Powhatan, WV Story- By Buddy French

RIDING THE "TIME MACHINE" BACK INTO POWHATAN'S HISTORY : BY BUDDY FRENCH

If you have followed me on any of my previous stories about the southern West Virginia coal fields, you know how I like to ride my theoretical "time machine" back into the past. So, if you are a first-time passenger, buckle your seat belts and hang on because we are traveling all the way back to 1889. There should be no complaints about the fare, for where else can you ride this far and at no cost! And you can always get off at any time if you fear the journey.
The Powhatan Coal & Coke Company was incorporated on May 7, 1889, in the coal rich Elkhorn Valley of McDowell County West Virginia. It leased 1,149 acres of the Pocahontas No.3 coal seam that measured six feet nine inches in height. As with so many other southern West Virginia coal mining operations, a native American (Indian) name was used for the coal company and its community's name. The name Powhatan was derived from Chief Powhatan, father of the Indian princes, Pocahontas.
A significant event occurred at Powhatan on Sept. 8, 1915, when the old original wooden tipple caught fire and burned to the ground. This caused mining operations to be suspended until a new more modern steel tipple could be built. Then as the mining operation at Powhatan was nearing the end of its life cycle in 1936, a fire broke out in the tipple oil house on March 9 causing $3,000 dollars in damage, but it didn't cause a suspension of mining operations.

Although the Powhatan Coal & Coke Company had closed down its mining operations in 1937, the community continued to thrive for many years. There was still an abundance of other coal mining jobs in the area and when U. S. route 52 was completed through Powhatan in 1938, it quite literally put Powhatan on the map. As in most coal camp towns, there was generally someone of prominence that everyone in the community knew. That person in Powhatan was Trealy V. Pennington, who was more commonly known as T. V. Pennington. He was born on April 22, 1898, and moved to Powhatan from North Carolina early on in his life. He began working as a coal miner for the Powhatan coal company and later became an office worker. In the early 1930's, he married Miss Wilma Rachel Lowe, who was also from North Carolina. After losing his job with the Powhatan coal company in February, Pennington was appointed as the Powhatan Postmaster on April 30, 1937.
TREALY VINTON PENNINGTON ( 1898-1981 )

By 1940, Pennington had become involved in real estate and was running an ad in the Bluefield paper. For sale, lease or rent. On Princeton/Oakvale Road. Filling station-lunch room, two room house-garage and one acre of land. See T. V. Pennington Powhatan, W. Va.

As best as can be determined, real estate adventures are what led Pennington to building a tavern at Powhatan circa 1941. With the tavern facing the new route 52 highway, he knew this would give his business maximum exposure. Early newspaper articles listed T. V. Pennington as the owner-operator, and it was aptly named Powhatan Tavern. The earliest news reports concerning the Tavern was on April 20, 1943, when a disturbing the peace charge was brought against Charlie Johnson for fighting but the charges were later dismissed.

A catastrophic incident happened near the Powhatan Tavern on June 12, 1946. It was rather ironic that the Powhatan Arrow passenger train wrecked at, that's right, Powhatan! The engine was said to be going no faster than 30 mph on its way east when the wreck occurred. Frank Pinto, a Northfork taxi driver, witnessed the wreck as he was sitting in his taxi very near the railroad. Pinto said the rails appeared to buckle in front of the engine and it suddenly rolled onto its side in a huge cloud of steam. Pinto and three other witnesses rushed to the cab of the engine after the steam had cleared, only to find the engineer and fireman who unfortunately had been scalded to death by the steam.

The Powhatan Tavern had an intense event occur August 27, 1949. It was a Saturday night and Pennington said a man walked into his tavern and stuck a pistol in his back and said, "stick em' up....this is a holdup". Pennington gave the robber $79 and watched as he fled down the railroad behind the tavern. The sheriff's department was informed immediately and in just forty-five minutes, twenty-three-year-old Floyd Bane, was arrested at his uncle's house in the nearby community of Kyle. The stolen money and a thirty-eight pistol were found in his possession.

T. V. Pennington and his wife Rachel attended and were very active members in the Northfork Presbyterian Church. The community news section of the Bluefield paper regularly reported the work they were doing within the church and communities. Pennington had a desire to serve the public in any way he could and was made a member of the board of directors of the National Bank of Northfork. He ran for a legislative seat for McDowell County in 1948 but lost in the general election that November.
As best as can be determined, Mr. Pennington expanded his business circa 1951 when he added a second floor to his Powhatan Tavern. He placed an ad in the Bluefield Daily Telegraph on April 18, 1951 stating; Powhatan Tavern – Rooms for rent. Nightly, Weekly, Monthly Rates – MEALS SERVED – Route 52 – Midway between Welch and Bluefield – Phone 9000 Northfork, W. Va.
With the expansion of a second floor to his Powhatan Tavern, Pennington was gearing up for the travelers on route 52. As the newspaper ad stated, he offered rooms for rent overnight, weekly or monthly, was selling Texaco gas, served food and offered curb service. Over the ensuing years, Pennington's Powhatan Tavern prospered and became a landmark fixture alongside route 52 highway. T. V. and Rachel had one of the nicer homes in Powhatan that was conveniently located just up the street from the tavern and next to the historic Sacred Heart Catholic Church. Their two sons, Trealy Vinton Pennington Jr. and Wallace Lee Pennington were now grown and doing well.

I can only assume that Rachel was looking forward to T. V. Pennington's retirement after his long and successful career. On April 22, 1963, Pennington would be sixty-five. But on April 12, a devastating tragedy struck when Rachel, at the age of just fifty-two, died suddenly of a heart attack.

In June 1963, Pennington began running an ad in the Bluefield paper offering to rent or lease his Powhatan Tavern. The ad continued to appear in the paper until it ended in 1964. It is assumed that Nick Chinsoso took over operating the Powhatan Tavern circa 1967 when an April 13 newspaper article listed him as applying for a liquor license for the Powhatan tavern.
T. V. Pennington did get married again and it was to Tennessee Odell Eastep. They may have been married around 1966 because by June of 1967, and Mrs. T. V. Pennington began appearing in the Powhatan "personals" section of the Bluefield paper. She and V. T were once again heavily involved in church and community work.

In February 1981, T. V. Pennington was admitted to a Welch hospital where he passed away at the age of eighty-one on February 23 after a long illness. His death closed the book on a man's life who was a pillar of Powhatan society; who left a legacy of dedication and service to his community. Pennington's second wife, Tennessee Odell Eastep Pennington, passed away on Nov. 21, 1983, at the age of eighty-three.

This is the end of the line for my "time machine" passengers. I hope you found the trip back to Powhatan, West Virgina's early days interesting. Now, as the famous Paul Harvey used to say, "and now you know….the rest of the story. Good day!

Powhatan is an unincorporated community in McDowell County, West Virginia, United States, located approximately one mile from Northfork. The community probably derived its name from the local Powhatan Coal Company. Wikipedia

TREALY VENTON PENNINGTON POWHATAN INDEX POWHATAN,WV PHOTOGRAPHS - FROM ANOTHER SITE MASTER INDEX ( ENHANCED PHOTOGRAPHS PROVIDED BY : BUDDY FRENCH )