Classroom

The town of Milton was incorporated on the 16th of September, 1876.&nbsp; It was originally named for a wealthy landowner and the town's first postmaster, a Mr. Milton Reese.&nbsp; Milton is home to the Mud River Covered Bridge Local landmark.&nbsp; In the early twentieth century, natural gas and oil were discovered in the area.&nbsp; This discovery led to the creation of Blenko Glass in 1921.&nbsp; The decision to create the business in this area was in order to capitalize on these natural resources.&nbsp; The company is still in business and creates a product that is known throughout the area and beyond.&nbsp; One landmark of the township of Milton was the "Morris Memorial Hospital for Crippled Children."&nbsp; This was originally built in 1936 on land owned by Walter Morris.&nbsp; He deeded the land to the Huntington Orthopedic Hospital.&nbsp; The hospital served not only the state, but also the United States and even Canada, treating close to 10,000 patients before it closed its doors in 1960.&nbsp; From 1961 until 2009 the building served as the Morris Memorial Nursing Home.&nbsp; It is currently being converted into a one-hundred room hotel.&nbsp; This hotel's facility will include a golf course, amphitheater, horse trails, a wedding chapel with seating for 250, a gym, and soccer fields. &nbsp;

The survey of the township of Milton began here in 1872.  The township's founder, David Harshbarger, later built his residence on this lot of land.  Named for Milton Reese, a large landowner as well as the town's first postmaster, Milton became an incorporated town in 1876 with Captain J.R. Burke as its first mayor.  

Harshbarger Corner

This short driving tour begins at the location of Morris Memorial Hospital which provided medical care for hundreds of children between 1936 and 1960. The trail continues to Milton's historic Mud River Covered Bridge in the city's famous Pumpkin Park followed by a stop at Blenko Glass. The tour also includes the public library, the former home of Mountaineer Opry House, several historic buildings and markers, and static displays of historic military equipment. The tour concludes with the grave of Sampson Sanders who freed each of his slaves and provided funds for them to acquire both land and freedom. Please note that the Sanders grave is located on private property that requires permission before anyone can visit the site. The landowners are happy to allow visitors with advance notice. 

In 1928 local farmer Walter T. Morris made a promise: if his great-nephew could recover from osteomyelitis, a bone marrow condition that caused paralysis, he would donate his entire farm to the Huntington Orthopedic Hospital. John Morris' condition seemed hopeless, but under the care&nbsp;of Huntington physician&nbsp;Shade Jones, his condition&nbsp;improved. When young John was able to walk again, his uncle made good on his promise, giving his 200-acre farm to the hospital for the creation of a special hospital for crippled children. The property included a farm that made the hospital largely self-sufficient. Thirty on-site milk cows produced dairy products for the patients and staff. Large vegetable gardens provided staff and patients with food and extra income through sale of surplus.

Construction on the hospital began in 1936 and finished in 1941. Though the hospital's capacity was 125, in 1949 there were 176 admitted patients, the majority of which were polio victims. The large hospital kitchen produced three meals a day and canned, froze, and preserved the garden crops for use through the winter. The hospital maintained two large outdoor pools and one small indoor salt water pool because water therapy was a recommended treatment for polio. The salt water was pumped from deep wells on the hospital grounds and was then heated to body temperature. Over time, the treatment proved helpful because of the high buoyancy of the water and daily physical activity of the patients. The hospital also included weight rooms and a lab.

The Morris Memorial Hospital was known for its use of iron lungs. Iron lungs are machines that allowed polio victims to breathe and were very critical for their care. The hospital used eight of these 800-pounds machines, including one specialized for infants.&nbsp;If the electricity went out, the facility had an on-site generator to power the life-saving machines. If needed, nurses hand-pumped the lungs to maintain the patients’ respiration.

Morris Memorial Hospital also included an on-site school to continue the children's educations. Children participated in many activities such as basket making, weaving, sewing, carving, and woodworking. The hospital provided open swim for fun and exercise.

Morris Memorial closed as a children's hospital in April 1960 after treating nearly 10,000 patients during the years it operated. It remained closed until 1961 when the City of Milton leased the facility to the Morris Memorial Nursing Home, which closed in 2009. The property is currently abandoned, and the city of Milton is hopeful that it might once again be used to aid the sick, this time as a place for recovery from drug addiction.&nbsp;

Morris Memorial Hospital was made possible by a donation from a local farmer who made good on a promise to donate his entire estate if his great-nephew recovered from paralysis. The hospital was devoted to children’s health and became one of the premiere hospitals for treatment of polio. Constructed in 1936, the hospital was also a self-sufficient farm and produced food in surplus. Patients were treated with innovative methods such as hydrotherapy in outdoor, indoor, and whirlpools. The facility also had its own blood bank, x-ray machine, operating room, and iron lungs. When it closed in 1960, the Morris Memorial Hospital had treated nearly 10,000 patients. The hospital included a library and several classrooms, with teachers from the Cabell County schools offering a complete curriculum from kindergarten to high school.

Morris Memorial Hospital for Crippled Children (1936-1960)

The Union Baptist Church was officially organized in 1810, but church history claims informal meetings as early as 1788, soon after the James River and Kanawha Turnpike was completed. The Turnpike connected Richmond to the Ohio River. The church is still located at its original site on a small hill just above a ford of the Mud River. By the Civil War period, an of an early covered bridge crossed Mud River at the ford.	Union Troops were ordered to defend "Mud Bridge" during the Civil War. Those troops were quartered at church which they left in 'shambles'. The church still preserves the bullet holes and bayonet marks left on the walls. The soldiers all contracted measles and were confined to the church for several weeks.	Across the road from the church lay the Jorden Cemetery. James Jorden, Sr. was a Revolutionary Soldier buried here in 1810. His wife Sarah lies beside him.The old church had a gallery for slaves. Around church grounds earthworks from the Union encampment are still slightly visible. The earthworks can be best seen in person when on church grounds. No photo of slave gallery can be found online but remarks in several Cabell County documents refer to the gallery.	At the time of the Civil War, the community of Mud Bridge lay near the Mud River Ford. About 1890, the C &amp; O Railroad moved their tracks and the little community moved across the River and the town of Milton was born.

The Union Baptist Church in eastern Cabell County stands beside Mud River and the Old James River and Kanawha Turnpike which connected Tidewater Virginia on the Atlantic Ocean to the Ohio River Valley. About 1810 Ministers John Lee and John Alderson helped early members such as Revolutionary War veteran, James Jorden and family organize the Church. The Church was situated near a covered bridge across Mud River, and during the Civil War the church building served as a barrack for soldiers. The poor soldiers suffered from an out break of measles as well as numerous attacks. Bullet marks  showed in the brick walls for many years. (The church is a mile south and east of Milton, West Virginia on the south side of James River Road.)

Union Baptist Church and the Jorden Cemetery of Cabell County, Virginia/West Virginia

Covered bridges originated in Europe centuries ago and were an important component of the West Virginian landscape for many years. They were built over rivers and streams to create quicker, safer, and more reliable transportation routes. These simple structures were made with timber with triangular trusses for support. They were enclosed with walls and roofs to protect the bridges from the elements. Hundreds of covered bridges once existed throughout West Virginia, with most of them on turnpikes. Today only 17 survive, including the Mud River Covered Bridge.The small town of Milton began growing steadily in the 1870s after the arrival of the Chesapeake &amp; Ohio Railroad. To accommodate the increasing flow of traffic, the Cabell County Court commissioned the construction of a covered bridge to cross the Mud River in 1874. R. H. Baker secured the contract to construct the bridge, and work was completed by 1876. Milton was formally incorporated that same year. The fourteen foot wide, 112-foot long bridge is described as a Howe truss bridge. The style was developed in the early 1840s by William Howe, who included innovations such as a central arch, X-shaped trusses, and iron tie rods for additional support. The Mud River covered bridge greatly improved the quality of transportation in central Cabell County; it was heavily used by town residents, farmers, and travelers. It supported foot traffic, wagons, and later even automobiles.For nearly a century the bridge survived with only minimal repairs and maintenance. Finally the bridge’s deteriorating condition led the West Virginia Department of Transportation to undertake a restoration project in 1971. Some beams were replaced, and steel girders were installed underneath for increased support; the original appearance was mostly maintained. Despite the improvements, the covered bridge was unable to keep up with the weight of modern traffic, and in 1985 use of the bridge was restricted to pedestrians only. It finally closed in 1996 and was moved a mile southeast for intended restorations. Work was delayed until 2001 when the bridge was moved to a pond at Pumpkin Park. Ahern &amp; Associates Inc. conducted a $900,000 renovation of the bridge, strengthening it while also ensuring that it retained its original appearance. Today the covered bridge is open to the public for pedestrian traffic only. A nearby historical marker commemorates the bridge.

The Mud River Covered Bridge in Milton is one of seventeen surviving covered bridges in West Virginia. It is also the last Howe truss style covered bridge in the state. The fourteen-foot wide, 112-foot long structure was built over the Mud River around 1876 to accommodate increased traffic and commerce in the community. The bridge underwent few changes until a restoration project by the West Virginia Department of Transportation in 1971. In 2001, the bridge was moved to its current location on a pond in Pumpkin Park, the annual host of both the West Virginia Pumpkin Festival and the Cabell County Fair. The covered bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.

Mud River Covered Bridge

Glass
making was historically a major industry in West Virginia. An abundance of cheap
natural gas and glass sand made the state an ideal location for glass
production. The industry began to develop in earnest at the end of the
nineteenth century as the construction of railroads made West Virginia more accessible
to the rest of the country. Hundreds of glass companies opened across the
state, manufacturing products such as bottles, tableware, and windows. At its
peak around 1910 glass factories employed 7,500 workers in West Virginia,
making it the fourth-largest industry in the state. 

William
John Blenko was born in London, England in 1854. He received training as a
glass maker and set up a small business making glass pieces himself. In 1893 he
immigrated to the United States and opened a stained glass factory in Kokomo,
Indiana. The business failed, apparently because American window companies
preferred European stained glass over domestic products, and Blenko went back
to England. Blenko returned to the United States in 1899 and attempted to run
glass factories in Point Marion, Pennsylvania, and Clarksburg, West Virginia. In
1921 he opened his final factory in Milton. Reportedly he was attracted to the
town due to its close proximity to the Chesapeake &amp; Ohio Railway as well as
the cheap price of natural gas. 

The
Blenko Glass Company, originally named the Eureka Art Glass Company, initially
specialized in producing stained glass. Examples of Blenko stained glass can be
found today in the U.S. Air Force Academy Chapel, the Heinz Chapel at the
University of Pittsburgh, the National Cathedral in Washington D.C., and the
Cathedral of Rheims in France. During the early 1930s the company was hit hard
by the effects of the Great Depression. In order for his company to survive,
William Blenko decided to diversify its products. Two glass craftsmen from
Sweden were hired to train the employees in making different glass pieces. Soon
the company was manufacturing a variety of glass tableware and decorative
pieces. By the 1940s Blenko Glass had developed a national reputation, and was
featured in publications including National
Geographic and Time magazine. 

Today
the Blenko Glass Company remains owned and operated by descendants of William
Blenko. It is one of only four glass factories remaining in West Virginia, and
survives primarily by selling decorative pieces. They remain popular collectors’
items. Blenko also makes special orders, such as the glass trophies for the
Country Music Awards. The glass factory has become a local tourist attraction
in Milton; it contains a visitor’s center, gift shop, and a museum of glass
pieces from throughout the company’s history. On weekdays tours of the factory
are offered, where visitors can view workers making hand-blown glass. Blenko
also offers glass-making classes on occasion, and hosts an annual Festival of
Glass.

The Blenko Glass Company is one of a handful of glass factories remaining from what was once one of the largest industries in West Virginia. The company was founded in 1921 by British-born glass maker William Blenko, who had several previous unsuccessful glass ventures across the country. Blenko Glass survived the Great Depression by diversifying to make decorative pieces, which remain a staple of the company. It has survived the decline of the glass industry and today is a popular regional attraction. Blenko offers daily tours of the factory and features a glass museum and gift shop. 


Blenko Glass Company

Bluegrass music was developed in the 1930s by Kentucky
mandolinist Bill Monroe. It was an adaptation of the old-time string band, a
style of music popular in Appalachia, mixed with southern blues, gospel, and
jazz influences. Bands often feature a combination of a guitar, mandolin,
banjo, fiddle, bass fiddle, and a dulcimer paired with close vocal harmonies. To
this day, bluegrass is popular with many, old and young, throughout Appalachia and
the nation. 

Mountaineer Opry House first opened its doors on July 15,
1972. The Opery house was the idea of Paul King, who had worked as a chemical
truck driver, a pastry baker, and had owned a grocery store and show horses.
However, King has little experience with music. Therefore he enlisted the help
of a man named Eck Gibson to get the Opry house running. Gibson worked as a
Blacksmith for the railroad and was also the leader of a local bluegrass band
named the Mountain Ramblers. Gibson’s band featured himself and a host of
colorful characters like “Shorty” Ross and “The Banjo Man from Turkey Creek”. 

King Modeled the Mountaineer Opry House off the famous Grand
Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee. In order to better mimic the Grand Ole Opry,
King enlisted the help of local television news anchors Ton Zalaski and Jim
Roberts to be the masters of ceremonies. Often these two men would be a show
all on their own. The Mountaineer Opry House is divided into two sections by an
isle down the middle of the room. These two personalities would often each pick
a section and bet a penny on which could get their side to cheer the loudest or
laugh the hardest. 

In the early years, crowds gathered on the small stage to hear
local bands play. These bands often performed for very little money or often
for free. The Mountain Ramblers, the West Virginia Gentlemen, the Teays Valley
Boys, the Outdoor Plumbing Company, Frog and the Greenhorns, the Sons of
Bluegrass, the Kanawha Valley Boys, the Laurel Mountain Boys, and Bloomin’
Grass were some of the local bluegrass bands that frequented the stage in the
early years of the opry. Local country-western band like Gwen’s Country
Jubilee, Denny and Phyllis Crisp, and Randy Mallory and the Country Overtones
also performed at the Mountaineer Opry House. A number of nationally recognized bluegrass performers such as the Grascals, Ralph Stanley, and Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver played there as well.

In 2018 the building rented out to the Mountaineer Opry House was sold to Valley Health, a local medical provider. Soon afterwards it was announced that the Mountaineer Opry would close to make way for a new medical center. It held its last show on June 2, 2018 with over twenty musicians and bands performing.&nbsp;

The Mountaineer Opry House was a local bluegrass music venue in Milton, West Virginia. The Opry House was founded by Paul King in 1972 and modeled off the famous Grande Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee. Almost every weekend for over forty years it provided a stage for both local and nationally recognized bands. In 2016 the Mountaineer Opry House closed after the building it operated in was sold to a local medical provider. 

Mountaineer Opry House (1972-2018)

The town of Milton was established on September 16, 1876,&nbsp;and was incorporated and named in honor of John Milton Rece, one of the largest landowners at the time. During the early 1900s, oil and gas were discovered in the area, but it was primarily&nbsp;known for its fertile farmlands. One of the city's iconic landmarks is the Blenko glass factory, which was established in 1922. It is the only glass company in the state, and it currently employs approximately 60 workers. Another prominent landmark is The Union Baptist church which was founded in 1809. This church bears the scars of the Civil War, as is evidenced by the numerous bullet holes in its structure.&nbsp;In October 1904, twenty- six members of the community pooled their resources together, bought a piece of land, located&nbsp;at the corner of Canton Avenue &amp; Redesdale&nbsp;Road and donated it to the town of Milton for a library, however,&nbsp;the library was never built at that location. The first officers of the Women’s Club of Milton founded this library on December 6th, 1927 with the main objectives of attracting young readers. Initially,&nbsp;the library was housed in the United Methodist Church on Smith Street, and had a collection of 105 books.&nbsp;From 1967 to 1991, Elizabeth Toney Reese was the manager of the Milton Branch, and the staff members were Rick Wilson, Helen Pancake, Deloris Arthur,&nbsp;and Pat Wallace- McGhee who served the public with enthusiasm. On October 5, 1971, there was a groundbreaking ceremony for the new library building. The event attracted&nbsp;many residents of the community, including, a little Chris Crookshanks who was excited to&nbsp;be an active&nbsp;participant in the ground baking event. The new building was dedicated on November 8th,1981. As the population grew, they added 4,000 square feet at the rear of the stack wing. &nbsp;In 1988, significant improvements were made to assist handicapped access. The children’s room was refurbished with new lighting, stacks, and carpet; the desk and office area was also added.The Milton Library currently has over 47,000 items including books, magazines, Blue Rays, DVD, CD Music, Audiobooks, and computer terminals with access to the internet. In addition, the library also provides fax services, copy services, and notary&nbsp;services. The library makes&nbsp;rooms available for conferences. Milton library also offers summer programs for students during their lengthy vacation and 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten.

 Milton Public Library is a warm and cozy environment, and a gathering place that is inviting to those who have a passion and love for reading. This library is accessible to everyone within the community. The Milton Public Library is a part of the Cabell County library system which is comprised of seven branches. Milton Library was the third to join the network. This network of libraries serves about 97,000 residents in Huntington, Barboursville, and Milton.

Milton Public Library

The F-86 was manufactured in North America from 1949-1953. A total of 256 were produced. The Aircraft had a top speed of 760mph and a range of up to 800 miles. With a overall length of 40' 4" and a width of 37' 1" standing at 15' tall. The aircraft could hold 24 2.7" rockets and weighed 19,995 pounds when fully loaded. This F-86 in particular was originally assigned to the 83rd Fighter Interceptor Squadron at Paine Air Force Base in Washington. It was then converted to an F-86L at McClellan AFB in California in August of 1954. Then in August of 1957 it was sent to Moody AFB in Georgia as a training vessel for the 350th Combat Crew.&nbsp; The plane was retired in in November of 1960 and eventually donated to the town of million to serve as a monument in a roadside memorial on December 28th 1960. However when donated to the town of Milton the Air Force archives misspelled Milton and show Multon West Virginia in the logbooks.&nbsp; The very first 5"/25 caliber wet mount model identical to Milton's&nbsp;was put into action in February 1944, it was intended to be utilized on large submarines that had minimum space for extra artillery. The first 5"/25 wet mount was to be mounted abroad the SS 441 in 1944. The gun and its mount&nbsp;were designed to use minimal installment and have a low silhouette. This made the gun and its mounting system&nbsp;highly desirable. At the time, the demand for such a gun was in high numbers. Able to be added to a fleet with very little maneuvering involved. It was approximated that there would need to be around 441 assemblies needed for new production submarines&nbsp;and submarines already in service. Although the plan was to provide over 400, during 1944 a total of 119 assemblies were delivered, 50 of which were utilized on submarines that at the time were in action.&nbsp; Although the model you see photographed here was an early 40's production, this was not first design of a gun this style. These guns were known as dual purpose weopns, for air and land targets. Between the 1920s and 1940s a manufacturer by the name of Herringhall-Marvin Safe Company made models somewhat identical to the model later made in the 40's by The Bureau Ordinance. The same model was used on USS Bowfin in Pearl Harbor.&nbsp;

This static display of historic military equipment includes a F-86 D Interceptor that was donated to the town of Milton by the Air Force for the purpose of a static display. The F-86 was used by 36 different countries and was used heavily during the Korean and Vietnam wars. Next to the F-86 is a 5"/25 MK 40 wet mount gun designed by The Bureau of Ordnance in 1942 and used by naval ships in World War II. W. The gun has a range of a little over 14,000 yards when fully elevated at 40 degrees and was able to be depressed to a minimum of -10 degrees. When completed assembled the gun weighed a total of 14,000 pounds.

Milton Blue Star Highway Marker and Military History Park

From the West Virginia Encyclopedia: "Following his father’s death in 1802, and with the advice and guidance of his mother, Sampson Sanders built his inheritance into the largest land holding in Cabell County. He owned large acreages on the Guyandotte and Mud rivers east of Barboursville and the largest flour mill in Cabell County. At his death, Sanders owned at least 51 slave adults and children, one of the largest slave holdings in Western Virginia. By his will in 1849, all his slaves were freed regardless of age. They also were given cash, equipment, and legal assistance to start new lives. They migrated northward as a group, settling in Cass County, Michigan, where descendants live today. Most of these families retained the Sanders name as their own."1

In the 1840s, Sampson Sanders decided that he wanted to manumit every one of his 51 slaves and also provide money, equipment, and land in Cass County, Michigan so that they might truly become free. The decision required years of planning and cost Sanders most of his substantial fortune. This gravestone marks the final resting place of Sampson Sanders.

Milton West Virginia Heritage Trail

Harshbarger Corner

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources