Biography of William J. Brightwell - Summers Co. WV The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 540-541 CAPT. WILLIAM J. BRIGHTWELL. A remarkable record of service is credited to Capt. William J. Brightwell of Hinton. He has been in the service of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad Company fifty-two years. He helped lay tracks for this road through Hinton when there was only one house in what is now a thriving city. His home has been in Hinton since 1890, and for over thirty years he has been in charge of the wrecking train or tool cars on the Hinton division. Captain Brightwell was born in Prince Edward County, Virginia, May 4, 1851, son of Charles William and Hopie Elizabeth (Epperson) Brightwell. Both were natives of Prince Edward County. Charles William Brightwell was a farmer, and early in the war between the states joined the Confederate Army under Gen. J. E. B. Stuart. He was a participant in Stuart's raid through Maryland, and for three days and three nights was in the saddle, swimming the Potomac River. Finally exhausted, he fell from his horse and was left under a tree in which hornets had built a nest, and it is said that the sting of the hornets revived him and enabled him to escape death from his enemies. After this terrific experience he was discharged, but was again mustered in and performed duty as a train guard between Lynchburg and Petersburg, on what is now a part of the Norfolk and Western Railroad. Later he joined the infantry as a member of the Prospect Grays, and was made a prisoner at Tarborough, North Carolina, being sent to Point Lockout, Maryland, and later to Elmyra, New York, and was exchanged thirty days before the close of the war. Throughout the remainder of his life he was practically an invalid, but lived to the age of seventy- three. He was a life long democrat, and before the war was a member of the Good Templars organization. By his first wife, Elizabeth Epperson, he had seven children, three now living: Capt. William J.; Joseph, carpenter foreman for the Chesapeake and Ohio at Milton, West Virginia; and Alice, widow of Jerry Jamison, a farmer who died at Farmsville, Virginia. Another son, Walter, was a carpenter for the Chesapeake and Ohio, and was killed in an accident. Charles W. Brightwell for his second wife married Betty Wilkerson, and there were two children by that union: C. T. Brightwell, bridge carpenter with the Big Four Railroad at Louisville, Kentucky, and Hattie, of Hinton, widow of John H. Jordan, one of the founders of the Bank of Summers. William J. Brightwell attended school for only ten months during his boyhood and while living on the Virginia farm. As the oldest of the family he had to do most of the farm work while his father was in the army, and on account of the latter's invalidism he continued to be the main provider for some time after the war. However farming was not a vocation suited to his tempera- ment, and when he was about seventeen he began rail- roading. The story of hia service is well told by an old friend in a copy of the Chesapeake and Ohio Employes Magazine, from which the following paragraphs are taken: "He left home, boarded a train at Prospect Depot, on what is now a part of the Norfolk & Western Railroad, and went to Lynchburg, Virginia. Thence he went by Packet Boat, on the James River Canal, to Buchanan, from Buchanan he walked across the mountains, thirty-six miles, to Jackson's River and there took a train on the Chesapeake and Ohio to White Sulphur Springs, then the Western Terminus of our road. At that time the big Jerry's Run fill and Lewis Tunnel had not been finished. Jerry's Run was crossed by a temporary trestle, and a temporary track had been constructed over the mountain at Lewis Tunnel. "From White Sulphur he walked to where is now Big Bend Tunnel, arriving there July 11, 1869. Preparations were made for the construction of that tunnel. On the tenth of January 1870, the work of actual construction began. At the tunnel Mr. Brightwell fired a hoisting engine. When the tunnel was finished he went with the track layers, helping lay the track from Big Bend to Hawk's Nest, where were met the track-layers from the west. He had the honor of helping to drive the last spike, a ceremony that was participated in by Gen. William C. Wickham, vice-president of the road, and the veteran con- tractor, Claiborne R. Mason. Both of the latter named gentlemen struck the spike, the others present enjoyed the same privilege, so that the remnants of the spike were buried in the cross-tie. Thereafter Mr. Brightwell went to Richmond and ran a hoisting engine at Church Hill Tunnell until the completion of that work. Mr. Bright- well says that those days spent in Richmond were 'great'. He was eating his 'white bread.' He arrived at Richmond with $140.00 in his purse. When the Church Hill Tunnell was finished he had $140.20. "After this he went with the road carpenter depart- ment, under Mr. C. F. King, master carpenter, from Staunton to Hinton. In 1878 he was promoted to carpenter foreman in charge of work on bridges, trestles and general carpenter work. In 1880 the writer of this saw him do fine work on the trestles erected under some difficulties between Huntington and Big Sandy River. While carpenter fore- man Mr. Brightwell arched Big Bend Tunnel throughout with timber eight times, and, when the brick lining was put in, he had the difficult task of pulling down the timber lining, which was always attended by some danger because of the loose rocks and disintegrated material that fell as the timbers were removed. "March 15, 1890, Mr. George W. Stevens, then general manager, assigned Mr. Brightwell to take charge of the Hinton tool cars. Thug has the subject of this sketch climbed by his own merits from the bottom upwards, until now he stands honored by the confidence of the officers of our fine organization and by the love of all who know him. Not a man killed, no one hurt seriously of all who have served under this Foreman of Men. Often he has gone where he would not risk the lives of men, and thus he practiced Safety First for his men." Captain Brightwell entered the railroad service with a very meager education, but for a number of years in addition to working through the day he conducted his studies far into the night until he had made up most of his early deficiencies. He has been one of Hinton's most loyal and capable citizens, and in the aggregate has served on the City Council for fifteen years and as street com- missioner for eight years. He is a democrat, is a past master of Alderson Lodge No. 70, F. and A. M., is a Royal Arch and Knight Templar Mason and a member of the Shrine at Charleston and also of the Scottish Rite Con- sistory. June 25, 1875, he married Dora Virginia Saylor, daughter of David Saylor. She was born in Augusta County, Virginia, October 3, 1857, and died August 8, 1918, after forty-three years of married life and companionship. Cap- tain Brightwell was the father of five children: Maud, wife of Dr. H. M. White, a druggist of Newport News, Virginia; Kate, of Parkersburg, widow of Dr. C. W. Plumley; H. A. general foreman of the Chesapeake and Ohio roundhouse at Thurmond; F. H., a Chesapeake and Ohio machinist at Hinton; and Pauline, wife of D. F. McClung, of Fayetteville. While a resident of Hinton Captain Brightwell has built, bought and sold a number of houses, and he was also one of the organizers of the Bank of Summers, being asso- ciated with Judge J. H. Miller and John H. Jordan. He has continuously been a director of the bank from the beginning. He also served as director and vice-president of the Hinton Water Light and Supply Company until the plant was sold recently. Submitted by Valerie F. Crook **************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. 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