Where to begin the history of the Sissonville area? Two prominent local sources come immediately to mind - W. S. Laidley and G. W. Atkinson. Excerpts from these two sources are provided below.
William Sydney Laidley's "History of Charleston and Kanawha County, West Virginia and Representative Citizens" (1911), pg. 218-220 [Poca, Sissonville, and Union Districts]
POCA DISTRICT
Poca District lies on the northwest side of the county adjoining Jackson County, and is on the stream known as Pocatalico River, which flows into the Kanawha River about fifteen miles below Charleston. It is rather sparsely settled, but has some good farms, plenty of timber and coal, oil and gas, and is a good district in which to live a quiet life and behave yourself. The people generally vote the republican ticket. They have one town Sissonville, named for an old resident, who is almost forgotten, and it has not made any special effort to enlarge its borders or crowd its boundaries. There are some good people in this district, and it adjoins Jackson and Roane counties, which are overflowing with oil and gas, and there are coal works on the waters of Poca.
Kelly's creek, Frogg's creek, and Derrick's creek, named respectively from the first settlers upon their banks, all flow south and empty into Pocatalico. Tuppers creek, named for an early trapper, runs northeast and falls into Pocatalico.
The surface of Poca for the most part is broken and hilly. Limestone is found in considerable quantities on Pocatalico near the mouth of Kelly's creek. Iron ore also abounds by analysis it is shown to contain sixty per cent of iron. The soil consists chiefly of a red clay and ranks among the best wheat lands in the county. The principal varieties of timber are hickory, poplar, beech and oak.
The first settler in the district was a man by the name of Johnson, who, about the year 1802 erected a cabin near the mouth of Tupper's creek. He was not long permitted to enjoy the solitude of his mountain home, for other settlers soon moved in; and among his earliest neighbors were Joseph Hines, Jonathan Derrick, who came in 1810, John Fisher, James Sisson, John Dawson, Robin Atkinson, George Boggess, and David Shirkey.
The first grist mill was built by Johnson, the first settler; it was located on Tupper's creek on lands now owned by Robert Ransom. It was but a shed covered with clapboards, under which were one run of some twenty inches in diameter - water was the propelling power. The first sawmill was built by John Parsons on the site where Sissonville now stands; it was constructed after the old "sash saw" pattern, a "flutter" wheel being used as the driving power. It was built at an early day, but the exact date is not known.
The first schoolhouse was built at the mouth of Schoolhouse branch, now called Second Creek. It was a common, round, log cabin, one end of which was entirely taken up by a huge fireplace. Of the present schoolhouses in the district the most are for white, but several of colored pupils; and there is a good general attendance.
The oldest church edifice was the Mount Zion Methodist Episcopal church, which formerly stood in the "Low Gap," one fourth of a mile south of Sissonville. It was a hewed log building erected by Henry Sisson, John Sisson, James Sisson, David Shirkey, and John Fisher. Castello H. Bates did the carpenter work. It was pulled down in 1873.
SISSONVILLE - POCA DISTRICT
Sissonville is the only town; it is located on the north side of Pocatalico River, in the central part of the district. The land on which it stands formerly belonged to John Sisson, and was laid out by him, he disposing of the lots. The first merchant was a man of the name of Reynolds, while William Lynch was the first "Son of Vulcan" who wielded the sledge and blew the bellows. It has at present a population of about 150 or more, with good stores and up-to-date people.
Its nearest railroad shipping point is Charleston, sixteen miles distant. Humphreys' Flouring Mill, roller process, steam and water power, flour and feed exchanges, is located there. It is five stories including basement, and has a capacity of 100 barrels of flour daily. The present mill was built about 10 years ago. The old mill which was erected at a very early date - perhaps 75 years ago -was destroyed by fire.
Among the merchants of Sissonville there are the following: F H. Staats, general merchant and undertaker, who is also postmaster of the place; Charles Newhouse, general merchant; J. D. Thaxton & Son, general merchandise; and E. M. Derick, general merchant.
The Southern M. E. Church of Sissonville was erected about 40 years ago. It is a frame building and is used for services by all denominations.
Dr. W. J. Glass and Dr. Caldwell are physicians located in Sissonville. There is a lodge of Odd Fellows, which owns a hall and has o good membership of about 75. There is another church two miles south of the town at Tupper's creek known as Tupper's Creek Bridge Chapel, a northern M. E. church.
Well known, old families of Sissonville are the Sisson, Newhouse, Shirkey, Bean, Fisher and Milam families.
The two hotels of the place are Matthews House, Mr. Matthews, proprietor; and Gibson House, Mr. Gibson, proprietor.
Sissonville is the only town; it is located on the north side of Pocatalico River, in the central part of the district. The land on which it stands formerly belonged to John Sisson, and was laid out by him, he disposing of the lots. The first merchant was a man of the name of Reynolds, while William Lynch was the first "Son of Vulcan" who wielded the sledge and blew the bellows. It has at present a population of about 150 or more, with good stores and up-to-date people.
Its nearest railroad shipping point is Charleston, sixteen miles distant. Humphreys' Flouring Mill, roller process, steam and water power, flour and feed exchanges, is located there. It is five stories including basement, and has a capacity of 100 barrels of flour daily. The present mill was built about 10 years ago. The old mill which was erected at a very early date - perhaps 75 years ago -was destroyed by fire.
Among the merchants of Sissonville there are the following: F H. Staats, general merchant and undertaker, who is also postmaster of the place; Charles Newhouse, general merchant; J. D. Thaxton & Son, general merchandise; and E. M. Derick, general merchant.
The Southern M. E. Church of Sissonville was erected about 40 years ago. It is a frame building and is used for services by all denominations.
Dr. W. J. Glass and Dr. Caldwell are physicians located in Sissonville. There is a lodge of Odd Fellows, which owns a hall and has o good membership of about 75. There is another church two miles south of the town at Tupper's creek known as Tupper's Creek Bridge Chapel, a northern M. E. church.
Well known, old families of Sissonville are the Sisson, Newhouse, Shirkey, Bean, Fisher and Milam families.
The two hotels of the place are Matthews House, Mr. Matthews, proprietor; and Gibson House, Mr. Gibson, proprietor.
UNION DISTRICT
Union District lies on the Kanawha River, west of Charleston, and on the north side of the river, adjoining Poca, Elk, and Charleston districts, and has therein a part of Poca river, Tyler creek, Two-Mile creek, and other branches and creeks It has good farms and farmers, and is a little more democratic than Poca. On the river, it has Lock 6 at the upper end, and Lock 7 at the lower end. It has the County Infirmary, and at Sattes, opposite St. Albans, there is almost a town, made up of sawmills, etc.
Union district lies south of Poca and may be called the central one of the western tier. Pocatalico river flows through the northwest corner, and forms what is known as the Horseshoe bend. It is here that the first settlement was made in the district. In 1798 Adam Aultz, a German, and Elijah Towler arrived here and erected their cabins. They were actual settlers; both purchased land and lived here until removed by death. The next settlers were James McCown, afterwards a soldier in the War of 1812, and John Casey, and a year later came Moses and Aaron Kelley. Other early settlers were John Young, Andrew Hannit, James Anderson, John Martin, Daniel Hill, John Dawson, James Roberts, Greenbury Samuels, and Alexander Wallace, all of whom were actual settlers.
The first elections held in the district was in the year 1863, at which time the commissioners were James High, J.C. Burford and J. Gilispie. The following were among the voters: H. Gilispie, J.O. Shoemaker, W.T. Johnson, W.A. Howell, W.D. MCown, Robert Johnson and James McCown.
John Morris erected the first grist mill about the year 1808. It was a water-mill and had a capacity of cracking twelve bushels of corn per day. The patience of the pioneer was not thought to have been sufficiently tested unless he had "waited his turn at Martin's mill."
Two-Mile Spring. Situated in this district, two miles west of Charleston, is a never-ending spring, whose history may be traced backward through more than a hundred years. During the late Civil war, in the year 1861, General Wise, with a large force of the Confederate army, encamped on the Two-Mile creek upon the lands of Dr. Spicer Patrick and A.R. Littlepage, and during their stay he and his forces relied upon this spring for supplies of fresh water, and when General J.D. Cox, of the Federal army, compelled the Confederates to retreat from the valley, thousands of his dust covered and weary, worn soldiers quenched their thirst from the bubbling waters of this fountain. During the marches and countermarches, soldiers of both armies gladly welcome the site of the Two-Mile Spring.
In 1817, Benjamin Rust built the first sawmill, but soon after its completion, a rise in Pocatalico River swept away the dam, and otherwise injured the mill to such an extent that it was never used.
The first school taught in the district was by James Rust, in the year 1817, in a cabin on Pocatalico River, eleven miles from its mouth. There were but five pupils in attendance, and these Mr Rust taught gratuitously. The district is now well supplied with good schoolhouses.
Among the early church organizations was that of the Hopewell Baptist, formed on the 3rd day of March 1834, in what is known as the woods of Pocatalico, by Elders John Ellison and William Martin. Since then, the Methodist Episcopal, Baptist and Second Advent, or Millerite denominations have established each one or more churches.
