The first Cook Hospital on Gaston Ave. in Fairmont, W.V. Notice the horse and buggy ambulance on the left. { Last week, I told you the story of how Cook Hospital in Fairmont, West Virginia, came to be. Dr. John R. Cook, a general practitioner, and surgeon, came to this town and prioritized good healthcare….
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Cook Hospital: The Citizens Hospital
In the early days of Fairmont, West Virginia, people seemed to care for their ailments themselves. They used old remedies that had been passed down from elders. They used what they had and hoped for the best. It was a precarious time—no doctors or nurses to run to. When it came to farming, injuries were…
Stogies and Cigars. Is there a Difference?
So what is a “Stogie”? It’s believed to derive from the word “stoga.” which describes a long thin cigar popular in the nineteenth century. The stogies were usually made with lower-quality tobacco leaves and often were smoked by laborers and working-class men. Cowboys loved stogies, but sometimes instead of smoking them, they bit off a…
One of the Earliest Hotels in Fairmont, West Virginia
Fairmont, West Virginia, has had many hotels and motels over the years. When the city was at its peak, there were times the visitors coming in competed to get a room. In the early days when Fairmont was called Middletown, new arrivals needed shelter, and the Continental Hotel provided it. The Continental Hotel was built…
Hammond Fire-Brick Company. The Brick That Helps Build America
Just downstream from Valley Falls State Park, there used to be a town called Hammond. For quite a while, it was a hive of business. Now there is not much left except for a remnant of a brick paved road and some brick foundations of former homes. There is also found a very old sign…
100 Years of Business: This Family Has the Metal Touch
This story starts in Lewis County, WV. Nathaniel Davis Helmick was born in 1837 and learned the trades of wagonmaking and being a blacksmith. At the age of 27, Nathaniel joined the 17th regiment of the West Virginia Infantry, fought on the Union side until the war’s end, and left with the rank of Captain….
The Big Top is Up, and Performers Ready. It’s Circus Day!
The year is 1905, and the children of Fairmont W.V. can hardly hold back the excitement. Today is Circus Day! Every year in Fairmont, large or small circuses come and entertain the masses with all kinds of stunts, animal acts, and freak shows. The parade from the train station to the fairgrounds on the south…
The Strike That Took Out Constable Riggs
It was a day like any other day. The men rose and prepared to go to work. The last few days’ works seemed to have had a heavy tension in the air, and it felt like a powder keg ready to blow. Would today be the day? Would they work, or would they walk? It…