The Victoria Inn sat across Three Fork Creek on the south side of the intersection with the road to Fortney's Mill. Portions of the foundation, reportedly cut on site by slaves owned by a fellow from Arthurdale, remain. In the mid 1800s, Victoria had a newspaper. The Irondale Furnace, built by the emigre Col. Nemegyj, was across the road from the Victoria Inn. Nemegyj, an acquaintance of President Grant's chief engineer, participated in the construction of a railroad across Panama, abandoned when the first canal effort began. Subsequently, he was a mahogany buyer and a vice consul to the Mexican state of Tabasco before undertaking the iron works. He died in Charleston and is buried in the National Congressional Cemetery in Washington, DC.... Portions of the furnace were standing in the early 1970s, prior to being razed and covered in place with dirt in the late 1970s. Part of the foundation is now becoming visible....The gentleman at the right in the interior picture is Larry Davis's grandfather. A railroad, now the road that runs along Three Fork to near where Laurel Run enters, was built. The railroad was to run to Kingwood and reportedly several miles of it were built on that end, but the two halves were never connected. The gentleman standing on the right side of the Old Bismark picture on the front of the locomotive is Colonel Nemegyj. Old Bismark also appears in the picture of the outside of the furnace. Fortney's Mill stood on the west side of the current bridge across Three Fork. A wooden pen stock ran across the creek upstream from the bridge. The mill was still standing in the 1960s, when folks would dive from the top of the structure.

Pictures courtesy of the Paul Davis family. I cannot find photos of Laurel Run activities, although there were saw/grist mills along the stream. If you know of any, email lewmcdan@hrea.coop