Peavine Employees

THE PEAVINE RAILROAD

Employees:

Name	Job Description	Birth
Adams, John	Laborer	1892
Alexander, Oren	Laborer	1894
Anderson, E.S.	Laborer	1891
Anderson, Hezakiah	Saw Mill	1890
Anderson, R.J.	Logger	1879
Author, Mack	Logger Lumber Mill	1889
Bank, John	Foreman of Logging Crew	1872
Barkin, H.	Logger	1891
Bent, Ed	Logger	1890
Blake Harrison, Ruth 'Aunt Pete'	Cook's Assistant/Waitress	?
Bowman, Elijah	Rail Crew	?
Bright, George	Laborer Section RR	1891
Brooks, Jimmy C	Engineer at Sawmill	?
Bryan, Hugh B	Laborer Section RR	1886
Butman, William	Saw Mill Laborer	1875
Carlisle, Thomas	Stationary Boiler Fireman	1878
Casale, Thomas D.	Carpenter	?
Collins, Jaress	Logger	1894
Collins, Joe	Saw Mill Laborer	1890
Collins, V. S.	Logger	1888
Colyer, Gunter	?	?
Corbie, Horance	Fireman for Rolling Sawmill Engine	1873
Corum, John	Saw Mill Laborer	1877
Corum, Newtin	Saw Mill Laborer	1889
Crow, Andrew	Lumber Mill	1878
Crum, Will	Rail Crew	?
Cummings, Alex	Laborer Section RR	1877
Cutshall, Luther E	Saw Mill Laborer	1887
Cutshall, Harrison	Saw Mill	1888
Cutshall, Scott	Saw Mill Laborer	1888
Cutshall, Turney P.	Saw Mill Laborer	1891
Cycle, Granville	Saw Mill	1882
Davis, Mart	Lumber Yard	?
Davis, Walter	?	?
Dickens, Charlie	Logger	1881
Duncan, Bob	Logger Lumber Works	1887
Earnest, John	Engineer at Sawmill	1883
Ellar, ?	Saw Mill	1860
Ellar, Floyd	Logger Lumber Mill	1890
Ellis, Ted	Logger	1889
Ellis, Tom	Logger	1892
Ellis, William 'Bill'	?	~1895
Ellison, Steve	Laborer	1889
Ellison, Swan	Laborer	1875
Evans, Matt	Laborer Section RR	1887
Fillers, Bruce	Log Roller	?
Fillers, Dan H	Saw Mill	1883
Fletcher, James	Logger	1890
Gahy, Oll	Logger	1893
Garland, George	Saw Mill	1891
Gentry, Marion	Wood Chopper	1866
Gilland, John Wesley Gilland	Section Hand RR
Gillespie, Adam	Section Hand RR	1873
Godsey, Earl	Rail Construction Laborer	1894
Gregg, George	Lumber Yard Laborer	1850
Gregg, James A	Lumber Yard Laborer	1888
Gregg, Mr Lorrie	Lumber Yard Cook	1893
Griffin, Robert	Laborer	1890
Gunter, Calvin
Gunter, James Malcolm 'Jim'
Hacker, Murph	Locomotive Engineer	1880
Hall, Arthur	Laborer	1885
Hall, William	Laborer	1892
Hallbrook, R.W.	Logger	1885
Hallum, Lawrence	Black Smith	1883
Hamm, Simon	Logger	1889
Harrel, Loyal	Saw Mill	1894
Harris, Fred	Saw Filer	1891
Harrison, Sam	Logger	1883
Heaten, Bob	Superintendent Lumber Yard	1889
Hendson, Arthur	Fireman for Saw Engine	1881
Hixson, William N	Fireman for Lumber Mill	1869
Holt, Alan	Laborer Section RR	1868
Hunter, George	Laborer	1846
Hunter, Harris M	Logger	1886
Hunter, Jack	Laborer	1887
Jack, Melvin	Saw Mill Laborer	1886
Jackson, Lee	Railroad Maintenance	1890
Jackson, Loy	Railroad Maintenance	1894
Jennings, Mel	Brakeman	?
Jennings, Tom	Logger	1891
Johnson, James	Lumber Mill Laborer	1862
Johnson, Sam	Fire Man	1880
Keller, Jefferson	Lumber Yard	1879
Kembell, Price	Boss of Cooking	1878
Keykamdall, Andy	Timber Cutter	1875
Kite, William A	Lumber Mill Worker	1892
Kuykendall, Erasmus		1880
Kuykendall, Previs	Commissary Worker	1878
Lamb, Bird	Saw Mill Laborer	1890
Laws, Boufus W	Lumber Inspector	1871
Laws, Pearl	Commissary Clerk	?
Laws, Rufus	Logger	1892
Layberger, Elijah Frederick *	Foreman and General Manager	1857
Layberger, William Don	Tree Grader	1886
Letterman, James D	Blacksmith	1875
Long, Joseph W	Sawyer Saw Mill	1866
McCoy, Michael	Ran Sawmill	1866
McKee, Blane	Logger	1889
McKee, Sam ***	Logger at Lumber Yard	1860
Maer, James	boarding house keeper	1887
Manley, Jerie	Logger	1869
Mayfield, Gine	Logger	1889
Meets, Tim	Saw Mill	1887
Minton, Rufus M.	Logger	1865
Moncier, Tutt	Laborer Sawmill	1884
Mooneyham, Ruben	Foreman of Lumber Mill	1880
Mooneyham, Will	Laborer	1880
Morley, D.C.	Lumber yard	1886
Morris, Robert L	Saw Mill Laborer	1872
Morrow, Jessie	Laborer	1889
Norton, Alvin	Timber Cutter	1891
Norton, Dave	Laborer	1860
Norton, Ninevey	Lumber Cutter	1857
ODell, Mack	Laborer	1891
Painter, Elizabeth	Housekeeper at Boarding House	1847
Painter, Minnie	Waitress at Hotel	1891
Parks, Robert	Lumber Yard Laborer	1887
Pearce, Clyde Ephraim	Commissary Clerk or Bookkeeper	?
Peters, John	Saw Mill Sawyer	1890
Price, Alfred	Lumber Mill Laborer	1862
Ramsey, Elijah	Laborer Section RR	1887
Rawlins, Dave	Logger Lumber Mill	1892
Reaves, Cal	Blacksmith	?
Reaves, James M	Laborer at Sawmill	1864
Reaves, Monroe O	Laborer at Sawmill	1886
Reaves, Vesta	Kitchen - Met and married Bill Ellis	1895
Rector, Horance	Fireman for Rolling Mill Engine	1883
Ricker, B.H.	Timber Cutter	1888
Ricker, Bledrae	Saw Mill Logger	1870
Ricker, Ricker D.	Saw Mill Laborer	1885
Ricker, Walter J.	Saw Mill Laborer	1879
Riddle, William	Laborer at Sawmill	1889
Roberts, Benjamin	Foreman of Section RR	1868
Roberts, Charlie	Saw Mill Laborer	1890
Roberts, Saul	Saw Mill Laborer	1892
Rodgers, David	Saw Mill Laborer	1873
Rollan, Ed	Laborer	1875
Rowe, James	Laborer	1876
Rowland, Eli **	Foreman of Timber Crew	1872
Rowland, Harman	Laborer	1894
Ruckler, Duck	Logger	1885
Ruff, Adam C	Lumber Yard Laborer	1887
Sanders, Marshall	engineer Lumber Mill	1870
Sarrel, John	Lumber Yard Laborer	1875
Scaggens, Authur	Logger	1890
Scripes, George F.	Section Hand RR	1889
Self, John	Foreman of Section RR	1869
Shelton, James B	Laborer at Sawmill	1887
Shelton, Joe	Farrier
Shelton, Marion	Cooking Boss	1883
Shelton, Marvin	Laborer at Sawmill	1883
Shoun, Jim	Logger	?
Smith, Edward	Saw Mill Laborer	1881
Stanton, Charlie	Saw Mill	1890
Stills, France	Saw Mill Laborer	1883
Story, George	Logger	1877
Strange, John	Laborer	1888
Tarr, Florance	Timber Cutter	1890
Tarr, Wiley	Logger	1875
Tate, Charlie	Laborer	1886
Thomas, George	Saw Mill Laborer	1880
Tigus, Nick	Laborer	1884
Tres, Blane	Laborer	1891
Trimtti, B.F.	Logger Lumber yard	1889
Tullock, Bunah Basil	Bookkeeper & Pay Master & Secretary	?
Tumble, T.E.	Logger	1878
Turner, Millard	Lumber Yard Laborer	1887
Viles, Orker	Logging Contractor	1865
Voles, Frank	Logging Contractor	1873
Voles, Hagan	Logger	1886
Waldrop, Will	Saw Mill	1884
Wooden, Stephen	Engineer Saw Mill	1868
Ward, Carter E	Saw Mill Laborer	1879
Ward, Daniel N	Saw Mill Laborer	1883
Ward, Garrum	Saw Mill Laborer	1883
Whiteside, Wade	Lumber Mill	1865
Wilcox, Lawrence	Commissary
Wilcox, Leon	Commissary
Wihoit, Sidney E	Laborer	1890
Wilson, John L.	Saw Mill Laborer	1898
Wilson, John	Logger	1891
Wilson, Lewis	Laborer	1886
Wilson, Thomas	Saw Mill Laborer	1880
Wolf, Sampron	Saw Mill Laborer	1893
Woody, John	Laborer	1875
Yance, Frank	Saw Mill Laborer	1871
Yarland, David	Lumber man	1879
Yarland, Jerrie	Saw Mill	1896
Yaunce, David	Logging Contractor	1865
Yaunce, Willie	Logger	1892

* Elijah Frederick Layberger - Nov13, 1857 - July 24, 1939. Son - Don Layberger.

Elijah was born in Clearfield at Williamsport, Pennsylvania. He moved to Greene County with the Heilman Lumber Company. His name was Elijah Frederick Leuenberger which later became "Layberger". His father, Friedrich Wilhelm Leuenberger, moved to America in 1840 from Bern, Switzerland to work with Mr. John DuBois at the "Susquehanna Boon" in DuBoistown, PA. His Grandfather back in Switzerland owned a family lumber mill that had been in the Leuenberger family for over 400 years prior.

Elijah and Ella married 20 May 1880. Elijah was a worker for the lumber companies which were all located in Williamsport, PA that bought up millions of acres of timber in PA, WV and TN. He came to Lanesville, WV to work as a Superintendent of the wood yard. (Lanesville was named after a man named martin Lane, a lumber tycoon form Wilmington, DE). Then he went on to TN.

Ella Mae was a diabetic and on 20 Feb 1922 at the age of 60, died at her daughter Estelle and her husband Dr. James V. Jordan's home in Covington, VA. Her body was sent by train to her sister Minnie Dunkleberger in DuBoistown. She was burried in the Wildwood Cem. at Williamsport. Elijah went back to Lanesville to live around the time of the depression where he stayed on the farm his daughter Estelle owned. This is where he lived until his death of cancer of the colon. He died in the house 24 July 1939 and is burried in the Davis Cemetery, Davis, WV. He was 82.

This information was provided by J. Anderson and originally came originally by Bill (William) Layberger, Grandson of Elijah.

** Eli Rowland - From Pennsylvania
*** Sam McKee - Father of Blane McKee

On days when the men could not work because of rain and mud or falling slippery snow they mostly stayed in the camp and played games like cards, cribbage, and checkers, or wrestled, pitched horse shoes, and competed in Lap-Jack. The men also had shooting contests using bulls-eye targets.

The picture below, taken from another logging web site, depicts lumberjacks in recreation during a friendly wrestling or boxing match.

Photo used by permission of Rita Neustifter.
The participants are brothers Jack Philippi and Peter (Phil) Philippi.

The Peavine camp was a pleasant place to live. Unlike most lumber camps, little or no violence ever occurred in the camp, as the people were very religious and law abiding citizens.

In its heyday, the entire Greystone operation employed roughly 300 laborers. The general manager with the company, overseeing the outside operation, was Mr. Layberger. Also needed were train engineers, who, in Nashville in 1896, were making $65.00 a month. It is unknown how much the Peavine engineers made.

Other employees needed to run a lumber camp were camp or section foreman, woods superintendent, lumberjacks, timber graders, tie makers for making cross ties for the rails, heavy equipment operators, coal or fire men to feed the furnaces to keep the equipment running, teamsters to handle the mules and horses, mechanics and blacksmiths to keep the machinery in good running order, commissary clerks, book keepers, cooks, saw filers to sharpen the various saws (done by hand and foot crank grinders), carpenters and various other jobs. Many of the laborers were from the Gethsemane community.