R.E. Hagan, another Virginian, was elected by the Democrats and served as mayor in 1889 and 1890.
In 1890, the voters authorized the city’s first bond issue, with the proceeds going to build sewers and pave streets.
In the 1891-92 “Huntington City Directory,” R.E. Hagan and his brother J.B. Hagan were listed as “dealers in hardware, tin ware and slate, at 1033 3rd Avenue. That same year’s directory listed the town’s population as 11,000, although that may have been a bit optimistic.
