Searching for Snuffers, Preas, Lester, Hawley, Trump
Date(s): April 7, 2012. Album by Deborah Kosnett. Photos by Deborah Kosnett. 1 - 48 of 48 Total. 169 Visits.
1 In the fall of 1970, I went to Concord College (now University) for one semester. I've not been back since . . . so we dropped by to take a look. It has barely changed.
2 This is Wilson Hall, my dormitory.
3 1960? Sure seemed older than that, when I stayed there 10 years later.
4 A view of the student center. It is a very pretty campus.
5 More views, of the women's dorms (that's what they were when I was there, anyway.)
6 I think this is the arts center. I do not remember it.
7 Walkways.
8 Your basic comemmorative plaque.
9 Why is there an Athens, WV anyway? How did it get named?
10 This is sort of the main building, at the entrance. It has a couple of nice cats . . .
11 Here's one . . . what, you thought I meant live cats?? :-)
12 This guy has great personality.
13 Coal Marsh Baptist Church Cemetery. This is not one of my ancestors. But it was a neat stone, very informative, and it seemed worthy of a picture. If it's not there already, I'll upload it to Find-a-Grave.
14 Nancy Lester Preas, wife of Joseph Nathaniel Preas, my great-great grandmother and grandfather.
15 Nancy Preas Stover was one of Joseph Nathaniel's daughters. One of his other daughters was my great grandmother, Etta Lee Preas Hawley.
16 Joseph Nathaniel Preas. He fought in the Civil War, as a corporal in the CSA. (I haven't yet found any Union soldiers amongst my ancestors, given that most of 'em lived in the Virginias.)
17 I still have to figure out who Roy and Bessie Hawley were. Eugene Everett Hawley, bless his heart, lived only 26 days.
18 This is R.C. Hawley - Roberta Clemantine Trump Hawley. She's another great-great grandmother, the wife of Elijah Preston Marion Hawley, my great-great grandfather. I love these little lamb markers. I saw several; most were for children, but this one is obviously not.
19 Close-up. The inscription reads something like, "She was a kind and affectionate wife, mother and friend." The script is abbreviated and kinda hard to read after all these years.
20 This was a daughter of Elijah and Roberta, who died when she was 15. Lerie was her name, or at least her nickname.
21 We did a lot of driving through mountain cuts. :-)
22 This is Rt. 99, going over a big mountain. We were looking for a turnoff, went too far, and had to go a couple of miles on switchback before we could turn around.
23 Sure was a pretty day. The trees were just beginning to leaf out, up in the highlands.
24 This is George Snuffer, buried in the Acord cemetery, a small family plot otherwise filled with Acords. He fought in the War of 1812 and was at the Siege of Norfolk. He was Roberta's great-grandfather, and is my 5th-great grandfather. The Snuffers (Snouffers) were German, Pennsylvania Dutch, coming from Berks, PA. I'm still researching them. At least one is buried near in Westminster, MD, near where I live.
25 This is George's wife, Ailsie Huff Snuffer, my 5th great grandmother.
26 A shot of the Accord Cemetery. It's really lovely and shaded. At the top of a small hill, next to some houses.
27 George and Ailsie Snuffer.
28 We drove around Bluefield for a bit. It's a shadow of what it was mid-20th century, but most of the buildings still seem to be used. The once-great West Virginian Hotel is now an apartment building. I did find a nice antique mall and bought - what else - a couple of vintage pins.
29 Here's the hotel, on the right. At one time, Bluefield had the tallest buildings in West Virginia.
30 I am a sucker for the old WPA post office buildings. Princeton has a magnificent one.
31 Post office cornerstone.
32 Princeton is also the county seat . . . it has a gorgeous 1930s courthouse, as well.
33 Yes, I still love historical markers.
34 Another view of the courthouse.
35 Lovely bas-relief work.
36 Here's a closer view.
37 Even closer.
38 Mitchell and Phoebe Clay, the first white settlers in what is now Mercer County. A statue of them, in front of the courthouse.
39 More about the Clays. It's unfortunately rather gruesome.
40 I have a Blankenship back in my lineage, but don't know if this guy is any relation.
41 Here's the new Mercer County Courthouse - it's really beautiful.
42 Historic Bowen Field! Longtime home of the Bluefield Orioles, now a farm team for the Toronto Blue Jays. Cal Ripken played his first professional game ever here. Other great Orioles who played for Bluefield: Don Baylor Doug DeCinces Mark Belanger Boby Grich Mike Boddicker Billy Ripken Storm Davis
43 Appalachian League pennants, many of them won by players who went on to make the Orioles a powerhouse team of the 1970s.
44 The Orioles dropped this team when they set up a number of rookie teams closer to Baltimore, like the Delmarva Shorebirds.
45 A shot of the field.
46 The bleachers . . .
47 The outfield has a lovely mountain backdrop.
48 After a day of touring and graveyard trekking, we ate at this place, which had a good Yelp rating. It actually wasn't that good. Our pasta dinners were mediocre, though the garlic bread and wings were pretty tasty.
