Clendenin, a History (cont'd)

Navigation on Elk and Big Sandy rivers is about the same as it has ever been, but the encroachment on the roads is somewhat improved of late and the road packets generally come in on schedule time or next week.
The town is not very old but it is very lively. The depot indicates much business and the bank indicates that it is being transacted. The hotels seem to be pretty well filled and so do the churches. There is no end to the stores and shops and the weekly newspaper gives us the latest local news. The merchants have abundant stock and a large trade with the people and almost everybody has a gas or an oil lease to rely on, and the town is growing.
James Jarrett a few years ago had a fairly good cornfield, which has been spoiled with streets, alleys, lots and horses. There is plenty of good Elk river water to drink, gas to burn, but they have voted out the saloon and have no use for policemen. This locality used to have a few politicians and many Republicans but they have become too busy to waste time in a struggle for petty offices and they are now looking for their best men to attend to their business. We used to boast of Squire Swaar, of James Kelly, of Curt Young, Squire Lynch and Squire Young. Now we find Mr. James Jarrett, L.L. Kounts, Mr. Osborne, Mr. Wiley, Henry B. Campbell, Squire Stump and a host of others too numerous to mention.
Among the early families about the mouth of Sandy were the Cobbs, including Dr. Cobb, who was said to have located there about 1808-1810; the Prices, Jarretts, Youngs, Stricklins, Hays, Mr. Woods, Mr. Davis and others. Arch Price killed the last buffalo on Elk. In the vicinity there are some queer names: "Falling Rock," "Blue Creek," "Indian Creek," "Pinch," and "Potato" creek. Clendenin was named for the first settler at the mouth of Elk, who was really the founder of Charleston in 1788.