Barbour County, West Virginia Biography of Albert Gallatin CHRISLIP ************************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: Material may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material, AND permission is obtained from the contributor of the file. These pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for non-commercial purposes, MUST obtain the written consent of the contributor. Submitted by Valerie Crook, , March 2000 ************************************************************************** The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 353 ALBERT GALLATIN CHRISLIP. An ambition to be a mer- chant was the leading motive in the early career of Mr. Chrislip. Having no capital but what he could earn, he farmed, taught school and clerked until the day of realiza- tion came when he could get into business for himself. In point of years of service he is the oldest merchant of Philippi, and is one of the very successful and substan- tial citizens of that community. His family name involves an interesting story of his original German ancestor. At the close of the thirty years' war in Germany, known as the war of extinction, after which that country was left practically desolate, a lonely babe was found in an old oven and the king of the prov- ince was asked to name the child. He called it "Chris- lieb," meaning Christ love. After coming to manhood this youth came to America and settled in Pennsylvania, establishing his home near Carlisle in the Cumberland Valley. The family name has since undergone a change of form, and a number of branches of the descendants of the original settler have become scattered over the Allegheny region and further west. The grandfather of the Philippi merchant was Abram Chrislip, who, accompanied by two brothers, Isaac and Samuel, settled in Barbour County and were successful farmers near Elk City. Abram Chrislip married Amanda Britton, and they are buried in the grave-yard near the lit- tle Village of Elk City. Of their children Ervin was the oldest child; Elza lives at Elk City; Elmore Lee lives with his older brother; Elizabeth is the wife of Albert Reeder, of Carthage, Illinois; and Julia, married Alpheus Corder and died at Carthage, Illinois. Ervin Chrislip was born near Elk City and spent his life there on a farm. He was a Confederate soldier, going through the war without injury. He died in April, iyiğ, at the age of eighty-five. Mis wife, who died in March, 1874, when about fifty years of age, was Mary Darnels. Her father, Joseph Daniels, was a pioneer in this region of West Virginia, his home being near Elk City, and he died during tne Civil war. He came here from Augusta County, Virginia. At one time he was elected a member of the Legislature in old Virginia, and attended the legis- lative sessions, journeyed to and from Richmond on horse- back. Ervin Chrislip and wife had the following chil- dren: William L., a merchant of Philippi; Albert Gal- latin; Edmond H., who died, leaving a family, at Elk City; Emma, wife of Jacob Rogers, of Phillppi; Abram, a graduate of Columbia University, New York and an educator living at Berkeley, California; and Bessie, wife of Lawrence McGee, of Elk City. Albert Gallatin Chrislip was born near Elk City, one of the old villages of Barbour County, on August 26, 1859. During his youth he attended a brief term of instruction in the country school each winter, and the rest of the time he worked on the farm. At the age of twenty-two he began teaching, and taught in the country for two winters. In 1882 he came to Philippi, and after taking a course in the select school of Professor Cornwell, taught in the public schools at Philippi fur two years, For another year he was a deputy in the office of County Clerk Luther C. Elliott, one of the good old citizens of Barbour County, long since passed away. About that time came the op- portunity to get experience in the line which he had de- termined to follow permanently, and he became a clerk in the store of Job H. Glasscock, this being then the largest general siore at Philippi. Two years later he started in business for himself as an implement dealer, and he brought to Philippi the first improved farm machinery ordered for sale here. About the same time he became a representa- tive of a fertilizer manufacturing concern, and it is claimed that Mr. Chrislip sold the first stock of fertilizer in Bar- bour County. This business brought him in direct touch with farmers, and he was soon marketing for his customers large quantities of raw wool. But his business expanded step by step, and later he added a stock of groceries and finally merged all his departments into one large general mercnandise business on Main Street now known as the Farmers Supply Store, which runs an annual aggregate of sales totaling $30,000. He erected his business house on Main Street, one of the modern structures in the town, and also owns one of the beautiful and attractive resi- dences of the city. In the line of public duty Mr. Chrislip responded sev- eral times to election as a memuer of the City Council. At that time plans were being made for some of the public improvements which have since ueen completed. Mr. Chris- lip for many years was an active democrat, but with pass- ing years he hass cut away from partisan affiliations and regards himself as strictly independent. Since the age of fourteen he has been a member of the Methodist Epis- copal Church, and fraternally he is a past noble grand of the Lodge of Independent Order of Odd Fellows and one of the oldest members of that fraternity at Philippi, also belongs to the Encampment and is a member of the Ki- wanis Club. In Taylor County, October 28, 1898, he married Miss Ella Nuzum, daughter of Allen Nuzum, Boothsville, that county, where she was born and reared on a farm. Mrs. Chrislip was one of a family of two sons and four daugh- ters. Mr. and Mrs. Chrislip have four talented children. Lillian Nuzum Chrislip, the oldest, graduated from Broad- dus College of Philippi, and in 1922 graduated from tne Boston Conservatory of Music. John Howard, the second child, is a graduate of the Philippi High School and of Broaddus College, and is now taking a course in electrical engineering. The two younger children are Allen Rockwell, a high school boy, and Charles Woodrow.