One of the largest cities in Roane County, West Virginia is the town of Spencer. Spencer was first settled by Samuel Tanner, Jonathan Wolfe and their respective families in 1812. Tanner established a home for his family in a cave under the cliffs where Spencer Middle School now stands. Later, in the spring they built a cabin on Tanners Run. This cabin remained until around 1855. In 1816, other residents began to arrive and settle on what was then referred to as Spring Creek. This name was derived from Samuel Tanner’s observations on the town’s refreshing “cold springs.” Spencer at that time was called “Tanner’s Crossroads,” because the town’s two paths intersected at right angles. It was later named New California, Cassville and finally Spencer. Samuel Tanner bought 243 acres from Robert Alexander (which was all the land of New California) for a dollar an acre. Spencer was not officially named until after the location of the county seat was decided. The town was named after Captain John Spencer, a native of Roane County. By 1950, plans for a court system were being considered due to the citizen’s dissatisfaction with the tax system and belief that a local government would be instrumental in the development of the area. Although the locations of Looneyville, Arnoldsburg and New California (later Spencer) were considered, it actually resulted in the forming of two county seats. Arnoldsburg became the county seat for Calhoun County on March 5, 1856 and New California became the county seat for Roane County on March 11, 1856. On April 7, 1956 eleven Justices of the Peace arrived in Spencer to set up a county government. However, they had no meeting place, so M. Benson Armstrong offered his home as a place for the justices to hold court. Each one of the justices took the oath of office in front of John Greeleaved (Greenleaf) a justice from Jackson County. John W. Cain was unanimously voted presiding justice or president of the court. He then appointed his “tipstaff” or crier as Albert G. Ingram and John W. Spencer. Ingram was voted the first Sheriff of Roane County, J. M. McWhorter, the first County Clerk and Andrew Waugh, the first public defender. On October 3, 1856 Alexander West and his wife sold approximately 2 acres to a few of the members of the court for the sum of five dollars. This land was allocated to be the site for the construction of the new courthouse. Construction started in 1858 with a contract of $9,487 and courthouse was finished in 1859. A huge fire destroyed the town of New California and the new courthouse, destroying the records of the first 20 years of the courthouse. In early 1888, plans for a new courthouse were put into action and the building was completed in 1889. In 1885, plans were in process to construct a second state hospital for the insane. Weston housed the first site built in 1859. Because this facility was over crowded, it was determined that a second facility was needed. Spencer was later chosen to be the site of the hospital. On February 10, 1888 William R. Goff sold the legislature 184 acres for the amount of $9,200 to be the site of this new facility. In July 18, 1893 the hospital would open and admit 54 patients. That number quickly grew to 389 by 1899 and 696 by 1910. Some of the many illnesses charted by this hospital were alcoholism, over-work, insanity, ill health, head injuries, syphilis, epilepsy, paralysis, cocaine use, and pneumonia. Often, patients who had no home or family died in this hospital and were buried in unmarked graves around the facility. In early 1920’s, the name of this building changed to Spencer State Hospital. In June of 1989, when the hospital was closed, it was a very important chapter in the history of Roane County. The people came to depend on the State Hospital’s whistle to remind them it was lunch time and at the end of the day. Luckily, The Monarch Rubber Company filled this void by placing their company’s whistle on the same schedule as the hospital. That is why to this day, the Armacell whistle still blows, a nod to the past, and to remind all of us of Spencer’s interesting history. Researched by: Carrie Nicholas
