Braxton County, West Virginia Biography of Hon. Fred L. FOX This file was submitted by Valerie Crook, E-mail address: The submitter does not have a connection to the sketch subject. 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. 270-271 Braxton County HON. FRED L. FOX. For many years Hon. Fred L. Fox has been one of the foremost citizens of Sutton, foremost in legal circles, in financial affairs, in politics, in public enterprises, in beneficences, and in the place he has won in the confidence of his fellow-citizens. Such varied achieve- ment is a proud distinction, the fruition of a symmetrical manhood. It is possible only to the favored few upon whom have been bestowed the fundamental elements of energy, constructive ability and business intuition. All these essen- tial qualities Mr. Fox possesses, united with an unbending integrity of character that commands the trust and con- fidence of the public and have made him a power in the development of the community. Mr. Fox was born on a farm near the mouth of the Big Birch River, October 24, 1876, a son of Camden and Caro- line (McMorrow) Fox, and a grandson of Samuel Fox. Samuel Fox was born in Nelson County, Virginia, and be- came one of the leading citizens of Braxton County. At various times in his active and successful career he followed the vocations of agriculture, milling, lumbering and mer- chandising, and at the time of his death was a member of the County Court. He was a leading member of the demo- cratic party. Samuel Fox married a Miss Boggs, who was born in Braxton County. Camden Fox was born in Braxton County, December 14, 1854, and was reared to agricultural pursuits while gaining his educational training in the public schools. On attaining manhood he adopted farming as his life work, and continued to be engaged therein until his retirement in 1919, at which time he moved to his present home at Sutton, where he and his worthy wife are held in the highest esteem. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and his political affilia- tion is with the democratic party. He and his wife are faithful members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Seven children have been born to them: Fred L., of this review; Jennie, the wife of O. W. Hall; Augusta H., the wife of Daniel Curry, of Bridgeport, Harrison County, this state; Earl F., an attorney temporarily of Shreveport, Louisiana; Anna, the wife of H. O. Fast, of Charleston, West Virginia; John B., deputy county clerk of Braxton County; and Herman V., a medical student at the University of West Virginia. Fred L. Fox was reared on the home farm and acquired his early education in the common schools. Later he pur- sued a course in the University of West Virginia, from which he was graduated with the class of 1899, receiving the degree of Bachelor of Laws, and, being admitted to the bar during the same year, came at once to Sutton, where he has since been engaged in the practice of his pro- fession with constantly increasing success. He is now a member of the law firm of Haymond & Fox, in existence since 1904, conceded to be one of the strongest combina- tions in Central West Virginia, practicing in the State and Federal Courts. Mr. Fox has long been prominent and active in local and state politics, and has been chairman of the County Execu- tive Committee of the democratic party for the past ten years. In 1912 he was elected a member of the State Sen- ate and was retained therein by re-election in 1916, hav- ing served in all eight years as a member of that body. During six years of this time he was democratic leader of the Senate. Senator Fox was one of the organizers of the Bank of Sutton, of which he has been president since its organization in 1918. His fellow officials in the bank are: W. C. Marple, vice president; Hugh Swisher, cash- ier; and Benton B. Boggs, S. H. Cutlip, A. W. Engel, J. H. Hutchinson, I. Lawrence Freeman, C. W. Marble, H. A. Long and W. A. Tucker, directors. Mr. Fox is also a director of the institution, a strong and solid banking house capitalized at $35,000. He has large real estate interests, embracing oil and coal lands, as well as much city property, including one of the finest residences in the county and the large block in which his business offices are situated. As a fraternalist he belongs to the local Lodge and Chapter of the Masonic Order, and is a past high priest and past eminent commander. With his family he belongs to the Presbyterian Church. On June 22, 1900, Mr. Fox was united in marriage with Miss Anna Lee Frume, a graduate of the public school of Sutton, and to this union there have been born six children: Gordon B., John H., George M., Agnes, Re- becca and Anna Jean.