BY RACHEL DOVE
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
BEAUTY — Many Martin Countians have memories of the majestic Himler House perched atop the hill overlooking Beauty at the righthand fork of Buck Creek. Although the structure has fallen into disarray and a great portion has collapsed, plans are in place to begin the restoration process on the historic structure Nov. 30.
Morehead resident Cathy Cassady Corbin, whose family is from Coldwater and directly associated with the Martin County Historical Society, is the editor and agent for Martin Himler’s autobiography. She is also one of the leaders of the Martin County Historical and Genealogical Society’s Himler House Project Committee.
An evaluation process is now taking place. Once completed, it will identify the Himler House as a U.S. National Landmark, a distinction bestowed on very few locations in the state and the country.
Structural pieces of the Himler House that can be restored to their original state will be removed and stored for later use in the reconstruction of the house. According to Corbin, phase 1 of the work to salvage what can be restored from the famous structure will be a slow and tedious process.
“There is much to be done, and we ask that the county continue to support this effort financially as well as join the cause to see this vitally important piece of our local, state and national history returned to the majestic beauty it once was,” said Corbin. “The completion of this project will mean amazing things for Martin County.”
Martin Himler is known for his 1919 founding of the Himler Coal Company, a company owned by Hungarian miners and structured on a unique cooperative business model that allowed the miners to be stockholders of the company and own their homes in Himlerville, now known as Beauty.
“Mr. Himler arrived in America on May 7, 1907, with nine cents in his pocket and two goals in mind. He was only 18 years of age when he first stepped on American soil, but he already knew he wanted to fulfill his goals of making a living in America’s free enterprise system,” added Corbin.
Himler’s first job in America was in a coal mine in Thacker, West Virginia. He later worked as a peddler in coal mining towns and began his journalism career with the publication of the Hungarian Miners Journal.
By 1922, 100 miners were living in Himlerville, along with 1,000 residents.
Besides the Himler House, the town consisted of a company store, a theater/opera house, the Himler State Bank, St. Stephen’s Catholic Church, an ice cream parlor, a bakery, a roundhouse for locomotive maintenance and a community park in the middle of town.
The Himlerville community had its own culture, according to Corbin, and its own life and prosperity.
“Himlerville will go down in Martin County history as a strong force in helping shape the county’s future and may truly be the most famous piece of local history ever to be recorded,” stated Corbin.
