OHIO STATEWIDE FILES OH-FOOTSTEPS Mailing List *********************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. *********************************************************************** OH-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest Volume 99 : Issue 452 Today's Topics: #1 BIO: Lawrence Co. OH, ROBERT FERGU [Valerie & Tommy Crook To: OH-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-Id: <3.0.5.32.19990704170535.00915210@trellis.net> Subject: BIO: Lawrence Co. OH, ROBERT FERGUSON ADAMS Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" *************** The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 167-168 ROBERT FERGUSON ADAMS is a native of Lawrence County, Ohio, having been born at Ironton, June 2, 1874. He comes of distinguished old stock, his father, Hamlin Miller Adams, being a direct descendant of the famous old Adams family of Massachusetts, and also of General Tup- per, renowned Indian fighter of pioneer days. The pater- nal grandfather of Hamlin M. Adams was a cousin of John Quincy Adams, and his grandmother, Luvica Tupper, was a niece of General Tupper. Volney Adams, the pa- ternal grandfather of Robert F. Adams, came to the Mus- kingum Valley from Massachusetts and settled at Marietta, Ohio, where Hamlin M. Adams, the father of Robert F. Adams, was born. Later the family removed to a point near Beverley, Ohio, where Volney Adams engaged in farm- ing. He died in the evening of life, in the State of Wash- ington. Hamlin Miller Adams was born in 1840 and died in March, 1905, at the age of sixty-five years. He spent his boyhood days upon the farm. He received his education at Marietta College, from which institution he was grad- uated in 1866. In the winter of 1863 he left college to enter the Union Army, remaining therein until the close of the war. In the fall of 1864 he was severely wounded in a skirmish at City Point, now Petersburg, Virginia. He returned to college in 1865 and graduated therefrom in 1866, having received a good classical education. Several years later his alma mater conferred upon him the hon- orary degree of Master of Arts. In 1867 he entered Lane Seminary at Cincinnati for the study of theology, but be- ing without funds and too proud-spirited to accept aid he left the seminary and engaged in teaching at Ironton, Ohio, being connected with the public schools at that point. Later he left the schools and became editor of the Ironton Journal. Still later, in 1877, he became president of Au- gusta College, Augusta, Kentucky, removing from thence to Huntington, West Virginia, in 1879. Here he established a private school, but later disposed of it to enter the gro- cery business in Huntington with his brother Gus M. Adams, under the firm name of Adams & Brother. He took a prominent part in the political affairs of the state, being a staunch republican in politics, and in 1889 was appointed postmaster of Huntington by President Harri- son. It was under his administration that free delivery service of mail matter was begun in Huntington. He was an elder in the First Presbyterian Church and a member of the Odd Fellows and the Masonic fraternity. In 1873, at Ironton, Ohio, he was united in marriage with Miss Jennie Ferguson, daughter of James M. and Elizabeth J. (Wood) Ferguson, the latter of whom survives and is a resident of Los Angeles, California. Miss Jennie Ferguson was born in 1852. Four children resulted from this union: Robert Ferguson, of this review; Augustus Hamlin, of Huntington, a merchandise broker specializing in mining machinery; Frances, a sister, who is unmarried and resides with her wid- owed mother; and Norton Meredith, who is engaged in the newspaper business at New Orleans, Louisiana. Robert Ferguson Adams received a high school education in the public schools of Huntington, but was obliged to leave school on account of his health shortly before the completion of his senior year. In the fall of 1892, at the age. of eighteen, he became a letter carrier at Huntington, having worked his way up to this position, starting as er- rand boy, then working as special delivery messenger and night clerk at the Post Office. He occupied the position of a letter carrier for eighteen years, during which time he rose from the lowest paid to the highest salaried position attainable in this branch of the postal service. In 1904 he became interested in a small weekly newspaper estab- lished in Huntington, with which he acted as advertising manager, giving to this work such of his time not required for his postal duties. Later he disposed of his interest in this publication and devoted such spare time as was available to the study and practice of the work of an advertising agent. In 1910 he resigned his position with the Post Office department to engage in a mercantile business, with which he was identified for about one year, having carried on simultaneously his advertising business. In 1911 he severed his connection with all other business ventures to devote his time exclusively to his chosen profession of advertising. In 1911 he founded the Adams Advertising Agency, the pioneer enterprise of its kind at Huntington, which under his management and direction has attained the position of leadership in its field, he having been engaged in the study and practice of advertising since 1907. His plant and offices are located in the Miller-Ritter Building, Huntington, where he plans and executes advertising cam- paigns, places accounts in newspapers and magazines, does commercial multigraphing and direct-by-mail advertising, and handles theatre and screen advertising. Mr. Adams is a republican. With his family he belongs to the First Presbyterian Church of Huntington, in which he is an elder. He is a thirty-second degree Mason, be- longing to Huntington Lodge No. 53, A. F. and A. M., and to West Virginia Consistory No. 1 of Wheeling, and being secretary of the Scottish Eite bodies of Huntington. He is also a member of Beni Kedem Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., of Charleston, of Marshall Lodge No. 121, I. O. O. F.. of Huntington, of the Guyan Country Club, and of the Rotary Club of Huntington, in which he has held the post of sec- retary since 1916. During the great World war Mr. Adams took an active part in all local war movements. Liberty Loan drives, etc. He was chairman of the U. S. Navy Local Advisory Committee, and chairman of the War Sav- ings Advertising Committee of Cabell County, a capacity in which he handled and produced the advertising for the sale of War Savings Stamps throughout the county. For his work in this capacity Mr. Adams received letters of the highest commendation from the National War Savings Advertising Bureau and the bureau drafted for reproduc- tion nationally and for the assistance of other War Sav- ings advertising committees, a numerous portion of the ad- vertising matter having been prepared by Mr. Adams. In 1895 Mr. Adams entered Marshall College for addi- tional study, arranging his daily occupation so as to be able to engage in the classes in the branches of study de- sired. It was during this year that he met Miss Mamie Baker, a daughter of Dr. Morgan and Annie (Marcum) Baker, the latter of whom resides at Huntington, where Doctor Baker, now deceased, was a well-known physician and surgeon. Miss Baker graduated from Marshall College in 1895 and was united in matrimony to Mr. Adams in April, 1898, shortly after the recovery of Mr. Adams from a sickness of nearly a year, which resulted from injuries received in the letter carrier service. Two daughters have blessed this union: Mary Elisabeth and Virginia, the for- mer of whom graduated from Wooster College, Wooster, Ohio, in 1922, with the degree of Bachelor of Arts, and the latter of whom is a student at the same college. ______________________________ ------------------------------ X-Message: #2 Date: Sun, 04 Jul 1999 17:10:28 -0400 From: Valerie & Tommy Crook To: OH-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-Id: <3.0.5.32.19990704171028.00a3baf0@trellis.net> Subject: BIO: Gallia Co., OH, PURLA V. BESWICK Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" *************** The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 168 PURLA V. BESWICK, administrator of the estate of his father, the late Samuel Beswick, incidentally has the active management of the substantial lumber business which was established by his father in the City of Huntington and which is still conducted under the title of Sam Beswick, which had been adopted by the father. Mr. Beswick was born in Gallia County, Ohio, February 10, 1878. His father, Samuel Beswick, was born at Stock- port, Morgan County, that state, May 14, 1855, and died at Huntington, West Virginia, December 2, 1921. Samuel Beswick was reared and educated in his native place and was a young man when he removed to Gallia County, Ohio. At Pomeroy, Meigs County, that state, his marriage oc- curred and he was thereafter identified with operations in the oil fields of that county until his removal to Marietta, Ohio, where he found employment in a coopering estab- lishment, as did he later at New Brighton, Pennsylvania. In 1877 he returned to Gallia County, Ohio, where he was engaged in farm enterprise until the following year, when he came to West Virginia and engaged in farming near Greenbotton, Cabell County. There he continued his suc- cessful operations until January, 1883, when he removed with his family to Huntington and entered the employ of the Ensign Manufacturing Company, the title of which is now the American Car & Foundry Company. In 1886 he here established himself in business as a contractor and builder, and with this enterprise he continued his active alliance until 1892, when he founded the retail lumber business which is still conducted under his name and which he developed into one of the most substantial and impor- tant enterprises of its kind in the city. He erected his office building on Fourteenth Street, between Second and Third avenues, and the lumber warehouses extend from the corner of Fourteenth Street and Second Avenue for a dis- tance of 210 feet to the east of Fourteenth Street, on Sec- ond Avenue, and 140 feet on Fourteenth Street. Mr. Bes- wick was a loyal and public-spirited citizen and aggressive and successful business man, was a democrat in politics, and he served as a member of the City Council of Hunting- ton from 1895 to 1898. He was affiliated with Huntington Lodge No. 64, I. O. O. F.; Huntington Lodge No. 33, Knights of Pythias; Huntington Camp No. 5257, M. W. A.; and with the local organization of the Improved Or- der of Red Men, besides which he was an active and pop- ular member of the Huntington Chamber of Commerce. His widow, whose maiden name was Augusta Kuhn and who still resides at Huntington, was born in Washington County, Ohio, May 14, 1855. Of their children the first- born is Clyda, who remains with her widowed mother; the subject of this sketch was the next in order of birth and is the only son; and Addie is the wife of K. A. Runion, of Huntington. Purla V. Beswick supplemented the discipline of the Huntington public schools by attending Marshall College, in which he continued his studies until he had partially completed the work of his senior year. He left college in 1895 and became .actively associated with his father's lum- ber business, his experience thus fortifying him effectively when he was called upon to assume the active management of the business upon the death of his father. He is found loyally aligned in the ranks of the democratic party, is an active member of the Huntington Chamber of Commerce, and is affiliated with Huntington Camp No. 5257, Modern Woodmen of America; Huntington Lodge No. 313, B. P. O. E.; and with the local organization of the lumbermen's fraternity, the Concatenated Order of Hoo Hoos. He is a member of Central Christian Church, and his wife is a member of the Fifth Avenue Baptist Church. In 1922 he completed the erection of his handsome and modern resi- dence on Fifth Avenue, in one of the most attractive resi- dential sections of the city. November 17, 1903, recorded the marriage of Mr. Bes- wick and Miss Annette Norton, who was born in Kanawha County, this state, October 14, 1880, and whose death oc- curred July 23, 1909, no children having been born of this union. On the 13th of September, 1918, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Beswick and Miss Blanche Rogers, daughter of Samuel Rogers, who is living retired at Mount Sterling, Kentucky, his wife being deceased. Mrs. Beswick was born near Mount Sterling, Kentucky, August 14, 1886, and was reared and educated in the fine old Blue Grass State and in Marshall College. She is the gracious and popular chatelaine of the beautiful home at Huntington, and is actively identified with the representative social life of the community. Samuel Beswick, grandfather of the subject of this re- view, was born in Stockport, England, and died at Stock- port, Ohio, September 22, 1867, he having been a young man when he came to the United States and settled at Stock- port, Ohio, where he became a pioneer merchant and hotel proprietor, the owner of a wharfboat, a contractor in the construction of county roads, and a promoter in the local oil fields. The maiden name of his wife was Emily Thorni- ley, and she likewise died at Stockport. The great-grand- parents, James Beswick and Elizabeth Gaywood Beswick, were born in England and came to this country in 1818. ______________________________ ------------------------------ X-Message: #3 Date: Sun, 04 Jul 1999 21:45:14 -0400 From: Valerie & Tommy Crook To: OH-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-Id: <3.0.5.32.19990704214514.00a66e00@trellis.net> Subject: BIO: Wood Co. OH, LESTER J. HUDSON Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" *************** The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 191-192 Cabell LESTER J. HUDSON is prominently concerned with the industrial activities of the City of Huntington, where he is manager of the United States Chain & Forging Company, the extensive plant of which, together with the general of- fices, is situated at Fifteenth Street, West, and Adams Avenue. This well ordered corporation, one of the most important in its special field of enterprise in the United States, manufactures a large variety of iron and steel chains, especially for railroad and dredging purposes, and Mr. Hudson has the general supervision of the work of 125 employes. Lester J. Hudson was born in Wood County, Ohio, July 5, 1887, and is a son of Frank M. and Catherine (Miller) Hudson, both natives of Seneca County, Ohio, where the former was born in 1853 and the latter in 1855, the father being now a resident of Deshler, Henry County, that state, and being still active in the supervision of his fine farm in that county, his wife having passed to the life eternal in 1917. He is a republican in political adherency and is a zealous member of the Presbyterian Church, as was also his wife. Gaylord, eldest of their children, is an electrician and resides at Deshler; Laura is the wife of Henry Wentz, of Elkhart, Indiana; Elmer is a farmer near Attica, Ohio; Lester J., of this sketch, and his twin brother, Chester A., were next in order of birth, the latter being an employment manager in the City of Cleveland, Ohio. Frank M. Hudson was reared and educated in his native county, where his marriage was solemnized and where he continued his activities as a farmer until he removed to Wood County, Ohio. In the latter county he was engaged in farm enterprise until 1892, since which year he has been one of the substantial exponents of agricultural and live- stock enterprise in Henry County, that state. After attending the district schools of Henry County, Ohio, Lester J. Hudson there continued his studies in the high school at Deshler until his graduation in 1907. He taught two terms of school in that county, and in 1910 he graduated from the Lima Business College at Lima, Ohio. He then became stenographer in the offices of the Stand- ard Chain Company at St. Marys, Ohio, and he so thor- oughly familiarized himself with the details of the business that he won consecutive advancement and finally, in 1912, was made manager of the company. In 1918 this concern sold its plant and business to the American Chain Company, and Mr. Hudson -was transferred to the latter's plant at Columbus, Ohio, where he held the position of purchasing agent three months. He then, in November, 1919, resigned and accepted his present responsible office, that of manager of the United States Chain & Forging Company. Mr. Hudson is a thoroughgoing republican, but has had no desire for political office. He and his wife are members of the Fifth Avenue Baptist Church at Huntington, in which he is a member of the church orchestra. He is a past grand of Shawnee Lodge, I. O. O. P., at St. Marys, Ohio, where he is affiliated also with St. Marys Lodge No. 219, Knights of Pythias. He is a member of the West Side Country Club of Huntington. He gave loyal service in support of the various patriotic movements in connection with the World war, and was specially active in advancing local campaigns in support of the Government bond issues, he having been responsible for bonds sold to the employes of the company of which he was an executive. At Pittsfield, Illinois, in 1917, Mr. Hudson wedded Miss Cora C. Laugh, who was born near Cincinnati, Ohio, and who graduated from high school in that city and also from a training school for nurses. Mr. and Mrs. Hudson have no children. Mr. Hudson is a scion of one of the sterling pioneer fami- lies of the old Buckeye State, his paternal grandfather having been born in Seneca County, Ohio, in 1817, a date that indicates the pioneer priority of the family in that commonwealth. In his native county the grandfather be- came the owner of a valuable landed estate and was an extensive and successful farmer, his death having there occurred in 1897. -------------------------------- End of OH-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest V99 Issue #452 *******************************************