Bentree Post Office History & Community Development
Included below are two timelines that chronicle the history of the post office in Scotford/Bentree and its contribution to the development of the community.
The first is narrative-based, while the second is graphical in nature.
Narrative-based Timeline:
1873
The 1873 County/District Map shows no towns anywhere in the Jefferson District (which encompasses Bentree, Dixie, Belva, Vaughn, etc.).
1875 - 1879
George Henry Rider settled in what was later to become Scotford/Bentree. He was probably the first settler in that location.
1880 – 1900
At some unknown date between 1880 and 1900, the community adopted the name of Scotford. (I am not sure when it was first named or where the name came from). I wonder if GHR was the one who named it.
1896
The 12/01/1896 USPS (Postal Service) Map shows no named communities between Dixie and Lizemores. Around that time, this area saw a rapid influx of residents due to booming logging and coal industries. This map does show Belva, Vaughn, and Pond Gap.
1904
According to Elenora (Bea) Morris, who was the Bentree postmaster from 1962 to 1990, Scotford was granted an official post office in 6/1/1904. The photo shows Issac Rider at the door of the Scotford Post Office.
I asked my mother (Kate Workman) where the building was located. Her description follows:
“Well, that’s sitting down, you know where Gauley Hollow is? Well, it’s sitting between the charcoal plant and the sawmill, Elswick Sawmill. It sits back just about the mouth of the hollow in there. The building...the post office.”
The topo map shows the general area where the post office was located (within the rectangle). The railroad terminates at Elswick’s sawmill, which was not constructed until decades later.
According to Granny Kiser, most of the housing and the center of activity, during the boom times, was in this area.
1906
The 03/1906 USPS Map shows the community was named Scotford. This map also shows a community named Cambria between Scotford and Dixie. Cambria never had a post office.
1910
The 1910 USGS (Geological Survey) Map adds another little town called Carterboro, between Scotford and Cambria. I have found no other maps that show Carterboro. It never had a post office.
As detailed elsewhere, The Gauley Branch of the C&O Railroad had a secondary extension from Belva to Scotford (Bentree). It was designated as the Carterboro Branch. That perhaps explains the town of Carterboro showing up on the 1910 map. I can imagine a person named Carter who worked for the C&O Railroad naming the community after himself. It could have just as easily been called the Scotford Branch.
1912
The Scotford name was changed to Bentree. Theories regarding why the name was changed are provided in the Bentree General Information folder.
1912-1919
My great grandfather, Issac Lafayette Rider was the fourth postmaster for Scotford (and the first for the newly-named Bentree), serving from October 2, 1912, to April 18, 1919. Issac Lafayette Rider was George Henry’s son.
1918
The 1918/01 USPS Map shows Bentree, rather than Scotford. The name change occurred sometime in 1912. On this map, Carterboro and Cambria are not shown. However, the 1967 USGS topo map shows Cambria. I don’t remember very many people referring to it as such…perhaps, this was just a carryover from previous maps.
The 1918 USPS map also shows a small community named Elda, where present-day Independence in Clay County is located (north of Bentree on WV16). I would surmise that this name perhaps morphed into “Ida” at some point.
I would also suggest that when a post office came to Scotford, the “unofficial” communities of Carterboro and Cambria ceased to exist as separate entities.
1924
The 1924/01 USPS Map is the same as the 1918 Map. In fact, maps appear to be unchanged to the present day.
1924-1929
George Henry Rider, Issac’s father, was Bentree’s sixth postmaster from July 28, 1924, to 12/4/1929, when he died.
1930-1947
Issac’s wife, Posie Ann Rider, succeeded GHR on 4/11/1930 and served until June 1, 1947. (Issac was assistant postmaster part of this time.) During her tenure, the post office was located in one room of their small house. The house (sandwiched between WV16 and the Open Fork Creek) was in Nicholas County, only a stone’s throw from the Clay County line. I believe this was the original structure built by George Henry Rider. As I recall, it had unpainted, vertical wood board siding and little or no insulation.
Also, during this time, Issac was apparently the assistant post master. See certificate below.
1995
• The Bentree post office was closed (eliminated) permanently on September 29, 1995.
My Concluding Thoughts about Bentree and its Post Office:
• The community had its “heyday” between 1895 and 1940. It was a fair-sized logging/mining town which had
- A silent movie theatre
- Pool hall
- Barber shop
- Large company store
- Community center
- Six other stores
- Knights of Pithians lodge hall
- Board sidewalks
- Large homes scattered on the mountainside (consult Granny’s description)
- Six Coal Mining Companies
- Multiple Logging/Sawmill Companies
- C&O Railroad Branch Line terminal
• Going to the post office was a major event when I was young. The first building I recall was a small (probably no more than 8’ x 12’) structure hanging over the creek. It was diagonally across the road from Granny and Grandpa’s house, on the west side of WV16 (near the mouth of Sangamore Hollow), in Clay County. If I remember correctly, Damon and Mae’s house was directly across the road. Postage stamps were 3 cents.
• I vaguely remember the post office also being located next to Granny’s general store. I am unsure of the sequence, but I think this location came after the one described above.
