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This beautiful aerial view in northern Pocahontas County shows the town of Frank and the Pocahontas Tanning Company. Commonly known as the Durbin Tannery, the Pocahontas Tanning Company was incorporated in 1902 in Durbin when a group of business people from Wheeling joined with Howes Brother Company of Boston, Massachusetts, to build a tannery. Hides were started through the new tannery in 1904 and housing was built to shelter the workers. The town of Frank was named for two of the incorporators, Frank Hoffman from Wheeling and Frank Howes from Boston. The location for the tannery was selected to utilize the bark from the tremendous growth of hemlock that grew here and was being taken out by the new lumber industries in the area. Photo courtesy of Pocahontas Co. Historical Society, ID: PHS005003
Access the “Preserving Pocahontas” Digital Library at www.pocahontaspreservation.org or www.preserv ingpocahontas.org If you have historical records or photographs to be scanned for the county Historical Archive contact Preservation Officer B. J. Gudmundsson at 304-799-3989 or email info@pocahontaspreser vation.org Prints of photographs are available.
