It is the outgrowth of the Coal & Coke road and the Charleston, Clendenin & Sutton Railroad, the C & C succeeding the C.C. & S.R.R. Previous to said railroad running there, a town was on the opposite side of the Elk and was sometimes designated as "Mouth of Big Sandy" and sometimes known as "Chilton" after Squire Chilton, who for several years resided therein, and represented said district on the old county court.

The municipal part of the business is now done on the east side of Elk near the depot, and the station is known as "Clendenin." Besides the railroad, there are several country roads leading into the town, coming down Elk on both sides and other roads coming from other parts of the county - if we may be pardoned for speaking of the ways as roads, for of all ways that either teams or horses or people had to pass over, some of these are the worst, and few, if any, could be worse than the streets. All this is made so by the unusual amount of hauling with heavily-laden wagons, which is in consequence of the oil and gas pipes taken from Clendenin.

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.

We find, besides, the commerical part of the town, the mills, the gas wells and the factories therefrom and many lumber enterprises. The descendants of Lieutenant John Young and Bob Aaron still reside on Elk. Once there was a log boom on Elk and small packets ran also. There are two bridges at mouth of Sandy - one across Big Sandy and the other across Elk near by. This town only wants a railroad up the Sandy to bring away the coal and timber and take the necessities for oil and gas wells and the pipes therefor, the grain and such like products - this line across to Spencer would be a wonderful advantage.

There are four oil and gas companies operating: United Fuel Gas Company, and Hope Gas Company, branches of the Standard Oil Company, which have been operating here for six or seven years; Koontz Oil and Gas Company, organized in 1907 and the Clendenin Oil & Gas Company, organized in 1910.

Among the business enterprises of the town we find the following: Robertson & Parris Company, general store; Clendenin Bargain Store, dry goods and notions; C.M. Morrison, general store; Roush, Robertson Company, general store; P.D. Matheny & Joshua Parsons, grocers; J.B. Cook, grocer; King Hardware Company, J.W. Parris Lumber Company; a flouring mill operated by David Pettigrew and F. Crowell. The physicians of the place are: Dr. Grover C. Robertson, Dr. A.L. Morris, Dr. A.C. Vandine, Dr. Charles Stump and Dr. Fox. The dentists are: Dr. Milton and Dr. Garnes. The present postmaster is Mr. Riley.

There is a Southern M.E. Church in Clendenin, the pastor of which is A.H. Perkins. They held services for some time before erecting their church building.

The Baptist church has been organized since the town was laid out. Rev. Jonathan Smith is the pastor and he is one of the oldest pastors in the state. There is also a Northern M.E. Church, whose pastor is Rev. Fallen.

The first mayor of Clendenin was L.V. Koontz and the last, E.R. Oglevee.

In 1910 the town installed a system of waterworks and in the same year a ladder hose company was formed, there having been a bucket fire department for four or five years. In 1905 and 1908 the town was visited by fire. There is a very good high school building. The public school and high school building combined was built in 1911.

Fraternally there is the Clendenin Lodge No. 26, A.F. & A.M., a lodge of the I.O.O.F. and one of the Improved Order of Red Men.