James Henry Felton 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. 443-444 JAMES HENRY FELTON, who resides at Belington, Barbour County, was born and reared in this county and is a scion of one of the sterling pioneer families of this section of West Virginia. He was born September 30, 1859, on the old homestead farm in Philippi District, this county, five miles northeast of Philippi, in the beautiful valley of the Tygart River. His father, Daniel Felton, was born in Frederick County, Maryland, January 19, 1807, and in 1814 the family home was established in what is now Preston County, West Virginia, where his father, John Fel- ton, became a pioneer farmer on the Cheat River, near Kingwood. Of John Felton further mention is made in the personal sketch of another grandson, Capt. John C. Felton, on other pages of this volume. Daniel Felton was reared under the conditions and influences of frontier life in the western part of the Old Dominion State, and in Barbour County was solemnized his marriage to Lucinda England, a daughter of John England, who was reared in Belington District and who, as a loyal supporter of the Union, was a member of the Home Guard during the Civil war. Daniel Felton became one of the substantial farmers and honored and influential citizens of Barbour County, and remained on his old homestead farm until his death, on the 24th of September, 1894. His widow, who was born in September, 1837, is still living (1922) and is eighty-four years of age at the time of this writing. Of their children James H., of this review, is the first born; Samuel D. is a farmer near Arden, this county; Sarah A. is the wife of J. E. Moore, a farmer in that locality; and Mary Ellen is the wife of Israel P. Fry, their home being in the State of Pennsylvania. James H. Felton profited by the advantages of the rural and select schools, as is shown in his having been for six years a successful teacher in the schools of bis native county, his final term having been in the Overfield school in Elk District. After retiring from the pedagogic profession he became actively identified with farm enterprise and in the manufacturing of and dealing in lumber and timber, with which later line of enterprise he has continued his con- nection, to a greater or less extent, to the present time, and besides which he still owns and has general supervision of his fine farm in his native county. He cast his first presi- dential vote in 1880, for General James A. Garfield, and has since continued his allegiance to the republican party. He remained on his farm until 1890, when he removed to Philippi, the county seat, upon his election to the office of clerk of the Circuit Court, a position which he retained six years. Thereafter he again resided on his farm until 1899, when he was appointed to the position of examiner of property accounts in the office of the quartermaster gen- eral in the United States Army and Navy Building in the City of Washington, D. C. His appointment came through Gen. Charles G. Dawes, who was the comptroller of the currency, and he became well acquainted with General Dawes, whose splendid powers were brought into service in connection with the nation's participation in the World war, and who has since proved one of the ablest men ever enlisted in the work of organizing the financial affairs of the Government upon a proper system of economic stability and retrenchment. Mr. Felton continued his service at Washington 3 1/2 years, and he then returned to his farm, upon which his family had remained. Here he has continued his association with agricultural and live-stock industry and the lumber business, and he has maintained the family home in the City of Belington since August, 1912. Here he has given most effective service as president of the Board of Education of the independent district of Beling- ton. The religious faith and affiliation of the family is that of the Methodist Episcopal Church. September 22, 1885, recorded the marriage of Mr. Felton and Miss Lora D. Gall, who was born in Pleasant District, Barbour County, July 17, 1862, and who is a daughter of George W. and Elizabeth (Talbott) Gall. Gretchen, eldest of the children of Mr. and Mrs. Felton, is the wife of Atlee C. Bolton, of White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, and they have two children, Craig Felton and Margaret. Grace is the wife of R. M. Wylie, of Baltimore, Maryland. Min- nie is the wife of Clarence Dilworth, of Huntington, West Virginia, and they have one son, Richard. Miss Prudence is principal of the Junior High School at Belington, she being a graduate of the West Virginia Wesleyan College, which her sisters likewise attended. Mrs. Wylie graduated from the Mountain State Business College and attended Marshall College, with which latter institution she was identified in a clerical and executive capacity for ten years. Mrs. Dilworth graduated from Marshall College, and prior to her marriage was a successful teacher in the public schools, including those of the City of Charleston. Miss Prudence Felton likewise graduated from the Mountain State Business College at Parkersburg, and all of the sisters have proved successful and popular teachers.