• A visit to Union 2013. If you grew up in Union, West Virginia and you have not been able to return to Monroe County recently, chances are you will enjoy a little tour of Union and the area.

    View a Picture Tour of Union & Monroe County.



Memories

Raeburn/Elmore Historical House at Second Creek by Isabell Elmore Cook

Raeburn/Elmore Historical Home

The T R Elmore Farm-Historical Home in Monroe County, Second Creek District

Second Creek area was first settled in the 18th century by German and Scot-Irish immigrants.  John Raeburn came to the Monroe County area before 1787 from Augusta, Virginia.  He worked as a surveyor and amassed large acreages of land in the Second Creek area, about 150 square miles.  He divided up and disposed  most of the land in this area.  The Raeburn family home was the first home built in the Second Creek district settlement at Dorr.

He married Elizabeth Kilpatrick in 1778 and they had six children.  The deeds indicates that the family property was transferred from father to son.  John passes to his son George and then George passed the land on to his son J.H. Raeburn.  The Raeburn family name has since died out in Monroe County.

J.H. Raeburn sold the main body of the farm to Clarence Nickell in 1904.  The Clarence Nickell property which was a little more than 82 acres was acquired by T.R and Pearl Elmore in 1947.  An additional 20.3 acres was purchased by T.R. and Pearl Elmore from Amelia Jo Porterfield in 1959.  Mrs. Porterfield had purchased this piece of property from Christine R. Hogshead-Guthrie in 1946.  Christine R. Hogshead-Guthrie had obtained this property through her heir-ship to the Hogshead settlement holdings.

Teddy and Pearl Elmore

T.R. “Teddy” and Pearl lived on this farm for almost 40 years.  They had eight children;  Isabell Elmore Cook, Naomi Elmore Painter, Charles Benton Elmore, Donald Elmore, Dale Elmore, Larry Elmore, Helen Elmore Taylor and Rachel Elmore Carter.   Upon the death of T.R. Elmore in 1986, his son Donald and Phyllis Elmore obtained the property.  The Elmore property was then purchased by Raymond and Dana Hiner in 1995.

Benny, Larry, Donald, Isabell, Naomi, Rachel and Dale Elmore (Helen deceased)

Several small portions of this property were deeded off by T.R. Elmore to the wards and others during his ownership but the main body of the property is still intact. The saltbox house was sold and taken down and the owner plans to rebuild it in an historical location.

 

Submitted by:  Isabell Elmore Cook