Oceana, WV History?
Carlos L. Myers
and surrounding areas?
C. Lee
Robert M. Midkiff, Jr.
Myers) wrote:
What do you consider surrounding areas? I grew up in Pineville and my
great-great-grandfather was Andrew J. Mullins, the founder of Mullens
(forgot to dot that "i" on the papers.
Robert
gcol...@marshall.edu
thing to do with some lost young maiden whose name was Anna. In the story
there was the phrase "Oh, see Anna!". The story would put Oceanna in contrast
to the surrounding coal towns of the region who derived their names from the
companies who used to own them. I live about 8 miles down the road at Davin,
so I'll ask around to see what I can find out. In the meantime, I think you
might want to find a book I remember from High School: "West Virginia Place
Names". It is a very old book, so I'm sure it is out of prontxxxx orprint,
that is. It had a very complete history of every place name including how it
was named, the longitude and lattitude, the watershed, etc. BTW, if anyone
out there knows where one could find a copy of this book it would be nice to
know. I used to spend hours in the school library just thumbing through it.
Hope the information helps,
Gregg Collins
Richard E. Lynch
>
>I remember hearing the story behind Oceanna once. As I remember it had some
>thing to do with some lost young maiden whose name was Anna. In the story
>there was the phrase "Oh, see Anna!". The story would put Oceanna in contrast
>to the surrounding coal towns of the region who derived their names from the
>companies who used to own them. I live about 8 miles down the road at Davin,
>so I'll ask around to see what I can find out. In the meantime, I think you
>might want to find a book I remember from High School: "West Virginia Place
>Names". It is a very old book, so I'm sure it is out of prontxxxx orprint,
>that is. It had a very complete history of every place name including how it
>was named, the longitude and lattitude, the watershed, etc. BTW, if anyone
>out there knows where one could find a copy of this book it would be nice to
>know. I used to spend hours in the school library just thumbing through it.
>
I have a copy of this book. I was on a waiting list for over 10 years before
I got it. My copy is dated 1945. It has been out of print for many years.
Place names that were created after 1945 are, of course, not in the book
(e.g. MacArthur, Bradley -- these two communities were the result of
renaming the original communities in honor of WW-II generals).
Here's what I have on Oceana.
Established by legislative enactment in January, 1853.
The name of the place and post office prior to 1853 was Ginseng.
The account of the present name has several different stories.
1) From an Indian word meaning "big buttons" or "level land".
2) From Ocie Anna Cooke, the indian stolen daughter of
Old William Cooke.
Ocie is a frequent pioneer name.
3) From Miss Ocie Painter.
4) From Ocie Mouse the daughter of Adam B. Mouse. (from a pamplet
by C. D. Wells, 1853).
5) West Virginia A Guide (p 465) gives the dubious explanation that
"...; in 1855 Thomas Dunn English...persuaded the county court
to change the name to Oceana in honor of the youngest daughter
or Chief Cornstalk...". This source indicates that it was originally
known as Cassville, and later Sumpterville.
-Rich (all typos are mine)
CATEACH SC
Cook family from which I descend. John Cooke came from Narrows, Va. to
the Big Bottom area near Clear Fork. On the land of his son William,
Wyoming County was created. William was married to Catherine Stewart,
daughter of Ralph, who settled a few miles from the Cook(e) homestead.
Thomas Cooke married Ellen Riggins--she came as the first bride to the
county. The town of Oceana got its start when 14 justices met to organize
in the home of John Cooke--gathered there were representatives of the
Bailey, Stewart, McDonald, McKinney, Sizemore, Godfrey, Howerton, Shannon,
Gore, and Brooks family. James P Christian--of Logan--administered the
oath--he also wrote "Grandfather's Clock" First court was held at
William's home., who donated the acre for first courthouse, area named
Cassville, for Lewis Cass, then renamed Sumpterville, then according to
folk legend, Thomas D. English in 1853 persuaded them to change the name
to Oceana to honor Chief Cornstalk's daughter. After many years and
bitter arguments, courthouse was moved to Pineville in 1907 by popular
vote. Oceana town burned in same year.
Hope this was not all old news to you. I just happened to have this info
out today because I enjoy doing genealogy as an occasional passion. I
also happen to be carrying the names of these people. I was a Catherine
Cook, (e dropped around 1800) who was born to a Ralph Cook--it's funny how
two hundred years before that Catherine Stewart, daughter of Ralph
Stewart, married William Cook and became a Catherine Stewart. My father
died when I was 13. My mother married again. My step-father's name??
Stewart! I was related to him; my mother was not. Odd, how life circles.
Cathy
CATEACH SC
describes as the original "being between a rock and a hard place" since
the Guyandotte River Bank was my back yard when the river knew to stay on
the other side (which it often didn't). I was a Cook (e) from the William
Cooke and Catherine (Kate) Stewart line. My husband also thinks that is
somewhat significant ranking unfortunately, light years away from the
Colonial Dames or Descendents of the Mayflower Society lists. He also
often teases me about "crawling out from under a rock somewhere." I think
he's only "jealous," since he has the distinction of being from Brenton,
WV, a "suburb of what once was Baileysville and is now RD Bailey Lake!
Cathy