ALLISONIA MINES
More than 50 years ago when the old iron mines at Rich Hill
were being
worked night and day, when the charcoal furnaces at Boone and
Max Creek
turned out thousands of tons of molten metal, when pig iron was
shipped
down New river on keel bottom boats, the town of Allisonia was
the scene
of thriving business activity. Named by David Shriver FORNEY for
the
pioneer ALLISON family, this settlement has grown up largely since
the
Civil war, but the ALLISONs, who owned a large tract of land and
kept
over 100 slaves on their property, were among the earliest settlers
in the county.
Source: 1939 Centenial Edition of the SW Times Newspaper