Barbour County, West Virginia Biography of J. Blackburn WARE This biography was submitted by Valerie Crook, E-mail address: The submitter does not have a connection to the subject of this sketch. This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations for their private use. All other rights reserved. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. This file is part of the WVGenWeb Archives. If you arrived here inside a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at http://www.usgwarchives.net/wv/wvfiles.htm The History of West Virginia, Old and New Published 1923, The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, Volume III, pg. 336-337 J. BLACKBURN WARE has earned a deservedly high place in the bar of West Virginia during the twenty odd years he has practiced. At the same time he has exercised an important influence in republican politics, has served as mayor of Philippi, has labored consistently for educational advancement, and at all times has endeavored to give of his talents in proportion to his abilities. Mr. Ware was born near Belington on a farm in Barbour County, November 15, 1872. His grandfather was James R. Ware, one of the strong and rugged citizens and char- acters of his time. He was a farmer, a man of great energy and endurance, and was described as "straight as an Indian" when he died at the age of seventy-five. He lived in Randolph and Barbour counties, and is buried near Belington. He married Dorothy Mace, and they reared a family of twelve children. Ellihue Ware, father of the Philippi lawyer, was born in Randolph County, grew up during the Civil war, and consequently had a limited education in schools. For many years he was a farmer in the Belington locality, but in 1895 moved into that town and was a merchant there until 1921. He has been a good citizen, a republican voter and a mem- ber of the United Brethren Church. Ellihue Ware married Lucretia Booth, a daughter of James Booth, whose wife was a Yeager. Mrs. Ellihue Ware died in 1890. Of her six children only three grew to mature years: William G; pastor of the United Brethren Church at Fairmont; J. Blackburn; and Roxanna, who died in 1917, wife of Frank Luzader. J. Blackburn Ware laid the foundation of his education in the country schools near his birthplace. He also at- tended the old Normal and Classical Academy at Buckhan- non, maintained by the United Brethren Church, and was teacher after graduating. His last work as teacher was done at Belington, where he was principal of schools. This was followed by taking the law course in West Virginia Uni- versity at Morgantown, where he graduated in 1897. Mr. Ware was admitted to practice in Tucker County, and was at Parsons as a spectator in the murder trial of Robert East- man for the murder of Thompson. This was one of the famous criminal trials in the history of that locality, and there was an imposing array of counsel on both sides of the case. In the spring of 1898, Mr. Ware established him- self in practice at Belington, where he remained for ten years. He began practice alone, and subsequently was asso- ciated with J. A. Viquesney, under the firm name of Ware and Viquesney, until that partnership was dissolved by the appointment of Mr. Viquesney as game warden of West Virginia. Mr. Ware then moved to Philippi, in 1909, here he has enjoyed a busy career as a lawyer, not only in the state and local courts, but in the Federal courts as well, hav- ing been admitted to practice in the Federal courts soon after his admission to the state bar. The greater part of his law business has been in the civil, and in the criminal law he has been associated chiefly in the defense, though in one or two noted cases he was on the side of the prosecution. Mr. Ware east his first presidential vote for Major Mc- Kinley, and for many years has helped hold the republican party organization together in Barbour County. He has attended several state conventions. One of these was the exciting convention which divided into two factions, each nominating a candidate for governor. Both these candidates subsequently withdrew and Governor Glasscock was chosen as the harmony candidate and elected governor. In 1920 Mr. Ware took an active part in building up support in Bar- bour County for the present Governor Morgan. He believed in Mr. Morgan's qualifications for governor, and he also felt an additional interest in him since they were classmates together in law school. Mr. Ware's service as mayor at Philippi was rendered in 1910 and 1911, two terms. During his term a large amount of street paving was done. During the several years he was a resident of Belington he was secretary of the Board of Education. At Philippi his efforts in behalf of education have been directed chiefly through his membership in the Kiwanis Club. He intro- duced the resolution before that club to memorialize the Legislature to pass a law permitting the city to vote a bond issue of 5 cents on the dollar to build a high school and grammar school combined. He prepared the bill, secured its passage by the Legislature, and the city is now enjoying the conveniences of this splendid building. Mr. Ware is a prominent factor in the local Kiwanis Club, is vice president and chairman of its committee on public affairs, and was representative of the club at the International Convention at Cleveland in 1921. He is affiliated with Grafton Lodge of Elks, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Wood- men of the World, and is deputy grand chancellor and has attended the last five sessions of the Grand Lodge of the Knights of Pythias. He is also a member of the Pythian Sisters and the Rebekahs, and is a member of the D. O. K. K., social order of the Knights of Pythias. Mr. Ware is a prominent layman of the United Brethren Church, and at- tended two of the national conferences, one at Wichita, Kansas, and the other, in 1921, at Indianapolis. His active church work has been primarily in the direction of arousing interest in the Sunday School, and he has spoken at a num- ber of local conventions of Sabbath School workers. At Parsons, Virginia, in March, 1901, Mr. Ware married Miss Tillie Glenn. She was born near Terra Alta, March 7, 1880, daughter of Rev. C. E. Glenn, still living at Terra Alta. Her parents have two daughters and six sons. Her sister is Mrs. Forrest Trickett, of Elkins, West Virginia. Her brothers are: Asa, of Clarksburg, Victor, of Terra Alta, Walter, of Fairmont, Karl Glenn, of Grafton, Frey Glenn, of Calloway, Ohio, and Jesse Glenn, of Belington. The oldest of the children of Mr. and Mrs. Ware is Paul Blackburn, who has completed his sophomore year at the University of West Virginia. James Ralph, the second son, is a junior in the Philippi High School. Evelyn Glenn is a sophomore in high school, Ruth Elizabeth is in the eighth grade, and David Ray, the youngest, is in the sixth grade of the local grammar school.