Russell County

Andrew Chafin

• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
• Year: 2008
• Print ISBN: 9780738553948
• eBook ISBN: 9781439635582
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: North American History
• Index: History

A collection of rare and vintage images documents the fascinating history of Russell County from 1786 to present. Russell County was formed in 1786 from a portion of Washington County. It was named for Col. William Russell, who assisted in the drafting of the Declaration of Independence. Early settlers, who were mostly English and Scotch-Irish, endured geographic isolation as they shaped the ways of life, attitudes, products, legends, and realities that would ultimately usher Russell County into the information age of the 21st century. In 1774, Daniel Boone led the defense of the Clinch River settlements during Dunmore's War, the war between the colony of Virginia and the Shawnee and Mingo Indians. The Virginia-led attack was designed to remove the last obstacle to colonial conquest of the area. By 1858, Russell County had been reduced from 3,000 square miles to 483 square miles. Other counties formed from all or part of Russell were Lee, Tazewell, Scott, and Buchanan. A portion of what is now West Virginia was within the original boundaries of Russell County. The county seat, Lebanon, is a vibrant destination for industry and technology.

One

FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS

Gaynelle Albert was well known as a local Russell County historian. She was civic minded and participated in Russell County events. She was involved with the Red Cross Chapter, the Women’s Club, the PTA, the Garden Club, and the Three Arts Club. Albert was active in the First Baptist Church as a pianist, choir director, Sunday school teacher, and singer of hymns. Albert was one of the original founders of the RCPL, which started in a room of the courthouse in Lebanon. In 1932, she started the first Honaker Community Library. After she passed away, Albert’s home was donated to the county. It is now the present-day Honaker Community Library branch of Russell County Public Library. (Courtesy of HHM.)

Charmie McNew was a Blackford railroad agent; with him is Diane Fuller. Diane’s dad, Clarence Fuller, took McNew to church on Sundays. McNew always gave Diane a stick of chewing gum. McNew worked as an agent at the Blackford Railroad Station until 1958, when the station closed. McNew then transferred to the Honaker Railroad Station. The Blackford Depot was built around 1905 by the Barytes Company, named for the mineral it mined. When the company moved out, the Norfolk and Western bought it. They then built pens and loading chutes to haul the cattle, sheep, and turkeys grown locally to markets in other parts of the country. (Courtesy of HHM, provided by Diane Fuller.)

Clarence Fuller first started driving a cab in 1938. In 1939, he purchased his first cab, a Ford, from Naff Wysor. Clarence Fuller always wore a tailor-made suit and had the first air-conditioned taxi in Honaker. He retired from the taxi service in 1986 at the age of 80. His passengers consisted of schoolteachers, schoolchildren, and people coming into town to trade. He would often meet the bus at Oaks Garage to take travelers the remainder of the way to their destination. He would also travel to Abingdon and the Tri-City Airport. Someone said he had “hauled” everyone in the state of Virginia. Locals still tell his kin, “Your dad used to haul me.” (Courtesy of HHM, provided by Diane Fuller.)

Judy Fuller, at the age of seven, gets her hair dried at Fuller’s Beauty Shop. Her parents, Clarence and Bea Fuller, owned the beauty shop while Lily Monk and Delma Hubbard operated it. Delma Hubbard operated the beauty shop for 30 years. (Courtesy of HHM, provided by Diane Fuller.)

Pictured here are Edmundson Went (E. W.) Fields and his wife, Alta Cosby Ferguson Fields. The little guy with them is their grandson, Trigg Fields, who later became the sheriff of Russell County. The picture was taken on Mountain Road in Lebanon in the 1930s. (Courtesy of RCPL, provided by Alma Lester.)

Pictured here are the Boyd triplets. There were two girls and one boy. They lived in Wysor Valley near the old Watson home place near Honaker. The boy was named Luther, one of the girls was named Lucy, and the third sibling’s name is not known. They were born in the early 1920s. (Courtesy of RCPL, provided by Claude E. Griffith.)

Children often played close by, as chores required the immediate attention of parents. This picture was taken in 1922. Notice the fence in the background and the rug on which the child has been lovingly placed. (Courtesy of HHM, provided by Kathleen R. Taylor.)

This picture is of Charlie and Mary Hale, the children of Sam and Lucy Hale. No doubt a little bit anxious about the whole ordeal, these two little ones pose all dressed up for the photograph. (Courtesy of HHM.)

Pictured here looking a little serious yet determined and stately is Samuel Taylor. He is 12 years old in this picture. (Courtesy of HHM, provided by Kathleen R. Taylor.)

Rosa Barrett is seated with her gentleman friend. Notice the lady standing. She is the chaperone, required for young ladies of the day as they courted. (Courtesy of HHM, provided by Kathleen R. Taylor.)

This image is titled “Penn Barrett and friend.” The picture was taken in 1897 in the Honaker area. As was the custom of the day, much of the traveling was done on horseback or mule. Penn Barrett donated a tract of land on which the Penn Barrett School was built. (Courtesy o...

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
• INTRODUCTION
• One - FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS
• Two - STREET SCENES AND LANDSCAPES
• Three - SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES
• Four - AGRICULTURE AND INDUSTRY