Contagious Genealogy: A Pandemic

Sutton is a small town in Braxton County, smack dab in the center of West Virginia. Home to the West Virginia Bigfoot Museum and the Haunted Haymond House, there's not much else to write home about, but this place was once called home by my mom's side of the family from about 1902 to 1945-ish. It was also the birthplace of Lizzie's roadhouse! Elizabeth (Rockwell) Dixon was my 2nd great grandmother, and she also happened to be a fine businesswoman. She ran her own gas station and store on the side of the road. Mrs. Lizzie Dixon roadhouse, Sutton, West Virginia, circa 1930.  Photo provided by Nancy (Hogg) Jones to Kira D. Foltz. Dixon roadhouse, Sutton, West Virginia, 18 Nov 1934. Dixon roadhouse, Sutton, West Virginia, 18 Nov 1934. And that's right; it wasn't managed by her husband! It was HER name up on that sign: Mrs. Lizzie Dixon roadhouse sign, Sutton, West Virginia, circa 1930.  Photo provided by Nancy (Hogg) Jones to Kira D. Foltz. The exact location of where t...

  DECEMBER 20, 2021 Week 51: Holidays I have a pair of twin treasure chests that sit underneath the stairs in my house. They belonged to my maternal grandparents, and they’re filled with family picture frames, wartime correspondence, loose papers, little trinkets and other ephemera. A lot of the stuff that fills the chests has been placed in them at different times, so most of it is completely random and unrelated to the other stuff, which makes it even more fun to sift through, because it’s one surprise after another. Mary Dixon, “Post Cards”, scrapbook, Sutton, West Virginia, ca. 1908; privately held by descendant Kira D. Foltz. One such item is a very old scrapbook whose cover is pre-printed with POST CARDS. With a quick scan through the pages, it’s clear the collection belonged to Miss Mary Dixon of Sutton, West Virginia. Mary Lucretia Dixon was my great grandmother Beatrice’s older sister. She was born 30 November 1892 in Wadestown, Monongalia, West Virginia to Nathan and Eliz...