Dunn Cemetery, aka Old Cannelton Burial Ground Cannelton, Kanawha Co., WV ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Submitted February 9, 2005 by Bert Hudson ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Preceding the transcription is an article I wrote for the purpose of making officials of the State of WV aware of the historical importance of Dunn Cemetery. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THE HISTORICAL IMPORTANCE OF DUNN CEMETERY The Cannelton coal mine and community, the first coal mine and mining community to be established in the Kanawha coal field, have existed for over one hundred and fifty years, which is longer than the State of West Virginia has been in existence. Dunn Cemetery, which was originally called "The Old Cannelton Burial Ground," has been the primary burial ground for residents of the mining community of Cannelton throughout its history. Most of the other mines and mining communities that now exist in the Kanawha coal field and in West Virginia were not established until railroad service reached the area during the 1880's and 1890's. (Charleston Daily Mail). Since Cannelton was one of the only settlements between Charleston and Kanawha Falls, it was one of the stage coach stops on the Midland Trail and Union solders enroute from Charleston to join the Union army's Spring Campaign of 1864 camped there. After the Civil War freed slaves and newly arrived immigrants from Europe were recruited to work in the Cannelton mine. Thus, by the late 1860's Cannelton was well on the way towards becoming a flourishing mining community comprised of persons of many nationalities and races. The history of the Cannelton mine and community began in 1848, when Ben Burdette, while engaged in Col. Arron Stockton's lumbering enterprise on Cannelton Mountain, discovered cannel coal, a type of coal that was extremely valuable. By 1849, Col. Stockton was mining cannel coal on Cannelton Mountain and shipping it via flatboats to cities located along the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. Ben Burdette spent the remainder of his life working in Col. Stockton's mine and living in the Cannelton community. Although the Cannelton mine had changed hands many times previously, the newly incorporated Cannelton Coal and Coke Company acquired the 2,100 acre enterprise in 1871 and operated it until 2003.. In 1876, the first post office to service the Cannelton area was established at Cannelton's Kanawha river barge port. That post office was located at the site of the present city of Montgomery, West Virginia, but it bore the name of Cannelton Station until the city of Montgomery was incorporated on April 1, 1891. The city of Smithers, Cannelton's nearest neighbor, was not incorporated until 1938; therefore, Cannelton was the first settlement to be established in the vicinity of Smithers-Montgomery, West Virginia. The Dunn Cemetery, which is located on Col Stockton's original mining claim is near the Cannelton tipple on the north side of US Route 60, opposite the city of Montgomery, WV., has been the primary burial site for the residents of Cannelton since the community was established over 150 years ago. This author estimates that over 1,000 individuals of all races and nationalities were buried in Dunn Cemetery during the period 1850 to 2004. Prior to the Civil War, all of the miners working in the cannel coal mine on Cannelton Mountain were slaves. At that time the technology needed to make underground mining safe did not exist and the owners of the Cannelton mine were probably unwilling to bear the cost of burying slaves in private cemeteries.Therefore, it is a near certainty that slaves died while working in the Cannelton mine and that they were buried somewhere on the 2,100 acres of Cannelton Mountain that were owned by the Cannelton mining company. Since most of that property was taken up by coal mining operations it is a near certainty that the area originally used for slave burials later became the Dunn Cemetery. Therefore, there it is very likely that the site now known as the Dunn cemetery was the burial place of slaves who died while working in the Cannelton coal mine as well as that of the white miners who later worked in that mine. Cannel coal was very valuable during the mid 1800's because it had such a high oil content that kerosene oil could be refined from it. At that time candles and kerosene oil lamps were the primary means of lighting America's homes and offices. Thus,in 1856, a refinery was built at Cannelton to produce kerosene oil from the cannel coal that was being mined there. By the late 1850's the refinery at Cannelton was producing up to 3,000 gallons of kerosene per day. The refining of cannel oil continued at Cannelton until the country's first oil wells came into production in 1866. However, it was as fuel for American steel mills and steam boilers that coal came to be recognized as one of the absolutely essential ingredients in America's industrial development. Thus, it may be said that Cannelton, which was an early pioneer in the development of West Virginia's coal industry, was an important player in the nation's industrial development. Many, if not most, mining communities practiced racial segregation by providing seperate housing areas for whites and African-Americans but Cannelton's housing was always integrated. Cannelton's policy regarding access to company housing was first come, first served, without regard to race. However. during the time the author lived in Cannelton's racially integrated housing, he observed that in Gallagher and several other coal mining villages African-American families were forced to live in separate areas termed "black town." Although his family of origin and as well as many other families who resided in Cannelton's several neighborhoods lived amid African-American neighbors, this author has no knowledge of the existence of any racial conflict among the families of that community. Thus, Cannelton's establishment of integrated housing made it a leader in the fight for racial equality in the United States. In the opinion of this author, there is much that is of major historical importanced in the long history of the Cannelton community and its Dunn Cemetery. First, Cannelton, being the first coal mine and mining community to be established in West Virginia's most productive coal field, was an important player in the industrial development of West Virginia. All of the mining at the Cannelton mine was done by slaves prior to the Civil War. Therefore, it is a near certainty that slaves died while working in the Cannelton mine and were interred on the land which later became known as the Dunn Cemetery. Therefore, the site should be preserved forever as a sacred memorial to those brave African-Americans who were forced to labor their lives away in the coal mines of West Virginia. Third, for more than 150 years the Dunn Cemetery was the primary burial ground for the village of Cannelton, a community comprised of persons of different races and nationalities. Fourth, Cannelton's production of synthetic kerosene oil was of national importance when kerosene lamps were the major source of light for American homes and offices. Fifth, as one of the first mining communities in which employee housing was fully integrated Cannelton was an early leader in the fight for racial equality. In conclusion, this writer submits that the information contained herein shows with utmost clarity that the Dunn Cemetery is of such historical importance that the preservation and protection of the site should be given the highest priority by the State of West Virginia and the federal government. This author also submits that these data show that Cannelton and its Dunn Cemetery are of such historical importance that there are compellng reasons for listing both sites in the National Registry of Historical Places. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Persons buried at Cannelton's Dunn Cemetery: Allman, Ephriam, b. 1860 d. 1924 Allman, Lawrence, b. 1883, d. 1912 *Arbaugh, G.P., d May 6, 1893, age 43y 3m 21 dys-# *Armstead, Lunn J., d, Aug. 5, 1937-# *Bierne, Robert F, b Aug 29, 1855, d Dec 30, 1898-# *Blankenship, Ruth Carol, d Apr 1, 1937, age 1yr 6days-# *Boling, Chares R, b 1832, d 1887-# *Boling, Harry R, b 1885, d 1887-# *Boling Lourinda, b 1836, d 1882, w/o C.R.-# *Boling, Roy, b 1895, d 1897-# *Boling, Virginia B, b 1864, d 1924, w/o W.J. Boling-# *Boling, William J, b 1859, d 1931-# *Bonham, C.C. (no dates)-# *Carvie, Benie, b. Jul 20, 1892, d. Jun. 4, 1914-# Unmaked grave next to above Carvie grave.-# *C.C.B., unreadable rock marker-# *Clendenin, Grover, b Jul 7, 1915, d Sept 3, 1953-# *Cobb, Walter, C., b. 1889, d. 1941-# *Compton, infant -child of Eulah Hudson & spouse *Compton, infant-(twin of above child, died abt. 1920). Cox, Homer Winfield, b. June 10, 1882, died Sept 12, 1960 Cox, Joshua, b. Jan 25, 1851, d. Feb. 3, 1897-# Cox-Frame, Elizabeth, b. Jan 7, 1858, d. Nov 25, 1936 *Cox, Virgie Johnson, b. 1895, d. 1925, wife of Harvey Cox - # Cox, William S., b. April 13,1878, d. Apr. 12, 1904-# Cox, Adam, b. 1894, Abt. 1894 Cox, Floyd, b. Aug. 28, 1883, *Craft, Bessie, b Jul 14, 1893, d May 13, 1958-# *Craft, Harold, b & d Sept, 1925-# *Craft, Thomas, b Jul 3, 1913, d Dec 27, 1934-# *Craigo, Infant, no other information-# *Dart, Allen J, b 1862, d 1919-# *Dartt, infant, no dates-# *Dart, Mollie, b 1865, d 1919, w/o Allen J. Dart-# *Dartt, William E, b 1903, d 1913-# *D.C.--MWH, age 24y 10 m 5dys, Unreadable rock marker-# *Doles, Infant, No dates, in Nickoson plot -# *Dunlap, Margaret, d Mar 9, 1964, age 34 yrs-# *Dwyer, J. J., d mar 30, 1890, age 34 yrs-# *Dwyer, R.F. d Oct 25, 1887, age 31 yrs-# *Elliott, Sidney Emeline, b Oct 18, 1840, d Feb. 25, 1888, w/o Thomas Elliott-# *Estep, Roy, D., b. Aug 3, 1933, d. Jun 7, 1959, Rupert's son-# *Estep, Ronald, b. 1910, d. 1928, brother-# *Estep, Pearl, b. 1883, d. 1925-Mother-# *Estep, Dryden, b. 1876, d. 1952, Father-# *Estep, Ray T., b. 1929, d. 1930-S/o Minnie & Rupert -# *Freeman, Jencie E, b jan 3, 1881, d Aug 18, 1898, d/o A & Jennie Freeman-# *Fulks, C.E., b Apr 16, 1919, d Nov 4, 1934-# *Gillenwater, Roger, b & d Oct 28, 1936-# *Godwin, Lula M., d Aug 16, 1892, age 16 y 11m 19 d -# *Gray, T.P., Nov 11, No Year. Rock carving. - # *Hackey, Margaret, no dates-# *Harvey, Celey, b Jun 4, 1792, d. Jan 4, 1836, d/o Benjamin Harvey and Nancy Morris Harvey - # *Harvey, J B, b Oct 4, 1835, d Jan, 1836, s/o Celey & John Harvey - # * Harvey, John, b 1778, d Apr 28, 1849, age 71 y, 2m 24 d-# *Hess, Bert Jr, infant, 1928-# *Hess, Dolphus, b Sep 13, 1903, d Apr 17, 1940-# *Hess, Loran Edward, d Sept 9, 1949, age 6y, 13 dys-# *Hess, Marilyn Joane, b 1933, d 1936-# *Huddleston, Benjamin C. d Age 16. 1850, age 9y 27d, s/o G. P. & N.N. Huddleston- (name on Harvey family marker)-# *Huddleston, William H, d July 23, age 11y 5m 22 dys, no year shown, s/o G.P. & N. N. Huddleston-# Hudson,William H., Jr., born 1819 in VA, died 1880's Hudson,William P., b. 1847 in VA, died 1890's Hudson, Charles Henry, b. Dec. 17, 1854, died June 30, 1924 Hudson, Charles William "Booker," b. 1877, d. Sept. 21, 1904 Hudson, Lonnie, b. 1910, died Abt. 1927 Hudson, John M., Jr., b. Bet. 1916-1922, died during infancy. Hudson,Maggie Lowe, b. 26 Oct 1858, d. 14 June 1930 *Hudnall, Peggy Ann, b. 16 Dec., 1951, d. Apr. 23, 1952 *Jackson, George H., b. 1898, d. 1938-# *J.C., no other information-# *Jiacomo, Barbara Ann, d. Aug 5, 1937, Age Unreadable-# *Jones, Ada J, b Jul 2, 1891, d Juyl 4, 1903-# *Jones, Anna, b 1895, d. 1914, w/o E.B. Jones-# *Jones, Charles, H/o Luisa Jane Riffle-# *Jones, Emery B, b 1893, d 1917-# *Jones, Hert L, age 11 mos, no dates, S/O W L Jones-# *Jones,Jimmie, b May 28,1902, d May 29,1911, s/o W.L. Jones-# *Jones, Laura A, b May 25, 1886, d May 29, 1903-# *Jones, Okey G, ageg 6 mos, s/o W L Jones -# *Jones, Riffle, Zelphia Lenora, b. 1886, d 1925, D/O John & Martha Riffle, spouse of Joseph A Jones. *Jones, W L, b Mar 4, 1871, d Sep 20, 1913 -# Kilburn-Stanley, Alice, b. Jan., 1862, d. Jul. 23, 1900 Kilburn, John W., Born 1880, died About 1900 Kilburn, Alfred "Jack," b. 1884 Kilburn, Jessie Lee, born Sept 15, 1886 Kilburn, Grace, born 1889 Kilburn, Mary, born 1892 Kilburn, Howard, born @ Carbondale, WV, 1893, died 1900 Kilburn, Carl, born 1897 @ Carbondale, WV. Kilburn, Forest, born 1899 @ Carbondale, WV. Kirk, Walter, b. 1888, d. 1945 Kirk, Mary Ann, b. 1892, d. 1965, *4 Unreadable markers beside Mary Kirk-# (Hudson?) Kirk, Audie, b. 1911, d.1949 (died in slate fall @ #6 mine). Kirk, Charlie, b. 1914 *Knapp, Virgie, b Apr 12, 1871, d Mar 24, 1924-# *Kyle, John, b Feb 24, 1854, d Jan 17, 1925 -# *Kyle, Melissa J, b Sep 8, 1860, d Feb 27, 1907, w/o John Kyle-# *Lanham, Mary E. b. 1881, d. 1920-# *Lanham, Charles H., b. 1876, d. 1959-# *Marshall, Hadden, b Jul 11, 1905, d Jan 5, 1907, s/o W.M. & L.D. Marshall-# *Marshall, Louisa Davis, b 1863, d 1945-# *Marshall, Williamson, b 1857, d 1918-# *Miller, Kenneth, b Sep 24, 1895, d Sep 30, 1938-# *Miller, Wilbur, b Feb 24, 1895, d Dec 25, 1945-# *Millier, hattie, b 1874, d 1934-# *Millier, Thomas A, b 1862, d 1941-# *Moore, Thomas L, Age 13, no dates-# *Mull, Harold Lee, d. Jun 16, 1941, @16yrs 7mo, 25dys-# *Mullett, Robert, age 24 y, no dates - # *Mullett, Paul R, b May 31, d Oct 2, 1931-# Mulligan, Baby, b Nov 26, 1933, d Nov 27, 1933 Mulligan, Evelyn Louise, b May 11, 1920 d May 29, 1920 Mulligan, Harold Lee, b Oct 5, 1925, d June 1, 1941 Mulligan, Patrick Henry, b May 23, 1919, d June 8, 1919 Mulligan, Warren, b June 16, 1927, d July 3, 1927 *Nickoson, Bessie, b 1895, d 1963-# *Nickoson, Charles Seamer *Nickoson, Chester L, b. 1918, d 1950-# *Nickoson, Clarence, b. 1920, d. 1950-# *Nickoson, C.S., b. Aug 22, 1911,d Nov 18, 1978-# *Nickoson, Edward Lee, b & d 1948-# *Nickoson, Edward R., bOct 9, 1953, d Feb 1, 1980-# *Nickoson, Frankie, b & d 1924-# *Nickoson, James C, b. 1889, d 1952-# *Nickoson, J.L., b Feb 1, 1949, d. Aug 30, 1978-# *Nickoson, Louisana Pauley, b. Feb 20, 1913, d. Feb. 2003 *Nickoson, Louvina Craigo, b 1889, d 1969-# *Nickoson, Mary J., b 1913, d. 1931 -# *Nickoson, Norma Lee, no dates, d/o J.C & L.E. Nickoson-# *Nickoson, Paul, b. 1916, d. 1935-# *Nickoson, Pearl, b 1884, d. 1940-# *Nickoson, Robert Lee, b. 1921, d. 1951-# *Nickoson, William, b 1856, d 1941-# *Owens, James T, b Jun 12, 1852, d Apr 3, 1937-# *Owens, Sarah R, b June 15, 1862, d Jan 7, 1923 - # *Palmer, Ernest Jr, b 1924, d 1974-# *Palmer, William A., b & d 1952-Hooper Mortuary-# *Pell, Vanessa, b. Oct 1, 1891, d. Apr 7, 1932, Wife of A.J. Pell-# *Platt, W.A, d 1904-# *Proctor, Mary B, b 1865, d 1913-# *Proctor, W.A. (monument fallen on face)-# *Pryor, Elizabeth, b May 13, 1849, age 25y 2 m 19 d, wife of E.J. Pryor, M.D. * Querry, Bertie Lou, died @ age 3, Abt. 1932. * Querry, Helen, died @ age 5, Abt. 1929 *Riffle, John Milton, b1859,d 1927, s/o Wm Riffle & Jane Eckard. *Riffle, Hill, Martha Jane, b 1851, d 1923, spouse above. *Riffle, Everette, died at age 19, s/o John & Martha. *Riffle, Woodrow Wilson, b. 11915, d 1920, s/o Gilbert Riffle. *Riffle, Stillborn infant, 1927. *Riffle, Patsy, d/o Omer & Carrie (Stewart) Riffle. *Rush, Charlotte. (died very young, d/o Walter Kirk, per Joe Lowe). *Savini, Guilio, b. Mar 4, 1884, d. Mar 18, 1930-# *S.C.K., no other information-(listed with Thompsons)-# *Shaffer, Lawson, b. 1925, d. 1962-# *Skaggs, Hillard. *Spears, Homer S., b. Sept 12, 1912, d Aug 27, 1940-# *Spears, Joseph W., b. Aug 5, 1904, d. Nov. 14, 1907-# *Smith, Clifford Gene, b. Mar. 5, 1929 *Smith, Larry Geen, b. Oct 13, 1940, d. Jan 13, 1958 *Smith, Sanford E., b. Jan 16, 1901, d. July 12, 1957 *Smith, Maggie Bell, b. Oct 12, 1906, d. Nov 12 ??, wife of Sanford Smith. *Smith, Thomas Charley, b. Oct 13, 1936, d. 12 Nov?? *Smith, William Marvin, b. Jul 26, 1928 *Stone, Earl C, b 1910, d 1911, s/o R.F & S.C. Stone-# *Taylor, John L., b Mar 11, 1848, d Jun 14, 1904-# *Thompson, John D, b 1881, d 1936-# *Thompson, Lillie L, b 1882, d 1947-# *Thompson relative?-Unreadable Surname, Brilliant, b Mar 1921, d Jun 22, 1923, (grave in the Thompson plot). *Vass, Delbert, b Mar 24, 1894, d Sep 9, 1956-# *Vass, Lilliam G, b Dec 28, 1896, d Mar 6, 1965-# *Ward, Caroline Pierson, b 1859, d 1925, w/o James R. Ward-# *Ward, infant, s/o G.E. Ward, b & d June 26, 1918-# *Ward, James R, b 1844, d 1917, father-# *Waters, Bobby, age 2 yrs, no dates-# *Waters, H. A., b Jan 8, 1867, d Apr 23, 1910-# *Waters, John H, b Feb 7, 1899, d Nov 28, 1945-# *Waters, Lawrence K, b 1902, d 1964-# *Waters, Nellie M. b June 15, 1897, d Jan 19, 1900-# *W.K., rock marker, no other information or dates-# Woodrum, Harvey, b. 1862, d. 1932 Woodrum - Buchanan, Rebecca, b. Aug. 9, 1862, d. Feb.15, 1928 Woodrum, Archie b. Oct. 1, 1883, d. May 16, 1904. # denotes recorded by Helen S. Stinson,1981. * Denotes not yet submitted for Kanawha Co. (Dunn listing) site. d/o denotes "daughter of." h/o denotes "husband of." s/o denotes "son of." w/o denotes "wife of."