Emmit O. Boylen Biography Barbour County, WV ********************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any 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. ********************************************************************** Submitted by: Valerie Crook The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 465-466 Barbour EMMIT O. BOYLEN. On land and in the same community where the Pioneer Boylen settled and began his activities as a home-maker a hundred years ago Emmit O. Boylen has found his work, congenial duties, and the relationships that give life value. His home is on rural route No. 2 out of Philippi, but the locality is better known as Taylor's Drain. A prosperous farmer, Mr. Boylen has accepted op- portunities for usefulness outside his private affairs, and has exemplified the same high standard of good citizenship that has always characterized the name in this section of West Virginia. His pioneer ancestor was his grandfather, Abner Boylen, who on coming to West Virginia settled in the woods and on land now owned by Emmit Boylen. He put up a log cabin and that rude house, with its simple comforts, sufficed him during his life time and continued to be the home of his widow for several years. The old house stood until recently. The oldest son of Abner Boylen was John Boylen, who was born at Taylor's Drain in Barbour County July 16, 1834. For his education he attended the old field subscrip- tion school, and farming was his regular occupation. His first farming experience on his own account was south of Philippi, but he soon returned to the Taylor's Drain local- ity and finally bought the Heck farm, on which he spent the rest of his life. Mr. Heck was one of the earliest settlers in that region, taking up land on Hacker's Creek and built a log house, in which he lived out his life. His wife and two children are buried at Taylor's Drain Church. John Boylen was a Union man, but his effort to get into the army was rejected. He began voting as a democrat, but the issues of the war made him a republican. He was a leader in the Methodist Church and helped build the church now standing on Taylor's Drain, and his home was the place of entertainment for the minister who Served that community. John Boylen was a fine example of physical, mental and moral manhood, stood six feet tall, like men of his day wore a chin beard, and was kindly and helpful in his relations with his friends and natives. He was well informed by reading and observation and an interesting conversationalist. John Boylen, who died April 13, 1908, at the age of seventy-four, married on September 23, 1862, Elizabeth Ann Read, who represented one of the prominent families in this section. She was born September 15, 1834, and died September 11, 1891. Her father, William Read, was born on Pleasant Creek in Taylor County, and married a Miss Sayre. William Read had a brother, Rev. Frank Read. Their mother was one of the finest types of pioneer women and one of the first settlers in this section of Bar- bour County. She possessed a great deal of courage and resourcefulness. When her husband, who was a great hunter and trapper and supplied most of the meat for the family in that way, was absent from home on his expeditions his wife -would prop the cabin door to prevent wolves or bear or other wild animals from molesting her. Her husband was of German ancestry, and he used the language largely in conversation and also read and wrote it. The children of John Boylen and wife were: Francis A.; Celia A., wife of Absolom Poling, of Upshur County; John Calvin, a farmer near Berryberg; Matilda Jane, who married Lewis Poling, of Bedford County, Pennsylvania; William Irvin, who died in infancy; James Lloyd, who was a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church and died in Lewis County, leaving two daughters; Emmit O.; Ellis, who died in childhood. Emmit O. Boylen was born October 24, 1869, on the old Heck farm and in a log house which stood there. His birthplace was within a mile of the site where his grand- father settled, and for more than fifty years he has remained in this locality and on his present farm. He secured his education in the public school on Taylor's Drain. The day of the log cabin school had passed when he became a scholar. He came under the influence of some very able teachers in that school. One of them was Judge Ira E. Robinson, who was not only a good schoolmaster, but later distinguished himself as an able lawyer and judge. An- other figure in the Taylor's Drain community was Scott White, now a Clarksburg banker, and still another who made a favorable impression was Jimmie Scott. Emmit O. Boylen remained at home with his parents and eared for them in their declining years. When he married he brought his bride to the old home. He learned farming under his father, and has never departed to a great extent from the lessons he thus learned. He not only owns the homestead where he was born, but the place where his grandfather settled. He has grown beef cattle, has kept his stock at a good grade, and has bred some pedigreed Poland China hogs. In the line of community service Mr. Boylen was post- master at Boylen, being appointed during the adminis- tration of Colonel Roosevelt. He has also been a member of the School Board and supervisor of roads. He and Mrs. Boylen are active members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and for many years he was a trustee and steward, and has been one of the leaders in keeping up Sunday School work. He was superintendent of the Taylor's Drain Sunday School, and maintained that institution when his and one other family were the only ones interested. At Grafton, October 23, 1895, Mr. Boylen married Miss Maude B. Slane, daughter of John and Annie (Finley) Slane, the former a native of Hampshire County, West Virginia, and the latter of Barbour County, born on Buckhannon River, where her father conducted a mill. John Slane was a Government teamster in the Civil war, being a boy at the time, after the war was a carpenter in Grafton, and finally entered a pump factory as a turner and was in the service of that institution forty years. In 1914 he and his wife removed to Statesville, North Carolina, and they celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in that Southern city on April 7, 1922. The members of the Slane family are: Grace, wife of George Stephens, of Statesville; Oscar, of Statesville, who is active head of several mirror factories in North. Carolina, Kentucky and Tennessee and a man of wealth and influence; Mrs. Boylen, who was born September 1, 1877; Effie G., wife of Frank Winneskie, of High Point, North Carolina; Fred, of Statesville; Willis, of High Point; Lloyd, who died in childhood; Mabel, wife of Fred Whitescarver, of Prunty- town, West Vrginia. At their delightful home in the country Mr. and Mrs. Boylen have provided for the material comforts and edu- cation of a happy family of children growing up about them. These children are: Elbert D., Carl L., Walter Fred, Clarence, Freda Belle, Neva Clare and Wilford B. The son Elbert is a merchant in the mining town of Midland. Carl is a student in an automobile school in Chicago. Walter Fred is now finishing his education in Broaddus College at Philippi.