Crany, West Virginia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Crany
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In the mid-1850s, there was a sufficient population at Crany for the establishment of a post office, the second one in Wyoming County. The first post office was at Oceana, the county seat.
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A farm house in Crany, West Virginia.
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 Crany, West Virginia
Location in West Virginia
Crany, West Virginia
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | West Virginia |
| County | Wyoming |
| Elevation | 1,506 ft (459 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP codes |
24870
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| GNIS ID | 1549645 |
Crany is a small community in Wyoming County, West Virginia, United States. It is located right next to the Clear Fork river. Crany was one of the first places people settled in this area. It is known for its good farming land and small family farms. Many people living here today are descendants of the first settlers. In the early 1900s, Crany was also important for logging, which means cutting down trees for wood.
Contents
What's in a Name? The Story of Crany
The name Crany has two possible origins.
- One idea is that it came from "Crane Fork." This was a small stream that flowed into the Clear Fork river. Over time, people speaking the local mountain dialect shortened "Crane Fork" to Crany.
- Another idea is that the name came from a mistake. The word might have originally been "Cranny," which means a hidden or quiet corner.
Crany's Past: A Look at Its History
Early Settlers and Land
In 1795, the valley around Crany was surveyed. This means it was measured as part of a larger piece of land in Montgomery County, Virginia. Joseph Tidball and Charles Myn Thurston owned this land. Later, in 1797, James Welch bought the land and then sold it to Joseph Mandeville.
Captain Ralph Stewart and his family were the first settlers in Crany. They arrived in 1800. Even though he didn't legally own the land, Stewart settled in the Crany Fork Valley. His children also settled there and married into local families.
Stewart was one of the first two settlers in what is now Wyoming County. The other was John Cooke, who founded Oceana. Stewart chose to live in the wild, surrounded by mountains that are over 2,000 feet tall. You can find Stewart's headstone at the start of Bee Branch in Crany.
Businesses and Community Life
In the 1800s, several business people ran stores in Crany. These included Ralph Canterbury, Daniel Gunnoe, and Perry Bailey.
The Crany community also had a school. It was built in 1850. The county board of education, led by William Brooks, approved it. William's father, Richard Brooks, was the first teacher. Two schools, Crany and Adkin, taught the children in the valley. The Crany school closed between the 1940s and 1950s. The Adkin school closed around 1965.
The Crany Missionary Baptist Church was started in 1886 by Rev. James L. Marshall. At first, church services were held in the school or in people's homes. Today, the church meets in a modern building in the middle of the valley.
Images for kids
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In the mid-1850s, there was a sufficient population at Crany for the establishment of a post office, the second one in Wyoming County. The first post office was at Oceana, the county seat.
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A farm house in Crany, West Virginia.
See also
In Spanish: Crany (Virginia Occidental) para niños
