NEWS FROM THE HILLS
Dear Cousin,
When I was a girl, we all had double names. I don’t know whether it was an Appalachian custom, or merely peculiar to our area. We were always called by the whole thing too, and not just when Mom was mad. There was none of this Pam, Liz, Mia or Beth stuff. We had hearty, mouth-filling names such as Myrtle Belle and Arlene Kaye, Betty Marie and Mabel Irene, Nina Faye and Wanda Pearl, Jewel Beth and Artha Lee.
By the time my two younger sisters came along, they were nicknamed just plain “Jeannie” and “Susie.” I guess Mom was too tired to fool with their complete names. The boys in our area came in for their share of double names also. I can still hear their mothers calling, “Allen Wayne! Dennie Clayton! James Roy! Ronald Lee! Mark Andrew!” One of my brothers was merely called “Larry.” It was too much to holler “Larry August!” My sister Mary Ellen and I are still addressed by both names. When I started to high school, some of my teachers shortened my name to just “Alyce,” but it sounded odd to me. I am still “Alyce Faye” to my friends.
I like the old custom of double names. I thought it had died out completely until I heard a mother calling “Everett Jesse” and “Mildred Maxine!” My home county of Clay doesn’t have to take a back seat to any place when it comes to picturesque names for our communities. Some of these are local names that have been handed down from generation to generation, and will probably never appear on a map. “Twist ‘n’ Shoot” (or could that be “Twistin’ Chute”?) Jumpin’ Gut and “Twistabout” all sound like a gunfight in a Western movie. I am told that Twistabout gets its name from the creek that twists and turns as it flows toward the Elk River.
Many of our names are derived from the folks who first settled that area, such as: Reed Fork, Summer’s Fork, Roger’s Fork, Robinson Fork, Obrien, Triplett Ridge, Harrison and Procious. Some of the places are named after animals. We have Horse Fork, Dog Run, Big Pigeon, Little Pigeon, Bit Otter, Buffalo Creek, Turkey Run, Gobbler’s Knob and Duck. Our native trees are not left out, with Laurel Fork and Laurel Creek, Beechy Ridge, Hickory Knob, Sycamore, Ash Camp and Oak Hill.
The “forks” and “runs” are tributaries that flow into another stream, and of course the “ridges” are self-explanatory. Ovapa has an unique name, taken from abbreviations of the states of Ohio (O), Virginia (VA), and Pennsylvania (PA). The early gas and oil drillers who came from these states to our rural setting are supposed to be responsible for that one. There is one name that fascinates me, and I haven’t been able to find out the origin. I remember hearing Grandpa O’Dell speak familiarly of “Barren She.” I have read it in some of the Clay County history books, and would love to know how the name came about.
Where else except in Clay County can you find the Ha’nted Lick, Dismal Holler, Devil’s Backbone, End-of-the-World Rocks, and Booger Hole? That doesn’t sound like Almost Heaven, West Virginia. Fortunately, they are not all in the same area. There are odd names in other parts of the country, with tongue-twisting Indian names thrown in for good measure. We always see and remark on “Hungry Mother State Park” and “Scratch Gravel Road” on the route to our daughter Crystal’s home in North Carolina. She lives near a place called “Granny Squirrel.” Well, we live right across the hill from Grannies Creek.
We have a camp in Looney-ville, Roane County. This name brings a lot of amused comments from out-of-state friends, but it was actually named for the Looney family. They were probably the first settlers in those parts. We are thinking of naming our camp “The Looney Bin.” Some of the names are just plain pretty, such as Swandale, Ivydale, Villanova, Mountain Home and Cressmont. There are names taken from the Bible, including Enoch, Pisgah, and Nebo. The name I love best is “Stony Lonesome.” In my mind’s eye, I see a lonely bride, gazing across an expanse of rocky soil and longing for home she has left elsewhere. There my musings stop, for I can’t imagine longing for any place other than Clay County. I love its hills, ridges, forks and hollers — yes, and even the stony, lonesome places.
Cousin Ray, tell your readers that there is still time to place orders for copies of my books for Mother’s Day. “This Holler Is My Home” and “Homesick for the Hills” can be ordered for the price of $15.33 each, which includes postage and tax. I will personally autograph each book as you wish. Send orders to: Alyce Faye Bragg, HC 72 Box 1-F, Ovapa, WV 25150. Orders will be sent out promptly.
Love,
Cousin Alyce Faye
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