Raleigh Register

Memory Trip Down
Old Paint Creek
Trail

Readers of The Raleigh Register who enjoyed two previous articles about big trees and forests in Raleigh and Fayette counties 75 years ago should find some memory joggers in today's discourse on the naming of Paint creek.

A native West Virginian, H.F. West lived for many years in this area before he moved to Florida upon retirement. A note accompanying this flashback story said:

"I was both surprised and pleased at the number of letters received from people from Raleigh and Fayette countries, wanting me to send more articles to your paper about things and happenings in W. Va."

"Not one ever wanted to know anything about Florida."

By H.F. West

In 1877 or 1878 I was 6 or 7 year old and had never seen any streams of water except the branch I lived on called Buffalo Toney Fork, a tributary of Clear Fork of Coal River--all of which were very clear and pretty water.

I had no idea of any other water courses or streams except my father kept coming home and telling my mother about things he had seen or something that had happened on Paint Creek.

I got to wondering what Paint Creek looked like. I thought it might be red or some other color, else why call it Paint Creek?

One pretty spring or summer morning, I believe it was June, my father called me and said he was going over on Paint Creek to visit Uncle Bill and Aunt Catherine Humphrey. Aunt Catherine was my father's sister.

I said "sure, I'm ready to go," but mother said "no, not quite, as you've got to be washed real clean put on your pants and shirt," both of which she had made by hand.

By this time my father came up in front of the house leading the mare, which was a very pretty animal. She was bright bay with long black mane and tail.

My father got into the saddle and mother picked me up and set me on the blanket behind him, and right down Buffalo we went to the mouth at Uncle Bob Toney's then we turned right up Toney's Fork.

Next house was Lewis Williams, then Thomas Maynor, then Levi Bailey, the last house on Toney"s Fork.

Then to the top of Coal River Mountain, the line between Raleigh and Fayette counties. Then down Willis Branch--the first house was John Burgess on right of the road near the mouth--up Paint Creek, as the road now goes to the bridge going up Pax Branch.

Here we turned right, going in front of George Humphrey's frame building. George Humphrey's father lived in a hewed log house--I believe it was two stories high. Then, to the H.B. Davis garage, on to the left of the big rock, to the left to near Paint Creek and with Paint Creek under where the railroad is, then with the present road past Walker O'Neal's; on to bridge the old crossing right by the side of the new bridge.

Now we are at the ford. My father rode right into the creek and as soon as he got in a little ways the mare went to drinking. The water was low and pretty and clear.

I said to my father. "Why Paint Creek is pretty and clear just like Coal River! Why do they call it Paint Creek?"

My father said he would show me in a few minutes, so we crossed to the other side of Paint Creek and kept close on the bank.

About 150 or 200 yards below the mouth of Knob Branch there were two pretty large sugar maple trees, both painted red on the north and south sides, a space two or three feet long on each side on the bark.

There was not an axe mark of any kind. That, my father said, is why they call it Paint Creek.

He said there were painted trees at Sweeneyburg and also near the mouth of Paint Creek. It was an old trail painted by the Indians, long before the white people came to Paint Creek.

We went on across a bottom and up a low hill to the top. There Jarrell Humphrey lived on the right of the road--he was a brother of Lewis Humphrey. Charles Lafferty now lives in a frame building where the house stood.

About one-fourth mile farther we came to Uncle Will Humphrey's home. Aunt Catherine came out and picked me off the horse, patted me, and said I was a nice little boy, then showed me all over the house.

After a nice dinner we started home. It was one of the happiest days of my life.

As we were crossing Paint Creek, my father pointed up on the hill to our left and said his uncle or Grandfather Tyree lived up there where Mrs. Roda Davis now lives.

On my trip I passed four houses on the Raleigh Count side and four on the Fayette side, including Uncle Wm. Humphrey's. Every house was made of hewed logs and covered with clapboard; made secure with cut nails that were square.

Farms ere cultivated right to the fence except one or two small fields or horse pasture. Now nearly all farms are growing up.

Now back to the painted trees at Sweeneyburg. There were three ways of coming into Sweeneyburg.

First to the right up the creek across the mountain onto Sand Lick, down it and across Skin Poplar Gap, on down that creek to Guyan River.

Newt is straight up the creek and by Harper and Lester, then down a creek to Mullens or take the left hand creek by dry Hill School to Beckley.

So you see they come to Sweeneyburg from widely separated sections of the south. From Sweeneyburg down Paint Creek is almost direct north for a distance of 35 or 40 miles to the last painted trees.

One of the trees is gone and this one is nearly dead. The paint disappeared more that 60 years before this picture was taken.

I wonder if there is any one else living who saw the paint on the trees?