West Jefferson in Days Gone By - series 75 by Charlie Miller

____1874 TRAVELERS GUIDE -Trains leave the West Jefferson Depot as follows: 

WEST 

Night Express 1:53 AM

Fast Line 11:02 AM

Pacific Express 7:04 PM

Freight 7:35 AM

EAST

Cincinnati Express 11:02 AM

Southern Express 5:38 PM

Night Express 2:16 AM

Freight 4:20 PM 

Cols. Accommodations 9:13 PM 

____March 7, 1874 – West Jefferson Clipper – The boys took a coal oil barrel of Zack Taylor’s and used it at the bonfire Wednesday night. We think it would have been more fitting upon the occasion to have taken the “whiskey barrel” that was alongside it. 

____West Jefferson retail market: Flour $8.00 Beans per qt. .10 Rio Coffee .35 Wheat 1.40 Cheese per lb. .16 Butter .25 Corn .60 White Fish .10 Eggs .16 Oats .50 Herring .08 Lard .08 Potatoes 1.40 Sugar, Coffee .12 Hams sugar cured .16 Java Coffee .37 ½ Shoulder .10 Bacon .12 ½ 

N. B. Blair, Undertaker, and cabinet maker. James Gillivan, Hardware, Martin Kuehner, Manufacturer and dealer in boots, shoes, and hosiery. West Jefferson Livery and Feed Stable, A. A. Gregg, Proprietor. 

____April 6, 1874 - Elections results Mayor- G. W. Lewis - 64, M. W. Stutson - 69, Clerk- Wm. Putnam – 169 Treasurer – J. R. Roberts- 135, W. R. Fickey – 1 Council – J. J. Booth – 74, W. H. Brown – 64, Thomas Cartmill -58, A. L. Martin – 24, W. J. Burns – 51, A. Miller -75, George Britton – 61.Marshal – Pat Dogget – 56, J. T. Gregg – 78. 

____April 10, 1874 – At the Hambleton School House on Georgesville, Rd. Darby Grange No. 779 was formed. This was due largely to the efforts of George Durflinger of Jefferson. The original members were A. J. Dickerson and wife, George Durflinger and wife, Maurice Bradfield and wife, I. H. Hambleton and wife, S. H. Summers, and wife, Thos. Goodson, Joshua Truitt, J. W. Durflinger, Jacob Beers, E. W. Stoner, Charles Slagle, B.F. Roberts and George Kellar. After a few years at the school house, they used the old Township Hall and then at the homes of the members. From 1882-97, the Grange was dormant. In 1897 it was reorganized, it was made up of eleven old members and twelve new ones, including Leona Hambleton, D. R. Edwards, D. W. Dunn, H. C. Wilson, Kate Wilson, J. H. Johnson, Mary Johnson, F. B. Biggert, Martha High, and S. E. Baber. (The Grange organization was founded in 1867 to advance the method of agriculture and promote the social and economic needs of farmers. The Future Farmers of America grew out of the Grange. There are currently 2,000 members in 41 states. The West Jefferson Grange was known as Darby Grange, The Grange Hall is now long gone, it sat on the vacant lot on the east side of Twin Street. At one time, there were numerous granges in Madison Co. They would all have displays at the Madison County Fair. Most, if not all, Madison County Granges are gone.)