Berkeley County, West Virginia Biography of William DEAN 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. 395 WILLIAM DEAN, present sheriff of Berkeley County, has been a popular resident and business man of Martinsburg for a number of years and is a member of an old and well- blown family of the county. Sheriff Dean was born at Martinsburg. The family resi- dence for several generations was in Rockingham County, old Virginia, where his great-grandfather, William Dean, spent his active career as a farmer and planter. His son, James Dean, was born in Rockingham County, reared on a farm, and gave his entire life to agriculture there. He died when a comparatively young man. His wife, Nancy Minick, after his death married Ben Sullivan, and they came to Martinsburg, sojourned at Williamsport, Maryland, dur- ing the war and then returned to Martinsburg and lived here the rest of their days. James William Dean, father of Sheriff Dean, was born on a farm near Newmarket in Rockingham County in 1848, and was a boy when he ac- companied his mother to Martinsbnrg. Here he served an apprenticeship at the trade of boilermaker, and after his marriage bought a home on South Raleigh Street, between West King and John streets. This location at that time was at the very edge of the city, and the corner lot was en- closed with a rail fence. After completing his apprentice- ship he entered the service of the Baltimore & Ohio Rail- way Company, and was in the shops of that railroad com- pany until his last illness. He died at the age of forty-one. James W. Dean married Emily Virginia Snodeal, who was born on West John Street in Martinsburg, was twenty years of age when she married, and she now occupies the old Dean home on South Raleigh Street. She is an active mem- ber of the Methodist Episcopal Church, as was her hus- band. Emily Virginia Snodeal's father was John Snodeal, who was born on a farm near Martinsburg. His father, George Snodeal, was a native of Germany, came to America in Colonial times, and was a pioneer of Berkeley County. He owned a farm in the western part of the county, and on leaving the farm located at Martinsburg, where his enter- prise brought him extensive business connections. He oper- ated a carriage and blacksmith shop, was in the livery and grocery business, and continued active in affairs until the close of his life. He married Polly Malone, of Irish an- cestry, and who lived to the age of ninety years. Their son, John Snodeal, learned the blacksmith and carriage making trade in his father's shop. During the Civil war he was a Union sympathizer, and after the retreat of Gen- eral Banks' army he refugeed to Williamsport, Maryland. He and his three children started out on foot to make this pilgrimage, and on the way a Government wagon took them up and conveyed them the greater part of the distance. In 1865 he returned to Martinsburg, and he conducted a carriage and blacksmith shop on Winchester Avenue until his death at the age of sixty-four. He married Caroline Rhul, who was of English parentage. Her father was a well educated man and taught a private school for several years in Martinsburg. James W. Dean was a member of Jefferson Lodge No. 1, Knights of Pythias, and was also an Odd Fellow. William Dean acquired his education in the city schools of Martinsburg. While still in school he went to work in the woolen mills, and continued with that industry until March, 1911. With his brother John he then entered the men's furnishing goods business and they have one of the best stores of that character in Berkeley County. Mr. Dean was elected sheriff of Berkeley County in 1920, receiving a handsome majority of 1,500. He cast his first presidential vote for William H. Taft. Mr. Dean is affili- ated with Equality Lodge No. 44, A. P. and A. M., Leba- non Chapter No. 2, R. A. M., Palestine Commandery No. 2, K. T., and is also a member of the Junior Order United American Mechanics and the Modern Woodmen of America.