1902 422 more acres were bought from Columbus Shrewsberry, Betty Lloyd, and Samuel Shrewsberry. This made a total of 3,244 acres owned by Anheuser-Bush.
In 1892, the Kanawha and Coal River Railroad was built from the C&O mainline at the mouth of Davis Creek to the Davis Creek headwaters in the present Kanawha State Forest. the only access to this remote area of the county, the railroad hauled out coal and timber for the Black Band Mining and Manufacturing Company and was owned by Anheuser Bush Brewing Company. In the summer of 1894 the railroad was ectended about one mile up Dunlap Hollow to haul out the large white and chestnut oak logs.
In the late 1890's this area was a bustling community. At one time there were 131 houses in this area. This actual count was found on a topographical map dated 1907. There were three schools, three churches and two company stores. Chilton, the Post Office, was located in one of the stores whicj was located where the campground is today. The main office of the company was located there and at one time Willis Comer worked as a clerk.
At one time six mines were in operation. They were located one at the mouth of Log Town Hollow across the creek, one in Polly Hollow, one on the East Side of Davis Creek at the mouth of Dunlap Hollow, one at the mouth of Shrewsbury on the West Side of the road, one up Shrewsbury where the pool is now, and one at the head of Shrewsbury Hollow. These mines were all mining Black Band seam of coal. This was an excellent coal that took first prize in the 1898 World's Fair in San Francisco.
These mines were operated with modern machinery. The company generated their own electricity by a modern coal fired power plant located in Shrewsbury Hollow near where the pool is today.
At one time there was a small brick plant in operation. It was located on Middle Lick Fork. This plant was used to manufacture bricks to be used in this area.
The mines and all workings were closed in May, 1907. The railroad was abandoned and let go to ruin.
Dora Comer Songer, daughter of Willis Comer, told stories about that time. One of them was about how she along with other girls and some boys would ride a hand push car down the rails to the mouth of Davis Creek on some Sundays. It was a lot of fun riding down, but the boys had to work hard to get back up the grade.
After the First World War the railroad was rebuilt and operated for anout one year while all mine machinery, motors, generators, and ther metals were carried out. Then the rails were removed and much of the railroad bed became the main road.
The company sold the houses to be removed. Willis Comer bought some and built his own home across the valley from th Baptist Church. The house had tongue and grove walls and ceilings. There he raised his family and lived the rest of his life. He used more of the lumber to build the first church in Loudendale. It was the Kanawha Fork Freewill Baptist Church. Willis was a minister. Dora said the children in the neighborhood helped carry the lumber up the hill for the church. The church was built by the local people working together. The church was heated with a pot-bellied stove in the middle of the room. The lights were oil lamps with reflectors and they hung on the walls. The building has been remolded and is still being used by the church.
As you drive up the road and visit different places in Kanawha State Park you can imagine the many miners under ground with pick and shovel brining out tons of coal. On the hillsides you would find timber men working. You can imagine the rows of company houses with children playing in the front yards. Think about walking or riding a horse to go to the Post Office or to the store to buy supplies. As we drive through the park we don't usually think of the many people who lived, worked and died there.
Materials for this came from:
Carlson, Charles N., FROM BOOM TOWN TO NATURE PRESERVE: THE KANAWHA CRONICLE, WILD WONDERFUL WEST VIRGINIA MAGAZINE, NOVEMBER,1983, pp 23-27
Shaler, S.D. BLACK BAND IRON & COAL COMPANY, 1881
Dora Comer, Personal stories told to her family.