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High Times in Corton

The community of Corton, West Virginia, located along the banks of the Elk River approximately 27 miles northeast of Charleston, existed officially from 1927 until 1988. Corton still exists in the minds of the few inhabitants who live there, but it is now only a shadow of what was once a very prosperous, bustling unincorporated community.

The north side of the Elk River where Corton would blossom was originally settled by one Ralph Smith. Ralph was his given name but he was evidently known far and wide as "Rafe." He laid claim to a large tract of land in the late 1700s. This tract encompassed what was to become the business side of the community of Corton.

"Rafe" was evidently a brute of a man who carved a good life out of the rugged wilderness that had just recently been vacated by the Indians. Among his descendants, there are many surviving stories of his great physical strength and overall abilities. The ice house that he built from huge timbers survived and was in use until the early 1900s. He made a good living from the land. That was no small job during his era.

Some time during the early 1800s, Hiram Samples and his brother Sam arrived in the same general era.

This is a 60-page history of the Corton/Cornwell Station area.

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$5.00
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