Consequences of Two Events

By: Paul Jones

When I moved back to West Virginia, after quite a number of years living out of state, most of my spare time was spent trying to complete more family history research. I spent time visiting and talking to older relatives, getting old photos copied, and checking family cemeteries. While visiting my uncle Bob Elliott in October 1988 in Clay County, he gave me an old photo, damaged with one corner torn off and a large crack on the other side.

This old photo had approximately 32 older gentlemen and appears to have been taken in the 1890’s era. I would guess there was a Civil War reunion for both sides for those who had lived in Clay County. This photo had belonged to my grandmother Bessie Ward Elliott (1898-1974) and grandfather Richard Jennings Elliott (1900-1946) (Pictured to the right). I had lived a number of years with my widowed grandmother while attending Clay County High School. Not at any time had my grandmother revealed to me any information about this old photo. I had inquired later whether my uncle Bob Elliott or my mother had any knowledge about this photo and who the men contained in it were, they said they had no knowledge of its existence.

My best observation and with some comparison with other photos of men in the Elliott family, the man front and center is possibly my great-great grandfather John M Elliott (1837-1896). John M Elliott had served in the Civil War on the Union side and was in Company A 1st West Virginia Light Artillery.

I was curious about the building featured in this old photo, researched the internet and books of pictures of old schools, court houses in West Virginia and couldn’t find such a building anywhere. In November 1995 while working in Charleston, and upon returning from a trip to Clay County, I was driving on state route 60. I had this impression to stop at a second-hand store in Shrewsbury. I didn’t know why I should go into this store, as I had no extra money with me at the time and payday was the next Friday. I just thought to myself, I will go in, look around at the curious items, and quickly exit the store.

The next week at payday, I rushed back up to Shrewsbury, WV and the old photo was still in the store. I bought the photo, took it home, took it out of the frame and on the back was the hand written names of teachers and students. There was some water damage and the first part was very faint. I could barely read the initials at the top L. F. I. teachers and students with no date. Among the signatures, there is one that has parentheses around it, Bessie Brown Telford (1901–1926) daughter of Dr. Robert Lee Telford Sr (1863–1934) and Anna Boone Brown (1865–1960) My aforementioned grandmother’s given name was also Bessie Ward Elliott owner and keeper of the Civil War photo. My grandmother Bessie had not attended this girl’s school. I believe my grandmother Bessie who passed away in 1974, helped me with my quest to find more clues about the old photo.

There is truth in the old saying “gone but not forgotten” and the veil can be thin if needs be. Others care about us who have passed on and we in turn reverence them, they being the pioneers before us. While putting this story together, I thought about contacting the owner of the second-hand store in Shrewsbury to get his name. I called my sister and she thought the store was closed. While trying to call different business in Shrewsbury, one clerk said the owner of the secondhand store was Bob Hudnall, and he had passed away in 2011. I put in a request for an obituary to the Charleston Newspapers and shortly received one for Bob Hudnall.

I am sure that was Bob I spoke with the day I purchase of the old photo. Thanks to Bob for preserving a little bit of family history for me.

I contacted the Greenbrier County Historical Society and per the email by Larry Heffer, “Volunteer and Jim Talbert – Archivist, there was a Lewisburg Female Institute in Lewisburg, and also at least two Civil War reunions, 26 September 1895 and 23 May 1904, as reported by the Greenbrier Independent.”

I was doing a web search for the Lewisburg Female Institute and found the following information; “Greenbrier College, which started its humble beginnings as Lewisburg Academy, was a dream of Reverend Dr. John McIlhenney and his new bride. They came to Greenbrier County in the spring of 1808 and by fall, they opened the first co-educational school in its temporary location, which was the building across from the present-day courthouse. The school temporarily closed its doors during the Civil War. The school was used as a make-shift hospital for the wounded and also acted as a barracks to house soldiers for both the Confederate and Union armies.

By 1875, Lewisburg Academy would have been no more. It would be called Lewisburg Female Institute. The trustees of the Academy transferred the land and buildings to the new organization. More land was purchased and a new building was erected, which was a residence hall for girls. In 1893, an additional large four-story brick building was built. Fire seemed to plague the institute. A fire in 1901 destroyed the residence hall and the newer building. Under the auspices of Dr. Robert Lee Telford Sr (1863–1934) and his wife Anna Boone Brown (1865–1960), a new Administration Building was built. However, another fire in 1921 burned this building. The school once again rose from the ashes and built the present-day four-story building.”

Paul Jones

Lives in Edmonds, WA, received a BA of History from Bluefield State University, retired from the University of Washington Medical Center and graduated from Clay County WV High School in 1971. He spends his extra time working on the family tree, going to church, and taking a few walks around the home.