Albert Miles, claiming Miami, FL as his home, but who had been making his headquarter in Cincinnati, was killed at Hall’s Gap at about 6:00 Wednesday evening last. It is not known whether he was killed in the crash of his plane, which fell some 150 feet, or whether he was burned to death when the plane burned. His face was badly cut and bruised and his body was burned from head to foot, one of his feet being burned off. Mr. Miles had brought his plane from Cincinnati to carry passengers at a picnic at Hall’s Gap that was to have been given on July 4 by Messers. Johnson and Thompson.

The picnic had been extensively advertised and it was expected that a great crowd would attend. But the news of the fearful accident caused so much sorrow that the picnic program was not carried out. His brother. Henry Miles. who had expected to make the flight with him but was prevented by some cause, accompanied Mr. Miles to Hall’s Gap. Miles, it is claimed, was connected with the airmail service and appeared to be a good flyer. His plane was a four passenger Hisso Standard and had been assembled on the Hall’s Gap hill. Previous to the fatal crash, Mr. Miles attempted to bring the new plane to the ground for its landing, but each time over shot the field. On his last attempt a wing struck a tree, disabling the plane, which then fell over the cliff. He made a perfect take off when the machine was introduced to the air, according to witness’, but a fringe of trees that bordered the field on a mountain tip limited the airport and was blamed for the unsuccessful attempts to land. Undertaker Beasley was called to care for the victim. He found his body in a fearful condition. The plane was burned beyond repair. Funeral services for young Miles were held Thursday afternoon and his body laid to rest in the cemetery close to Fairview church, almost in speaking distance of where the tragedy occurred.

The old tan-yard at Hall’s Gap was on the farm of John Carter. J. D. Bastin operated it for many years. A large pond now stands where the old vats were originally. The hides were placed in the vats with tan bark and salt for a time, then removed to the tan-rock, the hair scraped away and then placed in the drying bar for curing.

Tanbark is obtained from the red oak tree and the tan-rock is a large flat, smooth rock. The tan-rock used in this operation is about six feet wide and two feet long and is now lying at the foot of the front steps leading to the front porch of the Carter house.

About 100 feet from this tan-yard operation, was a grocery store also owned and operated by Mr. Bastin and in the store was the Ewell post office, It is not known just when the post office was discontinued, but much later, in 1940 the Hall’s Gap Post Office was established, to eliminate mix-ups of mail on a rural route out of Waynesburg. It was housed in the general store of Robert J. Johnson, with Mr. Johnson as the postmaster.

In March 1950, he sold the store to Mr. Hodges who became acting postmaster and was appointed postmaster in September of that year. Mr. Hodges closed his store in June 1959, but continued as postmaster until the post office department placed all patrons on a rural route and formally closed the office at the end of June. This was the last rural post office in Lincoln County to be closed.