Clarksburg Exponent

BRIDGEPORT, (Thursday, October 26, 2000)

Charles Pointe is named after Charles E. ‘Jim" Compton, Inventor of the coal auger, and well-known philanthropist. To provide readers with more background concerning Compton and this project, we share with you excepts of remarks made by his daughter, Jennifer Compton Corton, at Wednesday’s ceremony:

"Today, you’re looking at one of my father’s favorite places on earth. Before you are 2,000 of the most beautiful acres in this country – or at least we think so. To my father and my mother, and all of us, this is a special place.

"Nearly seven years ago, we began to talk about how our family might make use of this land, protecting its beauty, yet sharing its bounty with others. My dad, as he has done all of his life, wanted to find a way to share this special place with others.

"It began as a simple idea. West Virginia has all the attributes families across he county want in a place to live, work and play – unparalleled beauty, a low crime rate and a quality of life that few states can match.

"Why can’t we create a world-class development that achieves this union between nature, residential living and commerce? If you know my dad, "impossible" isn’t in his vocabulary.

He has grown very ill over the past few years, and as the vision for this project grew, so did his enthusiasm and that of my mother. We began to consolidate my father’s businesses and prepare for the day when his dream – all of our dreams – might be realized. Although dad is not well enough to be here today, our family wanted to honor his many accomplishments in his lifetime, with one more. The vision that has been nurtured over the past seven years will be called ‘Charles Pointe’ after our father,

Charles E. Compton. I am honored to stand here, on his behalf today, and welcome you to this ‘perfect’ spot."