Our Town (Kenova) Multi-Cache
oldnavy59: Too many Hobos and to much trash decided to put this one to bed
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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A three part multi that takes you around "Our Town"
1st stage is a micro with a logbook and a card for coords to the
2nd stage. 2nd stage is a small with room for small trade items
small TB's or geocoins and coords for the 3rd stage are written
inside the lid and in the logbook. The first 2 stages are easy park
and grabs but beware of muggles. The 3rd stage is regular in size
and is a little harder which is the reason for the higher terrain
rating and difficulty rating.
Click To Rate This Cache
KENOVA WEST VIRGINIA Lets go to 1858. A town had been planned and
laid out. It was to be called Morganza, after the Morgan family who
owned it. (A copy of the plan and layout of the proposed town of
Morganza is on display in the Kenova City Hall). However, the
proposed town never materialized. In 1888, Emily Morgan, Fanny
Morgan Porter and her husband, Edwin L. Porter, conveyed the entire
tract by deed to John H. Dingee. John H. Dingee was a private
banker from Philadelphia, who helped finance the construction of
the Norfolk and Western Railway Company to the Ohio River and
beyond. Dingee was part of a group who founded new towns along the
new extensions of the Norfolk and Western Railway Company. It was
evident to Dingee that the Norfolk and Western Railway Company was
about to extend to “Virginia Point,” which was now part of the
State of West Virginia. In Philadelphia, Dingee had met L. T. Peck,
an agent for the Louisville and Nashville Railroad. Peck was in
Philadelphia on business. The two agreed to develop a new town
along the new Norfolk & Western Railway Extension. L. T. Peck
arrived in 1889. For a few months, he resided in Ceredo (a 23
year-old town of approximately 300 inhabitants). However, his plan
was to build a new City at “the place where the Norfolk and Western
Railway Company proposed to build the first bridge above Cincinnati
across the Ohio River.” This place was west of the town of Ceredo.
In searching for a name for his new City, L. T. Peck sent three
suggestions to the Philadelphia office: (1) Kimball (in honor of
the President of the N & W Railroad); Chattarawha (the Indian
name for the Big Sandy); and (3) Kenova (a derivation of the three
adjoining states . . . Kentucky, Ohio and Virginia). Kenova was the
name chosen for the new City. In 1889, the stage was clearly set
for Kenova to be strictly a railroad City. The N & W Railway
assured Peck that it would build both the bridge across the Ohio
River and a huge coal tipple to transfer coal from cars to barges
for shipment down the Ohio River. The N & W Railway further
assured Peck that it would locate its railroad shops in Kenova. In
1890, Peck and his associates caused a thick forest to be cleared,
which existed between 12th and 17th Streets and Walnut Street and
the hills (now known as Barger Hill and Robin Hills). At that time,
the woodland was unbroken, except for the Chesapeake and Ohio
Railway that ran east and west creating the appearance of a
"tunnel" midway through the forest. (The C & O had extended
through Kenova in 1879). In blasting some of the high ground, the
workers found Indian bones and relics. When the work was completed,
the streets running east and west were named for trees, and those
running north and south were numbered. The map of the City was
divided into plats numbered 1-5. All of these references are still
used to this day. From 1889 to 1892, Kenova was a bustling young
town with bright prospects and plentiful work. The Railway was
completed to Kenova, and the work on the bridge over the Ohio River
had begun. Construction was begun on a proposed five-story brick
and stone complex to be called the "Glenwood Inn." The structure
was to cost approximately $100,000.00. (It would be interesting to
know what $100,000 in 1890 equates to in 2002). The hotel would be
the second constructed in Kenova. To say the least, Kenova was on
the move. There was a rush of engineers, firemen, conductors,
brakemen, switchmen, signalmen and others who had to have a place
to live. Some lived in Ceredo, but many built dwellings in Kenova.
(For many years, the only street from Ceredo to Kenova was Beech
Street, which was oftentimes impassable). The N & W Railway
bought several houses located in Radford, Virginia, which were
razed and moved to various locations in Kenova. Also in 1890, the
first bank was located in Kenova (Kenova Loan and Trust Company).
The first church was located in Kenova (Grace Episcopal Church),
and the church building had been moved to Kenova from an abandoned
town (Volcano, West Virginia). The church was organized by L. T.
Peck and C. C. Coe, Kenova's first Mayor. The first documented
school building was a four-room schoolhouse built in the 1100 Block
of Poplar Street. (There is a tradition that the first schoolhouse
in the entire Ceredo District was built in 1813 on Virginia Point,
near the house of Stephen Kelly. However, there are no records to
substantiate the story.) In 1892, the first bridge above Cincinnati
across the Ohio River was completed. Also in 1892, the Baltimore
and Ohio Railway Company extended its line from Huntington to
Kenova, making Kenova the connection point for the C & O, the N
& W and the B & O Railways. More coal passed through Kenova
than any other City in the world. Kenova was a railroad town. L. T.
Peck’s dreams were coming true. However, the City of Kenova
founders soon experienced a serious setback when they learned that
Collis P. Huntington decided to make his City several miles to the
east of Kenova. At that time, Huntington was a City of only 6,000,
with primitive improvements. The N & W assured Kenova, however,
that it would place its shops and division terminal in Kenova.
Kenova’s hopes were revived, albeit briefly. In 1893, the N & W
Railway Company went into the hands of a receiver, and it was
decided that only the most vitally essential work would be
conducted in Kenova. The Panic of 1893 caused a stock market
collapse, and L. T. Peck was searching for answers. Kenova
responded. In 1894, two landmark events occurred in Kenova . . .
the magnificent Union Station was built and Kenova was incorporated
and issued a charter by the West Virginia Legislature. A town
meeting was called on August 2, 1894. City Officials were chosen to
serve until their successors could be duly elected. C. C. Coe was
chosen as the first Mayor. L. T. Peck, J. Kelly, Sr., E. D. Kelly
and C. H. Stepp were chosen as Councilmen. W. P. Slaughter was
chosen as Clerk. All corporate powers of the City were held by the
Mayor and the four council members, collectively, with the Mayor
being responsible for the oversight of the day-to-day activities of
the City. (The City of Kenova operated under this form of
government for ninety-two (92) years, until the Charter was changed
in 1986). Being the connection point for the C & O, N & W
and B & O Railways, Kenova could not help but progress during
the 1890s. Several stores and businesses developed to serve the
fast growing community. In 1892, the R. Ney Williams Drugstore
opened. Since that time, the business has been housed in three
different locations. The R. Ney Williams Drugstore, now known as
the Griffith & Feil Pharmacy, is currently located at 1405
Chestnut Street. This thriving business is the oldest continuously
operated business in the City of Kenova, celebrating its 110th
birthday in 2002. While Kenova was progressing, the N & W
Railway Company continued to struggle. In 1900, the N & W
secured through freight facilities to Cincinnati by way of
Portsmouth, Ohio, thus eliminating the need of shipping coal by
barge. This was a devastating blow to Kenova and its founder, L. T.
Peck. Because of his disappointment in his City’s growth, L. T.
Peck left Kenova in 1901 and accepted a banking position in
Honolulu, Hawaii. L. T. Peck died in Hawaii, on March 16, 1941
(approximately 9 months prior to the surprise attack on Pearl
Harbor). In 1901, the Camden Interstate Electric Railway was put
into operation, and Kenova residents had another option of travel
to Huntington. The line was later changed to the Ohio Valley
Electric Railway Company, which eventually pulled up its tracks and
yielded to the modern day bus systems. (It is noteworthy that
Camden Park was named for Johnson Newlon Camden, the owner of the
Camden Interstate Electric Railway. Camden Park opened in 1906.).
In December of 1903, the N & W moved its terminal and shops to
Portsmouth, Ohio. This was yet another blow to Kenova's hopes and
dreams, and progress was stymied. In 1907, John H. Dingee sold all
of his holdings in Kenova and outlying districts to Frederick M.
Leonard, who in turn sold to the Kenova-Huntington Land Co. Despite
adversity, Kenova gradually attracted new businesses. In 1902, the
Breece Veneer Company was started to manufacture buggy and wagon
wheel spokes. In 1904, the Green Bag Cement Company and the Kenova
Hardwood Flooring Company began. In 1908, the Minter Homes Company
was opened. In 1909, the Kenova Box Company began. Like the R. Ney
Williams Drugstore, the Kenova Box Company has changed location
over time. However, its name has remained the same and it continues
to successfully operate as a thriving family owned business to this
day. The Kenova Box Company is the second oldest continuously
operated business in the City of Kenova, celebrating its 93rd
birthday in 2002. Adversity continued in Kenova. In 1910, the
four-room schoolhouse in Kenova burnt to the ground. It was
immediately rebuilt as a two-story structure at the corner of 14th
and Poplar Streets. An addition was built in 1926, and the facility
remains open to this day as the Kenova Elementary School. In 1913,
the Kenova community was struck by floodwaters. Kenova responded
with new businesses and new buildings. Growing its economy despite
adversity and disappointment. Kenova was clearly a very
strategically located community for river and rail, not to mention
its natural beauty. The Parsley Saw Mill opened in 1913, which
later became the Kenova Saw Mill. The Lambert Milling Company
opened in 1915, producing mixed feeds for dairy cows, chickens,
hogs and horses. One of the largest industrial plants to locate and
operate in Kenova came in 1917, and was known as the Jeffrey-Dewitt
Insulator Corporation. The new company replaced a former steel
plant at Beech and 23rd Streets. The plant was part of the Champion
Spark Plugs Company of Toledo, Ohio, manufacturing high voltage
porcelain insulators and transmission hardware used by public
utility companies. In 1918, the Kenova Movie Theatre opened. In
1922, the Rollins Funeral Home opened in Kenova. The Rollins
Funeral Home continues to operate a thriving family-owned business
to this day, making it the third oldest continuously operated
business in the City of Kenova. The Kenova Ice Company was built in
the early 1920s, and was subsequently occupied by the Borden Ice
Cream Company in 1926. Dreamland Pool was built in 1927, and new
amusements were added for many years thereafter. A spacious dance
pavilion was built on the roof of the locker and checkrooms in
1940, called “The Sky Line Roof.” The very best orchestras and
entertainers were employed, and they attracted large crowds to the
open-air pavilion from all over the tri-state region. The
Huntington Hardwood Company moved into Kenova in 1929. The Wayne
County Press began publication in Kenova in 1929. The editor was
John T. Hereford, Jr., who later served as Mayor of Kenova in 1935,
1937 and 1947. In 1933, the Kenova branch of the Wood-Mosaic
Company was founded, and the Al. J. Boehm Walnut Company began in
1936. The predecessor of the Booth Coal Company was founded in the
1930s by Alex Booth, Sr. Mr. Booth was instrumental in the founding
of the Kenova Terminal Company, which still exists today. The J. P.
Hamer Lumber Company began in 1940. J. P. Hamer’s son, Jim C.
Hamer, continues to operate a thriving lumber business in Kenova to
this day. Kenova has been the home of many doctors and dentists,
and even one hospital. The first doctors to live in Kenova were Dr.
T. N. Goff and Dr. James F. York, who moved to Kenova from Louisa,
Kentucky. The Rife-Ferguson Hospital opened in Kenova in 1924,
being the only hospital in Wayne County. The hospital was closed in
1956. As Kenova’s population continued to grow, more schools were
needed. In 1921, a six-room brick structure was built at Ferndale.
Also in 1921, a three-story structure was built to the house the
Ceredo-Kenova High School, which was being moved from Ceredo to
Kenova. During the 1920s and 1930s, as many as 30 passenger trains
a day passed through or originated in Kenova. Despite the fact that
the dreams of the founders never materialized, Kenova was bustling.
Then, tragedy struck again. In 1937, Kenova the floodwaters ravaged
the river community again. Unlike Ceredo, Kenova was not totally
submerged. Nonetheless, the damage was immense. Kenova responded
and so did the Norfolk & Western Railway Company. The N & W
had planned for such an emergency when the viaduct approach to the
bridge had been built in 1892. The tracks of all other railway
companies were submerged. So, it was the N & W trains which
moved the homeless from Kenova to places of safety and better
hospitals. The industrial plants of Kenova suffered the greatest
losses, as most of them were built near the Ohio and Big Sandy
Rivers. Six plants were located on the “Old Virginia Point.” Again,
despite the devastation and adversity, Kenova responded. Several
more landmark improvements were to be seen in Kenova over the next
few decades: the underpass (1937); the United States Post Office
Building (1939); the flood wall (1940); and the War Memorial
Building (1950). Kenova’s economy continued its steadfast way.
Countless retail shops, grocery businesses, taverns and restaurants
came and went in Kenova. Some stayed longer than others. Ashland
Oil built tank farms, and maintains the mammoth storage tanks in
the City of Kenova to this day (now Marathon Ashland Petroleum
Company). In the 1950s and 1960s, Kenova’s emphasis seemed to
become intensely focused on its high school. The Ceredo-Kenova High
School had grown steadily since being opened in 1921. The
extra-curricular programs for the youth were filled to capacity.
The award winning marching band and sports teams exemplified the
tremendous pride the communities had in their school. It was all
about the C-K Wonders for the next several decades. The marching
band expanded to more than two hundred members, and the varsity
football team was nearly one hundred at times. Not only were they
big in number, they were successful to unimaginable levels. To this
day, the C-K Wonders have won more state football championships
than any other school in the history of the State of West Virginia.
Kenova was no longer focused on the railroad, it was all about
football. The C-K Wonders were so frequently in the State football
playoffs and championship games that the other schools around the
state believed you had to travel through Kenova to get to
Charleston (the site of all state football championship games at
one time). For nearly three decades, the primary focus of nearly
every community-based organization in Kenova was focused on C-K
High School and its success. Whether it was supporters of sports,
music or scholastics, it was all about C-K High School. The
churches maintained a steady position in the community, as did the
businesses. But, quite honestly, everything in the community seemed
to circulate around C-K High School. During the same three decades
(1960-1990), Kenova suffered several devastating blows. The
Dreamland Pool pavilion was destroyed by fire. Passenger trains
ceased to stop in Kenova. Union Station closed it doors, and was
subsequently demolished. City Hall was destroyed by fire. The City
let pass by an opportunity to bring a shopping plaza to Kenova, and
the Kenova Water Company was on the verge of bankruptcy. But the
people of Kenova were unshaken, because their focus remained
steadfast on the C-K High School. After all, the chant from the
oldest and largest high school in Wayne County remained, “Wonders
Never Cease.” While the Wonders did not appear to be ceasing any
time soon, the economy in Kenova was suffering. Businesses were
closing, as malls were being built and as more and more people
owned automobiles and traveled freely to other locations to shop.
Big businesses were downsizing or finding new ways to lower
expenses. Many businesses relocated to unincorporated areas to
avoid business and occupation taxes and property taxes within the
City limits. There was a gradual decline in the economy in Kenova
over several decades, and it almost seemed to go unnoticed.
Actually, the results weren’t really un-noticed, it was more that
the solution did not seem to be readily apparent. In 1986, the
citizenry of the City of Kenova made the most significant change to
its government, since the inception of the government ninety-two
(92) years earlier. Essentially the City’s Charter was re-written.
The form of government was changed from the Common Council format,
where the Mayor only votes to break ties between the Council
Members, to the strong-mayor form of government. This new form of
government was one of four options made available to municipalities
by the West Virginia Legislature. It makes way for a very
progressive City government. Under the strong-mayor form of
government, there is a clearly defined separation of powers between
the Mayor and the City Council. The Mayor forms the Executive
Branch of the City's government and the City Council forms the
Legislative Branch. The Mayor also has the power to appoint a
Municipal Judge, to constitute the Judicial Branch of the
government. The City Clerk/Treasurer is also appointed by the
Mayor. The new form of government moved to non-partisan elections
with at-large candidates. The new terms of office were designated
as four years, as opposed to the previous terms of two years. The
first election held under the new form of government was 1987. The
first Mayor elected under the new form of government was Franklin
D. Heck, who had also served the previous two-year term under the
old form of government. It was undoubtedly very difficult and
confusing for Kenova and its officials to transition from the old
form of government to the new form of government overnight. It was
not until the next election in 1991, that the dramatic difference
in the two governments became apparent. Larry E. Smith was elected
as Mayor in 1991, and none of the new City Council Members had ever
served under the old form of government. It was time for change in
Kenova, and Mayor Smith was committed to make a difference. Mayor
Smith made a huge impact on the progress of Kenova. To understand
this statement, one must understand that to make progress is to
change. Mayor Smith was not afraid of change, and he was not afraid
to support change. It was Mayor Smith who pulled the Kenova Water
Company out of the looming threat of receivership. It was Mayor
Smith who began a steady practice of paving streets. He also
started the Beautification Committee in Kenova. Mayor Smith was
proud of Kenova, and he wanted the people of Kenova to be proud if
their community. He brought a good sense of leadership and business
management skills to the Office of Mayor. Mayor Smith made a
difference. Mayor Smith was re-elected to a second term in 1995 by
a landslide vote. His untimely departure in December of 1996 was a
true devastation to the City of Kenova. While it pales in
comparison to the loss of life, the next devastating blow to the
City of Kenova was the closing of the Ceredo-Kenova High School in
1998. Kenova’s identity had come to rest soundly in Ceredo-Kenova
High School. For more than three quarters of a century, the
community surrounded, supported and loved the school and what it
stood for . . . in historically, in present and in the future. C-K
High School was an integral part of the fabric of life in Kenova.
Despite our most serious efforts, we were unable to save the
school. Since the closure of Ceredo-Kenova High School, Kenova has
been a different place. A community, which is different than most
anyone living today can recall. It is nearly impossible for anyone
to remember Kenova without Ceredo-Kenova High School. In the
aftermath, the City has been forced to find a new identity. The
current administration of the City of Kenova has worked hard since
1999 to do just that. Kenova’s identity is not now, and has never
been in its buildings or its businesses. Kenova’s identity is in
its people. The people of Kenova are strong, faithful and true.
Kenova perseveres. Kenova responds. Kenova does. Kenova is. Kenova
will be.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Fgntr 1 Jrypbzr Gb Xrabin, GERR Pvgl HFN
Fgntr 2 Jbaqre Qbzr
Fgntr 3 Guerr vagb Bar
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