HISTORY OF COOTES STORE

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HISTORY OF COOTES STORE

Mabel E. Turner, 13

The little village of Cootes Store is located at the junction of the roads leading from Broadway to Ft. Seybert W. Va. and from Dayton to the Orkney Spring Grade.

Old documents show that the village is built either on the Trumbo or Brock grant of land, which was issued by the English from Williamsburg about the year 1760.

There are several old buildings still standing but we are not able to find out when they were built. The Cootes house was built in 1834 by Samuel L. Cootes, who came to this section from Pennsylvania.

A post office was established about a year after Mr. Cootes settled here. He was appointed postmaster. From this point mail was distributed for miles including Brocks Gap country. It was the home of Mr. Gailey, the first mail carrier to Ft. Seybert. The mail was carried on horse back.

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In the same year that he built his house, Mr. Cootes built a storeroom in connection with his dwelling. Ever since that time there has been a store here under the firm name of Cootes and Son.

The population is about fifty. There are two stores, a blacksmith shop, general repair shop and garage. Dr. E. G. Hall is the resident physician.

There are two churches. Four denominations, the Methodist, United Brethren, Baptist and Reformed are represented here. There is a graded school with an enrollment of about one hundred.

The place had a little skirmish in the Civil War. Here was the headquarters for the picket divisions guarding Brocks Gap. The union army was preparing to camp here when Rosser’s army came and drove them off. The bridge was burnt at that time. There was a company made up from this section known as the Brock Gap Riflemen, commanded by John Q. Winfield of Broadway.

Not many other little villages in the Shenandoah Valley are more beautifully located. It is only about a half mile from Brocks Gap which is noted for its beautiful scenery.