Buckhannon in Upshur County, West Virginia — The American South (Appalachia)
The Tannery
Photographed by Bradley Owen, February 24, 2025
1. The Tannery Marker
Where West Virginia Wesleyan College has its baseball field and football practice field, was the site of the William Flaccus Oak Leather Company. On this site, the William Flaccus Oak Leather Company of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, operated a larger tannery established in 1889. The plant manufactured harness leather, with a capacity of 600 hides per week and an output of one rail car load in 2-3 weeks. Each car could hold from 1500 to 2000 hides with most of the finished product being shipped to Pittsburgh. The hides used for tanning came mostly from the large packing houses of the country, but the tan-bark was a local product of Upshur County and adjoining counties. The tanning process was an elaborate one and required several months to turn out the finished leather. A total of 42 men were employed in 1918 and the average monthly payroll was $1600.00. On the evening of September 25, 1935, it was destroyed by a fire so illuminating it was seen in Weston, 15 miles away.
Erected by Buckhannon River Water Association.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Disasters • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical date for this entry is September 25, 1935.
Location. 38° 59.608′ N,
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in North Central West Virginia. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, in Appalachia, and specifically in Northern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Bob Wallace Bridge (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Toxicodendron radicans (poison ivy) (about 400 feet away); Welcome to the Buckhannon Nature Park and Learning Trail / Our Floodplain Forest (about 400 feet away); Morus alba (white mulberry) (about
Photographed by Bradley Owen, February 24, 2025
2. The Tannery Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on March 11, 2025. It was originally submitted on March 4, 2025, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. This page has been viewed 201 times since then and 15 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 5, 2025, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia.
