The first paper in Pocahontas County, West Virginia,  The Pocahontas Times, was started at Huntersville by James Buchanan Canfield and Hezekiah B. Marshall.  The first issue was dated May 10, 1883.  Mr. Canfield came from Beverly in Randolph County and brought with him a Washington hand press that had been used to print the Randolph Enterprise.  The press had previously been used in Wood County.

 By 1885 Mr. Canfield had the paper on his own and in 1888 he sold it to C. Forrest Moore and Samuel B. Loury.  Their first issue is probably the one for November 29 with Moore listed as the Editor.

 Moore and Loury had the paper for only a few months and sold it to John E. Campbell in March or April of 1889.

 The location of the original printing office used by The Times in Huntersville is not known exactly at this date.  It may have been a big building located near the present Huntersville Methodist Church.  In September of 1886, Mr. Canfield purchased a 31’ by 17’ lot adjoining the east side of the Court House square but it is not known if he built on this lot.  The lot went to Mr. Campbell in March of 1890 and he begins to report to his readers his plans for the construction of a new building.  The paper was in the new building by July of 1891.

 This new office was enjoyed for only a short time as Editor Campbell soon joined the rush to the new metropolis on the Greenbrier River in Marlinton.  This move was made in the first part of May 1892 and The Times took up residence in the Cunningham Building (later Staton Building) which was located on Main Street beside the Presbyterian Church.  The building at Huntersville became an annex to the Loury and Doyle Hotel and later housed The Pocahontas Herald.

 The paper made another change of ownership with the November 17, 1892 issue when it was acquired by the Rev. William T. Price and his sons;  Andrew Price and Dr. James W. Price are listed as Editors and Proprietors.

 The printing office was located in the Cunningham Building until sometime in 1896 when it was moved to a small building at the W. T. Price residence at the mouth of Jericho Hollow on the Seneca Trail (US 219).  In late November 1899 the shop was moved again this time to the Temporary Court House Building which was located at the intersection of Fourth Avenue and Ninth Street (now part of the Marlinton School property).  The present Times office was built in 1901 and occupied during the last week of August of that year.

 The Washington Hand Press was used until late 1896 when it was replaced by a cylinder press brought from Staunton, Virginia.  This press was turned by hand until 1901 when a small steam engine was purchased.  Later a gasoline engine was used and finally an electric motor.  The shop was wired about 1908.  The present Babcock Reliance flatbed press was installed in early May 1911, and was in regular use until April 1974.  At this time a variety of factors forced the change to offset printing.  ( A portion of the paper had been offset printed for several years.)

 The present Chandler and Price job press was installed in late 1900 when it “signalized its advent by promptly going through the floor...”  It was soon put in place and is still used every week.

 A Linotype typesetting machine was leased from the Mergenthaler Company in late 1901.  However, it proved to be unsatisfactory and in about a year the paper returned to handset type.  The next change in typesetting did not come until May, 1975, when a Compugraphic phototypesetting machine was added to the shop.

 As the years went by after 1892, the masthead of The Times varied as the younger members of Rev. Price’s family got involved with the paper.  Norman Price first appears as an owner in January 1897.  By this time Dr. J. W. Price is no longer connected with the paper.  Andrew Price is Editor until the issue of July 5, 1900, when a new partnership, Price Brothers, is formed, consisting of Andrew, Norman, and the youngest son, Calvin.  At this time Andrew steps aside as an active participant since his law practice had finally grown to full time.  Price Brothers remains on the masthead until the issue of May 3, 1906.  The Price Brothers partnership (now just Andrew and Calvin) is dissolved and Calvin W. Price becomes the sole owner and editor.

See Photos of the Times Office Taken Over The Past One Hundred Years.