A Preston County community
Brookside grew as a mountain resort along the former Northwestern Turnpike near Aurora. Its timeline follows Wilmer P. Vale’s resort development, Branson Haas’s preservation of Brookside Woods, the creation of Cathedral State Park, and the later recognition of the Brookside Historic District.
This overview draws on the connected timeline entries and the checked National Archives postal index. Follow the links below for sources and research qualifications.Community timeline
1882
Wilmer P. Vale bought 329½ acres from William Stone in 1882 and added two adjoining parcels in 1884 and 1885. Named Brookside for nearby Rhine Creek, the property developed into Aurora's largest resort complex, with a large…
Open event and sources1922
Branson Haas purchased more than 400 acres from the McBride estate in 1922. The property included Brookside Woods—the old-growth hemlock forest associated with the resort—as well as surrounding farmland, and Haas became a…
Open event and sources1942
Branson Haas sold the 118.5-acre tract containing Brookside Woods to the State of West Virginia for $13,000. The State Conservation Commission established Cathedral State Park, and Haas remained there as caretaker until his…
Open event and sourcesNovember 16, 1951
On the evening of November 16, 1951, a U.S. Air Force Douglas RB-26C Invader returning from Pittsburgh to Langley Air Force Base on a routine training flight suffered an engine failure and struck a mountaintop near Eglon,…
Open event and sourcesMay 8, 2013
The 139-acre Brookside Historic District near Aurora was entered in the National Register of Historic Places. The district connects the surviving Brookside resort properties—including Gaymont, cottages, the farm, and Red Horse…
Open event and sourcesTwo 1884 postal documents include an establishment application and its associated route map. They describe a proposed office serving an estimated 100 people and place Brookside in relation to Eglon, Rhine Creek, the Youghiogheny River, Oakland, Maryland, and the surrounding mail route.
Explore all 2 postal recordsRecord dates are not necessarily office opening or closing dates. Applications and proposed moves retain their original qualifications.
National Archives · M1126, roll 651 · NARA pages 376, 377. View the original collection.