Manuscript-Yula Durrett.

W.Va.

Pocahontas County

Town of Durbin

Mountainous on N.S. and W. narrow valleys N. and S. along Greenbrier River, which marks S. boundary;  fertile narrow valleys reaching back into the hills, area 5 sq. miles; population 1000.

Hills wooded, pine and maple, scrub oak numerous; pasture and sheep grazing, clear running brooks, trout plentiful.  (April, May and June).

Named for Charles Durbin, who originally owned all the land.  The town was incorporated 1905. 

U.S. 250 enters N.W. at West Durbin crossing W. branch of Greenbrier, well designed bridge and approach view from Cheat Mt. above town.  Branch lines of the Chesapeake and Ohio and West Maryland R.R. parallels W. branch of Greenbrier River freight and passenger.  U.S. Forest Service Rnager Station Greenbrier District located in the center of the town.  All hunting and fishing information gratis.  Large graded school.  Me. Ep. and M.E. So. churches.  Pocahontas Tanning Co., (largest in the world).  Frank is the post office for Taning Co.  Wilmoth and Durbin hotels.

Following U.S. 250 one mile from Durbin and Frank is the small town of Bartow.  Name for Gen. Bartow, a confederate general who was killed at the battle of Bull Run.  On December 12, 1861 the battle of Bartow was fought, this was a minor battle of the Civil War.

Here the road forks at the foot of Allegheny Mt. U.S. 250 crosses State 28.  (U.S. 250 is the old Staunton and Parkersburg Turnpike, State 28 is the Old Green Bank Road).  Traveler's Repose, the home of B.B. Beard, located here, used to be a Tavern where the stage coaches changed horses.  Driving over 250, (a new hard surface road) is a beautiful mountainous drive for 17 miles to the Va. state line.

A the forks of the road, if one wishes you can follow the originial Staunton and Parkersburg Turnpike for nine miles.  The old road is still used as a mail route for Staunton to Durbin mail.  At top of the mountain is the old Dunkard Church, built in 1900.  One of the peculiarities of the church, is the pulpit is placed just inside the door and the congregation faces the entrance of the church.

Opposite the church is an old battlefield.  Here the Allegheny Mt. battle was fought Dec. 13, 1861.  The Confederates had a winter camp on top of the mountain for five months with Gen. W. W. Loring and Col. Edward Johnston in command.  You can see piles of stone placed at regular intervals which represent the chimneys of the log cabins, where the soldiers were quartered.  Trenches, fortifications and graves of kthe soldiers, which  is not just mounds  no markers, can be see.  The land is now used for pasture.

Coming back to the forks of the road State 28 follow3s the E. branch of the Greenbrier River.  Three miles from Traveler's Repose is a permanent C.C.C. Camp, Camp Thornwood.  (Camp No. F-6).  The young men in this camp assist in the care of Greenbrier Division of the Monongalia National Forest.  This is an example of a model camp.

Five miles from the camp is the Smoke Camp Tower, manned by Camp Thornwood.  The government road from camp to tower is called Long Run and Smoke Creek Roads.  Continuing on State 28 you drive through the National Forest to Pendleton County line.

Yula Durrett

Would someone please finish hyperlinking this for me?