The History of Simsville - Part 1
Below is an excerpt from the historical text, 'Simsville: From Sinsville to Metropolis', by Pulitzer nominated author and Simsville residence, Brandon Zeltzer.
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The Beginning:
The town of Simsville was founded in the year of our lord 1885 by Barnaby Sims. Sims, an self-made millionaire who "made" his fortune in the infamous Whitewater Valley gold rush of the 1870's. The gold rush was made infamous by the fact that the existence of gold in Whitewater Valley was then, and remains today, a rumor - not an ounce of gold has been extracted from the mountains and streams of Whitewater Valley. Financial historian Albert Wonnacott explains: "This was one of history's first recorded 'Ponzi Schemes', and the reason why the phrase 'Whitewater Miracle' is still often used as a less disparaging name for a 'Ponzi Scheme'."
Barnaby Sims, by all accounts one of the key perpetrators of the scam, was never prosecuted. And in his efforts to escape censure, he founded Simsville, a town that he could be the law and justice, where he would find relative safety.
Water Towers: one of the oldest surviving photographs from Simsville's early days, circa 1895
While the gold rush turned out to less then real, what did become a real rush in the late 1880's was the discovery of coal in the mountains of Whitewater Valley. Simsville's purpose, as a kingdom for self proclaimed ruler Sims, changed to accommodate the swarms of miners that flocked to Whitewater Valley.
Prostitution and gambling ran riot. The town sheriff Elijah Sims, the nephew of Barnaby, chose to turn a blind eye to the town's corruptible influences. Allegations have always surrounded Elijah's involvement in the illegal gambling and prostitution rings, some even say he was the mastermind behind it all.
For a while, Simsville was widely known in the region as 'Sinsville'.
The Reformation:
When the coal rush ended at the turn of the century, the once prosperous and sinful Simsville turned into a ghost town. And when Barnaby Sims died in the influenza epidemic of 1905, the town needed a new direction.
And that new direction was offered by the grandson of Barnaby, Bryce. Bryce Sims, a graduate of the University of Whitewater, had a deep desire to reform not only Simsville but of the Sims family name, by then synonymous with corruption.
It was a period of major advancement for Simsville. The construction of the town's first schools, first clinic, and the famous town hall that now stands proudly in the town center, all occurred during the reign of Bryce Sims.
Historical photograph of the Simsville Town Hall, circa 1925
It was during this time that Simsville ceased to become a town, and became a city proper. Instead of prostitutes and illegal gambling earnings being the city's biggest imports and exports, factories were built producing an assortment of freight. Soon, Simsville became Whitewater Valley's main port of trade.
Simsville Port, circa 1924
And the city's growing citizenry acknowledged Bryce's contributions and by rewarding him with a tax-funds built house, now known in the city as Bryce Manor.
Bryce Manor, circa 1920
Other well known architecture from the time includes the Art Deco style Mountaintop Hall, built originally to house the city's mentally ill, later re-purposed as a sports and entertainment venue, and now the home of eccentric billionaire Bruce Wane.
Mountaintop Hall, built in 1922. This photo was taken in 1958.
But all was to change when the Great Depression hit Simsville ...
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Join us again in part 2 of our series on the history of Simsville: The Great Depression, The Shame of WWII, and The New Boom period of the 1960's to present.
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